George R.R. Martin is one of the most influential persons when it comes to the controversial 2015 Hugo Awards. In a number of blog posts, the "Song of Fire and Ice" author said that the fandom is not to be blamed; rather it should be the Internet, which he claims is toxic.
"More and more, I grow convinced that the internet is toxic. Every controversy brings out the trolls and toads, of every political, religious, and literary persuasion, most of them anonymous, all of them venomous," wrote Martin in his online journal.
Martin's blog posts stem from the controversial slate from the 2015 Hugo Awards. According to Boing Boing, Martin called out a group of users who call themselves, "Sad Puppies" for hijacking the Hugo Award ballot in 2015 and calling on Gamergate supporters to join their cause. The said hijackers aim to fill the ballot with stories aligned with their political agenda.
Author Larry Correia also shared his experiences on how online haters, who use pseudonyms, have turned him from pain to rage. He also told Martin that if he really wants to "fix" the Hugos, he has enough power and support from his readers to realize the change that he wanted.
"But if you really want to 'fix it' and make sure my people don't screw it up anymore, and keep the Hugos sacred? Well, right now the ball is in your court," said Correia. Martin replied to Correia's message and mocked his statement that straight white men were being excluded from the list.
"The ballots are still way more white and way more male than not," Martin pointed out. Martin further explained that while things have changed and women are slowly entering the ballots, they should all aim for diversity and allowing any writer from any background or culture to enter the field.
"We're SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY FANS, we love to read about aliens and vampires and elves, are we really going to freak out about Asians and Native Americans?" The 73rd World Science Fiction Society will be held in Spokane, Washington on Aug. 22.
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