Erfworld Books 3 & 4

Erfworld (https://www.erfworld.com/erf\_stream/books) is a web comic about a cartoon-like world operating under the rules of a turn-based fantasy strategy game, where various sides engage in near-constant warfare with one another.  Parson A. Gotti is a gamer from Columbus, Ohio, who is magically summoned to Erfworld to serve as Chief Warlord for the side of Gobwin Knob under the (mis-)leadership of Stanley the Tool.  The frequent in-world reflections of US pop culture cause Parson to wonder at one point in Book 1 whether the whole world is somehow taking place in his imagination as he lies unconscious back on Earth.  But he ultimately comes to accept the world as real, and take the lives and deaths of the characters he encounters seriously.

## Eligibility Issue: Can Books 3&4 be nominated together as a single 2018 work?

Very likely. The story in books 3 & 4 were originally conceived as a single book that was split into two when the story got too long for physical publication in one volume. The general rule is that serially published works (except for Best Series, which has its own rules) are eligible in the year their last segment is published, with web publication counting as publication. Under this rule, Book 4 standalone would clearly be eligible (its last page was published in 2018), and Book 3 standalone would not (what turned out to be its last page was published in 2016). Books 3 & 4 nominated as a single combined work (on the same line on the ballot) would probably be allowed. If not, the Hugo administrators would probably convert any such nominations into standalone nominations for Book 4.

Three arguments for why I believe it is better to nominate Books 3 & 4 together: (1) they were originally conceived as a single work; (2) in my opinion, the two books combined are a stronger work than book 4 standalone; (3) there was no previous year in which book 3 was eligible as a standalone work. It was not eligible as a 2016 work (when what turned out to be the last page was published) because no one knew at the time that it was the last page until Rob Balder's announcement on July 3, 2017, well after the Hugo nominating deadline had passed, and it would not have been eligible as a 2017 work because its last page had been published in 2016. Therefore, 2018 is the first year that any part of Book 3 has been eligible for Hugo consideration, as a combined work with Book 4, and that is how I recommend that people nominate it.

## Background (For those who want to start reading at Book 3; some spoilers for major plot points of earlier books)

In Books 3 & 4, Parson turns to diplomacy after the near-disaster at the Battle of Spacerock that took place in Book 2.  The mysterious, corporate-talking mercenary frenemy Charlie, who was secretly backing the anti-Gobwin Knob coalition in Book 2, has moved into open opposition with an attempt on Parson’s life.  Other sides continue to fear the world-destabilizing power of decryption that Gobwin Knob’s Chief Croakamancer, Wanda Firebaugh, gained at the end of Book 1 by attuning to the Arkenpliers (one of several tools used by the Titans to create Erfworld).  Decryption allows her to raise dead bodies with their memories and abilities intact, but loyalty turned towards her (decrypted who are croaked again do not leave bodies behind, so this is a one-time each resurrection).  Meanwhile, tensions are rising within the Magic Kingdom over Parson’s introduction of a force of decrypted bodyguards into this previously neutral refuge for magic users of all sides.

Parson seeks to divide the enemy coalition, and also makes common cause with the Great Minds That Think Alike, the leaders of the Thinkamancers guild who see Charlie as both a professional rival and a secret threat to the stability of Erfworld.  But the Great Minds have their own agendas, and some of them see Parson as nearly as big a future threat to Erfworld as Charlie himself.   Meanwhile, Jillian, former lover of both Wanda and the now-decrypted Prince Ansom of Jetstone, has re-established the ancient kingdom of Faq with secret help from Charlie and the open support of the Kingdom of Transylvito, establishing herself as Queen.  She was present at the beginning of the Battle of Spacerock, but left after capturing Ansom rather than fight Wanda directly.  She is now leading a raid deep into Gobwin Knob territory.