The name is Sean, and I'm an unpublished writer. I have been writing for many years...really since high school. I'll let you guys judge whether that's a good or bad thing. As for why I'm doing this...well, I thought it would be a nice place to keep some of my stories, but also transcribe out my weekly Dungeons and Dragons session with my friends. They are playing a home-brew campaign of mine, though that is on hiatus. Right now, one of my players (who was the original DM of the group) is running us through the Tomb of Horrors. More on that tomorrow, as that should be the first post with game content. I'm hoping that we make it through so I can get myself one of these:
So generally, I'll be posting short stories, synopsis of the game and general opinions on things nerdy and otherwise. The impetus for this to happen really came from two sources, my girlfriend and a reviewer for the NY Times. Since this is raging through the internet right now, I'm guessing some (if not most) of you have heard about this. Yay. Or her defense of her review here. Another yay. I already posted my reaction to her on her website on also on the website I initially found it on Weregeek. Oh yeah, I'm a big webcomic fan as well.
Here is the one I put on the defense site:
"I am absolutely stunned by the review. I worked for a short time at the local newspaper here in my town in the Sports department, and they showed better ability in a small town local newspaper to research a subject before writing a review of it.
I can understand the fact that maybe you don't understand the fantasy genre as a whole, or maybe you've never heard of the Song of Ice and Fire series. I can accept that. However, I cannot accept such an appalling lack of journalistic drive that you didn't bother to do simple research on the matter before writing a review about it.
It is one thing to be unfamiliar with a subject matter, and quite another to throw it out before actually looking past the initial layers at it. Especially when it is the job you are getting paid to do.
The reason I dispute your accusations is because of my girlfriend, actually. She read a lot of what you consider "proper" fair for women to read, romance novels. I initially had the same reaction you gave Game of Thrones, which was burn it with fire. However, she started telling me about the stories and plots, and I was a little hard pressed to find the difference sometimes between the stories she was reading and my fantasy novels. She has one that involves a time-traveling druid who uses magic for aforementioned time travel.
That being said, I will also clarify that my girlfriend has no interest in fantasy novels that I read. I play Dungeons and Dragons and have attempted to get her to join into my nerdy love of sword and sorcery to no avail. However, I did recommend "Song of Ice and Fire" to her once. It took her quite some time, but once she started it she couldn't put it down.
My problem with your review is many fold. I feel that you failed as a reviewer to properly research the topic before reviewing it. I feel that you had a definite bias going in and didn't feel like going out of your comfort zone to actually look at the show objectively. I could forgive and forget those issues though, if not for the fact you basically said that "normal girls" do not and, I stress, CAN not enjoy fantasy unless romance is thrown in.
This is akin to saying that men will only watch a movie if you throw in some explosions and bare breasts. You were insulting to the female nerds of the world and I cannot forgive or overlook that."
Here is the one for Were Geek:
"For me, the thing that I found the most offensive about it was her attitude. Twice (in defending herself) she uses the phrase “I’m sure there are girls who are into this thing…I just don’t know any.”
Reading between the lines there, it just sounds like she is saying, “Hey, there are Bigfoot, Loch Ness Monsters, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and girl nerds out there…I just don’t know any.” She makes it sound like they don’t exist…or they are a tall tale all us male nerds sit around and talk about.
“This one time…I swear this is true, I went to a DnD con and there was a chick there. I swear! She even played a character, wasn’t some guys girlfriend who got dragged there…she was totally into it.” Like you girl nerds are the Moby Dick to our Ahab or something… *eyeroll*"
So yeah, I was...well, still am really annoyed and angered by the whole thing. So I complained to my girlfriend about it...a lot. And in her infinite patience, she simply nodded her head and said, "Why don't you start a blog to complain about this sort of thing? And share your ideas. Which brings me back here. A humble beginning, but hopefully it will expand and grow.
So come back tomorrow for Tomb of Horrors!
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