Became an American Retro Novelist - Chapter 225



Only Noblemtl

225.

Early morning at the Guns and Sword Magazine offices.

Vice President Archibald Pfeiffer, who went home after a busy schedule and came back only to change clothes, immediately asked this question to a new employee nearby as soon as he entered the office.

“Are the results out?”

“Ah, what······?”

A new employee tilting his head, not understanding what is being said.

Just then, Arthur Reynolds, the editor who had been chatting nearby, answered.

“If it’s the Hugo Award results, they won’t be out until later in the evening.”

“is it so?”

“Yes, I think it would be okay if you took a nap and came back.”

“That can’t be. I have plans today too.”

Archibald checked the time and calculated in his head what he had to do today.

Today, too, this workaholic with nothing but work on his mind was not one to do things in moderation. However, even he was so eagerly waiting for the results that the ‘Hugo Award’ was a big deal. The ‘Losers’ series, which he personally distributed, was a strong candidate for this year’s award.

The result was something that not only Archibald but all the staff at Guns and Swords magazine were waiting for. It wasn’t for any particular reason related to the company’s profits, but simply because they wanted the writer Shin to win the Hugo Award in addition to the Nebula Award.

Arthur Reynolds realized the situation, smiled and opened his mouth.

“Wow, we invited such an incredible person to our magazine.”

“······Is that it?”

Archibald was usually the type of person who would never engage in such conversations, but today was different.

I became curious about the position that new writers occupy in American society today.

“Yes. The Nebula Award. With just this one thing, Shin has already emerged as a young writer who is receiving attention all over America through the ‘Losers’ series. Many experts and genre fans are watching him. In fact, I heard that since winning the Nebula Award, many magazines across the country have been requesting his work and making collaboration proposals. And······.”

“There?”

“You’re really smart. You’re currently working on many of those requests.”

After all, being in the position of editor-in-chief meant being able to learn a variety of information.

Arthur knew better than anyone that the new writer was running like a train without stopping, publishing all the short stories he had been writing in various magazines across America. And because of that, the name of the hard-boiled publisher was also rising.

“Also, this collaboration with DC Comics is extraordinary.”

Arthur, too, thought it was quite clever.

DC Comics was a major comics company that almost no one in the United States would not know the name of. The fact that they had a direct contract with them and were publishing comics and novels at the same time seemed to imply, whether intentional or not, that they were trying to use the power of DC Comics to reach out to people all over the United States.

Archibald nodded, reading Arthur’s gaze and asked.

“Did you say ‘Kung-fury’?”

“Yes. Isn’t that work causing a stir? Isn’t it being used as a book report in school classes? Isn’t it increasing the number of people signing up for kung fu schools? At least in California, it’s almost like a social phenomenon. And it will probably continue to do so.”

Arthur, who had already purchased and read all the comics and novels, spoke with confidence.

‘Kung-fury’ was not just a simple superhero story. It was a work that strongly permeated the message of the writer Shin, who threw it into modern society while wearing the mask of ‘genre’. Nevertheless, it was very impressive that it did not miss the ‘attractive characters and strong narrative’ that are the most important in superhero stories.

“I think something interesting might happen.”

“We may also need to prepare for distribution of ‘Princess Quest’.”

Unlike Arthur, who was excited as a fanboy of genre fiction, Archibald analyzed the situation purely from a business perspective.

After forcibly wrapping up the conversation and returning to his office, he briefly frowned as a thought lingered in his mind.

‘god.’

There was one part of his behavior that I just now couldn’t understand.

Why did he distribute the second part of the ‘Losers’ series through somewhere other than Noir Publishing?

But the conversation just now seemed to have shed some light on that question.

Judging from his contract with DC Comics, Shin doesn’t seem to want to form a strong bond with any major publisher.

In fact, it was a very strange behavior. Considering the terms of the contract and the way of working, it was common to continue working with big companies like Noir Publishers, Penguin House, and DC Comics and build strong relationships.

‘What on earth are you thinking?’

Archibald couldn’t help but feel that one question had been answered, but another followed.

***

······I never expected it would actually appear.

“Do-mo! It’s zero.”

On top of that, he even said something strange.

September 1st, the 3rd day of Worldcone.

While I was doing the last autograph session before the awards ceremony, a man cosplaying as Zero from ‘Kung-fury’ appeared in front of me and asked for my autograph.

“Oh, hello.”

I felt absurd and at the same time a hint of laughter.

Just a black outfit that looked like it came from some decent martial arts school, with a hood made of cloth. But regardless of the quality, I was happy just by the fact that he had made the clothes for the character I had created in such a short period of time.

I said this to him as I signed.

“That’s really cool.”

“Do-mo!”

“······Ah, the word ‘domo’. What does it mean?”

“Yes, Do-mo!”

······It seemed like a word that could probably mean anything in Japanese.

Many writers who know about ‘Kung-fury’, besides me, burst out laughing when they saw that scene.

The more this happened, the more confidently the man imitated Zero and continued to receive autographs. After he finished signing, he walked around the venue and seemed to be having fun with people.

‘Good.’

Even when Doofy dressed up as Tony from ‘About T’, I was able to see firsthand how fans who love my work were not only moved but also enjoyed creating secondary works themselves.

It was really cool.

After finishing the autograph session, which was the last scheduled event, we returned to our hotel room and waited, but soon after, the organizers asked us to move to the Hilton Hotel.

The Hugo Awards voting had been completed in the morning, and the counting was finally over, so it was time to proceed with the awards ceremony.

“······Shall we go, Author?”

Somehow Simon looked more nervous than me.

“Would you, would you like to do that?”

······That doesn’t mean I wasn’t nervous though.

After putting on the suits we had brought in advance, we quickly walked out of the Marriott Marquis Hotel and headed to the Hilton Hotel, which was a five-minute walk away.

The awards ceremony venue, which took up the entire top floor, had a very formal atmosphere. Large round tables that could seat about ten people were placed here and there, and the invited writers and editors were sitting there. In addition, there was even broadcast filming equipment set up in the back of the venue.

After entering the venue wearing our name tag necklaces, Simon and I sat in seats that were reasonably visible and greeted people at our table while waiting for the awards ceremony to begin.

Worldcone is not just a booth, but also a performance-style event, which is filmed here and broadcast on local broadcasts or even sold as a video. There are skits and performances prepared by the writers themselves, and even a cosplay fashion show by ordinary participants.

Then, at the end, an awards ceremony was held.

‘It’s certainly much larger than the Nebula itself.’

If the Nebula Awards felt like an event for a small group of SFWA members, this Worldcon felt more like a gathering of people who enjoy the SF genre.

And at the end, the ‘Hugo Award’ ceremony was held, which was decided by a vote of fans.

[Okay, then. We will now hold the 33rd Hugo Awards ceremony.]

In a reasonably light atmosphere, Toastmaster Bob Shaw appeared and announced the nominations and results for each award.

Each winner, unable to hide their joy, went up to the stage to receive their rocket-shaped trophy, gave their prepared remarks, and then returned to their seats.

As the awards were announced one by one, I felt more and more nervous. I couldn’t count how many bottles of water I drank because my throat was so parched.

Following the Nebula Award, he won the Hugo Award.

There aren’t many works that have won two prestigious awards, each with its own history and tradition. Could my ‘Losers’ series really do that?

As the tension built, time passed and the final award, ‘Best Feature Film’, was announced.

As the candidates were announced, the name of my ‘Losers’ series was also mentioned. By that time, I felt my heart beating faster and faster. Simon, sitting next to me, also became completely frozen and couldn’t even breathe properly, waiting for the result of our work.

And the results were announced.

[The 33rd Hugo Award winner for Best Novel is······ Shin’s ‘Losers’ series.]

My heart, which had been beating fast, literally ‘exploded’.

Clap clap clap clap clap-!

Amidst the thunderous applause, I turned around to see if what I had just heard was correct, and saw Simon looking at me with tears in his eyes.

“Okay, okay, okay, you’re a writer!”

He was so surprised that he couldn’t even utter proper words despite his overwhelming emotions.

“Congratulations!”

“Congratulations!”

“Go, thank you.”

I stood up from my seat and was congratulated directly by the writers at the same table. I went up to the stage, feeling a little dazed. Then I was handed the Hugo Award trophy with my name and the title of my work written on it. My hands trembled without me knowing, and only then did I realize the weight of it.

The ‘Losers’ series won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards.

The whole of America was paying attention to the science fiction novel written by the author of the name.

A flash, a hand rising up.

I thought it was an unusual reaction for my normally polite self, but I couldn’t help it.

I was that happy.

It was a wonderful night.

***

After the awards ceremony, which included the ‘Best Feature’ award, Worldcon took my Hugo Award trophy back and returned it to me, carefully packing it in a sturdy box to prevent it from getting damaged.

After we grabbed it and left the awards ceremony, Simon and I headed straight to the Atlanta airport to catch an overnight flight back to California.

It seemed like many writers wanted to spend another day there to socialize with each other, but unfortunately I didn’t have time.

‘Because school has already started.’

Fall semester of third year.

Now was the turning point of my college life.

I spoke to Professor Edward MacMillan separately and agreed to replace classes until September 2nd with outside activities, but the next day was a tough one, so I had to hurry back. It was a really busy schedule, but I was secretly grateful that I could do it.

Hugo Award followed by Nebula Award.

Standing before that glory, I suddenly remembered the moment when I was writing this novel.

Part 1 and Part 2 were not easy novels to write. It required a delicate process of processing sentences and stories to convey my knowledge and thoughts to people.

But whenever I had a hard time, Simon, who is sitting next to me in business class, helped me a lot as an editor. From suggesting ideas from a different perspective, to managing the business, to giving me nitpicky psychological advice.

I opened my mouth, grateful for that fact.

“Simon.”

“Yes, author.”

The editor who was so shocked when I received the award that he couldn’t even say a word, but now he seems genuine and even proud.

I reached out my hand, feeling the dullness of the high pressure.

“Thank you so much for always being there to help me.”

“I am also happy to be able to assist someone like you, author.”

Simon smiled brightly and shook my hand.

A relationship that can no longer be separated.

He said in an expectant voice.

“If I go back to the office, something big will happen?”

“What if it’s something big?”

“Miss Brown will be constantly on the phone. Since you won the Nebula Award and the Hugo Award, you’ll be getting calls from all sorts of companies congratulating you, and they’ll all be desperate to get your manuscript. Haha, it’ll take a week just to process that.”

“I wish I had two bodies.”

“The author is actually doing that kind of work!”

From short stories that are currently being published in various magazines across the country to the recent work ‘Kung-fury’ that is much loved by fans, many people are enjoying and waiting for my work.

I thought to myself, smiling amidst Simon’s torrent of praise.

‘I wish I had more than one real body.’

Like Zero, the cyborg ninja from ‘Kung-fury’.

In this novel, Kung-Fury’s greatest adversary was not a single ‘entity’.

That’s why even the person who came dressed in Zero’s costume today muttered, “It’s a bit disappointing that I’m alone.” He said that if there were many people gathered together, they would have been able to fully express Zero’s force.

After Zero breaks into the White House, the United States declares a state of emergency, labels him a terrorist, and declares that they will do everything in their power to solve the problem.

Citizens are anxious, and each hero and police officer do their best to expand the investigation net to catch Zero.

But the situation gets even worse because of one piece of information that the White House intentionally withheld.

That was the fact that Zero had the ‘ability to steal the super powers of superheroes’.

Zero appears in front of ‘Shadow Walker’, a superhero who uses the ability to hide in the shadows.

But he wasn’t ‘one’. At the same time, superheroes from each state faced him.

Ice Pick, a superhero with the ability to freeze the atmosphere.

Firestorm, a superhero with the ability to manipulate fire.

Finally, there’s just a superhero with some strength, Kung-Fury.

That day, all but one of the attacked superheroes had their powers stripped away.