Commentary

Chengdu Worldcon GoH applauds Russian attacks on civilians

This entry was posted in Commentary News and tagged China conventions science fiction on by

Sergei Lukianenko, one of the guests of honor at the 2023 Worldcon in Chengdu, has called the Ukrainians “fascists” and applauded Russia’s attacks on populated areas in Kyiv.

The 2022 WSFS meeting condemned Chengdu’s choice of Lukianenko as a GoH. As far as I know, Chengdu hasn’t responded, nor has Ben Yalow. If I’ve missed anything, please let me know.

The convention’s shills tell you, “So what if China has no free speech? Just go there, shut up, listen to the GoH speech, and come back.”

By now there should be a huge movement in fandom to boycott the Chengdu Worldcon. Why isn’t there?

Is PayPal a danger to writers?

This entry was posted in Commentary News Writing Writing as business and tagged business PayPal writing on by

A change in PayPal’s policies has blown up in its face. PayPal claimed the right to debit accounts $2,500 for “misinformation.” It would be the sole judge of what constitutes misinformation. In the face of widespread user fury, PayPal backed down, claiming “the language was never intended to be inserted into our policy.” Even with the removal of that language, it still has language financially penalizing some forms of expression.

People often disagree on facts. Some people make claims which others say are false. Non-fiction writers are in the business of asserting facts, and sometimes they claim that what’s “common knowledge” is wrong. Many writers get paid through PayPal, and sometimes it’s the only option the customer offers. If PayPal decides your article is wrong, it could take away a large fraction of a month’s income.
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Six blunders to avoid when writing about computers 1

This entry was posted in Commentary Techniques Writing and tagged computers research writing on by

Computers are everywhere, yet writers of scripts for movies and TV constantly get them wrong. Ludicrously wrong. Good written fiction, especially science fiction, does better, but writers of all kinds need to be careful. You can depart from the real world if you like, but you have to know what you’re doing. Make sure the reader knows it’s intentional.

Here are six ways writers can mess up. Not all of them are completely impossible, but if you use any of them, you at least need to make the scenario plausible.
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The use and misuse of “fascism” 1

This entry was posted in Commentary Writing and tagged fascism history usage on by

The word “Fascism,” as it’s too often abused in political discourse, has come to mean nothing more precise than “bad.” There are clearer words for governments that exercise improper power, such as “authoritarian” and “totalitarian.” Fascism is supposed to denote a certain kind of authoritarian system. Writers need to exercise precision when using the word, rather than tossing it around as a general insult.

In its original sense, the word comes from the Fascist Party of Italy and refers to Italy’s government under Benito Mussolini before and during World War II. It’s used more broadly to indicate governments that follow policies similar to Fascist Italy or people who (allegedly) support those policies. Just what are those policies?

The best place to start is with Mussolini’s own words. The History Guide provides some key writings by Mussolini. The page is in English; my Italian isn’t up to any serious reading. Near the beginning we find the most important point:
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Banned Books Week 2022

This entry was posted in Censorship Commentary and tagged books censorship on by

CC license from pngall.comNormally I don’t pay much attention to Banned Books Week. In past years it seems the scariest scenarios anyone reported were things like someone claiming a book shouldn’t be on library shelves for fourth-graders. I’ve called it “Bland Books Week.” This year is different, though. A movement has arisen from the sewers of the religious right to intimidate and harass librarians. “Woke” leftists and Muslim fanatics also pose threats. People at my local library have been worried, even though little has happened around here.

Here are some incidents that have made the news.
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Lukianenko and free speech issues 3

This entry was posted in Commentary and tagged China conventions fandom science fiction on by

If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you should know I support a climate of free speech in science fiction fandom, and I also support the requests that the China Worldcon drop Sergei Lukianenko from its list of Guests of Honor. No one I know of has accused me of inconsistency in these positions, but I’ve had to think carefully about whether there’s any clash. I’d like to explain, even though no one has asked.

I wouldn’t support banning Lukianenko as a program participant or kicking him off panels. Subjecting advocates of bad ideas to criticism helps to expose why they’re wrong. It also gives people an opportunity to answer their critics rather than being dismissed without a hearing. The WSFS resolution which urged a boycott of anyone who “platforms” the Ukraine invasion might be interpreted as a call to disinvite him from all opportunities to speak. I don’t support that.
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WSFS condemns Lukianenko; Chengdu doesn’t care

This entry was posted in Commentary News and tagged China fandom Russia science fiction on by

The business meeting of WSFS, held at Chicon, passed a resolution saying “[Sergey] Lukianenko should neither be platformed nor celebrated, and we ask the Chengdu 2023 committee, fans and members to refuse Sergei Lukianenko as your guest. it is shameful that he is honored by Worldcon.”

Leaving aside the sloppy language about “platforming,” I agree with the resolution, but it’s unlikely to have any effect on the guest list next year. As I’ve said before, the committee has to watch its step to avoid the Chinese government’s displeasure.
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Followup on Balticon

This entry was posted in Commentary News and tagged conventions ethics fandom science fiction on by

In June I wrote about Balticon’s treatment of Stephanie Burke, which appeared to be outrageous. This week Balticon issued a statement on the matter. It shows they took the matter seriously, which is good, but I’m not convinced they got to the heart of the problem.

Just to be clear, I wasn’t present and I don’t know any of the people directly involved. However, I’ve encountered enough similar cases at fan-run conventions to know that there is a problem with speech codes and arbitrary accusations at several of them. This includes one person, who prefers not to be named, who has been the target of false accusations by the Balticon organization. The situation with Burke gave the impression from the beginning that Balticon was in the wrong, and their statement acknowledges it. It dumps all the blame on one staffer, though.
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The war on words

This entry was posted in Commentary and tagged language usage vocabulary on by

Calling someone a “villain” is a city-ist insult. The word originally means “base or low-born rustic,” clearly an insult by the urban higher classes aimed at farmers, serfs, and others from the villages. By the censorious standards we run into so often, we should stop using the word and denounce anyone who does. This is, of course, silly, but no sillier than many actual attacks on words.

In some circles, you can’t have a “master” switch or password anymore. The word has a range of meanings, generally in the categories of someone in authority or someone with extensive knowledge and skill (or at least a degree saying so). One of these meanings is “a person in authority over slaves,” so the use of the word is deemed an endorsement of slavery, and it has to go. There are even people trying to rename the Maine coon cat. The origin of the name is obscure, but the most likely explanation is that the tail somewhat resembles a raccoon’s. However, the term “coon” has been used as a racial insult, so the name has to go. Probably raccoons need to be renamed as well.

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The history of blasphemy in writing

This entry was posted in Commentary History Writing and tagged censorship history writing on by

The August 12 assault on Salman Rushdie was almost certainly prompted by his “blasphemy.” In 1989, the Ayatollah Khomeini took a dislike to Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses, called it blasphemy, and put a bounty on Rushdie and his publishers. Rushdie went into hiding for years, the book’s Japanese translator was murdered, and the Italian translator was stabbed. Cover of The Satanic Verses

Writing about controversial subjects has always attracted anger and violence, and religion is one of the most controversial. Many governments with state religions have imposed severe penalties for blasphemy. Leviticus 24:16 says, “And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death.” The most famous blasphemy execution in history was the one of Jesus of Nazareth. For his part, Jesus said that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the one unforgivable sin.

In modern times, several countries, mostly Muslim, have laws against blasphemy, sometimes carrying the death penalty. In Pakistan, mobs have murdered alleged blasphemers. Even the supposedly civilized country of Austria has a blasphemy law, and several people have been convicted under it. The European Court of “Human Rights” says that such laws are fine. So much for freedom of religion. Germany has a law that can get someone who “through dissemination of written materials (section 11(3)) defames the religion or ideology of others” locked up for three years.

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