I’m asking my fellow book bloggers, along with podcasters and booktubers, to join me in creating a new set of awards for science fiction and fantasy stories. Why invent another award? In addition to numerous regional and sub-genre awards, there are currently two broad awards: The Nebula and the Hugo. While both are based on good ideas, it’s possible they are overly influenced by the publishing industry.

Nebula Award winners are chosen by the members of the SFWA. Having authors choose the best stories seems logical, but has some drawbacks:

• Most fans can’t participate.
• The tastes of fans and creators may not overlap as much as the creators believe they do.
• SFWA members have ties to publishing houses (or are seeking ties) and may be subject to influence.

Anyone who is willing to spend $40 can vote in the Hugo Awards. The large fee is probably meant to limit…