The Hugo Awards are the most prestigious prizes in science fiction and fantasy literature. They are voted by the fans and presented at the annual World Science Fiction Convention, or Worldcon. For decades, they have celebrated the best and most diverse works in the genre, from classics like The Lord of the Rings and Dune to modern masterpieces like The Three-Body Problem and The Fifth Season.
But in 2013, a group of conservative and libertarian writers launched a campaign to influence the Hugo nominations and push their own agenda. They called themselves the Sad Puppies, and they claimed that the Hugos had been taken over by a clique of left-wing, social justice warriors who favoured works that were “niche, academic, overtly to the Left in ideology and flavour, and ultimately lacking what might best be called visceral, gut-level, swashbuckling fun”
The Sad Puppies, led by authors Larry Correia and Brad R. Torgersen, organised a voting bloc to nominate a slate of works that they deemed more worthy of the Hugos. They also enlisted the help of a more extreme faction, the Rabid Puppies, led by Vox Day, a notorious alt-right provocateur and publisher. Together, they managed to dominate the Hugo ballot in 2015, filling several categories with their chosen nominees, many of whom were affiliated with their own publishing houses or blogs
The backlash from the rest of the science fiction and fantasy community was swift and fierce. Many fans and authors denounced the Puppies as reactionary, sexist, racist, and homophobic, and accused them of gaming the system and ruining the reputation of the Hugos. Some of the nominees, such as Marko Kloos and Annie Bellet, withdrew their works from the ballot, refusing to be associated with the Puppies. Others, such as George R.R. Martin, Neil Gaiman, and John Scalzi, urged the voters to reject the Puppies’ slate and vote for the works that they genuinely liked, or for “No Award” if none of the nominees deserved the honour
The final results of the 2015 Hugo Awards were announced at the Worldcon in Spokane, Washington, on 22 August. The Puppies’ slate was soundly defeated, as the voters chose “No Award” in five categories, the most in the history of the Hugos. The only categories where the Puppies’ nominees won were those where they had nominated popular works that were not part of their agenda, such as Guardians of the Galaxy for Best Dramatic Presentation. The ceremony was met with cheers and boos, as well as tears and hugs, as the fans celebrated the victory of their values over the Puppies’ attempt to hijack the Hugos
The Sad Puppies saga did not end there, however. The following year, the Puppies tried again to influence the Hugo nominations, but with less success. The Worldcon organisers had implemented a new voting system, called E Pluribus Hugo, that made it harder for a single group to dominate the ballot. The Puppies’ slate was diluted by more diverse and popular works, and only two categories went to “No Award”. The rest of the awards went to acclaimed works by authors such as N.K. Jemisin, Nnedi Okorafor, and Hao Jingfang, many of whom were women, people of colour, or non-Western. The Puppies’ influence had waned, and the Hugos had recovered their credibility and diversity.
The Sad Puppies saga was a dark and divisive chapter in the history of science fiction and fantasy literature. It exposed the ideological and cultural rifts within the genre, and the challenges of maintaining a fair and democratic award system. It also showed the resilience and solidarity of the fans and authors who love the genre and its potential for exploring new worlds, new ideas, and new perspectives. The Hugos are still the most prestigious prizes in science fiction and fantasy literature, and they still belong to the fans.
