Tales from 2040 - Your Criticism

Please complete the following statement to help the author respond to your criticism in an orderly fashion.

First, I am...

...someone mentioned in a story (such as a politician or celebrity). ...someone cited in the endnotes (such as a scientist or journalist). ...someone who read the book. ...someone who has not read the book.

Next, which statement most closely matches the nature of your criticism?

I believe you purposefully misrepresented my work. Author's Note: Of all the types of criticism that writing these books might invite, this is the one I feel is the most serious. I apologize if I misinterpreted your work, but I can assure you that my mistake was not intentional. Please contact me so that we can correct my misunderstanding. In what way did I misinterpret your work? You misinterpreted my work, resulting in a faulty conclusion or erroneous statement. Author's Note: I apologize if I misinterpreted your work. Please contact me so that we can correct my misunderstanding. In what way did I misinterpret your work? You quoted my copyrighted work without permission. Author's Note: Unless otherwise noted in the endnotes, all excerpts from other copyrighted works have been included within the legal parameters of fair use. The law is clear, but as with most laws, it is still subject to interpretation. If you feel your copyright has been infringed in a way that fails the four-factor test of fair use, please contact me immediately. Which quote falls outside the parameters of fair use? You plagiarized my work. Author's Note: First, I apologize if it appears that I have plagiarized your work. I know too well how frustrating it feels to have someone copy something you have created. In some cases, I have happened upon other works that sound remarkably similar to something I had written earlier, and have rewritten my own work to prevent any potential conflict, but I may not have seen yours. Or I may have used a phrase that exactly matches one you used, and in some cases that is how I found your work in the first place. In any event, please let me know what you feel has been plagiarized so we can resolve this issue to your satisfaction. Which work of yours do you feel I plagiarized? Your work is derivative of my own and you did not give me proper credit. Author's Note: I tried my best to credit all the people whose work contributed to or influenced these books, but considering the number of works cited, it is very possible that I missed some. If you are one of them, I apologize for my oversight. Which work should have been cited? You cited my work improperly in your endnote. Author's Note: I do not include middle initials when I write citations; this is an idiosyncratic personal preference of mine. If this bothers you, I don't mind updating your endnote. How should your work have been cited? Your book includes factual inaccuracies about me. Author's Note: I apologize if I made an error. My goal was to back up every statement of fact with evidence, so if I have cited a source which supports the inaccuracy please provide evidence to the contrary. Please describe the inaccuracy: Your fiction includes me doing or saying something that I do not think I would do or say. Author's Note: I apologize for upsetting you; that was not my intent. To make the books as realistic as possible, I based fictional actions on past actions, and I reviewed writing samples and transcripts to make fictional "quotes" match the voice of their speakers. Although I have been advised that what I have written falls well within the protective guidelines of commentary, I do not wish to offend people needlessly. If you feel strongly that what I wrote about you is far from what would happen in the theoretical situation described, please let me know. I have no problem making changes that do not substantively affect the underlying ideas, including modifying your words or actions, or even replacing you in the story entirely with your closest competitor. Please describe which portion of the story with which you disagree: I believe your work promotes a message with which I do not want to be associated. Author's Note: My best guess is that if someone feels this way, the most likely reason is that the person is adamantly pro-life or pro-choice and has an issue with what I wrote in Tales from 2040 #002: How Lady Gaga fought crime, AIDS, and abortion rates. To predict further, I would also guess that the person did not read the story completely, but either skimmed or relied upon the reactions of others. If this is the case, I implore you to read the story yourself and form your own judgment, paying particular attention to the first section in the afterword. I believe you will see that I extol the virtues and criticize the weaknesses of both Abstinence-Only and Safe Sex education, and describe a new approach that, while you may not agree with completely, nevertheless could result in a positive change that aligns with your own goals and values. Please describe which portion of the book with which you disagree: You cited research that has been discredited or retracted. Author's Note: This is a serious charge. Please note the difference between other research coming to a different conclusion and research being discredited. Please provide a reference to supporting documentation from a reputable (preferably peer-reviewed) source. Which research has been discredited or retracted? You wrote something that is factually incorrect. Author's Note: I aim for 100% accuracy, and I will take your criticism seriously. Please provide a reference to supporting documentation from a reputable (preferably peer-reviewed) source. What is the factual error? You wrote something that I found to be unbelievable. What did you find unbelievable, and why? I found a plot hole or logical inconsistency. Which part doesn't make sense? I found a grammatical or typographical error. Author's Note: Thank you for taking the time to point this out. Even if it is a tiny mistake, I want to know about it and correct it. What is the mistake? Your book was boring. Author's Note: I am sorry if you feel I wasted your time. Before you send in your criticism, you may want to read the answer to: Why didn’t you make the stories more interesting? How do you feel the book(s) could have been made more interesting? Other... Please provide the details of your criticism:

Please provide the details of your message

How may we verify your identity?

Since you have indicated you are a public figure or another professional whom people might try to impersonate, please let us know how you would prefer us to verify your identity. We will do whatever is most convenient for you. (For example, we can make a brief phone call to your staff, or we can send an e-mail to an address we can verify is yours.)

Finally, what kind of a response would you prefer?

I would like a public response on this website. I would like a public response via Twitter. I would like a private response via e-mail. I would like a private response via phone. No response is necessary.

There's no need to sugarcoat it

First, I am...

Next, which statement most closely matches the nature of your criticism?

Please provide the details of your message

How may we verify your identity?

Finally, what kind of a response would you prefer?