A horse of a different color, ethics-wise (updated)
Martin notes the Science Fiction and Fantasy Ethics group blog. Its mission: “To promote positive reviews of books, movies and comics.” I see nothing wrong with this.
Drilling further, Martin locates the latest SF Signal Mind Meld, which asks the founders of SFFE, “Why is Genre Fiction Bleak and What Can Be Done About It?” This does not appear to be what SFFE is actually about — that’s positive reviews of books, not reviews of positive books — but the respondents go to some lengths to clear up the confusion.
It’s also not the obvious question: Why ethics? But founder Andy Remic, author of the recently- (if-not-positively-) reviewed-by-Martin Biohell, answers it anyway:
I chose the name “Ethics” not because I wanted to explore the ethical contexts of novels or films, but because I wanted to make an ethical stand against the motherfuckers who, to my mind, are systematically ruining the SFFH genres.
Anonymous motherfuckers are always intriguing, and several folks, including Martin, our own Dave Schwartz and the estimable Abigail Nussbaum have asked Mr. Remic exactly which motherfuckers, and how, exactly?
Mr. Remic has expressed a reluctance to clear up the confusion. So: I volunteer. If the genre needs ruining, I’m up for it. I’m not promising to fuck anyone’s mother, but if I do, I promise to be systematic about it.
Update: Evil Monkey explains. In comments, Felix Gilman does the knowledge.
Jeff Vandermeer says: “I have a theory that writers should not join organizations with other writers. I.e., we are congenitally incapable of not eventually appearing to be absurdist or to be participating in some kind of cosmic metafiction when we do form organizations.”
I say, writers should join absurdist organizations and roll around in cosmic metafiction till it coats them to their eyeballs.
June 4th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
To be fair, when I was asking “Who?” I really meant “Who besides Moles?”
June 4th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Naturally!
June 4th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
I like the idea that if he is emailed contact info, that is somehow less anonymous than what he has already been given–a full name and link to Dave’s LJ. I am now tempted to change the name of my email display to David J. Schwartz and pose as Dave to see if he finds that acceptably less anonymous, or if he would only trust a dave@davidjschwartzauthor.com address. (for that matter, how do we know he really is Andy Remic?????)
Also, is it really ethical to say things (good or bad, doesn’t matter) behind people’s backs, such as in an email to Dave, that you won’t post on the internet? Haven’t we been through this slapfight at least twice already?
June 4th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Yeah, I was thinking that if I had actually emailed him, what would stop me from posting his reply on my blog or something?
Odd fellow, that one.
June 4th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Please put me on the list of people willing to ruin the genre.
June 5th, 2009 at 12:32 am
So all of this is Martin’s fault, is what you’re saying.
June 5th, 2009 at 7:31 am
I blame the camel’s chiropractor rather than the straw.
June 5th, 2009 at 11:24 am
Er, that’s congenitally, not co-genitally. BIG difference. Will fix now.
June 5th, 2009 at 11:25 am
Hey, I didn’t catch it either. I think it works either way.
June 6th, 2009 at 2:47 am
Okay. Cook me up one order of Depressing Genre Ruinization.
Yeah, I want fries with that. Special Apocalypse Fries, please, with Super Seckrit Doom Sauce.
Blood Shake as well. No dairy, please.
June 10th, 2009 at 8:26 am
[...] do David Moles and Cheryl Morgan; other participants in the SFFE blog show up in the comments to the latter [...]
April 12th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
[...] I remember toasting, with the other motherfuckers, the health of Andy Remic, for bringing us together; I remember conversations in the bar with many people, particularly the discussion with certain [...]