{"id":6237,"date":"2023-08-27T00:14:49","date_gmt":"2023-08-27T05:14:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/?p=6237"},"modified":"2024-01-03T19:22:28","modified_gmt":"2024-01-04T01:22:28","slug":"liberty-is-hard-yakka-novelist-sarah-hoyts-speech-presenting-best-novel-to-dave-freer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/liberty-is-hard-yakka-novelist-sarah-hoyts-speech-presenting-best-novel-to-dave-freer\/","title":{"rendered":"“Liberty is hard yakka” – Novelist Sarah Hoyt\u2019s speech presenting Best Novel to Dave Freer"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the 43rd\u00a0<\/sup>annual Prometheus Awards ceremony, past Best Novel winner Sarah Hoyt (Darkship Thieves)<\/em> presented the Best Novel category to Australian\/Tasmanian writer Dave Freer for Cloud-Castles.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Sarah Hoyt, the 2011 Prometheus winner (File photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hoyt was the ideal Best Novel presenter this year, since Freer and Hoyt have been friends for years and Freer has said he considers her his best friend in the United States.<\/p>\n

The 2023 ceremony aired via Zoom Aug. 19, 2023, to an international audience and is available to watch on Youtube and the LFS website\u2019s Video page.<\/a> For those who prefer to read, here is the full transcript of Hoyt\u2019s speech:<\/p>\n

By Sarah A. Hoyt<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Before I begin, I should warn any possible spectators that yes, this is my real (Portuguese-American) accent. In fact, this Prometheus award ceremony will probably go down in history as the battle of the accents, between mine and Dave\u2019s and whatever else the rest of you try to bring to the table. (I dare you.)<\/p>\n

Also I must warn everyone that we might have an impromptu appearance by the very fuzzy Havelock-cat, or his buddy, the ginger beasty Indy cat.<\/p>\n

Since, as Heinlein put it, cats are free citizens, they should be right at home.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t express how strange it is to be presenting the same award that marked the most important moment of my career to one of my best writing buddies, one who has walked with me through all the hard points, and celebrated with me at all the high points.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

As well as metaphorically speaking hit me about the face and head about my lack of foreshadowing and also, way back, Dave explained to me how the book business really worked. It\u2019s okay, I\u2019ve almost forgiven him.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Prometheus, the light bringer (Creative Commons license)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So the Prometheus award is so named for the Greek Titan who stole the fire from the gods and gave it to the humans. The poor sod paid for it too, by having his liver eternally eaten by an eagle.<\/p>\n

This is an interesting choice and as good a representation of freedom as I\u2019ve ever heard of.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Anyway, Cloud-Castles\u00a0<\/em>by Dave Freer was up against some stiff competition.<\/p>\n

The post-WWII feminist alternate history Widowland\u00a0<\/em>evokes The Man in The High Castle\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Handmaid\u2019s Tale.
\n\"\"<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The brat-Libertarian A Beast Cannot Feign<\/em>\u00a0thumbs its nose at us in acknowledging the nomination.<\/p>\n

And Karl Gallagher’s Captain Trader Helmsman Spy<\/em> is Weberesque (totally a word. Also no mean praise).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>To me, despite all the other worthy entries, the strongest entries were Summer\u2019s End\u00a0<\/em>and Cloud-Castles<\/em>, but it\u2019s hard to be sure this is personal taste and not the fact that they were both written by friends of mine.<\/p>\n

Though I have friends I wouldn\u2019t expect to be in the same room with the Prometheus Award, let alone win it. (I haven\u2019t had a chance to lock them in the room with my award. Also, I\u2019m not that cruel.) And I also have friends whose writing I don\u2019t like.<\/p>\n

However, I enjoy both Dave Freer\u2019s and John Van Stry\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Summer\u2019s End\u00a0<\/em>is a fast-moving, fast-paced space opera with well-worked interstellar trade and an individual escaping the machinations of those more powerful than he. It\u2019s like John was playing my song.<\/p>\n

Dave Freer\u2019s Cloud-Castle<\/em>s meanwhile starts with a na\u00efve academic \u2013 I know it\u2019s hard to believe, but I was one once. I actually almost majored in philosophy \u2013 who wants to better the world, without being able to find it with two hands and a seeing-eye dog.<\/p>\n

With his mind full of theories he goes into the unknown.<\/p>\n

And is fortunate enough not only to survive but to be thrown into a situation where he has to both fend for himself, and actually help others. And thereby learn the meaning of true freedom, and the meaning of actually helping others, not by \u201ceducation\u201d but by helping them find freedom and survive.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I am beyond pleased that Dave\u2019s book won.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Australian writer Dave Freer (Photo courtesy of author)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not only because Dave is a friend — and not only because I had a considerable amount of money riding on the fact that given a chance Libertarians would vote for the guy who used to cuddle sharks for fun and study (ask him about it, sometime) \u2013 but because I think it is a very important book for our times.<\/p>\n

OUR THREATENED FREEDOM<\/strong><\/p>\n

When freedom is threatened on all sides, and most people are either looking for the proverbial savior on a white horse \u2013 or limo \u2013 or to some theory of how things should work to save them, it is important to remind one and all: In the end, the only one who can save you is you.<\/p>\n

And you owe it to yourself and those you love, and really the future of humanity to come to your own rescue, and not let the innocent and clueless, or simply less able be destroyed by pitiless aliens and the systems that abet them. (And no, I\u2019m not talking about real UFO Aliens. It\u2019s by way of being a metaphor for those who really don\u2019t understand others\u2019 inalienable rights.)<\/p>\n

Despite the fact that reading it taught me a whole new language, and despite being a rip-roaring yarn (or do I mean because of it?), I think Cloud-Castles\u00a0<\/em>deserves a place in the literature of freedom.<\/a><\/p>\n

Because being free is hard yakka.*<\/p>\n

And yet we must do it.<\/p>\n

Because it is the only hope for the future.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

* “Hard yakka” means hard work, in idiomatic Australian slang, with Yakka thought to come from an Aboriginal Australian language.<\/p>\n

Read Sarah Hoyt’s lovely and lyrical ode<\/a> to the Greek god Prometheus, originally published on her According to Hoyt blog.<\/p>\n

Read the Prometheus Blog appreciation of Hoyt’s Darkship Thieves<\/em><\/a>, the first novel in her Darkship series and the 2011 Prometheus Best Novel winner.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Sarah Hoyt at an sf convention (Creative Commons license)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Biographical note:<\/strong>\u00a0 Sarah Hoyt, who moved from Portugal to the United States in the early 1980s and became an American citizen in 1988, has published more than 40 novels of science fiction, fantasy, mystery, historical mystery, historical fantasy and historical biography.<\/span><\/p>\n

More than 114 of her titles and editions available on Amazon.<\/p>\n

Showing her talent for both sf and fantasy, she was a 2002 finalist in the Mythopoeic Awards for her novel Ill Met By Moonlight.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Writer Sarah Hoyt. Creative Commons license)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hoyt won the 2018 Dragon Award\u00a0for Best Alternate History Novel for Uncharted,\u00a0<\/em>co-authored with Kevin J. Anderson.<\/p>\n

LFS members presented Sarah with the 2011 Prometheus Best Novel award for Darkship Thieves, <\/em>a Heinlein-esque romantic-adventure space opera with individualist-feminist themes that convincingly depicts both a terrible tyranny on Earth and a functioning libertarian society in the asteroids.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Sarah Hoyt accepting her Prometheus Award in 2011<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Her Darkship <\/em>series includes sequels\u00a0Darkship Renegades,\u00a0A Few Good Men and Darkship Renegade<\/em>, all of which were subsequently recognized as Best Novel finalists, and Through Fire<\/em>, a Best Novel nominee.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>* Prometheus winners:\u00a0<\/strong>For the full list of Prometheus winners, finalists and nominees \u2013 for the annual Best Novel and Best Classic Fiction (Hall of Fame) categories and occasional Special Awards \u2013 visit the enhanced\u00a0Prometheus Awards page\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>on the LFS website, which now includes convenient links to the full set of published appreciation-reviews of past winners.<\/p>\n

* Read\u00a0\u201cThe Libertarian History of Science Fiction,\u201d<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0an essay in the international magazine\u00a0Quillette<\/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

*\u00a0Watch\u00a0 <\/strong>videos <\/strong>of past Prometheus Awards ceremonies, Libertarian Futurist Society panel discussions with noted sf authors and leading libertarian writers, and other LFS programs on the Prometheus Blog\u2019s\u00a0Video page.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>*\u00a0Join us<\/strong>! To help sustain the Prometheus Awards,\u00a0join\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>the Libertarian Futurist Society (LFS), a non-profit all-volunteer association of freedom-loving sf\/fantasy fans.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s rights, individuality and human dignity.<\/p>\n

Through recognizing the literature of liberty and the many different but complementary visions of a free future via the Prometheus Awards, the LFS hopes to help spread better visions of the future that help humanity overcome tyranny, end slavery and war, drastically limit other abuses of coercive power and achieve universal liberty, respect for human rights and a better world (perhaps eventually, worlds) for all.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At the 43rd\u00a0annual Prometheus Awards ceremony, past Best Novel winner Sarah Hoyt (Darkship Thieves) presented the Best Novel category to Australian\/Tasmanian writer Dave Freer for Cloud-Castles. Hoyt was the ideal Best Novel presenter this year, since Freer and Hoyt have been friends for years and Freer has said he considers her his best friend in … Continue reading “Liberty is hard yakka” – Novelist Sarah Hoyt\u2019s speech presenting Best Novel to Dave Freer<\/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":[687,2080,31,2206],"tags":[1838,594,1524,1839,424,1841,2081,1829,46,18,1828,1771,1850],"class_list":["post-6237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-award-acceptance-speech","category-award-presenter-speech","category-awards-news","category-sarah-hoyt","tag-a-beast-cannot-feign","tag-best-novel","tag-captain-trader-helmsman-spy","tag-cloud-castles","tag-darkship-thieves","tag-dave-freer","tag-handmaids-tale","tag-john-van-stry","tag-prometheus-awards","tag-sarah-hoyt","tag-summers-end","tag-the-man-in-the-high-castle","tag-widowland"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pe8nGl-1CB","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6237","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=6237"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6237\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6380,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6237\/revisions\/6380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}