{"id":1953,"date":"2020-08-12T21:26:59","date_gmt":"2020-08-13T02:26:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lfs.org\/blog\/?p=1953"},"modified":"2023-12-12T20:20:06","modified_gmt":"2023-12-13T02:20:06","slug":"libertarian-futurist-society-raises-visibility-at-conzealand-the-first-all-online-world-science-fiction-convention-with-prometheus-winning-novelist-f-paul-wilson-leading-timely-panel-watch-it-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/libertarian-futurist-society-raises-visibility-at-conzealand-the-first-all-online-world-science-fiction-convention-with-prometheus-winning-novelist-f-paul-wilson-leading-timely-panel-watch-it-here\/","title":{"rendered":"Libertarian Futurist Society raises visibility at CoNZealand, the first all-online World Science Fiction Convention, with Prometheus-winning novelist F. Paul Wilson leading timely panel (watch it here!) on \u201cFreedom in SF: Forty Years of the Prometheus Awards\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>CoNZealand, the 78<sup>th\u00a0<\/sup>World Science Fiction Convention and the first Worldcon in history to be presented entirely online, pulled off the unprecedented feat with impressive organization and the dedication of countless volunteers and organizers.<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/VirtualConzealandexpanded.jpg?ssl=1\"><br \/>\n<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1869\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/prometheus-awards-40th-anniversary-panel-set-with-f-paul-wilson-lfs-leaders-for-virtual-reality-new-zealand-worldcon-sarah-hoyt-and-wilson-to-lead-lfs-panel-and-awards-ceremony-at-north-american-s\/print\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/VirtualConzealandexpanded.jpg?fit=4037%2C636&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"4037,636\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1586984240&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Print&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Print\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/VirtualConzealandexpanded.jpg?fit=300%2C47&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/VirtualConzealandexpanded.jpg?fit=660%2C104&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1869 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/VirtualConzealandexpanded-300x47.jpg?resize=300%2C47&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"47\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/VirtualConzealandexpanded.jpg?resize=300%2C47&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/VirtualConzealandexpanded.jpg?resize=768%2C121&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/VirtualConzealandexpanded.jpg?resize=1024%2C161&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/VirtualConzealandexpanded.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/VirtualConzealandexpanded.jpg?w=1980&amp;ssl=1 1980w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>In the process, the July 29 to Aug. 1 event offered the annual Hugo Awards ceremony and a dizzying variety of interesting panel discussions \u2013 including one suggested by the Libertarian Futurist Society to honor the Prometheus Awards\u2019 recent 40<sup>th<\/sup>anniversary.<\/p>\n<p>With a vast and potentially larger worldwide online audience watching from many countries on Zoom and Discord platforms but avoiding direct physical contact for safety during the pandemic, the New Zealand Worldcon seized the potential to be seen more widely. One happy consequence was raising the visibility worldwide of the Libertarian Futurist Society and the Prometheus Awards.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/465gpN_z5O0?start=70\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Before describing below the LFS panel, its speakers and intriguing array of questions (and quoting one complete answer), here is a brief mention of two other unexpected pluses of the 2020 Worldcon for our awards and award winners:<\/p>\n<p>First, during the Hugo ceremony, quite delightfully, the Prometheus Awards were mentioned positively by host George R.R. Martin <em>(Game of Thrones)\u00a0<\/em>as representative of the sf\/fantasy field along with the Nebulas, the World Fantasy honors and other long-lasting and widely known awards.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1140\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1140\" style=\"width: 220px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/J_Neil_Schulman_by_Arturo_Ruggeroli.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1140\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/40th-anniversary-celebration-an-appreciation-of-j-neil-schulmans-the-rainbow-cadenza-the-1984-prometheus-best-novel-winner\/j_neil_schulman_by_arturo_ruggeroli\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/J_Neil_Schulman_by_Arturo_Ruggeroli.jpg?fit=220%2C220&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"220,220\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"J_Neil_Schulman_by_Arturo_Ruggeroli\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;J. Neil Schulman File photo&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/J_Neil_Schulman_by_Arturo_Ruggeroli.jpg?fit=220%2C220&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/J_Neil_Schulman_by_Arturo_Ruggeroli.jpg?fit=220%2C220&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-image-1140 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/J_Neil_Schulman_by_Arturo_Ruggeroli.jpg?resize=220%2C220&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"220\" height=\"220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/J_Neil_Schulman_by_Arturo_Ruggeroli.jpg?w=220&amp;ssl=1 220w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/J_Neil_Schulman_by_Arturo_Ruggeroli.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 220px) 100vw, 220px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1140\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">J. Neil Schulman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1205\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1205\" style=\"width: 220px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Brad_Linaweaver_2006.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1205\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/40th-anniversary-celebration-an-appreciation-of-brad-linaweavers-moon-of-ice-the-1989-prometheus-best-novel-winner\/brad_linaweaver_2006-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Brad_Linaweaver_2006.jpg?fit=220%2C239&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"220,239\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Brad_Linaweaver_(2006)\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;SF novelist Brad Linaweaver in 2006 File photo&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Brad_Linaweaver_2006.jpg?fit=220%2C239&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Brad_Linaweaver_2006.jpg?fit=220%2C239&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-image-1205 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Brad_Linaweaver_2006.jpg?resize=220%2C239&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"220\" height=\"239\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1205\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brad Linaweaver<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Second, that attitude of inclusion and respect also was reflected in the printed CoNZealand program book mailed to all Worldcon members.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, in the listing of all the notable sf\/fantasy authors, editors, artists and fans who passed during the previous year, two Prometheus-winning authors who died last year were not overlooked: J. Neil Schulman <em>(Alongside Night, The Rainbow Cadenza)\u00a0<\/em>and Brad Linaweaver <em>(Moon of Ice, Anarquia).<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Both early Prometheus winners died in August, 2019 and are sorely missed by libertarian futurists. It\u2019s nice to see them remembered, among others, on the \u201cin memoriam\u201d pages of the ConZealand program.<\/p>\n<p><strong>FREEDOM IN SF: FORTY YEARS OF THE PROMETHEUS AWARDS<br \/>\n<\/strong>Thanks to the initiative of LFS board member Tom Jackson, who suggested an LFS outreach event at the Worldcon, and the hospitality and cooperation of the ConZealand organizers, the Libertarian Futurist Society was able to put together and present a timely anniversary panel discussion on <em>\u201cFreedom in SF: Forty Years of the Prometheus Awards.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1383\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1383\" style=\"width: 267px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/FPaulWilson-300dpi.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1383\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/lfscon-iii-planned-for-2020-north-american-science-fiction-convention-f-paul-wilson-announced-as-columbus-nasfics-prometheus-awards-guest-of-honor\/fpaulwilson-300dpi\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/FPaulWilson-300dpi.jpg?fit=1733%2C1948&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1733,1948\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;FinePixViewer Ver.3.2&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"FPaulWilson-300dpi\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;F. Paul Wilson. Photo credit courtesy of author&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/FPaulWilson-300dpi.jpg?fit=267%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/FPaulWilson-300dpi.jpg?fit=660%2C742&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1383\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/FPaulWilson-300dpi-267x300.jpg?resize=267%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"267\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/FPaulWilson-300dpi.jpg?resize=267%2C300&amp;ssl=1 267w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/FPaulWilson-300dpi.jpg?resize=768%2C863&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/FPaulWilson-300dpi.jpg?resize=911%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 911w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/FPaulWilson-300dpi.jpg?w=1733&amp;ssl=1 1733w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/FPaulWilson-300dpi.jpg?w=1320&amp;ssl=1 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 267px) 100vw, 267px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1383\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">F. Paul Wilson. Photo credit courtesy of author<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The star of the panel was bestselling novelist F. Paul Wilson, a winner of four competitive Prometheus Awards (two each for Best Novel and the Hall of Fame for Best Classic Fiction) and a Special Prometheus Award-winner for Lifetime Achievement.<\/p>\n<p>Jackson served as a very professional moderator, asking questions of Wilson and of journalist Michael Grossberg, who founded the LFS in 1981-1982 to help sustain the Prometheus Awards, which L. Neil Smith conceived and first presented in 1979 to Wilson, for his novel <em>Wheels Within Wheels,\u00a0<\/em>part of his LaNague Federation trilogy.<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/0-Wheels-within-Wheels-0_.jpg?ssl=1\"><br \/>\n<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1283\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/looking-back-at-prometheus-awards-history-what-happened-at-the-first-awards-ceremony-in-1979-in-los-angeles-and-why-it-was-controversial\/0-wheels-within-wheels-0_-4\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/0-Wheels-within-Wheels-0_.jpg?fit=270%2C442&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"270,442\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"0 Wheels within Wheels 0_\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/0-Wheels-within-Wheels-0_.jpg?fit=183%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/0-Wheels-within-Wheels-0_.jpg?fit=270%2C442&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1283 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/0-Wheels-within-Wheels-0_-183x300.jpg?resize=183%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"183\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/0-Wheels-within-Wheels-0_.jpg?resize=183%2C300&amp;ssl=1 183w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/0-Wheels-within-Wheels-0_.jpg?w=270&amp;ssl=1 270w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 183px) 100vw, 183px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Among the questions that Wilson answered:<\/p>\n<p>* What was that first Prometheus Awards ceremony like, when you got the award from another Wilson, Robert Anton Wilson? And how did it affect you to get an award?<\/p>\n<p>* Are any of the novels you\u2019ve won a Prometheus Awards for a particular favorite?<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/0-Sims-L.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1427\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/an-appreciation-of-f-paul-wilsons-sims-the-2004-prometheus-best-novel-winner\/0-sims-l\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/0-Sims-L.jpg?fit=336%2C500&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"336,500\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"0 Sims L\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;F. Paul Wilson&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/0-Sims-L.jpg?fit=202%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/0-Sims-L.jpg?fit=336%2C500&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1427 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/0-Sims-L-202x300.jpg?resize=202%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"202\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/0-Sims-L.jpg?resize=202%2C300&amp;ssl=1 202w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/0-Sims-L.jpg?w=336&amp;ssl=1 336w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 202px) 100vw, 202px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/0-Enemy-of-the-State.jpeg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1389\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/lfscon-iii-planned-for-2020-north-american-science-fiction-convention-f-paul-wilson-announced-as-columbus-nasfics-prometheus-awards-guest-of-honor\/0-enemy-of-the-state\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/0-Enemy-of-the-State.jpeg?fit=206%2C293&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"206,293\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"0 Enemy of the State\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/0-Enemy-of-the-State.jpeg?fit=206%2C293&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/0-Enemy-of-the-State.jpeg?fit=206%2C293&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1389 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/0-Enemy-of-the-State.jpeg?resize=206%2C293&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"206\" height=\"293\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>* Do your fans come from identifiable groups, i.e. do you have &#8220;libertarian fans,&#8221; &#8220;horror fans&#8221; and so on, or do you more often run into F. Paul Wilson fans who just read all your stuff?<\/p>\n<p>* How do you feel about being known in some circles, at least, as a &#8220;libertarian science fiction writer&#8221;?<\/p>\n<p><strong>* <\/strong>Paul, you\u2019ve written a very popular series of suspense\/horror novels about Repairman Jack, an individualist mercenary hero fighting great evil. And years ago, one of your other horror novels, <em>The Keep,\u00a0<\/em>was made into a Hollywood feature film. So when can we expect the &#8220;Repairman Jack&#8221; movie?<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1861\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1861\" style=\"width: 225px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Tom-Jackson-with-his-cat-Neko-.jpeg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1861\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/prometheus-awards-40th-anniversary-panel-set-with-f-paul-wilson-lfs-leaders-for-virtual-reality-new-zealand-worldcon-sarah-hoyt-and-wilson-to-lead-lfs-panel-and-awards-ceremony-at-north-american-s\/tom-jackson-with-his-cat-neko\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Tom-Jackson-with-his-cat-Neko-.jpeg?fit=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"300,400\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Tom Jackson with his cat Neko\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Tom Jackson with his cat Neko (Photo courtesy of Jackson)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Tom-Jackson-with-his-cat-Neko-.jpeg?fit=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Tom-Jackson-with-his-cat-Neko-.jpeg?fit=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1861\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Tom-Jackson-with-his-cat-Neko--225x300.jpeg?resize=225%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Tom-Jackson-with-his-cat-Neko-.jpeg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Tom-Jackson-with-his-cat-Neko-.jpeg?w=300&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1861\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tom Jackson with his cat Neko (Photo courtesy of Jackson)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Among the panel questions that Tom Jackson asked of both Wilson and Grossberg:<\/p>\n<p>* Why should there be a Prometheus Award? What good is it?<\/p>\n<p>* What&#8217;s your personal favorite Prometheus Award winner?<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_678\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-678\" style=\"width: 257px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/ELNEIL.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"678\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/l-neil-smith-on-his-work-the-prometheus-award-and-his-influences\/elneil\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/ELNEIL.jpg?fit=659%2C769&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"659,769\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ELNEIL\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;L. Neil Smith in 2016 at Colorado&#8217;s Milehicon, where he received a Special Prometheus Award for Lifetime Achievement (File  photo)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/ELNEIL.jpg?fit=257%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/ELNEIL.jpg?fit=659%2C769&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-678\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/ELNEIL-257x300.jpg?resize=257%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"257\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/ELNEIL.jpg?resize=257%2C300&amp;ssl=1 257w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/ELNEIL.jpg?w=659&amp;ssl=1 659w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 257px) 100vw, 257px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-678\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">L. Neil Smith (Creative Commons photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>* L. Neil Smith has suggested that the Hugos have become a leftwing award, and that the Prometheus Awards provide an award for writers who otherwise would not have a chance to win, no matter how good they are. Does he have a point?<\/p>\n<p>Among the questions that Grossberg answered:<\/p>\n<p>* In its early years, the Prometheus Award for Best Novel usually went to self-declared libertarian writers, but increasingly over the decades the award increasingly has gone to men and women who don\u2019t identify as libertarians, both inside the United States and around the world. Have we sold out, have we become \u201cmore literary\u201d or \u201cmore cosmopolitan\u201d or all three?<\/p>\n<p>* Has any writer refused the award or expressed displeasure at getting it?<\/p>\n<p>* Have any Prometheus-winning writers been especially gracious?<\/p>\n<p>* How has the Prometheus Award generally been treated by Worldcons?<\/p>\n<p>For a variety of interesting answers, go ahead and watch the whole 50-minute video (now free, and no longer restricted to registered Worldcon guests, thanks to the gracious cooperation of CoNZealand).<\/p>\n<p>But as a teaser, here is how Grossberg answered one question:<br \/>\n<strong>Q:<\/strong> After four decades, how have public perceptions of the Prometheus Awards evolved?<br \/>\n<strong>A:<\/strong> It\u2019s been great to see nominated authors and libertarian sf fans take it seriously from the start. Pretty quickly, publishers respected it enough to put the words \u201cPrometheus Awards winner\u201d or even Prometheus Awards finalist on the covers or backs of the paperbacks of winners, and it\u2019s often mentioned in author\u2019s bios and blogs.<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, we\u2019ve been pleasantly surprised by several major articles that have been published in respected publications that favorably mention the LFS and the Prometheus Awards \u2013 most notably, a recent article on \u201c<em>The Libertarian History of Science Fiction\u201d\u00a0<\/em>in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/quillette.com\/2020\/06\/12\/the-libertarian-history-of-science-fiction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Quillette<\/a>,\u00a0a very cosmopolitan and international online magazine championing science, reason and liberty from a maverick and classical liberal and\/or civil libertarian perspective.<\/p>\n<p>Let me quote from Jordan Alexander Hill\u2019s June 2020 article on quillette.com:<br \/>\n\u201cIt is 2020, and though socialism is again in vogue&#8230; libertarian SF is showing no signs of waning&#8230;. Libertarian-leaning authors have had an outsized, lasting influence on the field. Libertarians even have their own SF literature awards. Each year, the Prometheus and Prometheus Hall of Fame awards are given out by the Libertarian Futurist Society, a tradition dating back to the late 1970s. Instead of a trophy, winners are given a one-ounce gold coin \u201crepresenting free trade and free minds.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The soil of speculative fiction has the right nutrients for the flourishing of libertarian values&#8230;Unlike most ideologies that advocate forms of protectionism and Luddite restrictionism, the libertarian outlook values choice, freedom, and market solutions&#8230;. Another element (in sf), certainly, is a general openness to radical new ideas and an instinctive rejection of stale convention and custom&#8230; Perhaps this is why so much of SF expresses itself as dystopian fiction, a genre which, by its very nature, cannot but take on a libertarian flavor. Totalitarianism, war, and wide-scale oppression is almost always carried out by state force. Liberation, accordingly, must come in the form of negative rights \u2014 that is, &#8220;freedom from&#8221; \u2014 and voluntarism.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Also, notably, Tor.com has recognized the Prometheus Awards favorably.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s an excerpt from James Davis Nicoll\u2019s article \u201c40 Years of the Prometheus Award\u201d:<br \/>\n\u201cThe Prometheus Award is an interesting case &#8230; Four decades is an impressive achievement. The current process is an interesting mixture of popular award (all members of the Society can nominate works for any category) and juried (committees for each category use ranked ballots to produce the finalist slate) &#8230; The results are as remarkable as the award&#8217;s longevity &#8230; the LFS ranges far outside the borders of conventional American libertarian thought &#8230; with equally diverse selections on the nominee lists. (Recent lists of winners and finalists) are a reminder of just why following this particular award can be rewarding for readers of all stripes.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Both articles came as very pleasant surprises, sparked more visits to our lfs.org website and Prometheus Blog, and raised our visibility,&#8221; Grossberg said.<\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nIF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE LFS:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Blog-Images-Round_100x100.png?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5874\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/remembering-rush-and-paying-tribute-to-libertarian-lyricist-neal-pearts-democratic-individualism\/blog-images-round_100x100\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Blog-Images-Round_100x100.png?fit=100%2C100&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"100,100\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Blog-Images-Round_100x100\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;logo&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Blog-Images-Round_100x100.png?fit=100%2C100&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Blog-Images-Round_100x100.png?fit=100%2C100&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5874 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Blog-Images-Round_100x100.png?resize=100%2C100&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" \/><\/a><\/strong>* Read <a href=\"https:\/\/quillette.com\/2020\/06\/12\/the-libertarian-history-of-science-fiction\/\"><strong>\u201cThe Libertarian History of Science Fiction,\u201d<\/strong><\/a> an essay in the June 2020 issue of the international magazine <em>Quillette<\/em> that favorably highlights the Prometheus Awards, the Libertarian Futurist Society and the significant element of libertarian sf\/fantasy in the modern genre.<\/p>\n<p><strong>* Prometheus winners:<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0For a full list of winners \u2013 for the annual Best Novel and Best Classic Fiction (Hall of Fame) categories and occasional Special Awards \u2013 visit the enhanced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/awards.shtml\"><strong>Prometheus Awards page<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0on the LFS website, which contains direct links to Appreciation essay reviews of more than 100 past Prometheus winners, explaining how they fit the award&#8217;s distinctive focus.<\/p>\n<p><strong>* Join us<\/strong>! To help sustain the Prometheus Awards, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/join.shtml\"><strong>join <\/strong><\/a>the Libertarian Futurist Society (LFS), a non-profit all-volunteer association of freedom-loving sf\/fantasy fans .<\/p>\n<p>Libertarian futurists believe upholding and advancing culture is as vital as politics (and often more positive and productive in the longer run) in spreading positive visions of the future, achieving a flourishing society based on cooperation instead of coercion and a better, free-er world for all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CoNZealand, the 78th\u00a0World Science Fiction Convention and the first Worldcon in history to be presented entirely online, pulled off the unprecedented feat with impressive organization and the dedication of countless volunteers and organizers. In the process, the July 29 to Aug. 1 event offered the annual Hugo Awards ceremony and a dizzying variety of interesting &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/libertarian-futurist-society-raises-visibility-at-conzealand-the-first-all-online-world-science-fiction-convention-with-prometheus-winning-novelist-f-paul-wilson-leading-timely-panel-watch-it-here\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Libertarian Futurist Society raises visibility at CoNZealand, the first all-online World Science Fiction Convention, with Prometheus-winning novelist F. Paul Wilson leading timely panel (watch it here!) on \u201cFreedom in SF: Forty Years of the Prometheus Awards\u201d<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[249,34,1910,1124,1125,10,40],"tags":[661,660,74,75,659,151,70,664,53,23,152,613,665,346,612,663,72,15],"class_list":["post-1953","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-awards-history","category-best-of-the-blog","category-f-paul-wilson","category-lfs-programs","category-updates","category-news","category-videos","tag-repairman-jack","tag-freedom-in-sf-forty-years-of-the-prometheus-awards","tag-an-enemy-of-the-state","tag-brad-linaweaver","tag-conzealand","tag-cory-doctorow","tag-f-paul-wilson","tag-game-of-thrones","tag-george-r-r-martin","tag-j-neil-schulman","tag-ken-macleod","tag-michael-grossberg","tag-quillete","tag-sims","tag-tom-jackson","tag-tor-com","tag-wheels-within-wheels","tag-worldcon"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pe8nGl-vv","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1953","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1953"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1953\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6726,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1953\/revisions\/6726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}