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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Beach bacteria thresholds may tighten ... Our View: Who politicized the UCC shootings? Not Obama ... View from 100,000 feet ... Beach bacteria thresholds may tighten ... Our View: Who politicized the UCC shootings? Not Obama ... View from 100,000 feet ... Sci-fi fans vote for diversity at 2015 Hugo Awards After bitter rifts in the sci-fi community over diversity in the genre, fans demanding that diversity in sci-fi be celebrated got a win when the Hugo Awards were announced. Comment By Chandra Johnson, Deseret News MailTribune.com By Chandra Johnson, Deseret News Posted Aug. 27, 2015 at 12:01 AM Updated Aug 27, 2015 at 5:15 AM By Chandra Johnson, Deseret News Posted Aug. 27, 2015 at 12:01 AM Updated Aug 27, 2015 at 5:15 AM » Social News Science fiction has changed a lot since 1960s sci-fi authors like Robert Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke were perfecting the craft and winning Hugo Awards — the highest honor for a sci-fi or fantasy writer. How much sci-fi should change was the crux of a bitter battle at this year's Hugos fought between a conservative clatch of authors and fans of sci-fi's new direction that includes black authors and themes like gender and race issues. Some author activists, nicknamed "Sad Puppies" in the media , objected to what they call a creeping liberal agenda that they say taints the genre with certain political ideologies that they argue have no place in sci-fi. "A few decades ago, if you saw a lovely spaceship on a book cover ... you could be pretty sure you were going to get a rousing space adventure featuring starships and distant, amazing worlds," "Puppy" author Brad Torgersen wrote on his blog. "The book has a spaceship on the cover, but is it really going to be a story about space exploration and pioneering derring-do? Or is the story merely about racial prejudice and exploitation?" Torgersen's rallying cry was heard and many of his recommendations made up the Hugo ballot. In response, past high-profile Hugo winners like George RR Martin said the conservative, puritanical campaign against sci-fi and black fantasy authors or expanded themes threatened to leave the Hugos "broken." Sci-fi fans listened, as Wired reported this week — voting in droves for Chinese sci-fi author Liu Cixin to win best novel and opting for "no award" choices in categories like best novella and best short story that boasted Torgersen's recommendations. "With so much at stake, more people than ever forked over membership dues in time to be allowed to vote for the 2015 Hugos," Wired reported . "Before voting closed on June 31, 5,950 people cast ballots (a whopping 65 percent more than had ever voted before)." This year's Hugos, for winning writers like Laura J. Mixon, put the awards and the future of science fiction back squarely where it belongs: in the hands of the fans who read it. "There’s room for all of us here," Mixon said in her acceptance speech for best fan writer. "But there’s no middle ground between ‘We belong here’ and ‘No you don’t.’" By Chandra Johnson, Deseret News MailTribune.com By Chandra Johnson, Deseret News Posted Aug. 27, 2015 at 12:01 AM Updated Aug 27, 2015 at 5:15 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501