News

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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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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Two miscellaneous Nigeria-related items

This entry was posted in News and tagged fandom Nigeria on by

By chance, I came across two items related to Nigerian science fiction yesterday. They’re interesting enough to add up to one blog post.

The novel Our Lady of the Artilects caught my attention because of an article mentioning that it touches on the Chinese treatment of the Uyghurs and suggesting it might be a Hugo nominee at the Chengu Worldcon. The prospect sounds mischievously wonderful. I’ve ordered the book, and I won’t have an informed opinion on whether it merits a Hugo till I’ve read it. It’s based largely in a future version of Nigeria, which I think puts it in the sub-genre known as “Afro-futurism” even though the author, Andrew Gillsmith, is American.

The other item is that Nigerian SF author Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki was denied a visa, which means he can’t go to Chicon 8. He had raised over $7,000 through crowdfunding to get to the US, but his interview with the US Embassy reportedly lasted about a minute before he was turned down for unclear reasons. He has been nominated for two Hugo Awards this year and has received a Nebula. Update: An edit to the File 770 article includes a letter from the US Embassy, addressed to “Dear Applicant,” saying he was turned down because of fears that he might not go home after the Worldcon. The prospect of creative, successful people staying in the US is too much for our government to bear.

Update: Ekpeki got his visa and will get to Chicon after all.

Proposed Chicon resolution condemns Lukianenko 2

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

A proposed resolution for this year’s Worldcon, Chicon 8, condemns the inclusion of Russian author Sergey Lukianenko as a Guest of Honor at the 2023 Worldcon in Chengdu. Scroll down in the linked page to item D.6, “Short title: Sergey Lukianenko.” The text of the resolution is:

Resolved, that it is the spirit of the Business Meeting to show solidarity with Ukrainian fans and to condemn Worldcon 2023’s Guest of Honour, Sergey Lukianenko’s appalling utterances, calling Ukrainians Nazis and encouraging an illegal invasion of Ukraine. This is utterly unacceptable. 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 honoured by Worldcon.

What happens next, I think, is that the WSFS business meeting, held at Chicon, votes on this resolution. While I support it, one point gives me concern. The call for him not to be “platformed” could be interpreted as saying he should never be given an opportunity to speak. I would not support that, but the point is vague enough that I won’t let it stand in the way. He certainly should not have the status of a guest of honor, and I hope that the resolution will pass.

Russian SF writer placed on wanted list for speaking the truth

This entry was posted in News and tagged censorship Russia Ukraine on by

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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