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D&D has been revised dozens of times over the past few decades, and racial alignments have been more honored in the breach for nearly as long -- one of the most
by djur 3y ago
D&D has been revised dozens of times over the past few decades, and racial alignments have been more honored in the breach for nearly as long -- one of the most popular characters in the D&D books is a chaotic good drow, and such "good renegades" are an extremely common appearance at tables. The past is not being rewritten. This is WOTC being responsive to the desires of (some of) their customers.
The Dahl publishers have confirmed that they are only making changes to editions published for schools, and the original unedited books will still be published. Dahl himself authorized changes to his work to keep them marketable.
There's no evidence that the Le Guin books would have been kept from publication if those mild changes had not been made. It appears that we're only even hearing about it as a response to the Dahl controversy.
All together, this seems like piecemeal evidence of works being updated to satisfy contemporary mores, which is something that has been done continually for centuries, not a sign of a growing ideological trend.
- jl6 3y ago> Dahl himself authorized changes to his work to keep them marketable. Is that the same Dahl that said: “I’ve warned my publishers that if they later on so much as change a single comma in one of my books, they will never see another word from me. Never! Ever!” “When I am gone, if that happens, then I’ll wish mighty Thor knocks very hard on their heads with his Mjolnir. Or I will send along the ‘enormous crocodile’ to gobble them up.” He was referring to his Norwegian roots and to his earlier story of “the greediest croc” in talking to Bacon, who apparently felt just as strongly about the subject, telling him: “There must be no changes to an artist’s original work when he is dead for any reason whatsoever.” Crossing himself in jest, Dahl replied: “I just hope to God that will never happen to any of my writings as I am lying comfortably in my Viking grave.” https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/feb/25/roald-dahl-threatened-publisher-with-enormous-crocodile-if-they-changed-his-words https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/feb/25/roald-dahl-thr...
- djur 3y agoWell, he's right that his publishers will never see another word from him. A decade before that quote, Dahl was convinced by the NAACP and others to revise the Oompa-Loompas to avoid the implications of their being "black pygmies".
- mcv 3y agoIn a comment elsewhere you seemed to argue that censorship in schools is acceptable to ensure books are appropriate for children. Is that not the case with Roald Dahl books? Should they just have been banned from schools instead?
- jl6 3y agoIn my other comment I’m arguing that limiting children’s access to media is orthogonal to the issue of censorship. I did not declare what Florida is doing is acceptable. They have used a blunt instrument to remove many books when only some of them are clearly unsuitable. No, the Dahl books should not have been banned from school either, because they did not contain harmful material. In any case, a content warning or contextual note would be preferable to rewriting them.
- mcv 3y agoFor adults or teenagers I agree, but many of Dahl's stories were intended for younger children, and I don't think content warnings or contextual notes help much there. I would oppose editing the stories of for example HP Lovecraft this way, but for children's books, I think it's entirely reasonable.