“Any work focusing on China, Taiwan, Tibet or other sensitive issues, he added, "needs to be highlighted so that we can determine if it is safe to put it on the ballot."”
Neil Gaiman, R.F. Kuang, Xiran Jay Zhao and Paul Weimer earned enough votes to be Hugo finalists and were ruled ineligible. Leaked emails show jury head Dave McCarty vetting books, reviews and social media for “negatives of China” before the Chengdu Worldcon. Kuang’s “Babel” appears to have been dropped for being set in China. Nobody in Beijing had to ask. Fan volunteers censored their own award in advance.