An article in a much
disregarded online rag pointed the finger at Amazon just recently,
picking out few titles which contained some naughty bits. Sex
(gasps). You know about sex, right? Pretty much everyone does. It's
instinct or something. Probably to do with reproducing the species.
It's kind of a necessary prerequisite to you reading this so there's
no pretending it doesn't happen.
Sex in it's basic form
consists of “here, have some sperm,” and is achieved in many
different ways depending on species. Personally, I like our way best
– at least I assume I do, having so far had no inclination to try
other methods. I like sex. Sorry of that bothers anyone but really
not that sorry as I know that you almost certainly also like sex.
It's something we can all pretty much agree on, right?
Well, no, or so it
seems.
There are people who
don't like other people reading about sex that they don't approve of.
Filth, as they call it. Or, as it might be called, Personal choice
sex. I'll come back to this in a minute.
Amazon has taken some
action, presumably as a response, pulling titles and requesting
changes (mostly to covers). Kobo has pulled a huge number of books –
including all of mine (SF and Fantasy as you doubtless know, and
containing no sex and little swearing) – and WH Smith have closed
their site entirely. Yes, all books are withdrawn by WH Smith of the
UK, thought their stores are still open and selling copies of, just
for example, 50 Shades of Whatever, which is a book including sex and
bondage – certainly objectionable to some, who lucky for them,
don't have to read it because, guess what, no one can force you to
read a book. You have to want to... you have to find a copy... open
it.... continue reading after the first bit you find iffy. It's your
call.
Let me just briefly
mention that the erotica of a more lurid – what has been described
as barely legal, meaning legal, meaning if you were actually doing it
you wouldn't be breaking the law so reading about it is fine if you
want – of a more lurid type takes a good deal of tracking down on
the Amazon site.... unless you are a traditionally published author
in which case graphic sex scenes involving a teacher and a minor is
fine, of course. I won't name the book or author I have in mind but
you won't have any trouble finding it if you are interested. There
are others. The fairly well know (so I don't mind the negative plug)
Flowers in the Attic is an incest story between two underage
characters and features sexual violence. But that's fine, just fine,
our trashy porn good, your trashy porn bad – I mean it's listed
under Mystery & suspense, Literature & Fiction, Genre
Fiction/Sagas... not tucked away in a dusty behind-the-curtain
backroom corner.
Here's a link to a site
were the kind of material we are actually talking about is discussed,
mostly by writers, so that you can begin to get a handle on the
subject matter in question. There are also links to some erotica if
you want to read some... though you won't be able to buy at WH Smith
at the moment, might not be able to buy at Kobo and possibly not
Amazon, but this is the information age and you will be able to buy
somewhere. Feel free.
I'm going to wrap this
up with a couple of contextual comments. I myself don't read about or
watch other people having sex for exactly the same reason I don't
spend any time reading about watching other people eat. I don't need
any help getting hungry and I don't find watching or reading about
other people eating in any way satisfying. No judgements on anyone
else in that, that's just the way my mind works.
If a site that sells
books is going to block some (and I agree there should be some sane and reasonable limits) it should clearly have a reasonable and
upfront policy that applies to all. A fellow writer had a book
removed from Amazon for using the word virgin in the blurb, I'm told.
So, you know, that's banned but many traditionally published books
use the word virgin in their blurbs and that's fine. No it isn't
fine, apart from just being ridiculous in and of itself. Hiding the
true content, apparently the current new policy, by changing the
covers and blurb is only going to lead to nasty shocks for readers
getting something unexpected. Not a step forward, I think.
This is the information
age. Nothing can be expunged, only unlooked for and maybe made more
difficult to find. I would rather sexual violence not exist in the
real world, and I'd prefer not to read about it in fiction – though
it does crop up and I've never thrown a book across the room because
of it, though I have chosen not to read a book because I didn't care
for the subject matter or merely assumed I wouldn't. I do not want
anyone making that choice for me, because five minutes down the line
they will be making other choices for me – and I approve of the
concept of freedom, both mine and yours....
...and the booksellers,
but if you want to be sure of what you are selling and that it
appears only in the appropriate category then look at it properly and
employ IT people who know what their job is. I know that latter
category is hard to find but if you want to hire one I can supply you
with a CV for probably the best currently unhired SBA around. No
problem.
Okay. I think I'm more
or less done with this subject for now. Feel free to comment and/or
ask questions. This isn't everything I think on the subject but it will have to do for now.
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