Journal Entry
Keeps digging
July 15th 2008 at 12:07 am
Yoon Ha Lee gets a taste of Helix editor Sanders’s professionalism:
Sanders flounced off in a huff, stating that the story “never did make any sense” and that he only accepted it to “please those who admire your work”–what altruism!–”and also because (notorious bigot that I am) I was trying to get more work by non-Caucasian writers.” If I were a writer currently submitting to Helix, I would kind of worry about that bit–all things considered, if a story really does suck, I’d rather have it rejected so I can fix it.
He then played psychic and claimed that I only asked for the story to be withdrawn “because, let’s get real here, you feel the need to distance yourself from someone who is in disfavor with the kind of babbling PC waterheads whose good opinion is so important to you, and whom you seem to be trying to impress with this little grandstand play.”
He closed with: “There was a suggestion I was going to make, but it is probably not physically practicable.”
After that he pulled the story and replaced it with these professional words:
Story deleted at author’s pantiwadulous request.
In case that was deleted, Nick Mamatas has a screencap of the tantrum.
And yes, if you click on the link now it’s just a 404 error.
And in the comments here one of the Helix writers was banned from ever submitting again for raising an objection (again, unprofessional).
When this started I was disappointed to see the behavior and thought it uncool. Now it’s crossed into sad.
update: I’ve been emailed a link that Sanders is saying he’ll take down any story, but you have to do it quickly (his rules):
Certain people, in response or sympathy to the things being said about me, have requested that their stories be deleted from the Helix archives.
Wait, wait; this was originally MY suggestion. One person, whose excellent work had graced the pages of Helix on two occasions, had voiced such strong sentiments that I wrote to her and, among other things, offered to delete her stories from the archives if she felt that way about it. She replied at first in the negative, but later changed her mind; but anyway, I want to make it clear that this began as an offer that I made.
I made it to only that one person, and I confess it did not occur to me that anyone else would make a similar request; but a couple more did.** Their requests have been honored as well.
But I have been informed that there are other Helix authors who are also participating in the slagfest, in private venues; and perhaps there are others as well who while not openly falling in with the lynch mob, still share the basic sentiment.
So I would like to publicly announce that if there is ANYBODY who wants his/her/etc. story removed from the Helix archives as well, a written (emailed) request to me - not Lawrence, not Melanie - will be honored.
(That is speaking strictly of archived stories. Anything in the current issue will stay there, as per contract, for the duration of the quarter.)
But it’s not fair for Melanie to have to keep fucking with this; she’s already had a hell of a lot of extra work handed her because of it. So this offer is not going to remain open indefinitely. Speak up within a reasonable time - such time to be determined entirely by my caprice; tough shit if you don’t like it - or forever shut your pie-hole.
I should add that if anyone feels strongly enough to want to return the money they were paid, we will not accept it; I suggest donating it to Obama’s campaign instead. However, so far nobody has made any such offer, and I don’t seriously expect it.
PLEASE SPREAD THIS AROUND. For this one occasion, everyone - that includes the lurkers too - has my formal permission to quote the entire text of this message, starting with the 5th paragraph above. (Preceding text being of no relevancy or interest outside this ng.) In fact I’d appreciate it. I want the word out.
What I don’t want is some damn fool coming around a month from now with “I didn’t know! Nobody told me!”
So if you agree with the Sanders Whiners, you’ll be doing your cause a service by getting this out. And if you don’t, then you’ll be doing US a service by helping speed the process so Melanie can put all this extra work behind her.
The question is, will he call anyone pantiwadulous? Or will he have another “suggestion I was going to make, but it is probably not physically practicable.”"
Notice that he claims people who objected to what he did as a lynch mob.
Because calling you out on a slur is like stringing you up by the neck with a rope. They’re exactly alike.
Only not.
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15 Responses so far
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Tobias is a Caribbean-born SF/F novelist who lives in Ohio.
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1. Rachel Heslin on Jul 15th, 2008 at 1:39 am
Y’know, I’ve been trying to think of something meaningful to add to the ongoing debate, and I have to admit that I’ve been reduced to, “Stunned and unable to parry.”
*shakes head in disbelief*
2. Rachel Heslin on Jul 15th, 2008 at 1:45 am
Oh, and he’s apparently now changed his offer such that, if people want their work removed, he’s claiming they now need to pay for the privilege.
He’s not serious, is he? Do the contracts with Helix really grant those rights to the publisher? I suppose he could be merely being sarcastic, but with everything else going on, I really couldn’t say at this point what is straight-forward and what is for effect.
3. tobias on Jul 15th, 2008 at 1:50 am
OMG, you’re right.
How much further…
sputtering…
4. Rob Darnell on Jul 15th, 2008 at 2:35 am
Oh whoa. Pay for the privilege?
Okay, Tobias, never mind what I said in the email about this thing maybe being a little overblown. This guy is being very irresponsible and there’s no excuse for it.
5. Julia on Jul 15th, 2008 at 6:55 am
And nothing like accusing people of color of organizing a lynch mod to add to the awesome. Not like lynch mobs have been used to kill actual people of color or anything. Nope.
His friends/allies really need to drag him away from the computer and/or have a real conversation with him about how his behavior is being perceived. Friends don’t let friends act like bigots. Friends don’t let friends dig themselves in deeper and deeper into a hole. Being a good friend to Sanders right now, would be finding a way to say “STOP IT”.
6. Mark Terry on Jul 15th, 2008 at 7:51 am
(Sigh).
I think this is a good example of why, for some people, having a mouth that runs (or keyboard and Internet connection) is roughly equivalent to handing a six-year-old a loaded handgun.
There are any number of ways he could have handled this, gracefully and professionally, but apparently…
Well, you read it yourself, right?
7. ginasketch on Jul 15th, 2008 at 8:40 am
SOMEBODY
8. ginasketch on Jul 15th, 2008 at 9:30 am
damn.
I meant to say: SOMEBODY has their panties in a wad.
9. Wyman Cooke on Jul 15th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Watching this car wreck continue is both disgusting and fascinating at the same time. When does it end? It may take Yog and Steve stepping in to stop him; I don’t know if they should, but they are the ones who can pull the plug if it comes to it.
10. Michael Canfield on Jul 15th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Absolutely sickening of his to suggest, petulantly and absurdly, that he only accepted a story for the reasons he lists here. Interestingly, if it even WAS true, rather than just more of the revisionist thinking he attempted to excuse the intent of his original hateful rejection that started this event, then he would be guilty of being exactly the sort of “babbling PC waterhead,” he claims to disdain.
11. A Reader on Jul 15th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
It’s great of you to write about this, and to take a stand. But the sad fact is that this is commonplace in the SF publishing field, particularly the magazines. I was on an online discussion group comprising several big name editors and publishers in the field, as well as some ’star’ writers, and a few newbies like myself. At times, it was obvious that some of the 100+ members either forgot that I was non-Caucasian non-American, or weren’t aware of it to begin with, and fielded the verbal equivalent of ‘wink wink’ or ‘nudge-nudge’ with racial slurs and in-jokes. One editor ranted on about ‘multi-culturalism’ and how it was not real SF at all.
My conclusion is that Helix is only stupid enough to do this publicly online and got caught by an intelligent and brave writer of colour such as yourself. There are many more racists and bigots out there in SF publishing who never get outed because (1) they’ve been around so long and are so deeply entrenched, their colleagues overlook it or don’t dare say a word; (2) they’re smart enough not to do it publicly where they can be pinned down and caught, and (3) there just aren’t enough people of colour in the SF field to even care about the problem. It’s a white genre, and the occasional streak of colour is like a fringe rather than a mix, just something to be tolerated.
And don’t even get me started on the venom that spews against anyone daring to question anything American, or to simply dare to be not American. Once approached by a well-known editor of several recent anthologies to contribute a story, but was actually warned not to write anything that could be perceived as accusatory of American foreign policy in those delicate post-911 times. The justification of course was that the readership wouldn’t accept it. Another famous magazine editor, multiple award-winning in fact, vigorously denied that manga was popular in the USA at all, insisting that it was merely an experimental fad that would pan out once publishers realized that American readers didn’t want to read comics about ’slant-eyed chinks’.
I could go on, but perhaps you don’t want to know about the racists that you are in business with, only the ones that you can safely criticize and disown from afar. Much easier to go about your life, that way, isn’t it? Sad, but true. Still, thank you for at least speaking about some of them. It’s a start.
Kudos!
12. Samuel Tinianow on Jul 16th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
I suggest donating it to Obama’s campaign instead
Cf.:
“Did you know that peanut butter was invented by a black man?”
“Too late, doc.” –Family Guy
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ceJ7TeB64m0
13. Tobias Buckell on Jul 16th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Samuel, any day we can work in a Family Guy reference is a good day.
14. Wyman Cooke on Jul 16th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, this pops up:
http://webnews.sff.net/read?cmd=read&group=sff.people.sanders&artnum=84893
I consider that a hollow threat, considering that Patrick Nielson Haydon is on the opposite side from Sanders. Hmmm, a prominent Tor editor vs. a hack webzine editor. I’d take those odds.
15. Irene Delse on Jul 18th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Oh, hum… Right now, the “pantiwadulous” page is back…
http://www.helixsf.com/archives/Jan07/fiction/Q3_jemison_narcomancer.htm
Words fail, really.