Jeet This Week: the sci-fi boys club strikes back
A vocal block of anti-diversity sci-fi fans have organized to control the nominations for this year's prestigious Hugo Awards. Jeet Heer weighs in on why it matters.
They're called the sad puppies, and they see themselves as the guard dogs of the Hugo Awards — the Science Fiction world's most prestigious honour.
A group of vocal sci-fi fans say undeserving nominees, propelled by "political correctness" and the literati, are intruding on nerd culture. They've organized a voting block to keep them from zeroing in on a Hugo.
Cultural critic Jeet Heer joins Shad to discuss the group's mandate and the significance of this rift in geekdom.
Jeet's references: The following authors and titles are mentioned in the segment:
- Star Wars
- Star Trek
- 1984 - George Orwell
- The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
- Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula K Le Guin
- Astounding Science Fiction
- Clement C. Moore
- James Tiptree, Jr. (aka Alice Shelton)