Five SFF Stories In Which the Best-Laid Plans Are Thwarted

https://www.tor.com/2022/03/22/five-sff-stories-in-which-the-best-laid-plans-are-thwarted/

Yeah, pretty much what it says on the tin.
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

On 3/22/2022 4:02 PM, James Nicoll wrote:
> Five SFF Stories In Which the Best-Laid Plans Are Thwarted
>
> https://www.tor.com/2022/03/22/five-sff-stories-in-which-the-best-laid-plans-are-thwarted/
>
> Yeah, pretty much what it says on the tin.

Well, if said plans _didn't_ go off the rails would you even have a
story? :P

And is that 1933 publishing date correct for "The Devotee of Evil" or is
that the wrong book cover attached to it (from "The Last Incantation").

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

In article <t1dql7$23k$1@dont-email.me>,
Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:
>On 3/22/2022 4:02 PM, James Nicoll wrote:
>> Five SFF Stories In Which the Best-Laid Plans Are Thwarted
>>
>>
>https://www.tor.com/2022/03/22/five-sff-stories-in-which-the-best-laid-plans-are-thwarted/
>>
>> Yeah, pretty much what it says on the tin.
>
>Well, if said plans _didn't_ go off the rails would you even have a
>story? :P

Some confidence game stories involve things seemingly going off the rails,
only for the setback to turn out to be part of the Plan.

>And is that 1933 publishing date correct for "The Devotee of Evil" or is
>that the wrong book cover attached to it (from "The Last Incantation").

Not sure.

--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

On Wednesday, 23 March 2022 at 00:46:35 UTC, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
> On 3/22/2022 4:02 PM, James Nicoll wrote:
> > Five SFF Stories In Which the Best-Laid Plans Are Thwarted
> >
> > https://www.tor.com/2022/03/22/five-sff-stories-in-which-the-best-laid-plans-are-thwarted/
> >
> > Yeah, pretty much what it says on the tin.
> Well, if said plans _didn't_ go off the rails would you even have a
> story? :P
>
> And is that 1933 publishing date correct for "The Devotee of Evil" or is
> that the wrong book cover attached to it (from "The Last Incantation").

(1) apparently and (2) not as such.
<http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?42788>
The collection is of 1982, but all but one of
the stories are dated 1930-1934, including
"The Last Incantation" (1930), whose ISFDB
synopsis fits the illustration. Now would you
rather behold the perfect evil which exists
somewhere in the cosmos, or the classical
fantasy version of "Baywatch"?

"The Root of Ampoi" (1949) isn't posthumous -
Clark Ashton Smith did publish posthumously -
but could have been lying around unpublished to
be picked up in "The Arkham Sampler" of that year.
I don't know, I haven't even seen it. Before then,
neither did anyone else.

On 3/22/2022 7:10 PM, Robert Carnegie wrote:
> On Wednesday, 23 March 2022 at 00:46:35 UTC, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
>> On 3/22/2022 4:02 PM, James Nicoll wrote:
>>> Five SFF Stories In Which the Best-Laid Plans Are Thwarted
>>>
>>> https://www.tor.com/2022/03/22/five-sff-stories-in-which-the-best-laid-plans-are-thwarted/
>>>
>>> Yeah, pretty much what it says on the tin.
>> Well, if said plans _didn't_ go off the rails would you even have a
>> story? :P
>>
>> And is that 1933 publishing date correct for "The Devotee of Evil" or is
>> that the wrong book cover attached to it (from "The Last Incantation").
>
> (1) apparently and (2) not as such.
> <http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?42788>
> The collection is of 1982, but all but one of
> the stories are dated 1930-1934, including
> "The Last Incantation" (1930), whose ISFDB
> synopsis fits the illustration.

As my father used to say, ah, I see said the blind man as he fell into
the ditch.

Thank you.

> Now would you
> rather behold the perfect evil which exists
> somewhere in the cosmos, or the classical
> fantasy version of "Baywatch"?
>
Are you trying to imply they are not one and the same?

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

On 3/22/2022 6:02 PM, James Nicoll wrote:
> Five SFF Stories In Which the Best-Laid Plans Are Thwarted
>
> https://www.tor.com/2022/03/22/five-sff-stories-in-which-the-best-laid-plans-are-thwarted/
>
> Yeah, pretty much what it says on the tin.

Whoa, there is a Baen book in that list !

Lynn

On 23/03/2022 00.55, Lynn McGuire wrote:
> On 3/22/2022 6:02 PM, James Nicoll wrote:
>> Five SFF Stories In Which the Best-Laid Plans Are Thwarted
>>
>> https://www.tor.com/2022/03/22/five-sff-stories-in-which-the-best-laid-plans-are-thwarted/
>>
>> Yeah, pretty much what it says on the tin.
>
> Whoa, there is a Baen book in that list !

Yeah, some of what they publish is pretty good. I let out
a great big "Hah!" when my scrolling reached it.

--
Michael F. Stemper
This post contains greater than 95% post-consumer bytes by weight.

On Wed, 23 Mar 2022 09:03:30 -0500, Michael F. Stemper wrote:

> On 23/03/2022 00.55, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>> On 3/22/2022 6:02 PM, James Nicoll wrote:
>>> Five SFF Stories In Which the Best-Laid Plans Are Thwarted
>>>
>>> https://www.tor.com/2022/03/22/five-sff-stories-in-which-the-best-
laid-plans-are-thwarted/
>>>
>>> Yeah, pretty much what it says on the tin.
>>
>> Whoa, there is a Baen book in that list !
>
> Yeah, some of what they publish is pretty good. I let out a great big
> "Hah!" when my scrolling reached it.

James has been on a one man crusade against them for years so it is
surprising to see him admit they exist.

In article <t1eco9$e9g$1@dont-email.me>,
Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:

> On 3/22/2022 6:02 PM, James Nicoll wrote:
> > Five SFF Stories In Which the Best-Laid Plans Are Thwarted
> >
> > https://www.tor.com/2022/03/22/five-sff-stories-in-which-the-best-laid-plans
> > -are-thwarted/
> >
> > Yeah, pretty much what it says on the tin.
>
> Whoa, there is a Baen book in that list !
>

But it was written by Lois McMaster Bujold, an exception to the rule.

--
"We have advanced to new and surprising levels of bafflement."
Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan describes progress in _Komarr_.
—-----------------------------------------------------
Robert Woodward robertaw@drizzle.com

On 24/03/22 05:06, Magewolf wrote:
> On Wed, 23 Mar 2022 09:03:30 -0500, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
>
>> On 23/03/2022 00.55, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>>> On 3/22/2022 6:02 PM, James Nicoll wrote:
>>>> Five SFF Stories In Which the Best-Laid Plans Are Thwarted
>>>>
>>>> https://www.tor.com/2022/03/22/five-sff-stories-in-which-the-best-
> laid-plans-are-thwarted/
>>>>
>>>> Yeah, pretty much what it says on the tin.
>>>
>>> Whoa, there is a Baen book in that list !
>>
>> Yeah, some of what they publish is pretty good. I let out a great big
>> "Hah!" when my scrolling reached it.
>
> James has been on a one man crusade against them for years so it is
> surprising to see him admit they exist.

Also, sixty per cent of those authors were male. Perhaps James wasn't
himself at the time of compiling the article?

On 3/23/2022 11:38 AM, Robert Woodward wrote:
> In article <t1eco9$e9g$1@dont-email.me>,
> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On 3/22/2022 6:02 PM, James Nicoll wrote:
>>> Five SFF Stories In Which the Best-Laid Plans Are Thwarted
>>>
>>> https://www.tor.com/2022/03/22/five-sff-stories-in-which-the-best-laid-plans
>>> -are-thwarted/
>>>
>>> Yeah, pretty much what it says on the tin.
>>
>> Whoa, there is a Baen book in that list !
>>
>
> But it was written by Lois McMaster Bujold, an exception to the rule.

Doesn't matter, James has said Baen is a bad publisher.

Lynn

In article <t1j951$oc4$1@dont-email.me>,
Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
>On 3/23/2022 11:38 AM, Robert Woodward wrote:
>> In article <t1eco9$e9g$1@dont-email.me>,
>> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On 3/22/2022 6:02 PM, James Nicoll wrote:
>>>> Five SFF Stories In Which the Best-Laid Plans Are Thwarted
>>>>
>>>> https://www.tor.com/2022/03/22/five-sff-stories-in-which-the-best-laid-plans
>>>> -are-thwarted/
>>>>
>>>> Yeah, pretty much what it says on the tin.
>>>
>>> Whoa, there is a Baen book in that list !
>>>
>>
>> But it was written by Lois McMaster Bujold, an exception to the rule.
>
>Doesn't matter, James has said Baen is a bad publisher.
>
I was going to clarify what my issue was but A: it's Lynn so what's the point,
and B: since I stopped reviewing Baen books, the whole "plotting insurrection"
deal on the boards came up, which the company seems to be fine with, provided
they can work out a way to be at arm's reach.

There's enough stuff from Baen that's interesting to me--reprints, a few
niche authors who aren't writing the pew pew zap stuff Baen specializes
in--that avoiding them is a pain but oh well.
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

On 3/25/2022 7:17 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
> In article <t1j951$oc4$1@dont-email.me>,
> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 3/23/2022 11:38 AM, Robert Woodward wrote:
>>> In article <t1eco9$e9g$1@dont-email.me>,
>>> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 3/22/2022 6:02 PM, James Nicoll wrote:
>>>>> Five SFF Stories In Which the Best-Laid Plans Are Thwarted
>>>>>
>>>>> https://www.tor.com/2022/03/22/five-sff-stories-in-which-the-best-laid-plans
>>>>> -are-thwarted/
>>>>>
>>>>> Yeah, pretty much what it says on the tin.
>>>>
>>>> Whoa, there is a Baen book in that list !
>>>>
>>>
>>> But it was written by Lois McMaster Bujold, an exception to the rule.
>>
>> Doesn't matter, James has said Baen is a bad publisher.
>>
> I was going to clarify what my issue was but A: it's Lynn so what's the point,
> and B: since I stopped reviewing Baen books, the whole "plotting insurrection"
> deal on the boards came up, which the company seems to be fine with, provided
> they can work out a way to be at arm's reach.
>
> There's enough stuff from Baen that's interesting to me--reprints, a few
> niche authors who aren't writing the pew pew zap stuff Baen specializes
> in--that avoiding them is a pain but oh well.

Please clarify your issue with Baen. I am sorry if I misrepresented
your position on them.

Lynn

I forget which Vorkosigan book it's in, but a cunning plan goes *very*
awry when Miles helps Ivan court his girl by getting Ivan an
invitation to an imperial do, and Ivan's girl ends up being the
empress.

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at centurylink dot net

In article <vh0t3hdubhak0n7kaqo8lvk0mh4af9hp36@4ax.com>,
Joy Beeson <jbeeson@invalid.net.invalid> wrote:

> I forget which Vorkosigan book it's in, but a cunning plan goes *very*
> awry when Miles helps Ivan court his girl by getting Ivan an
> invitation to an imperial do, and Ivan's girl ends up being the
> empress.

Not Ivan, Duv Galeni.

--
"We have advanced to new and surprising levels of bafflement."
Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan describes progress in _Komarr_.
-------------------------------------------------------
Robert Woodward robertaw@drizzle.com

On 25 Mar 2022, Lynn McGuire wrote
(in article <t1l7k9$knd$1@dont-email.me>):

> On 3/25/2022 7:17 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
> > In article<t1j951$oc4$1@dont-email.me>,
> > Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > On 3/23/2022 11:38 AM, Robert Woodward wrote:
> > > > In article<t1eco9$e9g$1@dont-email.me>,
> > > > Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > On 3/22/2022 6:02 PM, James Nicoll wrote:
> > > > > > Five SFF Stories In Which the Best-Laid Plans Are Thwarted
> > > > > >
> > > > > > https://www.tor.com/2022/03/22/five-sff-stories-in-which-the-best-laid-p
> > > > > > lans
> > > > > > -are-thwarted/
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Yeah, pretty much what it says on the tin.
> > > > >
> > > > > Whoa, there is a Baen book in that list !
> > > >
> > > > But it was written by Lois McMaster Bujold, an exception to the rule.
> > >
> > > Doesn't matter, James has said Baen is a bad publisher.
> > I was going to clarify what my issue was but A: it's Lynn so what's the
> > point,
> > and B: since I stopped reviewing Baen books, the whole "plotting
> > insurrection"
> > deal on the boards came up, which the company seems to be fine with,
> > provided
> > they can work out a way to be at arm's reach.
> >
> > There's enough stuff from Baen that's interesting to me--reprints, a few
> > niche authors who aren't writing the pew pew zap stuff Baen specializes
> > in--that avoiding them is a pain but oh well.
>
> Please clarify your issue with Baen. I am sorry if I misrepresented
> your position on them.
>
> Lynn

Baen publishes a lot of books, and authors, of which he disapproves.

Wolffan <akwolffan@zoho.com> writes:
>On 25 Mar 2022, Lynn McGuire wrote
>(in article <t1l7k9$knd$1@dont-email.me>):
ell.
>>
>> Please clarify your issue with Baen. I am sorry if I misrepresented
>> your position on them.
>>
>> Lynn
>
>Baen publishes a lot of books, and authors, of which he disapproves.

I suspect it had little to do with that, and more to do with the
cesspool that Tony oversaw called the bar.

Authors like Kratman didn't help to burnish the Baen image.

On 26 Mar 2022, Scott Lurndal wrote
(in article <hAF%J.442622$mF2.283782@fx11.iad>):

> Wolffan <akwolffan@zoho.com> writes:
> > On 25 Mar 2022, Lynn McGuire wrote
> > (in article <t1l7k9$knd$1@dont-email.me>):
> ell.
> > >
> > > Please clarify your issue with Baen. I am sorry if I misrepresented
> > > your position on them.
> > >
> > > Lynn
> >
> > Baen publishes a lot of books, and authors, of which he disapproves.
>
> I suspect it had little to do with that, and more to do with the
> cesspool that Tony oversaw called the bar.

never been there. i do find it interesting that an antisocial media site,
rather than the contents of actual works published, might be the source for
his ire. what speech, exactly, would have offended him sufficiently that he
would have condemned the publisher, rather than whichever twit actually
perpetuated said speech?
>
>
> Authors like Kratman didn't help to burnish the Baen image.

anyone who can, with a straight face, write a novel featuring a Jewish
Waffen-SS division has got severe mental issues. I find Ringo to be much
worse; he isn’t as obviously insane, and is just as bigoted. I can ignore
Kratman and Ringo without ignoring everything else published by Baen.

In article <0001HW.27EF3F47011FE502700001A5D38F@news.supernews.com>,
Wolffan <akwolffan@zoho.com> wrote:
>On 25 Mar 2022, Lynn McGuire wrote
>(in article <t1l7k9$knd$1@dont-email.me>):
>
>> On 3/25/2022 7:17 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
>> > In article<t1j951$oc4$1@dont-email.me>,
>> > Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
>> > > On 3/23/2022 11:38 AM, Robert Woodward wrote:
>> > > > In article<t1eco9$e9g$1@dont-email.me>,
>> > > > Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
>> > > >
>> > > > > On 3/22/2022 6:02 PM, James Nicoll wrote:
>> > > > > > Five SFF Stories In Which the Best-Laid Plans Are Thwarted
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > https://www.tor.com/2022/03/22/five-sff-stories-in-which-the-best-laid-p
>> > > > > > lans
>> > > > > > -are-thwarted/
>> > > > > >
>> > > > > > Yeah, pretty much what it says on the tin.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > Whoa, there is a Baen book in that list !
>> > > >
>> > > > But it was written by Lois McMaster Bujold, an exception to the rule.
>> > >
>> > > Doesn't matter, James has said Baen is a bad publisher.
>> > I was going to clarify what my issue was but A: it's Lynn so what's the
>> > point,
>> > and B: since I stopped reviewing Baen books, the whole "plotting
>> > insurrection"
>> > deal on the boards came up, which the company seems to be fine with,
>> > provided
>> > they can work out a way to be at arm's reach.
>> >
>> > There's enough stuff from Baen that's interesting to me--reprints, a few
>> > niche authors who aren't writing the pew pew zap stuff Baen specializes
>> > in--that avoiding them is a pain but oh well.
>>
>> Please clarify your issue with Baen. I am sorry if I misrepresented
>> your position on them.
>>
>> Lynn
>
>Baen publishes a lot of books, and authors, of which he disapproves.
>

Actually, it was because TW was part of the puppy thing and given her
position, if I reject her work, everything from Baen is collateral
damage because she basically is Baen.

Pretty much every publisher publishes material I consider crap or
worse* and my go-to response is to ignore boring shit, and focus on
stuff I think is interesting (if not necessarily well written or
thought out, or executed). In the absence of the Puppy thing, I'd just
ignore Baen's extruded MilSF commercial product and read the reprints
and atypical modern works ... maybe not the Malzberg.

* One of my personal holidays memorializes the last time I had to read a
Kevin J. Anderson book, and another is the same but for Brian Herbert. In
a better world, they'd be the same date.
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

In article <hAF%J.442622$mF2.283782@fx11.iad>,
Scott Lurndal <slp53@pacbell.net> wrote:
>Wolffan <akwolffan@zoho.com> writes:
>>On 25 Mar 2022, Lynn McGuire wrote
>>(in article <t1l7k9$knd$1@dont-email.me>):
>ell.
>>>
>>> Please clarify your issue with Baen. I am sorry if I misrepresented
>>> your position on them.
>>>
>>> Lynn
>>
>>Baen publishes a lot of books, and authors, of which he disapproves.
>
>I suspect it had little to do with that, and more to do with the
>cesspool that Tony oversaw called the bar.

The Bar discussion of how to Year Zero the US didn't help but it was six
years after I stopped reading Baen books. It just confirmed I'd made the
right decision.

>Authors like Kratman didn't help to burnish the Baen image.

Judging publishers by the behavior of their worst behaved authors is
kind of a slippery slope. Start playing that card and what point would
be the ender?
--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

Wolffan <akwolffan@zoho.com> writes:
>On 26 Mar 2022, Scott Lurndal wrote
>(in article <hAF%J.442622$mF2.283782@fx11.iad>):
>
>> Wolffan <akwolffan@zoho.com> writes:
>> > On 25 Mar 2022, Lynn McGuire wrote
>> > (in article <t1l7k9$knd$1@dont-email.me>):
>> ell.
>> > >
>> > > Please clarify your issue with Baen. I am sorry if I misrepresented
>> > > your position on them.
>> > >
>> > > Lynn
>> >
>> > Baen publishes a lot of books, and authors, of which he disapproves.
>>
>> I suspect it had little to do with that, and more to do with the
>> cesspool that Tony oversaw called the bar.
>
>never been there. i do find it interesting that an antisocial media site,
>rather than the contents of actual works published, might be the source for
>his ire. what speech, exactly, would have offended him sufficiently that he
>would have condemned the publisher, rather than whichever twit actually
>perpetuated said speech?
>>
>>
>> Authors like Kratman didn't help to burnish the Baen image.
>
>anyone who can, with a straight face, write a novel featuring a Jewish
>Waffen-SS division has got severe mental issues. I find Ringo to be much
>worse; he isn’t as obviously insane, and is just as bigoted. I can ignore
>Kratman and Ringo without ignoring everything else published by Baen.
>

Now, imagine Ringo and Kratman rabid fans on a forum, and you'll
get an idea of what the bar was like before it was shut down.

(I haven't bothered to try the "new" bar).

On 26 Mar 2022, Scott Lurndal wrote
(in article <kVG%J.22576$rWve.7226@fx01.iad>):

> Wolffan <akwolffan@zoho.com> writes:
> > On 26 Mar 2022, Scott Lurndal wrote
> > (in article <hAF%J.442622$mF2.283782@fx11.iad>):
> >
> > > Wolffan <akwolffan@zoho.com> writes:
> > > > On 25 Mar 2022, Lynn McGuire wrote
> > > > (in article <t1l7k9$knd$1@dont-email.me>):
> > > ell.
> > > > >
> > > > > Please clarify your issue with Baen. I am sorry if I misrepresented
> > > > > your position on them.
> > > > >
> > > > > Lynn
> > > >
> > > > Baen publishes a lot of books, and authors, of which he disapproves.
> > >
> > > I suspect it had little to do with that, and more to do with the
> > > cesspool that Tony oversaw called the bar.
> >
> > never been there. i do find it interesting that an antisocial media site,
> > rather than the contents of actual works published, might be the source for
> > his ire. what speech, exactly, would have offended him sufficiently that he
> > would have condemned the publisher, rather than whichever twit actually
> > perpetuated said speech?
> > >
> > >
> > > Authors like Kratman didn't help to burnish the Baen image.
> >
> > anyone who can, with a straight face, write a novel featuring a Jewish
> > Waffen-SS division has got severe mental issues. I find Ringo to be much
> > worse; he isn’t as obviously insane, and is just as bigoted. I can ignore
> > Kratman and Ringo without ignoring everything else published by Baen.
>
> Now, imagine Ringo and Kratman rabid fans on a forum, and you'll
> get an idea of what the bar was like before it was shut down.
>
> (I haven't bothered to try the "new" bar).

Feh. the actions of a few insane fans is not, in my opinion, a valid reason
for scrapping all works published by a particular company.

On 26 Mar 2022, James Nicoll wrote
(in article <t1nbje$18u$1@reader1.panix.com>):

> In article<0001HW.27EF3F47011FE502700001A5D38F@news.supernews.com>,
> Wolffan <akwolffan@zoho.com> wrote:
> > On 25 Mar 2022, Lynn McGuire wrote
> > (in article <t1l7k9$knd$1@dont-email.me>):
> >
> > > On 3/25/2022 7:17 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
> > > > In article<t1j951$oc4$1@dont-email.me>,
> > > > Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > On 3/23/2022 11:38 AM, Robert Woodward wrote:
> > > > > > In article<t1eco9$e9g$1@dont-email.me>,
> > > > > > Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > On 3/22/2022 6:02 PM, James Nicoll wrote:
> > > > > > > > Five SFF Stories In Which the Best-Laid Plans Are Thwarted
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > https://www.tor.com/2022/03/22/five-sff-stories-in-which-the-best-laid
> > > > > > > > -p
> > > > > > > > lans
> > > > > > > > -are-thwarted/
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Yeah, pretty much what it says on the tin.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Whoa, there is a Baen book in that list !
> > > > > >
> > > > > > But it was written by Lois McMaster Bujold, an exception to the rule.
> > > > >
> > > > > Doesn't matter, James has said Baen is a bad publisher.
> > > > I was going to clarify what my issue was but A: it's Lynn so what's the
> > > > point,
> > > > and B: since I stopped reviewing Baen books, the whole "plotting
> > > > insurrection"
> > > > deal on the boards came up, which the company seems to be fine with,
> > > > provided
> > > > they can work out a way to be at arm's reach.
> > > >
> > > > There's enough stuff from Baen that's interesting to me--reprints, a few
> > > > niche authors who aren't writing the pew pew zap stuff Baen specializes
> > > > in--that avoiding them is a pain but oh well.
> > >
> > > Please clarify your issue with Baen. I am sorry if I misrepresented
> > > your position on them.
> > >
> > > Lynn
> >
> > Baen publishes a lot of books, and authors, of which he disapproves.
>
> Actually, it was because TW was part of the puppy thing and given her
> position, if I reject her work, everything from Baen is collateral
> damage because she basically is Baen.

so... you rejected a _female_ company exec because she dared to have a
different opinion on the ‘puppy thing’ (possibly the stupidest storm in a
teacup to erupt in SF fandom since the New Wave. possibly even stupider than
that, something I hadn’t thought possible)? O-kay. Yep, it’s _worse_ than
I thought.
>
>
> Pretty much every publisher publishes material I consider crap or
> worse* and my go-to response is to ignore boring shit, and focus on
> stuff I think is interesting (if not necessarily well written or
> thought out, or executed).

that include Tor?
> In the absence of the Puppy thing, I'd just
> ignore Baen's extruded MilSF commercial product and read the reprints
> and atypical modern works ... maybe not the Malzberg.
>
> * One of my personal holidays memorializes the last time I had to read a
> Kevin J. Anderson book, and another is the same but for Brian Herbert. In
> a better world, they'd be the same date.

Wolffan <akwolffan@zoho.com> writes:
>On 26 Mar 2022, Scott Lurndal wrote
>(in article <kVG%J.22576$rWve.7226@fx01.iad>):
>
>> Wolffan <akwolffan@zoho.com> writes:
>> > On 26 Mar 2022, Scott Lurndal wrote
>> > (in article <hAF%J.442622$mF2.283782@fx11.iad>):
>> >
>> > > Wolffan <akwolffan@zoho.com> writes:
>> > > > On 25 Mar 2022, Lynn McGuire wrote
>> > > > (in article <t1l7k9$knd$1@dont-email.me>):
>> > > ell.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > Please clarify your issue with Baen. I am sorry if I misrepresented
>> > > > > your position on them.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > Lynn
>> > > >
>> > > > Baen publishes a lot of books, and authors, of which he disapproves.
>> > >
>> > > I suspect it had little to do with that, and more to do with the
>> > > cesspool that Tony oversaw called the bar.
>> >
>> > never been there. i do find it interesting that an antisocial media site,
>> > rather than the contents of actual works published, might be the source for
>> > his ire. what speech, exactly, would have offended him sufficiently that he
>> > would have condemned the publisher, rather than whichever twit actually
>> > perpetuated said speech?
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > Authors like Kratman didn't help to burnish the Baen image.
>> >
>> > anyone who can, with a straight face, write a novel featuring a Jewish
>> > Waffen-SS division has got severe mental issues. I find Ringo to be much
>> > worse; he isn’t as obviously insane, and is just as bigoted. I can ignore
>> > Kratman and Ringo without ignoring everything else published by Baen.
>>
>> Now, imagine Ringo and Kratman rabid fans on a forum, and you'll
>> get an idea of what the bar was like before it was shut down.
>>
>> (I haven't bothered to try the "new" bar).
>
>Feh. the actions of a few insane fans is not, in my opinion, a valid reason
>for scrapping all works published by a particular company.
>

Nor do I, nor does, if I understand him, James. Although when the
company brass come off as supporting the insane fans and even
agreeing with them occasionally, some may reconsider that.

Bujold and the Liaden stuff are excellent. I like a lot of
early Weber. Their pioneering efforts in electronic publishing
are appreciated. I've mainly bounced off Ringo, and dropped
him completely when they kill Iron Mike because they're too
stupid to just talk with each other.

On 3/25/2022 11:49 PM, Robert Woodward wrote:
> In article <vh0t3hdubhak0n7kaqo8lvk0mh4af9hp36@4ax.com>,
> Joy Beeson <jbeeson@invalid.net.invalid> wrote:
>
>> I forget which Vorkosigan book it's in, but a cunning plan goes *very*
>> awry when Miles helps Ivan court his girl by getting Ivan an
>> invitation to an imperial do, and Ivan's girl ends up being the
>> empress.
>
> Not Ivan, Duv Galeni.

Either "Komarr" or "A Civil Campaign", I cannot remember which one. I
suspect "A Civil Campaign" though.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W9LXSYG

Lynn