DragonCon, Atlanta Georgia’s annual science fiction and fantasy convention turns 30 this year, and with the anniversary, they’ve instituted a new genre award: the Dragon Award. The convention’s organizers released the nominee ballot yesterday, and it’s an intriguing list of works that might end up being a bit of a compromise between various factions within fandom.
In 2014 and 2015, an argument had begun to brew within the science fiction community. A group of fans had begun to take issue with the Hugo Awards: science fiction’s top honor. Calling themselves the Sad Puppies, they felt that the award was becoming less accessible to fandom at large, confined to a smaller group that were pushing a political and social agenda. On the other side of the argument, other fans applauded some of the most diverse nominee shortlists that the award had ever seen, with some fantastic stories and authors getting tipped for the genre’s top honors.
In the lead-up to the 2015 awards, the argument got heated, and after two conservative-leaning groups of fans gamed the nominee ballot to place a narrow selection up for vote, a number of nominated works weren’t even awarded a prize: ‘No Award’ earned the top number of votes.
In the aftermath, a new award emerged from the crowded field: the Dragon Award, which will be awarded during this year’s DragonCon in Atlanta, Georgia. Like the Hugos, this award would be driven by fan participation: they would nominate their favorite works, and vote on the final shortlist. Unlike the Hugo Awards, which require a paid membership to vote, the Dragon Awards were a completely free process.
Yesterday, the convention announced the final nominees, which includes a wide selection of works:
Best Science Fiction Novel
The Life Engineered, J-F. Dubeau (Sword & Laser)
Raising Caine, Charles E. Gannon (Baen)
Ancillary Mercy, Ann Leckie (Orbit)
Agent of the Imperium, Marc Miller (Far Future Enterprises)
Aurora, Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit)
Somewhither: A Tale of the Unwithering Realm, John C. Wright (Castalia House)
Best Fantasy Novel
Asteroid Made of Dragons, G. Derek Adams (Sword & Laser)
Blood Hound, James Osiris Baldwin (Gift Horse Productions)
The Aeronaut’s Windlass, Jim Butcher (Roc)
Son of the Black Sword, Larry Correia (Baen)
Changeling’s Island, Dave Freer (Baen)
The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)
Grave Measures, R.R. Virdi (Self-published)
Best Young Adult / Middle Grade Novel
Six of Crows, Leigh Bardugo (Holt)
Changeling’s Island, Dave Freer (Baen)
Steeplejack, A.J. Hartley (Tor Teen)
Trix and the Faerie Queen, Alethea Kontis (Self-published)
The Shepherd’s Crown, Terry Pratchett (Harper)
Carry On, Rainbow Rowell (St. Martin’s Griffin)
Calamity, Brandon Sanderson (Delacorte)
Updraft, by Fran Wilde (Tor)
Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel
Blood in the Water, Taylor Anderson (Roc)
Chains of Command, Marko Kloos (47North)
Wrath of an Angry God, Gibson Michaels (Arc Flash)
Fallen, Amy J. Murphy (Self-published)
The End of All Things, John Scalzi (Tor)
Hell’s Foundations Quiver, David Weber (Tor)
The Price of Valor, Django Wexler (Roc)
Best Alternate History Novel
Germanica, Robert Conroy (Baen)
1635: A Parcel of Rogues, Eric Flint & Andrew Dennis (Baen)
1636: The Cardinal Virtues, Eric Flint & Walter H. Hunt (Baen)
Deadlands: Ghostwalkers, Jonathan Maberry (Tor)
League of Dragons, Naomi Novik (Del Rey)
Bombs Away: The Hot War, Harry Turtledove (Del Rey)
Best Apocalyptic Novel
Ctrl Alt Revolt!, Nick Cole (Castalia House)
Chasing Freedom, Marina Fontaine (Self-published)
Dark Age, Felix O. Hartmann (Self-published)
The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)
The Desert and the Blade, S.M. Stirling (Roc)
A Time to Die, Mark Wandrey (Henchmen)
Best Horror Novel
Honor at Stake, Declan Finn (Caliburn)
Alice, Christina Henry (Ace)
An Unattractive Vampire, Jim McDoniel (Sword & Laser)
Souldancer, Brian Niemeier (Self-published)
Chapelwood, Cherie Priest (Roc)
Disappearance at Devil’s Rock, Paul Tremblay (William Morrow)
Best Comic Book
Astro City
Civil War II
Daredevil
DC Universe: Rebirth
Ms. Marvel
Providence
Saga
Best Graphic Novel
The Sandman: Overture, Neil Gaiman & J.H. Williams III (Vertigo)
Chicago, Glenn Head (Fantagraphics)
March: Book Two, John Lewis & Andrew Aydin (Top Shelf Productions)
Virgil, Steve Orlando (Image)
Sacred Heart, Liz Suburbia (Fantagraphics)
Killing and Dying, Adrian Tomine (Drawn & Quarterly)
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series
Daredevil
Doctor Who
The Expanse
The Flash
Game of Thrones
Jessica Jones
Outlander
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie
Ant-Man
Captain America: Civil War
Crimson Peak
Deadpool
The Martian
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy PC / Console Game
Darkest Dungeon by Red Hook Studios
Fallout 4 by Bethesda Softworks
Metal Gear Solid V by Konami Digital Entertainment
Overwatch by Blizzard Entertainment
Undertale by Toby Fox
XCOM 2 by 2k Games
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game
Quaser One by Emre Taskin
PewDiePie: Legend of the Brofist by Outerminds Inc.
Fallout Shelter by Bethesda Softworks
Hyper Burner by Patrick Cook
Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes by Electronic Arts
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game
Pandemic: Legacy by ZMan Games
Star Wars: Rebellion by Fantasy Flight Games
Blood Rage by Cool Mini or Not
Talon by GMT Games
Monopoly: CTHULHU by USAopoly
Codenames by Vlaada Chvatil
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures / Collectible Card / Role-Playing Game
Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls by Flying Buffalo
Magic the Gathering: Shadows over Innistrad by Wizards of the Coast
Magic the Gathering: Battle of Zendikar by Wizards of the Coast
Mouse Guard 2nd Edition by David Petersen & Luke Crane
Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying Game (7th Edition) by Chaosium Inc.
Star Wars: Armada by Fantasy Flight Games
Given the nature of this award’s selection process, and the heated environment from which it came, this award could have easily been dismissed as an attempt for disgruntled fans to create their own award, reflecting their own slate of nominees. Looking over the award ballot, however, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Works such as Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie and The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin each made the list, which was a bit surprising: their works have been held up as representations for everything that was wrong with genre fiction from certain quarters.
On the other side, authors who have sold well commercially, such as Larry Correia and Jim Butcher made this list, as well as a number of self-published works, which often have a difficult time getting onto the shortlists for the Hugo and Nebula awards.
There are some major differences between this and the 2016 Hugo Award ballot. The Dragon Award includes several forms of gaming, while it ignores the short-fiction field entirely. It splits the genre into several recognizable categories such as Alternate History and Military Science Fiction/Fantasy, which allows for a wider selection of works to have a chance at getting the award.
With the Hugo Awards being issued next weekend at the World Science Fiction convention, and with the Dragon Awards being awarded on September 5th at DragonCon, it will be interesting to see which books walk away with their respective prizes.