Every year, when the Libertarian Futurist Society announces its Prometheus finalists in press releases, the two leading science-fiction/fantasy trade publications and other influential media cover it well – and promptly.
Happily, such positive coverage has occurred again this year, all within 24 hours of the LFS press release going out to the media.
Whether it’s LFS news about Hall of Fame finalists (just announced) or Best Novel finalists (to be announced in April), such annual coverage typically includes a nice news note in Locus, the leading monthly trade magazine for the science-fiction/fantasy field and a lengthy separate posting in File 770, Mike Glyer’s daily-updated sf-field website. Both publications did that again this week.
The Locus news note also incorporates one of the images that the LFS used to report on the Hall of Fame finalists on the Prometheus blog – a gold Liberty coin.
While the Locus news note provides a convenient link to the longer story on the LFS website, it sadly doesn’t include the descriptions of the four finalists (which if available directly on the Locus site might educate and even surprise quite a few sf/fantasy fans about the Prometheus Awards).
To their credit, File 770, Instapundit and the Mad Genius Club website have each posted the entire LFS press release announcing the 2023 Hall of Fame finalists.
That makes sense, since LFS awards press releases tend to be far more substantial, educational and interesting to read than many others.
That’s largely (imo) because they incorporate capsule descriptions of each finalist (roughly 100 words each, and carefully written and edited by Prometheus judges) that amount to informative and interesting reviews that strive to make clear why each work fits the distinctive focus of the Prometheus Awards.
Frankly, sometimes that may not be obvious to the uninitiated, especially those largely unfamiliar with the subtleties, complexities and multi-leveled depths of analysis of modern libertarian philosophy, social theory, evolutionary history, ethics and economics.
Thanks to Dave Freer, the Australian/Tasmanian sf writer who won the 2023 Prometheus for Best Novel for Cloud-Castles, for adding a personal plug about the Libertarian Futurist Society to the Prometheus-finalist news posting at the Mad Genius Club, a blog for and by sci-fi/fantasy writers whose focus is reflected in its subtitle: “Navigating From Writing to Publication.”
Mad Genius Club cross-listed the news story, posted under the title “Prometheus Hall of Fame Awards Finalists,” under the categories for both “Fandom” and “Free Speech” – which these days seems entirely appropriate.
As a bonus, Freer introduces the Club’s Prometheus-news post with this statement:
“May I recommend joining the Libertarian Futurist society.”
Instapundit, meanwhile, linked directly to the Mad Genius Club post – which means that the first thing seen by the wide readership of Instapundit, Glenn Reynolds’ blog covering mass media, politics and popular culture, is Freer’s invitation to join the LFS.
Thanks to Sarah Hoyt, among Instapundit’s regular contributors, for posting the news note about the Prometheus Hall of Fame finalists. (Hoyt won the 2011 Prometheus Award for Best Novel for Darkship Thieves.)
Let’s hope that such positive news coverage of the Prometheus Awards and the Libertarian Futurist Society in four leading online magazines and websites will pay off with dividends – including not only raised visibility for our programs and awards but also some new LFS members.
Worth noting: At the top of the Mad Genius Club post is a lovely image (reposted at the top of this blog post) that fits very well the Prometheus Awards and the mythology that inspired it.
The image, just created by Sarah Hoyt (also an artist/illustrator) as a Prometheus Awards seal, evokes an ancient Greek goddess of great beauty and power.
Apparently envisioned as a female version of Prometheus, the goddess holds in one hand a green-leafed branch with dark berries and in her other hand what looks like an orange-yellow flame.
(Even if it’s actually some sort of flowery branch, it still symbolically evokes Prometheus bringing the fire of liberty and creativity and rebellion down to share with humanity.)
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE LFS:
* Join us! To help sustain the Prometheus Awards and support a cultural and literary strategy to appreciate and honor freedom-loving fiction, jointhe Libertarian Futurist Society, a non-profit all-volunteer association of freedom-loving sf/fantasy fans.
Libertarian futurists believe that culture matters! We understand that the arts and literature can be vital, and in some ways even more powerful than politics in the long run, by sparking innovation, better ideas, positive social change, and mutual respect for each other’s rights, individuality and human dignity.
