Wheel of Time and the Hugos

[Serendi]

If you've never ever liked a book you've read by a given author and the reviews consider the nominated book to be like the others, I really don't see why you should read it. Same deal if it's a type of novel you've never liked and the reviews don't make it sound like it's outside the norm (zombies, forex).

Furthermore, if you've reread a nominated novel four times already, I think it's fair to vote for it, even if you haven't read every one in the category.

[Jon]

I read every word of everything in the fiction categories shorter than a novel. If you don't have the time to do that, you probably shouldn't vote. As for the novels, there was one novel I was pretty sure I'd hate. So I forced myself to read the first 50 pages or so, then flipped through and read random parts, then read the end. You should definitely let yourself be exposed to the work itself, rather than basing it on reviews or a description, but I don't see a need to struggle through if the first part is so bad you know you're not going to vote for it.

[Wastrel]

I wouldn't go so far as to say read everything - after all, if you've read 4 out of 5 you may have a pretty good likelihood that your favourite would still be your favourite when you've read the fifth, particularly if you've a prior suspicion you'll dislike it. But yeah, voting when you've only read 20, 40% of the list is kind of silly.

But the best argument against it isn't the unfairness or the 'inaccuracy' of such voting, it's just that it devalues the award. If everyone voted, regardless of how many of the books they'd read, the award would just go to the book that most people had read. And that's what bestseller lists are for!

[Serendi]

First off, I'm perfectly happy with my criteria for voting, even though I'm not expecting to shell out the bucks again only to find the stuff I get I already have, or can easily get online, or don't actually want.

As to whether there's value in the award, I think that's up to each of us to decide. If you think it has no value because voters don't read every word, that's fine; if you think your vote is only valid if you've read every word, that's fine.

I do think it's not going to change. The Hugos are, by definition, the works that the Hugo voters voted for (or occasionally the "no award" that they voted for).

I'm of the view that because the Hugo voters are self-selected as interested enough in SF and fantasy to attend a Worldcon or hold a supporting membership - and especially if they get the supporting membership in order to get the works in the first place - you're talking a fairly high level of involvement in the field. This isn't a lowest common denominator vote, it's a fan vote by fans with more than a passing interest.

Perfect? No. Worth something? IMO, yes.