And the award for the stupidest committee of 2011 goes too...
There has been a big hoohah about the British Fantasy Society Awards at Fantasycon (where apparently your imagination fills in the shortcomings of the hotel for another year), as a whole bunch of them went to people closely connected to the Chairman/awards administrator, David Howe. It's a PR disaster. slovobooks, nwhyte and cherylmmorgan have all posted much more eloquently than I about it. It irks me when ppl manage to make the entire fan/award/convention ecosystem look crap by their idiocy. Puts me in mind of that recent Octocon debacle.
However, I will say I am not too worried if it results in some kind of alteration in the structure of the BFS itself. Back in the day I joined for a couple of years, when I had a strong interest in keeping an eye on the scene as I was both writing, and running an online SF bookstore/magazine. I left again when it became clear they were only interested in horror really, and there was little in the way of other comment, news or informed opinion pieces - it all seemed very incestuous and back patting. It just wasn't worth the money, and I am not into horror or I'd have joined a bloody horror society. Even then I felt they had a bloody cheek calling themselves the BRITISH FANTASY society. No fantasy, and too crap to represent the whole nation. I was doing almost as good a job virtually singlehandedly and with far less revenue. Although I probably shouldn't say that out loud, it's a bit arrogant :/
At least this year's Octocon sounds like it is shaping up to be okay. I can't make it, but I have heard positive rumblings, and at least this committee isn't shooting themselves in the foot/feet/hooves.
However, I will say I am not too worried if it results in some kind of alteration in the structure of the BFS itself. Back in the day I joined for a couple of years, when I had a strong interest in keeping an eye on the scene as I was both writing, and running an online SF bookstore/magazine. I left again when it became clear they were only interested in horror really, and there was little in the way of other comment, news or informed opinion pieces - it all seemed very incestuous and back patting. It just wasn't worth the money, and I am not into horror or I'd have joined a bloody horror society. Even then I felt they had a bloody cheek calling themselves the BRITISH FANTASY society. No fantasy, and too crap to represent the whole nation. I was doing almost as good a job virtually singlehandedly and with far less revenue. Although I probably shouldn't say that out loud, it's a bit arrogant :/
At least this year's Octocon sounds like it is shaping up to be okay. I can't make it, but I have heard positive rumblings, and at least this committee isn't shooting themselves in the foot/feet/hooves.