News & Notes – 2/03/2024

February 3, 2024 News & Notes 3


News & Notes is a weekly Saturday post featuring book- and publishing-related news, links to interesting articles and opinion pieces, and other cool stuff

Bookish News

Hugo Awards controversy

Several prominent works were left off the 2023 Hugo Awards finalists lists due to “ineligibility” despite receiving enough votes to be included, most prominently Babel by R. F. Kuang, but also works by Xiran Jay Zhao, Neil Gaiman, and fan writer Paul Weimer. So far, the Hugo committee has not given a clear explanation. It’s worth noting that the Hugo winners are announced at WorldCon; 2023’s WorldCon was held in Chengdu, China, in 2023. Although the head of the Hugo committee denies they received any pressure, it seems likely that the affected authors (two of them born in China) may have been deemed unacceptable by the Chinese government for political reasons. For more, see the following articles and blog posts:

Worth Reading/Viewing

Free Fiction Online

Book Lists

Bookish Quote

3 Responses to “News & Notes – 2/03/2024”

  1. Nicole @ BookWyrmKnits

    Some great bookish updates, as always! I’ve been really annoyed at the Hugo nonsense, but it does validate those who were worried in advance that it wouldn’t be possible to have an uncensored Hugo Awards in China. I also saw Mary Robinette Kowal’s recent post about it, and she, at least, is confident that this year’s Hugo (in Glasgow) will be more transparent.
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    • Lark_Bookwyrm

      I certainly hope so. I hope we will see changes made to the rules/consitution governing the Hugo Awards process… at least to clarify that works may not be deemed ineligible without a clear and public accounting for why they are inevitable. At best, to clearly state that no work may be deemed ineligible that clearly meets the stated requirements. I also hope that the WSFS will think long and hard before allowing future WorldCons to take place in any country with a track record of squashing dissent or differing views. For instance, Kamapala is bidding for the 2028 WorldCon, but Uganda has has one of harshest anti-LGBTQ laws in the world. A number of authors and fans would probably refuse to attend on that account, either for their own safety or in solidarity with others who might be affected.