Let's talk about books!

[brown_betty]

Today's topic: Oh My God, I Can See Your Id

Comments

[jamjar]

I think editors probably spend a lot of time trying desperately not to see the id, or else they'd never be able to deal with the author.

[brown_betty]

I bet. I mean, imagine trying to tell Miller "erm, you might want to put a little less spooge on the page."

[jamjar]

This is why Miller's editors are issued with tongs and industrial disinfectant.

And very, very good therapists.

[grey_bard]

I actually have a passing acquaintance with one of Miller's former editors, and um. Apparently he had attempted to try that very thing (only more specific about the particular moment of spooge) and his bosses were like "Nope! It's Frank Miller! Let him do what he wants," - and this is an editor who *likes* Frank as a human being!

[troubleinchina]

Did you know that women can only achieve true enlightment, understanding, and happiness in their sex lives by being sexually submissive?

Neither did I, until I read a bit too much Paulo Coelho.

There's this scene in "Veronika Decides To Die" where the main character, Veronika, finally accepts her true self and is able to escape from the depression that's eaten at her when she masturbates for a very long time in front of an impassive man with some form of mental illness who either cannot or willnot react to her. There's a bit too much detail of her sexual fantasies, the "true" meaning of her sexuality, blah blah, and she reaches the truth by fantasy after fantasy of submission.

On it's own, eh. To each her own, right? But I was going through a lot of his books at the time and whereas that's the most blatant, it basically keeps coming up again and again in various ways. And I've never read any of this books where a man's sexual fantasy life is discussed at all.

[brown_betty]

Hm, where did I come across a recommendation for him?

Luckily, he's (I believe) “literary,” so I'm not in much danger of accidentally reading him, but I shall try to remember his name, just in case.

[rsadelle]

Two of his books were on Christian Kane's list of top five favorite books.

[brown_betty]

And, also: yes, the thing where you read one book and it's like "eh" and then you read another one and it's like "eh?" and then you read the third and realize you know have enough data points for a straight line and the conclusion is getting increasingly inescapable.

Blargh.

[cofax7]

S.P. Stirling and his bizarre fixation on ethnic identity, in Dies the Fire and its sequels. (Note: I couldn't read the rest of them.)

Also, way too many fanfic authors to be worth mentioning, since fic is all about diving into the Id Vortex.

I suspect JOHN RINGO may be on this list, but I haven't read him, so I don't know.

[brown_betty]

I think you mean S. M. Stirling? (I wikid it) I actually think about 95% of post-apocalypse novels written by men are on the OH MY GOD, PUT YOUR ID AWAY category, since they're generally "How The World Will Be Better When I Am In Charge And the Strong Rule" which is pretty much a recipe for them to give their id free reign and expound on the sociological strengths of polygyny.

(Not saying women are morally superior, but most women's post-apocalyptic novels don't tend to identify with the Strong Who Rule, unless it's some kind of feminist utopia/dystopia, and even then they generally are a bit more conscious about it.)

[cofax7]

Oh, you are correct, it was SM Stirling.

actually think about 95% of post-apocalypse novels written by men are on the OH MY GOD, PUT YOUR ID AWAY category

God, yes.

[serrana]

He's written one that's called, if I'm remembering correctly, Showdown in Corvallis.

A less-likely place for a post-apocalyptic battle, I could not have come up with if I TRIED. I mean...Corvallis?

...okay, Philomath, maybe. They have those equestrian events at the fairgrounds, and a post-apocalyptic showdown might be sort of like that (though the Benton County Fairground is where we went for dog training, so even that seems farfetched. Well, it would if the dog had ever learned to fetch, which she didn't. But I digress.)

[everysecondtues]

I think S. Meyer probably goes on the discounted because it's too obvious list. Robin Hobb at the end of the Tawny Man trilogy, though maybe it's just the misfortune of having read interviews and thus knowing exactly why the epilogue was the way it was.

[brown_betty]

All I know of that is that many fans found it very disappointing; I stopped reading her stuff about two books in when it became apparent she was one of those authors who never allows her protagonist a moment of happiness that isn't so she can set him up for later despair. Nothing against that in se, but it doesn't make me a happy reader.

What was up with the epilogue, then?

[everysecondtues]

This is very spoilery, but basically, insofar as I recall, an interviewer asked her early on about Fitz and Fool (also in another trilogy together before the Tawny Man) and whether there was anything going on with them. Her answer was along the lines of, "No! Absolutely not

[joannindiw]

*thank you*. I had gotten hooked on the Fritz/Fool interaction and the ending was just... I had gotten her other books, but just couldn't get interested into them the way I had the first two... anyway. Thank you.

[hjcallipygian]

This entry is really confusing if you read "I.D." instead of "Id," accidentally. Takes on a whole new meaning.

[genre_savvy]

It wasn't just me then? Someone else did that, too? *feels less dumb*

[berseker]

No...

I spent a few seconds wondering what the hell did this mean.