Splattered with Shit
Now I'm not going to get back into the argument I had on Book Smugglars and Strange Horizons but this was brought to my attention.
Now I thought I was pretty civil all the way through but apparently my responses put me in the same league as whatever vile person makes rape threats against female bloggers and dooms me to occupy the same circle of hell as the homophobic Orson Scott Card.
Ana can argue that my response to her essay was gendered but if you read the sequence it's pretty obvious that she came up with that argument only after she was called out by two other commentators. Her evidence consists of the assertion that I am man and she is a woman and she didn't like my tone. It's just intellectually dishonest and beneath contempt.
Whether the wider argument that broke out between Ana & Renay and whoever it was they were arguing with on twitter, was gendered I couldn't say because I was concentrating on the discussion I thought we were having about writers, fans and industry intrusion.
I'd like to thank Rose Fox for the very clear explanation as to why author/fan discussions will always be fraught which has helped me come to my decision.
I hereby resign from SFF fandom, or whatever its called. From now on I shall no longer particpate or even take any notice of fan discussions about my work or, indeed, SFF in general. Once my current commitments have expired I will cease to part in general panels at conventions except to discuss the art and craft of writing or to answer questions about projects I'm related to.
I liked being a fan, I liked taking part in forums and conventions, I liked discussing issues and writing and the things I felt passionately about but I just can't be bothered to put up this shit.
CAVEATS
I'm not fishing for compliments or gestures of support, nor am I looking for reprisals. I am simply clarifying my position. I will continue to blog and tweet as much as ever but now in it will be fully in my identity as a writer of books and a mundane.
Now I thought I was pretty civil all the way through but apparently my responses put me in the same league as whatever vile person makes rape threats against female bloggers and dooms me to occupy the same circle of hell as the homophobic Orson Scott Card.
Ana can argue that my response to her essay was gendered but if you read the sequence it's pretty obvious that she came up with that argument only after she was called out by two other commentators. Her evidence consists of the assertion that I am man and she is a woman and she didn't like my tone. It's just intellectually dishonest and beneath contempt.
Whether the wider argument that broke out between Ana & Renay and whoever it was they were arguing with on twitter, was gendered I couldn't say because I was concentrating on the discussion I thought we were having about writers, fans and industry intrusion.
I'd like to thank Rose Fox for the very clear explanation as to why author/fan discussions will always be fraught which has helped me come to my decision.
I hereby resign from SFF fandom, or whatever its called. From now on I shall no longer particpate or even take any notice of fan discussions about my work or, indeed, SFF in general. Once my current commitments have expired I will cease to part in general panels at conventions except to discuss the art and craft of writing or to answer questions about projects I'm related to.
I liked being a fan, I liked taking part in forums and conventions, I liked discussing issues and writing and the things I felt passionately about but I just can't be bothered to put up this shit.
CAVEATS
I'm not fishing for compliments or gestures of support, nor am I looking for reprisals. I am simply clarifying my position. I will continue to blog and tweet as much as ever but now in it will be fully in my identity as a writer of books and a mundane.
date
newest »
newest »
You gotta do what you gotta do in order to preserve your sanity, but it still makes me sad. You were so great at Nine Worlds and we really enjoyed those sessions. Horrible random internet people are why we can't have nice things.
I vaguely watched some of the flare-up because I went to university with one of the people flaring up (GavReads), and because I count myself a fan of the Peter Grant novels. (Although I'm not sure if I apply the correct definition of 'fan': I don't cosplay, dress up funny / in all black, write/read fanfics / blogs, attend conventions, tattoo myself, collect stuff... basically, I read the books, enjoy them, and sometimes buy copies as gifts for friends.)It was strange. It still looks strange, from outside: groups of intelligent, mostly reasonable people suddenly turning into tribes, putting on the warpaint, beating the war drums and summoning friends to try to win an argument on teh interwebs with other groups that don't look all that different to me. At least half of the fury-generators appeared to be fuelled by people keen to support/defend friends against perceived attacks. Why did so many people treat 'someone having a different view' as 'an attack on everything I stand for'?
Now it looks like everyone is licking their wounds, dispirited, convinced they've lost / the internet is out to get them, and bitter about the other tribe's nefarious actions en route.
I haven't followed it in full, because mostly, it seemed to be about... well, nothing that affects me all that much. Author and fan (n)etiquette. Something people should be able to have a reasoned opinion about without turning quite so bitter. (Maybe Twitter is partially to blame: it is not exactly a fruitful forum for a well-reasoned debate - 140 characters is not enough to make a complex point. It might just about suffice for being pithy, but not really for being wise)
I guess the blog post means you'll change from attending SFF conventions / events to attending 'mundane' literary festivals (Hay, here you come?). The crowds dress more bohemian there, and less goth-y, but I can't say they seem any less tribal / occasionally full of themselves to me. I've been to Hay a few times, and enjoyed the events, but never felt at all like I belonged in the same crowd as most of the people there.
I guess what I like about SFF fans is the fact they don't (usually, present flamewar excepted) take themselves quite as seriously - there is more child-like wonder and joy in Forbidden Planet than there is in the cultural hangouts where 'mundane' literary types hang out. (But the selection of whole leaf teas, cupcakes, organic-ethic-veggie-friendly-foods and continental beers tends to be better in the latter).
Some things I have learned are:
1) Making a casual comment or posting a casual opinion on the internet is kind of like walking into airport security dressed in assault gear and loudly proclaiming your allegiance to the ideals of the terrorist group du jour. Even if you didn't mean to be offensive, you're going to get jumped on by somebody. Definitely. So read everything twice before you post.
2) You can please some of the people all of the time, or all of the people some of the time, but some of the people - you can't please them any of the time, no matter how hard you try. These people would be offended if you said "Lovely to meet you, I hope you have a wonderful day."
3) If there is a dodgy meaning that could possibly (by mental contortions of Olympic proportions) be read into what you just said... that is what people will read into it. (Dorothy L. Sayers said that.)
4) Anyone sticking his head above the parapet is risking getting it shot off. If people know who you are, they are more likely to aim carefully. (I am completely anonymous, so I can get away with more, because nobody cares.)
5) If you are even slightly famous, people expect you to be perfect (and not just that - their idea of perfection). When they figure out that you're not, they feel betrayed. And, of course, it's all your fault...
6) People don't value what they don't pay for.
7) Grit your teeth, smile, and either
a) set up an anonymous internet identity so you can still get involved in discussions without the baggage or
b) take up a combat sport or
c) both.
Either way, don't let anyone else make your life less enjoyable.
The end. Feel free to ignore.