Without forcing myself to remember, I can think of three different authors who have been cancelled by the Queer Book Community. The reasons and the success of said cancelling differ, though.

• The Prompt
  • About Let’s Talk Bookish
• Bookish Thoughts on Cancel Culture in the Book Community
  • J.K. Rowling
  • Santino Hassell
  • Taylor Brooke/Brooklyn Ray
  • Cancelling Queer Books and Publishers
• The Queer’s Take on Cancel Culture

The Prompt

This week’s prompt challenges me to write a piece about Cancel Culture in the (Queer) Book Community. I feel like it’s a rather emotional topic – that’s one reason why I don’t want to focus on the reasons and the recounting of the situations.

About Let’s Talk Bookish

Let’s Talk Bookish is a bookish meme created by Rukky @ Eternity Books where bloggers write posts discussing the topic of the week each Friday! Now it’s run by Aria @Book Nook Bits. Here are the other prompts for August 2023.

Bookish Thoughts on Cancel Culture in the Book Community

I’m mostly involved in the Queer Part of the Book Community – and I’m using “involved” very lightly here since I’m not really active. Most shitstorms come and go without me noticing them, which is a blessing and a curse, to be honest.

Still, some cancel culture (attempts) are for reasons so severe even I notice them.

J.K. Rowling

The first one that comes to mind is J.K. Rowling – surprising for absolutely no one I guess. This author is not part of the Queer Book Community, but her various antisemitic and trans*phobic remarks earn her a place in the Hall of Fame.

I don’t think she has been actually cancelled but she lost a huge part of people formerly enjoying her Harry Potter Universe and that definitely took an effect on sales I would say. I hope so to be honest.

I still have my copies of that series but I haven’t read them in quite a long time. There are very fond memories I have of my younger self interacting with the Harry Potter Merch but those are severely tainted by the author.

Now that we got the huge name out of the way, let’s focus on people actually being part of the Queer Book Community:

Santino Hassell

Santino Hassell, who is probably most known for his In The Company of Shadows Series. Successfully cancelled for his toxic character and not being who he presented himself to be. Somewhat recently I reread ICoS again and while I wouldn’t ever buy any of Santino Hassell’s works again I can still enjoy that series.

Taylor Brooke/Brooklyn Ray

Basically in the same place as Santino Hassell – in terms of abusive and overall shitty behaviour – is Taylor Brooke a.k.a. Brooklyn Ray, who also was successfully cancelled. I wasn’t a fan of Fortitude Smashed but Shadows You Left, co-authored with Jude Sierra left a huge impact on me. I haven’t reread it after learning of the way they were treating other people. If I remember correctly, I only learnt Brooklyn Ray is Taylor Brooke due to that shitstorm, so I was really on the fence about the Darkling. I didn’t enjoy it that much the first time I read it, but then I read another piece of that series, and then I was willing to buy the other works. I won’t do so voforr various reasons.

Cancelling Queer Books and Publishers

While writing this post I remembered a book that caused quite an uproar in the Queer Book Community – I still get angry when I reread my review for Antisocial by Heidi Cullinan. I don’t think it affected the author and even though I absolutely despised Antisocial I might buy a book by Heidi Cullinan if I think I might end up liking it. But not without very carefully checking all the reviews available that is.

There are also at least two publishing houses that the Queer Book Community (tried) to cancel: Riptide Publishing and Samhain Publishing. If my memory doesn’t fail me, due to having a questionable way of treating contracts and authors.

The Queer’s Take on Cancel Culture

The way I wrote about J.K. Rowling, Santino Hassell, and Taylor Brooke/Brooklyn Ray probably already told you that I am not against Cancel Culture.

There is one thing I view very critically, though: the name itself. Well, the name and how it is often handled in society and the media.

To me, it feels like people like to present it as a “woke phenomenon by the special snowflake generations”, which… it’s not? The way you are reflects back onto your work and the products you’re trying to sell. If you’re a shitty person or business or whatever I won’t be a fan of you nor support you. That’s it.

How do you view Cancel Culture? Do you remember the Book Community cancelling someone?