I did not expect to read a paragraph of Harlan waxing poetical on horror. I’ve never seen him talk like this about sci-fi…

It's kind of a testimony to how ignorant people are about the process of creating a book. There are people who have to be paid for the creation of the book cover, editing, the formatting, etc. But the writer/publisher should just eat those costs and be grateful that uh, their work was stolen?

Okay, well, in the meantime, theft is wrong and artists should be able to receive compensation as much as anyone in any other profession, so piracy is morally wrong. The art does not *belong* to anyone else besides the creative and it's their right to determine the terms under which it's shared.

Exactly. Again, I never see anyone say that it's fine to rob sculptors of their art, or any other creatives who make material art. It's like the Internet broke everyone's brain and they think it's fine to just steal anything if it's digital.

I think it's incredibly naive to assume that most people pirating books are doing so because they can't access libraries.

I understand the impulse for those who live in countries where library access is limited or non-existent, but many pro-piracy advocates are in locations where libraries exist, so there is really no excuse.

It's deeply fucked. I would love to have the illustrated edition of Subterranean Press's Deathbird Stories. I can't afford that, which means I can't see the beautiful art inside. Does that mean I have the right to steal it from someone? Uh, no?

Which is demonic: demanding that artists be compensated for their labor or demanding that they work for free and their efforts be devalued?

YES. If an artist wants to give their work away for free, that's fine. That's not what theft is, though. Theft is stealing work because you believe that you're entitled to enjoy what an artist spent hours of labor creating.

I do not want my work stolen and I don't think that my wishes should be denigrated.

If someone countered with "okay, but they wouldn't buy that sculpture anyway" or "the sculptor should be grateful that anyone is that interested in their art in the first place," I think that argument is deeply flawed.

The problem is, piracy is theft full stop. And I find it troubling that people who would believe that it's wrong to steal a sculpture from an artist believe that it's okay to download a story without an author's permission.

I mean arguably, the way that Harlan performed AM in the 1995 point and click game, he's a pretty fun-loving wacky little guy too: youtu.be/mD9RgK-1PBk?...

Happy birthday!

Okay, I'm saving this message, because this got to me. 🖤

Also, why does this make him sound like a newly resurrected sorcerer lol