From: "Keith F. Lynch" <kfl at KeithLynch.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Worldcon news
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:01:54 -0400 (EDT)
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

Mike Bartman wrote:
> I'm not surprised that they declined to consider it.  If they had,
> I'd consider putting one in requiring that there be at least one
> deaf author, one blind author, one lame author, one illiterate
> author and one author over 6'5" tall (hey, I might write something
> someday...).

There could be awards (not Hugos) restricted to certain kinds of
authors.  Several groups, including BSFS, run young writers' contests.
I guess it's considered unfair to ask teenagers to compete against
adults.  The Aurora Awards are restricted to Canadian authors.  No
comment.

So there could certainly be awards meant only for female authors, male
authors, bald authors, tall authors, short authors, fat authors, thin
authors, etc.  (If boxing has weight categories, why not writing?)

There are a lot more awards that are categorized by theme, not author.
The Prometheus Award is for libertarian SF, but it doesn't have to be
written by a libertarian author.  The Galactic Spectrum Award is for
works that "include positive explorations of gay, lesbian, bisexual or
transgendered characters, themes, or issues," but the author doesn't
have to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered.  I think this
makes more sense.  Most readers care more about the book than about
its writer.  What if only astronauts were allowed to write space opera?