“Could it be that this all of this op-ed commentary about pop culture serves more to fill our empty places—those places deep within us that desire to make and say and express but are completely disengaged within the context of the kind of lives most of us live as consumers, not makers. Have we all become so obsessed with commentary and critique because actually making and creating is just too damn hard?”
Source: What’s a man to do with his epiphanies? — Chris White HQ
Well, that was a waste of my time.
If you are following the Hugo Award ballot, the annual fan-nominated and fan-elected winners for excellence in sci-fi and fantasy writing, you are aware of the Sad / Rabid Puppy controversy.
If you aren’t familiar, or if you just want to read an outstanding article on the issue, Wired Magazine wrote a great piece last year, in the wake of Puppy Scandal 2015. It’s hard to boil down, but the Puppies claim the Hugos have been taken over by pretentious liberals who are pushing their “agenda” into the stories, while the rest of us, whether we think the Puppies have a point or not, are tired of crap being shoved into the Hugo Award balloting as a protest move. And these Puppies do seem hell-bent on shoving women and people of color out of science-fiction, in the name of “making sci-fi fun again.” (Did these guys read The Forever War? “Sandkings”? 2001? Those aren’t “fun” novels…..)
The Culture Wars are raging at the highest levels (and all corners) of American society. Substitute weaponry for verbiage, and this could easily be the stuff of a sci-fi novel…..
Now, in the same year that the so-called mens’ rights movement was driven into a froth by Mad Max: Fury Road, in which Charlize Theron seeks to rescue a bunch of women from sex slavery (and Max is little more than a sidekick), another flashpoint emerged: Puppygate.
In our telephone call a few weeks back, Beale explained that his plan was a “Xanatos gambit.” “That’s where you set it up so that no matter what your enemy does, he loses and you win.”
Source: Who Won Science Fiction’s Hugo Awards, and Why It Matters | WIRED
Last year, many of the Puppy-nominated works were, to be frank, total shit. They were badly written, frothy, of little value literarily or conceptually. But the problem remains: Anyone who wants to shove crap into the Hugo ballot can do it if they’re organized enough. And the Puppies followers jump when they’re told.
*****
So that explains why I spent my early afternoon groaning at the short stories nominated for the Hugo this year. I will be voting “No Award” for this category, and here’s why:
So there you go. In past years, I might have read gems from the likes of Ursula LeGuin, George RR Martin, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Philip K Dick, Ted Chiang, and countless other great authors who put honest work and craftsmanship into their writing.
Instead, because some controlling asshat who just wants to watch the nerd-world burn is angry that there are too many non-male, non-white, non-straight people all up in his grill and competing against him for readers and sales, I had to spend waste an hour of my time skimming stories about dinosaurs banging a lonely astronaut or tired, worn-down ideas that have been floating around for decades.
The Puppies claim they’re just trying to prove that Hugo voters don’t care about quality, that we will simply vote for people we agree with.
No. I want to vote for people who can actually write. And if these WASPy men can’t get their shit together and promote stories that might be worth my time to read, they sure as hell don’t deserve any place among the Hugo nominees.
Unfortunately, the Hugo ballot — like the American ballot in 2016 — is deeply broken. I don’t know if we’ll ever recover. And that’s pretty hella sad.
*****
Next up: Novellas and Novelettes. The slates of nominees are entirely dominated by works recommended by the Sad and Rabid Puppies, but many nominated authors had little to do with that. I’m hoping there’s some valuable reads here.
*****
If you’re looking for some good, recent sci-fi short stories, try subscribing to one of the fan magazines. Or grab the “Best of…2015” short story collection next time you’re at B&N or BAM.
I enjoyed several of the short stories that Microsoft released as part of a collection last year, Future Visions, especially the story by Annie Leckie that closes the book.
Robin Thicke – Blurred Lines Parody – “Church Signs” : Dustin Ah Kuoi.
totally made me laugh out loud
In a recent Newsweek article, Stephen Jones, now the President of Bob Jones University (since Dr Bob III retired last spring) answered a question about whether he would be as involved in politics & culture battles as his father & grandfather have.
his answer:
“The gospel is for individuals. The main message we have is to individuals. We’re not here to save the culture.”
*shakes head*
Even Dr Bob Sr. understood that the Gospel must affect culture if it has any real power at all.
Dr Bob Jr embraced “good” culture .. and while he & I would define “good” culture by different standards, he was right to establish Shakespeare on the BJU stage, operas every spring, a spirit of excellence in the fine arts, and a religious art gallery that rivals the museums I have visited overseas.
If the Fall affects culture, families, and institutions in addition to individuals — and oh how it does! — limiting the Gospel to only rescuing “individuals” reflects a defeatist view of the world. Grace must be powerful enough to alter the force of culture … otherwise, how is it of any value at all?
We are not here to “polish knobs on a sinking ship.”
This world is God’s. He created it and claims it as His own. “The earth will be full of the glory of the Lord like the waters cover the sea” (Haggai)… that’s not just a pipe dream. Otherwise I’d pack my bags and work in “the secular world.”
The ministry of reconciliation is real, and we go forth in the power of a Gospel that not only changes individual hearts, but also works to heal and redeem in all of humanity & its endeavors what sin has destroyed.
….*grumbles* Bad theology is galling….
If you’re looking for further reading, read Al Wolters’ book Creation Regained: Biblical Basics for a Reformational Worldview. It’s a great, short introduction to what I just skimmed through in only a few paragraphs.
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