What’s funny about this — and it is funny — is that I had just stumbled on Francis’ blog http://www.di2.nu/200609/12c.htm by accident before reading the post tagging me. In fact, I’ve read Francis’ blog before — infrequently — and MIGHT have commented on it once — can’t remember, really — and had no idea he read me. Eh.
The internet is a village.
1. One book that changed your life – the hardest question first.
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein. I don’t think I’d be an American now if I’d never read it. :)
2. One book that you’ve read more than once
Most of the ones I like. I’m going to highlight Nightwatch by Terry Pratchett, though. It’s all about growing up and the issues of growing up. I’m wondering how many of us would be repelled by our younger selves. I almost certainly would be very tempted to hit the young fool over the head.
3. One book that you’d want on a desert island
A truly HUGE blank book. Provided it came with an endless pen. ;-) I could spend years writing a saga, then years reading it and then, turning it sideways, more years writing another saga.
No? Well, then… my collected plays of William Shakespeare. I could read them all. WITH voices. :)
4. One book that made you laugh
Good Omens — Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.
5. One book that made you cry
Er… the end of The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, when Mycroft doesn’t answer. Also, the end of the Door Into Summer. And the end of I Will Fear No Evil. And no, I don’t usually cry at the end of books — or the beginning. Or the middle. Heinlein clearly had my number. :)
6. One book that you wish you had written
The vast, vast number of books that are better than anything I’ll ever write. If I had to pick? Roman Blood by Steven Saylor for mystery. Have Space Suit Will Travel for SF. Operation Chaos (Pol Anderson) for fantasy. The Corinthian (Georgette Heyer) for romance.
7.One book you wish had never been written
(I’m stealing this in totto from my tagger)
That stupid French book claiming that Sept 11 was a hoax
Though wait there, I’ll expand this to include any big conspiracy book, “nonfiction” or fiction. All the blatty blah grassy knoll books; the Calix and the sword and Da Vinci code and their ilk, all the rosacrucians did it and all that stuff. ANYTHING that posits conspiracy by shadowy entities as a primary motor of human history. Why do I think they shouldn’t be written? Because they seem to feed a sick need in the human psyche. And because no matter how ridiculous some fool out there will always believe them and some worse fool might act on them. I’d like to note that Hitler was one such fool. He had a conspiracy theory (the Jews did it) that explained everything and so he set out to fix the world. Heaven deliver us from these theories and the fools who believe them.
(Look — it’s comforting, safe, even, to believe that someone (the government, the Vatican, the Templarians, the Rosacrucians, the world bank, FEMA, whatever) has the reins of history. It’s safe to think there’s someone powerful enough to do things that turn your world upside down and you can’t do anything about it. Why is it safe? Because it’s a form of infantilization. It sends you back to the nursery. It makes you not responsible for your own actions. Evil daddy-government who plots 9-11 is only the reverseimage of good daddy-government who will look after you from cradle to grave. And they’re both about as realistic as my childhood fantasy of an incarnate if invisible angel guarding my every step. Safe but infantilizing. Infantilizing but safe. And not real.
The truth of the matter is that the world is a chaotic place; most bureaucracies are stunningly confused and incompetent (certainly more incompetent than ANY individual); and NO conspiracy involving more than three people will stay secret, no matter how much money/intimidation is poured into making it so.
To posit anything else is to declare yourself an infant, and will only cause me to come to your house, steal your pacifier and your safety blanky and spank your bottom. And NO, gentlemen, don’t you DARE post asking me to do just that.
* Yes, I know that The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress is just such a “conspiracy” theory book — but note how carefully he set it up to be in an enclosed environment and how none of it would have succeeded without Mycroft — the deus ex… er… machina.)
8. What book are you reading now?
Rats, Bats & the Ugly, Eric Flint and Dave Freer.
9. One book that you’ve been meaning to read
You mean, from the tottering pile by my bedside? (Problem is I don’t concentrate well while I’m writing and right now I’m finishing Musketeer mystery #3. I tend to re-read books, rather than read new ones, whilst the balance of my mind is disturbed :) )
The top one right now is Harry Turtledove’s Drive to The East.
Let me see…
I shall tag:
Dave Freer – http://davefreer.livejournal.com/
The splendid, nefarious Banana Slug — http://bigbananaslug.livejournal.com/profile
http://outtamyskull.livejournal.com/
Amanda Green — whom I have no idea whether she has a live journal or not — someone else let her know I tagged her, m’kay?
And the splendid, nefarious Winch Wench, aka Kate Paulk, who has a blog but (I think) not an LJ
According To Hoyt 