B5 fans at the Hugos (fwd)

[B5JMS Poster]

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From: cancon at achilles.net (Conf. on Cdn. Content in Spec. Lit.)
Date: 15 Sep 1997 19:24:41 -0400
Lines: 34


Douglas Williamson (lupin at mnsinc.com) wrote:

: On 12 Sep 1997, Jms at B5 wrote:

: > This, too, is something to celebrate.  Media SF brings people into the
: > fold who might never have sampled it before, where they (one hopes) become
: > readers and buyers of novels and short stories.
: > 
: > And in response, there often comes negativity, dismissal of a new breed of
: > fen, and paranoia.  I've been told that right now (well, as of the SFWA
: > meetings in San Antonio) that a number of SFWA members are pushing hard to
: > have media-related novels disqualified from award consideration, because
: > they think that media is "ruining SF," as one SFWAn relayed to me from the
: > meeting.

: Well said JMS (as usual :).  This episode merely accentuates the 
: narrowminded-ness of people in general and fen in particular.  This is 
: another aspect of the "B5 vs ST" fight still being waged.  If the 
: new people or new show does not fit within the narrow definition of 
: the currently accepted "right" formula, it must be bad.  "Babylon 5 
: cannot possibly be acceptable because it is not Star Trek."  "Media 
: related books cannot possibly be acceptable because it is derivitive."  

	I think that were the real concern comes from is not so much the 
fact that they are "media" based books, or that the writing ranges from
excellent to excreatable...but from the possiblity of people voting for
a novel not because it is good, or well written, or is groundbreaking, but
simply because it has the name of a major franchise emblazed upon it
larger than the book title or the author(s)' name. I would not want to see
a Hugo going to a book simply because, for example, it has STAR TREK<tm> on
it...that would really cheapen the award. 

ttyl
     Farrell

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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Date: 16 Sep 1997 06:24:10 -0400
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>I think that were the real concern comes from is not so much the 
>fact that they are "media" based books, or that the writing ranges from
>excellent to excreatable...but from the possiblity of people voting for
>a novel not because it is good, or well written, or is groundbreaking, but
>simply because it has the name of a major franchise emblazed upon it
>larger than the book title or the author(s)' name. I would not want to see
>a Hugo going to a book simply because, for example, it has STAR TREK<tm> on
>it...that would really cheapen the award. 
>

So in other words it's their position that they're afraid that their
members and others are too stupid to tell a good book from a bad one, and
thus must be protected from their own inability not to be taken in by a label.

Well, shucks, why don't they just come out and SAY so, I'm sure the
membership will understand....


 jms
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