RIP wiki & Guns don't kill books-- wait.

[thistlechaser]

Oddly (or not so oddly?) I seem to have no guns/violent icons! So have a kitty. I don't think I've ever used this one yet.

It's a sad thing, but wiki will fade to uselessness sooner rather than later. I listened to a story about it on NPR a while back, and I'm seeing the same thing myself. Not enough folks update it anymore. The generation who created it and kept it up to date are now raising families and don't spend so much time online, and kids nowadays only want to use it and don't want to do the work of updating it (and should GET THE HELL OFF MY LAWN). Of course, I'm to blame as much as kids; I tried to update it once when I found an error, but gave up because it was taking too long, and never made another attempt.

So often I'll go to look up something, a new show, new author, whatever, and there's no wiki page for it. It always gives me an odd feeling -- can something exist if it's not on wiki?

Speaking of looking things up, a really odd thing happened yesterday. When I first posted about Old Man's War, people commented that John Scalzi seemed like a nice guy. I agreed and said I was happy he was. After that, I wondered what would happen if I encountered a book I really liked, but found out something about the author that would make me not like or respect him. I couldn't figure out the answer.

The very next book I read that was not by Scalzi, it happened! Last night I started a new book, fell in love with it (stayed up an hour late to read it), then googled the author. He is, to put it mildly, a gun nut. (Suddenly the realism in the space military book made sense.) Soon I didn't like the book as much. Problem is, the book took a turn at the same point that I learned that about the author, so I think it's not totally what I learned about him that changed how I felt about the book. (I'd hope how I felt about the author had NO effect on how I felt about the book, but that doesn't seem to be the case.)

The author makes me sad. Among other things, he said "I like George Takei, but I find it amazing that somebody who has been personally put into an internment camp by his government can hold the position that only the government should have guns." To me, that's backwards. The fact that he was placed in a camp but still is against individuals owning guns speaks volumes about how much he feels in the subject. (Though I understand how the author views it, too.)

The whole gun thing is such a can of worms. It makes me so sad. Just thinking about what the author believes leads me down roads of thought that make me sad and annoyed -- the misleading and incorrect "logic" in the "If you outlaw guns, only the outlaws will have guns" argument, the pain and harm guns do, all the shootings, crime... and this guy is pro-them.

I really wish I could separate my feelings towards the author from my feelings towards his book. I don't know if it's normal not to be able to. But now I see all the shooting in the book (military battles on US soil) through vision colored by knowledge of his real life opinions on the matter.

This is the first time I've ever been sorry I googled an author. Usually I discover good, interesting things. :/

Comments

[pure-trance.livejournal.com]

My mom is pro-gun and anti-mexican. I've mastered the smile and nod.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ack, sorry to hear that! My mother has some wacky ideas, too. Like Jack In The Box burgers are actually kangaroo meat (a reeeeaaaaly old urban myth) and that gay people choose to be gay because they want the attention. :/

I love her to death, but sometimes I have to facepalm.

[kirbyk.livejournal.com]

It happens. The prime example is Orson Scott Card - really great writer, one of the worst human beings alive today.

Scalzi has a really interesting blog, which I read for some time before I actually read his books. http://whatever.scalzi.com. A bunch of it is the usual, book promotion and talking about his family stuff, but when he writes essays, they're really worth reading.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ah, true, I forgot about him.

I need to bookmark his blog! I skimmed through it while reading his books, then forgot about it. It did seem interesting.

[resonant.livejournal.com]

I was actually going to buy that from Smashwords, but you saved me@!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Do you use a Kindle/Kindle app? I wonder if there's a way I could send you a copy of mine, then you could check it out and see if you like it, without giving the guy any money. (Usually I'm all for supporting authors, but now and then I'm willing to make an exception.)

[resonant.livejournal.com]

Kobo (Canadian, plus my company makes them). But thanks, I'll pass - it sounds like a fascinating trainwreck, like John Ringo or Michael Williamson.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Wise choice. :)

[doxxxicle.livejournal.com]

Which author is this? John Ringo?

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Marko Kloos.

But wow, that John Ringo fellow looks like he wants to kill you.


Quick googling doesn't give much, is he a big gun fellow, too?

Edit: Oh my. I found this LJ post about him (http://hradzka.livejournal.com/194753.html). I just... I think I'll step away from him now. That's so funny/awful.

Edit 2: (Sorry for the comment spam!) At least Ringo took that LJ post well.

[evilgrayson.livejournal.com]

I've read a John Ringo book; I found his politics a little obvious but it was a definitely good read - and obvious politics are fine by me, because as with obvious religion I can identify and use them to work out how others think, and why they believe what they do. The book I read was nothing awe-inspiring, but good solid stuff and when I have money I will buy more.

(And yes, John Ringo does seem to be self-aware and does have a sense of humour. Books from the id can be fun when the author doesn't take them seriously; one day I'll probably try one of those, too.)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ah, that's good to know! If I come across one of his books, I'll be more open to checking it out. Other than the 'main character is a rapist and the solution to everything is MORE WHORES' series. :P

Good luck on yours!

[doxxxicle.livejournal.com]

No, really, Paladin of Shadows is fun to read in its own sick and twisted way.

Did you read that entire review post? It's quite hilarious, especially having read all the books in question myself.

OH JOHN RINGO NO.

XD

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I'll admit to skimming some of the post. I was at work and kept getting distracted.

*checks 10K downloaded ebooks* Only one by him in the file, March Upcountry. I might have to check Paladin of Shadows out just to see how awful/funny it is!

OH JOHN RINGO NO makes me snicker every time.

[doxxxicle.livejournal.com]

I'd say March Upcountry and its sequels are some of his better books. They're written with David Weber who is a fairly prolific military scifi writer. I have bought a lot of his books.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ahh, thanks! I'm on a military scifi kick right now, so that's perfect. I don't know why I stopped reading space stuff, but I'll happily make up for it now.

[voidmagus.livejournal.com]

I own multiple firearms. My wife has one too- .38 special, big nasty revolver. It was a gift from her father. Where we live, it's a cultural thing. Her family is from Harlan KY (made oddly famous by tv show "Justified"). We've had a lot of gun discussions floating around the house lately - friend from Australia visited and that lead to lengthy discussions. It's a cultural thing around here -- nearly everyone owns some, was raised around them, etc. I competed in marksmanship through highschool & college (alongside volleyball, fencing, etc). But nowadays? I own the firearms I do because it is remarked as unusual not to own any. If, like Australia, I'd have to turn in my firearms (both are semiautomatics), I would miss my rifle (it is not at all concealable, or even portable - i have trouble transporting it in a car due to length, it will deafen me even through hearing protection unless I use layers, even though its semi auto more than 3 rounds in under a couple minutes will wreck accuracy due to heat...but it's mine and I've worked on it for years) but my life wouldn't be unbearable without them. But to hear family and friends talk about it, it would be the End Of The World if even semiautomatics were ruled illegal, bought back, and destroyed.

Personally, I'm much more comfortable with a sword anyway. Years of fencing, years of heavy weapons in SCA. Yet the gun nuts think I'm crazy for feeling that way -- how much damage can one person do with a blade against crowds of innocents? Even unarmed, it isn't too hard to defend yourself from lethal injury against a person untrained in a sword/knife/etc's use.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

A sword I'd be fine with. Let everyone walk around with a sword if they want! Like you said, what's a guy with a sword going to do to a crowd of innocent people compared to someone with a gun?

Kind of amusing that gun nuts think that...