This discussion requires some intervention, and so at the risk of inflaming another round of incendiary letters, I comment.
First, let me make it clear that I am flattered that people seem to want every shred of material that I?ve ever written. From the list of items that was proffered the desire extends even to private information, half baked materials, speculative materials and poorly written teenage fiction that?s older than many of the readers of this list.
So, thanks for the compliments.
However, the desire apparently has clouded sensibility. It appears that patience does not exist among the desirers. It seems as though people have not looked at what I?ve said already, namely: this material is going to appear elsewhere, in an unfinished work.
However, there is an implication in this desire that exceeds decency. There is bitterness and outrage that implies a requirement for all Gloranthan writing to be made public?-an obligation to make everything available according to the whims of those who desire it.
This is just dead wrong. My writings belong to one person: me. Once they are released in whatever form I wish to share them then everyone who has access to them may share in their delightful creativity?as long as they do not violate the copyright. Such is the nature of an artistic work.
But to carry on with such excessive bitterness of an imagined slight seems more to be the result of an overblown sense of self importance rather than the sense of simple desire. The discussion borders on overt hostility and has gone over the parameters of seemliness.
I stand by my decision to have presented the material as it has been presented, and reserve the right to do it again in a few weeks at Conjunction, without embarrassment, in my desire to support these hard-working, risk-taking convention organizers.
And I will encourage you people who find it offensive to put it into perspective. Everything you have ever gotten about Glorantha has cost you something. Everything has been limited in its accessibility. These items, more rare and more expensive, are merely different in a mater of degree. If it is REALLY so important that you have everything then I encourage you to join the ranks of true completists and eat beans and rice for the next six months to be able to afford these rare collector?s items.
Otherwise, chill out and wait until the end of summer when the next Unfinished Work is released.
Issaries, Inc.
c/o Greg Stafford
1942 Shattuck AVe, #204
Berkeley, CA 94704 USA
Powered by hypermail