The Otherwise Award, formerly known as the James Tiptree Jr. Award, is an American annual literary prize for works of
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
or
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
that expand or explore one's understanding of
gender
Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most cultures u ...
. It was initiated in February 1991 by science fiction authors
Pat Murphy and
Karen Joy Fowler
Karen Joy Fowler is an American author of science fiction, fantasy, and literary fiction. Her work often centers on the nineteenth century, the lives of women, and alienation.
She is best known as the author of the best-selling novel ''The Jan ...
, subsequent to a discussion at
WisCon
WisCon or Wiscon, a Wisconsin science fiction convention, is the oldest, and often called the world's leading, feminist science fiction convention and conference. It was first held in Madison, Wisconsin in February 1977, after a group of fans at ...
.
In addition to the award itself, the judges publish what was originally known as the Tiptree Award Honor List, which they describe as "a strong part of the award's identity and ... used by many readers as a recommended reading list."
The award was originally named for Alice B. Sheldon, who wrote under the pseudonym
James Tiptree Jr.
Alice Bradley Sheldon (born Alice Hastings Bradley; August 24, 1915 – May 19, 1987) was an American science fiction and fantasy author better known as James Tiptree, Jr., a pen name she used from 1967 to her death. It was not publicly known un ...
Due to
controversy over the appropriateness of naming an award after Tiptree, the committee administering the award announced on October 13, 2019, that the award would be renamed the Otherwise Award.
Background
Choice of the Tiptree name
By choosing a masculine ''nom de plume'', having her stories accepted under that name and winning awards with them, Alice Sheldon helped demonstrate that the division between male and female science fiction writing was illusory. Years after "Tiptree" first published science fiction, Sheldon wrote some work under the female pen name "Raccoona Sheldon"; later, the science fiction world discovered that "Tiptree" had been female all along. This discovery led to widespread discussion over which aspects of writing, if any, have an intrinsic gender. To remind audiences of the role gender plays in both reading and writing, the award was named in Sheldon's honor at the suggestion of
Karen Joy Fowler
Karen Joy Fowler is an American author of science fiction, fantasy, and literary fiction. Her work often centers on the nineteenth century, the lives of women, and alienation.
She is best known as the author of the best-selling novel ''The Jan ...
.
Controversy and name change
In 2019, controversy arose over the appropriateness of naming an award after Tiptree. In 1987, Alice Sheldon shot and killed her ailing husband
Huntington Sheldon before killing herself in the same manner. Although some have called the killing a "
suicide pact
A suicide pact is an agreed plan between two or more individuals to die by suicide. The plan may be to die together, or separately and closely timed.
General considerations
Suicide pacts are an important concept in the study of suicide, and h ...
" based on Sheldon's personal writings, others characterize the act as "caregiver murder"—i.e., the murder of a disabled person by the person responsible for caring for them. In light of these allegations, the Tiptree Motherboard received requests to change the name of the award. On September 2, 2019, in response to these requests, the Motherboard made a statement that "a change to the name of the Tiptree Award is
otwarranted now"; but nine days later, on September 11, they announced that the award "can’t go on under its existing name".
On October 13, 2019, the Tiptree Motherboard released an announcement stating that the Tiptree Award would become the Otherwise Award. The name refers to "the act of imagining gender otherwise" at the core of what the award has always honored, as well as being "wise to the experience of being the
other
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
". The title also draws from the Black queer scholarship of
Ashon Crawley around what is termed "otherwise politics".
According to the statement, "''Otherwise'' means finding different directions to move in—toward newly possible places, by means of emergent and multiple pathways and methods."
Administration
Fundraising efforts for the Tiptree include publications (two
cookbook
A cookbook or cookery book is a kitchen reference containing recipes.
Cookbooks may be general, or may specialize in a particular cuisine or category of food.
Recipes in cookbooks are organized in various ways: by course (appetizer, first cour ...
s), "feminist
bake sales", and
auction
An auction is usually a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bids, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder or buying the item from the lowest bidder. Some exceptions to this definition ex ...
s. The Tiptree cookbook ''The Bakery Men Don't See'', edited by WisCon co-founder
Jeanne Gomoll Jeanne Gomoll is an American artist, writer, editor, and science fiction fan, who was recognized as one of the guests of honor at the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention (Loncon 3, the 2014 WorldCon), having been a guest of honor at numerous prev ...
, was nominated for a 1992
Hugo Award
The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier a ...
. Tiptree Award
juries
A jury is a sworn body of people (jurors) convened to hear evidence and render an impartial verdict (a finding of fact on a question) officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment.
Juries developed in England dur ...
traditionally consist of four female jurors and one male juror (the "token man"). The funds are administered by the "Tiptree Motherboard" (currently consisting of Murphy, Alexis Lothian, Gretchen Treu, and Sumana Harihareswara, with Fowler remaining closely involved).
Award to the Tiptree Motherboard
In 2011, the
Science Fiction Research Association The Science Fiction Research Association (SFRA), founded in 1970, is the oldest, non-profit professional organization committed to encouraging, facilitating, and rewarding the study of science fiction and fantasy literature, film, and other media. ...
gave its 2011 "
Thomas D. Clareson The Thomas D. Clareson Award for Distinguished Service is presented by the Science Fiction Research Association for outstanding service activities. Particularly recognized are: promotion of SF teaching and study, editing, reviewing, editorial writ ...
Award for Distinguished Service" to the Tiptree Motherboard. The Clareson Award was presented to the Tiptree Motherboard for "outstanding service activities – promotion of SF teaching and study, editing, reviewing, editorial writing, publishing, organizing meetings, mentoring, and leadership in SF/fantasy organizations".
Anthologies
Selections of the winners, various short-listed fiction, and essays have appeared in four Tiptree-related collections, ''Flying Cups and Saucers'' (1999) and a series of annual anthologies published by Tachyon Publications of San Francisco. These include:
* ''Flying Cups and Saucers: Gender Explorations in Science Fiction and Fantasy'' edited by
The Secret Feminist Cabal and Debbie Notkin (1999)
* ''The James Tiptree Award Anthology 1'' edited by Karen Joy Fowler, Pat Murphy, Debbie Notkin, and Jeffrey D. Smith (2005)
* ''The James Tiptree Award Anthology 2'' edited by Karen Joy Fowler, Pat Murphy, Debbie Notkin, and Jeffrey D. Smith (2006)
* ''The James Tiptree Award Anthology 3'' edited by Karen Joy Fowler, Pat Murphy, Debbie Notkin, and Jeffrey D. Smith (2007)
Winners
* Retrospective Award: ''
Motherlines
''The Holdfast Chronicles'' is a series of books by American feminist science fiction author Suzy McKee Charnas.
The series consists of four books:
* ''Walk to the End of the World'' (1974)
* ''Motherlines'' (1978)
* ''The Furies'' (1994)
* ''T ...
'' and ''
Walk to the End of the World
''The Holdfast Chronicles'' is a series of books by American feminist science fiction author Suzy McKee Charnas.
The series consists of four books:
* ''Walk to the End of the World'' (1974)
* ''Motherlines'' (1978)
* ''The Furies'' (1994)
* ''T ...
'' by
Suzy McKee Charnas
Suzy McKee Charnas (October 22, 1939 – January 2, 2023) was an American novelist and short story writer, writing primarily in the genres of science fiction and fantasy. She won several awards for her fiction, including the Hugo Award, the N ...
; ''
The Left Hand of Darkness
''The Left Hand of Darkness'' is a science fiction novel by U.S. writer Ursula K. Le Guin. Published in 1969, it became immensely popular, and established Le Guin's status as a major author of science fiction. The novel is set in the fictiona ...
'' by
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...
; ''
The Female Man
''The Female Man'' is a feminist science fiction novel by American writer Joanna Russ. It was originally written in 1970 and first published in 1975 by Bantam Books. Russ was an ardent feminist and challenged sexist views during the 1970s with her ...
'' and ''
When It Changed
"When It Changed" is a science fiction short story by American writer Joanna Russ. It was first published in the anthology ''Again, Dangerous Visions''.
Synopsis
Janet Evason lives on Whileaway, an all-female human colony planet whose inhabitants ...
'' by
Joanna Russ
Joanna Russ (February 22, 1937 – April 29, 2011) was an American writer, academic and feminist. She is the author of a number of works of science fiction, fantasy and feminist literary criticism such as ''How to Suppress Women's Writing'', as w ...
* 1991: ''
A Woman of the Iron People
''A Woman of the Iron People'' is an anthropological science fiction novel by American writer Eleanor Arnason, originally published in 1991. It is a first contact story between peoples from a future Earth and an intelligent, furred race of ''peo ...
'' by
Eleanor Arnason
Eleanor Atwood Arnason (born December 28, 1942) is an American author
American literature is literature written or produced in the United States of America and in the colonies that preceded it. The American literary tradition thus is pa ...
, and ''White Queen'' by
Gwyneth Jones
* 1992: ''
China Mountain Zhang
''China Mountain Zhang'' is a 1992 science fiction novel by American writer Maureen F. McHugh. The novel is made up of several stories loosely intertwined.
Title
The novel's title derives from the name of the protagonist, a young gay man of mi ...
'' by
Maureen F. McHugh
Maureen F. McHugh (born February 13, 1959) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer.
Career
McHugh's first published story was published as a ''Twilight Zone'' under a male pseudonym in 1988. It was followed by a pair of publication ...
* 1993: ''
Ammonite
Ammonoids are a group of extinct marine mollusc animals in the subclass Ammonoidea of the class Cephalopoda. These molluscs, commonly referred to as ammonites, are more closely related to living coleoids (i.e., octopuses, squid and cuttlefish) ...
'' by
Nicola Griffith
Nicola Griffith (; born 30 September 1960) is a British-American novelist, essayist, and teacher. She has won the Washington State Book Award, Nebula Award, James Tiptree, Jr. Award, World Fantasy Award and six Lambda Literary Awards.
Persona ...
* 1994: ''
The Matter of Seggri'' by
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...
, and ''Larque on the Wing'' by
Nancy Springer
Nancy Springer (born July 5, 1948) is an American author of fantasy, young adult literature, mystery, and science fiction. Her novel ''Larque on the Wing'' won the Tiptree Award in 1994. She also received the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers ...
* 1995: ''
Waking the Moon'' by
Elizabeth Hand, and ''
The Memoirs of Elizabeth Frankenstein'' by
Theodore Roszak
* 1996: ''Mountain Ways'' by Ursula K. Le Guin, and ''
The Sparrow'' by
Mary Doria Russell
Mary Doria Russell (born August 19, 1950) is an American novelist.
Early life and education
Russell was born in Elmhurst, Illinois
She graduated from Glenbard East High School in Lombard, Illinois, which has registered its chapter of the Nati ...
* 1997: ''Black Wine'' by
Candas Jane Dorsey
Candas Jane Dorsey (born November 16, 1952) is a Canadian poet and science fiction novelist who resides in her hometown of Edmonton, Alberta. Dorsey became a writer from an early age and works across genre boundaries, writing poetry, fiction, mai ...
, and ''Travels with the Snow Queen'' by
Kelly Link
Kelly Link (born July 19, 1969) is an American editor and author of short stories. While some of her fiction falls more clearly within genre categories, many of her stories might be described as slipstream or magic realism: a combination of sci ...
* 1998: ''Congenital Agenesis of Gender Ideation'' by
Raphael Carter
Raphael Carter is an American science fiction author who moved from Phoenix, Arizona, to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1995.
Work
Carter's first novel is the postcyberpunk '' The Fortunate Fall'' (1996). Acclaimed as "a superb example of speculative ...
* 1999: ''The Conqueror's Child'' by
Suzy McKee Charnas
Suzy McKee Charnas (October 22, 1939 – January 2, 2023) was an American novelist and short story writer, writing primarily in the genres of science fiction and fantasy. She won several awards for her fiction, including the Hugo Award, the N ...
* 2000: ''Wild Life'' by
Molly Gloss
Molly Gloss (born November 20, 1944) is an American writer of historical fiction and science fiction.
Life
Gloss grew up in rural Oregon and began writing seriously when she became a mother. She now lives in Portland, Oregon, and was close friend ...
* 2001: ''
The Kappa Child'' by
Hiromi Goto
Hiromi Goto (born December 31, 1966 Chiba-ken, Japan) is a Japanese-Canadian writer, editor, and instructor of creative writing.
Life
Goto was born in Chiba'ken, Japan in 1966 and immigrated to Canada with her family in 1969. They lived on the ...
* 2002: ''
Light
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 tera ...
'' by
M. John Harrison
Michael John Harrison (born 26 July 1945), known for publication purposes primarily as M. John Harrison, is an English author and literary critic.Kelley, George. "Harrison, M(ichael) John" in Jay P. Pederson (.ed) ''St. James guide to sci ...
, and ''Stories for Men'' by
John Kessel
John Joseph Vincent Kessel (born September 24, 1950) is an American author of science fiction and fantasy. He is a prolific short story writer, and the author of four solo novels, '' Good News From Outer Space'' (1989), ''Corrupting Dr. Nice'' ( ...
* 2003: ''Set This House in Order: A Romance Of Souls'' by
Matt Ruff
Matt may refer to:
*Matt (name), people with the given name ''Matt'' or Matthew, meaning "gift from God", or the surname Matt
*In British English, of a surface: having a non-glossy finish, see gloss (material appearance)
*Matt, Switzerland, a mu ...
* 2004: ''
Camouflage
Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the ...
'' by
Joe Haldeman
Joe William Haldeman (born June 9, 1943) is an American science fiction author. He is best known for his novel ''The Forever War'' (1974). That novel and other works, including ''The Hemingway Hoax'' (1991) and '' Forever Peace'' (1997), have wo ...
, and ''
Not Before Sundown'' by
Johanna Sinisalo
Aila Johanna Sinisalo is a Finnish science fiction and fantasy writer. She studied comparative literature and drama, amongst other subjects, at the University of Tampere. Professionally she worked in the advertising business, rising to the leve ...
* 2005: ''
Air
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing f ...
'' by
Geoff Ryman
Geoffrey Charles Ryman (born 1951) is a Canadian writer of science fiction, fantasy, slipstream and historical fiction.
Biography
Ryman was born in Canada and moved to the United States at age 11. He earned degrees in History and English at UCLA ...
* 2006: ''
The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden'' by
Catherynne M. Valente
Catherynne M. Valente (born May 5, 1979) is an American fiction writer, poet, and literary critic. For her speculative fiction novels she has won the annual James Tiptree, Andre Norton, and Mythopoeic Fantasy awards. Her short fiction has a ...
, and ''
Half Life
Half-life (symbol ) is the time required for a quantity (of substance) to reduce to half of its initial value. The term is commonly used in nuclear physics to describe how quickly unstable atoms undergo radioactive decay or how long stable at ...
'' by
Shelley Jackson
Shelley Jackson (born 1963) is an American writer and artist known for her cross-genre experimental works. These include her hyperfiction ''Patchwork Girl'' (1995) and her first novel, ''Half Life'' (2006).
Biography
In her own words: "Shelley ...
; special recognition for
Julie Phillips
Julie Phillips (born Seattle, Washington) is an American writer who writes about books, film, and culture. In early adulthood she became interested in feminism. Her articles have appeared in ''Newsday'', '' Mademoiselle'', ''The Village Voice'', an ...
' biography of James Tiptree Jr.: ''James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon''
* 2007: ''
The Carhullan Army'' by
Sarah Hall
* 2008: ''
The Knife of Never Letting Go
''The Knife of Never Letting Go'' is a young-adult science fiction novel written by British-American author Patrick Ness. It was published by Walker Books on 5 May 2008. It is the first book in the '' Chaos Walking'' series, followed by '' T ...
'' by
Patrick Ness
Patrick Ness (born 17 October 1971) is an American-British author, journalist, lecturer, and screenwriter. Born in the United States, Ness moved to London and holds dual citizenship. He is best known for his books for young adults, including t ...
, and ''
Filter House'' by
Nisi Shawl
Nisi Shawl (born 1955) is an African-American writer, editor, and journalist. They are best known as an author of science fiction and fantasy short stories who writes and teaches about how fantastic fiction might reflect real-world diversity of ...
* 2009: ''
Cloud and Ashes: Three Winter’s Tales'' by
Greer Gilman
Greer Ilene Gilman is an American author of fantasy stories.
Biography
She was educated at Wellesley College and the University of Cambridge, where she studied on a Vida Dutton Scudder Fellowship. Her stories are noted for their dense prose s ...
, and ''
Ōoku: The Inner Chambers'' by
Fumi Yoshinaga
is a Japanese manga artist known for her shōjo and boys' love works.
Life
Fumi Yoshinaga was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1971. She discovered amateur manga, doujinshi, in junior high school, when a friend showed her a doujinshi depicting a romant ...
* 2010: ''Baba Yaga Laid an Egg'' by
Dubravka Ugresic
* 2011: ''
Redwood and Wildfire'' by
Andrea Hairston
Andrea Hairston (born 1952) is an African-American science fiction and fantasy playwright and novelist. Her novel '' Redwood and Wildfire'' won the James Tiptree, Jr. Award for 2011. ''Mindscape'', Hairston's first novel, won the Carl Brandon P ...
* 2012: ''
The Drowning Girl
__NOTOC__
''The Drowning Girl: A Memoir'' is a 2012 novel by American writer Caitlín R. Kiernan, set in Providence, Rhode Island. The story's protagonist and unreliable narrator, India Morgan Phelps (also known as Imp), has schizophrenia.
It h ...
'' by
Caitlin R. Kiernan, and ''Ancient, Ancient'' by
Kiini Ibura Salaam
* 2013: ''
Rupetta'' by
N. A. Sulway
* 2014: ''
The Girl in the Road
''The Girl in the Road'' is a 2014 science fiction novel by Monica Byrne. It tracks two stories in parallel: one of a primary protagonist, Meena, as she crosses a floating energy-harvesting bridge that spans the Arabian Sea from India to Djibouti ...
'' by
Monica Byrne
Monica Byrne (born July 13, 1981) is an American playwright and science fiction author. She is best known for her drama ''What Every Girl Should Know'' and her debut novel '' The Girl in the Road'', which won the 2015 James Tiptree, Jr. Award and ...
, and ''
My Real Children
''My Real Children'' is a 2014 alternate history novel by Welsh-Canadian writer Jo Walton, published by Tor Books. It was released on May 20, 2014.
Plot
In 2015, Patricia is 89 years old and living in a nursing home, with two mutually-exclusiv ...
'' by
Jo Walton
Jo Walton (born 1964) is a Welsh and Canadian fantasy and science fiction writer and poet. She is best known for the fantasy novel ''Among Others'', which won the Hugo Award, Hugo and Nebula Awards in 2012, and ''Tooth and Claw (novel), Tooth ...
* 2015: ''The New Mother'' by
Eugene Fischer, and ''
Lizard Radio'' by
Pat Schmatz
* 2016: ''
When the Moon Was Ours'' by
Anna-Marie McLemore
* 2017: ''Who Runs The World?'' by
Virginia Bergin
* 2018: ''
They Will Dream in the Garden'' by
Gabriela Damián Miravete
* 2019: ''
Freshwater
Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...
'' by
Akwaeke Emezi
* 2020: ''
Ife-Iyoku, the Tale of Imadeyunuagbon'' by
Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki
Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki or Ekpeki Oghenechovwe Donald is a Nigerian speculative fiction writer and editor residing in New York. His fiction and non-fiction have appeared in ''Omenana Magazine'', Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores', ''Tor.com'', ' ...
See also
*
Gender in speculative fiction
*
Sense of Gender Awards
*
Sex and sexuality in speculative fiction
Sexual themes are frequently used in science fiction or related genres. Such elements may include depictions of realistic sexual interactions in a science fictional setting, a protagonist with an alternative sexuality, a sexual encounter betwee ...
*
Women in speculative fiction
The role of women in speculative fiction has changed a great deal since the early to mid-20th century. There are several aspects to women's roles, including their participation as authors of speculative fiction and their role in science fiction ...
*
Women science fiction authors
The role of women in speculative fiction has changed a great deal since the early to mid-20th century. There are several aspects to women's roles, including their participation as authors of speculative fiction and their role in science fiction ...
References
Further reading
External links
*
{{Science fiction
Awards established in 1991
Fantasy awards
LGBT literary awards
Lists of speculative fiction-related award winners and nominees
Science fiction awards
Gender in speculative fiction