The Voice of the Dragon
I was very pleasantly surprised today when I got a phone call out of the blue congratulating me. I did not at first guess for what I was being congratulated, because I am an absent minded genius.
You see, just last night I put the finishing touches on DAUGHTER OF DANGER, the fourth volume in my MOTH AND COBWEB series. Volumes two and three are already on the editor’s desk, and should be published this year.
It is always nice to finish another novel. I started writing this one in June, and it took me ninety whole days to finish, including the week off I took for family vacation. Now I am eager to return to work on NOWHITHER.
But that was not what she was congratulating me on….
The Dragon Awards were given out today. Guess who won for best science fiction novel? Yup, it surprised me, too.
This makes me the Frank Herbert of the Dragon. If you recall, he won the first ever Nebula award for best SF novel.
Congrats to Brian Niemeier! SOULDANCER was edited by my own lovely and talented wife, so I was personally rooting for this book.
Congrats to Nick Cole! The Social Justice Police beat him senseless and left him for dead, and I found him by the roadside, and poured oil and wine into his wounds and carried him on my back to the innkeeper.
Actually, all I did was give him a kind word of encouragement which cost me nothing, but he seems to think it helped.
Special congratulations go out to Larry Correia: SON OF THE BLACK SWORD really deserved to win. I am glad the voters made the mistake of putting SOMEWHITHER into the science fiction category, because I would have been creamed in the fantasy category.
If and when they make Sad Puppies into a movie, the first scene will be Larry Correia being spurned and scorned by the Dursleys from HARRY POTTER and the Morlocks from the TIME MACHINE and all the villains from Ayn Rand and Charles Dickens put together. They will insult him due to his politics, lie and say it is not due to his politics, lie and call Brad Togersen a racist (even though he is married to a black woman) lie and have their lies repeated in the press, and lie, and lie and lie.
And this, this will be the last scene. Sarah Hoyt, dressed as Princess Leia, will give Larry a medal, and Tom Kratman, dressed as a wookie, will roar, the space soldiers will all salute, and the John William’s music will soar into a triumphant crescendo of horns and drums.
Now, I realize that Mr. Damian Walter of the Guardian magazine of the failed state once known as England, soon to be called Dhimmistan, whose vast hands-on experience at writing includes him taking the Crown’s pence in return for a promise to write a manuscript, a promise that he defaulted and a patron that he defrauded, will regard this win as illegitimate, on the grounds that a small cabal of politically-connected insiders are not controlling this award, as they now control the Hugo. Unfortunately for him, the insiders have terrible tastes in books.
The fans have spoken, and they have spoken with the voice of a dragon.
Did I mention that I wrote a novel in three months, whereas Mr Walter has been working on his unfinished masterwork for year after year. I urge him not to give up hope: even Sarah eventually bore Isaac! But if I were Sarah, and barren, I would not laugh at Priam and his fifty sons, at least not until after I have given birth to one child once. You can have your handmaiden do it for you, if you cannot do it alone. That cannot turn out badly!
Below are the winners. I salute them, and give them warmest congratulations. I will even extend my congratulations to Neil Gaiman, even though he spat on me and mine during the Hugo Awards in an remarkably graceless, rude and stupid comment, after I and many of my side voted for him. He prefers to avoid the patronage of those the Brahmans decree untouchable, so be it. I can love the work’s virtue and hate the man’s flaws.
I salute Chuck Gannon, who I actually thought would win in his category. I am honored to have been measured against so skilled a writer, and not to have been found wanting.
I also now know what else to put into my large to-be-read pile.
The 2016 Dragon Award winners:
Best Science Fiction Novel
Somewhither: A Tale of the Unwithering Realm, John C. Wright (Castalia House)Best Fantasy Novel
Son of the Black Sword, Larry Correia (Baen)Best Young Adult / Middle Grade Novel
The Shepherd’s Crown, Terry Pratchett (Harper)Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel
Hell’s Foundations Quiver, David Weber (Tor)Best Alternate History Novel
League of Dragons, Naomi Novik (Del Rey)
Best Apocalyptic Novel
Ctrl Alt Revolt!, Nick Cole (Castalia House)Best Horror Novel
Souldancer, Brian Niemeier (Self-published)Best Comic Book
Ms. MarvelBest Graphic Novel
The Sandman: Overture, Neil Gaiman & J.H. Williams III (Vertigo)Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series
Game of ThronesBest Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie
The MartianBest Science Fiction or Fantasy PC / Console Game
Fallout 4 by Bethesda SoftworksBest Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game
Fallout Shelter by Bethesda SoftworksBest Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game
Pandemic: Legacy by ZMan GamesBest Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures / Collectible Card / Role-Playing Game
Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying Game (7th Edition) by Chaosium Inc.
About John C Wright
John C. Wright is a practicing philosopher, a retired attorney, newspaperman, and newspaper editor, and a published author of science fiction. Once a Houyhnhnm, he was expelled from the august ranks of purely rational beings when he fell in love; but retains an honorary title.
