aka The Genre That Day Stood Still
In the roundup today: Craig R., L. Jagi Lamplighter Wright, Sanford Begley, George R.R. Martin, Sarah A. Hoyt, Brad K. Horner, Lis Carey, Patrick May, William Reichard, Fred Kiesche and mysterious others. (Title credit belongs to File 770 contributing editors of the day Daniel Dern and Glenn Hauman.)
Craig R. on Boston Progressive
“’Just this one teensy, tiny little change…’” – June 4
One of the great divides in SF/F right now is between groups of readers that want to claim SF and Fantasy as purely descriptive entertainment, the epitome of escape literature, just living in shared authorial moments of the storyteller entertaining us at the fair, or in the tavern, with no other motive express, implied or accepted. You pays your pennies on the drumhead for the entertainment and that’s all you want to see and hear.
On the other side of the table or those who say that all stories have some ulterior external dimension, some subtext, some “message.” There is no choice, there is always subtext, whether the author means for inclusion or not. It is inevitable.
In the Interests Of Full Disclosure, I will tell you that I belong in the second camp: not from any skill at analysis, nor any training in critical literature theory, just cause it seems like the way things are.
From my viewpoint, the very act of reaching for the ability to entertain, or the ability to make any kind of contact with the intended audience requires an assumption of commonality of fundamental background points.
L. Jagi Lamplighter Wright interview for Superversive SF
“Interview with Hugo Nominee: Arlan Andrews, Sr.!” – June 4
1) All the Sad Puppies selections came from a list of stories that fans felt were their favorites from 2014. What about your story do you think brought it to the attention of whomever suggested it?
Presumably, because they liked the setting, the characters, and the story of my novella, “Flow.” “Flow” was the sequel to 2013’s “Thaw,” (the cover for which won the Analog Reader’s Award for Best Cover of 2013). The whole series of stories takes place after the next Ice Age (a politically incorrect supposition in itself), and the protagonist, Rist, is himself quite politically incorrect, though dark-skinned; he is a diminutive, sexist smartass (as are most males in the primitive society in which he was raised) and his mouth gets him literally into deep shit. The story, actually a vignette, ends in a (literal) cliff-hanger that will be followed by “Fall,” where Rist descends into yet another kind of society existing some 30,000 years from now. It will likely be called non-PC as well, though I have to remind people that authors are not necessarily the same as their characters.
Alex on Ada’s Technical Books and Cafe
“Madeline Ashby: Fiction Writer and Futurist” – June 4
One particularly poignant statement we both picked up on was made in the context of the controversy surrounding the 2015 Hugo Awards. Madeline [Ashby] said that we all have a tendency to “presume people think like (we) do, but generally, they don’t.” Though perhaps a bit of an obvious statement, I think it is equally powerful. Whether positively or negatively, humans must regularly navigate the disparity between our processes of thinking. Imbuing your actions with a recognition of difference may be a way to bridge gaps between people approaching a conflict in different ways, or at least a way to mitigate frustration when questionable (or outright despicable) decisions are made.
Alanaburke.com
“Local editor earns prestigious science fiction/fantasy award nomination – Ottawaherald.com” – June 4
“I was quite stunned and surprised [when I first heard] frankly due to the fact that I’ve just been executing this for concerning 6 years and I’ve just got four anthologies under my belt,” Schmidt said. “I’m relatively new, so to me it seemed earlier in my job compared to I would certainly have actually expected for something adore that to happen. I was thrilled and humbled at the exact same time that people believe I’m great enough to receive a nomination due to the fact that it is a fairly prestigious award. There was a great deal of excitement and happiness mixed in there as well.”
That happiness will certainly travel along with Schmidt to Spokane, Washington, where the awards will certainly be presented Aug. 22 at the 73rd Globe Science Fiction Convention. The Hugo Awards, named after pioneering science fiction magazine “Incredible Stories” founder Hugo Gernsback, are provided annually for the very best science fiction and fantasy functions of the previous year, according to a news release.
Sanford Begley on The Otherwhere Gazette
“The Puppies need to thank these recruiters”
The Sad Puppies really do need to thank some people who are not of their number. I’ve been watching this fiasco as someone who is in sympathy with the SP movement without being one myself. The truth for the rank and file SP members is basically that they were informed that they could vote on the Hugos and actually get books they liked on the ballot. From the point of view of the rank and file Puppies this was information on how-to and some recommendations they could follow, but were not required to. Most of the rank and file used some of the suggestions and substituted others as they saw fit. Admittedly this did cause those who did not have enough recommendations in their own reading to use the list as a source for filling out the rest of the nominations. After all, they knew a bit about Brad Torgerson and Larry Correia and could rely on them to suggest good books. Which they could then read in the voter packet and vote upon.
[This author needs to correct a tendency to misspell everybody’s name – “Brad Torgerson,” “Teresa Nielson Hayden,” “Patrick Hayden Nielson,” “Betsy Wolheim,” “N.K. Jemison.” I leave aside one other that was clearly intentional, but always remember, intentional misspellings are meaningless when true errors abound.]
George R.R. Martin on Not A Blog
“Catching Up” – June 4
— Conquest was cool. The KC fen throw a great con. And I was heartened by all the people who came up to thank me for my posts about the Hugos. Even in the nation’s heartland, it seems, there is considerable fannish anger about the Sad and Rabid Puppies pooping on our awards,
— Yes, Puppygate has continued, though I’ve been too busy to post about it. The Sad Puppies continue to be clueless, moving their goalposts almost daily. The Rabid Puppies continue to be venomous. Lots of other people are reading the Hugo nominees and reviewing the finalists. That’s what I am doing myself, though I am way behind in my reading,
Sarah A. Hoyt
“The Condescension of the Elites” – June 4
In fact, if one wades into the Sad Puppy mess (here, wear galoshes. You’ll need it) the side that says things like “You’re not true fans” or “your tastes are just low” or “your writing is bad” or “Our opinion of what is good IS the maker of what is good” or “you’ll never work in this town again” or “for daring talk against us, you’ll never win a Hugo” is not the Puppy supporters.
This is because the “power” at least if understood as traditional publishing power, in this field is NOT from puppy supporters. The people opposing the puppies (not their lickspittles running around blogs shouting the crumbs that fall from their masters’ tables) are powers in the field: well established editors with power of the purse; writers who get publicity campaigns and push and huge advances; critics who have for years been reviewing the “well regarded” stuff and establishing a taste that is Marxism with a mix of glitterati, or in other words, positional good leftism.
You’d think that people who have been extensively indoctrinated in Marxism would understand the difference between “establishment power” and “economic power” and the revolutionaries who come in saying “But you’ve been going wrong by alienating the reading public; we don’t give a hot damn what your political opinions are, but you need to tell stories people want to read, and if you don’t people should be able to participate in the intervention to make you see why your print runs keep falling.”
I.e. they would understand that they are in fact on the side that is being condescending by virtue of having all the power in the field, including power of the purse.
Brad K. Horner
“Flight of the Kikayon: A Sci-Fi Novelette by Kary English” – June 4
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a crisp and gloriously clear adventure story of a woman trying to escape her abusive husband with the help of her clone. I was touched. It really had heart.
Of course, the planet where she eventually wound up, swiss family robinson style, had one hell of a fascinating sea monster in it, so that’s a huge plus.
The story made me think about love and children, but not exclusively, and not oppressively. It was warming, not frantic, and I really enjoyed the ride. Crisp and gloriously clear sums it up very nicely, from writing, to imagery, to themes. Nothing was out of place and it felt inevitable. Which is very strange, considering that she wound up stranded and losing everything. Who am I to argue about the vagaries of fate or authorship?
I read this in preparation for the Campbell nomination of 2015, and I’m proud to say I read it, regardless. It shines.
Lis Carey on Lis Carey’s Library
“The Sci Phi Show, presented by Jason Rennie” – June 3
The Sci Phi Show discusses major philosophers and schools of philosophy illuminated in science fiction, fairly broadly defined. In the sample episode, it’s Nietzsche and the movie The Dark Knight. It’s an intelligent, thoughtful discussion, with good production values, accompanied by odd, distracting sound effects. There’s also opening and closing theme music that tries hard to give me a headache.
Patrick May
“2015 Hugo Award Novella Category” – June 4
[Each nominee is analyzed, then this conclusion — ]
My Hugo ballot for this category is:
- Flow
- Big Boys Don’t Cry
- The Plural of Helen of Troy
- No Award
- One Bright Start to Guide Them
- Pale Realms of Shade
Aside from the first two, the entries in this category are disappointing. There were far better novellas published in 2014 in Analog and Asimov’s alone. “Big Boys Don’t Cry”, while not as good as “Flow”, is certainly no worse than some nominees and winners in the past. I’m leaving “The Plural of Helen of Troy” slightly above No Award solely because Wright plays with (and occasionally loses to) some classic science fiction concepts. Overall it’s not really Hugo worthy, though.
William Reichard
“Apres Hugo” – June 4
After a lively day of schussing down the slippery slopes of unwinnable arguments, you’re pleasantly stupefied. Now you just want to relax and kick back, are we right?
That’s why when you get back to the toasty comfort of your own ideological hearth, you should reach for Hubik.
Hubik has everything a tired mind craves: a refreshing illusion of efficacy, a promise of persistent meaning, and a soothing anesthetic effect that will help you drift off to an untroubled sleep. Just spray a little around your armchair, and presto! The perfect ending to another day of lovely mountain sport.…
https://twitter.com/ShiftlessBum/status/606575118580482048
https://twitter.com/FredKiesche/status/606530903175778306
Discover more from File 770
Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.
At the same time, I do wonder how Finnegan’s Wake could be translated into Chinese and whether the original of the Futurological Congress could possibly be the same book I read in English (I hope so!).
Have been following the discussions of the Three-Body Problem with interest for these reasons.
I formed the impression early on that SP was just another manifestation GG. I came by that opinion by sampling the comments at the Correia and Torgersen blogs and seeing all the same resentments that animate GG.
Several puppies fly their GG flags proudly, but others deny any connection. People are unique and wonderful and I’m sure there is somewhere a puppy who’s hostile or indifferent to GamerGate, but I still haven’t seen any strong evidence that the SP/RP and GamerGate (and MRA, for that matter) movements are anything but facets of the same stone.
I’m totally ready to be persuaded that I’m wrong about that, but it’s going to take more than an angry denial. Both movements are primarily concerned with identifying, organizing against, and breaking the power of SJWs.
Is the “puppies aren’t gamergators!” thing merely about “puppies are outraged by SJWs in science fiction while gameraaters are outraged by SJWs in video game journalism?” If so, I’ll happily conceded the point, though it doesn’t seem relevant.
Was it TNH? That sounds like what George R.R. Martin said on his blog on April 8th.
http://grrm.livejournal.com/417521.html
Here’s the relevant part:
@Will
Ask and ye shall receive:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/feb/05/finnegans-wake-china-james-joyce-hit
I don’t know, but it could not be any worse than the translation of Zhuangzi into English which Ursula K. LeGuin used in The Lathe of Heaven.
@Peace Is My Middle Name
Some of Ezra Pound’s more unfortunate moments when translating Propertius can probably meet that standard. His butchery of the Latin was Bealeesquely grotesque at times.
@SIW Thanks–I have been following the question with great amusement. I admire the effort, if only because it makes me think of how ideas in other languages translate for English speakers, though at the same time, I can’t imagine much of the magic of Finnegan making it across, based as it is so deeply in its specific language. It’s definitely a great philosophical question.
@peace Heh. Just finished reading that, and without knowing much about the original, was definitely suspicious. I know just enough to know there are major translation issues with many of those texts. (And I always keep in mind Joseph Campbell’s assertion that Westerners will never truly understand some of the ideas involved, though I will continue to try.)
@SIW Then again, perhaps it is narrowminded of me–without knowing Chinese, I suppose I’ll never know whether there are things they’ll see in it that I never could! (Kind of like Klingons and Shakespeare?)
No, it is not. MHI, the first book is gunporn, Hard Magic definitely isn’t, Son of the Black Sword isn’t, Dead Six probably is. I don’t know about the later books in the series, but from what I’ve heard there’s only the Monster Hunter books were that might be an issue and even there gun fetishism apparently goes down. So by my count, that’s about half his output which can – among other things – be described as gunporn. Which by my lights means it’s fair to call _some_ of Correia’s stuff gunporn.
@Will
I would probably use opera as an analogy. Very few people listen to opera and understand every word, and yet people are deeply moved by it. I think a good translation is similar, in that it can’t preserve every meaning or nuance, but nonetheless something does flower in the reader’s mind.
@SIW Interesting thought!
mk41- Monster Hunter books were that might be an issue and even there gun fetishism apparently goes down
I’ve read them all and Alpha has less because of the nature of that book, but it doesn’t go down really. There’s a ton of gun talk in Nemesis. I’m fine with gun porn personally and Correia as a gun shop owner does a good job with it compared to some. I’ve only read that series of his however so I couldn’t compare to his other stuff.
Munster-Hunting Water Spaniel
@Peace, Was it TNH? That sounds like what George R.R. Martin said on his blog on April 8th. http://grrm.livejournal.com/417521.html
That’s definitely the sentiment I was thinking of. I’m pretty sure I saw it come up on ML too, though.
In any case, if I tilt my head sideways and squint and try to put myself in the mindset of someone with a persecution complex the size of Wyoming, I could almost see how someone might read that and say, “See? See? They’re calling us WRONGFANS!”
Almost.
Remember all of the times Puppies have been accused of being “GGers in disguise” and people try to question their fannish credentials? Yah, that’s what Hoyt is talking about here. Seriously, cut it out.
Ha, NO. Just no. The leader of the Sad Puppies called for GamerGate to come attack the Hugos, the Hugos got attacked in prime Gator style. Saying that GamerGate was involved is simple logic, not any kind of an “unfair attack.” Larry Correia made that bed for the Puppies; if they don’t like it, they should be jumping all over him.
It would be unfair to say “The Puppies are all NAMBLA members!”. It’s not in the least unfair to say that there’s probably a lot of Puppy/Gator overlap.
“The guy went into the forest in Maine with a moose call, and got trampled, but you can’t prove it was a moose that did it! It might just have been a large white-tailed deer!”
Here, buy a six-pack of Occam-brand razors and go shave your armpits.
Also, there’s no doubt in my mind (MINE — I’m not speaking for anyone else’s mind!) that a lot of the Gator crowd also enjoy reading Correia-style SFF — it’s not like all of them are completely unaware of SFF in book form, although Tuomas and a couple of other Puppies commenting here do seem to be guilty of that charge.
The person who’s come closest to calling the Puppies “not real fans” is GRRM, and when he mentioned Gamergate on his blog his comments broke out in a furious rash of people who immediately started parroting the GG party line in great detail to the point where GRRM told them firmly to take it elsewhere. (Citation — I’ve got the screenshots of him repeatedly saying “Take the GG crap elsewhere!” up on my own blog, go take a look.)
I can’t imagine why anyone thinks it’s unfair to say GG is involved in the Puppies. You can disagree, and people do, but I don’t think you can claim that people who see a strong connection, like yours truly, are somehow making it up out of thin air and being unfair to the Puppies. Saying Stormfront was involved in the Puppies would be unfair, but saying GG was just isn’t.
In re: works of multilingual authors — I make no claim to being a Conrad or a Beckett, but when I write some works they’re my alter ego’s — who happens to be a German woman living in Berlin.
She refuses to write in English, so I have to write the stories in German (and no one sees those drafts, lest they laugh at my grammar in written form) and translate them into English. They are definitely *different* than when I write in English, both in sentence structure and word choice, even including difference of character/setting/etc.
If they want to “reclaim” the term and self-identify as “WrongFans” I certainly won’t deny them that option.
Gun talk or gun porn? I’d draw the line at gratuitous descriptions that (a) add nothing to plot or characterization and (b) are excessively detailed. Especially with the latter I’m very generous seeing that this is something Correia knows and cares about and fundamentally is no different from an extra paragraph describing places or people. Just because I’m less interested in guns than the tailoring of suits doesn’t make the description gunporn.
Since neither group issues membership cards and takes dues, I think it’s nearly impossible to identify if a puppy is also a gator. (Short of said puppy-gator announcing his support of both causes.) I’d guess there’s a greater dead elk – gator crossover, judging by the comments, but really these things are pretty nebulous and an elk is not necessarily interested in the dealing of the mad dogs.
Craig R. said:
Exactly. I know I’ve said this before, but I continue to boggle at what is put forth on these slates as exemplars of the best of the work that the puppies endorse. They couldn’t have done better if they had said that the purpose of the slates was to prove why the authors did NOT deserve Hugos.
I read the short stories, novellas and novelettes and of all of them, the only story that did not make me actively irritated or supremely bored was Kary English’s “Totaled”.
Most of the works were just a slog for me. I can’t imagine anyone reading the novellas and novelettes and thinking, hot damn, more of this please!
I’ll read pretty much anything that pulls me into a story and offers characters that feel like real beings (even if that being is an AI machine), and makes me feel emotionally invested in the fate of the characters. I would not have cared if the character in Flow fell down the ladder and died, or was crushed to death by the mighty breasts of the southern women.
I would love to read some mil-SF that really engaged my emotions and my interest and made me feel that the characters mattered. I didn’t feel that about anyone in any of these stories except, ironically, the character who was a brain in a jar.
mk41 – Excessively detailed in a way that doesn’t add anything to the plot or characterization. Nemesis is set in the perspective of a government agent who has a big interest in weapons. Again though I’m cool with it because I like guns and he knows his business there, it’s part of the reason I like the series. It’s not any better or worse than the original books. Alpha had more to do with werewolves and a town without as much firepower on hand as the rest of the series so it’s more limited there.
I don’t know what the other series offer but I haven’t seen a decline in the MHI universe of that. But considering it’s pretty much the Expendables with the supernatural I expect it to be so.
Does anyone have a real happy puppy, a photograph thereof and an inclination to get John Scalzi to make a donation to ‘Con or Bust’?
If so then here is your opportunity; he seems to be accepting dogs who may be past puppyhood but are happy dogs anyway, at his blog ‘Whatever’. Sadly I possess neither, so I am simply enjoying the pictures of happy canines…
Chris Henley said:
Gun porn and porn of all sorts is perfectly fine. I certainly don’t want to censor it. Self-publishing via Amazon has certainly led to all sorts of stories, most of them bad, but some of them competently written and even fun.
However, they aren’t going to win a Pulitzer or a National Book Award, and they shouldn’t.
There’s a place in the market, certainly, for tie-in novels, gun porn, and the science fiction equivalent of popcorn movies. Some of it is very well written and fun to read.
But none of it deserves to be pointed to as the best work in the field for that year. There already is an award for the best book in the field of tie-in fiction. Maybe someone could start an award for best mil-SF (the BOLOs? the Baens? the Best Friggin Gunporn (shortened to the BFGs, of course)?
Speaking of Laumer and the BOLO stories, there was one that really stayed with me and I’d like to dig it up again. I expect it’s one of the better-known ones, so it’s vaguely embarrassing that I don’t remember the title, but here goes:
The setup is that an old BOLO, long since deactivated and buried, wakes up when there’s some nearby demolition work. It’s low on power, out of ammo, confused and badly damaged, and thinks it’s still fighting. It manages to make its way to the surface and nobody knows what to do about it except an elderly veteran who lives nearby and goes to talk to his old comrade.
Anyone know which story that was?
@Laertes “The Last Command” maybe?
@Laertas; https://file770.com/?p=22933&cpage=5#comment-275906
Do any of these sound familiar:
http://ppc.warhawkenterprises.com/bolo/novels.html
For example, perhaps “The Last Command” is the story you seek?
And anyhow; off I go.
“The setup is that an old BOLO, long since deactivated and buried, wakes up when there’s some nearby demolition work. It’s low on power, out of ammo, confused and badly damaged, and thinks it’s still fighting. It manages to make its way to the surface and nobody knows what to do about it except an elderly veteran who lives nearby and goes to talk to his old comrade.”
The Last Command
The Last Command is it. Thanks.
For those of you reading the puppy nominees digitally, may I suggest ScapeBook ™:
http://willscommonplacebook.blogspot.com/2015/06/introducing-scapebook.html
I’ve never read any of the BOLO novels. Any suggestions on where to start? The Last Command sounds interesting…
Nick Mamatas, your post on the similarities between Marxism and Puppism is magnificent. I hope it makes tomorrow’s round up.
Also, Zeno’s Puppydox should be added to the list of roundup title suggestions.
in re SP/RP vote-buying: As I said, I hadn’t seen mention of it as a possibility.
The first I heard mention of anything like that was last year, when Correia was defending his decision to put Beale on the slate. He said that if Beale really wanted awards he could easily get them because “dude has money”.
Hard Magic definitely isn’t,
I read Hard Magic (and the rest of the Grimnoir trilogy). It is pretty gun porny.
Cmm: by coincidence I am currently reviewing MilSF that doesn’t suck:
http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/reviews/series/military-speculative-fiction-that-doesnt-suck
I found Hard Magic to be not that bad comparatively. Most of his flair for details was put towards world building. The later works in the series, especially Warbound, were much worse in regards to firearm related pornography.
cmm asks:
Like this? I can’t think why the Puppies haven’t been providing it with any publicity help.
(No, that’s not sarcasm. It really baffles me that here’s an award tailored to their wants, administered by their favorite publisher, and they’re doing zilch to help it out.)
Addendum: The Sad Puppies, I mean. The Rabid Puppies obviously have a different favorite publisher.
Because it doesn’t make as good a cover blurb?
@Will M. Kind of like the old nerf brick for the TV!
mintwitch: I’ve never read any of the BOLO novels. Any suggestions on where to start? The Last Command sounds interesting…
I haven’t read them either, but the first story is called “Combat Unit”, and it’s free here.
In case you’re wondering how I found it:
http://www.freesfonline.de/authors/Keith_Laumer.html
There’s three other Bolo stories there, too.
James Nicholl: Cool! Bookmarked for future reference. I love that that is a category on your reviews.
Petrea Mitchell: Thanks for this as well. Added to my Amazon list of “stuff I need to remember to buy next time I have money”. Put it on the top of the list — I think this will be a useful comparison before I finalize my Hugo ballot.
And now that I’m reading “Combat Unit”, I can see what “Turncoat” was trying to be – even if it missed by 1.60934 kilometers.
Well… Maybe sneak in one comment.
@Nick Matamas: https://file770.com/?p=22933&cpage=1#comment-275575
Ah yes, a post made in tongue in cheek. Alternatively we could describe the ‘Puppies’ as the Protestant Reformation.
Their agent of change is the discovery of internet’s printing press—enabling the discontent previously left in the realm of private discussions surface into open discussion. Ideas spread hastened through the digital ink.
Puppy Leaders saw a corrupted institution and thought of ways to improve it, ways to bring it back to its roots and discard the elements that transformed it into hideous cultural monstrosity and pox on literature. Yet regardless of the shared discontent and goals to fix the corrupted institution, the so called Puppies remain divided into a multitude of different factions.
And to those who oppose them, the aesthetic they demand became an incomprehensible offence. They raised their banners with demands for enjoyable stories, rather than whatever the insular cadre of Truefens decreed worthy for the Most Holy Church of Worldcon.
To majority of the Puppies, who you are, what your face looks like, or whatever political views became secondary, to them only the story and its representation became primary. And of course, the Truefens of the Most Holy Church of Worldcon declared it unholy, and blasphemy against tenets of the Truefens. They tried their best banish them, yet their words fell to only those who lingered within the Most Holy Church of Worldcon.
The Puppies believed that all worthy authors should face recognition, instead of the favour being focused solely to an insular group as decided by the corrupted cadre of Truefens in control of the Most Holy Church of Worldcon.
And now at long last in Spokane, it is the start of Thirty Years’ Bickering.
@Whym
Laumer’s BOLO stories are why I ranked BBDC and Turncoat so low – they are, IMO, second rate rehashings of better (and more original) stories.
Toumas: Ah yes, a post made in tongue in cheek. Alternatively we could describe the ‘Puppies’ as the Protestant Reformation.
Reputedly it all started when a noted author threw a copy of the collected works of L. Sprague de Camp out of the window.
This event later became known as the Defenestration of Sprague..
@tuomas
To majority of the Puppies, who you are, what your face looks like, or whatever political views became secondary, to them only the story and its representation became primary.
Except we know that’s emphatically not true. For satire to work, there has to be a kernal of truth in it.
Next.
@Tuomas
1) I don’t know if you’re aiming for the same kind of — utterly accurate — dig that Nick was going for, given the outspokenly Catholic nature of at least several prominent puppies — but otherwise, you fall far short of the original.
Primarily because you are presenting a struggle of a vastly disunified group against a dominant, and organized, heirarchy as a model for what’s happening in SF now — when anyone who’s not completely conspiratorially-minded can tell that’s not the case. There is no Pope of the Hugos, as has been pointed out many times, in many places, by many people. There is no “Most Holy Church of Worldcon”.
Your narrative simply doesn’t fit the actual facts on the ground, making it useful for nothing more than (presumed) feelgood for people who always wanted to be Zwingli when they grew up.
If you were trying to come up with an accurate, rather than propagandistic, metaphor…well, the first one that leaps to mind, thanks to Nick, is with Vox Mustela as Lenin coming with a small cadre to bring the Right Way to a squabbling set of social democrats. After that? Look for small groups, aiming for discipline, taking over a squabbling larger sphere that can’t agree on much. Mao? Is that better?
Hm.
Yeah, I’m not seeing much that the Puppies would find terribly flattering, historically speaking.
@Camestros — You win. I’m not sure how much you win, but you definitely win.
Tuomas: Puppy Leaders saw a corrupted institution and thought of ways to improve it, ways to bring it back to its roots and discard the elements that transformed it into hideous cultural monstrosity and pox on literature.
Sorry, but I just don’t see the “hideous cultural monstrosity” that you do. If you think that John Scalzi’s novels are “grey goo” (Sarah Hoyt’s term for “depressing, often painfully literary message fiction”), you’re either not reading them or you’re hate-reading them.