All in the Translation

While working on The New York Review of Science Fiction, I came across a quote from someone who is decidedly not a fan of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice, accusing Martin of "blasphemies against our mythic heritage".

I noted that I had often said the same thing, but when I said it, it came out like this: "This is not to my taste."

To which womzilla said, quoting Trudeau without missing a beat, "In my day, we called them 'D's."

I read and reviewed the first of Martin's series, finding it akin to a giant bowl of popcorn (I'll just have one more handful. One more, after this one.) and recognizing that I really didn't want to read the rest of the series. And, I have not had any problem finding reading material, including mythopoeic reading material, part of our mythic heritage, and all of that. I cannot find any evidence that Martin's work caused any harm to the subgenres I love.

I don't eat broccoli. It is very much not to my taste. Its existence and its fans and connoisseurs have not made chocolate go away.

Oh, and Martin's Fevre Dream totally rocks.

Voting for Hugos -- If Eligible, Please Do!

The deadline for voting on the Hugo Awards is fast approaching, and for the first time, I have read all of the novels, novellas, novelettes, short stories, and graphic novels under consideration. Whee!

seanan_mcguire, one of the talented people whose works are under consideration, posted:

If you are eligible to vote, it has never been easier to get a clear view of the entire ballot. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Hugo committee, we have an electronic voting package that is a bibliophile's dream; you can read and consider absolutely everything that's asking for your vote. And if you're not a member yet, but were thinking about it, you can still register with full voting rights if you do it soon.


She's right. It really is easier than ever. Etext technology advances combined with the awesome Hugo packets meant that I could walk around with a light ebook reader with all the goodies in one place.

So, if you have a membership or a supporting membership, and you have the time, please use it! Read, watch, think, and vote!

I know plenty of people aren't interested or can't afford this or don't have the time. That's fine. I suspect some people do what I do and recuse themselves from categories they haven't been able to familiarize themselves with. This is why I am currently voting on five of the categories, which is three more than I usually do, and I may not get a chance to vote on the Best Dramatic Presentation: Long Form, like I usually do. (I've not yet seen Toy Story 3, and I'm choosing not to prioritize that. I will not vote on the category if I have not seen it.) I know some people still aren't comfortable reading etext, especially novel-length etext, let alone five novels worth, one of which had to be turned into two novels, and printing all that stuff out is not likely to be practical. The technology was finally there for me this year; other people have different needs.

But the point is, in all of these situations, one is making a choice. The situation I want to avoid is where someone just forgets or really means to do it, but doesn't bother. I want to see more people familiar with more of the works up for Hugos, and more people voting based on full knowledge of what's out there.

Fingers Crossed....

I think we'll be able to sleep at home tonight. Fingers crossed. Fingers crossed.