The Stupid, It Burns

[annathepiper]

Over on makinglight, I just found this post about a fanfic writer who has apparently... wait for it... posted her Star Wars fanfic novel for sale on Amazon.com.

I particularly like this quote of the author's response to the question of whether she is concerned about copyright given that her novel is set in someone else's universe (which is in turn pulled from John Scalzi's blog post on the topic, which in turn references nihilistic_kid's post on it): "Yes, it is for sale on Amazon, but only my family, friends and acquaintances know it’s there." That, to also quote one of the many customer review tags this has scored her on Amazon, is weapons-grade stupidity.

I mean, DAMN. I'm scared to actually go read the excerpt. I half-fear that like unto risu's succinct and potent review of Atlanta Nights, it might suck the Good out of my own writing.

ETA: kathrynt informs me that this magnum opus can also be purchased on barnesandnoble.com and powells.com. This author has a very interesting definition of "not a commercial effort".

ETA #2: kathrynt also says, re: reading the excerpt of the novel: "Don't. I did, and now my vocabulary is small."

ETA #3: journalfen.net discovers the wankage!

Comments

[seattlesparks.livejournal.com]

No words.
NO WORDS.

Brain broken now...

[annathepiper]

I just went skimming through the comments on the journalfen.net post about this and found another crunchy gooey layer of stupidity to add onto this--that apparently, in her version of the Star Wars universe, the Empire has a "Star Fleet". As the journalfen.net poster remarked, "Can't even keep her fandoms straight!"

Though I'm not sure whether there would be anything left of her for Paramount to chow down on after Lucasfilm got done with her. ;)

[ssha.livejournal.com]

Considering how hostile Lucas is these days about any whiff of a hint of copyright infringement... ?

She is such dog chow the moment he hears.

[annathepiper]

Actually, amazingly enough, Lucas has a rep for being pretty fabulous to the Star Wars fandom crowd. For example, he was definitely non-hostile to that 40-minute fan film that came out not too long ago--Star Wars: Revelations.

Yet there is a distinct line between "playing in the fandom" and actual copyright infringement--and this chick's crossed it. The vital point being "attempting to make a profit".

I expect that his people have already sent this chick a cease-and-desist letter; her site has gone down, and the book has started vanishing off the online seller pages (it's gone from barnesandnoble.com, though it's not gone from Amazon yet).

[ssha.livejournal.com]

True. I suppose it is less Lucas and more the film company folks who are frothy about it. Also, I think I was getting shades of Anne McCaffrey in my brain at the time.

[annathepiper]

Well, as has been said on Making Light, ol' George is quite friendly to fan films; he's handed out prizes to good ones, even. You want to talk frothy-mouth reaction to copyright infringement, though, let's talk Paramount, who at least used to have a rep for being hardassed about Trek stuff.

And, as you say, Anne McCaffrey. Though last I heard she'd reversed some of her hardline stances on fandom groups--stuff like reversing the edict about "girls can only ride greens and golds".

[ssha.livejournal.com]

Well, it is encouraging that Anne is less psychotic in her brand of senility these days. Or maybe she's far enough gone at this point that saner heads can prevail.

[annathepiper]

Hard to say, since I've pulled out of Pern fandom; Telgar Weyr fell completely apart, and I left Segel Weyr, the only other offline group I was in. And of course I haven't been on PernMUSH in years.

Though it will be interesting to see how Pern fandom carries on, I suppose, once Anne passes away--and how the novels will continue if her son takes over writing them.

[ssha.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I wonder if it will be awfulterriblenogoodverybad for the fandom, or an incredibleamazingastoundinglygood thing.

[kissare.livejournal.com]

Well, the Lucas Empire came down HARD on Jet City Improv wanting to use Star Wars for one of their improv movie nights (in which they would play it with the sound turned off and improvise all the dialogue and sound effects) - they were sent an official cease and desist order and informed in no uncertain terms that this event was absolutely NOT to occur. Now, you have to buy tickets to see JCI perform, and maybe that made the difference, or something else, I don't know. But they were pretty frothy about it.

[annathepiper]

I'd expect that the fact that admission was being charged, coupled with the use to which they intended to put the film for a public viewing (in such a way that they were turning it into a different work entirely), would have been the issue. But mostly, I'd expect that the issue would have been admission being charged.

(She said, freely acknowledging that she has very little practical cluage about this, and is speculating!)

BTW

[ssha.livejournal.com]

Hi! LTNS! :)

[neutronjockey.livejournal.com]

Yeah.
I left an 'aprocryphal interview' comment over on MakingLight. I thought it couldn't get worse than wannabewriter's self-promoting websites (with nothing published)...now we have editors who wannabewriters who violate copyright who... (it just goes on).

Effin sad.
-=Jeff=-

[annathepiper]

I saw your commentary over there, yeah!

It has been theorized here at the Murkworks that all of this brouhaha might well be a hell of a publicity stunt for a suitably diabolically clever person. It's absolutely possible for clever writers to write a novel's worth of drek in order to prove a point--I mean, look at Atlanta Nights. But I have a hard time believing that one would deliberately do this and risk the wrath of Lucas and his stormtroopers.

[rosepurr.livejournal.com]

Well, that's just dumb. The depth of some people's stupidity amazes me.

[annathepiper]

I keep thinking I've seen every pinnacle of stupidity that the Internet has to offer, and then something like this comes along. I was telling kathrynt that this may well be the stupidest thing I've seen on the Net all year.

[rosepurr.livejournal.com]

It is certainly up there!

[stickmaker.livejournal.com]

As we say in southeastern Kentucky "They's people out there plumb shiny with stupid."

[annathepiper]

This isn't just shiny Stupid. This is Stupid that, like unto solar eclipses, will sear your retinas!

[lickingtoad.livejournal.com]

I've quite literally spent all morning bouncing to-and-fro reading most of what's been said about this ... ahem ... brilliant woman and her quote-unquote-book. Hi-larious. Also, I read an excerpt. kathrynt is right -- it makes me want to read Korean stereo instructions for their clarity, brevity and incisiveness.

I'd pay money to watch George Lucas crush her dreams.

[annathepiper]

Bwahahaha! Tell me about it. No wait, don't tell me about it, I'm still scared of going anywhere near that excerpt.

Though I am almost disappointed that Amazon has now yanked most of the reviews off the page for the book, as well as the hostile tags. That they have done this while actually allowing the page to remain up there is an extra layer of Funny!

[me-fein.livejournal.com]

This is just frightening. Makes me remember "Wild Animus" with a shudder and a groan.

Why are these people doing this?!?!?! I am desperate and in dire, psychotic need to have my stories published - but I have enough sense to keep my insanity in my journal...and in filtered posts until I can get myself sorted out for a proper, professional attempt!

Oy. Yes, it burns.

[annathepiper]

spazzkat was half-suspicious that it might actually be one hell of a publicity stunt--and yet, I can't bring myself to buy it. I mean, writing a full-length novel for the sake of making a point is one thing, but risking the mighty wrath of Lucas in all his legal Death Star glory? Bit much for the sake of publicity, I think.

I just hope that it doesn't totally wreck things for all other fanfic writers, and for that matter those souls who might actually self-publish stuff that doesn't suck. Because this kind of thing can't help the reputation of self-published novels in the slightest.

[me-fein.livejournal.com]

Well, Another Hope is seemingly gone and Jareo's website still can't be accessed. LMAO I'm amused.

However, as you've said - I really hope what she's done doesn't sour it for the rest of us in fanfictionland. Also, the self-published thing...they are really trying to run that into the ground, aren't they? :( They already have a bad reputation and stuff like this isn't going to help.

What's worse are her creditials (such as they are)! She should have known better - stunt or not. I really do hope Lucas b*ch slapped her!!! Hard.

oops...

[me-fein.livejournal.com]

*that Lucas b*ch slapped her

You get my meaning...! :D

Re: oops...

[annathepiper]

Yes. ;)

[annathepiper]

I was telling l_prieto over on her journal that a tiny part of me feels sorry for the woman; she's besmirched her own name not only in Star Wars fandom, not only in the fanfic community, but in the publishing industry in general as well. I can't imagine that she'll ever be able to get legitimately published unless she either uses a pseudonym, gets a huge injection of Clue, or both.

But that's only a tiny part of me feeling sorry. There's only so much sympathy I can muster for her; it was her own conscious decision to do this, I would presume. What makes it particularly special is that she sought permission for the use of her cover art--but not the actual universe she was ripping off for her novel. Sheesh.