Renay (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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ladybusiness2013-09-16 08:24 pm
renay) wrote in ladybusiness2013-09-16 08:24 pm
However Much Vodka It Takes to Soothe Your Wounds
Trigger warning.
I wrote an article in Strange Horizons. Several people had a meltdown and decided to ensure I would avoid them and their work for the next forever, and I sincerely hope it's mutual. Additionally, several authors, editors, and reviewers I used to have a lot of respect for have pretty effectively convinced me that part of SF fandom may not be meant for me, which is fine. Keep it, folks; it's yours!
There's finally started to be some discussion rather than Twitter fury, but of course I spent all weekend gaping at the Twitter fury that wouldn't stop. I watched the community "defend" authors against a pseudonymous, no-name fan (I'm extremely dangerous and hold a lot of social sway—oh wait), watched my own words used mockingly and retweeted by people being kind to my face (really??? dude, I can still see that shit, you're not subtle), and witnessed yet another fap fest over reviews (this was never meant to be about reviews; intent doesn't matter; the author is dead). I was pretty done as soon as I received the first piece of vile commentary where someone offered to put their dick in my mouth because I was being too mouthy, as you do. BUT HEY, SEXISM IS OVER. This is what people who write in any mainstream capacity put up with (besides the sexism stuff; I know about that part)? I'm exhausted and I can't even. What a shitshow.
Strange Horizons is my first mainstream gig. I was always going to go through this. I was prepared! Spoiler: you are never prepared. At the very least, it's been an adventure. My next article is going to be about bunnies. Cute, fluffy, space bunnies. I swear I will find a way to make it work. Niall just started weeping and doesn't know why.
I did want to highlight some awesome things I think came out of this:
1. Fans: You got your fannish preconceptions all over my critic's space — I really, really like this. I disagree with it (our perspectives and how we've experienced the community are so different!), but I like it. :D
2. You Knew This Industry Blogger Wasn’t Going to Keep His Mouth Shut — Justin's opinion, which I admit I wanted from the very beginning. Can I blame him for the original column? It's a little bit his fault, like 5%, but hell, next time, I'm just going to send him an email.
3. Rose Fox's comments in particular on The Book Smugglers post related to this issue, which has a good range of other comments, too (Ana and Thea, I am still so very sorry.).
4. Deloper of the Author — I needed a dictionary for some of this, but it's really fascinating.
5. Authors and Bloggers and Fans, Oh My — Easing my mind that some of my points made it through. Yay. :)
Writing! It's like gambling with your peace of mind. On the plus side, at least you can do it with no pants, which makes up for all the hard parts. Cheers, SF fandom. Cheers.
(ETA)
I wrote an article in Strange Horizons. Several people had a meltdown and decided to ensure I would avoid them and their work for the next forever, and I sincerely hope it's mutual. Additionally, several authors, editors, and reviewers I used to have a lot of respect for have pretty effectively convinced me that part of SF fandom may not be meant for me, which is fine. Keep it, folks; it's yours!
There's finally started to be some discussion rather than Twitter fury, but of course I spent all weekend gaping at the Twitter fury that wouldn't stop. I watched the community "defend" authors against a pseudonymous, no-name fan (I'm extremely dangerous and hold a lot of social sway—oh wait), watched my own words used mockingly and retweeted by people being kind to my face (really??? dude, I can still see that shit, you're not subtle), and witnessed yet another fap fest over reviews (this was never meant to be about reviews; intent doesn't matter; the author is dead). I was pretty done as soon as I received the first piece of vile commentary where someone offered to put their dick in my mouth because I was being too mouthy, as you do. BUT HEY, SEXISM IS OVER. This is what people who write in any mainstream capacity put up with (besides the sexism stuff; I know about that part)? I'm exhausted and I can't even. What a shitshow.
Strange Horizons is my first mainstream gig. I was always going to go through this. I was prepared! Spoiler: you are never prepared. At the very least, it's been an adventure. My next article is going to be about bunnies. Cute, fluffy, space bunnies. I swear I will find a way to make it work. Niall just started weeping and doesn't know why.
I did want to highlight some awesome things I think came out of this:
1. Fans: You got your fannish preconceptions all over my critic's space — I really, really like this. I disagree with it (our perspectives and how we've experienced the community are so different!), but I like it. :D
2. You Knew This Industry Blogger Wasn’t Going to Keep His Mouth Shut — Justin's opinion, which I admit I wanted from the very beginning. Can I blame him for the original column? It's a little bit his fault, like 5%, but hell, next time, I'm just going to send him an email.
3. Rose Fox's comments in particular on The Book Smugglers post related to this issue, which has a good range of other comments, too (Ana and Thea, I am still so very sorry.).
4. Deloper of the Author — I needed a dictionary for some of this, but it's really fascinating.
5. Authors and Bloggers and Fans, Oh My — Easing my mind that some of my points made it through. Yay. :)
Writing! It's like gambling with your peace of mind. On the plus side, at least you can do it with no pants, which makes up for all the hard parts. Cheers, SF fandom. Cheers.
(ETA)
no subject
Also WOW - I thought it might stir some discussion but WOW. The Welcome signs... I know you think that could be a good consequence and I'm sure it will be. It's just the posts that go with those signs at the mo.
no subject
A lot of those bloggers are misrepresenting my argument. I'm glad they support authors in their space. I never said they couldn't, or that authors didn't belong there if they wanted them there. I've been waiting for someone to show me the part where I said authors weren't allowed to leave comments on reviews so I can clarify and apologize. I've asked several people for feedback on that point. But as far as I can tell, they're using a twisted version of my argument in order to play the part of the defenders of bullied and silenced authors (whose fannishness I've deliberately stripped away from them) who've been ordered to stay away from their blogs by a third party. They've invented a problem that didn't exist and provided a solution which makes them look empathetic and villainized the opposing "side" (which still, even now, doesn't exist).
I wish them well with their signs. I don't even think they're necessarily a bad idea, but as long as they remain in that form, surrounded by the problematic context of their genesis, I don't think they're healthy. They should be an action to welcoming authors and not a reaction to a some skewed version of my thesis. If I see the later I will gladly support it, but I am going to be dubious engaging with or linking to blogs that have the former for awhile.