Category Archives: Fandom
Editors are important
Whenever the topic of editing sf comes up, I think of Frank Herbert. Dune is a great book, in part because of all the stuff that (I have heard it said that) John Campbell made him take out of the body of the book and stuff into the appendices where it belongs. (Cf. LotR.) And after its success, FH said, Hey, I’m a great author, I don’t need no steenking editors! And look at how they ramble on and on and on and on and … Worse with each sequel.
-thnidu, commenting in skzbrust’s journal. (link)
Had to quote this here because it’s just so painfully accurate. I picked up Dune when I was 15, and loved it. Went though Dune Messiah and Children of Dune in short order. (Children is still my favorite of them all) Then came God Emporer of Dune, and I started to wonder if the man wasn’t taking too many hits of something mind altering. After stubbornly wading though the last two books, I was convinced of it. The sheer overwrought-ness of Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse: Dune killed any interest I might have had in the continuation novels. (Though I’ve heard that they don’t actually suck)
Herbert’s not alone here – plenty of authors commit the sin of believing that they’ve “outgrown” the need for editors. (Hey, over in the corner! I’m looking at you, Ann.) It seems to be a professional hazard.
And I’m 12 again
Went to see Transformers with Bill and Paulie last night, and all I can say is *fuck yeah*. They did not screw this one up.
I do not think that word means what you think it means
Today, we find a calmer and more well reasoned take on the idea that fandom is trying very hard to shoot itself in the head.
I say bravo to anyone who can sit down and write all that out without devolving into a spluttering mess. Lord knows I haven’t been ale to. :)
Thoughts on a free lunch
This started as a comment in
Frankly, I think the entitlement problem (ie – right now, someone IS paying for your “free” speech) is what will eventually kill fandom. Like, kill it dead. Because the people with real power in the real world will soon, or are in the process now, of looking over at this little corner of the world. If all they see is a bunch of children demanding that some non-existent rights be protected by persons and corporations with no actual obligation to do so, they will take the issue seriously why?
If fandom-at-large is unable to present itself to the world (or at least the US government) as responsible and cognizant of what the real laws in the real world (or the portion of the real world covered by the US) are, fandom at large will not win this or any other fight, because fandom does not exist on it’s own special planet. (No, LJ is not your own special happy fairy land where nasty mundane concerns cannot enter.)
It was fine when the worst legal problem fen had to worry about was copyright. Copyright in the general sense, and the production and enjoyment of deriavitve works, is a big honkin gray area with thousands of angles, billions of opinions, and lots of leeway and wriggle room. The current debate over depictions of underage sex, childporn, and corruption of minors in general has NOTHING to do with that.
The current debate is an hyesterical witch hunt and for the love of any god ever, LJ is not the enemy here! America (fucked up country that we are) needs a good, jucy, relentless witch hunt every so often. Salem. The red scare. HUAC. Satanic day care workers. Now it’s anything to do with sex and children, anywhere, anytime, anyhow. This is real, this is bad, this is not going to go away, and it’s very likely going to get worse before it gets better.
LJ is every bit as concerned about that big torch bearing (and frankly, dangerious) mob as fandom-at-large SHOULD be, if fandom-at-large weren’t too busy threatening to hold it’s collective breath ’till it turns blue and faints ’cause OMG, we’re bein’ OPRESSED and MISTREATED by THE MAN! (ie, every single threat to flee to GJ, JournalFen, etc…) Right. Because this is all about you.
No, actually, this has NOTHING to do with you. Fandom, you are not that special. You do not count for a hill of beans in this fight, because you are not fighting. You are demanding that other people fight for you. You are demanding that someone else pay for your free lunch. You are insisting that your rights are more important than anyone elses.
Fandom, you are full of shit. Get off your asses, and look around at the world we are living in, and realize that you are stuck here with the rest of us.