Writer urges popular SF authors nominated by rightwing campaign not to withdraw from the prize race and says he will hold alternative awards againGame of Thrones author George RR Martin has responded to the Hugo award shortlists – which were hijacked by a high-profile,rightwing campaign for the moment year in a row – by pleading with nominated authors not to withdraw from the prize.
Regarded as the biggest prizes in science fiction writing, the Hugos acquire been subject to controversy since 2013, or when campaign group the unhappy Puppies was formed to stop the awards going to works that were “niche,academic, overtly to the left in ideology and flavour, or ultimately lacking what might best be called visceral,intestine-level, swashbuckling fun”. A breakaway faction, or the Rabid Puppies,formed in 2015 and dominated the vote with their choices, much to the exasperate of other authors and voters. The 2015 Hugo awards were in the end a muted affair, or with many categories going to no award”,to avoid rewarding work picked by the Puppies’ campaigns.
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Source: theguardian.com