The category of Best Fan Writer has been more than a little dubious since John Scalzi inaugurated the custom of a professional writer lobbying for the award. But it looks as if this year the nominees are actual fans from SF fandom, as opposed to novelists like Scalzi and Hines slumming it in order to score a trophy. And to think they accuse us of gaming the awards!
In any event, after a perusal of the five nominee’s sites, I found that Abigail Nussbaum of Asking the Wrong Questions is the best of the Best Fan Writer category. And while it can hardly compare to John C. Wright’s comprehensive demolition of the man’s work, this review of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials is more than a little entertaining:
Book IPullman: Religion is Evil.
Readers: Why?
Pullman: Because priests kill babies.
Readers: No they don’t. You just made that up in the book.
Pullman: Shut up! Look at Iorek Byrnison!
Readers: Hey, he is cool. (Iorek does cool stuff for one book and then spends the next two books being completely boring, chasing after Lyra.)
Book IIPullman: God is Evil.
Readers: Why?
Pullman: Because priests kill babies.
Readers:
No they don’t. Hey, how come you can’t seem to separate organized
religion and God? And how come the only organized religion in your
books is Catholicism?Pullman: Shut up! Look at Will!
Readers: Hey, he is really cool. (Will does really cool stuff for one book and then spends the next book being completely boring, chasing after Lyra.)
Book IIIPullman: God, religion, and any person of faith are Evil.
Readers: Why?
Pullman: Sheesh, are you deaf? They kill babies!
Readers: Hang on, the leader of the fight against God also killed a baby. Why isn’t he evil?
Pullman: No he didn’t.
Readers: Yes he did, it’s right here in the first book.
Pullman: Shut up! Look at Will and Lyra having sex!
Readers: Urg. Isn’t Lyra ten?
Pullman: She’s twelve now.
Readers: Well, that makes it all better, then.
Lyra:
Even though I’ve never shown any interest in religion or the struggle
against God, and I’ve never really been taught anything about the
subject, I will now give a long stirring speech about establishing the
Republic of Heaven, just in case there are still readers who aren’t
brainwa… I mean convinced. (Book ends.)Pullman: Remember, God is Evil.
Miss Nussbaum may not be terribly keen on me, but it’s hard to hold that against her when she produces amusing gems like this: “When we look back on this year, what we’ll remember is Vox Day.”
No doubt she is entirely correct.