Pixel Scroll 7/30 Gonna Scroll the Bones

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Mike Glyer

A lot of material out there because of the Hugo voting deadline tomorrow but if you want more than the three items I included in today’s Scroll then Google is your friend.

(1) Today in History!

1932: Walt Disney released his first color cartoon, “Flowers and Trees,” made in three-color Technicolor.

1976: NASA released the famous “Face on Mars” photo, taken by Viking 1

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter image by its HiRISE camera of the “Face on Mars”. Viking Orbiter image inset in bottom right corner.

(2) And Today’s Birthday Boy and Girl – what a coincidence!

Born 1965: J. K. Rowling

Born: Harry Potter (main character of Harry Potter series)

(3) “The Tom-cademy Awards: The Only Awards Show Exclusively for Tom Cruise Movies” is part of a weeklong Cruise-themed series on Grantland. The author anoints Emily Blunt as the Best Supporting Actress of any Cruise movie.

The wonderful thing about EoT is that it’s really funny. It achieves that by not pretending the audience has never seen a time-travel movie. Instead, Edge of Tomorrow claps the audience firmly on the shoulder and, smiling, asks (rhetorically), “Hey, wanna see Tom Cruise get iced?” And, as it turns out, watching The Character Named Tom Cruise getting killed in fun and interesting ways, ways that show just enough exposed cranium to make the exercise mean something, is pretty invigorating.

But! Do we not, paradoxically, also want to see The Character Named Tom Cruise succeed? To save the world and get the girl? Yeah, of course we do. This is Tom Cruise we’re talking about. And it’s Blunt, playing it straight the whole time while kicking a Ripley-in-Aliens level of xenomorph butt, who has to downshift from hero-on-a-recruiting-poster to woman-who-we-kind-of-want-to-see-kiss-Tom-Cruise in order to make Cage’s journey from charming coward to soldier/love interest believable. He’s the hero we deserve, that we also need to see die.

Genre films Minority Report (Best Visual Effects) and Interview With The Vampire (Best Costume Design) also take home the hardware.

(4) Janis Ian, who now writes in the sf field, has her own Bill Cosby story from when she was a teenager preparing to sing her hit song on The Smothers Brothers show in 1967.

“No, I was not sexually bothered by Bill Cosby,” said Ian in a Facebook post Tuesday, reacting to a New York magazine report featuring 35 women who accuse Cosby of sexual impropriety.

In her post, Ian accused Cosby of publicly outing her as a lesbian, based on a chance meeting backstage at a television show.

“Cosby was right in one thing. I am gay. Or bi, if you prefer, since I dearly loved the two men I lived with over the years. My tilt is toward women, though, and he was right about that.”

(5) On to tamer subjects – the Worldcon business meeting. Kevin Standlee hopes to discourage complaints while rewarding the reader’s attention with a good discussion of why meetings adopt Roberts Rules or the equivalent:

The reason that parliamentary procedure is complex is that it’s trying to balance a bunch of contradictory rights. If you’re someone who is convinced that your personal, individual right to speak for as long as you want and as many times at you want trumps the rights of the group to be able to finish the discussion and reach a decision in a reasonable time, well, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever be happy with any rules that allow for limits on debate. If you’re someone who has no patience with debate and just wants the Strong Man to Make Decisions, you’ll never be pleased with rules that allow for people to debate and reach a group decision through voting….

And he invites your help to improve how WSFS meetings are run.

WSFS rules are complicated because the people who attend the meetings have effectively voted for complexity, but also because some of the complexity is required to protect the rights of members, both individually and in groups, and including the members who aren’t even at the meeting. If you have a better way for deciding how we should run things, the onus is on you to propose something. As long as you just complain that “it’s too complicated,” without proposing something both easier and workable, don’t expect to be taken seriously.

(6 ) Russell Blackford on Metamagician and the Hellfire Club delivers “The Hugo Awards – 2015 – Summation”.

Even if there is a legitimate grain of truth somewhere amongst the complaints of the Sad Puppies group, their actions have led to an exceptionally weak Hugo field this year and to some specific perverse outcomes. If the Sad Puppies campaigners merely thought that there is a “usual suspects” tendency in recent Hugo nomination lists, and that politically conservative authors are often overlooked in recent times, they could have simply argued their case based on evidence. Likewise, they could have taken far wiser, far more moderate – far less destructive – actions to identify some genuinely outstanding works that might otherwise have been missed. What we saw this year, with politicised voting on an unprecedented scale, approached the level of sabotaging the awards. I repeat my hope that the Sad Puppies campaign will not take place next year, at least in anything like the same form. If it does, my attitude will definitely harden. I’ve been rather mild about the Sad Puppies affair compared to many others in SF fandom, and I think I can justify that, but enough is enough.

I really can’t understand how Blackford processes the ethics of the 2015 situation, this being the third go-round for Sad Puppies, that “enough” had not happened already to warrant a stronger expression of his disapproval, but a fourth iteration will.

(7) The shortest “fisking” in history — Larry Correia strikes back at Sad Puppies references in The New Yorker’s Delany interview The boldfaced sentences below are literally 66% of what he had to say.

The ensuing controversy has been described, by Jeet Heer in the New Republic, as “a cultural war over diversity,” since the Sad Puppies, in their pushback against perceived liberals and experimental writers, seem to favor the work of white men.

Diversity my ass. Last years winners were like a dozen white liberals and one Asian liberal and they hailed that as a huge win for diversity.

Delany said he was dismayed by all this, but not surprised. “The context changes,” he told me, “but the rhetoric remains the same.”

Well, that’s a stupid conclusion.

Alert the bugler to blow “Taps” over the fallen standards of Correia fisks….

(8) Cheryl Morgan tells fans don’t give up.

Look, there will be some weird stuff in the results this year. There may well be a few No Awards given out, and possibly some really bad works winning awards. It is not as if that hasn’t happened before, though perhaps not in the same quantities. On the other hand, people are talking about the Hugos much more this year than they ever have before, and in many more high profile places. In addition vastly more people have bought supporting memberships, and we are looking at a record number of people participating in the final ballot. All of those people will be eligible to nominate next year. This isn’t the way I would have liked to get that result, but it is a result all the same.

for the first time EVER, I just voted for the Hugo Awards. I suspect it would have been fun any other year.

— MamaDeb (@_mamadeb) July 30, 2015

(9) John Scalzi realized he would have a more restful day if instead of discussing the Hugos he spent his time doing computer maintenance.

Windows 10 71% downloaded. Horrible gulping, weeping sounds coming from the basement. I mean, more than usual.

— John Scalzi (@scalzi) July 29, 2015

[Thanks to Martin Morse Wooster, David K.M. Klaus and John King Tarpinian for some of these stories. Title credit to File 770 contributing editor Soon Lee.]

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372 thoughts on “Pixel Scroll 7/30 Gonna Scroll the Bones”

rochrist on July 31, 2015 at 10:19 am said:

@Brian Z “….or even John Wright who has said a couple questionable and even damning things himself…”

A couple of questionable things…. Wow. Ok.
Richard Brandt on July 31, 2015 at 10:21 am said:

@NelC
Richard Brandt — How long should we give it before sending a rescue party?

I’m already a goner. I just don’t know it. Wait, I guess I must.
Ginger on July 31, 2015 at 10:21 am said:

Kyra said

My spouse *to this day* does the thing where whenever something has to be divided into equal portions, she insists that one person should do the dividing and the other person should pick which one is theirs.

I had not remembered that bit, maybe because my family already had that requirement for dividing things between two kids. (And I can recall the intensity with which I attempted to divide things precisely half and half so no one would be able to get the bigger piece.)
Quinchan on July 31, 2015 at 10:22 am said:

Don’t really like ranking books so haven’t participated much in the brackets, but I do like the match-up titles

Yup. Nearly choked on my water laughing at the titles.
Andy H. on July 31, 2015 at 10:22 am said:

2. FROM YOUR SMALL HOME TOWN TO THE GREAT BEYOND
The Riddle-Master of Hed, Patricia McKillip
Stardust, Neil Gaman

4. OF COURSE YOU REALIZE THIS MEANS WAR
A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin
War for the Oaks, Emma Bull

I’m debating subbing in Bone Dance, but Oaks was more influential.

5. SERIOUSLY TARAN WHAT’S UP SHOULD WE SEND HELP
Taran Wanderer, Lloyd Alexander
Dracula, Bram Stoker

Alexander might plausibly have been the first genre fantasy I read.

6. ONE DAY YOU WAKE UP AND EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT
Nine Princes in Amber, Roger Zelazny
The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka

By a proverbial hair.

7. TEA AND CACOASTRUM
To Reign in Hell, Steven Brust
Tea with the Black Dragon, R. A. MacAvoy

Neither of these books worked for me the way they seem to have for their bigger proponents, but I’ll vote Brust on the strength of his other work.

8. 1990 VS. 1999
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J. K. Rowling
Tigana, Guy Gavriel Kay

I have no idea how to compare these books. Tie.

9. TALES OF THE SUBTLE FAE
Fire and Hemlock, Diana Wynne Jones
Lud-in-the-Mist, Hope Mirrlees

12. LOVE WILL TEAR US APART
The Golden Compass/Northern Lights, Phillip Pullman
Magic’s Price, Mercedes Lackey
Kyra on July 31, 2015 at 10:24 am said:

> “I had not remembered that bit …”

My spouse is strongly insistent on it. I can try to say, “Oh, it doesn’t really matter to me, pick whichever you –” and she will be all “NO YOU MUST CHOOSE BECAUSE TARAN WANDERER.”
Kyra on July 31, 2015 at 10:28 am said:

And I am using a lot of capital letters today. There must be 80’s fantasy in the bracket.
Cat on July 31, 2015 at 10:33 am said:

@ Brian Z.

If you didn’t quote the part most obviously germane to your point, that was a mistake. Helping you fix your mistakes with minimal embarrassment to yourself is not a priority for me.

TL; DR: Not interested in helping you with your victim blaming project.
Doctor Science on July 31, 2015 at 10:36 am said:

1. EVERYONE LOVES AN ECCENTRIC WIZARD
*The Once and Future King, T. H. White
– the Hambly is v v good, but this is EPIC.

2. FROM YOUR SMALL HOME TOWN TO THE GREAT BEYOND
*The Riddle-Master of Hed, Patricia McKillip
– also I really love McKillip in general

3. ADVENTURERS TWO
*Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart
– Fafhrd & the Mouser are cool, but Bridge of Birds is ground-breaking.

4. OF COURSE YOU REALIZE THIS MEANS WAR
*War for the Oaks, Emma Bull
– because I can’t stand Game-of-Thrones-ism.

5. SERIOUSLY TARAN WHAT’S UP SHOULD WE SEND HELP
*Taran Wanderer, Lloyd Alexander
– Mr Dr Science pointed out that I just plain *enjoyed* the Prydain books more.

6. ONE DAY YOU WAKE UP AND EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT
*Nine Princes in Amber, Roger Zelazny
– no contest

7. TEA AND CACOASTRUM
*Tea with the Black Dragon, R. A. MacAvoy
– If it had been up against Five Hundred Years After, maybe Brust would have had a chance.

8. 1990 VS. 1999
*Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J. K. Rowling
– great characters, second only to LOTR in impact on the field

9. TALES OF THE SUBTLE FAE
Fire and Hemlock, Diana Wynne Jones
Lud-in-the-Mist, Hope Mirrlees
Abstain, I haven’t read either nor have I formed an opinion, and Mr Dr doesn’t have one to interject.

10. GRAND ADVENTURES
*Watership Down, Richard Adams
– I actually don’t like it much, but it’s better than Conan

11. TI-JEANNE VS. BUTTERCUP
Brown Girl in the Ring, Nalo Hopkinson
The Princess Bride, William Goldman
– Abstain because I haven’t read Hopkinson

12. LOVE WILL TEAR US APART
* The Golden Compass/Northern Lights, Phillip Pullman
– both flawed, but Pullman’s world-building is more interesting to me

13. EVERYTHING SLOWLY GOING DOWNHILL
* The Dying Earth, Jack Vance
– I don’t like too much realism in my magical

14. LEARNING THAT YOU’RE UNHAPPY
*The Tombs of Atuan, Ursula K. Le Guin
– Dunsany isn’t at Le Guin’s consistent level.

15. I CAN’T REMEMBER WHO I AM
* The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle
– shaped my mind

16. ACROSS THE SCOPE OF HISTORY
* Little, Big, John Crowley
– I never read Silverlock so I passed this choice on to Mr Dr. He voted for Crowley as being actually intelligent and well-written.

17. VICTORY BY DROPPING STUFF ON PEOPLE’S HEADS
* Small Gods, Terry Pratchett
– a truly great work

18. STRANGE DOINGS UP AT THE CASTLE
Gormenghast, by Mervyn Peake
The Dragon Waiting, John M. Ford
– Abstain: couldn’t get through Gormenghast, haven’t read the Ford
NelC on July 31, 2015 at 10:37 am said:

2. FROM YOUR SMALL HOME TOWN TO THE GREAT BEYOND
Stardust, Neil Gaiman

I’m not greatly taken with Stardust. I prefer American Gods or Anansi Boys, I think.

3. ADVENTURERS TWO
Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart

I like the Fafhrd & the Grey Mouser stories, for the most part, but I had to give this one to Hughart because… reasons.

6. ONE DAY YOU WAKE UP AND EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT
Nine Princes in Amber, Roger Zelazny

I guess Metamorphosis is more worthy because the protagonist dies like an insect at the end, forgotten and unloved? But blow that lit-fic, feel-bad stuff, I’m a genre reader and I like happier endings.

7. TEA AND CACOASTRUM
Tea with the Black Dragon, R. A. MacAvoy

I’ve taken a fancy to read this again. I shall have to see if I can track down a copy.

10. GRAND ADVENTURES
The Sword of Conan, Robert E. Howard

What is best in life? To crush your enemies, to see their books remaindered before you, and to hear the lamentations of their agents!

12. LOVE WILL TEAR US APART
The Golden Compass/Northern Lights, Phillip Pullman

Pullman gets my Filthy Atheist vote.

11. TI-JEANNE VS. BUTTERCUP

Abstain. Great movie, but I’m feeling guilty about never having read Hopkinson, despite crossing her path a few times at cons and hearing good things about her work.

13. EVERYTHING SLOWLY GOING DOWNHILL
The Dying Earth, Jack Vance

I’ve read and liked Marquez, but having voted against the lit-fic crowd once, I’m going to go with the pulp again.

14. LEARNING THAT YOU’RE UNHAPPY
The Tombs of Atuan, Ursula K. Le Guin

I don’t know why I’m voting for Le Guin, she’ll steam-roller her way through the first few rounds for sure.

15. I CAN’T REMEMBER WHO I AM
Soldier of the Mist, Gene Wolfe

Because I love this story.

16. ACROSS THE SCOPE OF HISTORY
Little, Big, John Crowley

And I love this one, too.

17. VICTORY BY DROPPING STUFF ON PEOPLE’S HEADS
Small Gods, Terry Pratchett

And Pratchett, how could I not vote for Sir Pterry?

18. STRANGE DOINGS UP AT THE CASTLE
The Dragon Waiting, John M. Ford

I still prefer How Much for Just the Planet?… waddyamean, not fantasy?
Lenora Rose on July 31, 2015 at 10:37 am said:

My most-oft quoted line in Taran Wanderer is actually the one about (paraphrased probably) “I’ve heard men complain about doing womens’ work, and women complain about doing mens’ work, but I’ve never heard the work complain about who does it.”

Although I am a bit sad that it’s still possible to encounter scenarios where it’s a relevant point.
Brian Z on July 31, 2015 at 10:40 am said:

OK Cat, here you go. Hope it helps!

I’m prepared to acknowledge that there are well-meaning and decent people involved with Sad Puppies, and I’ll add (again) that some of the flak they have received has been unfair, hurtful, and excessive. That makes me disinclined to add to all the nasty imputations about their characters and their motives.

Nonetheless, even the more moderate Sad Puppies campaign has been dreadfully misguided and poorly thought out. I must also say that I’ve seen people involved in that campaign, people from whom I’d hope for better, engage online in indefensible vitriol. I’ll leave it there, except to add that if, reasonably enough, they want to be treated with charity and civility, they might also take care to extend it to others.

Even if there is a legitimate grain of truth somewhere amongst the complaints of the Sad Puppies group, their actions have led to an exceptionally weak Hugo field this year and to some specific perverse outcomes. If the Sad Puppies campaigners merely thought that there is a “usual suspects” tendency in recent Hugo nomination lists, and that politically conservative authors are often overlooked in recent times, they could have simply argued their case based on evidence. Likewise, they could have taken far wiser, far more moderate – far less destructive – actions to identify some genuinely outstanding works that might otherwise have been missed. What we saw this year, with politicised voting on an unprecedented scale, approached the level of sabotaging the awards.

I repeat my hope that the Sad Puppies campaign will not take place next year, at least in anything like the same form. If it does, my attitude will definitely harden. I’ve been rather mild about the Sad Puppies affair compared to many others in SF fandom, and I think I can justify that, but enough is enough.
RedWombat on July 31, 2015 at 10:45 am said:

My spouse *to this day* does the thing where whenever something has to be divided into equal portions, she insists that one person should do the dividing and the other person should pick which one is theirs.

My husband does this! And I’m an only child–or was until I was 22,* so effectively was raised as such–so it always strikes me as a little odd, like “You’re my husband, why wouldn’t I trust you to divide it fairly?” until I figured out that it was a carryover from siblings.

*There was an accident with an herbal supplement
Cassy B on July 31, 2015 at 10:50 am said:

Andy H. on July 31, 2015 at 10:22 am: Your selections didn’t come through, and not all your votes can be deduced from your comments. Repost?
David W. on July 31, 2015 at 10:51 am said:

Fool me once, shame on you…
Fool me twice, shame on me…
Fool me three times, means you must be Russell Blackford.
Brian Z on July 31, 2015 at 10:55 am said:

David W, do you agree with what Blackford wrote?
Ginger on July 31, 2015 at 10:57 am said:

Kyra said

My spouse is strongly insistent on it.

I can believe it. I am the one who taught my Ex, as she was one of five kids, and they didn’t divide things like this; I’ve now taught my partner, who was one of three kids, and ditto. It’s an excellent method for assuring equal division, particularly with kids. I don’t think a laser could have measured items as precisely as I did.
CPaca on July 31, 2015 at 11:00 am said:

NickPheas :

16. ACROSS THE SCOPE OF HISTORY
Little, Big, John Crowley
Silverlock, John Myers Myers

Pass, read neither.

Hmm. How should I put this subtly enough…

GO AND READ “SILVERLOCK” !!!!!!

Seriously – I’ve purchased about five copies in my lifetime and I always look out for a spare second hand copy because I just love lending it to the right people and they’re loathe to return it. I’d estimate that about only a third get into it, but those that do love it to pieces.
Ginger on July 31, 2015 at 11:00 am said:

RedWombat said

And I’m an only child–or was until I was 22,*

You are not alone. My cousins Mike and Rich were* 22 years apart, also due to an oops. I have no idea whether my Orthodox Jewish aunt took any herbal supplements, but I love telling people about the brothers who were both only children.

*Alas, Mike is no longer with us.
Andy H. on July 31, 2015 at 11:01 am said:

Cassy, I see my selections bolded — are they not on your end? On the assumption that people generally can’t see it, here are the votes I made in truncated form.

2. McKillip
4. Bull
5. Alexander
6. Kafka
7. Brust
8. Tie
9. Jones
12. Lackey
Stevie on July 31, 2015 at 11:02 am said:

Why I love ‘Lord of Light’, part 1.

Almost at the end of the book Zelazny offers four different fates for his protagonist Sam, which he goes on to say will variously appeal to the moralists, the mystics, the social reformers and the romantics; I cannot think of any other writer who would dare to do so.

Not only is he challenging his readers – which category are you in? – but also he is demolishing the fourth wall which divides the actors of his story and his audience. Having demolished it he goes on to tell us to look around us, and what follows is a passage which is closer to poetry than prose, and of extraordinary beauty. In theatrical terms, we are now members of the cast, no longer merely passive onlookers…
Paul (@princejvstin) on July 31, 2015 at 11:02 am said:

@CPaca I think I’ve owned around that many copies of SILVERLOCK, too 🙂
Cassy B on July 31, 2015 at 11:04 am said:

Andy, they’re not bolded for me, although at least some other peoples’ bolds come through (like the exhortation to read Silverlock, just above). Maybe it’s just a browser issue, but I’m glad you re-posted, just to be sure Kyra could see your votes.
Amina on July 31, 2015 at 11:05 am said:

bloodstone75 on July 31, 2015 at 9:28 am said:
Re: Lord of Light.
I never thought of the gods as “white Americans” (especially since, after all the rebirths, a lot of them have left who they originally were pretty far behind)

We know some of their original names: Sam, Renfrew, Jan Olvegg, Madeleine. There are references to Thomas Edison, Tipperary, Leonardo, the Blue Danube, Machiavelli. That all sounds pretty Euro-American to me. Purely Euro-American futures are problematic enough without dressing up in other cultures, as this one does.

Granted, it’s really well done. And it is from 1967.
Sweet on July 31, 2015 at 11:10 am said:

This bracket was tough and I made a couple of decisions. One, I was going to choose with my heart instead of my head, so not the work I thought the most influential or best written, just which did I love the most and which would I choose to reread. Two, I was going to draw an arbitrary line between what I think is literature that uses fantastic elements and what is straight up genre fantasy. I need to think a lot more about those divisions to make sense of that, but for the moment I decided to use this guide: If a friend came up to me and said, “Hey, I’m interested in reading some of this fantasy genre, what would you recommend?” what would I suggest? In such a case I might mention, depending on the friend, that there are literary works that use fantastic elements, but mostly, I’d be directing them to the shelves labeled as science fiction and fantasy in the bookstore.

1. EVERYONE LOVES AN ECCENTRIC WIZARD
The Silent Tower, Barbara Hambly

2. FROM YOUR SMALL HOME TOWN TO THE GREAT BEYOND
The Riddle-Master of Hed, Patricia McKillip

5. SERIOUSLY TARAN WHAT’S UP SHOULD WE SEND HELP
Dracula, Bram Stoker (Oh, this is on the line. Horror rather than fantasy? Literature rather than genre? Sheesh.)

6. ONE DAY YOU WAKE UP AND EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT
Nine Princes in Amber, Roger Zelazny
The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka — dropping this because I’m filing it under literature, but otherwise, I’d probably put this as the top of all the works on the bracket: fantastic metaphor, beautiful and haunting writing, a crucial vision, and one of the most important writers of the 20th century. Zelazny, for me, embodies what someone working full on in the genre can do. Not that I’m not troubled . . .

8. 1990 VS. 1999
Tigana, Guy Gavriel Kay

9. TALES OF THE SUBTLE FAE
Fire and Hemlock, Diana Wynne Jones

10. GRAND ADVENTURES
Watership Down, Richard Adams

15. I CAN’T REMEMBER WHO I AM
The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle

16. ACROSS THE SCOPE OF HISTORY
Little, Big, John Crowley

17. VICTORY BY DROPPING STUFF ON PEOPLE’S HEADS
The Hero and the Crown, Robin McKinley

With an end comment noting that I am not exactly comfortable with the literature vs. genre division I made here, just that I was less uncomfortable than I was not making it. Also I think it odd that the distinction is stronger for me with fantasy than it is with science fiction. I have no problem, for instance, identifying Frankenstein as both literature and scifi.
Nigel on July 31, 2015 at 11:14 am said:

I’m prepared to acknowledge that there are well-meaning and decent people involved with Sad Puppies, and I’ll add (again) that some of the flak they have received has been unfair, hurtful, and excessive

Decent well-meaning people would put forward decent well-meaning reasons for their involvement, and if they couldn’t do that they’d apologise. Haven’t seen either.
CPaca on July 31, 2015 at 11:14 am said:

RedWombat : And I’m an only child–or was until I was 22,* […] *There was an accident with an herbal supplement

Was I the only one who immediately wondered if RedWombat had managed to bud off a clone of herself by taking the wrong stuff, before realizing she was referring to her parents?
David W. on July 31, 2015 at 11:15 am said:

Brian Z, I think something happening three times running is more than enough reason to cut to the chase rather than wait around for the fourth time to occur. And regardless of what the Puppies may or may not do, the fact is that slate voting has been proven to be a shockingly effective way for a minority to game the Hugo nominations. So that cat will have to be put back the bag by putting EPH into effect.
curious reader on July 31, 2015 at 11:20 am said:

I have been missing all the voting due to new-job learning-curve exhaustion, and I’ve watched my favorites lose left and right. So maybe I’ll have just enough time to squeak in here – although I should just save myself the trouble and point to most of Kyra’s votes.

1. The Once and Future King.

A moving, beautifully written, idiosyncratic book.

2. The Riddle-Master of Hed

No contest. The entire trilogy is gorgeous and magical and deeply poignant – although I still wish she hadn’t named the harper “Deth.” And I guess I have to ‘fess up here, I just don’t see whatever it is other people see in Gaiman the novelist (Sandman, on the other hand … brilliant stuff).

3. Abstain, as I’ve read neither.

4. A Game of Thrones

Not really my cup of tea, but I’m still impressed by the scope of the worldbuilding and complexity of characters. Whereas I suspect I was too old and cynical when I finally got around to reading War for the Oaks.

5. Taran Wanderer

I enjoyed Dracula, and there’s no denying it’s enormous influence, but I love Lloyd Alexander, full stop.

6. The Metamorphosis

I tend to prefer shorter Zelazny, but even then, I’d give Franz my vote. He rocked my world way back when, and I still feel a bit starstruck even now, although I’d choose The Castle over The Metamorphosis.

7. Tea with the Black Dragon

Close contenders; personal fondness nudges this one over the line.

8. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

I’m in HP fandom, so this is a no-brainer. Also, even though I like GGKay simply for being such a Dorothy Dunnett fanboy, I’ve always bounced off his writing. I should give him another try someday.

9. Abstain, because I haven’t read Mirlees.

10. Watership Down

I was surprised by how much I liked this book. I don’t usually get on with anthropomorphized animals. Conan belongs to my childhood reading, along with Tarzan, and I have no desire to revisit him.

11. Abstaining due to ignorance.

12. Abstaining due to not particularly caring for either choice.

13. Abstaining because I don’t know how you can compare these two books, and I’m not sure I agree the Garcia Marquez should be one here. So I refuse to choose. Love ’em both, though.

14. The King of Elfland’s Daughter

I may be the only person on File770 who’s lukewarm toward LeGuin’s work, which always makes me feel the need to apologize. But Dunsany was one of my earliest encounters with otherworldliness evoked through atmospheric prose, and I still remember my complete immersion.

15. The Last Unicorn

Again, no contest. Beagle’s book is beautiful and memorable. Of course, Gene Wolfe has written one of my favorite things in the whole world, but Soldier in the Mist just isn’t what I’d choose to represent him.

16. LITTLE, BIG

Sorry for the capslock, but OMG favorite book favorite book favorite book. I could talk about Little, Big for days (and once did, back when Readerville existed). If you really wanted to watch me roll on the floor in agony, you’d set up a contest between this and The Book of the New Sun.

17. Abstain. I, er, haven’t read Small Gods. My bad.

18. Gormenghast.

I feel bad about bumping John M. Ford, who’s certainly deserving, but Peake’s book (first two books, actually) is a masterpiece, a unique, bizarre landscape of grotesque beauty.

And now I’m about to be late for work. I hope I made it inside the bracket lines!
Heather Rose Jones on July 31, 2015 at 11:22 am said:

*takes a deep breath*

THE COMPLEAT FANTASY BRACKET, FIRST ROUND (THE BIG ONE)

1. EVERYONE LOVES AN ECCENTRIC WIZARD
The Silent Tower, Barbara Hambly

2. FROM YOUR SMALL HOME TOWN TO THE GREAT BEYOND
The Riddle-Master of Hed, Patricia McKillip

3. ADVENTURERS TWO
abstain

4. OF COURSE YOU REALIZE THIS MEANS WAR
War for the Oaks, Emma Bull

5. SERIOUSLY TARAN WHAT’S UP SHOULD WE SEND HELP
Dracula, Bram Stoker

6. ONE DAY YOU WAKE UP AND EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT
abstain

7. TEA AND CACOASTRUM
To Reign in Hell, Steven Brust
Tea with the Black Dragon, R. A. MacAvoy
oh ouch! Tie.

8. 1990 VS. 1999
abstain

9. TALES OF THE SUBTLE FAE
Fire and Hemlock, Diana Wynne Jones

10. GRAND ADVENTURES
Watership Down, Richard Adams

11. TI-JEANNE VS. BUTTERCUP
Brown Girl in the Ring, Nalo Hopkinson

12. LOVE WILL TEAR US APART
The Golden Compass/Northern Lights, Phillip Pullman

13. EVERYTHING SLOWLY GOING DOWNHILL
abstain

14. LEARNING THAT YOU’RE UNHAPPY
The Tombs of Atuan, Ursula K. Le Guin

15. I CAN’T REMEMBER WHO I AM
The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle

16. ACROSS THE SCOPE OF HISTORY
Silverlock, John Myers Myers

17. VICTORY BY DROPPING STUFF ON PEOPLE’S HEADS
The Hero and the Crown, Robin McKinley

18. STRANGE DOINGS UP AT THE CASTLE
The Dragon Waiting, John M. Ford
Brian Z on July 31, 2015 at 11:23 am said:

David W, but we were told the problem was campaigns for voting a slate of five things, which has only happened once.

EPH was shown by felice not to make much of a dent in slates at all except Best Novel and a couple other categories. It doesn’t solve your problem.
Ha Nguyen on July 31, 2015 at 11:25 am said:

1. EVERYONE LOVES AN ECCENTRIC WIZARD
The Once and Future King, T. H. White

2. FROM YOUR SMALL HOME TOWN TO THE GREAT BEYOND
The Riddle-Master of Hed, Patricia McKillip

3. ADVENTURERS TWO
Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart

4. OF COURSE YOU REALIZE THIS MEANS WAR
War for the Oaks, Emma Bull

5. SERIOUSLY TARAN WHAT’S UP SHOULD WE SEND HELP
Taran Wanderer, Lloyd Alexander

6. ONE DAY YOU WAKE UP AND EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT
Nine Princes in Amber, Roger Zelazny

7. TEA AND CACOASTRUM
To Reign in Hell, Steven Brust

8. 1990 VS. 1999
Tigana, Guy Gavriel Kay

9. TALES OF THE SUBTLE FAE
Fire and Hemlock, Diana Wynne Jones

10. GRAND ADVENTURES
Watership Down, Richard Adams

11. TI-JEANNE VS. BUTTERCUP
The Princess Bride, William Goldman

12. LOVE WILL TEAR US APART
Magic’s Price, Mercedes Lackey

13. EVERYTHING SLOWLY GOING DOWNHILL
The Dying Earth, Jack Vance

14. LEARNING THAT YOU’RE UNHAPPY
The Tombs of Atuan, Ursula K. Le Guin

15. I CAN’T REMEMBER WHO I AM
The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle

16. ACROSS THE SCOPE OF HISTORY
Silverlock, John Myers Myers

17. VICTORY BY DROPPING STUFF ON PEOPLE’S HEADS
Small Gods, Terry Pratchett

18. STRANGE DOINGS UP AT THE CASTLE
The Dragon Waiting, John M. Ford
Cat on July 31, 2015 at 11:30 am said:

Brian Z

You quoted the wrong piece.

Which makes sense because quoting Rabids talking about voting in the Hugos certainly didn’t help show how it was all our fault the first time, and probably, as I said, you chose the parts most germane to your argument the first time, but still, another mistake.
Cassy B on July 31, 2015 at 11:30 am said:

Brian Z,

EPH was shown by felice not to make much of a dent in slates at all except Best Novel and a couple other categories. It doesn’t solve your problem.

On the contrary; it clearly solves SOME of the problem. Whether or not it will solve all of it is unclear at this time, but it’s far better to solve some of it than none of it. The perfect is the enemy of the good.
James on July 31, 2015 at 11:36 am said:

1. EVERYONE LOVES AN ECCENTRIC WIZARD
The Once and Future King, T. H. White

2. FROM YOUR SMALL HOME TOWN TO THE GREAT BEYOND
Stardust, Neil Gaman

3. ADVENTURERS TWO
Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart

4. OF COURSE YOU REALIZE THIS MEANS WAR
A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin

5. SERIOUSLY TARAN WHAT’S UP SHOULD WE SEND HELP
Taran Wanderer, Lloyd Alexander

6. ONE DAY YOU WAKE UP AND EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT
Nine Princes in Amber, Roger Zelazny

7. TEA AND CACOASTRUM
To Reign in Hell, Steven Brust

8. 1990 VS. 1999
Tigana, Guy Gavriel Kay

9. TALES OF THE SUBTLE FAE
Lud-in-the-Mist, Hope Mirrlees

10. GRAND ADVENTURES
Watership Down, Richard Adams

11. TI-JEANNE VS. BUTTERCUP
Abstain

12. LOVE WILL TEAR US APART
Abstain

13. EVERYTHING SLOWLY GOING DOWNHILL
Abstain

14. LEARNING THAT YOU’RE UNHAPPY
The King of Elfland’s Daughter, Lord Dunsany

15. I CAN’T REMEMBER WHO I AM
The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle

16. ACROSS THE SCOPE OF HISTORY
Little, Big, John Crowley

17. VICTORY BY DROPPING STUFF ON PEOPLE’S HEADS
Small Gods, Terry Pratchett

18. STRANGE DOINGS UP AT THE CASTLE
The Dragon Waiting, John M. Ford
Richard Brandt on July 31, 2015 at 11:36 am said:

@Brian Z
EPH was shown by felice not to make much of a dent in slates at all except Best Novel and a couple other categories. It doesn’t solve your problem.

Actually, introducing 200 imaginary ballots into a year where they did not in fact exist didn’t show much of anything at all.
David W. on July 31, 2015 at 11:36 am said:

Brian Z, it took the Puppies three times to refine their method and then get a boost from Beale to put them over the top the third time, that’s all.

As for the effectiveness of EPH, felice’s point as far as I could tell was to propose an alternative to it (the longlist) and she didn’t prove EPH didn’t work but only said that it wouldn’t prevent a big enough block from being effective. That’s not a bug, but a feature as far as I’m concerned, because the aim of EPH is to prevent a small number of slate voters from dominating the nominations.
Rose Embolism on July 31, 2015 at 11:38 am said:

1. EVERYONE LOVES AN ECCENTRIC WIZARD
The Silent Tower, Barbara Hambly
~~The Once and Future King, T. H. White~~

Never could get into White.

2. FROM YOUR SMALL HOME TOWN TO THE GREAT BEYOND
The Riddle-Master of Hed, Patricia McKillip
~~Stardust, Neil Gaman~~

Where Gaiman tries for lyricism, McKillip’s prose actually is delicately lyrical and evocative.

3. ADVENTURERS TWO
~~Two Sought Adventure, Fritz Leiber~~
Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart

Aside from Hughart covering similar ground (adventures with shady morals) more deftly, and being non European medieval fantasy, well…Leiber reminds me of one too many D&D campaigns.

4. OF COURSE YOU REALIZE THIS MEANS WAR
~~A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin~~
War for the Oaks, Emma Bull

Oh there’s the urban fantasy, and the rock and roll, and the distinct lack of grittyness, and…and…SHE can do a fantasy story in ONE novel.

5. SERIOUSLY TARAN WHAT’S UP SHOULD WE SEND HELP
~~Taran Wanderer, Lloyd Alexander~~
Dracula, Bram Stoker

LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY VAMPIRE THE MASQUERADE CHARACTER

6. ONE DAY YOU WAKE UP AND EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT
~~Nine Princes in Amber, Roger Zelazny~~
The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka

Tough choice. I mean this one seriously bugs me.

7. TEA AND CACOASTRUM
~~To Reign in Hell, Steven Brust~~
Tea with the Black Dragon, R. A. MacAvoy

I couldn’t actually get very far into the”Hell” story. It just bored me. And TWTBD is still charming.

8. 1990 VS. 1999
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J. K. Rowling
~~Tigana, Guy Gavriel Kay~~

I love Kay’s world building, but I can’t neglect that Rowling helped spark the modern YA age.

9. TALES OF THE SUBTLE FAE
Fire and Hemlock, Diana Wynne Jones
Lud-in-the-Mist, Hope Mirrlees

Fire and Hemlock is a wonderful example of modern fae, and the element of recovering a suppressed memory is also brilliant.

10. GRAND ADVENTURES
~~Watership Down, Richard Adams~~
The Sword of Conan, Robert E. Howard

Because I think the Conan is far more influential to me. Though if the choice had been Mrs. Frisby and the rats from NIMH, I might think differently.

11. TI-JEANNE VS. BUTTERCUP
~~Brown Girl in the Ring, Nalo Hopkinson~~
The Princess Bride, William Goldman

Oh that bitter bitter sarcasm.

12. LOVE WILL TEAR US APART
~~The Golden Compass/Northern Lights, Phillip Pullman~~
Magic’s Price, Mercedes Lackey

I don’t care that much for Lackey, but I still feel a major sense of betrayal from the Pullman series.

13. EVERYTHING SLOWLY GOING DOWNHILL
~~One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez~~
The Dying Earth, Jack Vance

After furious cogitation it pains me to relate that in this benighted age the Vance is the most excellently puissant of the duo.

14. LEARNING THAT YOU’RE UNHAPPY
The Tombs of Atuan, Ursula K. Le Guin
~~The King of Elfland’s Daughter, Lord Dunsany~~

While not my favorite, it’s a truly powerful book.

15. I CAN’T REMEMBER WHO I AM
The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle
~~Soldier of the Mist, Gene Wolfe~~

I just find The Last Unicorn so much more readable than Wolfe. And I’m still amazed he pulled a kind of happy ending out of that wistfully mournful book.

16. ACROSS THE SCOPE OF HISTORY
Little, Big, John Crowley
~~Silverlock, John Myers Myers~~

Similar eras as far as style goes, but I could never get far into Silverlock.

17. VICTORY BY DROPPING STUFF ON PEOPLE’S HEADS
~~The Hero and the Crown, Robin McKinley~~
Small Gods, Terry Pratchett

Pratchett season!
McKinley season!
Pratchett season!
McKinley season!
McKinley season!
Pratchett season! FIRE!

ARRRRGH! WHY MUST YOU MAKE ME CHOOSE!

18. STRANGE DOINGS UP AT THE CASTLE
Gormenghast, by Mervyn Peake
~~The Dragon Waiting, John M. Ford~~
Kevin Standlee on July 31, 2015 at 11:46 am said:

EPH is one proposal to attempt to impose a technical solution to what is effectively a social problem. In the past, obvious attempts to game the Hugo-nominating system have been met by the hammer of No Award, although it’s likely that many people didn’t realize it because it was being deployed against only one finalist, so it only showed up in the detailed voting statistics that Hugo wonks enjoyed studying after the ceremony. Generally speaking, people abusing the process learned that slate voting wasn’t worth the effort and stopped doing it.

The current Hugo Award voting system does not currently have a way of allowing the members of the current Worldcon to vote yes/no on each finalist on the question of, “Is this work/person worthy of being a Hugo Award Finalist?” other than by voting it below No Award. There are possible systems that would accomplish this, but at the cost of including an extra voting stage in the process and complicating the administration of the award.

Please understand that I’m not speaking for or against any proposal on the agenda. I’m just trying to make the distinction between technical and social issues. WSFS can’t legislate good behavior or common sense.
GSLamb on July 31, 2015 at 11:58 am said:

1. EVERYONE LOVES AN ECCENTRIC WIZARD
~~The Silent Tower, Barbara Hambly~~
The Once and Future King, T. H. White

2. FROM YOUR SMALL HOME TOWN TO THE GREAT BEYOND
The Riddle-Master of Hed, Patricia McKillip
~~Stardust, Neil Gaman~~

3. ADVENTURERS TWO
Two Sought Adventure, Fritz Leiber
~~Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart~~

4. OF COURSE YOU REALIZE THIS MEANS WAR
~~A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin~~
War for the Oaks, Emma Bull
A bit like yelling at the sun for rising, but I really dislike GoT..

5. SERIOUSLY TARAN WHAT’S UP SHOULD WE SEND HELP
~~Taran Wanderer, Lloyd Alexander~~
Dracula, Bram Stoker

6. ONE DAY YOU WAKE UP AND EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT
Nine Princes in Amber, Roger Zelazny
~~The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka~~
Right in the feels, Kyra.
My only solace is that Corwin can just walk to a shadow where both of these win.

7. TEA AND CACOASTRUM
To Reign in Hell, Steven Brust
Tea with the Black Dragon, R. A. MacAvoy
Tie

8. 1990 VS. 1999
~~Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J. K. Rowling~~
Tigana, Guy Gavriel Kay

9. TALES OF THE SUBTLE FAE
Abstain

10. GRAND ADVENTURES
~~Watership Down, Richard Adams~~
The Sword of Conan, Robert E. Howard
Now all I can think of is a group of bunnies being hacked to parts by Conan.

11. TI-JEANNE VS. BUTTERCUP
~~Brown Girl in the Ring, Nalo Hopkinson~~
The Princess Bride, William Goldman

12. LOVE WILL TEAR US APART
~~The Golden Compass/Northern Lights, Phillip Pullman~~
Magic’s Price, Mercedes Lackey

13. EVERYTHING SLOWLY GOING DOWNHILL
~~One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez~~
The Dying Earth, Jack Vance

14. LEARNING THAT YOU’RE UNHAPPY
Abstain

15. I CAN’T REMEMBER WHO I AM
~~The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle~~
Soldier of the Mist, Gene Wolfe

16. ACROSS THE SCOPE OF HISTORY
Little, Big, John Crowley
~~Silverlock, John Myers Myers~~
As much as I like Silverlock, the wife will harm me if I vote against her favourite book.

17. VICTORY BY DROPPING STUFF ON PEOPLE’S HEADS
The Hero and the Crown, Robin McKinley
Small Gods, Terry Pratchett
Tie

18. STRANGE DOINGS UP AT THE CASTLE
Gormenghast, by Mervyn Peake
~~The Dragon Waiting, John M. Ford~~
Stevie on July 31, 2015 at 11:59 am said:

Kyra

You have 17 of my votes, and I said I wanted to think about number 18. Having thought I vote for ‘Dragon Waiting’.
Rev. Bob on July 31, 2015 at 11:59 am said:

@Stevie: “I should like a write-in competition for the funniest beginning to a work of fantasy, on the grounds that nobody could possibly do better than Terry Pratchett in ‘Pyramids”.”

I dunno about that. I haven’t read Pyramids, but Holt’s good with openings…

On the cloudy heights dwell the gods. They are spirits of light, deathless and ever young. They feast continually in palaces wonderful beyond description, and theirs is a happiness which mortals could never possibly attain.

Indeed. Pull the other one for a veritable feast of campanology. The true facts of the matter are as follows.

In the Sunnyvoyde Residential Home dwell the gods, the whole miserable lot of them. They are cantankerous old buggers, deathless but decidedly no longer young. They witter and bicker continuously in day rooms painted that unique shade of pale green used only in buildings set aside for the long-term storage of the sick and elderly, and they hate it like poison.

All except for Ohinohawoniponama, a vegetation spirit formerly revered by a small tribe of Trobriand Islanders. Since the entire tribe died of influenza a century ago, taking their language with them, nobody can understand a word he says; but it doesn’t seem to matter. He smiles a lot, is no trouble at all to anyone, and spends most of his time in the television room watching Australian soap operas.

(From Odds and Gods, selected pretty much at random.)
Kathodus on July 31, 2015 at 12:00 pm said:

Just finished my first time ever Hugo voting last night, and I can’t figure out which “side” I’m on. At first I was thinking I must be a Rabid Puppy, because I very much enjoyed the MilSF novel “Ancillary Sword”, but then maybe I’m a Sad Puppy because I found John C. Wright’s ludicrously over-literary prose in his short story “A Bunch of Animals Have an Extremely Boring Discussion because JESUS” disgusting. I may, though, be a CHORFish SJW, because I found Kary English’s maudlin stories in the Campbell packet worthy of a vote above No Award.

I very sincerely hope that next year’s Puppy Movement is more of an excited recommendation movement and less of a spiteful bowel movement. A list of 10-20 excellent works in each category, the authors of said works being members of whatever group it is the Puppies consider underrepresented, would be great. I did find Kloos through this year’s Puppy party, which was nice (and makes me wonder what it is the Puppies hate about Scalzi, given they supposedly enjoyed Kloos, aside from Scalzi not being pro-misogyny or pro-racism).
Rob Thornton on July 31, 2015 at 12:06 pm said:

1. EVERYONE LOVES AN ECCENTRIC WIZARD
Abstain

2. FROM YOUR SMALL HOME TOWN TO THE GREAT BEYOND
The Riddle-Master of Hed, Patricia McKillip

In this pairing, I go with McKillip all the way.

3. ADVENTURERS TWO
Two Sought Adventure, Fritz Leiber

4. OF COURSE YOU REALIZE THIS MEANS WAR
War for the Oaks, Emma Bull

Now if the other choice was Armageddon Rag, I might have voted differently. 🙂

5. SERIOUSLY TARAN WHAT’S UP SHOULD WE SEND HELP
Taran Wanderer, Lloyd Alexander

I remember reading this for the first time in elementary school and I still have the complete Prydain.

6. ONE DAY YOU WAKE UP AND EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT
Nine Princes in Amber, Roger Zelazny

7. TEA AND CACOASTRUM
Tea with the Black Dragon, R. A. MacAvoy

R.A. MacAvoy! She’s just more awesome than Brust, I think.

8. 1990 VS. 1999
Tigana, Guy Gavriel Kay

When I read Tigana, it lit up my world. Also, I’m not a Potter person.

9. TALES OF THE SUBTLE FAE
Lud-in-the-Mist, Hope Mirrlees

10. GRAND ADVENTURES
The Sword of Conan, Robert E. Howard

11. TI-JEANNE VS. BUTTERCUP
Abstain

12. LOVE WILL TEAR US APART
The Golden Compass/Northern Lights, Phillip Pullman

13. EVERYTHING SLOWLY GOING DOWNHILL
The Dying Earth, Jack Vance

14. LEARNING THAT YOU’RE UNHAPPY
The King of Elfland’s Daughter, Lord Dunsany

Wizard of Earthsea is my favorite, so I’m going with Dunsany.

15. I CAN’T REMEMBER WHO I AM
Soldier of the Mist, Gene Wolfe

16. ACROSS THE SCOPE OF HISTORY
Little, Big, John Crowley

17. VICTORY BY DROPPING STUFF ON PEOPLE’S HEADS
Abstain

18. STRANGE DOINGS UP AT THE CASTLE
Gormenghast, by Mervyn Peake
The Dragon Waiting, John M. Ford
Rob Thornton on July 31, 2015 at 12:07 pm said:

1. EVERYONE LOVES AN ECCENTRIC WIZARD
Abstain

2. FROM YOUR SMALL HOME TOWN TO THE GREAT BEYOND
The Riddle-Master of Hed, Patricia McKillip

In this pairing, I go with McKillip all the way.

3. ADVENTURERS TWO
Two Sought Adventure, Fritz Leiber

4. OF COURSE YOU REALIZE THIS MEANS WAR
War for the Oaks, Emma Bull

Now if the other choice was Armageddon Rag, I might have voted differently. 🙂

5. SERIOUSLY TARAN WHAT’S UP SHOULD WE SEND HELP
Taran Wanderer, Lloyd Alexander

I remember reading this for the first time in elementary school and I still have the complete Prydain.

6. ONE DAY YOU WAKE UP AND EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT
Nine Princes in Amber, Roger Zelazny

7. TEA AND CACOASTRUM
Tea with the Black Dragon, R. A. MacAvoy

R.A. MacAvoy! She’s just more awesome than Brust, I think.

8. 1990 VS. 1999
Tigana, Guy Gavriel Kay

When I read Tigana, it lit up my world. Also, I’m not a Potter person.

9. TALES OF THE SUBTLE FAE
Lud-in-the-Mist, Hope Mirrlees

10. GRAND ADVENTURES
The Sword of Conan, Robert E. Howard

11. TI-JEANNE VS. BUTTERCUP
Abstain

12. LOVE WILL TEAR US APART
The Golden Compass/Northern Lights, Phillip Pullman

13. EVERYTHING SLOWLY GOING DOWNHILL
The Dying Earth, Jack Vance

14. LEARNING THAT YOU’RE UNHAPPY
The King of Elfland’s Daughter, Lord Dunsany

Wizard of Earthsea is my favorite, so I’m going with Dunsany.

15. I CAN’T REMEMBER WHO I AM
Soldier of the Mist, Gene Wolfe

16. ACROSS THE SCOPE OF HISTORY
Little, Big, John Crowley

17. VICTORY BY DROPPING STUFF ON PEOPLE’S HEADS
Abstain

18. STRANGE DOINGS UP AT THE CASTLE
Tie
Stevie on July 31, 2015 at 12:20 pm said:

Rev.Bob

I’m fond of Holt’s work, having read all of it bar the most recent book, and I think he’s underestimated, but I commend to you the opening of Pyramids because it’s perfect. I won’t spoil it but I commend it.

Kevin

Thank you for your careful commenting on proposed changes.
Lis Carey on July 31, 2015 at 12:23 pm said:

THE COMPLEAT FANTASY BRACKET, FIRST ROUND (THE BIG ONE)

1. EVERYONE LOVES AN ECCENTRIC WIZARD
The Once and Future King, T. H. White

2. FROM YOUR SMALL HOME TOWN TO THE GREAT BEYOND
The Riddle-Master of Hed, Patricia McKillip

Grrr. Don’t expect to be forgiven soon, Kyra.

3. ADVENTURERS TWO
Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart

4. OF COURSE YOU REALIZE THIS MEANS WAR
War for the Oaks, Emma Bull

War for the Oaks is near and dear to my heart.

5. SERIOUSLY TARAN WHAT’S UP SHOULD WE SEND HELP
Taran Wanderer, Lloyd Alexander

6. ONE DAY YOU WAKE UP AND EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT
Nine Princes in Amber, Roger Zelazny

It was just such a thrill for me when I found it.

7. TEA AND CACOASTRUM
Tea with the Black Dragon, R. A. MacAvoy

Sorry, Steven.

8. 1990 VS. 1999
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J. K. Rowling

Another hard one.

9. TALES OF THE SUBTLE FAE
Lud-in-the-Mist, Hope Mirrlees

10. GRAND ADVENTURES
Watership Down, Richard Adams

Please, no contest.

11. TI-JEANNE VS. BUTTERCUP
Brown Girl in the Ring, Nalo Hopkinson

12. LOVE WILL TEAR US APART
Magic’s Price, Mercedes Lackey

13. EVERYTHING SLOWLY GOING DOWNHILL
The Dying Earth, Jack Vance

14. LEARNING THAT YOU’RE UNHAPPY
The Tombs of Atuan, Ursula K. Le Guin

Grrr.

15. I CAN’T REMEMBER WHO I AM
The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle

Maybe a century or so, for forgiveness. Certainly you shouldn’t be waiting up.

16. ACROSS THE SCOPE OF HISTORY
Little, Big, John Crowley
Silverlock, John Myers Myers

No, no, NO! I can’t do it.

Tie.

17. VICTORY BY DROPPING STUFF ON PEOPLE’S HEADS
The Hero and the Crown, Robin McKinley

This one is a treasure; Small Gods is merely very, very good.

18. STRANGE DOINGS UP AT THE CASTLE
The Dragon Waiting, John M. Ford

Not a contest. If you disagree, you are clearly wrong.

And now, I run off with adorable Shih Tzu, to be on NH1 TV and talk about pet fostering. 5:30pm, for whatever small number of you may be both in the area, and interested.
Mike Glyer on July 31, 2015 at 12:24 pm said:

Brian Z. has been like foghorn, constantly and loudly warning against E Pluribus Hugo and every other proposed Hugo rules change that seeks to dilute the effectiveness of slates.

And, this morning, Kevin Standlee commented, “EPH is one proposal to attempt to impose a technical solution to what is effectively a social problem…. WSFS can’t legislate good behavior or common sense.”

But changing the rules upholds the democratic underpinnings of the Hugos. All individual votes still begin with equal weight.

Now you could create a social solution by changing the voters instead of the rules. Identify the nominators who voted one of the Puppy slates, revoke and refund their memberships in Sasquan, and refuse to sell them memberships in the future.

The merely technical solution sounds pretty attractive after all.
Paul (@princejvstin) on July 31, 2015 at 12:29 pm said:

I agree, Mike. Slates ARE ultimately a social problem. I don’t want to pay the price of waiting until Beale gets bored with gaming the Hugos to solve the problem the natural way. So, I do support a technical solution to hasten him along in that endeavor.
Jon on July 31, 2015 at 12:31 pm said:

1. EVERYONE LOVES AN ECCENTRIC WIZARD
The Silent Tower, Barbara Hambly
The Once and Future King, T. H. White

– abstain

2. FROM YOUR SMALL HOME TOWN TO THE GREAT BEYOND
The Riddle-Master of Hed, Patricia McKillip
Stardust, Neil Gaman

3. ADVENTURERS TWO
Two Sought Adventure, Fritz Leiber
Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart

4. OF COURSE YOU REALIZE THIS MEANS WAR
A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin
War for the Oaks, Emma Bull

5. SERIOUSLY TARAN WHAT’S UP SHOULD WE SEND HELP
Taran Wanderer, Lloyd Alexander
Dracula, Bram Stoker

– I love Prydain but this feels like it’s out of its league in a way Lovecraft didn’t

6. ONE DAY YOU WAKE UP AND EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT
Nine Princes in Amber, Roger Zelazny
The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka

7. TEA AND CACOASTRUM
To Reign in Hell, Steven Brust
Tea with the Black Dragon, R. A. MacAvoy

– abstain

8. 1990 VS. 1999
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J. K. Rowling
Tigana, Guy Gavriel Kay

9. TALES OF THE SUBTLE FAE
Fire and Hemlock, Diana Wynne Jones
Lud-in-the-Mist, Hope Mirrlees

– abstain

10. GRAND ADVENTURES
Watership Down, Richard Adams
The Sword of Conan, Robert E. Howard

Iron-thewed Conan slain by a horde of bunnies expressing their lagomorph-Atlantean rodent solidarity.

11. TI-JEANNE VS. BUTTERCUP
Brown Girl in the Ring, Nalo Hopkinson
The Princess Bride, William Goldman

12. LOVE WILL TEAR US APART
The Golden Compass/Northern Lights, Phillip Pullman
Magic’s Price, Mercedes Lackey

13. EVERYTHING SLOWLY GOING DOWNHILL
One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Dying Earth, Jack Vance

14. LEARNING THAT YOU’RE UNHAPPY
The Tombs of Atuan, Ursula K. Le Guin
The King of Elfland’s Daughter, Lord Dunsany

15. I CAN’T REMEMBER WHO I AM
The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle
Soldier of the Mist, Gene Wolfe

16. ACROSS THE SCOPE OF HISTORY
Little, Big, John Crowley
Silverlock, John Myers Myers

– abstain

17. VICTORY BY DROPPING STUFF ON PEOPLE’S HEADS
The Hero and the Crown, Robin McKinley
Small Gods, Terry Pratchett

18. STRANGE DOINGS UP AT THE CASTLE
Gormenghast, by Mervyn Peake
The Dragon Waiting, John M. Ford

– abstain

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