renaissance poisson

see, if i were a police officer, and i spotted a bad guy from across the street, i would NOT stop the unmarked car, get out, and yell at the guy from a distance -- which then predictably results in the guy taking off at a full run, and me having to chase him.

you cannot tell me that actual police is this stupid. and you, the writer, must think we are all dumb fucks that after years of this malarkey on TV we don't recognize such a thinly veiled excuse for a chase to artificially increase the drama. sheesh. switch on your other neuron and write something less cliché, willya.

of SFF ebooks, since i've been woefully behind the times in that genre.

the *poing* and i were co-grumbling about the sad tendency of publishers advising authors to switch names in order to beat the crappy software that seems to determine what bookstores buy -- which makes me lose track of authors i like because i don't have the spoons to read industry-watching or individual authors' blogs. the *poing* enlightened me that Sarah Zettel is indeed still writing, except as CL Anderson, and that Laura J Mixon is now MJ Locke. really, guys, a change to a more bland, less unique name is good for you? the gender-neutrality makes up for that? is SFF still so damn hidebound? has anyone done a study on this? do any male authors in SF change names? maybe SFF publishers should develop a logo for "girl cooties" and liberally stamp it on all books so infested to spare overly sensitive guys from exposure.

*grump*.

i set out to do some book buying.

what the heck is wrong with SFF publishers? back lists are still often not available as ebooks! some newer books are too expensive. frex Justina Robson's "Natural History" comes in at C$14. that's too much for me; i won't pay more than C$10 because i don't pay more for a mass market paperback. now, if authors received a much higher percentage of that money, then we could talk. as it is, no. since i am planning to shift all my paper to ebooks, i looked for some lesser known, such as Tricia Sullivan. nothing at all in ebook. *sigh*. how long do publishers hang on to rights? i wonder whether self-publishing might not be a more viable idea than hoping for more than a decade that you'll get a reprint.

*double grump*.

also, kobo.com still does not have a shopping cart, but each book gets bought singly. that is so annoying that it makes me want to go out and download a torrent with 1000 pirated books -- if only that worked as a deterrent to bookstores pissing me off. i have a budget. i want to pile my haul up in my shopping cart to see what it all comes to with tax. as it is, i have to keep track of that in my head (or start writing it down -- yeah, right). maybe this method works to make other people over-spend, but in my case i am under-spending and buying fewer books than i otherwise would, because i hate getting individual statements in my inbox as well.

i would easily have spent double of what i did today if the books i wanted had been available at a price point i am willing to pay, or indeed, had been available at all.

it's a sad day when it is much easier to buy gay tentacle porn than established SFF.

*triple grump*.

also, it makes it much harder to write up a haul because i have to copy-paste everything bit by bit.

Aguirre Ann - Sirantha Jax 1 - Grimspace
Anderson CL (Zettel Sarah) - Bitter Angels
Bear Elizabeth - Jacob's Ladder 1 - Dust
Gould Steven - 7th Sigma
Hallaway Tate (Morehouse Lydia) - Garnet Lacey 1 - Tall, Dark & Dead
McGuire Seanan - October Daye 1 - Rosemary and Rue
Kowal Mary Robinette - Glamourist Histories 1 - Shades of Milk and Honey
Locke MJ (Mixon Laura J) - Up Against It
Robson Justina - Quantum Gravity 1 - Keeping It Real
Stross Charles - Glasshouse
Wilson Robert Charles - Spin 2 - Axis
Wilson Robert Charles - Spin 3 - Vortex

i've just not been up to it, or even up to taking pictures. but it seems that i am finally over what turned out to be horrid side effects of the wellbutrin. i can't say that it's doing much for my depression, but i want to give it another month without miserable side effects, since those make it hard to assess how i am really feeling. hopefully this journal will provide some content again. happy new year, y'all!

i've mostly been hermitting, and been keeping myself busy with reading; i'm back into mysteries (mostly oldies like ngaio marsh and andre garve), and i've also dusted off my BL manga collection. which means i am studying japanese again, yay. i missed that, but it became too hard to concentrate.

found out that some japanese publishers now write cease and desist letters to scanlation groups, some of whom have apparently slunk off into their own gated communities with demands about not sharing their scans outside -- which i don't get. i mean, they're not all THAT gated (3000 of your closest friends!), so they're not actually safe from "spies", and demanding limited distribution on the internet never ever works. me, i'd change my name, sever all connection with past sites, and distribute randomly through a variety of channels, letting those who're attentive enough to grab the scans do the rest of the distribution.

and japanese publishers kid themselves if they think those letters actually halt, or even diminish scanlation for more than a few weeks. there is a solid fan base, there is ongoing demand, they are not filling it (english licenses are few, only of already-famous mangaka, often years behind the original, and mostly inferior quality, plus people from countries where BL is censored or forbidden often rely on scanlations), ergo there will always be people who jump to fill that demand, and the net makes it so much easier now to cooperate across large distances, and yet to remain anonymous if needed. and i keep thinking that they're not losing anything much from english scanlation, but are possibly even gaining customers -- i bought no manga at all before i found out about scanlation; now i do, heck: i started buying japanese originals before i could read any japanese, just to hold those little treasures in my own hands, and to support the mangaka i really like. without scanlation i wouldn't know about 70% of the mangaka out there, and i certainly wouldn't know about up-and-coming ones who most need the support, because they are first published in the japanese "phone book" magazines which are hard to get here (though i am getting to the point where i will probably buy those from japan, even though the shipping costs are formidable). i am by far not unique; lots of other BL fanciers do the same thing.

to me scanlation and general book sharing over the net is no different from libraries and used bookstores; it allows me a preview before buying my own, and it's more convenient; not tied to store hours, inventory, or location, which means i read more and across a wider range of authors. good writers have nothing to worry about from that; i find more of them, and buy more of their works than i used to; my spending on new ebooks has really gone up quite considerably, while my spending on print books has gone down, and i buy few used books anymore -- the latter used to be the vast majority of my book budget, and it's not like authors and publishers benefitted much from that.

i grant that mediocre and bad writers might be losing out; at least in my case. i no longer buy as many random authors on impulse as i used to, and i don't buy crappy books i've read. then again, i also give mediocre authors more of a chance now -- i used to not buy ever again if i didn't like my first purchase. nowadays i read further works because it costs me nothing, and that additional exposure might just change my opinion and put the author back on my "buy" list. i'm really curious how that shakes out; maybe i'll keep better track of it for a year to see whether my impressions are correct, and how much that comes to in monetary terms.

ah, enough rantage -- i need to go buy a hard drive enclosure so i can clone my mac boot disk in order to move to a new machine. my first SATA drive (not even eSATA) -- wow, am i ever behind the curve in computer hardware now. need more POWER, *arrrrr*!

photos soon!

elsenet i was linked to victoria brownworth's article in the lambda literary blog.

let me first say that i read brownworth's article and thought it was abysmally bad, so bad that it totally obscured its own central concern. that's a crying shame. it's also a shame that there was no enlightenment had from the other side in the comments, for the most part. it was typical defensive derailment, complete with the usual bingo excuses, as paul g bens showed so poignantly. but, having observed such discussions before, commenters would have derailed the thread anyway, even if victoria had done her research instead of putting more falsehood than truth out there about m/m, and being rude to everyone who disagreed with her. they wouldn't have listened even if she had been well-informed and courteous. but they should listen, because the central concern is important.

the central concern is that m/m AS A GENRE fetishizes gay relationships for the titillation of heterosexual women, and that this is detrimental to actual gay people.

i believe that concern is warranted.

i read a lot of m/m, and by "a lot" i mean around 1500 stories a year. i do not just read based on reviews; i pick a large number of books at random. disclaimer: i know that there are some actual male writers behind some of the pseudonyms (as well as lesbians and bisexual men and women and trans folk), and i know that some actual gay men read m/m and enjoy it. end disclaimer.

but the vast majority is born from slash fiction and yaoi, is written by straight women, and is read by straight women. and yes, yaoi is much worse when it comes to faulty information and fetishization -- but that doesn't mean m/m escapes the accusation. some of m/m's best selling authors are its worst offenders. and IMO the majority of the genre is at least mildly offensive to actual gay persons.

i also know that m/m is empowering for many women and genderqueers (i won't go into why here, but it's fascinating. and way cool. some of the analysis in fandom way surpasses anything i've seen come out of gender studies.).

but i've also read many comments from fangirls that show they get a lot of misinformation from m/m, and that they thoroughly objectify the men in m/m. if an author writes badly informed fiction, some people will swallow that crap with gusto, and will think they now know something about gay people and their sexuality, their relationships. and they will be wrong. that's not empowering anyone; it damages.

writers who're defensive when confronted with the accusation that they're appropriating and objectifying, are not being asked to "get out" of writing about gay relationships. however, if they don't get it right, if they are lazy, if they write formula, then they better be prepared for scathing criticism from gay people whom they offend with that dreck. it is totally possible to write authentic gay fiction as a non-gay writer; there are many talented m/m authors who're taking their craft seriously. the problem is not THAT women write it, it's HOW they write it.

the entitled whining from some m/m authors in the comments to brownworth's article was painful to watch, and it didn't impress me one bit. yup, it can be hard to look at one's own work with a critical eye, even if one writes "just fiction". but one doesn't get to trample all over an already oppressed group with impunity "just for fun". because fiction is never "just fiction". fiction has power, fiction teaches, fiction influences people. and if, as an author, you appropriate a facsimile of people's lives in order to gain personal profit from what happens to also be their pain, they have every right to tell you that you're an arse who makes their lives harder.

an author is not directly responsible what people do with the information they convey. but the author is culpable. i suggest to take that seriously, even if one just writes plot-what-plot stories -- getting it right matters to those whose lives one borrows in order to have a bit of fun.

ever since powells has discontinued their free shipping to canada, i've much more seldomly shopped there except when they get in a rare book that's on my notifications list. i just bought $15 worth of books and paid $27 in total for the pleasure. i love to support independents, but not when it costs me decidedly more than anywhere else; i might as well support small book sellers in canada instead, and wait even longer for some of those rarities to pop up.

so when i found out that powells also sell ebooks now, i was happy, because hey, i rather buy them from there than from amazon and the other big guys any day. however, spot check of 10 ebooks shows that 9 out of those 10 can only be downloaded from within the US.

thanks for nothing. i know it's likely not powells who's to blame for this, but will the effing publishing industry get its effing head out of its effing arse already?

you want to know why people pirate? here's yet another reason.

peter watts, canadian science fiction writer, was beaten and jailed at a US border crossing, according to him without provocation or reason.

peter's blog entry does not shed any more light on what exactly happened.

dear US of fucking A:

occasionally friends of mine in the US wonder why i no longer travel there. and when i explain, i am sure -- even though nobody has said it out loud -- that they think i'm probably a little paranoid.

i'm not. your damn country is a loose cannon. crossing your borders is not safe for foreigners. yes, thousands cross without incident. but the incidents are many more now than they used to be, and the guards are more petty and vindictive, and more filled with righteous POWER because hey, there's terr'ists out there.

no way am i visiting the US again while this sort of shit goes on. i had great hopes for the obama administration, but obama clearly isn't willing to fix many of the problems introduced by the abominable shrub.

my canadian dollars won't go into your tourist industry. they'll go to a legal defense fund for peter watts.

i really, REALLY hate it when i ask for a task, am given one, and then casually find out somebody else has taken it too, but nobody talks to me about it. i'm right there! in the room! and they're talking as if i weren't there, and had nothing to do with it. and nobody tells me to stop working on it. and when i make a suggestion to improve something, that too isn't acknowledged. WTF? if you two wanted to work on this happily together, why even task me with it?! i didn't rush in and grab it!

makes me feel like i am being snubbed. especially since this one person already always treats me like i am a little slow and stupid. which doesn't play well with my depression. and also? i am NOT slow and stupid when it comes to this stuff. i am fast and smart. so fuck you if you can't see that. godverdomme.

maybe today would be a good day for me to work in the garden. no drama. appreciate 3 good things about my life.

ETA: *gnrg*, why am i so fucking emo today? anyway, nobody please worry about this. i am just out of balance, and unhappy, and apparently the slightest little thing can push me over the edge. a couple of hours in the garden and i'll be fine. ESPECIALLY don't worry about it if you are my partner. :) you did nothing wrong.

condoleezza rice. and your bully-boy boss too.

it may be good enough for our limp conservative government that you claim you're committed to informing ottawa now before you deport canadian citizens to other countries to be tortured, but it's not good enough for me. your assurances are worthless. you broke your own laws when you did that to maher arar; why should a letter on white house stationary have more weight? nevermind that the moment you open your lips these days it's to lie. you spent your political capital several times over by lying with impunity. damn right you're gonna do it again if it comes in handy, unless you're made to pay severely.

and i don't see an apology. nor a statement that you've taken maher arar off your stupid watchlist.

fuckers. i so want to see you criminals impeached. in fact, i'd like to see you jailed. but you've already legislated yourself to safety, haven't you.

and you, mackay, you are a pitiful piece of milquetoast.


p.s: dear globe and mail. have a copy editor check the spelling of the names of foreign "dignitaries" before publishing. yeah, it's a damnfool way of spelling her name, but it's her damnfool way.

what i want to know is how the hell you think yourself qualified to pontificate on the quality of today's SFF if you say shit like:

I am basically disatisfied with what is produced and so I read very little of it. (the person's currently favoured reading material is bujold's vorkosigan romp).

or

I've been very, very disappointed in what science-fisction releases have made it to the shelves the last few times I've been in a mainstream store. I think my last actual purchase was a reprinted Heinlien novel.

catch-22, anyone?

oh, and i am gonna take your opinion real seriously if you can't even spell the name of the single famous author whose work you consider worth buying. nevermind that if your taste is stuck on heinlein, and that is what you consider "good SF", we don't even need to bother talking.

you said before:
I believe there is going to be a great uprising in Connecticut today. There is going to be a big turnout in my opinion, and when it is all over I am going to be honored to be the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in this election.

after:
If the people of CT are good enough to send me back to Washington as an independent democrat, I will continue to fight for our national security...I never hesitate to work with members of the other party.

indeed.  there was a great uprising in connecticut.  there was a big turnout of more than 40%, a record turnout for a primary, 15% higher than the last highly contested democratic primary in CT.  and when it was over, people voted your ass out, voted for a virtual unknown over you, not by a landslide, but by majority.  even the people in your home town voted for him over you.  the classy thing would be to congratulate your opponent and throw your support behind him -- that's what you would expect from him if the tables were turned.  the non-classy, assholish thing to do is to fuck the democratic party over some more by running as an independent.  but who cares what the people want, right?

the lie about the lamont campaign hacking your website was pretty much the last straw anyway.  oh, and people who can't hire competent folks for their website security should maybe not lead the nation regarding its security.  kthxbye, loserman.