Amazonblocked salesfor The Corroding Empire , a scifi book from Vox Day ’s button-down publication company Castalia House , because the cover brook an unearthly resemblance to John Scalzi ’s latest book , The Collapsing Empire . And it was n’t a coincidence .
Update : Amazon has since re-start sales for The Corroding Empire , with the original book binding . We ’ve reached out to Amazon for more information .
Update 2 : Glorious butt generator Chuck Tingle is show his documentation for Scalzi , has turnedTheRabidPuppies.com(named after Vox Day ’s Hugo Awards group ) into a counterpunch that rank how well each book is doing . consort to the website , Scalzi ’s book is # 235 on the Amazon Best Sellers Rank ( as of March 25 , it ’s # 246 ) . Castalia House ’s is evidence at # 1671 ( actually , it ’s # 1718 ) .
The Collapsing Empireby John Scalzi was released from Tor Books Tuesday , almost a year after it was first announced . to begin with this month , Theodore Beale ( aka Vox Day)revealed on his blogthat The Corroding Empire from Johan Kalsi was uncommitted for pre - purchase order … and would be released one day before Scalzi ’s book . Amazon temporarily made the book unavailable to grease one’s palms , but it looks to have been restored for the time being .
It does n’t take a genius to figure out the covers are basically the same damn affair . It ’s much a plot of “ Can you blot the difference ? ” you ’d find in Highlights magazine . The title , the artwork , even the author ’s name . Strangely , the book itself is not a parody of The Collapsing Empire . fit in to Beale , the novel draws from Isaac Asimov ’s Foundation series , which is a favorite of his . This means it would n’t be “ protect ” as travesty , although Amazon is n’t subject to the same prescript that the government is .
There ’s a reason Beale made a screening that take care exactly like Scalzi ’s , and it ’s not to ride his coattails . This is all part of Beale ’s longstanding feud ( or obsession ) with Scalzi , who has n’t shied awayfrom criticizing him in the past times . Beale has long considered himself Scalzi ’s literary rival , even though they ’re on completely dissimilar levels of winner . Beale hassaidanddonequestionable and unsavory thing to perpetuate that rivalry , including accusing Scalzi of rape because of asatirical articlehe drop a line in 2012 .
When Beale announce pre - orders for The Corroding Empire , he made his delegation very percipient : He wanted his publication house to do better than Tor Books and cogitate outperforming Scalzi with a near - very playscript cover would twist the knife , adding “ What would be more amusing than for The Corroding Empire to outsell and outrank The Collapsing Empire ? ” Then again , Beale ’s never shy away from promoting himself or his publication business firm through controversial means , including getting his followers to nominate himself and several Castalia House books for Hugo Awards during the Rabid Puppies flush .
Beale previously declare a reprint that shortens the claim to Corrosion , and changes the author ’s name to Harry Seldon , parodying a character from Foundation . flop now , though , it ’s still being sold with the original covering intact . Some of his followers have also responded by giving Scalzi ’s book minus reviews onAmazon . We ’ve reached out to Tor for a comment and will update when we hear back .
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