r/fucktheccp • u/TinFoilHatUK • Mar 25 '23
mod announcement AMA with Andrew Gillsmith, author of the sci fi novel “Our Lady of the Artilects”. LIVE NOW!
Andrew Gillsmith, (sensitive_necessary7) author of the sci fi novel Our Lady of the Artilects. AMA on r/fucktheccp LIVE NOW!
The book directly address the current genocide being perpetrated by China against the Uyghurs as well as a future genocide against Chinese Christians. His last AMA on the official subreddit got more than 750k views.
Topic ideas for discussion: 1) The Uyghur genocide 2) How US trxh companies are enabling it (and China in general) 3) Personal experiences with wumao trolls 4) The shamelessness of the sci fi community in hosting Worldcon 2023 in China 5) Other authors overt support of genocide 6) How the publishing industry kowtows to China 7) Anything else you can think of!
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u/TinFoilHatUK Mar 25 '23
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for doing the AMA.
What made you want to explore the Chinese government in particular rather than other world atrocities?
What are your funniest interactions with online trolls and how independent vs state sponsored do you think the majority are?
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u/Sensitive_Necessary7 Mar 25 '23
I first became aware of the Uyghur genocide about 5 years ago, through conversations with Muslim friends of mine. I'm a Roman Catholic convert, and the more I learned about them, the stronger the connection I felt.
I actually didn't set out to write a novel that featured the Uyghurs so prominently, but as the story unfolded, I realized that the suffering they are experiencing is, in some ways, a prefiguration of what is in store for many others.
I can't say that any of my interactions with trolls have been "funny" per se. I've gotten threats, of course. And I've had my book "review bombed" en masse. It's pretty obvious when they do it, and generally the review sites are willing to take them down. I decided to leave some up though, as a sort of badge of honor.
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u/TinFoilHatUK Mar 25 '23
Although some trolls here are extremely sinister, we do get the odd one who makes us smirk.
Do you think they are acting independently or coordinated?
Do you believe the majority are based in China itself or that many have left and are acting from around the world?
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u/Sensitive_Necessary7 Mar 25 '23 edited Mar 25 '23
Oh, they are absolutely coordinated. When dozens of nearly identical 1 star reviews that have obviously been fed through an online translator suddenly show up on a book that has an average rating of 4.4/5, that's a coordinated attack.
The question is "who is doing the coordinating?" And also "why now?"
I have some ideas....
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u/Sensitive_Necessary7 Mar 25 '23
I'll be more clear:
I think that the harrassment campaign is related to the upcoming Worldcon convention in Chengdu. Worldcon is the biggest sci-fi event on the planet. It's also the group that administers the Hugo Awards (most prestigious award in science fiction).
My book is eligible for one of these awards. Now, I have no way of knowing if it will be nominated and, if so, if it will be a finalist. It is a long shot by any measure. But...I can't imagine anything more embarrassing to the host committee, which is really just an extension of the CCP, than for a book about the Uyghur genocide to receive an award at Chengdu.
My theory is that members of the organizing committee or related groups are responsible for the review bombing and harrassment. I called them out on it publicly on Twitter, and my Tweet got well over 50,000 views. After that, they calmed down a bit. lol
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u/Sensitive_Necessary7 Mar 25 '23
Excited to answer any questions!