As the Parsec Awards enter their third year, we have found that a few updates and changes to the rules and the categories were necessary. The greatest change is to the categories to be awarded. This year we have tried to re-focus on those podcasts that relate to speculative fiction. A number of categories were therefore removed and two new categories were added.
The categories that were removed:
- Audio Production and Video Production- Audio and Video Production were removed because “production quality” is an essential element that we judge for all nominees, and was therefore found to be redundant.
- Non-speculative Fiction- Non-speculative Fiction was removed. As the name indicates, it did not fall within the realm of speculative fiction, and in refocusing on speculative fiction, it was obvious that this category simply did not fit.
- Anime, Graphic Literature, Reality and Tech- While many of us are fans of anime and comics, and most of us rely heavily on technology for both our work and leisure these categories do not necessarily incorporate speculative fiction. Likewise, Reality did not always incorporate speculative fiction. It was also a difficult category to define and we found it became a catchall for podcasts that failed to fit neatly within other categories.
New categories:
- Speculative Fiction Magazine or Anthology Podcast- Last year we found an increasing number of podcasts that offer short stories. We believe that not only those short stories but the podcasts that strive to deliver them should be recognized. These podcasts most resemble a magazine or anthology, and therefore the name of this new category.
- Speculative Fiction Comedy or Parody Podcast- From the chaos of the Reality category, we found a common thread. Those podcasts often presented the humorous side of geekdom and the Comedy or Parody category attempts to preserve these nominees.
Please visit the
Awards Page and
Category Definitions for complete details on the current rules and categories.
