Analyzing the Wired article on the Hugo Awards

I have a lot to say about the Hugo awards, but even more to say about the discourse surrounding the Hugo awards. Let’s start with the Wired article, “Who Won the Hugo Awards and Why it Matters.” For an objective-seeming article, they sure did give a lot of air time to Theodore Beale and the Sad Puppies. They reduced the various arguments over the aesthetics of science fiction to identity politics. And they privileged male voices over female ones.

Don’t take my word for all that, though. Wired is for geeks, yes? Let me be a geek for a moment and give you a word frequency analysis. Here’s a list of words sorted by frequency. (Many of the “little words” like articles and prepositions have been removed, and where the same word was used the same number of times, they’re listed in the order in which they appeared in the article.)

Enjoy.

(74 to 30 words)

He is I who Puppies

(29-20 words)

people are said have with it not been they his Beale be was like Hugo

(19-10 words)

their Sad Hugos had We about one me has she no When because more just were you Martin all I’m don’t up some fiction winners sci-fi want Best doesn’t which says other white Would Awards into out Her from Torgersen told very Bellet

(9-5 words)

year what science New it’s nominated those most Writer them Story Black Puppy Correia can then going go first Day fans women ballot writers Though After much even author blog will him say got My mean nomination Award among fantasy come authors time Past years many male While Rabid few where before John ever over Worldcon room did also man novel made same we’re woman how that’s get asked something think being enough back Losers

(4-3 words)

SINCE future words too nominees voters World night often Puppies? there Short won us understand know goes way year-old see really two gay do book against thinks Both books merely called saying they’re he’s Vox considered reason once Jemisin consider every away political little win winner down withdrew Sasquan Three-Body Problem dream love trophy voted include genre color three final movement broke felt voting number Puppygate record Convention announced question popularity slates February categories W Campbell its history sometimes men vote Game wasn’t fan turned rocket Editor Mixon winning female There’s here ways our matter Puppies’ Brad Why novelist phone name named politics person whose Times racist actually popular need stuff himself slate son American example point if around half-savage including anyone gets let idea still any certain replaced Now attempt sense read write Annie together sister own honor Martin’s too? give Liu translator Cixin Liu’s Novel-winning don rubber coneheads Alfie

(2 words)

highest writing K Robert Gods changed each hands tell stories backlash campaign dominated mostly leaders faction calls itself rules process meanwhile plus Spokane Saturday everybody’s minds year’s released finalists Hugos’ become largely fighting either hideous characters membership least closed George RR novels HBO defend wrong single took home five only Related Long Here’s gave far behavior left-leaning troll middle added simply human lives none explaining could care less thing former reached didn’t came based explained Wendell serious right? start call Justice value Water Falls beset whenever Leckie’s debut using earlier Army assertions fact pretty oppose currently quality Ooh well married leader Theodore Voice complex later speaks four published age Native rode genetic racial women’s suffrage democracy America feels claims use acknowledged she’s run screaming Nora should dark system your am Given Certainly hard Look blogged went off outspoken wanted hole nerds sworn continued simple started gains literary makes Thor Culture Max message heard these lesbian shit decades You’re right force names toys acknowledge met may aren’t ones tie-dye week turning community guy loves lot brings having attended rejects everyone agrees Baen teenagers optimistic showed Ken L Wesley Chu Alfies data committee Kloos

(1 word)

honors TRUE travel extraterrestrials tales imagined rocket-shaped Isaac Asimov Arthur C Clarke Harlan Ellison Philip Dick Heinlein recent expanded storytellers gays lesbians presentation August rockets joined Goddesses ethnicities genders sexual orientations whom spaceships Early shift sparked organized resulted two-pronged played dirty taking advantage loophole arcane enables relatively dominate Motivated bought memberships Washington PM vast auditorium packed trufans dressed wizard garb corsets chain mail prevail? upon mere contest recommending balloting referendum focus brave engineers ray guns aliens b governments mine asteroids space? continue embrace broader non-traditionally gendered explorers post-singularity post-ethnic feelings? stake forked dues allowed June cast ballots whopping percent bestselling epic adapted Thrones gathering integrity predicted dramatic evening began appearance cosplaying Grim Reaper Puppy-endorsed candidate Puppy-provided Novella Work Form instead preferred full list Laura J stirring speech post meticulously described venomous Internet troll-troll ground between belong here’ believe must find non-toxic discuss conflicting points view closing stand marginalized groups seek seen fully Birth helps pedigrees towards motivation entitled outrage wake defeat compatriots silver ship looks marital aid begs target them? campaigns fairness Larry Utah accountant gun store owner NRA lobbyist created ago seeing SPCA ad featuring forlorn canines staring camera singer Sarah McLachlan joke That leading cause puppy-related sadness boring message-fic laughing initially spokesman cartoon manatee speak English kept super complaints overly others Social Warriors plot development Particular targets derision Chu’s Nowhere decides traditional Chinese family phenomenon lies inexplicably Ann Ancillary protagonists gender Leckie conveys pronouns throughout Correia’s York best-selling Warbound finalist lobbying effort chief warrant officer Reserve preachy fun bristle blogosphere sexist homophobes argument interesting beef class-based Torgerson blue-collar speculative snobby exclusionary ignore conservative CHORFS Cliquish Holier-than-thou Obnoxious Reactionary Fanatics East deployed lamented cognitive dissonance soon becomes criteria window notes interviews African-American know-it-all lecture race identity anti-diversity storytelling ought Ah course particularly add militant self-described libertarian blogger loosely God origins offered recommendation absolute posted directed followers nominate precisely Beale? electronic rocker shortlived group Psykosonik wealthy Minnesota entrepreneur Republican jailed tax evasion languages father children youngest boy six great-grandfather Pancho Villa according SJW blood details significant kids qualify tribal mix Mexican analysis Nonetheless voluminous writings writes hobby working designer openly opposes diversity homosexuality quibbles Northern Italy representative um highly inclined security liberty thus easy manipulate favors direct obviously emailed disappointed failed quote Wall Street Journal’s label despised conversation sort walking designed MC Escher turns unexpected dizzying sampling noted NK educated ignorant launched explication research expect supports term intentionally baiting word overtones calling offend crap next beat half-savages Europe actual proper Africans African-Americans leads problems shitting top toilets indoor plumbing okay? civilized Hundred Thousand Kingdoms populated brown-skinned matriarchal warrior Darre characterized interaction opens comments section stop train bitch standard modus operandi supremacists jail helped believes character plays Performance art Andy Kaufman embraces nemesis role inhabits star circling outer rim solar Darth Vader breathing heavily wants enraged flipping tearing hair completely losing chaos generally destructive kind incendiary rhetoric possible naïve piggyback worst accused providing politely moderate front shit-stirring provocateur worked distinguish themselves Churchill FDR wound side Stalin whether tarnished association hacked found part lead small publishing company Castalia House editors goals leave big smoking giant Fuck massive gesture contempt watch burn forward administrators modify nominating try prevent manipulation proposals supporters control Specifically numbered vile faceless minions hardcore shock troops mindless perfect obedience acknowledging solely contrary anti-SJW Okay might deploy lord minion acts mainstream press reporting gaming April fan-favorite edged outside field cared treated nerd-on-nerd violence unfortunate ugly confined literature’s crummier neighborhoods inconsequential longshot revolt push traditionally underrepresented maligned sub-genre they’ve everywhere sound starship engines exist vacuum Adria Richards Twitter-shames dudes cracking off-color jokes PyCon tech developer conference fired fields murder threats GamerGate threatening rape temerity offer opinion videogame strain comic apoplectic Captain hatred change frog yes happened uttered peep ribbit Wars raging levels corners society Substitute weaponry verbiage easily so-called mens’ rights driven froth Mad Fury Road Charlize Theron seeks rescue bunch sex slavery sidekick another flashpoint emerged telephone weeks plan Xanatos gambit set enemy does loses surprise email sent ceremony crowing scorched earth strategy pursued SJWs evidence hold initiative wrote major demonstrates extent politicized degraded left predicting convert send loud clear Bring claimed victory Scalzi three-time opponents war folks straight anywhere stands shoulders minority trans- bisexual folk put groundwork laid lots position firmly plant feet bullshit large absolutely rabbit vanguard creators consumers nerdiverse several protest minute subset playing getting taken else defined curiosity if? yearning wonder modern feel infected academic torpor correctness aside supporter grumbled self-indulgence MFA kid yourself knew wouldn’t sell unreadable support waiting Sasquan’s annual Masquerade costume competition begin Friday overheard clad swathed companion similar type promoting agree self-published urban things Goodnight Stars received partly days emotional interview hall controversy bullied SJWs’ awesome public face figure ball abstractions knows great seven-book Monster Hunter series ally workshop baby friends tense wiping tears hurt Blonde-haired fair-skinned covered tattoos Portland Oregon adopted who’s Vietnamese mom grew liberal inclusive environment noses [after hearing] N-word growing trying persecution narrative ponies freeway different cars heading direction Dude car driving What’s folded everything badge queer shape-shifters crap’ real’ grasp Nerd everybody Khaleesi roundabout select works surely million written proof? collected linked File well-considered almost without fail special sustaining lost counting show utter sincerity hoity-toity accolade bestowed Ivy Leaguers frequent claim caliber included Ursula Le Guin Octavia Butler Connie Willis referred Meryl Streep longshoreman excluded highbrow politically correct shouldn’t second reward truckloads money sat hotel overlooking center River Can’t sells copies doing innovative? enormous success blinded struggles nearly except amidst throngs acknowledges merit self-publish increasingly reckoned predicts eventually share formally discriminated learn necessarily anything campaigning nominations logrolling gone during run-up graying fandom concerned average event free volumes audience? nominee Toni Weisskopf stirred home? swarmed hateful discourse name-calling? People’s refusal under trufan tent? broken sure repaired throw Party tradition he’d fall printed invites Welcome Mocked Assholes hired band rented square-foot historic mansion magic markers winners’ cones Kevin midnight hopefully last bestowing dubbed Alfred Bester Demolished first-ever streamlined s hood ornament take sting Late parallel universe hadn’t intervened trophies extra decided Eric Flint eloquence rationality posts kerfuffle legendary Silverberg biggest cheers honored Marko who’d first-time until would’ve anyway clearly stunned important German-born Hampshire Puppy-powered making again shaking hand knowing tonight beats