News

Russian SF writer placed on wanted list for speaking the truth

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Reuters reports that the Russian government has placed Dmitry Glukhovsky, a Russian science fiction writer, on a “wanted” list. His “crime” was contradicting Russian pravda by saying publicly that Russia is engaging in a war against Ukraine. The Reuters article, dated June 7, doesn’t explain why the Russian government wasn’t immediately able to arrest him. I can’t find any information on his status since then.

Here’s an interview with him, dated 03.06.22. I don’t know if that’s March 6 or June 3.

Update: Metro UK says, in an article dated June 9: “Although his exact whereabouts is unknown, Glukhovsky is not currently believed to be in Russia, but if he is caught and arrested then he faces a substantial prison sentence.”

Amazon employees demand book banning

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

Some employees of a huge corporation demanded it should decide which books are acceptable for customers. They engaged in what’s called a “die-in,” which consists of lying on the ground while issuing demands. They demanded that Amazon decide which books it approves of and not make others available to customers.

This is small stuff, but it’s weird that anyone would demand that a mega-corporation which is the world’s largest bookseller should have an Index of Prohibited Books that it won’t sell. The protesters fantasize that they’ll get to call the shots. They imagine that they’ll decide what’s on the Index; probably they all think they’ll be promoted to the new position that compiles the Index.
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A turning point in fannish bullying? 1

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This past weekend saw an unusual event in science fiction fandom. The con chair of Balticon apologized for the convention’s treatment of a guest, removing her from a panel in progress. This follows the blowback SFWA received for removing Mercedes Lackey from the Nebula conference after naming her a Grand Master. Could the era of bullying of convention volunteers and program participants be coming to an end?
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SFWA, Mercedes Lackey, and taboo words 3

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Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) named Mercedes Lackey a Grand Master at the Nebula Awards ceremony, then almost immediately turned around and removed her from the Nebula Conference. The stated reason was that she “used a racial slur” while on a panel.

English has long had taboo words. At one time, the strongest ones dealt with religion. Later on, ones relating to bodily functions headed the list. It’s still illegal to tell people on broadcast television what the Supreme Court’s seven dirty words are. How do you avoid breaking the law when you can’t be told what the law forbids?

The Lackey situation is similar. The File 770 article doesn’t tell us what the alleged racial slur was. Readers are likely to imagine the worst words possible (which I won’t mention, since they may lower my search engine visibility). In fact, the word she used was “colored.” If that’s a slur, then the NAACP commits it every time it gives its full name, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
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China holds Australian journalist on unsubsantiated charges

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Enter China at your own risk.

The Chinese government is holding Cheng Lei, a Chinese-born Australian journalist, on charges of “illegally supplying state secrets overseas.” According to the BBC report, China is subjecting her to a “closed-door trial” and the specific nature of her offenses is unknown. The Australian ambassador has said, “This is deeply concerning, unsatisfactory and regrettable. We can have no confidence in the validity of the process which is conducted in secret.”

To be sure, China isn’t the only country that ignores basic principles of justice when it raises the “state secrets” excuse. The United States’ treatment of Chelsea Manning and Julian Assange has been abominable. But in China, it’s much more the norm. If its government especially dislikes someone who comes to the Chengdu Worldcon in 2023, it may be a long time before they come back.

The cries that boycotting the Chengdu Worldcon is “racist” are getting thinner. Pretty much everyone who thinks about the matter realizes how dishonest it is to accuse supporters of the Uyghurs, Falun Gong, and Hong Kong residents of racism.

An article by Sarah Mughal Rana on the Chengdu convention raises some good points.
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Spells of War: Coming April 5!

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Spells of War cover
On Tuesday, April 5, barring unexpected events, Spells of War will be available on Smashwords and Kindle! Since the events of The Magic Battery, Thomas Lorenz has enjoyed success and happiness in Heidelberg, but now the Turks have acquired his secret of creating magical devices and are using it to create weapons of war. While he is off in Vienna aiding his Emperor’s cause, Frieda makes an important discovery about magic. The future of Europe and magic are at stake.

A short-lived discount code will be available when the book comes out, so be sure to check back then. Meanwhile, be sure to bookmark https://garymcgath.com/SOW. Please tell your friends, so they can get the book too. That’s what the sharing buttons are for.

Sergey Lukianenko and the Chengdu Worldcon

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

One of the guests at the 2023 Chengdu World Science Fiction Convention, Sergey Lukianenko, has attracted negative attention for his public support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He is echoing the Putin line, smearing Ukrainians as “Nazis.” There have been calls to rescind his invitation.

From what I can tell, Lukianenko is a despicable person. His activity goes far beyond Cixin Liu’s excuses for China’s treatment of the Uyghurs. Cixin was just answering a question; Lukianenko is actively praising Putin’s brutal actions.

However, I don’t like the idea of withdrawing speakers’ invitations when their views are unpopular. I’d rather view his presence on the guest list as a symptom, a concrete example of what holding a Worldcon in China means. At a convention in any semi-free country, it would be great fun to have him speak before an audience and face merciless question after question about the invasion of Ukraine. I absolutely wouldn’t want him shouted down; that’s a confession of fear that people will hear what the speaker has to say. But having him face a fannish inquisition in the Q&A — I relish the thought.
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