We all know about the whole Sad Puppies movement and how the Hugo awards (along with pretty much every award) have been ruined to the point where all you have to do to win an award is write some garbage and whine about men (especially white men). I still remember when I was called racist for questioning the fact that N.K. Jemison who can't seem to give any speech/interview without whining about race won the Hugo three years in a row for writing books about oppressed aliens aka thinly veiled modern day talking points. All I said was that the Hugos had become very political (I'm sure they always were to a point but not this ridiculous) and that I find it hard to believe that she could win 3 straight but not Clarke, Asimov, or Heinlein.
She also said one of the dumbest things: "when you guys (meaning white males) win it is meritocracy, but when I win, it's identity politics". I'm sure she would be the darling of the Hugo/Nebula circuit if she was a black woman who was a hardcore Trump supporter.
I was wondering if anyone has tried to make new awards for the best books? I can remember one year Orson Scott Card had the best book but he didn't win any awards. I know a lot of writers and comic book writers have gone independent which seems to be the way to go. I try to support what I can when I hear about it, but pretty much stick to older books and comic books now.
It just makes me so mad how our hobbies have been infiltrated from the inside out, and I can remember not thinking too much about it when I first started hearing calls for more diversity or the whining that there were too many white males in a hobby. I would say to anyone that if everyone has to look like you or there has to be a perfect diversity in your hobbies then find that hobby and leave ours alone. There are plenty of women and minorities who enjoy things because they actually like the hobby, but for some reasons morons like Kathleen Kennedy and people in charge at companies like Amazon don't see it.
There have been some comic book/sci-fi groups where I was the only black guy but I didn't care because I wanted to be around people who loved Sci-Fi. I think at this point it is too late to do any gatekeeping.
I do remember asking one feminist who was whining about "sexist tropes" in Wheel of Time and Song of Ice and Fire why she doesn't just read female authors and stop reading male authors since she has no interest in enjoying them but just wants to crap all over the greats of the past. She cussed me out. Still I'm glad I asked her.
Hobbies, a subcategory of culture, are just one battleground. It is the "Long March Through the Institutions".
The marxists don't care about the hobby or the corporation or Dr Seuss, it is just a means to forward their agenda. Their only objective is to subvert or destroy anything that isn't controlled by them. Their tactic is to call it racists/sexist until either they control it, or the institution is "tainted" (destroyed) so it is no longer culturally significant.
If you want to know more James Lindsey has HOURS of summarizing their literature: https://newdiscourses.com/category/audio/
His solution of doubling down on liberalism is crap but his description of the problem is on point.
I now pick hobbies that don't get infiltrated or have decentralized alternative parallel structures. The higher the physical, mental, practical, moral effort required, the less attractive it is to freeloaders.
Examples: Firearms, auto repair, ham radio, assembly language, carnivore, True Christianity, volcanoes, etc.
Science fiction and fantasy is easy for the left to invade since they live in a escapism fantasy world anyway and literature can be subjective. Realize that most of the science fiction/fantasy authors throughout the history of the genre were leftists or were accepting of LGBTBBQ and pedophiles.
So find the parallel to the mainstream. Read the authors on the right and the other authors they suggest if you require escapism. Do not give money to the "system" or those that hate you.
You are correct in that activities with a barrier to entry help keep subversives from participating. On an individual level the way to avoid a lot of the madness is to gatekeep yourself to hobbies/pursuits that don't attract parasites.
But the fight isn't within the activity itself, it is in the community surrounding the activity. The forum moderation, the professional associations, the awards committees, the standards bodies, the industry/hobby publications, etc. This is work that active individuals don't want to do because it is boring and bureaucratic, but the parasites flock to because it gives them unearned power over others.
Your options are to totally isolate yourself, or to be prepared to fight against subversion every day. It really is tiresome and the enemy relies on good people to retreat when they have had enough. The commies don't quit because they have nothing else in their lives. They are energized by spite and sadism so every petty tyranny they inflict motivates them further.
I’m more involved in my church now and read a lot of older stuff. Also started following carnivore stuff. Have you read the book Dont Give Money you People Who Hate You?
Thanks!