Happy Thanksgiving! BTW Disney Must Pay! Also Don't Go Out on Black Friday!

Hey, no regular post this week. You know, because I gave myself the week off for Thanksgiving. I hope whatever your plans are that you and your loved ones will be safe this year. I know that it hasn't been a great year, but I do find myself with a few things to be grateful for. In any case, instead of talking about that, let's talk about a big corporation (allegedly) screwing over a writer!

That's right, last week Alan Dean Foster (ghostwriter of the novelization of the first Star Wars film, and the author of the first Star Wars Expanded Universe novel, The Splinter of the Mind's Eye) and the grievance committee of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) released a public statement accusing Disney of not paying Foster the royalties he is owed for books now published by Disney. Specifically the two Star Wars books I mentioned before (which Disney acquired publishing rights to when they purchased Lucasfilm) and the novelizations of the first three Alien films (which Disney acquired when they purchased Fox). I don't know enough about contract law to judge the validity of these claims, but they're already on my shit list for announcing layoffs of thousands of park employees after restoring executive salaries that had been reduced earlier in the year. All of this within the context of pressuring California to let them reopen Disneyland while the global pandemic worsens across the US. It just seems in character is all I'm saying.

Anyway, stay safe and read a good book. Oh and please don't pack into stores on Friday. If you feel like you must do your holiday shopping this week, just know that most retailers are already offering their Black Friday prices right now and have delivery and curbside pickup options available on their website. And if you do go to a store, don't be an asshole: wear a mask, don't crowd close to other people.