It turns out that the management subcommittee of the prestigious science fiction awards 'Hugo Awards' excluded authors who could cause problems in China from the final selection.



The Hugo Awards are the world's oldest science fiction and fantasy literary awards, and the winners are announced at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), which is held annually somewhere in the world. The 2023 Worldcon was held in Chengdu , China, but it was discovered that the administrative subcommittee had excluded several works and authors from the final selection of the Hugo Awards because they 'could cause problems in China.'

The 2023 Hugo Awards: A Report on Censorship and Exclusion - File 770
https://file770.com/the-2023-hugo-awards-a-report-on-censorship-and-exclusion/



Authors 'excluded from Hugo awards over China concerns' | Hugo awards | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/feb/15/authors-excluded-from-hugo-awards-over-china-concerns

Science fiction authors were excluded from awards for fear of offending China
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/science-fiction-authors-excluded-hugo-awards-china-rcna139134

The Hugo Awards are given to outstanding science fiction and fantasy works published in the previous year, and are the most prestigious awards in the science fiction field. There are various categories, including the best novel and the best short story, and some of the most famous winners in the best novel category include ' The Man in the High Castle ' by Philip K. Dick, ' The Moon is a Harsh Mistress ' by Robert A. Heinlein, ' Neuromancer ' by William Gibson, and ' The Three-Body Problem ' by Liu Cixin.

The final selection for the Hugo Awards is narrowed down by votes from Worldcon attendees. However, information released by the organizers of the 2023 Worldcon held in Chengdu, China, revealed that some works or authors had received enough votes to be nominated for the final selection, but were somehow deemed 'ineligible' by the administrative subcommittee and removed from the final selection.

The works that were not included in the final selection include R.F. Kwan 's ' Babel, or the Necessity of Violence, ' Neil Gaiman , author of the Netflix original drama ' Sandman ,' and Shilan Jay Zhao 's ' The Iron Maiden .' These works are either related to China or the authors themselves have criticized China in the past, which has led to suspicions that 'the Hugo Awards selection process was considerate of Chinese authorities.'



Then on February 14, leaked emails were published in a report by sci-fi writers and journalists Chris Berkeley and Jason Sanford indicating that the 2023 Hugo Awards Management Subcommittee had censored some works for the 'potential to offend Chinese authorities.'

Dave McCarty, who was the chairman of the 2023 Hugo Awards Management Subcommittee, said in an email dated June 5th, 'This time, the awards will be held in China, so the 'laws' surrounding us are different.' 'We will need to indicate which works are politically sensitive. You don't have to read the whole thing, but if a work focuses on China, Taiwan, Tibet, or any other topic that may be problematic in China, you will need to indicate that so we can determine whether it is safe to be on the ballot or whether an administrative decision based on law is required,' suggesting that works that are likely to attract the attention of Chinese authorities will be excluded.

The email was leaked by Diane Lacey, who was also a member of the 2023 Hugo Awards Management Subcommittee. In a statement to Berkeley and others, Lacey said, 'We were instructed to look at works that focused on China, Taiwan, Tibet, and other topics that may be problematic in China, and I am ashamed to say that I followed that instruction.' Lacey also pointed out that Zhao's 'Iron Lady' is a work that recreates the rise of

Empress Wu Zetian (Wu Zheng) with mecha, but she said she did not know whether that was a negative thing for the Chinese authorities.

McCarty, who stepped down as Hugo Awards trustee in January, did not respond to media requests for comment. Esther McCallum Stewart , trustee of the 2024 Worldcon, which will be held in Glasgow, England, said in a statement that 'I understand the community's deep sadness and anger and share their anguish,' and that the trustees would take steps to ensure transparency and restore trust in the awards.



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