Social Justice in SF&F

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by MikeB1972

For a real like example Laurell K Hamiltons switch for the Anita Blake books from Urban Fantasy to Fang Porn lost a lot of her original readers.

Thanks for the new term and I am one of her lost readers.
Don't get me wrong, I do read erotica but she got so far out there that I had to quit reading.

[hildea]

Originally Posted by MikeB1972

If we switch group for gender as I don't believe its a simple Male/Female/Bunny divide, you will find men that like chick lit and women that read Car Manuals and simply trying to class everyone as one gender or the other is pointless.

Then I don't agree with this one, you risk losing your core fans if you try to write to be inclusive to a different group, some genres are what they are.

I'm not sure I understand you. If you remove gender from my statement, it becomes completely meaningless.

I agree with you, there are men who like chick lit and women who like car manuals. There is no genre that is only read by one gender. So what I was saying is that we should make sure we don't exclude people or make them feel unwelcome when they like books (or other things) that are unusual for their gender.

Some examples of things that make people feel unwelcome:

• Hold a panel on women in comics, invite only male panelists link
• When male authors visit your school, let all the pupils go to their speech, but when female authors visit, only let the girls go link
• Write about "authors" and "lady authors" in a genre, comment on the looks of the "lady authors" link
• Tell a male author he's not welcome in a romance forum because of his gender link

(And yes, there are more genders than just men and women. Also, there are other kinds of discrimination facing other groups, like people of color and LGBT people. This thread has mostly been about gender, so I'm writing about that.)

[MikeB1972]

Originally Posted by hildea

I'm not sure I understand you. If you remove gender from my statement, it becomes completely meaningless.

I agree with you, there are men who like chick lit and women who like car manuals. There is no genre that is only read by one gender. So what I was saying is that we should make sure we don't exclude people or make them feel unwelcome when they like books (or other things) that are unusual for their gender.

Not remove, exactly, just replace gender with a different grouping.

If you take, say, Richelle Mead as an author, she writes what I will call here "Sex & The City Urban Fantasy" (It's urban fantasy with a lot of information and description of shoes) and Larry Correia who writes what I will call "Gun Nut Urban Fantasy" (as above but with a lot of information and description of guns), now to try to be inclusive of the other authors fans you will (probably) upset enough of your own fans that it is against your own interest to try to appeal to the other fans. And this is picking two authors who (except for the shoes & guns) write in the same genre.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Thanks for the new term and I am one of her lost readers.
.

Ditto.
I attended one of her signings with friends and what we saw there... didn't help me stick with the series.

I always liked the BLOOD TIES better because there are real mysteries in them but she lost me around the fifth book. Much like John Norman's GOR lost me around the fourth. Going from Burroughs pastiche to sm fantasy was not a jump I was interested in.

[fjtorres]

Make of this what you will, folks:

http://thenextweb.com/apps/2015/09/1...erate-content/

It’s all too easy in today’s overly politically correct world to get caught up in the heat of the moment and publish a comment or article that could offend readers without intending to do so.

That’s why I’m excited about Alex, a new project by developer Titus Wormer that helps catch potentially insensitive language in your writing.

[darryl]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Make of this what you will, folks:

http://thenextweb.com/apps/2015/09/1...erate-content/

I ran my reply through Alex, and there's nothing left. Sorry.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Make of this what you will, folks:

http://thenextweb.com/apps/2015/09/1...erate-content/

████ that.

[MikeB1972]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Make of this what you will, folks:

http://thenextweb.com/apps/2015/09/1...erate-content/

Well, from the example they supplied on the page it's flagged her and daughter as dodgy words so, in my best PC speak, what kind of wimp arsed tree huging sjw nutjob thinks this is a good idea

Not run through Alex on the grounds of aaaaaaagggggghhhhh!

[shalym]

Originally Posted by MikeB1972

Well, from the example they supplied on the page it's flagged her and daughter as dodgy words so, in my best PC speak, what kind of wimp arsed tree huging sjw nutjob thinks this is a good idea

Not run through Alex on the grounds of aaaaaaagggggghhhhh!

Actually, Alex doesn't have a problem with what you wrote at all. So "nutjob" is perfectly acceptable, but for God's sake don't say "him" or "her", because those are offensive!

Shari

[covingtoncat73]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

████ that.

Originally Posted by MikeB1972

Well, from the example they supplied on the page it's flagged her and daughter as dodgy words so, in my best PC speak, what kind of wimp arsed tree huging sjw nutjob thinks this is a good idea

Not run through Alex on the grounds of aaaaaaagggggghhhhh!

LOL! *Ahem*

“It's now very common to hear people say, 'I'm rather offended by that.' As if that gives them certain rights. It's actually nothing more... than a whine. 'I find that offensive.' It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. 'I am offended by that.' Well, so f*****g what."

[I saw hate in a graveyard -- Stephen Fry, The Guardian, 5 June 2005]

[Bilbo1967]

I'm actually offended by people who claim to be offended by stuff that isn't really offensive. They, in turn, are offended by my taking offence to their faux offence; which offends me.

Wouldn't life be easier if we all just got along?

[covingtoncat73]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

I'm actually offended by people who claim to be offended by stuff that isn't really offensive. They, in turn, are offended by my taking offence to their faux offence; which offends me.

Wouldn't life be easier if we all just got along?

Indeed!

[Freeshadow]

Wouldn't life be easier if we all just got along?

Wouldn't this offend people which are rather a short?

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Freeshadow

Wouldn't this offend people which are rather a short?

Are you getting faux offended by something that isn't really offensive?
I'm afraid I must take vicious exception to that...


(Yes, I know you meant it as a joke. )

[Freeshadow]

No worries, I'm not PC, I'm CP (aka chivalrous pervert)