Date: Thu, 15 Apr 2004 20:59:49 -0400 (EDT) From: "Keith F. Lynch" <kfl at KeithLynch.net> Subject: [WSFA] New Hugo categories -- a modest proposal To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org> Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org> "Michael Walsh" <MJW at mail.press.jhu.edu> wrote: > It has been suggested - somewhat tongue-in-cheek - that a new Hugo > novel category be created: for the 100,000+ word bug crushers. To > be called Best Tome. But then we'd just have to redo the categories a few years later, when they get even longer. Why not simply have an open-ended series of Hugo awards? Best novel 40,000 - 80,000 words Best long novel 80,000 - 160,000 words Best long long novel 160,000 - 320,000 words Best long long long novel 320,000 - 640,000 words Best long long long long novel 640,000 - 1,280,000 words Best long long long long long novel 1,280,000 - 2,560,000 words Best long long long long long long novel 2,560,000 - 5,120,000 words Best long long long long long long long novel 5,120,000 - 10,240,000 words etc., etc., with no upper limit. Any category for which five eligible works are nominated will be on the final ballot. We could also replace the novella, novelette, and short story awards with the open ended series: Best short novel 20,000 - 40,000 words Best short short novel 10,000 - 20,000 words Best short short short novel 5000 - 10,000 words Best short short short short novel 2500 - 5000 words Best short short short short short novel 1250 - 2500 words Best short short short short short short novel 625 - 1250 words Best short short short short short short short novel 312.5 - 625 words Best short short short short short short short short novel 156.25 - 312.5 words etc., etc., with no lower limit. Once again, any category for which five eligible works are nominated will be on the final ballot. Similarly with dramatic presentation: short short short short short short short short short short form 5 - 10 seconds short short short short short short short short short form 10 - 21 seconds short short short short short short short short form 21 - 42 seconds short short short short short short short form 42 - 84 seconds short short short short short short form 1.4 - 2.8 minutes short short short short short form 2.8 - 5.6 minutes short short short short form 5.6 - 11.2 minutes short short short form 11.2 - 22.5 minutes short short form 22.5 - 45 minutes short form 45 - 90 minutes long form 90 - 180 minutes long long form 3 - 6 hours long long long form 6 - 12 hours long long long long form 12 - 24 hours long long long long long form 1 - 2 days long long long long long long form 2 - 4 days long long long long long long long form 4 - 8 days long long long long long long long long form 8 - 16 days long long long long long long long long long form 16 days - 1 month long long long long long long long long long long form 1 - 2 months long long long long long long long long long long long form 2 - 4 months long long long long long long long long long long long long form 4 - 8 months Once again, there's no limit in either direction. Eligibility is based on the year in which the dramatic presentation *ends*, so multi-year presentations are eligible. For instance the performance mentioned in http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2728595.stm which began three years ago, will be eligible in 2640. The universe will be eligible in the long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long form category, at the Worldcon held the year after it ends. Assuming someone nominates it. And that there are four other nominees that year, all of them eligible for the same category. (That's if it ends within the next few eons. Otherwise add one or more additional "long"s). One more category needs adjustment. 3.3.10(2) of the Hugo rules defines a Semiprozine as a publication that "paid its contributors and/or staff in other than copies of the publication". I propose we split this category in two. A Semiprozine-1 will be defined as one that "paid its contributors and/or staff less than Locus does," and a Semiprozine-2 will be defined as one that "paid its contributors and/or staff more than Locus does". This will help keep the category from being monopolized. On second thought, we might as well combine the new Semiprozine-1 and Semiprozine-2 categories. Also, since next year's Worldcon is bringing back ConJose's "best website" category, I will point out that the net consists of much more than the web. There should also be categories for "best email," "best email list," "best newsgroup posting," "best newsgroup," "best spam," "best spam filter," "best IRC channel," and "best gopher site". One more category should be added, to help keep the award ceremony from running even further into valuable party time than it already does: "Shortest acceptance speech of last year's Hugo winners". -- Keith F. Lynch - http://keithlynch.net/ Please see http://keithlynch.net/email.html before emailing me.