{"id":8392,"date":"2024-12-21T00:03:11","date_gmt":"2024-12-21T06:03:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/?p=8392"},"modified":"2024-12-20T15:36:27","modified_gmt":"2024-12-20T21:36:27","slug":"classic-works-by-poul-anderson-rudyard-kipling-charles-stross-and-the-rock-group-rush-among-prometheus-hall-of-fame-finalists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/classic-works-by-poul-anderson-rudyard-kipling-charles-stross-and-the-rock-group-rush-among-prometheus-hall-of-fame-finalists\/","title":{"rendered":"Classic works by Poul Anderson, Rudyard Kipling, Charles Stross and the rock group Rush among Prometheus Hall of Fame finalists"},"content":{"rendered":"

The four works selected as finalists for the next Prometheus Hall of Fame award span almost a century.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Rudyard Kipling File photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From a Rudyard Kipling story published in 1912 to a Charles Stross novel published in 2003, the 2024 slate of finalists reflects a broad range of different eras, themes and literary styles.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Charles Stross (Creative Commons license)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Of the four Hall of Fame finalists for Best Classic Fiction, two are novels, one a story and one a song – demonstrating the wide variety of narrative or dramatic forms eligible for consideration each year among works that were first published, performed, recorded or aired at least 20 years ago.<\/p>\n

One work appears on the Hall of Fame shortlist for the first time: Stross\u2019 Singularity Sky,<\/i> previously a write-in candidate for Best Novel after its initial publication by Ace Books in 2003. (Because of the 20-year rule, the novel only became eligible this past year for Hall of Fame nomination.)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Two works return as finalists after also being ranked among last year\u2019s finalists: Poul Anderson\u2019s 1983 novel Orion Shall Rise<\/em> and \u201cThe Trees,\u201d a 1978 song by the rock group Rush.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Poul Anderson. Photo by Karen Anderson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The other finalist, Kipling\u2019s \u201cAs Easy as A.B.C.,\u201d wasn\u2019t nominated last year, or the year before. However, this 1912 story has been nominated several times over the years for the Hall of Fame, most recently appearing on the nominees list in 2021, when it became a finalist. In fact, the story has appeared as a Hall of Fame finalist 16 times between 2006 and 2021.<\/p>\n

Here are capsule descriptions, listed in alphabetical order by author, of each of this year\u2019s four finalists for the 2024 Prometheus Hall of Fame Award for Best Classic Fiction:<\/p>\n

ORION SHALL RISE
\n\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/b>Orion Shall Rise<\/i><\/b>, <\/i>a 1983 novel (Timescape) by frequent Prometheus winner Poul Anderson, became a Best Novel finalist. It explores the corruptions and temptations of power and how a free society might survive and thrive after an apocalypse.<\/p>\n

The story is set on a post-nuclear-war Earth with four renascent but very different civilizations in conflict over the proper role of technology.<\/p>\n

While sympathetic to all four civilizations and playing fair to all sides, Anderson focuses on forward-thinking visionaries who dream of reaching for the stars while trying to revive the forbidden nuclear technology that destroyed their now-feudal, empire-dominated world.<\/p>\n

Most intriguing: the depiction of a libertarian society with minimal government operating in formerly western Canada, Alaska and United States.<\/p>\n

\u2018AS EASY AS A.B.C.\u2019
\n<\/b>
\n\"\"<\/a>\u201cAs Easy as A.B.C.,” by Rudyard Kipling (first published 1912 in London Magazine<\/i>), was the second of his “airship utopia” stories.<\/p>\n

One of the earliest examples of libertarian\/liberal SF, the story envisions a 21st-century world founded on free travel, the rule of law, privacy, individual self-sufficiency, and an inherited abhorrence of crowds.<\/p>\n

Officials of the Aerial Board of Control, essentially a non-repressive world government reluctant to exceed its limited power, are summoned to remote Chicago, convulsed by a small group’s demands to revive the nearly forgotten institution of democracy, with its historical tendencies toward majoritarian tyranny unlimited by respect for the rights of individuals and minorities.<\/p>\n

The cautionary tale is most notable for its bitter condemnation of lynching, racism and mob violence.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Rush performing in 2004. Left to right: Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee, Neil Peart (Creative Commons license)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018THE TREES\u2019
\n<\/b>
\n\u201cThe Trees,” a 1978 song by Rush, was released on the Canadian rock group’s album \u201cHemispheres.”<\/p>\n

With lyrics by Neil Peart and music by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, this was a rare Top-40 rock hit conceived in the fantasy genre.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The song warns against coerced equality in a beast fable \u2013 or in this case, a \u201ctree fable.\u201d Peart poetically present a nature-based fable of envy, \u201coppression\u201d and misguided revolution motivated by a radical true-believer ideology of coercive egalitarianism.<\/p>\n

The survival and individuality of both agitating Maples and lofty Oaks are threatened when a seemingly \u201cnoble law\u201d is adopted in the forest to keep the trees “equal by hatchet, axe and saw.\u201d<\/p>\n

SINGULARITY SKY<\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Singularity Sky, <\/i>a 2003 novel (Ace Books) by Charles Stross, dramatizes the ethics and greater efficacy of freedom in an interstellar 25th century as new technologies trigger radical transformation – strikingly beginning with advanced aliens dropping cell phones from the sky to grant any and all wishes.<\/p>\n

Blending space opera with ingenious SF concepts (such as artificial intelligence, bioengineering, self-replicating information networks and time travel via faster-than-light starships), the kaleidoscopic saga explores the disruptive impact on humanity as various political-economic systems come into contact.<\/p>\n

Stross weaves in pro-freedom and anti-war insights as a man and woman, representing Earth\u2019s more libertarian culture and anarchocapitalist economy based on private contracts, interact with a repressive and reactionary colony, its secret police and its military fleet.<\/p>\n

OTHER NOMINEES
\n<\/b>
\nIn addition to the above finalists, the Prometheus Hall of Fame Finalist Judging Committee considered six other nominees: “Death and the Senator,” a 1961 short story by Arthur C. Clarke; That Hideous Strength,<\/i> a 1945 novel by C.S. Lewis; “Ultima Thule,” a 1961 novella by Mack Reynolds; The Demon Breed,<\/i> a 1968 novel by James H. Schmitz; Between the Rivers, <\/i>a 1998 novel by Turtledove; <\/b>and “Conquest by Default,” a 1968 novelette by Vernor Vinge.<\/p>\n

The final vote will take place in mid-2025. All Libertarian Futurist Society members are eligible to vote. The award will be presented in late summer at a major science fiction convention and\/or online.<\/p>\n

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

Hall of Fame nominees may be in any narrative or dramatic form, including prose fiction, stage plays, film, television, other video, graphic novels, song lyrics, or epic or narrative verse; they must explore themes relevant to libertarianism and must be science fiction, fantasy, or related speculative genres.<\/p>\n

AWARD HISTORY
\n<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

First presented in 1979 (for Best Novel) and presented annually since 1982, the Prometheus Awards have recognized outstanding works of science fiction and fantasy that dramatize the perennial conflict between liberty and power, favor private social cooperation over legalized coercion, expose abuses and excesses of obtrusive government, critique or satirize authoritarian ideas, or champion individual rights and freedoms as the mutually respectful foundation for peace, prosperity, progress, justice, tolerance, civility, and civilization itself.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Gold coins historically have emerged as one form of stable money<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The awards include gold coins and plaques for the winners for Best Novel, Best Classic Fiction (Hall of Fame), and occasional Special Awards.<\/p>\n

LFS members will be able to rank and vote for the Hall of Fame winner on the annual Prometheus finalists ballot, which is sent via email to all current members by late May.<\/p>\n

The Prometheus Award is one of the most enduring awards after the Nebula and Hugo awards, and one of the oldest fan-based awards currently in sf.<\/p>\n

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

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE PROMETHEUS AWARDS:<\/b><\/p>\n

* Prometheus winners:\u00a0<\/b>For the full list of Prometheus winners, finalists and nominees \u2013 including the annual Best Novel and Best Classic Fiction (Hall of Fame) categories and occasional Special Awards \u2013 visit the enhanced\u00a0Prometheus Awards page<\/a>\u00a0on the LFS website, which now includes convenient links to all published essay-reviews in our Appreciation series explaining why each of more than 100 past winners since 1979 fits the awards\u2019 distinctive dual focus on both quality and liberty.<\/p>\n

* Read \u201cThe Libertarian History of Science Fiction,\u201d<\/a> an essay in the international magazine\u00a0Quillette<\/i>\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 videos of past Prometheus Awards ceremonies (including the recent 2023 ceremony<\/a> with inspiring and amusing speeches by Prometheus-winning authors Dave Freer<\/a> and Sarah Hoyt)<\/a>, Libertarian Futurist Society panel discussions with noted sf authors and leading libertarian writers, and other LFS programs on the Prometheus Blog\u2019s\u00a0Video page.<\/a><\/p>\n

* Check out the Libertarian Futurist Society\u2019s Facebook page<\/a> for comments, updates and links to Prometheus Blog posts.<\/p>\n

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

*\u00a0Join us!<\/b> To help sustain the Prometheus Awards and support a cultural and literary strategy to appreciate and honor freedom-loving fiction, \u00a0join<\/a> the Libertarian Futurist Society, 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 in envisioning a freer and better future – and in some ways can be even more powerful than politics in the long run, by imagining better visions of the future incorporating peace, prosperity, progress, tolerance, justice, 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 ideas and ethical principles that help humanity overcome tyranny, end slavery, reduce the threat of war, repeal or constrain other abuses of coercive power and achieve universal liberty, respect for human rights and a better world (perhaps ultimately, worlds) for all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The four works selected as finalists for the next Prometheus Hall of Fame award span almost a century. From a Rudyard Kipling story published in 1912 to a Charles Stross novel published in 2003, the 2024 slate of finalists reflects a broad range of different eras, themes and literary styles. Of the four Hall of … Continue reading Classic works by Poul Anderson, Rudyard Kipling, Charles Stross and the rock group Rush among Prometheus Hall of Fame finalists<\/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":[31,1125,10,1861],"tags":[938,2426,150,2162,6,268,866,266,2505,270],"class_list":["post-8392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-awards-news","category-updates","category-news","category-poul-anderson","tag-as-easy-as-a-b-c","tag-best-classic-fiction-finalists","tag-charles-stross","tag-orion-shall-rise","tag-poul-anderson","tag-prometheus-hall-of-fame","tag-rudyard-kipling","tag-rush","tag-singularity-sky","tag-the-trees"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pe8nGl-2bm","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8392","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=8392"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8392\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8394,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8392\/revisions\/8394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8392"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}