On Monday, Nigerian-American author Nnedi Okorafor announced that her novel “Who Fears Death” has been optioned by HBO and is in early development as a TV series.
She said that George RR Martin, author of “Game of Thrones,” is set to be the executive producer of the show.
While reporting the story, print and online magazine Vice used the headline: “George R.R. Martin is adapting an African sci-fi novel for TV”.
The photo that accompanied the headline is a collage of George RR Martin’s photo and the cover of Nnedi’s book, but her name was taken out.
The act has elicited backlash from the Writers’ community as well as other Twitter users.
One user who argued that Vice may have cropped the cover to make the photo collage fit, added that “it’s still stupid” and “crappy”.
No, this was intentional erasure. They *removed* her name from the book cover.
Unless I’m missing something they just cropped the book cover top/bottom to make it fit. No photoshopping? Agreed it’s still stupid. pic.twitter.com/TQPgwzcFA8
Unless I’m missing something they just cropped the book cover top/bottom to make it fit. No photoshopping? Agreed it’s still stupid. pic.twitter.com/TQPgwzcFA8
To clarify: I agree with everyone that this is crappy. I just don’t ascribe malice to it.
The author of the article Lincoln Michel, who said he’s a freelancer and had no hand in the headline and title, has also apoligised for the error, adding that he has sent several messages to Vice to edit the post.
Wow, these people have even removed my NAME from my novel’s cover in the tweet. Woooooooow, mschew.
. They don’t even know details. https://twitter.com/VICE/status/884744114838831109 …
as a fan and the writer, I really apologize about this! I contacted my editor, didn’t see the headline or image beforehand.
You all haven’t had problems with this in the past
So why is this different?
I don’t work for VICE or know their process (just a freelancer) but I agree it’s egregious and should be fixed
Wow, these people have even removed my NAME from my novel’s cover in the tweet. Woooooooow, mschew.
@VICE is looking for our trouble…don’t make us rain down our collective Nigerian fury on you pic.twitter.com/z70WFkkwBr
Wow, these people have even removed my NAME from my novel’s cover in the tweet. Woooooooow, mschew.
That’s disgusting. Boo, @VICE, boo!
That’s disgusting. Boo, @VICE, boo!
Wow, these people have even removed my NAME from my novel’s cover in the tweet. Woooooooow, mschew.
I thought @vicenews was supposed to be forward thinking. This is highly disappointing.
Wow, these people have even removed my NAME from my novel’s cover in the tweet. Woooooooow, mschew.
Pro-actively removed or unthinkingly cropped? Pretty poor either way
Wow, these people have even removed my NAME from my novel’s cover in the tweet. Woooooooow, mschew.
Looking on Amazon your name is clearly there. So what’s the logic? Seriously, someone had to specifically remove the name from the cover.
Wow, these people have even removed my NAME from my novel’s cover in the tweet. Woooooooow, mschew.
@VICE It’s not ‘an African sci-fi novel.’ It’s “Nnedi Okorafor’s African sci-fi novel”. Fix this please. And put her name back on her cover!
First thing I noticed was your name missing. That’s so absurd.
That’s pretty messed up for an industry screaming for diversity and gender equality.
George R.R. Martin is adapting an African sci-fi novel for TV: http://bit.ly/2tGYg3m pic.twitter.com/ws0O955LxG
You leave her name out of the tweet AND manually crop Nnedi Okorafor’s name off her own book’s cover??? That’s not okay literally AT ALL.
