Ever wanted to vote for the Hugo Awards but didn’t because you couldn’t experience the nominated choices (or at least the vast majority of them)? Well — this year, you can. John Scalzi has the details about how you can grab a treasure trove of free 2009 Hugo-nominated reading and visuals for your very own.
You still have to register as at least a supporting member of the World Science Fiction Convention ($50US/$55CAN) in order to vote. That nominal fee gets you Hugo voting rights without attending the con. And with that fee, the Worldcon folks are giving you digital access to a packet of free reading and visuals, which is more than worth your money. If you’re attending this year’s con in Montreal, an attending membership is currently $195US/$250CAN, and even at that rate, the retail value of the packet is at least worth that. So please check it out.
Frankly, it’s a great step forward for the Hugo Awards tradition. Creators, publishers and Worldcon volunteers alike worked together to make this happen, but as far as I’m concerned, John Scalzi is the straw that stirred the milk. He coordinated the effort and offered inclusion to all nominees. He also happens to be nominated for three Hugos this year, so please take note of his work.
