Jim C. Hines's Blog, page 181

Realms Betting Pool

Alternate Title: Two Blog Posts in One Day?  Jim Must be Cranky…

I loved Realms of Fantasy.  I sold them three stories during their first incarnation, and I was sad to see them go under.  Then Warren Lapine stepped in, and Realms was reborn once again.

It lasted a year or so, and while the magazine never felt quite the same, at least it lived on … until Lapine announced the end of Realms last month.

But Realms is back again, this time picked up by Damnation Books!  Hooray!  Long live Realms of–

Wait, what?  Well no, I haven't actually checked out the Damnation Books web site, but … er.  I see what you mean.  Well, it's just a web site, right?  My agent's site was a bit behind-the-times for a while, and he's an awesome agent.  It's not like Damnation Books has been on the Preditors & Editors warning list, or–

Sorry, what was that?  Oh.  I see. 

Well, The P&E link doesn't have any detailed information, so maybe that's outdated.  Absolute Write is another good watchdog group, and if they haven't said anything negative about–  Ah.  You don't say.  Thanks for those links, Toby.

Okay, look, that's all in the past.  It's not like Damnation is taking their first steps as Realms' new owners by getting overly defensive, running around to pick fights and play the victim with anyone who dares to criticize their–

Seriously?  You're kidding, right?  Oh, for God's sake.

All right, I give up.  I'll take June, 2011 for the betting pool.  Anyone else care to jump in and guess when this new incarnation will crash and burn, or otherwise fall so far as to be unrecognizable from its former glory?

Don't get me wrong.  I loved this magazine, and I'd love to be proven wrong about all this.  But the attitude in those comments is something I've seen many times, and it does not give me hope.

Wednesday Updates

The Snow Queen's Shadow [Amazon | B&N | Mysterious Galaxy] has a release date!  According to Amazon and confirmed by my editor, the fourth and final princess book comes out on July 5, 2011.

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I stumbled across the German cover art for Red Hood's Revenge, by Paulo Toledo .  Click the thumbnail for a larger view.  This one will be out in June of 2011.

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Apparently this is the week for covers.  On that same day, I found the Czech cover art for Stepsister Scheme.  They're recycling the art Scott Fischer did for the DAW edition, but it's interesting to see that cover with the Czech title and a different font.

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Windycon is this weekend.  The pocket program is posted here.  My schedule looks like so:

Saturday, 1:00 p.m.  Walnut Room: Reading
Saturday, 3:00 p.m.  Autograph Table
Saturday, 8:00 p.m.  Lilac D: Urban Fantasy - Bringing Ancient Legends to Life
Sunday, 10:00 a.m.  Lilac D: Down Among the Roots - The Origins of the Fae

Any suggestions for my reading?  I was thinking of trying the goblins/zombies story…

This is What Asperger's Looks Like

During the sexual harassment discussion, one commenter said certain elements of SF/F fandom simply lack social graces, and you're going to run into these drooling Asperger types.  It's not their fault. All you can really do is avoid them and try to warn others.

I'm not linking to the comment, because several people have already confronted the commenter (including an excellent post by Mrissa here).  I'm certain it wasn't intended to be hurtful.  It's the kind of comment I've heard many times, and I know it's not malicious.

But it hurts.

I'm having a hard time being my normal, "reasonable" self about this.  My son was diagnosed with Asperger's early this year.  He's high-functioning, but there was no question about the diagnosis.  It's been months, and I'm still adjusting and learning.  But I know one thing — my son is Fucking Awesome.

Let me show you one example of what Asperger's looks like:

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That's my son Jackson in his Halloween costume, vanquishing one of our neighbors.  (Everyone knows the gorilla is the natural enemy of the Italian plumber, right?)

Jackson does struggle socially.  I remember picking him up from preschool last year, asking how his day went, and fighting tears when he said, "Nobody wants to play with me."  Most days I'd find him playing by himself in a corner. He has meltdowns when routines get broken without warning.  He can also be overly physical and affectionate sometimes, and we've had to work with him on that, but he's learning where the boundaries are.

He struggles physically as well.  He's 5 and a half, and still can't ride a bike.  He's in physical and occupational therapy every week.  He runs laps in the house most nights.  Lately, he's started whipping his hands around as a form of self-stimulation.

He's Fucking Awesome.

He's in kindergarten now, and he's making progress.  He's starting to learn how to get along with other kids.  We visited some friends a few weeks ago, and he spent four hours playing with their five-year-old, with only a few minor, typical squabbles.  I don't know how to explain how much that meant to me.

The harasser from WFC?  That was someone who knows to behave one way in public and another when he has a woman alone.  That's someone with social awareness.  Hell, many abusers and harassers have very advanced social skills.  I remember the first time I sat in on a batterer's group, and how terrifyingly charming these guys were.  These are not people who simply lack social skills or don't know how to behave due to autistic spectrum disorders.

I've heard it before.  Cons and fandom are full of Aspies who can't communicate save through Monty Python jokes.  Really?  Because Asperger's Syndrome is an actual diagnosis, with fairly strict criteria that include more than simple social awkwardness.  Like sensory issues.  (Jackson sometimes asks me to squeeze him, because the physical pressure is comforting.)

I had a rough time in school.  My social skills sucked.  But I didn't have Asperger's.  I was just a geek.  Smart and awkward and doing my best to get through the day without having my books knocked out of my hands.

I'm not sure when or why it became "cool" for people in fandom to self-diagnose as Aspies, or to misuse that label as shorthand for the awkward, unwashed masses, but I wish it would stop.  It's hurtful.  It reinforces attitudes and false stereotypes that make life harder for those who actually have autistic spectrum disorders.

My son has Asperger's.  He's not some filthy, drooling fool.  I don't believe he's going to grow up to become a harasser.  He's a brilliant, energetic, loving little kid.  He remembers passages from books and movies, and can recite them word for word months later.  He loves superheroes and Mario and Transformers, and watching animated LEGO videos on YouTube.  He's excited about coming to his first convention with his Daddy this month.

And he's Fucking Awesome.

Reporting Sexual Harassment in SF/F

Last week, I described a conversation I had with several different people at World Fantasy Con about an editor known for sexually harassing women. This generated a lot of discussion. At one point I remarked that someone should put together resources and contact information for anyone who's been harassed and wanted to report it.

A moment later it occurred to me that, "Hey … I'm someone.  I could do that."

I want to make it as clear as I can that if you've been sexually harassed, it's your choice whether or not to report that harassment.  It's not an easy choice, and I obviously can't guarantee the outcome.  But I can tell you that if someone has harassed you, it's 99% certain that he (or she) has done it to others.  You're not alone.

Reporting to Publishers:

As a general rule, if you've been sexually harassed by an editor or another employee of a publisher, complaints can be directed to the publisher's H.R. department.  Please note that reporting to H.R. will usually trigger a formal, legal response.

I've also spoken to people at several publishers to get names and contact information for complaints, both formal and informal.  I've put asterisks by the publishers where I spoke with someone directly.

Ace: See Penguin, below.
Baen*: Toni Weisskopf, toni -at- baen.com. From Toni, "You would come to me with any complaint about the company."
DAW*: Sheila Gilbert (sheila.gilbert -at- us.penguingroup.com) or Betsy Wolheim.  (I'm told Sheila tends to handle more of the staffing issues.)
Del Rey (and Spectra): Unknown
Harper Collins: feedback2 -at- harpercollins.com
Penguin: Contact page links to an e-mail submission form.
Random House: Contact page has some info.
Roc: See Penguin, above.
Tor*: H.R. Department.  Concerns can also be brought to Beth Meacham, Executive Editor at bam -at- panix.com (or beth.meacham -at- tor.com). From Beth, "I promise confidentiality, advice, and contact information should the victim wish to proceed to more serious legal action."

Publishers - I would love to expand this list with better information.  Please contact me .

Reporting to Conventions:

Often harassment doesn't come from editors, but from authors or other fans.  If this happens at a convention, another option is to contact the convention committee.  Many (but not all) conventions are now including harassment policies in the program books.

A convention committee doesn't have the same power as an employer.  However, if harassment is reported at a convention, the individual may be confronted or asked to leave.  In addition, reporting harassment by guests (authors, editors, etc.) is very helpful to the convention in deciding who not to invite back.

For example, to report harassment which occurred at World Fantasy Con 2010, I would start at their web site.  From the names listed, I would personally start with Lucy Snyder, simply because she's someone I know and trust.

To convention staff, I would ask and encourage you to make sure you have a harassment policy in place, and equally importantly, that your volunteers are aware of that policy and willing to enforce it when necessary.

The Con Anti-Harassment Project includes a list of SF/F conventions and their sexual harassment policies, where available.

What to Expect:

Ideally, someone who was sexually harassed could report it and expect to be treated with respect.  Her or his concerns would be taken seriously, and all possible steps would be taken to make sure the behavior did not happen again, and that the offender understood such behavior was unacceptable.  Disciplinary action would be taken when appropriate.

This is not a perfect world.  Employers are required to follow the laws and their own policies, which may mean a report results in nothing more than a warning (particularly if this is the first report of harassment).  And of course, there's always the T.D. factor.  You might contact a member of the convention committee, only to discover that they are (in the words of George Takei) a Total Douchebag who blows you off or tells you to get over it.

That said, when I first posted about this, everyone who responded expressed that such behavior was unacceptable.  And there were a lot of responses, from fans, authors, editors, con staff, and agents.

As a rape counselor, I learned how powerful and important it can be to break the silence around assault and harassment.  However, it's always your choice whether or not to report.  Making that report will be stressful.  It can be empowering.  It may or may not have visible results.  First and foremost, please do whatever is necessary to take care of yourself.

Other Resources:

The Back Up Project
The Con Anti-Harassment Project

Please contact me if you know of related resources which should be included here.

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I will be updating this page as needed, and doing my best to keep the resources and information up to date.  Feedback and suggestions are welcome.

First Book Friday: David Anthony Durham

Welcome to First Book Friday .  I missed last week on account of World Fantasy Con, and because my Journalpress plugin has been giving me grief.

But we're back!  Today we have the ever-awesome David Anthony Durham, another genre-jumping author who didn't start out writing fantasy.  He's the winner of the 2009 Campbell Award, has been praised by everyone from the NY Times to the LA Times, has sold movie options for at least three of his books, and is pretty much kicking ass and taking names.

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First, the romantic part…

I wrote my first published novel, Gabriel's Story [B&N |  Mysterious Galaxy | Amazon], while living in an attic apartment in a small city near the French Alps. I'd been married for about a year. My wife had secured work for a ski company based in France. While she went to work, I got to stay at home and work on writing my novel. Kinda cool, yeah?

Now some other details…

My wife was pregnant. She was supporting me, but only for eight to nine months. After that, I had to get a frickin job. I probably should have had one already, as her income barely paid our bills. Each day I turned off the heat when she went out to work. Through the winter, I wrote with fingerless gloves on, watching the computer screen through plumes of my own breath. I'd already written two novels that had been roundly rejected by more publishers than I care to remember. I was intent on writing a publishable novel, but it seemed a very real possibility that life was about to demand other things of me. The fact that I was writing a 19th century African-American literary Western didn't help much either.

"A what?" you might ask. Let me explain.

In addition to always wanting to be a writer, I had always loved studying history. I was fascinated by the settlement of the American West, and surprised to discover how much a part of it black people were. Former slaves didn't just head north after the Civil War. They went west too, for the same reasons as white settlers. As an African-American that had just come from a long season of raft guiding in the West, this stuff greatly interested me. (Yeah, back then we got around a lot.)

I combined that historical information with a story I'd been working on in a contemporary setting. One of those first two novels was a coming of age tale of a trouble African-American kid, a boy going into adolescence with major chips on his shoulders. It was literary, character-driven, heavy on family issues and unrelentingly sad. It's no surprise I couldn't get the thing published.

I took some aspects of the coming of age story and I blended them with my interest in the American West. I transported key characters from 1980's Baltimore to 1870's Kansas, and a funny thing happened. The novel took off. Suddenly, it had a plot that included murder and cattle rustling, desert chases and shootouts and a finale that tied everything together in one suspenseful moment. It was a very different book than I'd been taught to write during my MFA program. It was better.

I sent it to an editor at Doubleday that had been a fan of one of my earlier novels. She liked it, and Doubleday made an offer not long after. Good thing, too, as that job in France had concluded. We were living in Scotland, our daughter had just been born, and I was working in a music shop, selling Brit-pop. The day after I got the book offer I quit. And a few days after that I got an agent!

That's the short story of my first novel. It wasn't until a few more books that I turned to writing about warrior princesses and banished sorcerers, mutated monsters and warfare in a made up world. But that's another story.

Thursday Updates

::Waves to the new readers::  Welcome, and please feel free to say hi and introduce yourselves.  Or not, if you prefer.  It's all good.

1. So, remember that goblins vs. zombies idea I was working on for an anthology invite?  I'm happy to announce that both editors liked "The Blue Corpse Corps."  I'll post details of the sale as soon as the contracts arrive.

2a. My thanks to everyone who's commented or e-mailed about Tuesday's post on sexual harassment.  I'm hoping to post a follow-up early next week with resources for reporting this behavior for those who choose to do so.  So far, I've heard from Baen, Tor, and DAW, all of whom state that this sort of harassment is unacceptable, and they would want to know if one of their editors or other employees was behaving in this way.  I'm working to get info from other publishers as well.

2b. I've also been contacted by convention committee members from several cons.  Based on those e-mails, I'm thinking it would also be helpful to write up a bit about convention sexual harassment policies.

3. Goblin Quest miniatures are on sale!  Garden Ninja Studios is running a sale through Christmas, knocking down the prices for their custom miniatures.  Because everyone wants goblins for Christmas, right?

4. I'll be in Ann Arbor this Sunday from 2-4 at a group signing at B&N.  Details on my web site.

5. Finally, and apropos of nothing, cake is good.  Except when people ruin it with coconut.  Why would anyone do that to a poor, helpless, delicious cake?

Editorial Boob

Yesterday I posted about the good that was WFC.  Today I wanted to talk about some of the bad and the ugly.

Over the course of the convention, I ended up talking to several different women about a particular editor from one of the major publishing houses.  Each one of these women, all of whom are writers, described how this editor would ogle their chests, give uninvited massages, or explicitly compliment them on their breasts.

The more I heard these stories and thought about them, the angrier I got.  Bad enough when a random creep at a con puts his hands on you without permission, or sits there leering at you.  What do you do, as a writer, when it's an editor?  Someone who might be able to give you your big break, but could also ruin you, at least at this particular house?

(Gosh, it's a good thing there's no sexism in SF/F anymore, eh?)

And what do I do?  I didn't witness this behavior first-hand.  Oh no, this guy was always perfectly civil around me.  Nor do I feel comfortable telling other people's stories for them.  Meaning … what?  I just write a vague post about editors who use their position to sexually harass writers?

So far, only a few other options have come to mind.

1. I can point out the back up project.  The project does make a good point that, "it is unlikely that a woman who is already being followed around a con hotel by a strange guy will feel as comfortable asking another strange guy to walk with her to her car as she would asking another woman."  But if you feel comfortable asking me for backup, I'll say yes.  And if I see this behavior, I'll do my best to challenge it.  (Hey, he's not my editor.  The dude has zero power over me…)

2. I can point out that he has little real power over anyone else, either.  Editors are not as powerful as they think.  The truth is, if you're a good writer, this guy isn't your only option.  There are other editors looking for good books, people who aren't harassing assholes.  And ultimately, if your writing isn't ready yet, then it doesn't matter how much he ogles and gropes you; he's not going to buy a book from you.  Either way, this individual has no actual power over you.

3. I can point out that you're not alone.  I know sometimes this sort of thing can make you feel alone, but if you've been harassed by some guy at a con or elsewhere, I guarantee you're not the only one he's done it to.

I suspect this sort of thing is often overlooked because people tell themselves it's not that bad.

I think it's bad enough.  It's an unforgivable abuse of one's position as editor.  It's an inexcusable way to behave toward others.  And it's not something that anyone should have to put up with.

Thoughts and discussion are welcome, as always.

WFC 2010

I never know how to write up a con.  The long list of names is rather dry, and I obsess over whether or not I forgot someone.  A detailed blow-by-blow is a bit much for anyone who didn't attend.  I could do a photo album, but that's a lot for a blog post.  (I've posted pics on Facebook in the WFC album. A few are also up on Twitpic.)  So maybe I'll just do a highlights reel.

Free book haul: Awesome.

Agents and Editors: Getting to meet Eddie and Jessie from JABberwocky?  Awesome.  Jessie came bearing contracts from France and a fan letter from Germany, which pushed the awesome up to eleven.

And I finally to meet Sheila Gilbert and Betsy Wolheim from DAW.  I spent many enjoyable hours with them and the rest of the DAW family, and oh yes, they spoiled me rotten

My Reading: I headed over about 15 minutes early and waited in the hallway, and all of these people kept showing up to wait with us.  After a while, I finally asked, "How many of you are here for my reading?"  I figured maybe Esther Friesner was doing a panel, or some other big name had something going on opposite my reading.

Everyone raised their hands.  We filled the freaking room!

And this was before everyone finished filtering in.  At the risk of overusing the word, it was indeed awesome.  My thanks to everyone who showed up!

Barcon: The bar frightened me.  So many authors and editors and agents and others packed together, spilling out into the passages…  I strayed into the edges of the bar scene once or twice, then fled screaming, the introversion circuits of my brain popping and sparking like a Mythbusters 4th of July experiment.

Avoiding Barcon: So I mostly dodged the bar and hung out elsewhere.  Had lovely lunches with Deanna Hoak and Marie Brennan.  Several nice chats with Laura Resnick.  Got to play a bit with the Buckell twins, who both gave me baby fistbumps before I left.  I loved these smaller conversations.

Mass Autographing: I missed most of the mass autographing, and I feel really bad about that.  The autographing was at 8:00.  But DAW had invited a few of us to dinner at 7:00, and the restaurant had lost the reservation, so it took 15-20 minutes just to get seated.  I apologize to anyone who was looking for me at the signing.  Please understand that I wanted to be there, and it's all DAW's fault.  They forced me to eat delicious lasagna.  I remember saying "Oh please stop giving me this wonderful chocolate and let us go to the signing", but you know publishers…

The Voyage Home: All too soon, it was Sunday, time for Catherine Shaffer and I to head back so I could get home in time for Trick or Treating.  We were both exhausted, and had a very giggly drive in which we discussed everything from obscene puppetry to certain people's plans to save the world to the fact that Doselle Young is an alien.  To thank me for driving, she treated me to White Castle.

Yeah.  Next time she can just walk

This was a very different experience from my last WFC in 2002.  I actually knew people this time, and was known by even more, which is still a little disconcerting. I got to meet and talk to so many wonderful people.  Even though I'm completely exhausted, I wish I had been able to stay longer so I could have spent more time with everyone.

But hey, WFC in Toronto is just two years away….

Moon v. Wiscon Follow-up

I'm still sorting through my feelings on Wiscon rescinding Elizabeth Moon's Guest of Honor invitation.

It's not the first time something like this has happened.  William Sanders' GoH invitation to ICFA in 2008 was rescinded after his "sheet head" rejection letter, for example.  (Thanks to Nick Mamatas for that historical pointer.)

Basically, I think the situation sucks.  There's been a great deal of conflict among the Wiscon decision-makers, among those who attend and love the con, among SF/F fandom in general, and among the wankers who aren't involved/informed in any way but still want to wave their opinions about.

As far as I've seen, the only public follow-up Moon has given since her initial post was in this 10/23 piece for a Texas newspaper: Texas Author Uninvited as Convention Guest of Honor Over Remarks on Islam.

I don't believe Moon is the devil incarnate.  I do believe she screwed up, and based on the follow-up, I don't get the sense that she understands why people were upset by her words.

Was this the right call on Wiscon's part?  There was going to be backlash either way, and no answer would make everyone happy.  In my opinion, their obligation was not to try to make everyone happy, but to first and foremost do what was best for Wiscon and its mission.

Some people I greatly respect have expressed their discomfort and disagreement with Wiscon's decision.  Others I greatly respect have expressed approval.  I'm trying to weigh both as I refine my own conclusions.

But as I continue to read responses to Wiscon's decision, I've given myself permission to ignore certain voices.  Specifically…

If you use any of the following terms, I'm not going to bother reading further: feminazi, PC Police, FAIL Fandom, fascist, jihadist, thought police.  (I reserve the right to add to this list.)
If you describe a decision which came after roughly six weeks of intense internal and external debate as "knee jerk," I'm not going to bother reading further.
If you dismiss everyone who disagreed with Moon's post as mean old PC bullies/cowards, I'm not going to bother reading further.
If you equate the decision to rescind an invitation to be Guest of Honor with burning Moon's books/burning Moon in effigy, I'm not going to bother reading further.
If you label everyone who questions Wiscon's decision "disgusting bigots," I'm not going to bother reading further.

It's not about tone.  It's because those responses tell me you're not interested in participating in a discussion, or even in understanding the discussion.  It's because, like Saladin Ahmed said, not every conversation is worth having.  And it's because there just aren't enough sporks.

World Fantasy Con

I'm off to World Fantasy Con this weekend.  This will be my first WFC since 2002, and I imagine it will be a very different experience this time around.  The best change isn't that I've gone from bookless unknown to six-book goblin king (though that's pretty cool too); the best part is that I've met so many wonderful people in the past eight years, and I'm really looking forward to seeing/meeting some of them in person.

I should warn you, though — I suck at names and faces.  If I take a second to stare at your badge, I'm not trying to decide whether or not you're worth my time or anything like that.  I'm just trying to kick-start my brain and avoid making an ass of myself.  And if I only know you through your LiveJournal handle, please help me make that connection.  My brain cells thank you in advance.

The full program is available here.  My schedule is fairly short, and looks like so:

Thursday, 8:30 p.m.

Reading in Room 208

I'm planning to read/perform "The Creature in Your Neighborhood," my muppet werewolf story from Strip Mauled.  It should be fun

Friday, 8:00 p.m. to whenever

Mass Autographing in the Regency Ballroom

Saturday, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Group booksigning at the OSU Bookstore

This is open to the public, and will feature thirty authors from the con.  Oh yes, you want to be there.  The Facebook event page with the full author listing is here.

I've also got meetings and meals scheduled with my editor, my publisher, and one of the agents from JABberwocky, which all feels so professional and businesslike.

I'll be using ShinyNewPhone to try to post updates and pics on Twitter.

And that's about it.  Looking forward to seeing and meeting people!