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cimoreneMy parents gave me Le Mort d'Arthur (or however you spell that. I don't speak French) when I was a teenybopper, and when I had finally given up a third through out of boredom, my Mom told me that she hadn't told me in advance that it was written when Malory was in jail for raping a 14-year old girl because I might not want to read. And then I didn't finish it.
Later I read Ender's Game. After I finished it, I Asked Daddy if there were any sequels; and he told me that there were, but they weren't as good as the original, and not good enough that he had wanted to own them, but if I wanted he could buy them for me. Then he told me that he didn't want to give Orson Scott Card any muneez if he didn't really have to because the dude was a crazy right-wing Republican anti-abortionist homophobic Mormon asshole, with colourful fanlore anecdotes. And I said that I didn't want to read anything else by him. Ever again.
My mother's reports account for why I haven't read Heinlein. (My parents Agree to Disagree about him: my father accedes completely to my mother's estimation of his misogyny, but is able to enjoy the books anyway; my mother doesn't have that luxury. *eerie echoes*)
Something like a year ago, there was a racewank that started in SGA fandom, where people were upset by the treatment of Ronon and Teyla in fanfiction (and canon, but in SGA you can usually count on the fanfic being better-written). During that cycle of meta, I'm pretty sure, was when I saw Will Shetterley, one of my mother's favourite sff writers but one whom I hadn't gotten around to reading yet, expounding the theory that Racism Doesn't Exist, It's All Just Classism.
And anyone who has been following the current wank will have seen his wife, Emma Bull, another of my mom's favourites, come unasked to the defense of Elizabeth Bear by declaring that the "emotional reactions" of fans of colour who are offended by racial tropes in fiction are "invalid" and based on "shallow reading" and that their [incorrectly and unfoundedly] assumed inability to comprehend or speak academispeak indicated an inability to analyse or, indeed, comprehend the text.
In future, I'd like to decree mandatory participation in Consciousness Raisings for all writers whom I might someday like to check out, and who have any future plans to appear on the internet and possibly display their asses.
Because some people might separate the art from the character of the artist, but that's the silliest part of New Criticism in my view. As Sylvia says to her cat in one of my favourite comics, "Memorize their faces. If they should attempt to come to a party of mine, destroy them." In other words, once I've seen your ass, it's kind of hard to forget. Its spectre can be counted upon to haunt our future dealings, and if it was a really unpleasant sight, any enjoyment I might have gotten from them is gonna be tainted.
Later I read Ender's Game. After I finished it, I Asked Daddy if there were any sequels; and he told me that there were, but they weren't as good as the original, and not good enough that he had wanted to own them, but if I wanted he could buy them for me. Then he told me that he didn't want to give Orson Scott Card any muneez if he didn't really have to because the dude was a crazy right-wing Republican anti-abortionist homophobic Mormon asshole, with colourful fanlore anecdotes. And I said that I didn't want to read anything else by him. Ever again.
My mother's reports account for why I haven't read Heinlein. (My parents Agree to Disagree about him: my father accedes completely to my mother's estimation of his misogyny, but is able to enjoy the books anyway; my mother doesn't have that luxury. *eerie echoes*)
Something like a year ago, there was a racewank that started in SGA fandom, where people were upset by the treatment of Ronon and Teyla in fanfiction (and canon, but in SGA you can usually count on the fanfic being better-written). During that cycle of meta, I'm pretty sure, was when I saw Will Shetterley, one of my mother's favourite sff writers but one whom I hadn't gotten around to reading yet, expounding the theory that Racism Doesn't Exist, It's All Just Classism.
And anyone who has been following the current wank will have seen his wife, Emma Bull, another of my mom's favourites, come unasked to the defense of Elizabeth Bear by declaring that the "emotional reactions" of fans of colour who are offended by racial tropes in fiction are "invalid" and based on "shallow reading" and that their [incorrectly and unfoundedly] assumed inability to comprehend or speak academispeak indicated an inability to analyse or, indeed, comprehend the text.
In future, I'd like to decree mandatory participation in Consciousness Raisings for all writers whom I might someday like to check out, and who have any future plans to appear on the internet and possibly display their asses.
Because some people might separate the art from the character of the artist, but that's the silliest part of New Criticism in my view. As Sylvia says to her cat in one of my favourite comics, "Memorize their faces. If they should attempt to come to a party of mine, destroy them." In other words, once I've seen your ass, it's kind of hard to forget. Its spectre can be counted upon to haunt our future dealings, and if it was a really unpleasant sight, any enjoyment I might have gotten from them is gonna be tainted.
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(no subject)
Date: 19 Jan 2009 05:54 pm (UTC)I have the same problem with Malory.
I've tried the separate the art from the artist thing, and most of the time I still hate the art anyway. I liked Ender's Game better when it had Robert Preston as a space lizard -- and I didn't like that very much, either.
(no subject)
Date: 19 Jan 2009 06:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 19 Jan 2009 06:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 19 Jan 2009 06:05 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 19 Jan 2009 09:07 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 20 Jan 2009 04:27 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 20 Jan 2009 01:20 pm (UTC)Wait. Your age or his? Or the books?
(no subject)
Date: 20 Jan 2009 02:44 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 22 Jan 2009 10:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 23 Jan 2009 03:35 am (UTC)I guess it comes down to babies and bathwater--not all of either category is actually worth throwing away. But some of both ought to be disposed of posthaste.
What it comes down to is that I still want to read Territory, and I enjoy Shadow Unit rather a lot. But I'll be reading both of them with sensors set to hair-trigger. And I'll for damn sure never spend actual money on any of their works again.
At least these days there's beginning to be enough people out there who don't have wrong ideas that we as audience have the luxury of rejecting those who do.
writers who I avoid.
Date: 23 Jan 2009 03:42 am (UTC)I have only seen Goodkind respond to his misogyny and it wasn't pretty (not directly, so maybe it's heresy to an extent).
Having said that I love Tanya Huff, so much, but I've read one series, which had some...um problematic race issues, but I give her a pass, because her other series are really good. (I know, I know, it's a hard one...but I read so many good books by her before coming across this series, and I don't think it was intentional). I do think Hamilton and Goodkind was.
Re: writers who I avoid.
Date: 23 Jan 2009 07:59 am (UTC)Of course, that tends to change when I re-read things sometimes, so yeah. YMMV
Re: writers who I avoid.
Date: 23 Jan 2009 09:52 am (UTC)This is only my impression, so yeah.
Re: writers who I avoid.
Date: 23 Jan 2009 06:01 pm (UTC)I read one of the Blood Books, which was notable for the absence of people of color in main protagonist roles, but that's like almost every urban fantasy book I read. Overall, the opinions of the characters weren't so bothersome that they deterred me from trying the rest of the series.
Thanks. :)
Re: writers who I avoid.
Date: 23 Jan 2009 08:53 pm (UTC)Did you see the television series? They wrote the police detective as having a black partner, the forensic doctor was Indian (and fairly awesome). But then there was the voodoo episode which made me go 'ehhh'. And the fact that Henry was very, very straight didn't impress me, the show had some issues, but like you said about the series, it didn't deter me from the rest of the series.
I do appreciate her portrayal of female and gay/bisexual characters, she does well there.
Re: writers who I avoid.
Date: 23 Jan 2009 09:08 pm (UTC)Yes, I did see the TV series. The forensic doctor was my favorite character ^.^ How sad is it that I cannot remember her name now? *facepalm* Then again, I can't even remember Henry's vampire mistress, and I'm pretty sure she counts as a main character, so maybe my memory is just going, period.
I remember having isues with the voodoo episode. Not that The X-Files didn't have its problems, but I think the writers did a far better job when Voudoun featured in that series, and not just because of the budget considerations on Blood Ties.
Didn't Henry do some kinky feeding with their mutual friend who was homeless in the books? I read the reprinted Book 1, and I think I remember something about that. Yet for all of the straight male head-butting, the TV show didn't really have sex in it that much, just tension and angst. Which is fine, but. *smirk*
Yeah, I was able to deal, because I thought that the way she explored counter-culture and modern-day vampire myths was interesting enough to continue watching/reading.
Re: writers who I avoid.
Date: 23 Jan 2009 09:16 pm (UTC)Didn't Henry do some kinky feeding with their mutual friend who was homeless in the books?
Yes, Tony Foster. Henry then goes on to have a sexual relationship with him (along with casual affairs with random guys and...girls, Henry is a slut), the Smoke trilogy series (the spinoff) stars Tony Foster who is gay.
I was very disappointed in that aspect of the television series, because Henry's bisexuality is so matter of fact and all the characters know it and they leave that entirely out of the television series, going so far as to replace Tony Foster with goth girl (whose name I forget, look, I'm bad with names too and way too lazy to google), I liked goth girl but I would rather had had Tony Foster.
Re: writers who I avoid.
Date: 23 Jan 2009 10:18 pm (UTC)Producer 1: We've got the gorgeous metrosexual vampire who's actually totally straight, the jaded ex-cop with a disability, the All-American gruff detective with a heart of gold, various PoCs in minor roles, and stereotypical villains.
Producer 2: Something's missing, though. *rubs chin*
Producer 1: I've got it!
Producer 2: Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
Producer 1: The hot, white goth-girl.
Producer 2: NEEDS MOAR GOTH GIRL.
Re: writers who I avoid.
Date: 23 Jan 2009 11:02 pm (UTC)But on a positive note, better the goth girl then if they had Tony Foster and they pretended that Henry was still a 400 year old super-straight vampire.
(Speaking of, when it comes to vampires and immortal people who are clocking in at over 200 years or so, isn't it just weirdly homophobic that these characters on television are super-straight? Am I the only person who sees this?)
Re: writers who I avoid.
Date: 23 Jan 2009 11:14 pm (UTC)