I nodded in agreement when I read Rich Coad say in a letter to Flag that most fanzine fans aren’t interested in awards anymore. (I mean besides you, Aidan, of course). Graham Charnock provides living proof (or maybe 100 proof) in Vibrator 2.0.4 [PDF file].
Frankly I have given up on this competitive stuff. No matter how much brilliant stuff I write for that seminal literary journal CHUNGA people (mostly Andy Hooper, which is strange because he is one of the editors) persist in ignoring me. Okay, once Marty Cantor proposed me for past fwa president at Corflu in Sunnyvale but he was soon shouted down and the anodyne Spike, who can’t even afford a last name and was on the organising committee, was elected in my place. Nowadays it seems Brits are elected every year without actually doing anything or displaying any talent. Even Roy Kettle. Bitter? Not me.
Having said that most of my impetus for writing comes from being drunk, I have to admit the flaw in my own argument. When I’m drunk I frequently just feel tired. I think of lots of stuff I could write, including long novels with vast starships (but also heart-searching poems dealing with death and mortality) but then I reach for another drink and turn on Bones.
The entire issue is filled with lightning wit — except for Graham’s article about death, I mean — and though I treasure the firecracker string of perfectly-placed in-jokes quoted above, most of it is far more accessible to the uninitiated. His readers add to the pandemonium, too. If only Graham charged for copies I would happily testify that Mark Plummer’s letter of comment is worth the price of admission by itself.
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I’m of course immensely flattered, Mike, by this report although I fear a lot of the irony hashtags liberally scattered throughout Vibrator, particularly with regard to the lust for awards, and my apparently snarky remartks about the undeniably worthy recipients both past and present, may have gone unnoticed, and certainly look less than charitable when quoted out of context..
Like Mike, I highly recommend reading the entire (short) issue – and there are three more at Graham’s eFanzines page: http://efanzines.com/Vibrator/index.htm
When all is said and done, I’m certain that the efforts of File770 to oversaturate fandom with award results will be recognized as having contributed mightily to the general indifference. What I can’t figure, Mike, is how you talk all those different colleges, writers guilds, fan groups, academic conferences, publishers and other riff-raff into establishing awards you can report?
Mike’s review of my fanzine had nothing to do with promoting awards. It was a review. I haven’t particularly noticed myself that Mike has been over-saturating the field in any way. He produces a news-blog and awards are news as are obituaries and the other less savory aspects of fandom. Might as well criticize him for publishing information when people are so inconsiderate as to die so frequently..
Yes, Taral, it may be unsavory and unbecoming a gentleman, but I am duty bound to report the news, even awards. And why are there so many? Either in Shakespeare or the scriptures it says “Where three writers gather together there shall be founded an award. (And two of the writers will be pissed off when they don’t win it.)”
Mike Glyer: SMOA …. Secret Master of Awards.
Next up:
Best Second Novel
Best Collaboration Between Writers of Non Overlapping Genders
Best Writing By Grumpy Canadian
Best Color Art By Color Blind Artist
…Grumpy Cat in Costumes.
Perhaps: don’t report on awards if you haven’t read the suff?
Well, what are SF’s best second novels?
How about fantasy?
I hate the way this thread seems to have no longer become about ME.
And now it’s not even about ME. Things are getting out of hand.
Graham, if it had been about me, I would feel the same way.
See also this previous article.
Meanwhile, the Canadian government seems to have made the distribution of fan clubzines and newsletters by e-mail illegal without prior consent … well, it’s *not* about awards, or even an obituary, so you have to admit its a change of pace?