Entry tags:

books/authors, person: neo_prodigy, reviews

What's worse than getting a negative review on Amazon?
Getting caught leaving a positive review under a sockpuppet, of course!

Author Dennis R. Upkin Jr. reviews his own book under a sock account and is outed by Amazon.com's credit card verification system. ETA: Review's been removed, but here's a screencap from the sf_drama post.

Copy and pasted text of the four star review, left by "Roz Torres":

I heard about this novel on an online podcast and after constantly forgetting to pick up the book, I finally got a copy and read it.

The story is intense. It's got a lot going on. With the paranormal elements and the real world commentary. Upkins pulls no punches tackling racism and homophobia, but really surprised me was the interesting cast of women. I loved Ruby and Cassidy and it was nice to see women of color be shown in a light you rarely see. But my favorite character hands down was Neely. I wish there were more characters like her in the media. And I say this as a fellow bisexual woman. The little representation we have, most of it isn't good. Good story. And I'll definitely re-read again to see what I missed the first time.

ETA 2: Dennis R. Upkins, Jr. is also known as neo_prodigy on livejournal, and is known for wankiness already. (Link goes to unfunny_fandom.)

ETA 3: Someone on fail_fandomanon has pointed out that it is possible to get an Amazon-verified account with a phony name, although a "Rosalyn Torres" also left a positive rating on goodreads earlier this month (thanks for the link, sakanagi). Also, while the Amazon review is gone, but the account that posted it is still up, so you can see the real name verification for yourself.

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eleutheria
2011-08-30 10:41 am UTC (link)

From the sf_d post, apparently he's posted this on his personal LJ:

Now some idiot apparently used my name and gave me a glowing review to make it look like as if I sockpuppeted myself. Really? Really? And you honestly think people would be that stupid to fall for it and think that was me? Really? Really?

I somehow don't think that the Alpha, Very Manly Seraphim known as ~~Captain Obvious McTriestoohard~~ Neo_Prodigy quite understands how this whole "real name" thing works.

Or how this whole "writing" thing works, given the excerpts I've read from his book.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

	twinno 2011-08-30 12:56 pm UTC (link)
	If someone used his name to make that review, then they must have also stolen his credit card, because that's how the Amazon identity verification works, if I'm not mistaken. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	eleutheria 2011-08-30 02:23 pm UTC (link)
	Yeah, that was my point. He definitely doesn't understand how it works, or he'd know you need a credit card confirmation to get "real name" under your name. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	isaiddietpepsi 2011-08-30 04:03 pm UTC (link)
	Um, excuse you. But how do you know that neo's haters didn't do exactly that?! There's an entire conspiracy - made up entirely of evil white women - against him, you know. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	littlemousling 2011-09-01 03:30 am UTC (link)
	Evil white women, "house queers," women of colour who just don't count (he's not going to bother explaining!), queer women who don't exist, and ... queer women of colour, who only exist/count when he's making them up to praise his book. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	argylespy 2011-08-30 03:18 pm UTC (link)
	Not to mention that when was the last time that the old "LOL YOU ACTUALLY THOUGHT PEOPLE WOULD BELIEVE THAT?" gambit actually made the influx of people believing that stop and seriously consider whether they were wrong this whole time? (Reply to this)(Parent)

	lainey 2011-08-30 03:41 pm UTC (link)
	"Some idiot" is apparently 'The Nanny ver. 2011'. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	pauraque 2011-08-30 03:53 pm UTC (link)
	Oh wow. I thought for sure he'd go for "my roommate was using my computer" or "it was all a social experiment". Since Amazon doesn't work the way he thinks it does, I guess next he has to fall back on accusing Amazon employees of conspiring against him. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	ashes 2011-08-30 04:18 pm UTC (link)
	Maybe he was hoping we don't know how the whole "real name" thing goes down, like if he just shouts loud enough, "It totally wasn't me!" no one will stop and think, "But, dude, you're credit ca--" "IT WAS THIEVES." Delicious. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	ashes 2011-08-30 04:19 pm UTC (link)
	Fuck my grammar failure. Fuck my grammar failure in the eye. (Which is to say, that should be "your credit".) (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	twinno 2011-08-30 05:02 pm UTC (link)
	I read "You are credit card" to myself and immediately I hear "This is Peggy" from the Discover card commercials. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	uldihaa 2011-08-30 05:17 pm UTC (link)
	I have to admit to liking those particular commercials. Especially the "Re-training" one. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	phoenix_knight 2011-09-19 09:25 am UTC (link)
	Oh man. I laughed hard enough that I nearly woke my kids. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	cmdr_zoom 2011-08-30 06:10 pm UTC (link)
	YA RLY (Reply to this)(Parent)

	notjo 2011-08-31 01:25 am UTC (link)
	You can read his whole post here, assuming it stays public. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	eleutheria 2011-08-31 02:01 am UTC (link)
	That sickens me, when he or his muppets have been fucking rape trolling his critics. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	ealusaid 2011-08-31 04:41 am UTC (link)
	What, where? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	eleutheria 2011-08-31 06:09 am UTC (link)
	The Wordpress blogger whose blog he shut down reports it here, TW for rape threats. (Reply to this)(Parent)

lostsailors
2011-09-04 10:14 am UTC (link)

I love how he talks about being harassed and tortured, but all this hullabaloo is about a positive review left in his name.

"To the trolls: I've been silent because quite frankly, you all aren't worth my time. And your antics have proven my point better than I hoped. If I'm the bad guy in this piece, then why are you acting like the villains?

You can spew whatever lies you like."

-- So these lies. That the book is good?

(Reply to this)(Parent)

	demonbean 2011-08-31 03:35 am UTC (link)
	These hackers, they are the type of people to steal your credit card information just so they can post a fake glowing review of your book to discredit you on the webernetz. They're tricky! (Reply to this)(Parent)

	ridureyu 2011-08-31 05:28 am UTC (link)
	"It wasn't me! It was an evil hooligan who looks and sounds just like me but nobody has ever seen!" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	napalmnacey 2011-08-31 11:01 pm UTC (link)
	I was on the moon! With Steve! (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	phoenix_knight 2011-09-19 09:27 am UTC (link)
	Bob was there, too. (Reply to this)(Parent)

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