You should make sure, first, that MoR would be eligible for the Best Novel category, given that it’s a fan work. I couldn’t find anything on the site that stated definitely that such a work wouldn’t be eligible, but there was some implication that the award is for original work. Looking over the past winners, I can’t find any that aren’t a) original, and b) published in a magazine or as a book (i.e. pro or semi-pro, by the Hugo’s standards).
Anyway, it seems some provision should be made in case MoR isn’t eligible.
Anyway, it seems some provision should be made in case MoR isn’t eligible.
If MoR doesn’t win Best Novel because it isn’t eligible, then gwern wins, that’s clear to me at least.
EDIT TO ADD: I think that, conditional to MoR being an official nominee, I’d assign 40-50% chance to it winning Best Novel. But I think it’s the “official nominee” step that’s the hard part. I’d assign only 20% chance or less to the commitee allowing it as such an official nominee for Best Novel. For fear of JKR’s potential ire, for fear of losing status for the Hugo awards by having fanfiction compete on it, for fear of setting a precedent for other fanfictions.
I’d assign 40-50% chance to it winning Best Novel.
On the basis of your past experience Hugo award winners and nominees? I don’t have any familiarity with the genre, so I don’t know how MoR stacks up.
For fear of JKR’s potential ire, for fear of losing status for the Hugo awards by having fanfiction compete on it, for fear of setting a precedent for other fanfictions.
The first is probably nothing to worry about: JKR has said she’s okay with fan fiction, so long as no on tries to make any money and no one tries to publish it in print (whatever that means). This does mean that EY can’t count himself a pro or semi-pro author, which might exclude him. I’m not sure.
JKR’s statement does not, I believe, have the force of law, it only describes her current disposition, and she’s free to go back on it any time. She may consider being nominated for a Hugo to be equivalent to the other things she disapproves of.
You should make sure, first, that MoR would be eligible for the Best Novel category, given that it’s a fan work. I couldn’t find anything on the site that stated definitely that such a work wouldn’t be eligible, but there was some implication that the award is for original work. Looking over the past winners, I can’t find any that aren’t a) original, and b) published in a magazine or as a book (i.e. pro or semi-pro, by the Hugo’s standards).
Anyway, it seems some provision should be made in case MoR isn’t eligible.
If MoR doesn’t win Best Novel because it isn’t eligible, then gwern wins, that’s clear to me at least.
EDIT TO ADD: I think that, conditional to MoR being an official nominee, I’d assign 40-50% chance to it winning Best Novel. But I think it’s the “official nominee” step that’s the hard part. I’d assign only 20% chance or less to the commitee allowing it as such an official nominee for Best Novel. For fear of JKR’s potential ire, for fear of losing status for the Hugo awards by having fanfiction compete on it, for fear of setting a precedent for other fanfictions.
On the basis of your past experience Hugo award winners and nominees? I don’t have any familiarity with the genre, so I don’t know how MoR stacks up.
The first is probably nothing to worry about: JKR has said she’s okay with fan fiction, so long as no on tries to make any money and no one tries to publish it in print (whatever that means). This does mean that EY can’t count himself a pro or semi-pro author, which might exclude him. I’m not sure.
JKR’s statement does not, I believe, have the force of law, it only describes her current disposition, and she’s free to go back on it any time. She may consider being nominated for a Hugo to be equivalent to the other things she disapproves of.