The Hugo Awards Undermined Themselves Being Sponsored by Raytheon

The annual Hugo Awards had been this weekend, celebrating sci-fi and fantasy literature (and a few non-literature) that enchanted audiences by means of the ever hectic 12 months of 2021. But as creators acquired collectively to bask within the accomplishments of their friends and had been honored simply to be nominated, the awards present discovered itself beneath fireplace for one of many firms that was sponsoring it.

Specifically, the US protection contractor Raytheon Technologies. Founded in 2020 after a merger between the Raytheon Company and United Technologies Corporation, their major focus is weapons for the army, they usually’re one of many largest protection producers on the earth. (A lot of their revenue comes from the US authorities.) The firm made their presence identified when WorldCon, the sci-fi conference in Washington, DC the place the awards happen, introduced Raytheon’s Intelligence and Space division as a sponsor to take photographs with throughout the pink carpet occasion that opened the ceremony.

Amongst the sci-fi writer group, the backlash has been sharp. Most of the feedback within the tweet above are stating the bleakness of battle profiteers discovering a solution to revenue off a celebration of the sometimes ahead considering speculative science fiction style. Some have been fast to level out that it’s only one arm of the corporate that’s doing the sponsoring, however to many extra, the truth that an organization who focuses on missiles and drones has an area division within the first place is troubling all by itself. It simply brings to thoughts how Marvel Comics deliberate to “team up” with protection contractor Northrop Grumman in an try to “focus on aerospace technology and engineering in a positive way.” What ended up occurring as an alternative was Marvel canceling the partnership quickly after it was introduced, and the comedian meant to advertise this was as in unhealthy style because it sounded should you knew who Northrop Grumman was.

At time of writing, DisCon has but to talk on the partnership with Raytheon for the occasion. For now, followers are left feeling soured {that a} evening that ought to’ve been a couple of style they liked needed to brush up in opposition to a actuality they hate.

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