I put up a new video of the weekly Lovecraft eZine blab about the controversy surrounding the World Fantasy Award being a bust of the avowed racist H.P. Lovecraft. I personally think they should change it.
Lovecraft a racist? Yep. Did that mindset find expression in any of his work? Yeah. Do I think they ought to change the bust? On balance, I think not.
I remember reading a bit on this minor brouhaha 3 or 4 weeks ago. I was annoyed that one of the chief proponents of the change was some minor nobody whose primary purpose behind the campaign seemed to involve click-baiting folks to his blog site. But even considering the argument on its merits, most of the alternatives proposed have either already been co-opted by other awards bodies, are irrelevant to the purpose of the WFC, or have “issues” similar Lovecraft’s. Like him or not (and I’ll admit to not being a huge fan), it’s hard to deny his worldwide impact on the genre, popular culture, and even within scholarly circles. Just my $0.02; cum grano salis.
I put up a new video of the weekly Lovecraft eZine blab about the controversy surrounding the World Fantasy Award being a bust of the avowed racist H.P. Lovecraft. I personally think they should change it.
Lovecraft a racist? Yep. Did that mindset find expression in any of his work? Yeah. Do I think they ought to change the bust? On balance, I think not.
I remember reading a bit on this minor brouhaha 3 or 4 weeks ago. I was annoyed that one of the chief proponents of the change was some minor nobody whose primary purpose behind the campaign seemed to involve click-baiting folks to his blog site. But even considering the argument on its merits, most of the alternatives proposed have either already been co-opted by other awards bodies, are irrelevant to the purpose of the WFC, or have “issues” similar Lovecraft’s. Like him or not (and I’ll admit to not being a huge fan), it’s hard to deny his worldwide impact on the genre, popular culture, and even within scholarly circles. Just my $0.02; cum grano salis.