I would hope that someone has bothered to nominate the biography for "Best Related Work" in the Hugos.

Apparently, they did.

Congratulations, Bill.

Thanks. They actually emailed me a couple weeks ago with the news but enjoined me to keep it under my hat until the announcement yesterday. As it happened I was in San Antonio for an academic conference, but they e-mailed an invitation to be live online for the ceremonies as they were making the announcements.

I didn't specifically identify myself to the other people in the chatroom. The nomination got no notice at all; the only comment was that the Dr. Who chicks book would win it. OK. After the way Jim got screwed out of his Hugo, I have low expectations. As Tim Kyger says, it's in the nature of fandom.

"It's an honor just to be nominated."

Despite the travesty that befell Jim's nomination, I hope you win, Bill.

[quote="BillPatterson"] After the way Jim got screwed out of his Hugo . . .[quote]

I wasn't a part of this community or otherwise paying attention when Jim's book came out. What's the story here?

Hmmm. I'll just give the very very very short version, and Jim or some of the others can fill in the details ad lib.

Jim's Reader's Companion was nominated for the awards to be given out at the Millennium Philcon (Philadelphia 2001). A sizeable peanut gallery of us community supporters was there. During the lengthly ceremony that precedes the "best related" category, Bob Eccleston won a Best Artist Hugo. When the Best Related was announced, everyone was stunned that Bob Eccleston was announced the winner, for essentially the same book for which he was given the Best Artist Hugo. It turned out that Jim's ARC actually got more first-place votes though not an absolute majority, but the screwy Australian balloting system by which the Hugo votes are counted let Eccleston win on a subsequent ballot. It has rankled ever since.

Oh, and that year Heinlein won three Retro-Hugos. It shoulda been a sweep!

Among them me, for my first and only Worldcon, since Philly is just up the train tracks, I had the vacation time, and my wife was willing to go with me [friends in Philly, but she was by my side for most con events and we saw her friends before/after the con] - a total surprise. Like Bill said, Jim wuz robbed!!!!! The only downer of the PhilMilCon for me. Sigh.

Congrats, Bill. There's no question the bio deserves the nomination. It should be a contender for the Locus award as well. Too bad there's no category in the Nebulas for this stuff...

As for my Hugo experience, I've come to terms with it. I lost, Bob Eggleton won - the votes are the votes and no rule was broken in assessing them. I am pleased to have had a chance to apologize to Bob, in person and in public, after being a bit of an ass in the aftermath of FilthCon.

I recently found a printout of the voting totals and I may post them here to return them to the public record, as the original Hugo-org pages seem to have disappeared. I may express an editorial comment on the totals when I do that.

I also came in a very strong second for the Locus award that year... the year some guy named King decided to publish a little monograph on writing.

Bad luck, Bill, there's no justice in the world.

Either no justice, or (perhaps) that Bill is suffering from Lord of the Rings syndrome at the Academy Awards -- he didn't win til the whole thing was out there and had been seen. I'll bet next month's rent that the entire biography will be nominated the year after the second volume is out, and will be a serious contender.