You know, the least one can do is be subtle about wish-fulfillment fantasies. Just looking up the blurb on amazon makes me feel a little uncomfortable with how much I'm being pandered to - and given that several major industries are devoted to pandering to me and my demographic, that's something of an achievement.
Like, this makes James Bond look restrained; at least he doesn't start off as an out-of-shape loser (Just like me!!!) in a crappy job (Just like me!!!) before becoming a bad-ass superhero who gets all the ladies. (Just like I could!!!)
(And, may I add, that if the aliens have been here since 'before the first fish' and still haven't succeeded in getting offworld, I doubt their adventure with Blandy McSchlub is going to change much...)
Ooh, it's part one of a trilogy! Be still my heart...
The only explanation I can see for the aliens is that they're all colossal screw-ups. Or they have a double secret evil plan of some sort. Probably both.
I'd say sometimes blatant wish-fulfillment is what a person needs, the same way sometimes you just need cotton candy or a night sitting on the couch eating chocolate ice cream and watching Netflix and crying about a breakup or a hopeless crush. Sometimes you just have to go all in and wallow. That's okay in moderation! And if you're in a demographic whose fantasies aren't usually catered to, blatant wish-fulfillment can be really healing and validating.
I just don't see why we need to wallow in this particular fantasy again when there are already so damn many. I could go watch Chuck if I wanted to see this fantasy, and then I could at least watch the fight scenes! And again, where are all the books catering this blatantly to my fantasies?
Come to think of it, Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch trilogy is a lot closer. Breq spends three books running around getting shit done and no one
( ... )
He just got back from an assignment guarding an unnamed female presidential candidate. The Secret Service are officially her bodyguards, but he and his fellow Team Good Alien Hosts guard her from the real threat, Team Bad Alien Hosts. Because humans can't even shoot politicians without alien help, apparently? How did we ever learn to tie our own shoelaces?
She's also a Good Alien nominee, of course (not clear whether they're just backing her or whether she's a host too). Literally everything even remotely important humans do is because of secret alien interference.
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Like, this makes James Bond look restrained; at least he doesn't start off as an out-of-shape loser (Just like me!!!) in a crappy job (Just like me!!!) before becoming a bad-ass superhero who gets all the ladies. (Just like I could!!!)
(And, may I add, that if the aliens have been here since 'before the first fish' and still haven't succeeded in getting offworld, I doubt their adventure with Blandy McSchlub is going to change much...)
Ooh, it's part one of a trilogy! Be still my heart...
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I'd say sometimes blatant wish-fulfillment is what a person needs, the same way sometimes you just need cotton candy or a night sitting on the couch eating chocolate ice cream and watching Netflix and crying about a breakup or a hopeless crush. Sometimes you just have to go all in and wallow. That's okay in moderation! And if you're in a demographic whose fantasies aren't usually catered to, blatant wish-fulfillment can be really healing and validating.
I just don't see why we need to wallow in this particular fantasy again when there are already so damn many. I could go watch Chuck if I wanted to see this fantasy, and then I could at least watch the fight scenes! And again, where are all the books catering this blatantly to my fantasies?
Come to think of it, Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch trilogy is a lot closer. Breq spends three books running around getting shit done and no one ( ... )
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She's also a Good Alien nominee, of course (not clear whether they're just backing her or whether she's a host too). Literally everything even remotely important humans do is because of secret alien interference.
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