Why ponder life's complexities when the leather runs smooth on the passenger seat?

[sovay]

I wrote something like this to derspatchel earlier. Dave Truesdale. Petition. SFWA.

I used to read Tangent Online. It was one of the few venues that reviewed small press magazines, meaning I could actually find my work mentioned. Gradually it drifted off my radar; for a few years I wasn't even sure if it was still publishing; when it became visible again, it was no longer reviewing anything but SFWA-pro markets. I found myself increasingly uninterested in the reviews. I was more interested in following other markets.

The reason for the change in policy was just made clear to me. A moment's Googling found me Truesdale's own explanation from 2010. At this very moment, right at the top of the Tangent homepage, I can find Truesdale's petition, as if an attempt to preserve institutional discrimination is just another objective review. So I suppose I don't feel very bad about no longer being of critical interest to him, but I am really, really tired of this issue still existing. It is not a matter of political correctness—as if inclusivity were some toe-the-line courtesy—to acknowledge and encourage and celebrate the existence and contributions of other kinds of people than oneself. It's not an issue of free speech. All this comes down to is people crying censorship! when what they mean is I can't hurt other people with impunity anymore! And that is something everyone with pretensions to sentience should have gotten over by the time they're five years old. No, you may not push that other kid over and take their blocks. No, you may not bite the kid who disagrees with you. No, it is not all right for you to attack the teacher when they curtail your bad behavior. And for God's sake, five-year-olds are anarchic. No one should still be having these arguments in middle age.

Comments

[phi]

I haven't been able to bring myself to read the stupid petition. I did click your link to his "A New Direction" article and had to ragequit at "stories set in darkest Africa, the mysterious Orient." Horrid little neanderthal of a man.

[sovay]

and had to ragequit

It told me a lot about where Truesdale was coming from, which is nowhere I want to be.

[edit] All relevant argument can be gleaned by reading Jim Hines' rebuttal, although all things considered it's more of a rechestal.

Horrid little neanderthal of a man.

I feel confident saying that Neanderthals were significantly more awesome than this guy. (20% of Neanderthal genome recovered from a sample of only 665 European and East Asian subjects! Guess who had access to back issues of The Economist tonight?)

Your icon is a good summary.

[phi]

You're right. I should apologize to Neanderthals everywhere. (Also that genetics research is awesome. Thank you for linking it!)

[greenlily.livejournal.com]

Wow...that guy is a dick.

(When commenting in the journal of a professional author, I would ordinarily try to come up with a more sophisticated, er, comment. This time, I got nothin'.)

[ashlyme.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I agree. I couldn't come up with a better word either.

[sovay]

(When commenting in the journal of a professional author, I would ordinarily try to come up with a more sophisticated, er, comment. This time, I got nothin'.)

Sometimes succinctness is best.

[cucumberseed.livejournal.com]

Hellish boor. Hellish Bore.

Now all we need is a hellish boar to gore him.

[sovay]

Now all we need is a hellish boar to gore him.

PAGING KALYDON.

(Will settle for the Erymanthian if we have to.)

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

So much word.

[ethelmay.livejournal.com]

Truesdale writes: I can't help but find the irony in today's Steampunk, where writers obviously write in a much more polished manner, but hearken to the past to kindle their imagination.

FIND the irony? Dude, you just MISSED the irony by a godsdamned mile. Just who is hearkening to the past again?

[sovay]

FIND the irony? Dude, you just MISSED the irony by a godsdamned mile.

He is not a very good close reader.

Just who is hearkening to the past again?

Just who is hearkening to the past again?

I started to analyze the problems with his binary presentation of contemporary science fiction as either unsatisfyingly derivative or PC-pushing propaganda, and then I realized it wasn't worth it. The most important thing he says in that entire self-defense is "I felt I had to spend my time reading and reviewing what I knew I liked." He doesn't want to read outside of his comfort zone. His comfort zone is retrograde; he wants the past he knows and likes and more of it. That's not my problem. I like the past, too. Especially when it has actual people in it. I like mine better.

[ap-aelfwine.livejournal.com]

No one should still be having these arguments in middle age.

So much word. I wish more people had got this memo.

And good grief, that petition of his is completely obnoxious, as is the explanation and all the rest of it.

I do feel at times that I'm not finding as many books of the sort that made me fall in love with SF/F, but I don't see that anything he's ranting about, most especially Teh Evuls of political correctness, has caused that lack. I'd wish to see more books like Eluki Bes Shahar's Hellflower series or Melissa Scott and Lisa A. Barnett's Astreiant books every bit as much as I'd wish to see more stuff in the tradition of Poul Anderson, maybe even more so.

And the loss of a publication that reviewed work like yours is something I'm very sorry for. We need more light on semi-pro markets, not less. Granted, I'm probably biased in saying that, given as I'd not hope to be published in anything else at this point.*

*Leaving aside dreadful pseudonymous paranormal romance in ebook form.