Weirdmage: I am guessing he must have felt the need to pre-emptively blame someone else for the lack of diversity in the anthology he edited (the final version of). Can't really see that turning out very well for him.

J. Michael Straczynski naming names in the afterword of The Last Dangerous Visions for…reasons? This seems wildly irresponsible and self-serving at the very least. Redacted are the name of eleven “diverse” writers.

I am guessing he must have felt the need to pre-emptively blame someone else for the lack of diversity in the anthology he edited (the final version of). Can't really see that turning out very well for him.

That seems the most obvious reason. But he contextualizes by saying how "a single misstep or perceived endorsement can be a terminal mistake. This is not necessarily the time to be dangerous." So, "They don't think they'd be safe being associated with this anthology. I herewith associate them."

That is even worse. Forcing people to be associated with something they have said they do not want to participate in is dodgy AF.

I was approached by him. I said no. He was uninterested in why and immediately stopped communicating with me. Didn't even say, "fair enough, bye". So I really dig this mind-reading about the reasons. I clearly made the right decision.

Holy shit. I was also asked, said no, and clearly it was the right decision.

Great minds!

100% The squatting on rights for decades is plenty of reason, this nonsense is just reinforcement

*deep sigh* Is this where they talk about having jumped the shark? *moves another pair of clay feet onto the hero shelf*

If this is not the time to be dangerous, why are they releasing Last Dangerous Visions at this time?

It does read very "don't yell at me for the All White Dude Anthology, I Promise I Tried!"

"Some of the best entries in my rolodex are diverse" energy. (Money on him having an actual rolodex) Or this sets up a prestige deluxe edition including an appendix reproducing his solicitations and subsequent rejections, you know, for the definitive account of this self-compounded "controversy."

OTOH, it seems to have turned out great for him. He hasn't lost gigs, and he clearly thinks he's right and doesn't need to listen to anyone's opinions. He seems to be doing just fine.

This is coming out today. There are already plenty of people reacting negatively to it. It usually takes at least 24 hours before anything like this reaches critical mass, and sometimes it dies down for a while.

Fair enough, but that entire foreword was in response to the last wave of negative reaction about exactly that problem.

I am talking about outing authors who did not want to be in the anthology, not the lack of diversity, which is a separate issue.

I know. I still doubt that he's going to see any consequences, but I do get your point.

Almost certainly not. The important question, though, is whether the eleven named WRITERS see any consequences.

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