SFWA Election TOTAL MELTDOWN: Only Blue-Haired WEIRDOS Want To Be President Of The Sci-Fi Org

[@dantespicysausage9615]

They want authority. It's that freaking simple. Instead of letting beautiful creativity flourish they wanna put a leash in it and control it entirely based on their twisted beliefs and identity

[@mikeguilmette776]

Some I'm sure do, but Jon hit it on the head - it's for popularity at conventions.

[@jimjam51075]

A bunch of not-men going crazy with a power trip after getting a whiff of authority? No. Never heard of such a thing.

[@ThaGrimbler]

​@@jimjam51075every time you give weak people authority they use it as tool to avenge their perceived slights; they abuse it, renewing the circle of victimhood by punishing people that remind them of someone they don't like.

[@jimjam51075]

​@@ThaGrimblerBasically every time I try to find something new to watch on streaming.

[@harrymills2770]

Wokeness is all about power and nothing else. And it's not power for those it pretends to champion. It's power for the ideologues, who want and expect to be paid for doing ideology.

[@NameIsDoc]

This confirms my grandpa's perspective. "Any union not run by a person who works the field is not a union, it's another business "

[@GhostRanger5060]

Yep and a scam. Your grandpa knew the deal!

[@BLKDEVX]

The old wisdom still holds up

[@harrymills2770]

If only unions would go away after they've righted the wrongs of unenlightened management and ownership. But they always take on a life of their own. Churches the same sort of thing. Government institutions the same sort of thing. Institutions don't get big unless they go far beyond their original remit.

[@jacquelineking5783]

Organizations will eventually become corrupt. Because people are self interested assholes. Even if a founder is a Saint among mankind they will eventually be followed by someone who wants tbeir own empire.

[@australiainfelix7307]

The hair, the glasses, the scarf... And she'd be first in line to denounce stereotypes.

[@GhostRanger5060]

Yeah, all these hyper-individualist egalitarian progressives who just want to express "their own unique voice" all look and sound exactly like the rest of them. So classic!

[@igitwams]

It's their uniform.

[@danielmcleer]

Just like when the Hipsters hit the streets, all claiming they were all unique while all acting and looking the same. One actually sued a photographer for printing a photo of him, and come to find out it was some other Hipster.

[@zxyatiywariii8]

​@@danielmcleerI remember that, it was hilarious! The article said something like, _why do all hipsters look alike?_ and the hipster who sued PROVED it's true. 😂

[@RobertLutece909]

The decline of SFWA into a quilting circle for weirdos was something that really upset Pournelle in his later years.

[@WINGTV9]

Pournelle was great, but I upset him in 2006 by giving him a newsprint booklet called something like The Citizen's 9/11 Commission. I handed it to him, and he handed it back to me. Eventually, I think and hope he "went there" and found out the truth...

[@MJanovicable]

@@WINGTV9 lol

[@StevieZala]

"Quilting circle of weirdos" 😅😅😅

[@MJanovicable]

@@StevieZala And those quilting circles are well known for all their infighting, too, over nothing, BS.

[@cyberherbalist]

@@WINGTV9 - I loved Jerry Pournelle. I was so disappointed that he died before he could finish the Janissaries series. And then I discovered that he had had a stroke, then had difficulties writing, and couldn't have finished it before his death. He just lost his ability to "imagineer," as it were. The final book was finished by his son Phillip and David Weber (of Honor Harrington fame). For my own part, I upset Jerry once on Bix by mentioning something related to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the "Mormons") and he said something disparaging about the church. Since I'm a member of that church, I was a little taken aback, but oh well. I was aware that he was a devout Catholic, but for some reason I had expected him to be somewhat tolerant of other faiths. His daughter Jennifer's novel, "Outies," a sequel to "The Gripping Hand," contained a subplot that was rather negative towards Mormons, so it appears that she took on her father's prejudices. Nevertheless, Pournelle remains one of my favorite authors.

[@cavemanbum]

She / They, Bi / Pan. 'Nuff said 🙄

[@GhostRanger5060]

Back when Amazon still had comments on their reviews (and before I was kicked off of Amazon Reviews for calling Robert Mugabe a communist in a review), I remember getting into a heated argument with several progressive SF fans who were calling Ray Bradbury an old white guy, a racist, a hater, a terrible human being, etc. I also believe they were attacking Robert Heinlein and a couple other classic SF legends. I was absolutely disgusted. Also been "schooled" in another comment section that SF is "by nature progressive" and if you aren't "progressive" (and they meant both politically and socially) then you have no business being part of SF fandom and creative culture. What losers these people are. I think they were upset because I was speaking positively about The Forever War by Joe Haldeman, which to them was an anti-LGBTQalphabet hate book. *sigh* These people suck. And so does most of SF fandom at this point.

[@Geekdom-d8z]

This why we write our own stuff sell in science fiction and fantasy qe can't let it die

[@tallaaron1115]

Not all SF fans are like that. I grew up in the 80's, loved anything from the 60 onward of scifi and I even started writing books because there were no true science fiction books left in my view. I know it feels hopeless, but there are true fans out there still. When everything else is garbage, sometimes we just need to stand up and make our own stuff to try to get things back on track. 🤷‍♂

[@MadsterV]

this is standard socialist MO: - everything good is because of us - this thing we just got into, is actually ours - you're making us uncomfortable and you need to leave - **proceeds to turn it into garbage**

[@LembeckIsStaying]

Sci Fi went from Aurthur C. Clarke and Phillip K. Dick to some chicks on Twitter/Tumblr. Sad. 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@angusorvid8840]

They want the power to decide what is good, what is not; what you can like and what you cannot. They are not by any stretch of the imagination concerned with quality. It's all about the power to define.

[@MinSilWalk66]

There's that meme about brightly colored reptiles advertising their toxicity to others as a warning.....

[@mxdc2000]

About 5 years ago, I looked into SFWA. It was dismaying to see so many copy editors passing themselves off as authors with an activist bent. And don't get me started on their anthology workshops. It'd be better to throw money into a composter, getting more beneficial results.

[@AntoineDennison]

Fantasy is a subcategory of Fiction, so it's redundant.

[@mikeguilmette776]

"Staff and volunteer trainings [sic] around communication, whistleblower and legal protections ..." Sounds to me like she wants to plug the leaks.

[@farpointgamingdirect]

The Alphabet Mafia destroys everything they touch

[@kathleenhensley5951]

They aren't like the Mafia... they are like the inquisitors of the 1590s -early 1600s. They hate mankind. The Mafia is evil as heck, but at least they have a reason for existence.. they want money. The Inquisitors of all eras want to control everything including peoples' hearts and minds and will make life a living hell because they enjoy doing so. Small souls doing evil things. They are persecutors and dangerous as ravenous wolves.

[@Skitdora2010]

Many of my teachers in school told me I should be a writer when I grew up. I assume because I am long winded. I needed money and wanted to play it safe so I went into nursing and I worked in sales, but I did want to still tap into my writing talent. So, I became a keyboard warrior and now am wanted in England. And that is how you know you really did have talent after all.

[@Geekdom-d8z]

Wanted in England for what?

[@Falconlibrary]

@@Geekdom-d8z Hurty memes

[@KidCorporate]

If I had an arrest warrant in England I’d do what I could to obtain a paper copy and frame it.

[@woodwyrm]

@@Geekdom-d8z memes, bloody memes lmao

[@ranchoth]

I see “I Read Banned Books” merch in my local indie bookstores, fairly often. Nice enough sentiment, but really…you want some REAL literary credibility, WRITE banned books! “Yep, my first hardcover novella collection…it’s also why I can no longer visit China, Sweden, or any country with a name ending in ‘-stan.’”

[@StevieZala]

Why is everything such a grift these days? Oh, that's right it starts at the top with the PM accepting free clothes for his wife, despite him being a multimillionaire and it works it's way into everything. If you don't like it & try to say so, they'll form a committee then cancel you.

[@hammertronactionfigures2426]

(5 of 5) Make a new organization and carefully gatekeep it. Anyone not happy with the way the new organization does things can go to SFWA.

[@tallaaron1115]

Where do I sign up?

[@rickkearn7100]

The problem is, Don, is that these people should be in asylums under medical supervision. Thank the insurance companies for removing insurance for institutionalized sequestration of psychotics.

[@dashampelstielzchen1239]

I also cannot imagine how such circles could help to improve with writing, because all they do is creating borders and no-gos in storytelling. "Can't tell about that, because it is colionalist speech and is enforcing slavery, cannot create such an character because he is "binary" and so on and so forth. At the end they all write about themselves and nothing could be more boring and repelling than the thoughts and "experiences" of a cat-lady or cat-lord (the later are growing in numbers rapidly).

[@PS-hv7on]

People who complain about gatekeepers want to be gatekeepers.....

[@hammertronactionfigures2426]

(4 of 5) "5 year plan"........ That is not only used in Star Tre. Some real world groups like to have "5 year plans". Those are not the kind of groups that you want maing plans for you.

[@australiainfelix7307]

11:26 - She taught writing at the "university level" but obviously never covered the overuse of dyads. The second paragraph in her bio consists entirely of the "I did this AND I did that" structure. I can imagine her fiction.

[@TacitusJones]

Kate Ristau: it looks like her books are primarily YA and/or paranormal romance novels. The ISFDB doesn't even list her books; they only have four short stories that would fall into the science fiction/fantasy genre, the last being from 2022, and mostly in really obscure anthologies. I do agree with you when you said that any name SF writer wouldn't want the gig because they'd have to deal with the headaches that are part of SFWA today, and that's a real shame. I guess gone are the days where writers of note would helm SFWA, such as Joe Haldeman, Barbara Hambly, Greg Bear, Catherine Asaro, Poul Anderson, among others. They and others before them had the accomplishments within the genre to qualify them to run the organization. Maybe I'm wrong but I fear SFWA will soon be a thing of the past, likely by the end of the decade, as it's no longer relevant.

[@GhostRanger5060]

Being a success, having a work ethic, and worst, SELLING BOOKS is all racist, misogyny, and hater talk, dontcha know.

[@georgepoitras3502]

Just let them take it over and stand back and watch the show. When it hits rock bottom take it over. Nothing woke touches makes money or keeps interest.

[@InfamyOrDeath-__-]

6:31 Ah ha, the progressive hero costume, blue short hair & black frame glasses, it’s just so funny that you know exactly what they think simply by looking at them.

[@GhostRanger5060]

Can we get a new organization to replace these fools? Something like "SF Content Creators and Worldbuilders" (SFCCW) with its own awards and promotion platforms that don't focus on fringe groups, identity politics, and groomer behavior? Or did I just trigger someone by including the dreaded letters "CCW" in my proposed acronym? If so, then I think we might be on to something!!!!

[@jasonuerkvitz3756]

I'm a struggling writer and it seems as if the industry is dead. AI on the horizon, slumping readership, DEI leadership destroying the writers' associations from within, making them exclusive and political rather than about furthering the art and the genres of literature. It's insane. Jon, I have to say, congratulations on your success in a very tenuous market. You do give me hope, however. I'll keep plugging along.

[@tallaaron1115]

Hey, struggling author here too. Keep at it. What is your author name so I can buy some stuff of your to support you? We authors need to look out for each other. Always open to help if there is anything I can do.

[@jasonuerkvitz3756]

@@tallaaron1115 Hey, thank you. It's my name you see here. I put out something a long time ago and have since attempted to rewrite it. I wanted to do Young Adult work, but have since abandoned YA for more mature themes. I hope to condense the one book I self-published and put at the beginning of the sequel I've been working on for the last couple of years. Thanks for your support. What's your name so I can return the kind gesture?

[@tallaaron1115]

@@jasonuerkvitz3756 I use the pen name of Aaron Ramsby the first book is Ruins of Ivy: Book 1 of the Aurora Project. FYI it is post apocalyptic and it uses the cliffhanger feature. Not popular with some but for those who like it, it seems to work. Keep trying and working hard. I am grabbing your name now and heading over to grab a copy.

[@jasonuerkvitz3756]

@@tallaaron1115 You're too kind. I purchased and downloaded the first two and pre-ordered your third. Awesome book covers, by the way.

[@tallaaron1115]

@@jasonuerkvitz3756 Thank you, the cover artist is Jeff Brown. He is an awesome artist who used to work for the old version of D&D back in the day. Expensive but each cover is featured in the book its self.

[@JoelAdamson]

This is so funny. When I was younger, the leaders of the genre were active in these organizations. They were all people whose books you'd already read, like Fred Pohl, Jerry Pournelle, Gene Wolfe, CJ Cherryh. Now I see these conventions get announced and even their guests of honor are people I've never heard of, not even in Asimov's or Analog. In 2014 or so, a bunch of notable authors formally objected to how SFWA was being run. They didn't listen. The final nail in the coffin was when people went after GRRM for mispronouncing names at the Hugo Awards.

[@Skitdora2010]

I never read any of them. I read fantasy.

[@RunesandReapers]

I'll add one better. They don't sell shit. They aren't commercially viable either. They live and die by big contracts and are a major drain on Publishers. But like every other industry run by bigger Investors it's all about the awards

[@CategoricalImperative]

Out of 12 Nebula awards… two male winners in 2024. In 2010….. 8 male winners out of 12. So, basically….. they’re a feminist organization now.

[@hammertronactionfigures2426]

(3 of 5) "Collaborators" Did anyone ever watch the "V" TV mini series? (from WAY back in the early 80s) Do we really want "collaborators"?

[@patnor7354]

Well, if Diana is their leader I might join up ;)

[@hammertronactionfigures2426]

@@patnor7354 A babe that will eat you up - literally!

[@claytonbouldin9381]

Are you saying the lizard people have taken over? I was worrying about the Annuaki...

[@hammertronactionfigures2426]

@@claytonbouldin9381 "They" are all woring together.

[@tallaaron1115]

While this is good to know, it is so frustrating because there are new writers like myself putting in everything I can but people like this make it feel harder to make a mark in this industry. If you ever decide to do a sales explanation please let me know. Every time I have tried to find something that was not political, I run into it. It really makes me question if I am fighting the good fight any more.

[@JamiePeterson-sh5bn]

I know as an aspiring fantasy sci fi novel writer I will never join a union especially sfwa

[@Geekdom-d8z]

We make our own I make one on Facebook and link it

[@JamiePeterson-sh5bn]

@@Geekdom-d8z mine is a Christian based fantasy story that is a cross between lord of the rings and narnia

[@tallaaron1115]

I am an aspiring scifi/post apocalyptic writer who is working hard. I only have a few books out but keep work hard. You can do it. People like us are out there to support you. Let me know the name of your book please? I would love to purchase a copy to help out.

[@Geekdom-d8z]

@tallaaron1115 I don't got a editor or agent

[@tallaaron1115]

@@Geekdom-d8z Editors are people you need to look into. No two editors are the same and you need to find one that works for you. If you wish to check out my editor I can send you her details. But just know that no two editors will ever be the same and find the perfect one for your style.

[@jim7205]

I had one of these guys reach out to me years ago it just sounded like a waste of time

[@editorrbr2107]

We need to create our own trade organization for actual writers of real science fiction and fantasy. And you are on your ass if you use the word “community” one time.

[@lisamartinez8200]

yes we must have that !!!

[@thewunder-lusters9644]

That whole spiel actually had nothing of substance, at all... just a word salad ... I don't have a problem with blue hair or glasses, she looks kinda cute in a vapid barely-post-teenage way ... but if she wants to lead an organisation that advocates for writers, then perhaps she might consider mentioning something about that, somewhere, at some point, preferably at the beginning. A lot of organisations that were founded in those heady days just as the internet was taking off, have outlived their usefullness and are slowly, and not-so-slowly, imploding.

[@forsaken650]

Make Science Fiction Fun Again.. I like the sound of that. MSFFG!! 😅

[@AuthorJohnADouglas]

STOP THE COUNT!

[@draketungsten74]

We may not know for a week!

[@wrathofthemonarch]

Vox Day 2024: Make SFWA Great Again

[@malcolm2587]

Maybe she could teach people how to recycle her books so they don't take up space in the landfill

[@n.d.m.515]

I haven't read scifi books in years. The recent ones all look like the author wrote a big book with slim plots and flat characters.

[@draketungsten74]

Unlike Ayla Rin, who is very not flat. 😅

[@jakubkrizka2283]

the stench of elitism coming from her "resumé" is unbearable...

[@TheBriarWolf]

I checked out years ago. That gaggle of hens are like abunch of highschool teens with a mean girls cliche. They are very very kind until they aren’t. Why anyone gives them money I’ll never know, but I guess it’s their money to blow.

[@draketungsten74]

A 5-year mission 😂

[@obi0914]

You could almost say that you are trying to make Sci fi great agian. MSFGA

[@Redd_Fawkes]

Writing isn't a group activity.

[@jkseraphim4]

I'm a self-published author, but I'm not getting any sales!😢 I have 2 books on Amazon 1, a romance inspired by the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the second is a collection of short stories plus past story ideas that I hope to publish in the future. My romance will be 2 years old this month, and my short story is 1 year old.

[@Malbeefance]

"They formed...a union..." And there's the fatal mistake.

[@DragynryderMW]

I used to eat thru scifi and fantasy books. Many of the greats. Now I avoid it. Because of people like these tourists. I may check your books out. If I like them I will see who you recommend.

[@hammertronactionfigures2426]

(1 of 5) "They" might be amateur writers - though that is highly doubtful. "They" are certainly professional activists.

[@ttrev007]

i don't understand why people cannot deal with writers having different religious or political views. i don't agree with you on some topics but you provide interesting and informative content. If you restrict your reading to people who follow your own ideology you are really missing out on great stuff.

[@Klaaism]

Aye imho that's the whole point, to borrow from Star Trek, to "explore strange new worlds, new life, and new civilizations..." Get out there and experience different people, different cultures, different foods, etc. Munch on some stale nachos while breathing in that con funk ;)

[@jamescarpenter7161]

Same thing happened with the HUGO awards.

[@harrymills2770]

Wilamette is not WILL-uh-met. It's will-AM-it.

[@claytonbouldin9381]

I am always amazed they are more interested in infiltrating and changing existing organizations instead of creating their own group. I would think creating and yelling at each other in their own echo chamber would be easier.

[@SafetyBriefer]

I let my membership lapse after SFWA slandered the 20books crowd.

[@neiltaylor513]

Does anyone who even reads fantasy books cruelly give a shit about these organisations?

[@tomtom7734]

Actual sci fi writers are running like there Logan from Logan’s run from this. 😂😂😂😂😂

[@peskylisa]

Writers ought to be about their stories. Not identity politics. Which is why I no longer read anything post 2009

[@ARC1701A]

Any time someone talks about "gatekeeping" and I just think of Possessed Sigourney Weaver from Ghost busters: "I am the Keymaster, are you the Gatekeeper?" 😂

[@DarthDaddy-cg6ro]

So it will be like any other den of wokenesss.

[@mark4asp]

Kate Ristau has written 9 books. 7 look like fantasy, and 2 are other.

[@kelvaris1]

Wow a couple of years ago you hade to have made at least 5k in one year to be a member.

[@soHatey]

I just hope the Nambla members will recieve proper representation, so important

[@darrelldent9083]

I've been reading and collecting comics and Science fiction since the early 70's, never got involved in fandom, always seemed to be a bunch of pseudo intellectuals putting down what you liked. It's worse now.

[@kathleenhensley5951]

Small minds doing small things in an eternal Soap Opera. Save me.

[@deborahfraser9325]

What a soap opera.

[@Klaaism]

Shame the characters involved are so shallow and uninteresting.

[@SMC01ful]

And these are the fools worming their way into legitimate geek culture, ruining it and destroying IP's. Good Lord, as an old school gamer, I used to think the gatekeeping crowd I associated with were a bit rough and unwelcoming to newbs. Now, I can fully see their point of view.

[@miked.9364]

Never understand how changing hair color = freak

[@zmortis111]

Chaning hair color to one that does not appear in the rang of natural human hair colors = someone who rejects being human. That by definition means someone who is broken in some manner on the inside.

[@miked.9364]

@@zmortis111 That is one of the dumbest opinions I have heard in quite some time. I would summerize by that dumb logic that tattoos, piercings, glasses, braces, canes, wheelchairs fall in that opinion. You know cuz not natural and all....🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

[@MadsterV]

you just haven't met enough people you'd get it if you had

[@Gary-zq3pz]

Can I nominate the ghost of Robert A. Heinlein?

[@jkseraphim4]

I miss when colored hair use to be fun.😢

[@lisamartinez8200]

and the a fantasy too

[@lisamartinez8200]

lets make our own sci fi story

[@doesntmatter1324]

Where did you get the idea that writing is a solitary activity? Other people read your work and give feedback, editors edit it. It's not just you alone.

[@crlewis6360]

See someone in p[ower with funny colored hair. Run for your life...

[@Rawstock92]

"There's nobody normal left in these science fiction spaces." Whhhaaaaaa? Sci-fi is for normies? Normies like Hubbard? Normies like Ayn Rand, Azimov, Gibson? Writing sci-fi is mainstream and critical of departing tradition? You're the pro, I guess ... should the different folk turn to sports?

[@MarkoJuhaniMussalo]

I like your stuff and I know you have to advertise your stuff, but you are doing it in the front of an argument. And your argument is why aren't people writing more like you and I assume you have some sense on yours, maybe even can differentiate sci-fi and Fantasy who knows, haven't seen one in over twenty years, but who knows. So what do you want to say? buy my stuff, these people are wierdos? I know it's all about being less worse now, but could we get an ounce of your brilliance versus wierdoes, cause they are, but writing has been in decline earlier than wierdoes and that's why we have wierdoes, cause who the frak knows what a even passable writer is anymore. And these wierdoes at least annoy and destroy companies, cause the talent is not there anymore, as "fuck off" for making us dumber, while trying to invent a forever wheel. Cause you can't learn it in school, you need to live and living in the phone is not it. Cause writing what you know is not writing what you remember, steal or combine like b a bot, it is what you can imagine is a worthy idea, preferably more than one, to have or use in your life. And I am sure you could correct my grammar, but it certainly is not that.

[@jeffpowanda8821]

Mocking people for how they look is cruel and inappropriate, which is something I learned as a child from parents, teachers, and elders. Sorry you never received that invaluable life lesson. I've unsubscribed.

[@claudiameier666]

people get judged all the time for how they look. and she looks like a weirdo

[@jeffpowanda8821]

@@claudiameier666 Doesn’t make it right. You should know better. As far as I know, there are no appearance requirements for SFWA or any writers’ organizations.

[@mason3297]

@@jeffpowanda8821you shouldn’t judge or make fun of something people cannot control or change for example a lazy eye or missing a limb. But blue hair is a choice she made and she can change at any moment.

[@DragynryderMW]

OK, sure. People pick a look for a reason. Sorry you didn't receive a quality education. You don't pick on people for things outside their control. Kids can't help the big nose, weird hair, or being short. An adult who purposely picks a look as a statement you can make fun of. That's what this looks is, and her bio shows it. It's all theater.

[@jeffpowanda8821]

@@DragynryderMW SFWA is a writers' organization. Explain to me how her appearance is relevant to her leadership of SFWA. It seems as relevant to the discussion as my appearance (or your appearance) is to this discussion. Resorting to criticism of her appearance is cruel, childish mockery, never acceptable.

[@DesOttsel]

I actually met Kate at a convention. She was super nice the whole time and willing to help newer writers, offer insights, and give feedback when she wasn’t doing a panel. Sure, she has a progressive bend, but I never saw her virtue signal over the weekend, and she seemed very genuine and supportive. I’m sorry, but I think you’re being a bit prejudiced on this one.

[@DragynryderMW]

Her intro post doesn't say helpful. It says more of the same.

[@DesOttsel]

@@DragynryderMW Sure, but I’m talking about actual human interactions, something that speaks to her character rather than speculation based on her internet persona. Don’t get so caught up in the culture that you start shallowly judging people based on what side you think they’re on.

[@TheBriarWolf]

@@DesOttselI’ve met her and a few of the “circle” of friends. You’re right she is very very kind, until you say something that in any way questions her world view, talent, or the state of science fiction.

[@cavemanbum]

6:45 - " FoLkLoRisT "

[@Rawstock92]

"There's nobody normal left in these science fiction spaces." Whhhaaaaaa? Sci-fi is for normies? Normies like Hubbard? Normjes like Ayn Rand, Azimov, Gibson? Writing sci-fi is mainstream and critical of departing tradition? You're the pro, I guess ... should the different folk turn to sports?