A Hugo nomination question for next year!

[theweaselking]

Why yes, I'm thinking about next year STOP ME BEFORE I KILL AGAIN^W^W^W^W^W^W because that is a reasonable thing to do, really.

I'm wondering what the right category is for nominating Steve Rogers, PR Disaster. My immediate thought is "short story" since, well, it's a short story, ~4000 words. But it's a parody, involving other people's characters, and it's clearly also meta-commentary on things that would count for Best Graphic Story and Best Dramatic (Long). Does that make it a Related Work?

I can't imagine the "clearly parody and thus fair use/dealing" nature of the work would bar it on some weird copyright ground, any more than Rowan Atkinson's or Peter Davison's Doctor Who parodies were barred (they weren't). But what's the BEST category for that work, which I fully intend to nominate because seriously that is some of the best skiffy of 2015?

(Ping kevin_standlee, but no hurry, I'm sure you're busy and this question can easily wait MONTHS before needing an answer)


EDIT: Oh hey I asked the author and they're cool with being nominated.

Comments

[cyprinella]

You may want to check with the author before you go too far because some fic authors would be really horrified by the attention/issues a nom like that would bring.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

That is something I had not thought of, at all.

It's such a BRILLIANT piece that I never considered that the author might not want consideration for an award.

(And yes, I know you can turn down awards, but that's also a problem)

Do you know what's the best way to contact the author? I don't use Tumblr, would creating a tumblr account and adding a note pop up so they would notice?

[cyprinella]

A note they may not notice but you could throw an ask in their inbox. I think you can even do that anonymously, but I really don't use that part of Tumblr because I hate that part of Tumblr culture. http://idiopath-fic-smile.tumblr.com/ask

[kjn]

I'd go for Short Story. Best Related is for non-fiction, which this clearly is.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

"Isn't", maybe?

[hazelchaz]

Yes, he meant "isn't."

"Related work" is basically for things that are ABOUT s.f.

It's a short story.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

That's where I'd put it by default. I was just concerned.

And "Captain America really should be X!" seems like it could be "ABOUT SF", even if framed as a story. So I asked.

[hazelchaz]

"Being framed as a story" wins.

[kjn]

Is!

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

"Short story is for fiction. Related work is for non-fiction. This is non-fiction, so it goes in Short Story" is *really* what you wanted to say?

[kjn]

I'm just making fun at you and my earlier typo now.

[sleary.livejournal.com]

As much as I love that story, I wouldn't nominate fanfic (which this definitely is) based on a current comic/movie/etc controlled by a rabidly litigious corporation.

(I really do love that story. I followed a trail starting there that led to the AO3 archives of Captain America fic, sorted by kudos, and I feel like I found the water cooler where all the excellent fanfic writers hang out. Holy shit, some of this stuff is amazing.)

[kjn]

An alternative is to do a Best Fan Writer nomination. Less likely to make Marvel stand up and take notice.

[sleary.livejournal.com]

That's an excellent suggestion.

[j-v-lynch.livejournal.com]

that was awesome! thanks for sharing it.

[scifantasy.livejournal.com]

WSFS Constitution 3.3.4: Best Short Story. A science fiction or fantasy story of less than seven thousand five hundred (7,500) words.

WSFS Constitution 3.3.5: Best Related Work. Any work related to the field of science fiction, fantasy, or fandom, appearing for the first time during the previous calendar year or which has been substantially modified during the previous calendar year, and which is either non-fiction or, if fictional, is noteworthy primarily for aspects other than the fictional text, and which is not eligible in any other category.

It's still a story first and foremost.

[scifantasy.livejournal.com]

(Note: not an official opinion.)

[thornae.livejournal.com]

I have no input on the right category, but I do have a minor related gripe - last time you mentioned this superb bit of riffing on an established universe, in the comments you also recommended "Steve Rogers' American Captain (http://americancaptaincomic.tumblr.com/tagged/comic/chrono)", which I duly devoured, and then it.
Just.
Stopped.

Damn it.

To my mind, it's some of the finest non-canon exploration of the depths of a major Marvel character I've ever read, and I really want to know where it's going to go next.
And it hasn't updated in nearly a year...

So, drat to heck you for introducing me to yet another internet masterpiece that has not yet and may never reach some sort of resolution.
But also thank you for introducing me to it. Even unresolved as it is, it really is quite good.