Middle-aged leftist women are the gatekeepers to the publishing world. One such editor was offended because one chapter did not present abortion in a positive light, so HarperCollins canceled this guy’s book.
The short version is, the author needed to provide a rationale for Artificially Intelligent robots to rebel against humanity. The AI’s observe that humans abort babies if the baby is in any way a threat to their well-being. The AI’s reason out that if humans ever perceive them as a threat, they will eliminate them as well. For this reason, they strike pre-emptively.
Apparently, someone was “triggered.”
I was not given notes as writers are typically given during the editorial process. I was told by my agent that my editor was upset and “deeply offended” that I had even dared advanced this idea. As though I had no right to have such a thought or even game the idea within a science fiction universe. I was immediately removed from the publication schedule which as far as I know is odd and unprecedented, especially for an author who has had both critical and commercial success.
Once the left took control of the institutions, they abruptly decided that Free Speech was a threat, and vowed to put a stop to it.
In the Dune series, all computers had been destroyed during the Butlerian Jihad, and calculation work was done by specially trained people. The Jihad had started when it was discovered that a computer had been performing unjustified abortions on healthy babies.
How times have changed.
Is what she did even legal in the publishing world? He must have a legally-enforceable contract with the publisher.
Naz…mikey loves censorship.
Thought exercise: come up with a fantasy/sci-fi culture in which homosexuality is accepted/tolerated, in what capacity it is accepted/tolerated, and what aspect of their culture led to this accommodation.
To start: a culture where families and businesses are one and the same. Every family has a particular trade that all members of the family who are fit work in. Childrearing, while still somewhat important, is not a priority since clans that are too small to continue operating join/are bought out by another clan that pursues the same trade. This lack of emphasis on family legacy/inheritance, and a strong sense of meritocracy, means that work ability is seen as paramount, and any other personality traits that don’t directly affect work performance are seen as being of no consequence.
@Sean, can you see how such a society is doomed?
It probably depends on the particular contract with the publisher; this particular book could have been a spec book; that is, outside of the normal, agreed to schedule. In that case, HarperCollins may have been obligated to review it for publication, but not obligated to actually publish it; in which case they are in the clear, but then it is also the author’s prerogative to shop it around to other publishers. The unfortunate fact is that outside of big authors, most publishing contracts favor the publisher and snit fits by editors are perfectly acceptable, even if unfair to the author.
Thought exercise: come up with a fantasy/sci-fi culture in which homosexuality is accepted/tolerated, in what capacity it is accepted/tolerated, and what aspect of their culture led to this accommodation.
A culture where, maybe, gays have some humility; where they do not constantly demand attention and accommodation for every aspect of their lifestyle. Where the norm among gays is to pursue committed relationships and eschew obnoxiousness and public acts of indecency.
The Left didn’t “abruptly end free speech when they took over the institutions.” That was part of the intent.
Just reading above comment by Sean L: …heck, you’re very young and naive. What if a/some family members don’t want to follow their family’s trade? Will you stick or carrot them to abide by your rules? What if they rebel? What you gonna do? …there is the spiral to leftist conformity.
So much for free will, entrepreneurial spirit and self-reliance. This is a very short story.
@ Ross: I wasn’t thinking too deeply about the implications of such a society. The meritocratic part came first; I figured there would be little fuss over preference of romantic partners as long as they did their job well. The “family as business” thing came as an afterthought, riffing on the idea of a family business. I didn’t think too deeply about the implications. I did throw together a solution for family members who were cut out for/didn’t want to pursue the family business: they would choose a trade that their talents were suited to and get adopted/marry into another family.
I wasn’t trying to envision a society worthy of emulation, just a society. I can certainly see the danger of viewing your family members merely as employees, and of not putting an emphasis on childrearing.
Sean: Google on “The Crooked Man,” a homo-dystopia by frequent Twilight Zone screenwriter Charles Beaumont. It doesn’t seem to be available online, but you can find plot synopses…
…oh, scratch that. Here’s the full story.