"Racist" novel raising a ruckus

[JohnnyBook]

Originally Posted by Ninjalawyer

Weird Tales will no longer be printing the excerpt apparently: http://io9.com/5936397/weird-tales-b...ffensive-novel

From the publisher:

I saw the blackface video and read the excerpts the author and publisher chose to make available.

[emphasis added]

I have no idea if the book is racist or not, but it seems like (based on the io9 comments) a lot is being made about excerpts without any context. And it's a little sad that: (i) the publisher admitted to a quick knee-jerk reaction to placate the mob without first having read the book; and (ii) they don't seem to care that their may be a deeper context to content that, with only a dullard's surface analysis, appears to be racist.

The problem is that the excerpts and video are not from reviewers, they are from the AUTHOR and PUBLISHER

So if the Author feels they are being taken out of context..... Then I can only that famous saying from Indiana Jones.....

"He chose... poorly"

[wizwor]

Originally Posted by carld

I can see the objection to black face, but premise of the book itself doesn't sound racist.

I agree. Sounds like the warmists are appealing to their perception of the doubters. You know, warn the ignorant racists who do not believe that climate change will lead to a terrifying outcome.

Kind of a poor man's Planet of the Apes, I guess...

[whitearrow]

If you're interested in an alternate history role-reversal, I highly recommend Lion's Blood by Steven Barnes. Sadly, the sequel, Zulu Heart, is not available in ebook format yet.

[frahse]

I am really getting upset that the "ape hating" racists that have read ape hating books are being allowed to speak on a public forum.

I think it is time for some "reeducation."
Are there no "thought police" available to gather up these miscreants and put them away?

[Namekuseijin]

ah, shock marketing tactics to sell the crap. Always works.

[Ninjalawyer]

Originally Posted by JohnnyBook

The problem is that the excerpts and video are not from reviewers, they are from the AUTHOR and PUBLISHER

So if the Author feels they are being taken out of context..... Then I can only that famous saying from Indiana Jones.....

"He chose... poorly"

My point was that the book is racist or it's not, and it's hard to judge from a few random snippets, no matter who picks out those snippets.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by frahse

I am really getting upset that the "ape hating" racists that have read ape hating books are being allowed to speak on a public forum.

I think it is time for some "reeducation."
Are there no "thought police" available to gather up these miscreants and put them away?

One could force them all to read "Fifty Shades Of Ape."

[crich70]

Obama was always going to be a target for racists I think due to the fact that he is the 1st black president that we've had in the history of the country. I don't know if this book has anything to do with that or not, though people who have strong feelings one way or the other about a subject like racism can usually find support in any written document if they look for it. I remember seeing a clip of a movie version of Uncle Tom's Cabin where the master of the plantation quotes from the Bible as supporting his position of slave owner. I'm sure there are other books that have also been used for or against a viewpoint all through history.

[Catlady]

What's bothering me here is the good old double standard. Whenever some conservative Christian group objects to an upcoming movie or TV show, for example, those on the other side complain that the nay-sayers haven't even seen the show yet, that they're just taking things out of context and being narrow-minded, and nobody's forcing them to watch anyway, so they should just shut up.

But when the so-called liberals get a whiff of possible bias, well, that's different. Who needs the complete context? They just KNOW that something is hateful and politically incorrect, because they say so, and it's perfectly fine for them to rail against it.

[jgaiser]

deleted

[BeccaPrice]

On the other hand, Catlady, you could buy the book and give us a book review.

[xg4bx]

It just strikes me as odd that a magazine that touts itself as Weird Tales would now shy away from printing a weird tale . Frankly I'm disappointed that the magazine cowardly gave in to political correctness. I'm sure there are many great authors that never would have seen print if the current climate of fear of "offending" people had taken hold a century ago.

I wouldn't go out of my way to read this book but I'd probably give it a look if I came across it. I'm very hesitant to join a pitchfork mob when I haven't read the piece in question. Certain books pick up a negative reputation despite only a bare handful of people actually having read the work. Everybody has an opinion on something like The Turner Diaries but how many people have actually read it? A few hundred people at most? This will become one of those books: nobody has read it but everybody "just knows" that it's racist ****.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by Catlady

What's bothering me here is the good old double standard. Whenever some conservative Christian group objects to an upcoming movie or TV show, for example, those on the other side complain that the nay-sayers haven't even seen the show yet, that they're just taking things out of context and being narrow-minded, and nobody's forcing them to watch anyway, so they should just shut up.

But when the so-called liberals get a whiff of possible bias, well, that's different. Who needs the complete context? They just KNOW that something is hateful and politically incorrect, because they say so, and it's perfectly fine for them to rail against it.

Only human nature I'm afraid. Not logical, but whoever said the human race was logical?

[speakingtohe]

Lot of illiterate and/or non reading people who discriminate and or just plum hate people they don't know based on race, sex, age, religion Even weight or poverty seem to engender unreasoning contempt or even hatred.

A book might validate a particular predjudice for some, but few people need the validation.

It would have to be a mighty powerful piece of writing to actually cause predjudice IMO.

Helen

[xg4bx]

nm, accidental post.