{"id":3608,"date":"2021-09-18T15:34:02","date_gmt":"2021-09-18T20:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lfs.org\/blog\/?p=3608"},"modified":"2021-11-17T20:15:28","modified_gmt":"2021-11-18T02:15:28","slug":"nerds-jocks-and-sf-fans-lfs-reason-panelists-explore-why-some-people-embrace-libertarian-ideas-and-why-some-dont","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/nerds-jocks-and-sf-fans-lfs-reason-panelists-explore-why-some-people-embrace-libertarian-ideas-and-why-some-dont\/","title":{"rendered":"Nerds, jocks and sf fans: LFS\/Reason panelists explore why some people embrace libertarian ideas (and why some don&#8217;t)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Contrary to some perceptions, science fiction fans &#8211; and paradoxically, both nerds and jocks &#8211; are more likely to come to appreciate the benefits of freedom and voluntary cooperation and more often begin to see the dangerous defects in authoritarian systems of the Left or Right.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Jocks-nerds-03200_.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3613\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/nerds-jocks-and-sf-fans-lfs-reason-panelists-explore-why-some-people-embrace-libertarian-ideas-and-why-some-dont\/jocks-nerds-03200_\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Jocks-nerds-03200_.jpg?fit=319%2C431&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"319,431\" 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=\"Jocks nerds 03,200_\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Jocks-nerds-03200_.jpg?fit=222%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Jocks-nerds-03200_.jpg?fit=319%2C431&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3613 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Jocks-nerds-03200_-222x300.jpg?resize=222%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"222\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Jocks-nerds-03200_.jpg?resize=222%2C300&amp;ssl=1 222w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Jocks-nerds-03200_.jpg?w=319&amp;ssl=1 319w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 222px) 100vw, 222px\" \/><\/a>That insight was one of the richer and more unexpected subjects explored by prominent panelists during a recent Libertarian Futurist Society panel discussion.<\/p>\n<p>With <em>Reason<\/em> magazine as the media sponsor, the online panel followed the 2021 Prometheus Awards ceremony, in which Barry B. Longyear and F. Paul Wilson won awards.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><em>Reason<\/em> editor-in-chief Katherine Mangu-Ward and <em>Reason<\/em> books editor Jesse Walker joined Longyear, a veteran sf writer and 2021 winner of the Prometheus Award for Best Novel for <em>The Hook,<\/em> and LFS President William H. Stoddard for a wide-ranging discussion that went fascinatingly beyond the themes in the panel title: \u201cSF, Liberty, Alternative Publishing Trends and the Prometheus Award.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Prometheus Award Ceremony and Panel Discussion\" width=\"660\" height=\"371\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_GDkHDPoCIc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>The Aug. 21, 2021 panel \u2013 previously reported on here with other excerpts and quotes \u2013 was packed with intriguing comments.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3419\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3419\" style=\"width: 225px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/photo2.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3419\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/2021-awards-ceremony\/photo2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/photo2.jpg?fit=918%2C1224&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"918,1224\" 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=\"photo2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Reason books editor and author Jesse Walker (Photo courtesy of Walker)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/photo2.jpg?fit=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/photo2.jpg?fit=660%2C880&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3419\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/photo2-225x300.jpg?resize=225%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/photo2.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/photo2.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/photo2.jpg?w=918&amp;ssl=1 918w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3419\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Reason books editor and author Jesse Walker (Photo courtesy of Walker)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Walker observed that people often become libertarians from two radically different perspectives and positions in society.<br \/>\n\u201cWe tend to catch people on the way up and on the way down&#8230; a lot of the internal libertarian spectrum can be understood in that way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are the people who have long been oppressed and are just starting to get power&#8230; and there are the people who have just lost some power and are suddenly just starting to realize what it\u2019s like to not have it at their disposal all the time,\u201d Walker said.<\/p>\n<p>Mangy-Ward referred to a 2008 article she wrote for <em>Reason<\/em> titled \u201cWorlds Without Death or Taxes.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3486\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3486\" style=\"width: 229px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Katherine_Mangu-Ward-cropped-300x300-copy-2.jpeg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3486\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/spread-the-word-everyone-can-watch-online-the-2021-prometheus-awards-and-post-ceremony-panel-on-sf-liberty-alternative-publishing-trends\/katherine_mangu-ward-cropped-300x300-copy-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Katherine_Mangu-Ward-cropped-300x300-copy-2.jpeg?fit=229%2C202&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"229,202\" 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=\"Katherine_Mangu-Ward cropped-300&#215;300 copy 2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Reason editor-in-chief Katherine Mangu-Ward (File photo)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Katherine_Mangu-Ward-cropped-300x300-copy-2.jpeg?fit=229%2C202&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Katherine_Mangu-Ward-cropped-300x300-copy-2.jpeg?fit=229%2C202&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3486\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Katherine_Mangu-Ward-cropped-300x300-copy-2.jpeg?resize=229%2C202&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"229\" height=\"202\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3486\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Reason editor-in-chief Katherine Mangu-Ward (File photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cIt was about libertarianism and science fiction, the theme of our panel,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was a quote in there from Cory Doctorow \u2013 one of yours (a three-time Prometheus winner for Best Novel, including for <em>Little Brother<\/em> in 2009, <em>Pirate Cinema<\/em> in 2013 and <em>Homeland<\/em> in 2014) \u2013 who I interviewed for the piece,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoctorow said the people who write science fiction have often not been beneficiaries of the authoritarian system. They are people who don\u2019t fit in exactly. And if you always rub up against social constraints, you\u2019re the kind of person who is going to sit down and have a good hard think about whether this is the best way to do things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/0-Little-Brother-2-1L.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1483\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/an-appreciation-of-cory-doctorows-little-brother-the-2009-prometheus-award-winner-for-best-novel\/0-little-brother-2-1l\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/0-Little-Brother-2-1L.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 Little Brother 2 1L\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/0-Little-Brother-2-1L.jpg?fit=202%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/0-Little-Brother-2-1L.jpg?fit=336%2C500&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1483 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/0-Little-Brother-2-1L-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\/03\/0-Little-Brother-2-1L.jpg?resize=202%2C300&amp;ssl=1 202w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/0-Little-Brother-2-1L.jpg?w=336&amp;ssl=1 336w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 202px) 100vw, 202px\" \/><\/a>Mangu-Ward said she was struck by how Doctorow&#8217;s comments paralleled a sports journalist interviewed more recently in <em>Reason.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe had observed, in her years covering sports, that you can be the nerd or the jock and still have this experience that leads you to libertarianism \u2013 the feeling of knowing what it\u2019s like to lose out in the system,\u201d Mangu-Ward said.<\/p>\n<p>Such people are more likely to think about why our socio-political system and government is the way it is&#8230; and to \u201csee who wins and why,\u201d she noted.<br \/>\n\u201cThat can be transformative, especially for young people&#8230;. It remains a powerful recruitment tool for libertarian ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3489\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3489\" style=\"width: 242px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/William-Stoddard-cropped-copy.jpeg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3489\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/spread-the-word-everyone-can-watch-online-the-2021-prometheus-awards-and-post-ceremony-panel-on-sf-liberty-alternative-publishing-trends\/william-stoddard-cropped-copy\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/William-Stoddard-cropped-copy.jpeg?fit=761%2C945&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"761,945\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS REBEL T1i&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1462122800&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;55&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00125&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"William Stoddard cropped copy\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;William H. Stoddard, LFS President (File photo)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/William-Stoddard-cropped-copy.jpeg?fit=242%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/William-Stoddard-cropped-copy.jpeg?fit=660%2C820&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3489\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/William-Stoddard-cropped-copy-242x300.jpeg?resize=242%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"242\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/William-Stoddard-cropped-copy.jpeg?resize=242%2C300&amp;ssl=1 242w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/William-Stoddard-cropped-copy.jpeg?w=761&amp;ssl=1 761w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 242px) 100vw, 242px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3489\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">William H. Stoddard, LFS President (File photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Yet, the remarkable individuality of human beings \u2013 the true diversity of our species \u2013 suggests that people respond in quite a few different ways to existing power structures, Stoddard observed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is an interesting range of responses,\u201d Stoddard said.<br \/>\n\u201cThere are people whose response to being on the bottom is to say: Well, I want to be on top. I want to have power and I\u2019ll pay people back.\u2019 And others feel: \u2018I want to stop and get those people\u2019s feet off me, so I can walk around freely on my own.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd of course there are people who are sort of in between. Human beings are not commonly consistent. \u00a0There are different psychological responses to that sense of being oppressed,\u201d Stoddard said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3416\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3416\" style=\"width: 204px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Barry-B.-Longyear.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3416\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/2021-awards-ceremony\/barry-b-longyear\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Barry-B.-Longyear.jpg?fit=297%2C436&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"297,436\" 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=\"Barry B. Longyear\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Barry B. Longyear (Courtesy of author)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Barry-B.-Longyear.jpg?fit=204%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Barry-B.-Longyear.jpg?fit=297%2C436&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3416\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Barry-B.-Longyear-204x300.jpg?resize=204%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"204\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Barry-B.-Longyear.jpg?resize=204%2C300&amp;ssl=1 204w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Barry-B.-Longyear.jpg?w=297&amp;ssl=1 297w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 204px) 100vw, 204px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3416\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barry B. Longyear (Courtesy of author)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Barry Longyear, meanwhile, mourned the decline in the \u201clanguage of political discourse\u201d prompted by tribalism and partisanship, reinforced by the worst aspects of social media.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s gotten so inflamed, and not hooked to anything in particular. It all comes down to \u2018I like you\u2019 or \u2018I don\u2019t like you,\u2019\u201d Longyear said.<\/p>\n<p>When libertarians, classical liberals and other advocates of liberty warn of the dangers of unlimited government, political centralization and increasingly obtrusive and arbitrary bureaucracy, they often receive ad hominem attacks instead of reasoned arguments in response.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen we try to get an argument going and settle down to queston whether we need this department of government (or that), the next thing you know you\u2019re against women, children, minorities and small furry animals,\u201d Longyear said.<\/p>\n<p>He chuckled and added: \u201cIt\u2019s a post office, for crying out loud.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>The LFS\/Reason panelist bios:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Barry B. Longyear\u00a0<\/strong>is the first writer to win the Nebula Award, the Hugo Award, and the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer all in the same year. In addition to his acclaimed <em>Enemy Mine\u00a0<\/em>series, which inspired a 1985 film starring Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett, Jr. as respectively a human and alien soldier stranded together on an inhospitable planet, his works include numerous short stories, the <em>Circus World\u00a0<\/em>series, the <em>Infinity Hold\u00a0<\/em>series, and novels ranging from <em>Sea of Glass\u00a0<\/em>to <em>The God Box<\/em>, as well as his much praised <em>Science-fiction Writer&#8217;s Workshop-I <\/em>and his\u00a0online writing seminar, <em>The Write Stuff,\u00a0<\/em>now available in trade paperback and Kindle formats.<br \/>\nHis recent works include <em>Jaggers &amp; Shad: ABC is for Artificial Beings Crimes,\u00a0<\/em>and the Joe Torio Mystery Series: <em>The Hangman&#8217;s Son,\u00a0<\/em><em>Just Enough Rope<\/em>, and <em>Rope Paper Scissors.\u00a0<\/em>His most recent publication is the seven-volume science-fiction series, <em>The War Whisperer<\/em>, the fifth book of which, <em>The Hook<\/em>, earned the 2021 Prometheus Award for Best Novel presented by the Libertarian Futurist Society. While a producer is shopping <em>The War Whisperer\u00a0<\/em>around for possible dramatic presentation as a series, Barry is currently working on his American Civil War fantasy, <em>The Candle Man.<br \/>\n<\/em>His first nomination for the Prometheus Award came in 1984 for his novel <em>The Tomorrow Testament. <\/em>Other works recognized by the Prometheus awards include <em>Infinity Hold\u00a0<\/em>(a 1990 Best Novel nominee), and <em>Circus World\u00a0<\/em>(a 1991, 1999 and 2021 Hall of Fame nominee.) He lives in Maine.<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><strong>Katherine Mangu-Ward<\/strong>\u00a0is editor in chief of Reason, the magazine of \u201cfree minds and free markets.\u201d\u00a0A few of her\u00a0more memorable cover stories include\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/issues\/october-2015\">a defense of plastic bags<\/a>, an argument for\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/issues\/november-2012\">why you almost certainly shouldn\u2019t vote<\/a>, and a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/issues\/april-2015\">welcome to our new robot overlords<\/a>.<br \/>\nShe\u00a0started as\u00a0<em>Reason<\/em>\u00a0intern in 2000, and has worked at\u00a0<em>The Weekly Standard<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>The New York Times<\/em>.<br \/>\nHer writing has appeared in\u00a0<em>The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post,<\/em>\u00a0<em>The Los Angeles Times<\/em>,\u00a0<em>Slate<\/em>, and numerous other publications. She is a frequent commentator on radio and television networks such as National Public Radio, CNBC, C-SPAN, Fox Business, Fox News Channel, and MSNBC.\u00a0She is a Future Tense Fellow at New America.<br \/>\nMangu-Ward is a graduate of Yale University, where she received a B.A. in philosophy and political science. She lives in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n<div><b>Jesse Walker<\/b>, the books editor of \u201cReason\u201d magazine, is the author of \u00a0<i>Rebels on the Air; An Alternative History of Radio in America\u00a0<\/i>(2001) and\u00a0<i>The United States of Paranoia: A Conspiracy Theory\u00a0<\/i>(2013). His articles have appeared in\u00a0<i>The New York Times, The Washington Post<\/i>, the\u00a0<i>Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The New Republic\u00a0<\/i>and many other publications, and his occasional forays into fiction have surfaced in\u00a0<i>Polyphony\u00a0<\/i>and\u00a0<i>The Blotter<\/i>. He lives in Baltimore with his wife, their two daughters and a rabbit.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><strong>William H. Stoddard\u00a0<\/strong>is the president of the Libertarian Futurist Society and the chair of its Prometheus Awards Hall of Fame Awards Committee. He works as a freelance copy editor specializing in scientific and scholarly publications.<br \/>\nHe is also a role-playing gamer and has written more than two dozen books for Steve Jackson Games, starting with <em>GURPS Steampunk<\/em>, which won the Origins Award for best roleplaying supplement of 2000. <b><i>GURPS Social Engineering\u00a0<\/i><\/b>won an ENnie award (given at GenCon) in 2012 for best electronically published book. His most recent published book is\u00a0<b><i>GURPS Furries.<br \/>\n<\/i><\/b>A graduate of the University of California at San Diego, he escaped from California in 2020 and now lives in Lawrence, Kansas with his wife, their cat, and 100 shelf feet of books.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/cropped-lfs-logo.png?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"45\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/the-libertarian-futurist-society-made-progress-in-2020-with-enhanced-website-blog-new-video-page-and-greater-outreach-and-here-are-the-links-to-explore\/cropped-lfs-logo-png\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/cropped-lfs-logo.png?fit=248%2C123&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"248,123\" 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=\"cropped-lfs-logo.png\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;https:\/\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/cropped-lfs-logo.png&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/cropped-lfs-logo.png?fit=248%2C123&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/cropped-lfs-logo.png?fit=248%2C123&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-45 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lfs.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/cropped-lfs-logo.png?resize=248%2C123&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"248\" height=\"123\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>* Read\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/quillette.com\/2020\/06\/12\/the-libertarian-history-of-science-fiction\/\"><strong>\u201cThe Libertarian History of Science Fiction,\u201d<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0an essay in the June 2020 issue of the international magazine\u00a0<em>Quillette<\/em>\u00a0that favorably highlights the Prometheus Awards, the Libertarian Futurist Society and the significant element of libertarian sf\/fantasy in the evolution of the modern genre.<\/p>\n<p>* Read the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lfs.org\/blog\/a-40th-anniversary-retrospective-introducing-a-readers-guide-to-the-prometheus-award-winners\/\"><strong>introductory essay<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0of the LFS\u2019 40<sup>th\u00a0<\/sup>anniversary retrospective series of Appreciations of past Prometheus Awards winners, with an overview of the awards\u2019 four-decade-plus history, that was launched in 2019 on the 40<sup>th<\/sup>anniversary of the awards and continues today.<\/p>\n<p><strong>* Other Prometheus winners:\u00a0<\/strong>For 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\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/awards.shtml\"><strong>Prometheus Awards page\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>on the LFS website, which now includes convenient links to all published appreciation-reviews of past winners.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>*\u00a0<b>Join us<\/b>! To help sustain the Prometheus Awards, <a href=\"https:\/\/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<div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Contrary to some perceptions, science fiction fans &#8211; and paradoxically, both nerds and jocks &#8211; are more likely to come to appreciate the benefits of freedom and voluntary cooperation and more often begin to see the dangerous defects in authoritarian systems of the Left or Right. That insight was one of the richer and more &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/nerds-jocks-and-sf-fans-lfs-reason-panelists-explore-why-some-people-embrace-libertarian-ideas-and-why-some-dont\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Nerds, jocks and sf fans: LFS\/Reason panelists explore why some people embrace libertarian ideas (and why some don&#8217;t)<\/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":[1124,10,40],"tags":[1009,151,930,1184,1245,1185,1243,1249,1244,922,1246,250,504,620],"class_list":["post-3608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lfs-programs","category-news","category-videos","tag-barry-longyear","tag-cory-doctorow","tag-individuality","tag-jesse-walker","tag-jocks","tag-katherine-mangu-ward","tag-lfs","tag-lfs-reason-panel-discussion","tag-nerds","tag-power","tag-power-structures","tag-prometheus-awards-ceremony","tag-reason","tag-william-h-stoddard"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pe8nGl-Wc","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3608","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=3608"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3608\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3841,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3608\/revisions\/3841"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}