Hugo Awards Censorship Controversy: What’s in Leaked Emails?

The emails allege members of the Hugo administration team succeeded in keeping certain books off-ballot because they wanted to operate under Chinese laws related to content and censorship, Hugo-nominated sci-fi author Jason Sanford and Hugo-winning fan writer Chris M. Barkley wrote in a special report on February 14. "In addition to the regular technical review, as we are happening in China and the *laws* we operate under are different ... we need to highlight anything of a sensitive political nature in the work," Dave McCarty, division head of the Hugo Awards Selection Executive Department, wrote in an email dated June 5, 2023. Talk about the call coming from inside the house. Following a round of voting that left four writers, including former Hugo Award winner Neil Gaiman and Babel's R.F. Kuang, out of competition during the latest awards season, fans are accusing the Hugos of being book-award thieves.