What *were* they thinking?

The Guardian, that bastion of British left-wing liberalism, decided to suggest that its readers write to US voters in swing states such as Ohio encouraging them not to vote for Bush.

Apparently, 11,000 letters were sent by well-meaning Guardian readers.

The paper has published a selection of the letters under the edifying heading of "Dear Limey Assholes". Which actually isn't really fair. Although some of the letters were abusive many of them were rather more polite than I'd have been if some American had written to me suggesting which way I should vote in a UK General Election.

Yes, of course the forthcoming US election is the most important in the world and perhaps some Americans don't realise how anxiously the rest of the world is awaiting the outcome. But even so, this kind of meddling is, I would have thought, guaranteed to get people's backs up no matter which country they're from.

Some Americans were even gracious enough to suggest it was a good idea. Which was really nice of them and in keeping with the vast majority of Americans I have met who are polite and gracious and well mannered. As for those who were outright abusive (as opposed to telling the writers that really, it was none of their business), well, every country has its idiots.

Article is here for anyone who wants to read the letters.

Author's take on fanfiction

I've written before how much I enjoy Michelle West's work. And if you haven't read any of her books, what are you waiting for? They're wonderful. She also writes as Michelle Sagara BTW, although these are earlier works and less mature as a result than her later novels. They're well worth reading, though, IMO.

My impression of Michelle as a person is nothing but positive, as shown by her sympathetic response to the Anne Rice debacle. She's now posted her views on fanfiction here.

She's obviously sympathetic to the fannish impulse and if I felt the calling to write fanfiction about her novels I'm pleased that she'd have no problem in my doing so. In fact, though, I find her stories so densely layered and satisfying in themselves that the fanfiction impulse doesn't move me when reading them as I'm content to wait and see what she comes up with next, secure in the knowledge that anything I come up with won't be as good as anything Michelle writes. I just wish she could write faster so that the next instalment was now ready to be published. Sigh.