Tor Clarification
Tom Doherty has issued a statement from Tor regarding the subject I have discussed here over the last couple of days, namely, the unprofessional behaviour of one of their employees.
Tor employees, including Ms. Gallo, have been reminded that they are required to clarify when they are speaking for Tor and when they are speaking for themselves. We apologize for any confusion Ms. Gallo’s comments may have caused. Let me reiterate: the views expressed by Ms. Gallo are not those of Tor as an organization and are not my own views. Rest assured, Tor remains committed to bringing readers the finest in science fiction – on a broad range of topics, from a broad range of authors.
Read more... Will this stop the biased and bigoted responses to the Sad Puppies from other Tor employees, though? Remember that she was not the only one, she was simply the straw that broke the camel's back. I like and respect Mr. Doherty. I did not want to think that he was simply allowing this to go on. But is this enough, or is it too little, too late?
Actually, there are some things here I am very happy to see. Mr. Doherty has conceded that the Sad Puppies are simply fans doing what fans do: promoting authors they like. Some of those authors happen to be published by Tor. Furthermore, he clearly states that the media reports were wrong, and the people being promoted by the puppies are a diverse group. Thanks, we appreciate that someone recognizes us. For me, I'm so glad to discover that not everyone thinks I'm a guy!
On the other hand, Ms. Gallo's apology... isn't. It's not really an apology, and it's hidden in an obscure thread. One that is still capped by the damning intro she gave it, promoting her company and work. This wasn't personal, I said earlier, it was business. She is hopefully going to get some lessons in professionalism, business, and possibly even honor. I wish her no ill-will. She was only repeating the poison that was being poured into her ear by others. Hopefully this can be a learning experience for her. Would I ever want to work with her? No. Not sure that's a trust that can ever be rebuilt.
Reflexive insults are a toxic spill. You can try to pretend they didn't happen, but you can't take them back and they leave a scar. This whole thing is going to leave a scar.
When a wound runs deep, and gets infected, sometimes you have to open it up and debride it, to remove the pus and debris, or it won't heal correctly. I am hopeful that the nastiness spewing out at the Sad Puppies is a debridement of the Hugo Awards, and that as a result of the heightened awareness, the awards can return to what they once were, the Best of Science Fiction and Fantasy, with a deepened voting pool that prevents the gaming of the system by those who benefit from playing that game.
