Yes, I think the perceived distance is a big problem - you see yourself as being quite separate from the author, but even in a fandom as huge as say, SGA, there is far less separating you from any fan-author than from Stephen King. Even if you don't 'know' Writer A, someone on your flist likely does - in any fandom it's never 6 degrees of separation, usually only one or two. It may not be a close personal relationship - but it's enough that you don't have the same presumption of impartiality that you would if you were reviewing one of King's books. And the more people read your reviews, the more popular you are, the higher your chances are of intersecting personally with Writer A, and introducing that much more suspicion of bias into whatever you post...
...Though this is becoming more true of pro authors, too, as the blogosphere brings everyone together; how many pros are on lj thee days, in fandom these days? We're all so new to this that the rules aren't set. And I don't know what those rules should be - and I don't think that most reviewers review fic out of any sort of personal grudge. But I have a hunch that to people who don't like more-than-only-positive fic reviews, who don't understand their point, the easiest explanation for them to grasp is that such negativity is inspired by personal feelings - and you have to be aware that if you post reviews, you have a chance of being so judged.
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winterfish
no subject
Date: 2008-07-27 05:17 am (UTC)...Though this is becoming more true of pro authors, too, as the blogosphere brings everyone together; how many pros are on lj thee days, in fandom these days? We're all so new to this that the rules aren't set. And I don't know what those rules should be - and I don't think that most reviewers review fic out of any sort of personal grudge. But I have a hunch that to people who don't like more-than-only-positive fic reviews, who don't understand their point, the easiest explanation for them to grasp is that such negativity is inspired by personal feelings - and you have to be aware that if you post reviews, you have a chance of being so judged.