{"id":557,"date":"2015-08-23T16:29:07","date_gmt":"2015-08-23T23:29:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/briancebuhl.com\/?p=557"},"modified":"2015-08-23T16:29:07","modified_gmt":"2015-08-23T23:29:07","slug":"sasquan-final-recap-with-hugo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/briancebuhl.com\/?p=557","title":{"rendered":"Sasquan Final Recap, with Hugo"},"content":{"rendered":"

This was a day that will be remembered in WorldCon history.<\/p>\n

Unlike the previous recaps, I’m not going to go too much into the details of the day. \u00a0I want to focus on the experience of attending the Hugos. \u00a0These recap entries have been my way of recording my experience of the event. \u00a0Leading up to the Hugos, much of the day was like the previous, in terms of getting up, getting fed, and attending panels.<\/p>\n

I was signed up for the Kaffee Klatche with John Berlyne, the same man I spoke about in yesterday’s post<\/a>. \u00a0I wound up not going. \u00a0For one thing, I’d just sat with him for one-on-one time. \u00a0I admire and respect him, but I don’t want to come across as some kind of stalker, following him everywhere around the con. \u00a0For another thing, since I’d just had that one-on-one time with him, it didn’t seem fair for me to take up a limited slot at his table. \u00a0Also, breakfast with friends that morning went a little bit late. \u00a0I could have excused myself from the table, but given my other concerns, I decided it was better to stay and visit with my friends.<\/p>\n

Melissa and I attended panels. \u00a0I took notes. \u00a0I’ll post the notes once I’m back in Sacramento.<\/p>\n

Skipping ahead…<\/p>\n

Melissa and I returned to the convention center all dressed up and ready for the Hugos. \u00a0This year they issued tickets with assigned seating. \u00a0I greatly appreciated this. \u00a0At ChiCon 7, I had to stand in the back the whole time, my feet aching. \u00a0With assigned seating, I knew that we’d sit down, and it would be less hassle getting to our seats. \u00a0We might\u00a0even be able to see more than just the monitor.<\/p>\n

We knew that they’d begin handing out tickets at\u00a06PM. \u00a0The doors would open at 7PM, and the event would start at 8PM. \u00a0Our plan was to get our tickets, stroll to one of the local restaurants, have a nice dinner, then be in our seats just before the big event.<\/p>\n

Things mostly worked out as planned. \u00a0We got to the ticket line before 6, but it already stretched long. \u00a0Melissa and I walked to the back of the\u00a0line, which snaked through several\u00a0halls. \u00a0Once they began handing out tickets, the line\u00a0moved relatively fast, putting us on the street with tickets in hand around 6:15.<\/p>\n

We walked to our first choice of restaurants and found it full, with a twenty minute wait. \u00a0We went on to the next choice and found the same thing. \u00a0We looked at the menu of a third, and fled because the prices were exorbitant. \u00a0I began to think we would just have to starve until\u00a0after the Hugos.<\/p>\n

It makes sense. \u00a0Everyone had the same idea. \u00a0With over 5,000\u00a0warm bodies at the convention, and a limited number of restaurants within walking distance, it was inevitable that there would be some waiting.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, we were able to get a seat at Chili’s, right across the street. \u00a0The wait was still ten to fifteen minutes, but with the place being so close, we weren’t afraid of being late if service was slow. \u00a0Plus, we were able to pay at the table, so we didn’t need to wait for a server when it was time to leave.<\/p>\n

We ate a\u00a0mediocre dinner, then hurried to the performing arts center. \u00a0Staff efficiently guided us to our seats. \u00a0We sat in the orchestra section, with a view of the stage that was more than acceptable.<\/p>\n

Before the award ceremony began, George R. R. Martin, John Scalzi, and a few others were interviewed. \u00a0The interview took place in another room, with the video projected on the big screen. \u00a0I did not catch the entire thing. \u00a0They were talking about the controversy around the nominations, and what could be done in future years. \u00a0I appreciated Martin’s stance the most, which was that we shouldn’t throw out the system and make broad, sweeping changes based on one anomalous year. \u00a0What we should do instead is be more active in the nomination process.<\/p>\n

I read the program. \u00a0I noted the section that went into great detail about the “No Award” option. \u00a0The No Award\u00a0option had been used five times in the history of the Hugos. \u00a0I considered the prominent placement of this message in the program as a sign of what was to come.<\/p>\n

Finally, the award ceremony began. \u00a0A grim reaper rolled onto the stage, moving towards a Hugo\u00a0in the middle of the stage. \u00a0Three women in red Star Trek outfits rushed out to stop the specter. \u00a0One of them was grabbed and taken off stage by the grim reaper’s assistant. \u00a0Another of the women drew a blaster, shouted something, and drove the grim reaper off.<\/p>\n

I didn’t catch all of the words that she’d shouted. \u00a0She’s said something along the lines of, “You’re not going to destroy the Hugos! \u00a0You’ve already taken Terry Pratchett!” The woman that did the shouting and drove off death was\u00a0Tananarive Due,\u00a0one of the ceremony’s co-hosts.<\/p>\n

The joke about Terry Pratchett earned groans all around me. \u00a0The whole message from the beginning, that someone was trying to destroy the Hugos by attacking women and people of color, was not perfectly executed or received. \u00a0With that opening, I had my doubts about how the evening would go. \u00a0I was afraid that it was going to be a very negative show.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, it didn’t keep going that direction. \u00a0David Gerrold and Tananarive Due ran the evening, and they were witty. \u00a0Mistakes were made. \u00a0Parts of the presentation were done out of order, and several videos started at the wrong time. \u00a0The show\u00a0was not perfectly executed. \u00a0However, I found\u00a0David’s fumbling with the script to be authentic and endearing. \u00a0No show is perfect, and I do not believe the flubs in the show diminished the quality of it.<\/p>\n

Specific highlights for me involved Robert Silverberg blessing the ceremony with a story, and singing Hari Krishna. \u00a0He shook a tambourine and got the audience to sing with him.<\/p>\n

Connie Willis took the stage and spoke as well. \u00a0She was endearing\u00a0and funny. \u00a0After she’d made a statement<\/a> about how she would not be a presenter, I thought her presence elevated the evening, and dulled the knife edge of the conspiracy surrounding the Hugos this year.<\/p>\n

Jay Lake was posthumously presented an award. \u00a0I found myself tearing up. \u00a0I had only met him briefly, but he was such a sweet man. \u00a0The presentation touched us all. \u00a0I hope that there is an award named for Jay Lake.<\/p>\n

The names of those we’ve lost this year scrolled by, with familiar names like Leonard Nimoy, Terry Pratchett, and Christopher Lee. \u00a0So many names this year. \u00a0David Gerrold nearly cried afterwards. \u00a0Another deeply touching moment during the ceremony.<\/p>\n

Then it was time for the awards. \u00a0The John W. Campbell award went to Wesley Chu. \u00a0He accepted it, said that he wasn’t going to “go political” at first, then by the end, said, “You know what? \u00a0I am going political.” Then he declared his candidacy as a Republican nominee for the presidency. \u00a0Too funny!<\/p>\n

The Hugo awards were next, starting with all the fan categories, and the semiprozine. \u00a0Elizabeth Leggett won best fan artist, and she made a very passionate speech that ended with “BlackLivesMatter.” The rest of the award winners stuck to thanking those that supported them.<\/p>\n

The ceremony progressed. \u00a0I don’t remember the order. \u00a0I know that best related work was the first to receive “No Award,” only because I texted the result to Michael.<\/p>\n

The evening started with five No Awards in the history of the Hugos. \u00a0It ended with ten.<\/p>\n

With each one, the crowd cheered, loud and strong. \u00a0Melissa sat next to me, stunned. \u00a0She said, “That’s not right.” She hadn’t followed the controversy as closely as the rest of us. \u00a0I appreciate her perspective on this matter.<\/p>\n

History was made last night. \u00a0Not just with the number of No Awards. \u00a0The winner for the best novel is the first time a translated work has taken home a rocket. \u00a0It puts the world in WorldCon.<\/p>\n

After the awards, Melissa and I changed clothes and joined our friends at one of the bars. \u00a0We visited, then went to bed.<\/p>\n

As I write this, it is a little after 2PM. \u00a0Melissa and I are going to attend the closing ceremonies, then probably wander around and eat before getting on a plane this evening. \u00a0Sasquan is effectively over\u00a0for us, and we had a fantastic time. \u00a0We’re looking forward to WorldCon next year in Kansas City.<\/p>\n

Before I close this post, I want to talk about the Hugos, one last time.<\/p>\n

The ceremony attempted to put a positive spin on the situation, and I think it succeeded. \u00a0Leading up to Sasquan, people talked about there being an asterisk with these Hugos. \u00a0That concept was embraced, even celebrated, with\u00a0the creation of a wooden asterisk\u00a0constructed\u00a0by robots with lasers. \u00a0The ceremony had its low points, but it also had humor and laughter. \u00a0It still celebrated fandom and the fiction that we love.<\/p>\n

The future of the Hugos looks brighter after last night. \u00a0We will not be so complacent with our nominations. \u00a0The system may change in the future. \u00a0Or perhaps we’ll change. \u00a0Perhaps we’ll be more active, making it that much harder for any individual to mess with our celebration.<\/p>\n

We fans will go on, and the Hugos will go on. \u00a0What’s past is done, and the future is whatever we decide to make it.<\/p>\n

But there were victims this year, and I want to acknowledge them. \u00a0For every person that made something that would have qualified for recognition this year, but your work was overshadowed or supplanted by the slates, you will be known. \u00a0I don’t know the names of every person that falls into this category. \u00a0I just know that what happened this year was not fair to you, and I hope that you will continue your work and receive the recognition that you deserve.<\/p>\n

Melissa and I sat in at Jennifer Brozek’s Kaffee Klatche this morning. \u00a0She composed herself well, and with dignity. \u00a0But\u00a0it was clear that she was still hurt by how things went last night. \u00a0It was her first Hugo nomination, but because of the one that started this controversy, her category received No Award.<\/p>\n

When Jennifer was about to sign a card for me, she asked if she should sign it “Hugo loser or Hugo nominee?” She said it with a smile, but like I said, it’s clear that this has been rough on her.<\/p>\n

The truth is that Jennifer Brozek is one of the hardest working individuals in the business. \u00a0She manages her time, setting herself a scheduled that stretches\u00a0nine months into the future. \u00a0She doesn’t miss her deadlines. \u00a0She’s managing multiple projects at the same time, both editing and writing. \u00a0She’s methodical. \u00a0She’s knowledgeable, and dedicated to her craft. \u00a0She rarely takes vacations.<\/p>\n

These are not the qualities of a loser. \u00a0Quite the opposite. \u00a0I have complete confidence that this will not be the last time we see her up for a Hugo.<\/p>\n

We owe it to her and everyone like her to be involved. \u00a0We need to nominate our favorite artists and editors, and we need to vote. \u00a0If we do these things, then people like Jennifer will get the kind of recognition that they’ve earned.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This was a day that will be remembered in WorldCon history. Unlike the previous recaps, I’m not going to go too much into the details of the day. \u00a0I want to focus on the experience of attending the Hugos. \u00a0These recap entries have been my way of recording my experience of the event. \u00a0Leading up […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/briancebuhl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/briancebuhl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/briancebuhl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/briancebuhl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/briancebuhl.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=557"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/briancebuhl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/557\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":560,"href":"https:\/\/briancebuhl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/557\/revisions\/560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/briancebuhl.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/briancebuhl.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/briancebuhl.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}