A quick hate mail :)

So I’ve been trying to put together a blog post featuring The Greatest Writer Ever: Clamps, but I’ve been slammed with work. I did a read through of Swords of Exodus this week and spent 14 hours editing on Saturday. So blogging has to take a back seat behind actual paying writing.

But I got this little gem this morning, and figured that it needed to be shared, rather than just be ignored in the comments. This if from Lynne.

I don’t like left wingers, right wingers, or moderates. I love guns, adventures, etc – and I just finished Monster Hunter Vendetta, and tho ready to order the third, I made the mistake of checking out this blog and learning about the political views of the author. And now I’m totally turned off. I’ve made this mistake with left- wing authors too, with the same result: it ruins the whole experience for me, and I never buy any of their books anymore. Ever.
I don’t give 2 hoots what your politics are – but I WAS willing to trade my money for your great stories. Before you polluted your product. Too bad for.you – lost income, total loss of respect for you as an author. Too bad for me – lost books (until I hit the bookstore again and find another author who isn’t short sighted enough to add a hundred pounds of their own b.s. for every pound of story they sell).

Well thanks for sharing, Lynne. Allow me to respond to your concerns about authors having political opinions.

Shove it up your sanctimonious ass.

Authors are people who have opinions, just like anybody else. I was politically active, informed, and involved long before I ever sold my first book, and I’d rather give up writing than my first amendment rights. Luckily you have the right to hate my guts as much as you want, and to boycott my work because I offended your tender sensibilities.

As for you being equally offended by both sides (and even the middle!), I can only assume that means you are probably a listless, aimless, dolt with no real convictions of your own. That’s really just sad. What a boring, grey, useless way to live.

You are also not very bright if you read my books, where in the ones you mentioned, a bunch of libertarian capitalists put boot to monster ass with machineguns and high explosives, all while complaining about the government meddling and incompetence, got to the About the Author, saw that I was a former firearms instructor, gun dealer, and military contractor, and then came to my blog and was shocked, SHOCKED I say, to discover that I was political? GASP.

Sure, I don’t go out of my way to shove my personal politics into my books, because I write books to entertain, and I’ve got lots of readers who disagree with my beliefs who still enjoy my writing. Heck, many of them come here and actively argue with me, and I love them for it. You must be particularly delicate since nobody is forcing you to read my political essays.

Either you are full of shit (most likely) or you really are so easily offended that you are incapable of enjoying entertainment produced by people who actually have opinions. If that is the case, then I’m assuming that you watch absolutely no movies or television shows, and you must not listen to music either. Because newsflash, lady, they’ve all got opinions too.  (and 85% of the entertainment industry is liberal, which makes me think you probably aren’t as unbiased as you are making yourself out to be)

Oh, and here let me ruin all of entertainment for you even more. If you really like somebody, but they are totally silent on politics, that usually means they are a conservative who is afraid of getting blacklisted.

Meanwhile, the rest of us are grownups capable of separating our entertainment from the people who write the words, sing the songs, or play the part. Yes. I can even watch a movie with Alec Baldwin in it, because though he is a racist and loathsome human being, he’s still pretty damn funny at times. Jamie Foxx’s politics are dumber than a bag of hammers and Tom Cruise is a kook, but Collateral is one of my favorite movies. I think Sean Penn is scum who sucks up to communist dictators, but I’ll catch that gangster movie when it comes out on Netflix because I like gangster movies. I can separate their art from them, and unlike you, I’m not a petty douchenozzle that threatens boycotts because somebody hurt my delicate feelings.

The fact that you contacted me, one of the oddball minority right wingers in the entertainment industry suggests that you are probably lying about your impartial hatred of all people with opinions. Have you left stupid comments with other authors like Mieville, Scalzi, Brin, Gerrold, Bacigalupi, Flint, Simmons, Ringo, Card, Kratman, Torgersen, Williamson, or Hoyt? Because there’s a real quick list of good, successful, genre fiction authors, and right there I think I just covered the entire political spectrum from right to left, from communists to libertarian, from control freak to anarcho-capitalist, from militant atheist to devoutly religious, and guess what, lady? I didn’t even scratch the surface. Would you like for me to name all of your other favorite authors and ruin them too?  They’ve all got opinions and they are all willing to argue them.

Because they aren’t boring, noncommittal dullards like you.

You say you love guns. Did you threaten to boycott Stephen King when he wrote his big, idiotic, piece on gun control in the wake of Sandy Hook? It was really, really stupid. I mean floundering, dumb, boring, derivative, lacking in critical thinking and logic, with no real grasp of the situation, tactics, history, or existing laws. But he’s still a talented writer and he is still going to sleep on a giant pile of money because he’s sold a lot of books.

I wrote a big piece on gun control too at the same time. The difference is that I am literally and legally a subject matter expert on this topic. Mine was read by over one million individuals in less than a month. I changed a surprising number of minds. I educated a lot of people. It got shared everywhere, reprinted in national magazines, I went on a bunch of radio shows, and even appeared on prime time national news programs. My opinion piece made a difference in a fiery national debate on a topic that I am knowledgeable and passionate about.

But I suppose I shouldn’t have said anything, because I might offend a thin-skinned dullard like you. Well shucks… That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make. I’m sure Beyonce and Jay-Z will miss you too after their trip to suck up to communists in Cuba.

On the bright side I’ve discovered that for every moron I’ve offended for daring to voice an opinion, I’ve gained two or three other readers who are sick of getting preached at in their fiction by the prevailing group think narrative. I always warn aspiring writers to be careful, and not go down this path unless they’ve got thick skins and they’re willing to stand up for what they believe in, because there are lots of bullies like you, Lynne, ready to threaten boycotts at the drop of a hat. That’s why most of the conservative authors I know keep their mouths shut, because they’ve been cowed by bullies like you.

Personally I find that boring and tiresome, and luckily for me I was already out of the closet before I got my first book deal so I never had to struggle with worrying about offending idiots.

So, Lynne, I hope that clears that matter up for you. Please, take my books and donate them to a library or burn them or something, because I fear that just seeing them on your shelf—with their big explodey covers—will damage the delicate flower that is your mind.

 

Snippet from an old story, That Which We Fear
Well look at what's up for preorder. 🙂

201 thoughts on “A quick hate mail :)”

  1. I do wish you’d quit holding back so much, and tell us how you really feel. Heh.

    No doubt she’ll ignore it because it doesn’t agree with her preexisting beliefs, but great job anyway!

    1. “No doubt she’ll ignore it because it doesn’t agree with her preexisting beliefs, but great job anyway!”

      Her preexisting beliefs are strictly libtard gun-grabber.

      This is standard concern-troll bullshit.

      Lie, and tell the victim to be trolled that you are not really a liberal twit, and that you are actually a gun owner, despite the fact that in real life you go to ANSWER rallies, and think guns are great ONLY when they appear in movies.

      Then tell them that what they are saying is going to make them unpopular and poor, and that the only way to be even allowed to sit at the table with the cool kids is to SHUT UP, and know your place, you stupid cousin-humping redneck.

      1. Like any real individual really CARES what the “cool kids” think? Hell, when I was the age you expect to see that kind of peer-pressure work at I always hated the so-called “cool kids” anyway… and the feeling was definitely mutual, though present with them first.

      2. I actually do not care, anymore, about the opinion idiots have of me, and I find that I’m a much happier person as a result.

  2. As a huge fan of Larry’s writing but not a huge fan of all his politics, I can also say this woman should shove it!

    Also, perhaps look into two other well known authors; Orson Scott Card and Frank Miller. Carefeul with Miller, though, he’ll put a curse on you if he doesn’t like your feedback.

    1. Indeed I have read a few good novels that are done by left wing writers. I find it amusing this woman could not detect Larry’s politics after reading about three paragraphs. So I am confused as to her ire when finding his blog. Hmmm!, Me thinks she does protest too much!

      1. There actually ARE a bunch of people who like big, ‘splodey stories with guns and good guys, who couldn’t define, much less take a political position. They wave and bob on the political tides like the non-sentients they closely resemble: colorless jellyfish, with no sign of a spine whatsoever. .

        Heck, Network TV and Barack Obama constantly rely on them, because feeling is MUCH easier than thinking.. .

      2. I first read “Hard Magic” because of the going out of business sale for Borders. I was addicted right away, then I read MHI (and every book in both series since). I noticed that in both the Feds are portrayed as needlessly meddling at the very least, to down right fatally incompetent.

        Having just found out one of my favorite authors is an ultra left winger I was nervous to look up Larry online. When I found his blog and that he was similar to his books I nearly jumped for joy.

        I still read books by left wingers, and won’t boycott them unless they do something massively stupid like directly insult something I hold dear with malice aforethought not simple ignorance. It’s still nice though to read something and know the author as a stance on things I can agree with. Heck I still read her blog posts if only to read an opinion I disagree with. I enjoy civil discourse and learning, and part of both is seeking out things you disagree with in order to challenge yourself. You are forced to come up with better arguments for your stance even if they are just internal ones.

        I find it hard to tell if some authors are left right or middle, but I have no idea how anyone could read MHI or Hard Magic and think Larry isn’t big on individual freedom and low government intervention in day to day lives.

      3. Not to mention George R.R. Martin, who is about as left-wing as they come, and uses his blog to trash the Right quite often. Yet, somehow, I still manage to read and enjoy his Song of Ice & Fire books. And am loving Game of Thrones, the HBO series from those books.

  3. Considering I end up getting nearly every book as e-book, audible, and dead tree I hope that will in some little way make up for the Lynnes of the world…

    Just getting to watch you take her to the wood shed was SO worth it!!!

  4. There’s another author out there who wrote military fiction that I enjoyed thoroughly. I started following him because I figured that I enjoyed his fiction, I might enjoy his opinion and non-fiction. He wrote an angst ridden screed on white privilege. I wrote him a polite reply disagreeing with his opinion. He chose to go off on my for my temerity on disagreeing with him what with my obvious intellectual inferiority and my position of white privilege. I replied again and said I’d no longer be supporting his work with my hard earned dollars. After all, I wouldn’t want him to profit from my white privilege. He went off on my arranging boycotts against him. Note: I never said anything about encouraging others to not buy his work, just that I would never buy his work.

    I’ve got no time for prima donnas in my life, especially in the portion of time I get to do what I enjoy doing. And yes, if I have to choose between equally good works of fiction written by people whose politics I agree with and whose politics I disagree with, I’m voting with my dollars and supporting authors who I agree with politically. Supporting the opposition is insanity. But MHI and Grimnoir and both good reads, and that is my primary motivator when buying fiction.

  5. Oh, mercy, an author who shares his opinion! It cannot be, it just cannot do! Away, away foul filth, away away siren call of position! I must flit, I must fly, I must run to distant shores! To read an author who is unoffensive, who has no opinion…perhaps a Flint or two?

    1. Aw, crap. I just re-read and saw flint was in the list. I wanted to put Scalzi in that slot, but I remembered he was on the list, but I didn’t remember Flint in it. Ah well.

  6. I shall never endeavor to get on your bad side, Correia. I hope she’s wearing her fireproof suit before she reads that one!

    As far as what you said, I can’t agree more. I was one of those conservative authors that kept his mouth shut for years, because I was told “Never mix politics with your branding as an author; it’s a death sentence.”

    When it became apparent to me last year that we were in jeopardy of losing our freedoms, I couldn’t be silent anymore. I woke up. I became very vocal.

    I’ve lost some author friends because of my Constitution, Founding Fathers, and Second Amendment related tweets & blog posts. But I have no regrets. Like you, I care far more about my rights, the Constitution, and conservative principles than I do about my books.

    I’ve put my money where my mouth is. I joined the NRA. I just spent a weekend at Front Sight for a Defensive Handgun class. And I will continue to point out the failings of the communist left, no matter how many people I offend.

    Keep it up brother! I wish I had gotten to know you a bit better when we did that book signing together in Eagle Mountain a couple of years ago.

    Thank you again for being a proponent of liberty!

  7. Really we must pity those like Lynne. So apathetic, so pathetic. You don’t like left, right or moderates? You must really lead a sad lonely life then.

    How does Lynne enjoy any form of entertainment? How can Lynne watch any movies or listen to music?

    You know what I think, I think we may have a troll on our hands.

  8. I love the people who have to announce their intention to engage in free market behavior (i.e. take their ball and go home). Me, I just walk out.

  9. ROFL!!! Oh man! Thanks for making me laugh Larry! Also, I’m floored it took her so long to figure out your politics….it’s like on the first page. Dear me. Anyway! Thanks for saying what needed to be said and no bones about it!

    1. The first time I picked up Monster Hunter International and read the first paragraph, I had an inkling that this was an author that wouldn’t pound progressive/leftist trash into my skull in his writing.

  10. I for one started reading Larry’s books because of his politics. I ended up on the blog looking at the Gun Free Zone article and decided to check out the books. I’m glad I did!

    1. I’d like to say my politics and my entertainment choices are independent, but the data do not support this position all that well. The best I can say is, a work stands on its own if I can’t tell what the author’s politics are. If the politics of the author are identifiable, then those views – or how I feel about them, anyway – get figured in to how I feel about the work to some extent.

      I’m not sure how to correct this. I don’t want to miss a work that I’d enjoy, because the author and I might disagree on something only tangentially related (if at all) to the work itself.

      That said, I’m not fully convinced I *should* correct this. Having a policy like this means I back away from anti-[capitalist, military, christian, etc.] rant type pieces with no hesitation. That doesn’t necessarily turn me away from an author completely, or indefinitely; just, my opinion of a given work might be skewed by the author’s politics in that work.

      Take James Cameron, for instance. I never saw ‘Avatar,’ because every review of it I saw reinforced my perception of it as the EVIL MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX getting its “just desserts” while trying to pillage a bunch of noble savages. I didn’t need to see it, because I’d already seen it in middle school when Disney marketed it as Pocahontas, and before that, when Fox screened it as Ferngully. However, I still enjoy the Aliens and Terminator series.

      …Well, the first two movies in those lineups, anyway, because the rest mostly suck – which is kind of my point. I’m not sure if taking politics into consideration is a problem, if I do it this way. I’m not missing much worth having.

  11. You know, I don’t agree with all of your political beliefs, but you are a hell of a writer. We still have free speech in this country (for now) so you can say whatever the hell you want.

    And I will laugh at the blog posts I find funny and roll my eyes at the ones I don’t. That said I will continue to respect your opinions as long as they are logical and have some basis in reality.

    That said write faster 😀

  12. That woman is an idiot…I’m a huge fan of Larry’s MHI books…but my political views differ from his…so what… If I limited my choices of what I wanted to read or watch based on the beliefs/views of those involved with or whom directly create the book/movie/media ect, then I’d be as closed minded a fool as this Lynne is.

    If Larry one day decides that he is an advocate for putting babies on spikes and using them for skeet shooting, I’d probably have to draw the line at that point…but till then, I’ll be waiting for the new MHI book
    to hit the shelves.

    one can only hope that Larry will survive the devastating loss of income that Lynne would have provided.

    1. If Larry one day decides that he is an advocate for putting babies on spikes and using them for skeet shooting, I’d probably have to draw the line at that point…

      “One day?” He just did that last week, and alternated them with puppies, kittens and Smurfs. I have video. 😀

      1. What kinda load do you use on Smurfs? I have an issue with the little blue vermin digging in my garden and eating the vegetables.

  13. you know what I find really amazing? so far as I can see, she never actually particularized what bothers her. Or did I miss something?

    But if she didn’t target a specific offense, I wouldn’t be surprised. Her rant was so unfocused and rambling, that I suppose anything might have been pissing her off. Who knows? She might be enraged over whether you do or do not use concluding  serial commas.

     I suppose my reaction to her letter was the worst she could anticipate: pity and sad amusement.

     survive and thrive, my friend Larry,  Chuck  Sent from my Samsung Epic™ 4G

    Monster Hunter Nati

    1. I suspect what bothered her wasn’t his daring to express his views, but daring to express the views he has. Specificity would have given a lie to the claims of being above it all.

  14. Are you sure Lynne is a woman? I know a few male Lynnes.

    That said, if Lynne liked your work before knowing yor political views, why does knowing change the nature of the story? I think Ayn Rand is crap in most of her thinking (I found THE FOUNTAINHEAD to be unpalatable), but I still have a lingering appreiciation for ANTHEM.

    People who feel the need to jab at authors want to feel they are taking a virtuous stand even though all they are really doing is seeking attention. At the author’s expense and on the author’s bandwidth … because they don’t have any of their own.

      1. Excuse me? Are you actually implying that all women are idiots? “Absolutely. Regardless of gender?” Idiocy is not gender-bound, as your comment proves.

        Give me a break. That’s as ridiculous as Lynne’s own comments.

      2. WOB – you are apparently being deliberately obtuse and provoking. So, no, your “Sorry, you’re right. Lynne is a woman regardless of *sex*. Better?” is not better, since you continue to come across as an amazingly (and deliberate) male chauvinist pig. Of course, that may have been your intention, though I can’t imagine why.

        Lynne is an *idiot* regardless of sex or gender.

      1. There IS no PUFF on the Correiakan- the US government doesn’t want to pay off a bounty big enough to buy China…

    1. Totally unrelated to this topic, but I have an anti gun friend posting on my FB status. I am trying to explain what is what, but I know I am not the best advocate on this matter. I simply don’t have the chops.

      So I invited Larry to weigh in. I do so hope he does, because I will have unleashed the Correiakan. If that happens I will fall out of my chair.

  15. Larry, I gotta say you’ve gone one step too far in this post. You’re ACTUALLY going to WATCH Gangster Squad? What the hell man?!?! Have you *heard* some of the dialogue from that film? “Ya gonna be beggin for a bullet!”(snarl drool scenery chew) You could write better stuff by dipping your hands in wet dogshit and slapping at your monitor blindfolded. Other than that you nailed it. The only time a person’s politics have any relevance to their job is if they are actually IN POLITICS. If a specific book gets too heavy-handed for your taste -Empire by Card and Caliphate by Kratman come to mind- don’t read them. But boycotting a writer or actor just because they disagree with you politically? Fucking stupid. I think you’re a long ways from right about a few things Larry but the only things stopping me from buying your work are my finances and your rate of new publication. Mostly the second . Keep doing what you’re doing. Just do it faster for cryin out loud.

    Oh, and you mentioned Tom Cruise. If you get a chance go see Oblivion. There’s at least one seriously improbable plot point but at the core it’s some pretty well done hard(ish) science fiction that addresses ideas already postulated about how alien races might effectively explore the stars.

      1. Well Tom-and maybe I expressed it inaccurately (yes, a liberal admitting he might not be 100% on the mark try not to faint 😉 ) – it seemed to be dialing the whole “Islam as the modern boogeyman” thing up to 11 and it turned me off. Bummed me out some because Watch On The Rhine is maybe my favorite book in the Aldenata series. If I ascribed a political inclination to you that doesn’t exist I apologize but it felt like you were trying to tell the readers “This is where it’s headed if we don’t Do Something about Islam!” with a bullhorn and it put a taste in my mouth that made me unable to progress very far into the book. If you’re telling me that I’m seeing stuff that wasn’t really there, I’ll take you at your word. I’m not one to tell a writer that I’ve got a better grasp of his work than he does . Or if you want to suggest I take another run at it because I might get a different impression if I read deeper into the narrative (I think I put it down after the first chapter) I might explore that too. Hope that clears it up. Feel free to tell me if and how I’m wrong. I’m usually willing to listen as long as both sides keep it civil. Oh, and thanks for serving. I never joined the military myself but I respect the hell out of the guys that have.

      2. Bob: Kratman’s portrayal of Islam in ascendance mode is accurate.

        The Medina period suras and hadiths demand that all good moslems revert non-moslems at sword point when they are strong enough to do so.

        This is not “fundamentalism”. This is straight orthodox Islamic faith. Don’t take my word for it. Read the source. You can get copies of the Suras and hadiths at http://www.cspipublishing.com without having Moslems bother you afterwards.

        Islam is overdue for another Lepanto-grade ass-kicking.

      3. Kristophr I was already aware at the time of the respective birth-rates and the fact that Islam does encourage its followers to make it a global faith. However I also know plenty of Muslims who are decent, hard-working people who just want to pray, work, raise their kids and not bug anybody who doesn’t bug them. Plus as a member of a minority religion that has caught no end of shit in this country myself -Wiccan in my case- it bugged me to see another faith demonized like that when I once had a Muslim neighbor who learned my family wasn’t eating every day because my bosses were fighting my workers comp claim by filling two large paper groccery bags with staples like bread, noodles and the like from the shelves of his store and drive me and the food home and carry the bags in. So it bugged me and I did what rational people do when faced with a book that gets under their fingernails which was written by someone who’s work they usually enjoy. I stopped reading it, waited patiently for the next one to come out and got on with my life without a bunch of drama.

      4. Mr. Wagner:

        Go spend some time in the middle east. Tourist, contractor, whatever. It’s not a place the breeds moderates.

      5. Many muslims are decent people, yes.

        But conversion by sword is standard dogma in Islam. It is NOT a fringe thing. Attempt to proselytize any religion other than Islam in a sharia country, and you will be very very lucky if the only thing that happens to you is deportation.

        When islamics take over a neighborhood in Europe, non-islamics are regularly beaten for making the mistake of walking through.

        Moslems are only polite to non-moslems when they are still a small minority in an area, or if they want something from you. There are moslems that can transcend their religion … but current bad behavior is correct doctrine, and not the exception.

        Until Islam is forced at gun point into its Enlightenment ( which is exactly how it happened to Christian sects ), they will continue to be at the Witch-Burning stage of their religion.

      6. And by the way, Bob … I am an atheist.

        Non-christian religions do not bother me.

        Violent religions that still murder people as a matter of course for apostasy, heresy, and for simply being an atheist do bother me.

        You can still be legally executed in Saudi Arabia for admitting you are an atheist.

        “Religion of Peace” is an Orwellian term.

      7. Kristophr I’m aware of the situation in Europe. However it is not my policy to judge people based on what group they belong to. Especially their faith. If I see a person being a jerkoff I deal with it and I don’t care what they pray to. Case in point; every day I take the bus to work. And every day this one Muslim family gets on at the same stop, One day several weeks ago it was very cold outside and one of the women in the family was wearing a blue knit cap over her hajib. One of the men was bareheaded. As the bus approached their stop he made her give him the cap and put it on his own head. I say this and said “Hey asshole! If you were a man you wouldn’t make her freeze just so you could be comfortable!” . He turned took a step towards me but changed his mind when I stood up. Since then he hasn’t acted like a jerk in my presence and I’m not exactly the sort who blends into a crowd

        Conversely that shopkeeper I mentioned had NO REASON AT ALL to just hand me a week’s worth of grocceries and interrupt his working day to drive me home with them and carry them into my house for me. He did so knowing that I belong to a matriarchal faith and never allowed me to repay him despite several attempts on my part once my situation improved. Maybe he was the exception, that one fundamentally decent Muslim in a million. Don’t know, don’t care. What I do know is the demonization of racial, religious or political groups gets under my fingernails, always has. Sometimes I can deal with it as in Kratmann’s State of Disobedience where my side of the political fence was made out to be the bad guys. Sometimes I can’t . I think it’s frigging stupid to send an author hate male over it but reasonable to say “This specific book isn’t for me. Let’s see what his next effort looks like.” . I could go on but it would feel like I’m repeating myself. Other people are welcome to act as they like but for me the only assumption I chose to make when I see a Muslim person is that they are unlikely to take all the bacon at the buffet. Beyond that, one person at a time, one action at a time, one day at a time. Do no harm but take no shit. If had a motto that’d likely be it.
        Cheers! 🙂

  16. Master wordsmith, yet again your staggering intellect silences an absolute idiot. You make me proud to live in the same state!! 🙂

  17. Y’know, Larry, I think I have to agree. I just can’t take your politics anymore. You’re way too statist for me.

    I’m just going to have to stop reading your books now.

    *cuts off own nose to spite face*

        1. Actually we’re thinking electronic advertising. We? The lunatic I sleep and have meals with, aka “Dearest of husbands”.

          BUT I wouldn’t define myself as Anarcho Capitalist — Eden is, in the Darkship books, but A Few Good Men is closer to my beliefs. So, unless the founding fathers are anarcho capitalist now… of course, that last book got called out for being too libertarian… which considering I was just rolling with the war of independence and the constitution still has me gape-jawed.

          1. I was thinking more that Mike was the Anarcho-Capitalist. I’ve always figured you were a Libertarian. 🙂

      1. Nah, Larry’s one of my buddies. I just felt like concern trolling him from the other direction so he’d get a change of pace. 😀

  18. Larry,
    She MIGHT have written to me — I get five of these a week. The interesting thing is that the more I get, the more my numbers go up. Also, half of them from their comments either have never read me or have read the indie short stories I take free ONLY. As I pointed out the other day, at the rate I’m losing readers, I had to have a million and a half to begin with 😉

  19. Oh, in case it’s not obvious — I think this is tactic from the left-brigade to get us to shut up and be good boys and girls. If I answer at all my answer is usually “Yep, I STILL have functioning middle fingers.”

    1. I don’t even answer my door unless it’s one of the neighbors. I just look out the peep hole and say. “nyet interested” and as I’m turning to walk way…have a nice day.

      1. We answer the door occasionally. We have capes near the door for the purpose. Some missionary type comes to “spread the good word”, our cloaks go on, dagger in one hand, and we open the door. . .

        “Do come in, we needed some Virgin’s Blood anyway. . . .”

        (evil grin)

        1. People used to try all sorts of different things to scare the missionaries back when I did that. You can imagine how well they went over with me.

          “What is that you have stuck in my face? A Colt? Series 70? Nice. I’ve got one of those at home.”
          “I bet you thought that club and snarl looked all sorts of intimidating in the mirror and you weren’t expecting a 6’5″ 270 pounder on your door step. Now would you like to talk about Jesus?”

          All delivered with a smile. 😀

      2. Larry, YOU would get in our door: if nothing else, it would be a good argument. It’s the idjits who knock on our door at 8AM on a Saturday morning who REALLY earn my ire. . .

      3. Scaring the missionaries never had much allure to us here. I mean, they make the effort to go door-to-door, and feel that they’re helping to save people’s souls by asking politely, so it’s hard for me to get bent out of shape about that.

        They were kind of fun to debate with, though. I got to talking with a very junior couple a few years back about our respective faiths, and may have unintentionally converted one of them to Catholicism. Probably not, but there was a lot of “oh, I didn’t know that” on his end of the conversation.

      4. ““I bet you thought that club and snarl looked all sorts of intimidating in the mirror and you weren’t expecting a 6’5″ 270 pounder on your door step. Now would you like to talk about Jesus?”

        All delivered with a smile. 😀 ”

        I live in Wyoming. Get off my fucking doorstep or spend the night in jail. If the cops have to come out here to save your life, you WILL spend the next 30 days clearing brush in the snow at the state work farm.

        1. Oh, man. Obviously. The second somebody says they aren’t interested, you tell them to have a nice day and you leave. I’m talking about the people who thought that they would be all terrifying or intimidating, and leapt out all threatening to find a giant cow puncher who just raised an eyebrow at whatever their display of manliness was. 🙂

      5. Thank you. I assume you would also respect the “No Soliciting” sign on the door?

        I’ve dealt with a few JWs that absolutely thought I was going straight to hell for not talking to them. And then they sent little old ladies a week later, hoping I would be polite to them.

      6. Larry, with that attitude you and I would have gotten along great if you were working my neighborhood. I once had a guy approach me when I was waiting for the bus. I politely told him I wasn’t interested and tried to go back to reading my new Walking Dead comic. At which point he stuck a pamphlet IN BETWEEN MY FACE AND THE PAGE I WAS CURRENTLY READING. Much bad language quickly followed. If it had been you I suspect the most that would have happened is an inquiry into if that was the latest issue and where I picked it up from.

        Kristoph, we had the same issue at my house when we had the pentacle in the window. One of my roommates solved the problem by answering the door naked and saying “Perfect timing! We were just about to start, come on in!” They stopped bothering us after that.

      7. On the missionary topic, the most entertaining story I ever heard was a friend who lived next door to some JW’s. The neighbors would tell the missionaries who was home, and they would knock and ring the bell until someone answered the door, once doing it for 5 minutes–they went far beyond courteous behavior. My friend was home alone one summer during high school, and the missionaries would not leave since the neighbors told them that someone was still home.

        And so, my friend decided to throw all tact and decency out the window since he was supremely annoyed. He disrobes, sticks a banana in his boxer briefs, and heads to the door.

        JW: Oh, did we get you at a bad time.

        Friend: Kinda. What do you need?

        Now traumatized JW: I’m terribly sorry–we were just going.

        That house in now skipped by all JW missionaries in the neighborhood, even 10 years later.

    2. The “I have no beliefs and I must scream” brigade is usually from the left. Few real moderates every get verklempt over someone having a position. Actually, I can’t imagine people who haven’t formed a solid opinion CARING enough to get upset.

      1. No. Well. Yes, but… I understand why they think they have no “particular opinion” — our media, entertainment etc is so uniform left-narrative that the people who aren’t particularly interested or particularly active in politics view this was “it’s not an opinion. It’s the way things are.” And the way to try to shut down/shut up people like us is that “you’re making me uncomfortable and making me feel things are up for discussion.”

    3. Yup.

      It’s called “concern trolling”.

      Pretend you agree with the author, and then tell him he has to shut the fuck up if he wants to set at the cool kid’s table.

  20. Think i read everyone on that list (except Mieville, who I just didn’t enjoy), even the ones i disagree with. And Iain Banks and Ken MacLeod, despite disliking individual books, and despite their political views. And Charles Stross, and quite a few others. Dropping them because of what they believe after enjoying their stories would just be incredibly stupid.

    1. If I had to boycott everyone in entertainment that I disagreed with politically, I’d never be able to watch a movie or TV show again (and there’d be darned few books I could read–which would be a real tragedy).

  21. The only actor who I’ve completely lost respect for is Mel Gibson. After his hate filled rants, about gays, Jews, and women. I can forgive an actor or author’s political leanings but that crosses the line. And I can never support their work again.

  22. So that’s the fabled “low information voter” the talking heads on TV keep prattling about.

    The thought that people like Lynne are out there canceling my vote is far scarier than anything Larry’s put to paper.

    Gah.

  23. Nice. I’m mighty impressed that Lynne could get to the end of Vendetta without figuring out something about Larry’s politics. Willful blindness, I guess, or maybe she read the stuff about the guns, the capitalism, and the blunders of big brother as being ironic. Either way, it’s mighty impressive.

    I think Larry hit the nail on the head, though. It is possible to enjoy someone’s art without liking their politics or even liking them as people. I suspect I wouldn’t like half of the actors and actresses I enjoy seeing the movies as people, but I see no contradiction in wanting to watch their work. Similarly, I may not agree with Larry on certain political issues, but that doesn’t preclude me from enjoying his books (particularly Grimnoir, and I hope this ire gets translated into some productive last minute touch-ups on Warbound!) and reading his blog, because from what I’ve seen thus far he is reflective about his beliefs and not belligerent with them (except towards deserving souls like Lynne). That’s why I referred his Gun Control post to a few of my students who were writing about that topic this term.

  24. This was the part I liked the best:
    “I don’t give 2 hoots what your politics are – but I WAS willing to trade my money for your great stories.”

    She then goes on at length to tell you why your politics have now made her refuse to buy any more of your books; those same politics that she doesn;t give two hoots about. Somehow I don’t think she really means what she wrote …

    I’ve lurked on this list for a while because I really, really love your stories, and the Grimnoir stories are some of the most interesting sci-fi I’ve read in a long time. I listen to them during my commute, and Bronson Pinchot is and AMAZING narrator. As other have said the only problem I have with your work is the production rate, but I will wait (impatiently) for these finely crafted stories.

    1. Yeah, that was the part that made me roll my eyes the most in the whole eye-rolling marathon that was reading this person’s message.

      I know when I feel totally apathetic about something I just can’t help but send off angry letters to people totally devoid of any specifics as to why I’m angry due to all my ambivalence-fueled outrage.

      The second worst part was this:

      “(until I hit the bookstore again and find another author who isn’t short sighted enough to add a hundred pounds of their own b.s. for every pound of story they sell).”

      To me, this makes it sound like this blog is packed full of politics, that Correia has some high ratio political to non-political writings, when in reality political articles are almost rare in comparison.

      Perhaps things were different earlier, but as someone who has been reading Correia’s blog for only a couple months, if you don’t scrutinize this blog too much you can almost mistake it for the The Drowning Empire Fanfiction and Miniature Painting Blog. I’m a new fan and don’t know all the Larry Correia lore, but this gives me the impression he’s not the sort of person who politicizes everything and is someone who would probably rather think about stuff other than politics if wasn’t for the fact sometimes it’s important to write or talk about politics.

      On the home page, if you scroll down from the frontpage, you don’t see any political articles until April 11th. A tiny one that refers people to another person’s website. And right below it is a huge article rallying people to help Ben Wolverton.

      Clearly, Larry Correia is out of control.

  25. So, let me see if I’ve got this straight …

    This Lynne person (who I can’t help picturing as a pudgy, spoiled little brat in a pinafore and shiny patent-leather shoes, sausage curls and her face all screwed up in an about-to-bawl pout) is having a fit of the vapors, and it’s all Larry’s fault. She’s not complaining that his views are different from hers, because ostensibly she has no views whatsoever. And she’s not complaining that said views are too anvilicious in his writing, because she had to actually come here to ferret them out. She’s complaining because he has the temerity to actually /express them on his blog/.

    The stoopid, it BURNS.

    Well, Larry, I’ve never read any of your books before (they look a bit too campy for my usual preferences). But I’ve encountered enough huffy, self-important, petulant foot-stompers like Lynne that I make a point in life of encouraging any person, place, or thing that sends them into such hyperventilating hissy-fits. So I’m off to Amazon. You might have lost one reader, but you’ve gained another.

    (Unless of course I’m wading into Three Stooges with Guns, in which case I make no promises about sticking around for whatever the second book is).

      1. This is actually in reply to DaveP. Nearly fell out of my chair imagining Curly with a Mosberg saying that line and BLAM! Funny stuff man

    1. I think you’ll be surprised. I most certainly was. I found his blog after a friend pointed me to his long post about gun control. I was surprised to find he was an author, and a thinking, reasonable-sounding person, even. I like me some monsters, so I downloaded the first Monster International book from Audible. I’ve now listened to everything available on Audible (which is almost everything he’s written) and I’m gnashing my teeth waiting for the next books in both the Monster International series and the Grimnoir series. Super. Good. Stuff. 🙂

      1. Yeah, that’s how I found this blog, too. I wasn’t really surprised by the rest, but then my father was a dedicated NRA libertarian with subscriptions to Asimov and F/SF, so I’ve been sci-fi geek gal since before I was even old enough to read. I’ve got MHI on my Kindle now, so as soon as I’m done with the Spinward Fringe thing I’m reading, it’s up next.

    2. What do you think, Larry? Maybe the Three Stooges with guns could be worked into this year’s Christmas Noun.

      Please……

    3. Definitely not campy. Campy would be taking established tropes and dialing them to 11. Correia plays with and subverts the tropes way too much for that. I’m not sure what you’d call it, but I don’t think camp fits at all.

  26. Gotta love people who go out of their way to tell you how sorely dissapointed they are in you and they’ll never read anything of yours again and you’re such an awful person.

    I also find there to be a apparently subtle, but profound difference between responding to the above with “if my beliefs offend you so much you no longer want to read my books, feel free” and a pre-emptive “if you don’t agree with me on this don’t bother reading my books.”

    1. I have COMMUNIST readers who think I’m one of them and just haven’t realized it. (If you read me, you’ll understand why this is funny.) I on the other hand, figured I’m a daywalker, turning them from the inside. So I encourage people who don’t agree with me to read me more. 😉 I think Larry’s position is the same.

      1. Utterly agree – and yes, having read you, that’s absolutely hysterical. And I have a hard time imagining you or Larry, or most any of the Baen authors saying “If you don’t agree with my politics, go find something else to read.” I know some of what Eric Flint claims for a political perspective, but I don’t care. While some of the related short story collections were tedious, the core 1632 series is awesome, and the work he did helping Dave Freer/etc. get started is exemplary. It is still one of my favorite series.

      2. That’s probably because you’re a good person. Lefties tend to think All-That-Is-Good=Left; All-That-Is-Evil=Right. You’re good, you must be one of them, you couldn’t possibly be one of those evil Righties.

  27. I gotta wonder if this woman actually read the books. Most of the people who complain about certain books[cough cough, right or libertarian leaning cough cough] have never actually READ the damn books. Just read reviews of those books that agree with their own twisted views of the worlds and decided to join the “Hate ‘insert author name here'” dog piles.

  28. Well said, Larry. She was fortunate enough only to complain about your politics and not….your minis! 😉

    1. John, that’s because you hurt my feelings. 😀 Heaven help me if the left ever discovers my weakness!

  29. re: Mattastrophic @April 23, 2013 at 7:28 pm–

    I’m using Larry’s column as a reading in my College Freshman English classes. It’s a great model of argumentative writing. (Plus I get some guilty pleasure in seeing a few heads asploding as people confront their pre-conceived biases towards gun control.)

    1. Nice. Yeah, I plan on using it again for my fall Freshman Comp class, since it is a good example of argumentative writing (lots of ethos and logos). Guess what Correia? Your blog has been co-opted for educational purposes.

      1. I am given to reading some of these blog posts to my students… But we’re in a chemistry lab and I usually do this after a student utters something entirely too smugly stupidly liberal, and I need to clear the air.

        My favorite bar none was the run of posts against the Occupy movement.

      2. “I am given to reading some of these blog posts to my students… But we’re in a chemistry lab and I usually do this after a student utters something entirely too smugly stupidly liberal, and I need to clear the air.”

        Do those in your Physics and Engineering departments share your mentality?

  30. Tomorrow I am going to buy two copies of MHI for a couple friends who love the series. They buy their own copies of the sequels though. Monster Hunter Nemesis will not be shared with anyone. For it is precious to me….

  31. I have to admit that I understand Lynne, a little; there are a few authors and artists for whose philosophical/political opinions I have sufficient antipathy that I have consciously chosen not to reward their expression of those opinions with my money, or to spend further irreplaceable time on hearing them. I respect anyone else’s decision to do the same thing.

    But there is *no point at all in berating the artists in question* about it. Besides simply being bad manners, it’s counterproductive in that it usually hardens the opinions one is criticizing, and (if done publicly) only draws more attention to them. Whatever Lynne wants to say *about* Larry’s opinions or work, there is no point saying anything *to* Larry, or any artist, unless you know the artist takes you seriously enough to value your opinion. Preaching to the choir and yelling at the kids on one’s lawn are both fairly useless activities, in the end.

    1. But she didn’t even say anything about Larry’s actual opinions! The simple fact that he dares to HAVE THEM AT ALL (no matter what they are) is enough to send her stomping off in a huff.

    2. Well stated, Stephen J. Bad manners is something the interwebs could use less of, especially when it is disguised as speaking truth to power or something all social justicey like that.

  32. Rebuttal to Lynne from Founding Wisdom:

    “If you don’t stand for SOMETHING, you stand for NOTHING, and you will fall for ANYTHING.”

    You know, it is a truly impressive feat sitting at a keyboard with absolutely NO SPINE WHATSOEVER like she did… either that, or they achieved a new pile-height record on steer manure.

  33. There are a few author and entertainers that I avoid, but it is more about how they act and less about their stances on various topics. I enjoy more than a few that stand for things I don’t, but there are some that, for the lack of a better term, are just raging assholes. I used to enjoy David Brin, but I read his blog and he was such a condescending jerk and downright offensive in his hatred towards people on the right. I don’t expect him to care about my opinion, so I never bothered telling him about my “boycott”. I just read other authors instead.

    I think any public figure takes a chance when they expose their beliefs in a blog, on tv, or in any other similar medium. IMO, if they can do it in an intelligent fashion, with logic and reason, then they are probably less likely to alienate people. That being said, if they do and are still content with their audience, I am sure they don’t really care.

  34. If I wasn’t already buying all your books because they are AWESOME I’d be buying them because of this blog. So f- that chick.

    Author I won’t touch with a barge pole anymore? Charles Stross. Because his stories have gone from kinda interesting to utter religion bashing horseshit in the last few years. I’ve never seen his blog, but given the books I can predict it.

    1. Here’s my evaluation of Stross–I enjoyed his Merchant Prince series at the start. However, the series didn’t end as well as it began, and I found myself losing interest in all the masses of characters and complicated political machinations. Stross’s frequent sly digs at President Bush in the books just made me roll my eyes, and wonder why he decided to put his politics so far out on his sleeve like that.

      I have no idea what Scott Lynch’s politics are, yet I really enjoyed his Gentleman Bastard (Lies of Locke Lamora and sequel(s))–they’re cracking good yarns (although for mature audiences).
      I know what Eric Flint’s politics are, and I even met him personally (we were both in Writers of the Future volume IX together)–but his 1631 books are good reads–I love how he brings that time period of Europe to life.

      1. Never got past the first Merchant Princes book, and the only ones I really follow of his are the Atrocity Archives ones. Those are good. Used to read Norman pinrad too, didn’t agree with any of his politics in Russian Spring, but i loved the book anyway.

      2. “Stross’s frequent sly digs at President Bush in the books just made me roll my eyes, and wonder why he decided to put his politics so far out on his sleeve like that.”

        To get published?

    2. I knew Stross online back when most of what he wrote was for alt.sysadmin.recovery and alt.peeves.

      Can’t bring myself to read anything he’s gotten published.

  35. I enjoyed your rant. I even got a couple chuckles. I do buy your books and look forward to the next one. thank you for an intelligent comeback.

  36. LMAO. I’ve preordered every one of your books and will buy the E-Arc when it comes out too. For every Lynne there is at least one non-Lynne.

    Me, I buy Scalzi’s books because I like his style and he spins a mean yarn. I don’t care for all of the ukulele playing and granola-crunching, on his website but, hey, another one of my very favorite authors of all time Steve Perry also plays the ukulele. Of course Mr. Perry also trains in an arcane form of knife-fighting in his spare time, so I’m willing to let him do his thing and I’ll go do my thing in my space.

    People like John Ringo and Michael Z. Williamson are amazing, with writing all over the field, some of which is very risqué or outright uncensored but you know what? If you don’t like it, don’t buy it. That’s the American way. In fact, Mr. Williamson wrote an extended piece on his blog a short time ago about why when he extends the courtesy of supporting equal rights, freedom of speech and other Constitutionally protected rights he cannot get reciprocal respect for his right to keep and bear arms or to express conservative positions. Well worth a read.

    Why can’t everyone who preaches tolerance extend that notion to the entertainment industry?

  37. Here I was all set to try out a couple of these authors you mentioned… Then I look at the books and think… naaahhh.

    I mean I wish you’d really say what you mean.

    I’m gonna go read me some Kratman, at least he aint no shrinking violet. or as “Warpcordova” said: like a brick through a window.

    Soooo totally tongue in cheek.

    I’ve read a couple of Scalzi’s Old Man’s war series. First one was great, then … meh. I mean to pick up the “red shirts” one he did.

    Mieville, Started to get interested… pass.

    Brin, Good to great, but haven’t read any of his in a decade at least, though I got the latest one Howard Tayler recommended from.

    Gerrold good, but got boring a long time back. Got to be better covers on the books than the books to me.

    Bacigalupi, WTH?? pass. Sam Haven would not be pleased.

    Flint, Flint I love his books, his politics are waaaay not mine but love his writing

    Simmons, Dont know why, I just cant get into his books.

    Ringo, who? never heard of him (more than 10-20 times today).

    Card, who? kidding.

    Kratman, (wussy Colonel). oh lord I shouldn’t even have typed those words. Seriously, good-great stuff.

    Torgersen, (in the queue, not yet)

    Williamson, what a liberal er, libertarian I mean (again, shouldn’t have typed those, Mike’ll stab me). Awesome again.

    Hoyt, getting in to her stuff, love some, not so much on others.

    Btw, put Drake in here, he’s good stuff too!

    Or Dave Freer (who I sometimes suspect is a fruit loop in the real world but either way, good writer!)

    I sense a pattern… I like BAEN authors for some weird damn reason… Oh that’s right! They right GOOD BOOKS! Wow, what a weird concept.

    subject change
    Btw Larry, look up the new “RIPD” with Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds, I see more than a little Sam Haven here… crossed with Rooster Cogburn.

  38. Hey Larry — can Lynnne show up as a character in an upcoming book? Please?

    Perhaps as a banshee who claims to not have an opinions, or perhaps as a non-judgmental monster of some kind. Harmless but annoying.

    Just a thought.

    Keep up the great work

  39. I went and pre-ordered your books, Larry. Just to counter her one woman boycott/girlcott thing. God Bless Amazon!

  40. Another masterpiece sir. Bravo!

    I suppose Lynne dropped world history classes if they included Mein Kampf and Das Kapital on the reading lists?

    While I do support the idea of separating artists from their personal politics, and not confusing the actor/writer with the character, please forgive me that I am unable to do so for Hanoi Jane [spit]

  41. Like Raymond I immediately ordered your latest books it always thrills me when a Liberal gets told to “Shove It Up the Nether Regions”; but when a Liberal Woman gets told to “Shove It Up the Nether Regions”… well that is just over the moon as they say. Very satisfying blog. I think she is a Liberal right?

    1. Ron, so far as I can tell, based on the text that Larry quoted, there is not even evidence that Lynne is FEMALE. Larry, and everyone else, has been assuming that, based on what I don’t know. I know Lynnes of both genders, so I will not make the assumption. Unless there was something else in Lynne’s communication to Larry that indicated gender, I’m staying neutral on the issue.

      Though I think it very amusing that almost every single commentator has made the assumption. Frankly, the “I’m going to write you on your own blog and piss on you because I don’t like your politics” activity is something I see more often from male posters than female. But it’s hard to tell what Lynne’s actual political stance is given the claim made that Lynne eschews Left, Right AND the middle! Don’t know where that leaves the poster other than up in the air and totally ungrounded on everything.

  42. I see you went with the “Shove it up your sanctimonious ass.”. I’m fond of “Kiss my shiny metal ass!” since I have one now.

    I just dealt with someone on my fan page calling me ignorant over a post I made about something the family of the Boston Bombers were saying. The first yelled at me for what I posted which got a likes and drop in my fan numbers, then they called me ignorant. This is funny as my book is a customer service satire which defines the difference between “stupid” and “ignorant”.

    I quickly found an article backing up what I had spoke about and they deleted their first insult (I hate that FB allows that, Iove my hate). Slowly eventually they apologized and after I called them out on deleting their comment and restating the difference between “ignorant” and “stupid”, they said they deleted their comment because they didn’t want to appear to be a “bitch”.

    All’s well that ends well I guess. They even stayed a fan on my page.

    Though now that I think about this I might want to rant/expand about the post that upset them itself. It was quite witty in my opinion.

  43. Dear Lynn,
    I am a writer without any opinions, except I like long walks along the beach, quiet instrumental music that won’t offend anyone, and kittens. Please buy my books. I promise I won’t blog, writer letters to the editor, or appear at a Con anywhere, ever.

    Casper Milqtoast

  44. I agree with everything you wrote Larry. If I only have one thing to criticize is that you occasionally write too much. Eloquent wordsmiths often have difficulty trimming the fat from their writing. In a novel I have no problem with fat which adds flavor to the story. In a debate, editorial or other such writing endeavor where the goal is to argue a point, inform and or possibly sway opinion excessive “wordiness” becomes counterproductive. People just tune out unless they are completely opposed to you (no point trying to sway them) or completely with you (you already have them).

    I faced the same problem with my business writing. It is hard to look back at that finely crafted email and chop out what isn’t needed but if you are going to sway those on the fence you need to be focused.

    Thanks and keep fire lit.

    1. That was just under 1200 (call that “x”) words from Larry to Lynne. So long as he writes >x words of stuff I can pay for (i.e. fiction) the same day I’m content. Four or 5x words and I’m happy. Same goes for you Mr Williamson, Ms Hoyt, etc.

  45. I normally don’t care what an author’s politics and opinions are, I either like their books enough to buy another by the same author or I don’t. My limit is that I refuse to give money to authors (actors, directors, musicians) who go out of their way to insult me: Scalzi’s “Rethuglikkans are racist rapists” BS is a case in point.
    On the other hand, I also don’t write angsty little screeds to the authors in question explaining why they should be sad pandas; I just stop buying (and recommending) their work.

  46. Wow…just…wow. There is simple no level on which that complaint made any rational sense. How in the hell have we managed to FUBAR evolution so completely that it can not longer rid us of these quivering mounds of intellectual afterbirth. Good lord, I weep for the future of humanity.

  47. Hi Larry,

    I used to think you modeled Owen on yourself, but after this bit of flame, I am pretty sure that ‘The Management’ is a self-portrait!

    Keep on writing! I’ll keep buying and reading – I always buy a few copies and give them out to friends that haven’t yet found you.. Just finished Spellbound and I love that series… Wonderful ideas and characters…

    Cap’n Jan
    Fan from before MHI made it into print!

  48. Looks and sounds to me like what Rush calls a seminar caller. A brain-dead, marching moron, garden variety useful idiot. I.E., not worth your time. Seriously. Write fiction in preference to responding to such fools.

    M

  49. I am not as big a man as Larry in any sense of the word. No product of the Leftist entertainment-industrial complex will get a penny of my money, regardless of artistic merit. Because fsck them, that’s why.

  50. Hehehe, Larry you should use the concept of that person, Lynne, and write her into the next MHI book, just so the zombies, or vampires can “recycle” her!

  51. For me Larry is one of the authors who I don’t agree with on anything really. I can enjoy his books, but beyond that he and I wouldn’t really get along with in any sort of political discussion.

    I won’t stop reading his books, well at least until he starts espousing something I really consider destructive. I’ll leave now before you all realize just how beyond far left I am…

  52. Oddly enough, I can say that if it weren’t for your blog, and specifically your Gun Control piece, I would have never found your books, or, having seen them, may have simply walked past them in the bookstore. Someone linked me here for the gun control piece, I read it, started reading around (to include a few of the writing advice columns) and was so encouraged by what I read that I started buying your books. I’m a big fan of both the MHI series and the Grimnoir series, and have been steadily buying them both.

    As for the muddle-minded libtard hate mail… how did she manage to MISS your opinions? I mean, you play them pretty close to the vest in the books, but I thought for a while that the Monster Control Bureau Entry Procedures were likely to become a running gag…

  53. I’m really hoping he/she was just a troll, because the idea that someone could in all seriousness be so unable to express a cohesive point is rather depressing. And that they could actually read your books without picking up on the integral social views indicates an embarrassing lack of reading comprehension. Honestly, couldn’t you save your impressive command of invective for someone worth the effort? Not that I didn’t enjoy it, but it made “Bambi meets Godzilla” look like a fair fight.

    By the way, you might be surprised how many “radical liberals” agreed with your gun control article (passed it around a bit).

    1. Sadly, Eric, I have seen a lot of 20something college students that cannot articulate their arguments as well as this Lynne did.

      Seriously.

      1. I got drawn into a drag out debate with a friend of a friend on FB. Their debate tactics were the epitome of sophomoric.

        They accused me of being racist approximately two posts after saying “There have not been any young, intelligent, articulate, rational black politicians until President Obama”. (paraphrased, as I can’t remember the order of their BS)

        I pointed out this out and asked how he was not suffering from cognitive dissonance having said that. He replied with “Well I don’t follow black politicians and don’t really know any of them, but you’re still a racist”.

        He went onto call me an outright liar, and accused me of multiple logical fallacies (without proving them, he just evoked the terms like some magical prayer) and said I was unable to actually debate. I tracked down my source data proving I wasn’t lying, and counters to all of his claims of logical fallacies on my part. His response was along the lines of “I’m not going to bother reading or replying to your posts any more as it’s clear you are unable to debate properly.”.

        That was particularly funny, as if this had been a real academic debate and he accused me of fallacies, without proof, or allowing rebuttal on my part he would have been instantly disqualified.

        We just have to face the facts, civil discourse is dying in this country. All we can do is continue to engage them in a civil manner and hope they stroke out when they try and force their square thoughts through the round holes. That or wait for them to lash out violently in physical, or rhetoric. It doesn’t prove our points, but it’s fun to watch those who claim the moral high ground have full melt downs.

  54. Everyone agrees with you too much Larry, me included, way to much love for you.

    Let me say what they really want to say again:

    You’re a big meanie, who’s such a gun nut you’ve gone squirreley, even if you do know the real deal about it and we hates that precious

    You racist, successful at capitalism, running pig dog.

    You should stop writing, because you exercising your 1st amendment rights offends my idiotic (and narcissistic) sensibilities.

    And stop having the former speaker of the house open for you, before you go on major news networks too please.

    Jerky mean face.

    I’d say I trust your righting, but you are a Spaniard (I know, I know it’s Portuguese). We’d take your word as a Spaniard but we’ve all known too many Larrys.

    Wow, bad pun sorry, meant to say “trust your writing” uf dah.

    Gosh, i’m not very good at this insult thing.

  55. Wow, I have never commented on anything I’ve read on the Internet before but I just read “A quick hate mail” and I think I might have a man crush on Larry, then I read the gun control argument and fell in love. I allready have all of his books but am thinking of buying copies for all my friends just to piss off Lynne.

  56. This is why I buy two copies of your books (One signed through Uncle Hugos, and one on the Kindle). I justify it as paying you for these awesome hatemail posts.

    Please do more!

  57. Good God it was great to see that reply. I’m an author as well, but on short DIY types books. Like say… How to make moonshine 😉 I recently had a guy give my book a negative review and then go on to harp about how my book was nothing more then one long political rant. Which was odd as I only had one small comment in the book about how the government and big business were behind why distilling is still illegal. But apparently that was just too much for him.

    I’m glad to see other writers stand up and have integrity like this instead of trying to be all things to all people. Hell I’m not a libertarian and I think that view point is a bit nutso, I’m a Radical Centrist 😉 but I love your books and I don’t need to appreciate your politics to read them. I just finished the last MHI book and am now starting in on Hard Magic. it’s simply amazing. I’m so glad to see another great author in the Urban Fantasy genre. Oh, and I agree, h AND k sucks!

  58. Was delighted when my sister sent me a copy of your reply! I thought it was the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time. Kudos to you! I’ll probably never read your books but only because I don’t enjoy fantasy or sci-fi, and never appreciated the vampire, werewolf type stuff. Heck, I never could finish the first Harry Potter book although I did sit through the first movie. But obviously you are an entertaining writer with a good story to spin. Congratulations to you and I hope you sell a gazillion books! Again, thanks for giving me and others an hilarious shot in the arm! Yay for you!

  59. Can’t disagree with any of that, Larry and you are absolutely right.

    But the woman has hit on a huge problem with SF: most of what is being written today is stuff by feminists, homosexuals, and pasty faced commies to be read by other feminists, homos and commies. It’s the same, repetitive, boring shit again and again and again – with revolting politics added for shock value that wore off 25 years ago.

    Further, authors sometimes get so full of themselves that they forget who and what they are: entertainers. If the dancing monkey offends mu or doesn’t entertain me I won’t put a coin in his cup. Some authors forget that there is a certain amount of PR work required for maintaining a healthy audience and readership. I won’t wipe my ass with anything written by Stephen King or Ken Follett; they have made it plain that they hate people like me and I am more than happy to reciprocate. They can throw away potential customers without a second thought, I guess.

    The politics today are very, very divisive and polarized. Were I an aspiring writer I would avoid them like the plague.

    1. Wow, you are a moron. The reason conservatism doesn’t go with sci-fi is because you people don’t really believe in science. You believe in God, the magic piece of paper called the constitution, and the myth of the founding fathers. Rich white guy slave owners are not saints. So please, take your bigoted BS and shove it up your ass!

      1. No need to project your cognitive dissonance. Just because you are unable to hold two contradictory ideas at once and not suffer the pain of cognitive dissonance does not mean others can’t.

        Humans are naturally dualistic creatures, able to go against our hard wired programming. For many this also allows them to believe two polar opposite ideas. Those able to hold contradicting ideas do not try and force the ideas to reconcile, they allow each to exist on their own.

        We have two brains that can function independent of each other, or one can subordinate the other. If you only ever use the faculties of one side it makes it harder to grasp contracting ideas without the pain of cognitive dissonance.

        It’s partially our educational system at work. We stress only one mind. Either you’re an artist, or a scientist. We don’t make people good at math and science study art, and we allow artists to take extra art classes in place of algebra. This is a bit unhealthy, considering most Renaissance scientists were also artists, and visa versa.

        I could go on, for the benefit of others who may read this, but I’m tired. I doubt you’ll reply, if you do I’m sure civil discourse won’t occur. On your part at least.

        The point is, not everyone is as limited in their faculties as you are, and you really shouldn’t project your short comings. Let alone your hatred.

      2. “The reason conservatism doesn’t go with sci-fi is because you people don’t really believe in science”
        You apparently have never worked in the actual sciences, because you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting somebody religious. If you ever visit a NASA facility and see how infested it is with Mormons it would blow your little mind. 🙂

        “You believe in God, the magic piece of paper called the constitution, and the myth of the founding fathers.”
        So religious people do fine in science. Not that you aren’t mixing up religious and conservative, because those are also two different things. As I’ve got politically conservative athiests and religious liberals posting here too, but don’t let that hold back your dumbness.

        I’m pretty sure the founding fathers were actually real too. I saw a fuzzy picture of Ben Franklin once… Or was that Bigfoot? Hard to tell…

        “Rich white guy slave owners are not saints.”

        Of course, since that had absolutely nothing to do with the topic. Hey, your crippling White Guilt is showing. And for the record, according to the all knowing government I’m not white, and according to these Home Depot paint chips I’m more of a Warm Beige, and my ancestors never owned slaves… Okay, briefly, but only when we were transporting them in that whole Triangle Trade thing. Good thing conservatives base their beliefs on what type of government works rather than a cult of personality over vapid, talentless losers in over their heads. O yes we can! 😀

      3. “So, “Michael”, you want to compare science chops with a few conservatives? You might be a tad surprised.

        Hint: don’t make the mistake of believing your propaganda.”

        We will never win this particular battle. It’s politically correct to insult conservatives, and religious types. Infer or directly say they are stupid (worse than ignorant strictly speaking).

        What’s worse, when you point out stupidity on the side other side you are labeled a bigoted, hate mongering racist.

        Oh sure there are conservatives that insult and slander liberals for their ideology. By and large though, if you say anything about a liberal someone somewhere down the line you will be called a racist. Even if you are showing proof the person is stupid and not speaking to their race at all. You even get the same when a minority is a conservative. They are called uncle toms, or sell outs. Those that support them only support them because they (the candidate) is their (supporter) type of Insert_minority.

        You don’t get the flip though. When a Liberal calls a Conservative stupid they aren’t called a racist. They aren’t even called a racist when they call Conservative minorities “uncle tom”.

        It’s a double standard, and one that will be around for some time.

        Before anyone yells at me, or shows their pet youtube video, yes I know there are exceptions. There are Liberals who don’t call Conservatives racist, and there are Conservatives who insult Liberals. It’s simply a matter of which group is most vocal. The Conservatives who insult Liberals for the most part don’t have the bull horn, or when they do other Conservatives have the common sense to ignore them.

      4. Marx, the French, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Rachel Carson… At least the prophets of our myths haven’t killed hundreds of millions striving for the utter fantasy of human perfection. So take your murderous self-righteous zealotry and shove it.

      5. Nathan, you forgot to include his douchenozzle pals Hitler and Mussolini–both Fascism and Nazism are basically Nationalistic Socialism, where what private property is allowed i government-controlled for the benefit of the rulers and their cronies. And Hitler even admitted that his inspiration was the Proggies’ own Founding Father Woodrow Wilson… who really WAS everything the Radical Left use to accuse George W. of being.

  60. I wandered over here from Hoyt’s, after buying and reading Hard Magic. I’m loving it in a “culture is upstream from politics” way.

    That background assumptions are the stealthed payload, and the penaids are story is fun too — and I’m not even a steampunk.

    Kratman gives me raw meat, but you’re giving me hope.

  61. Oh Correia. This is why I love you more than cheese doodles.

    BTW- I read your first book before reading your blog- but started reading your blog after seeing your gun-post. BRILLIANT. Keep up the good work.

    And slightly OT- I happen to be one of those folks who works in an industry that is not too friendly towards Republican/ Libertarian folks like myself. So in the closet I be. And quiet I am whenever colleagues rant about politics. I like being able to bring home bacon, thankyouverymuch. And maybe it’s ironic, but I am very grateful to folks who are open about their conservative beliefs, despite what it could mean for their careers. Most especially when it comes to folks who are as high-profile as yourself.

  62. I’m politically moderate with leanings both ways depending on the issue. I’m current on Grimnoir and that got me into MHI. That said, you’re dead-on about separating the entertainer from the entertainment. You and I (and certainly many of the other commenters) will never agree on everything and there are many who are blind enough to think that that’s a problem. The real time to worry is when everyone touts the same opinions out of monomania or fear. Ideas are refined through consideration and debate.

    Keep entertaining. Keep the dialogue alive.

  63. As for you being equally offended by both sides (and even the middle!), I can only assume that means you are probably a listless, aimless, dolt with no real convictions of your own.

    Or lying through her teeth about that.

  64. Larry said: “Well thanks for sharing, Lynne. Allow me to respond to your concerns about authors having political opinions…. Shove it up your sanctimonious ass …”

    I have a different suggestion for Lynn. Lynn, if you like this type Urban Fantasy, then check out the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. Jim is probably the leading writer of this genre.

    Now go check out Jim’s Website and forum. You will find it very respectful of his fans and you won’t find it to be a soapbox for any POV. Jim says his political opinions are between him and his private vote.

    When you get finished with that, then check out the Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacka.

    Personally, I can still watch Mel Gibson films. Some people can’t. I understand both points of view.

    Good luck.

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