As happens occasionally, the sci-fi/fantasy literature genre is in a mixed uproar and navel gazing stupor over whether or not we hate/ignore/discriminate against some other members of our Teapot Kingdom. From what I gather, the wind shifted here, and picked up speed as it raced over the hills and vales, and down forested lanes filled with automatomic servants.

SF Signal: Mind Meld posts a cross-section of what some of the folks in the genre are discussing.

Jonathan Strahan ruminates about being stuck in the eye.

As a writer– a male, white, heterosexual writer (ooo– I’m seething with POWER! Do you see it? Do you see my vast raw, barely restrained…POWER! It’s a freaking grand sight! Let me tell you!)– there’s not a whole heck of a lot I can do about publishers. I suppose I can complain, but then I’m just a caricature. Wouldn’t want that. I’ve got a reputation to uphold as a POWERFUL white, heterosexual, male, science-fiction writer, for Pete’s Sake.

Is there a gender disparity? You know, I think it’s interesting– people are using different sets of facts (which are not intertwined) to support their arguments. Many folks on the Mind Meld article point to the success of women sci-fi novelists; others point to the dearth of female short story authors in mags and anthologies. (Makes sense, really– men have shorter attention spans.)

I think gender-blinding the selection process is a pretty good way to beat unconscious gender selection. On the surface, anyway. BUT– what if gendering literature goes a bit deeper than just the author’s name? A couple years ago, there was a web application that could supposedly distinguish whether an author was male or female by the language used in a paragraph. I looked– I couldn’t find it. But what if our brains unconsciously assign a gender to an author, even without a name to cheat from?

Then how to assure gender-blindedness?

I’m going to stick to the idea that the best practice for everyone is to recognize their own stupidities and try heartily to correct them. And that those of us who are hurt by those stupidities try our very best to get over it, and move on.

Lo. The White, Male, Straight Guy hath spoken. Thus Sayeth The Lord.

Ba-zam! You feel that power?

You felt it, right? Right?