I get some funny blog comments. This is from todays post, from Chris Gerrib, who was offended earlier by Warbound getting on the Hugos. monsterhunternation/2014/06/13/oh-my-gosh-somebody-actually-reviewed-my-novel-thats-up-for-a-hugo-or-writing-strategy/ *** I got about a third of the way into Warbound before I gave it up. Looking at Larry’s article, I see why I had some of the problems I did. First, looking at FDR’s speeches as a guide to how the man talked leads to stilted conversations. FDR’s speeches were delivered at the dawn of amplification by a man who’d learned public speaking before such aids were available. In short, FDR’s public speaking style, even in his “fireside chats,” was stilted and artificial – aimed at allowing the crude equipment of his day to catch his words. Second, the trilogy was not nominated. Telling me “if you’d read books 1 and 2 X would make sense” is cheating. If I need to have read all three books, nominate all three books. (See Connie Willis with Blackout / All Clear.) Third is the internment camps. FDR didn’t want to inter the Japanese. He was pushed into it by Californian politicians and the US military. We know exactly what FDR’s views on race were – he vigorously pushed against segregation, going as far as he felt he could without wrecking his party. Fourth, and this is my personal view, I couldn’t figure out who I was supposed to care for. Sullivan seemed a cardboard figure to me, and the rich industrialist Whats-His-Name came off as a whiny kid. *** And of course, where would be the fun if I didnt share my response? ### Nice try, Chris. I appreciate that you are still looking out for the virginal purity of the Hugos. 1. Not just speeches, but also personal correspondence and recollections from both friends and enemies. Buy hey, that’s spread over six whole pages in chapter 2 of 25, so I can see how that would be simply unbearable for your delicate lilac scented feelings. Obviously this would cause you to develop a case of the vapors and retire to your fainting couch, which would render you incapable of reading the remainder of this ghastly novel. :) 2. I didn’t get to nominate the entire trilogy. WoT had an organized push to nominate the whole thing rather than just one book. Sadly, I’m not Tor.Com, whose organized push was awesome, while my organized push was uncouth awfulness (as luck would have it, you’ve pointed out before). So my Wrong Kind Of Fans just nominated the one book that was actually written that year. In fact, since most of my fans have never gone to WorldCon, that’s not the sort of rule oddity any of us even thought of while I was formulating my nefarious schemes. When I saw WoT on there, I asked the committee about allowing the entire trilogy and I was denied. (but hey, unlike Orbit, I threw in all three books to the packet if anybody wanted to read them) 3. Bullshit. Nobody, and I mean nobody pushed FDR into anything. That includes the US military which he was CinC of. He was an absolute master of political manipulation and intimidation. The most famous generals operating with massive autonomy in far off war zones were scared of FDR. California politicians and friends benefited from his actions, but they didn’t manipulate him into anything. He signed the order and threw 140,000 people into concentration camps in some of the most godforsaken pieces shit real estate in the continental US, and while those American citizens froze in shacks all of their land and property was given to his democrat cronies. And I’m sure this beloved icon must have realized the error of his ways once he saw the travesty of justice that this executive order of his turned out to be, and he immediately repealed it… Oh wait… No, he actually fought it in court when the republicans tried to get it thrown out. By “vigorously pushing”, you must mean he paid lip service to ending segregation to appease northern liberals, while doing very little so he could keep the KKK and racists reliably voting democrat. Because strangely enough, a dude who managed to whoop his political opposition for 12 years, passing all manner of extremely powerful and controversial laws, and going so far as to attempt to pack the SCOTUS (so that pesky little checks and balances thing wouldn’t get in his way) somehow never managed to get around to passing any meaningful civil rights legislation. Go figure. 4. Judging by the series sales, continued popularity, average review ratings, and making #19 on the Audible Essentials best ever list, I’d say that is certainly your personal view about cardboard. So duly noted, and then immediately disregarded. :) You are correct on one point however. Francis was a whiny rich kid, spawned by morally bankrupt scum, who started to grow up and become a leader during the series. You might think that is super perceptive of you (being a book reviewer and all) except for the 4 characters I had who explicitly stated that exact thing (Jake, Dan, Heinrich, and Chandler) in the course of the series. But since Francis was only in one subplot of the book, I’m curious why you’d think he was the main character (the correct answer is Faye), but that’s right, you got the vapors in chapter 2. So thanks, Chris. I for one look forward to your next attempt to preserve the sacred Hugos from the barbaric outsiders. :)
Posted on: Fri, 13 Jun 2014 23:53:20 +0000
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