One of my panels at AFKcon is

[james_davis_nicoll]

So You're a Reviewer and You Went a Year Without Reviewing Women: How to React?

SF Signal very kindly gave me a what not to do.

Comments

[onyxlynx]

Not. one. single. woman.

Not even Mary Shelley.

May he dry up.

Yeah, I went there.

[seth ellis (from livejournal.com)]

1. In comments, the author is not noticeably filled with clue, but at least he doesn't get indignant and defensive, so there's that.

1a. Basic common decency is a low bar.

2. If you're writing for publication, then a research method that can be summarized as "I looked for appropriate titles by briefly consulting the inside of my own head" is not sufficient due diligence.

[selki.livejournal.com]

I'm not going to bother doing his 101, but for "other stories that feature an intelligent self-aware computer set close to the present written by women or men" folks should check out romance/mystery writer Donna Andrews' Turing Hopper series, set in present days, starting with *You've Got Murder*. I like the cameraderie between the stealth AI (named Turing by its missing creator) and the humans it makes friends with, and the genesis of a couple more AIs during the series -- they're different from each other and have different agendas. I wish Andrews had written more about Turing and company, but Meg the blacksmith sells more books (they're fun, just not as interesting to me).

[vass]

He has such a lot of wonderful reading to look forward to, as soon as readers directly comment in response to his article and tell him which books to read.

While I can't help feeling like there might possibly have been more efficient ways for him to have become aware of the hundreds of amazing books that escaped his notice for... some reason or other, I'm trying to focus on the bright side here.

Look at all the wonderful books he's going to be encountering for the first time. If he reads them now.

[rimrunner.livejournal.com]

Oy, I know this dude. We were at Clarion together. This is...about what I'd expect, to be honest.

I'm frankly appalled that he missed Pat Cadigan, though. Not only is her work recognized for being cutting edge, she was one of our instructors.

[tekalynn.livejournal.com]

Your response there is a thing of beauty and made my heart grow three sizes. THANK YOU!

[awesomeaud.livejournal.com]

I have no idea what Hyperion is doing on that list. Not only is there very little AI in it, it's a far future novel when he claims to be after near future stories.

[thebluerose.livejournal.com]

I have no idea who Dorothy is but she seriously needs to take a chill pill.

Great response BTW!

[ravenskyewalker.livejournal.com]

Wow. The utter obliviousness it takes to "forget" that detail doesn't speak well of him.

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

EDITOR’S NOTE: Since comments have now passed the point of being useful, they are being closed. Lesson learned regarding with the absence of women on the list. Civil discussion about that omission is welcome and we’ll take our well-deserved medicine. Personal attacks will not be tolerated.