I see my previous post came a bit too late
.
After seeing Resnick pull rank, and start listing all the various awards as "bona fides" for their expertise at literary criticism, I think it's a lost cause. He won't listen to anything we say; we're not smart enough.
I've read Bova and Silverberg and some of the others in the list, and I think their awards are deserved. I also think there's a reason that KJA doesn't have either a Nebula or a Hugo. I do think those awards mean something.
But I don't for one minute believe that those awards mean that those people see something wonderful in KJA's work that I don't. I've read enough fiction in various genres for enough years to have a pretty sound idea about what plotting, characterization, and language constitutes "good writing". When I read KJA, I see an inability to write effectively in any of those areas.
But this is as much about KJA's editing ability as his writing ability. For that, I look no further than his "critical darlings" quote. That quote alone tells me that he not only doesn't recognize or enjoy really good writing, but that he has a deep seated resentment of those who can write better than he does, and succeed at doing so. This man should *not* be choosing stories for an award-winning anthology.
No doubt many of the SFWA board have worked with KJA, and I can believe KJA is a professional - and perhaps enjoyable - author to work with. But I really wonder how many of the SFWA board have read KJA's work, or seen him react to criticism. I wonder how many of them have thought about how respectful he's been of the Dune legacy. I wonder whether they've considered whether he deserves the honour of editing such a prestigious anthology.
HBJ
)
... 
The HLP
