That award meant nothing to me. And back then, there wasn't even Wikipedia so I could go look it up. It was just some name that told me there was an award attached to the book. As it was, I read the first 100 pages of the book and put it up in my closet because...well, I thought it was kinda boring. (I'll finish this story at the bottom.)
Lately we've been having a side-discussion in one of my writer groups about the awards and what they mean--or don't mean. You know, the HugosNebulasCampbellCampbellSturgeonEtc.
Like most of the people in the group, I strongly suspect that most readers don't have any clue what the source of each of those awards is.
When I was a panelist at one con on a panel about Awards, I asked the audience if they knew the difference between all the awards. As I recall, no one raised their hand. And this was the audience at a scifi con (and a rather literary one, to boot) who should have some clue.
I'm not going to bore you by going into the differences here. If you want to know, go look at Wikipedia. My point is that awards -do- have their merit. Even if someone doesn't know where the award came from, who nominated or who voted, or how many of the awards were given out, they still tend to see the 'award' as an indicator of value.
Given, there IS a scale there. Today on my FB, a book cover popped up with a big gold badge that said 'Indie Book of the Year' Semi-Finalist. I know that's not a Newberry Award, even if they have the same gold sticker. I know the difference between the Pulitzer Prize and the Pritzger Prize.
But I suspect the vast majority of readers don't know the difference between the John W. Campbell Memorial Award and the John W. Campbell Award. I suspect the vast majority doesn't even know that there -are- two different Campbell Awards at all.
Just something to think about...
(I am, BTW, not slamming on awards. I like awards. I want one. Someday.)
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*I did pick up that book again about a month later....and read the rest of it in one sitting, which is impressive since it was a 700-page book. It was that good. I just had to get over the hump. And then? Wow!
2013-01-22 02:16 pm (UTC)
2013-01-22 04:00 pm (UTC)
2013-01-22 03:33 pm (UTC)
On the other hand, newbies in the genre often overestimate the significance of an award. Considering the number that are given out, a large proportion of sff writers have won awards. It's another rung on the ladder, but it doesn't put you at the top.
2013-01-22 04:02 pm (UTC)
It's another rung on the ladder, but it doesn't put you at the top.
So true!
2013-01-22 05:20 pm (UTC)
2013-01-22 05:44 pm (UTC)
2013-01-22 06:46 pm (UTC)
2013-01-22 06:03 pm (UTC)
2013-01-22 06:36 pm (UTC)
FWIW, I have NO evidence to back that up.
Edited at 2013-01-22 06:37 pm (UTC)
2013-01-22 07:38 pm (UTC)
2013-01-22 07:45 pm (UTC)
2013-01-22 06:44 pm (UTC)
2013-01-22 06:56 pm (UTC)
2013-01-22 08:01 pm (UTC)
And my last embarrassing afterword... Years ago I won a short story competition at a local science fiction convention. C J Cherryh gave me my prize, and appeared on the same writers panel as myself.
I hadn't read a word of her writing then, and then, out of interest, I bought Pride of CHanur, and I was soon hooked...
2013-01-22 08:05 pm (UTC)
You can't be responsible for reading every author out there ;o) It's just impossible!
2013-01-22 08:26 pm (UTC)
2013-01-22 08:39 pm (UTC)
2013-01-22 08:16 pm (UTC)
I have recently re-read the Chanur series—I can recall being somewhere between 15 and 17 and reading the second book and wondering just when they were going to leave the station and get on with things, only realizing very late that the leaving of the station was the main part of the book!
Like you, back during my non-writer days I was only vaguely aware of the contests, but I seem to recall thinking that the Hugo was a fairly big deal.
As to awards, I don’t think I could tell you what they are for—and I made notes and everything on it! I just don’t think about it that much. Let me see what I get, just shooting from the hip:
Campbell: Best new sf book.
Sturgeon: Best new sf short-story
Hugo: Best new… sf book by a new writer…
Nebula: Uh… best sf short story by a new writer…
Then there is the Writers of the Future, which is best SF/F short (maybe up to novella) of the year by a non-professional author.
Of course, different people and juries and groups are voting for each of these, so there may be some overlap.
2013-01-22 08:42 pm (UTC)
And those are just the tip of the iceberg for possible awards.