Alexx's Journal

Reading transcripts of the allegations against Neil Gaiman, there was one thing that really hit me viscerally. Well, one *pattern*, in his case. It's a technique he (allegedly) uses on many women, which I independently discovered in my 20s. I call this technique Using Storytelling Powers For Evil.

Once upon a time, it occurred to me to wonder if I could focus my storytelling powers on one specific audience member, as a way of getting laid. Performing the experiment, this proved to 100% be doable. This remains my single memory that I am most guilty about. I did it that once, and never again. The sex was good, but not remotely worth the guilt.

Having done this myself, I understand the absolute rush of power, the insidious temptation to *use* that power. There but for the grace of god, go I, etc, etc. But this understanding does not create sympathy. It makes me *angry*.

I did it once, and Gaiman seems to have done it for almost forty years It wasn't some complex moral calculus for me; I came to realize I had Done Wrong pretty quickly. Gaiman seems to be at least as morally aware as I am. He has to have *known* he was doing Evil, and consciously decided to continue doing so. Argh.

This is in part a confessional. But I also feel this is a perspective that I don't think many of Gaiman's (former) fans share. Thanks for listening.

This time it's in html, so should be readable by everybody. Comments welcomed. Especially comments of the sort "I know a great venue for getting this published for money". [If I *do* get it published "for real", I'll probably be taking down the web version at least temporarily.]

Crisis on Earth-Sandman: The Uses of Continuity in Neil Gaiman's Sandman

The first time I saw Neil Gaiman do a signing was on the book tour for Neverwhere. It was in a small mall bookstore, with no chairs. Maybe 50 people, tops. That was a long time ago. He sold out a 300-seat venue here, and could clearly have sold a lot more if the venue had been any bigger.

He read approximately the second half of Chapter 2 of Anansi Boys, from the conversation where Fat Charlie finds out what his father was, up through the story of Anansi and his Dead Grandmother. Then followed some Q&A, which I will reproduce as well as I can from memory. All quotes should be presumed to be approximate (including their ordering).

( Neil Gaiman Q&A )