John C. Wright's Blog, page 24
April 22, 2015
Do presently lose all desire for light
A man with a PhD in English holds forth on my hidden neofascism:
Actually, I am a teetotaler, and I always tell the truth, and I have absolutely no inhibitions about telling the truth requiring the seduction of wine to overcome. It will come as a surprise to my adopted daughter that I am a racist, I assure you.
Someone who pretends to know me well enough to discern the secret and yet strangely always discreditable workings of my hidden heart would know those two things about me.
This is the way of evil. Evil lies because no one is attracted to evil when its nature is clear. The lie serves only limited use, and must be extended and expanded in order to maintain credibility. The lie metastasizes, and grows to a point when no sane man can believe it any longer.
They tell lies even beyond the point where anyone is expected to believe or be deceived by them, pointless lies, absurd lies, unintentionally comedic lies. (Note this comment here.)
At that point, a man makes a decision: either he is loyal to sanity, abandons the lie and saves himself; or so great is his loyalty to the lie, he makes himself go mad, hating sanity and sunlight, and he rides the cherished wreck down through the maelstrom into the darkness.
Even such souls as that can be saved. I was sunk lower than this, and so I pity and do not despise. How empty his life must be if he has nothing but these cold and angular self deceptions to clasp to his breast for comfort, false as the smile of a harlot, and nothing but venom for his milk.
For those of you who do not catch the obscure reference above, it is from the pen of Tim Powers:
“…They move in dark, old places of the world:
Like mariners, once healthy and clear-eyed,
Who, when their ship was holed, could not admit
Ruin and the necessity of flight,
But chose instead to ride their cherished wreck
Down into darkness; there not quite to drown,
But ever on continue plying sails
Against the midnight currents of the depths,
Moving from pit to pit to lightless crag
In hopeless search for some ascent to shore;
And who, in their decayed, slow voyaging
Do presently lose all desire for light
And air and living company-from here
Their search is only for the deepest groves,
Those farthest from the nigh-forgotten sun.. .”-from “The Twelve Hours of the Night”
(The Anubis Gates)
Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.
April 21, 2015
Architect of Aeons TODAY
ARCHITECT OF AEONS
The next volume of my ‘Eschaton Sequence’ has been published today, and should be in your bookstore right now. Rush right out in a panic of haste, without pausing to think, and buy nine volumes for your ghosts, noospheres, potentates, powers, principalities, virtues, hosts, archons, thrones.
Potentates are Kardashev I civilizations for terrestrial planets and powers for Gas Giants; Hosts are Kardashev II civilizations; Thrones are Kardashev III.
Anything of a higher order may not be interested in this book, because I do not deal with the Kardashev IV, V and VI order of magnitudes until the last volume.
I forgot was this book is about. I think Blackie Del Azarchel and Meanie Monstrose have lost the Earth because the posthumans moved it. Darn those pesky posthumans! Either they are cooperating or trying to kill each other. And the End of Days arrives, and is not actually, literally the End of Days. Four new race of mankind are created, history goes off the rails at least once, and we move from the millennial scale to the tens of millennia.
And someone gets shot in the last chapter. You’ll have to read it and find out.
The promotional materials all say this is the last volume of the sequence, but it is not. That was a clerical error not caught in time. Two more volumes are in the pipeline: THE VINDICATION OF MAN, which is (as of this writing) sitting on the editor’s desk; and COUNT TO INFINITY, which I was supposed to be working on last night, but I watched Netflix’s Marvel’s DAREDEVIL instead.
Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.
Not so much Dino-hate, Please!
At the risk of alienating my beloved fans who voted either for Sad Puppies or Rabid and elevated my humble work to a world-record number of nominations, I would like to state something for the record.
A lot of us are ragging on Rachel Swirsky’s prose poem ‘If You Were a Dinosaur, My Love‘ which was Hugo nominated and won a Nebula for its category.
And, for the record, I for one do not think ‘If You Were a Dinosaur’ is bad. I do not think it is great, but tastes differ.
The author with admirable brevity of space establishes a gay and playful mood, using a stream of consciousness technique and adhere to a strict textual scheme (lifted from IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE) and then fishtailing into a surprise ending that is poignant and moving, all within less than 1000 words.
More to the point, she did what she set out to do, and created the emotional effect she meant to create if a fashion I and other readers found memorable and moving. She hit the mark at which she aimed. Not every writer can say that.
It is not a great story, not the best of the year. I do not like it because it places technique above story telling — indeed there is no story at all, no characterization, nothing outside the vignette. But that, again, is a matter of taste. Some people do not like Shakespeare sonnets.
And her editor should have polished on or two roughs spots, which in a story so short are more obvious, have more ability to jar the reader out of suspension of disbelief. One rough spot was the one-line depiction of the bigoted Southern bigots as ‘gin-soaked’ — this was lazy writing, laughably inept. Gin in not what we drink in roughneck bars in the rural South.
Another was that in a racially motivated beating the racists usually know the name of the race they hate, and do not need to guess.
And, had I written it, I would have taken a different approach: but her muse is hers and mine is mine, and the realm of the imagination, being infinite, grants generous room to all.
But, please, the lady wrote a serviceable story that appealed to the tastes of many readers, and, of course, to the corrupt clique which gave her an undeserved award.
I hope I offend no Rabid Puppy by saying that, in a certain light, the story could be seen as above average, and showed originality and clear professional craftsmanship.
Let us give credit where credit is due.
Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.
Not so much Dino-hate, Please!
At the risk of alienated my beloved fans who voted either for Sad Puppies or Rabid and elevated my humble work to a world-record number of nominations, I would like to state something for the record.
A lot of us are ragging on Rachel Swirsky’s prose poem ‘If You Were a Dinosaur, My Love‘ which was Hugo nominated and won a Nebula for its category.
And, for the record, I for one do not think ‘If You Were a Dinosaur’ is bad. I do not think it is great, but tastes differ.
The author with admirable brevity of space establishes a gay and playful mood, using a stream of consciousness technique and adhere to a strict textual scheme (lifted from IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE) and then fishtailing into a surprise ending that is poignant and moving, all within less than 1000 words.
More to the point, she did what she set out to do, and created the emotional effect she meant to create if a fashion I and other readers found memorable and moving. She hit the mark at which she aimed. Not every writer can say that.
It is not a great story, not the best of the year. I do not like it because it places technique above story telling — indeed there is no story at all, no characterization, nothing outside the vignette. But that, again, is a matter of taste. Some people do not like Shakespeare sonnets.
And her editor should have polished on or two roughs spots, which in a story so short are more obvious, have more ability to jar the reader out of suspension of disbelief. One rough spot was the one-line depiction of the bigoted Southern bigots as ‘gin-soaked’ — this was lazy writing, laughably inept. Gin in not what we drink in roughneck bars in the rural South.
Another was that in a racially motivated beating the racists usually know the name of the race they hate, and do not need to guess.
And, had I written it, I would have taken a different approach: but her muse is hers and mine is mine, and the realm of the imagination, being infinite, grants generous room to all.
But, please, the lady wrote a serviceable story that appealed to the tastes of many readers, and, of course, to the corrupt clique which gave her an undeserved award.
I hope I offend no Rabid Puppy by saying that, in a certain light, the story could be seen as above average, and showed originality and clear professional craftsmanship.
Let us give credit where credit is due.
Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.
April 20, 2015
Not so much Dino-hate, Please!
At the risk of alienated my beloved fans who voted either for Sad Puppies or Rabid and elevated my humble work to a world-record number of nominations, I would like to state something for the record.
A lot of us are ragging on Rachel Swirsky’s prose poem ‘If You Were a Dinosaur, My Love‘ which was Hugo nominated and won a Nebula for its category.
And, for the record, I for one do not think ‘If You Were a Dinosaur’ is bad. I do not think it is great, but tastes differ.
The author with admirable brevity of space establishes a gay and playful mood, using a stream of consciousness technique and adhere to a strict textual scheme (lifted from IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE) and then fishtailing into a surprise ending that is poignant and moving, all within less than 1000 words.
More to the point, she did what she set out to do, and created the emotional effect she meant to create if a fashion I and other readers found memorable and moving. She hit the mark at which she aimed. Not every writer can say that.
It is not a great story, not the best of the year. I do not like it because it places technique above story telling — indeed there is no story at all, no characterization, nothing outside the vignette. But that, again, is a matter of taste. Some people do not like Shakespeare sonnets.
And her editor should have polished on or two roughs spots, which in a story so short are more obvious, have more ability to jar the reader out of suspension of disbelief. One rough spot was the one-line depiction of the bigoted Southern bigots as ‘gin-soaked’ — this was lazy writing, laughably inept. Gin in not what we drink in roughneck bars in the rural South.
Another was that in a racially motivated beating the racists usually know the name of the race they hate, and do not need to guess.
And, had I written it, I would have taken a different approach: but her muse is hers and mine and mine, and the realm of the imagination, being infinite, grants generous room to all.
But, please, the lady wrote a serviceable story that appealed to the tastes of many readers, and, of course, to the corrupt clique which gave her an undeserved award.
I hope I offend no Rabid Puppy by saying that, in a certain light, the story could be seen as above average, and showed originality and clear professional craftsmanship.
Let us give credit where credit is due.
Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.
NPR Upholds Morlock Journalistic Ethics
Well, well. The NPR weekend show ON THE MEDIA has joined the lynch mob, and done their level best to add hysteria and contumely and smother any trace of rational dialog in the little sortie of the Culture Wars known as Sad Puppies.
They were paid for by my tax money, my dear readers, and yours.
And before you ask, no, no journalist, no editor, no one contacted me or interviewed me or made any attempt known to me to hear from the counsel for the defense. At a real witch trial held by the real Inquisition, even the devil gets an advocate and someone speaks up for defendant being accused of witchcraft.
It is a sad, sad comment on modern journalism that they are not even up to the moral and ethical standards of medieval Witch-burners.
This is the first news outlet of which I have ever heard joining the bunny mobbing of the Sad Puppies. Alas, the sharp, sharp teeth of the coneys somehow fail to inspire my poet’s heart with terror.
Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.
April 19, 2015
Daredevil: Blindingly Well Done
I just saw the first episode of Netflix’ MARVEL’S DAREDEVIL. So much better than the Ben Afflick Daimon movie that it’s not funny.
Recommended. Time permitting, I will write a more detailed review in days to come.
Meanwhile, THE FLASH is also extremely well done, and a favorite show of mine. Their take on the character is more dramatic even than some of the magazine versions, and that takes some doing. THE ARROW did a similar make-over with the Green Arrow drawing out a more interesting angel on the character. Very well done shows.
Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.
Letter to the Editor
I was not the only person libeled. This is from the pen of Theodore Beale of Castalia books, my publisher, who goes by the pen name of Vox Day. I join him in asking you, my readers — for you were also defamed — to write:
Dear Editor,
I am writing to demand a retraction and apology for the libelous article posted Apr 17th, 2015 at 3:00pm by Mike VanHelder. Mr. VanHelder wrote:
“Big winner Vox Day is an outspoken white supremacist and campaigner against women’s education and suffrage, who is on the record as supporting the Taliban’s attempt to assassinate Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousifazi, finding it “scientifically justifiable.””
I am not a white supremacist. This is flat-out false. Also, I am a Native American with Mexican heritage.
I am not a campaigner against women’s education. I am not an activist. I have never campaigned against it.
I am not a campaigner against suffrage. I am not an activist. I have never campaigned against it.
I am not against women’s suffrage. I support direct democracy for all, including women.
I am not on the record supporting the Taliban’s attempt to assassinate Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousifazi. This is an absolutely outrageous accusation and utterly false.All of these statements are false, provably and demonstrably false, and appear to be malicious. Therefore, I am requesting an immediate retraction of this error-ridden article as well as a published apology to me. Some of these additional errors include:
Gamergate is not anti-feminist.
Neither Sad Puppies nor Rabid Puppies courted any assistance from GamerGate.
The extent of the collaboration between the THREE groups, (not two, as in the article) is not difficult to quantify. There are precisely two GamerGaters who are also Rabid Puppies, myself and Daddy Warpig.
It is false to claim “No nominated author has ever before withdrawn their work after making it onto the Hugo ballot.” It is actually not uncommon for an author to withdraw one of his works after getting more than one nominated in a category. To give a few examples, Harlan Ellison withdrew his Hugo nomination in 1968. Jack Gaughan withdrew his nomination in 1968. Fritz Leiber withdrew his nomination in 1971, as did Robert Silverberg in 1972.
Therefore, the action of withdrawing a nomination is not “unprecedented”.I will appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.
NB: If you would like to add your voice to this call for a retraction and apology, this is the editor’s email: letters@popsci.com
***
Commenter Nate adds:
Below too is a contact form for Bonnier Corporation, the parent company that owns PopSci.
http://www.bonniercorp.com/contact/
They would love to hear from you. It says so right there.
And, more to the point, Commenter Zen0 adds:
DETCON1 AND DIVERSITY
Detcon1 has gotten a lot of things right on that front. They established a Diversity Advisory Board, consisting of Muhammad A Ahmad, Anne Gray, Mark Oshiro, Kat Tanaka Okopnik, Mike VanHelder, Pablo Vazquez, and Sal Palland. They chose to honor a range of guests that acknowledges the broader scope of the genre. They established the FANtastic Detroit Fund to help provide free memberships to fans who might otherwise be unable to attend.
Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.
April 18, 2015
Submitted to the Jury
Someone asked me what all the Sad Puppy fuss was about. I thought this was the only honest answer.
Exhibit A
http://www.apex-magazine.com/if-you-were-a-dinosaur-my-love/
Exhibit B
http://www.tor.com/stories/2013/02/the-water-that-falls-on-you-from-nowhere
Exhibit C
http://www.tor.com/stories/2013/04/the-ink-readers-of-doi-saket
Exhibit D
http://www.strangehorizons.com/2013/20130107/selkie-f.shtml
Exhibit E
http://www.amazon.com/Queers-Dig-Time-Lords-Celebration/dp/1935234145
Whereas:
Exhibit F
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oglethorpe.edu%2Ffaculty%2F~m_rulison%2FHonors%2FSpeculativeFiction%2FDocuments%2FKeyes%2C%2520Daniel%2520-%2520Flowers%2520for%2520Algernon.pdf&ei=Eg0zVZj2AYaYsAXVhYDwCg&usg=AFQjCNHGAij0r4F1P6fN0btg2zbik2Ifbw&sig2=xQqhwYu5Hd0fr8amZbJrng
Exhibit G
http://www.baenebooks.com/chapters/1439133476/1439133476___3.htm
Exhibit H
http://www.leprecon.org/w62/OrAllTheSeasWithOysters.pdf
Exhibit I
https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1619470136
Exhibit J
http://escapepod.org/2014/02/28/ep437-rose-ecclesiastes/
Exhibit K
http://hell.pl/szymon/Baen/The%20best%20of%20Jim%20Baens%20Universe/Vol%201%20Num%201/1932093001__17.htm
I am not sure if all the links work, but then again, I would hope that all devout science fiction fans have read most of the older works listed here.
Again, some of these links may go to pirate sites, like the educational establishment posting Daniel Keyes’s work, or Google books, so use them at your own risk, or, better yet, buy a copy of the many anthologies in which these works appear.
Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.
I am Spartacus ! Stand with the Badgers, Write an Email
Support the Honey Badgers and join the #GamerGate email campaign against the sponsors of Calgary Expo. Send one email, just one to start
I read with dismay on Vox Day’s website.
The SJWs came for the Honey Badger Brigade yesterday:
Early this morning, Fan Expo Canada banned Honey Badger Brigade (HBB) from the Calgary Comics and Entertainment Expo (CalEx). Security staff approached the HBB booth, ordered us to leave, and refused to state the reason why unless Alison Tieman agreed to speak to them away from the other members of the group, without recording. They informed Alison that they had received complaints on social media, including 25 allegations of harassment. No evidence was presented, no request was made for information from HBB, and no specific incident was cited until further questions were asked of security.
Upon further questioning, security mentioned the Women in Comics panel discussion from the previous day, where Alison was given permission to speak. Alison spoke briefly in relation to a topic brought up by the panelists. Accusers, however, claimed that Alison derailed the conversation. Alison and myself were in attendance, and you can listen to Alison’s statement in the panel here on YouTube. You can hear Alison, myself and indeed the entire panel in the full discussion record.
As you will hear, there was no harassment. Expo staff and mob rule, in their crusade for ending harassment against women, harassed the Honey Badgers despite having no evidence of any policy violation.
This is what we are up against. This is why I will never back down, why I will never ever apologize for thinking, speaking, and writing freely. This is why I am the Leader of #GamerGate and why you should be too.
The real crime of the Honey Badger Brigade, for which they were successfully attacked, was not “reportedly disrupting panels”, but rather “associating with GamerGate”.
[…]
Several tweets from this morning suggested one of the exhibitors was proudly demonstrating banners and shirts for GamerGate. It was quickly revealed this was The Honey Badger Brigade…. Calgary Expo has been actively responding to comments and criticisms about its decision on Twitter, expressing it had no desire to allow a GamerGate-themed booth onto the show floor.
This is a cultural war, people. And if you’re not fighting it, you’re losing it.
[…]
Support the Honey Badgers and join the #GamerGate email campaign against the sponsors of Calgary Expo. Send one email, just one to start. I have. That’s all it takes… because we are legion.
NOTE: do not post any personal information to 8Chan. The form at the top of the page is not an email form, and anything you enter is publicly visible to a board haunted by trolls, harassment artists, and people who will expose your personal information.
Here is the contact info:
(Listed by name of company; email address; twitter account)
Cocobrooks; info@cocobrooks.com; @cocobrookspizza
Gaycalgary; magazine@gaycalgary.com; @gaycalgary
Space; feedback@space.ca; @SpaceChannel
Air Electronics; admin@airelectronics.ca; ——–
x929 radio; gbrasil@ x929.ca; @X929
Squareup; press@squareup.com; ——–
Vistek; customerservice@vistek.ca; @Vistek
Dean Reeves; graphiclanguage@shaw.ca; ——–
Rue Morgue; jody@rue-morgue.com; @RueMorgueThese don’t have public email. Use the contact form on the websiteSummit Trucks; http://www.summittrucks.com/contact/ ; @Summit_Trucks
Air Miles; https://www.airmiles.ca/arrow/ContactUs ; @AIRMILES
Bullseue Creative; http://bullseyecreative.net/ ; @bullseyeseattle
ATB Financial; https://www.atb.com/contact-us/Pages/... ——-
Redd skull; http://www.reddskull.com/index.php?pa... ; @redd_skull
Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.
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