Here’s a little case study in alt-right hypocrisy.
Last week, like a lot of people, the wannabe self-help guru and alt-right opinion-haver who calls himself “DarkTriadMan” professed to be outraged by Kathy Griffin posing for photos with a stylized severed head of Donald Trump.
Given that DarkTriadMan’s whole schtick is based on the idea that men should act more like psychopaths if they want to get ahead in life, you wouldn’t think he’d be much bothered by Griffin’s admittedly dark stunt, but he made quite a show of his outrage, endlessly retweeting alt-right attacks on Griffin and adding his own spin to the news:
https://twitter.com/DarkTriadMan/status/870652822836195328
He was glad to see Griffin brought to tears by the reaction to her photos:
https://twitter.com/DarkTriadMan/status/870689717049634816
And fantasized about Barron Trump ultimately taking his revenge:
https://twitter.com/DarkTriadMan/status/869935774883500033
https://twitter.com/DarkTriadMan/status/869958745186590720
Today, in the wake of latest London attacks, Mr. Dark Triad seems to have gotten over his squeamishness about Griffin’s supposed call for violence against a sitting politician. Now he’s quite openly calling for the mass slaughter of Muslims.
https://twitter.com/DarkTriadMan/status/871471460543602688
https://twitter.com/DarkTriadMan/status/871355215215304704
He’s also talking about how great it would be if the mayor of London — a sitting politician, like Trump, with two children — were to be burned at the stake.
https://twitter.com/DarkTriadMan/status/871354479593091072
Or impaled:
https://twitter.com/DarkTriadMan/status/871353175466496000
Or torn apart by horses:
https://twitter.com/DarkTriadMan/status/871352151846658048
Or blinded and hung:
https://twitter.com/DarkTriadMan/status/871352529262694400
This is more or less what I’ve come to expect from the alt-right; their “moral outrage” is almost always in very bad faith. But it’s still a little surprising to see just how blatant their hypocrisy can be.
Wait, Ohlmann, so he said, basically, that men’s hurt feelings are exactly the same as women being sexually assaulted by men?!?
Yeah, that attitude is pretty common in men. It’s not just an incel thing.
@PeeVee : exactly. And as WWTH, it is pretty common sadly.
The worse part being that my friend just gushed over how she felt secure in the parisian larp scene. (which, to be honest, and from what I have seen, is indeed pretty good on that regard)
He also said that he was aware of how it is to be a female because he spend a lot of time trying to imagine his life as a female. I tried to give him as honorable an exit he could by suggesting his sexual fantasy may get in the way of his objectivity, but of course he doubled down about how serious and non-sexual his representation is.
I love Colbert’s assertion that Trump is really playing Hungry Hungry Hippos. 😉
I haven’t read the books but I wounder if the lost dimensions is due to a lack of internal monologue that you can have in books but doesn’t translate well to TV.
@Ohlmann, WWTH,
*Shakes head ruefully*
I’m kinda glad I’m old.
Like the song says, “The more I know, the less I understand”
@Fabe
That’s definitely one reason. Also the books are about a thousand pages long sometimes more and there’s just so much detail and nuance that would be impossible to fit into 10 hour seasons of TV. They try to focus on the important bits but there are many other important bits in the book that just get no screen time whatsoever. They even cut out a bunch of characters because there are hundreds in the books. I will tell you what I tell everyone. If you like the show, read the books. They are 10 times better
I should be reading them. I’ve been enjoying the tv series so reading the books in on my to to do list. I’ve also been thinking about the reading the books ‘The Expanse’ is based on as well.
Possible spoiler alert for “The Expanse” and fairly definite spoiler alert for GoT aka A Song of Ice and Fire…
At least the monsters in The Expanse appear monstrous in the first book (that may, or may not, be a spoiler depending on how you read that sentence)… Only real monsters in the first 3 GoT book are the humans.
http://randomfunnycat.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/himilayan-kittens1.jpg
testing
Ok the kitten went through. I wonder why the other post wouldn’t.
Anyway, @Fran, have you heard of 7 cups of tea? It’s a free text based therapy service. It might help while you’re trying to find a therapist your insurance will actually pay for.
@Fabe
If you already plan to anyway, seriously you should read the books ASAP. I’ve read over 3000 fantasy novels in the last 20 years, and that series is in my top ten list of fantasy series, maybe even my top five. But I started the first book of the Expanse, and wasn’t thrilled with it. I only read about 200 pgs though, so maybe it just starts off slow.
@JS,
What do you think? How is the Expanse series? Have you read them all? Does it start slow and get better? It was good enough that I plan to give it another try when I have less to read, but does it truly live up to the hype?
@Fran& anyone who may be interested
If anyone is a huge fantasy novel geek like me(Fran, the Jacqueline Carey recommendation is for you in particular, I’m almost positive you’ll love her books)but is lacking books to read, here’s a list of some of the best fantasy out there(this list is by no means comprehensive)
ASOIAF(Game of thrones)-George RR Martin
Kushiel’s Dart saga-Jacqueline Carey(in case it bothers anyone this book contains graphic BDSM scenes, but it’s not porn at all. The plot is excellent. It’s a thousand page book with less than a dozen sex scenes that mostly happen to contain BDSM)
Name of the Wind-Patrick Rothfuss
The lies of Locke Lamora-Scott Lynch
The Way of Kings, Elantris and a bunch more(he’s very prolific)-Brandon Sanderson
Coldfire trilogy-CS Friedman
The Fifth Season-NK Jamison
The Vorkosigan Saga-Lois Mcmaster Bujold
The Emperor’s Blades trilogy-Brian Staveley
Codex Alera saga or Dresden Files-Jim Butcher
Powder Mage trilogy-Brian McClellan
Assassins Apprentice series-Robin Hobb
Red Rising-Pierce Brown
I just threw that up there because I love to read and I know a good number, maybe even the majority of the people on this site love to read and sometimes it can be hard to find a good new book. I really like recommending good books and authors to people because I want people to enjoy reading and I want the authors to get the recognition they deserve. If anyone else has read and enjoyed(or not enjoyed)any of these books or series, make a comment, please. Let me and everyone else know what you thought of the one you read. If anyone else would like to share their favorite fantasy or sci-fi novels or their favorite novels of any genre, I’d be curious to hear. I love to learn about new books I should read
@KatieKitten
The Expanse is the one with the vomit zombies, right? The first two books were great; I’ve only just become aware of the TV show.
I always wanted to see a fight between the vomit zombies and the jazz vampires from the ‘Rivers of London’ series. Because that would be cool.
@Dan
I’m honestly not sure. I’ve heard so much about the show but I’m not a big TV person I’m a book person and I only read the first 200 pages of the first book so far far. Are you a fantasy novel fan if so what’s your favorite fantasy series?
@KatieKitten
I’ve never managed to properly engage with any of those multi-volume, 600-page a time fantasy epics like ‘The Wheel of Time’ or the like, which I’m going to suggest is my fault, as I’m too dilettante a reader. Also, I was reading a lot of Pratchett, Tom Holt and Robert Rankin in the late 80s/early 90s, which seemed to be about mocking the tropes of fantasy even while they were using them.
However, I’ve never looked back since I read ‘Perdido Street Station’, so any of the Bas-Lag novels – Armada, the pirate city from ‘The Scar’, is definitely where I intend to retire to.
From that, I started reading a lot of Michael Moorcock novels, even the very slight ones from the 60s/70s, so any of the ‘Eternal Champions’ works for me. (I was absolutely delighted when the Eleventh Doctor and Amy met Captain Cornelius in ‘The Coming of the Terraphiles’).
‘City of Saints and Madmen’ by Jeff Vandermeer is a more recent favourite, as is ‘The Book of Phoenix’ by Nnedi Okorafor.
Oh! One more, then I’d better do some work: the ‘Nightside’ series by Simon R. Green, and the Peter Grant/Folly series beginning in ‘Rivers of London’ by Ben Aaronovitch – he also wrote the amazing novelisation of the TV series ‘Remembrance of the Daleks’, which was substantially better than the show it was based on!
@everyone
I’m going to sleep cause I sleep during the day.(Ideally 9-5.)If anyone has read any of the books that I mentioned and has anything to say about them leave a comment and I’ll see it when I wake up I’m curious if anyone has similar fantasy tastes. If no one’s read any of the books I mentioned but is a fantasy novel fan and has some favorites then please mention a few, especially if they’re somewhat obscure. I’d love to hear about a good one I haven’t read cuz I’ve read literally thousands in the last 20 years. I especially love finding out about an awesome author I’ve never happen to hear about who has a bunch of books I can read
Lastly, I hope everyone’s day is lovely, fun and/or useful, and maybe for once when I wake up there will be some good news. I try to be an optimist and you can always hope.
When it comes to ASOIAF/Got, most people think the books are better. As books are usually better than TV or movie adaptations. But I do have a couple friends who prefer the show. Some people just don’t love long books with detailed world building. If you like the show and like fantasy but don’t like super long books, I’d recommend the Dunk and Egg novellas. They take place in Westeros about a hundred years previous to ASOIAF. They follow the adventures of the adolescent prince Aegon Targaryen and his knight companion Duncan the Tall. It’s not during war time so they’re less dark. There’s still some death and mayhem. Just not quite as much.
I personally like the long length of ASOIAF. I love all the history and mythology in there. Most of it doesn’t make it to the show. I’m always amazed at how 1000 page books full of food porn and heraldry descriptions can still contain so much nail biting suspense. I also like how each character has their own unique voice. I once reread the books one POV character’s chapters at a time. It held up really well like that. They could each be their own novels. So many writers make all their character’s voices sound the same. All their characters have pretty much the same personality and it’s probably much like the author’s (looking at you Stephen King and Dean Koontz) so it’s really nice when there are multiple distinct POV characters.
Okay, now I’m just rambling on. Sorry!
@ KatieKitten,
Well if you like Bujold’s SF-y Vorkosigan saga and haven’t tried her World of 5 Gods / Chalion series yet, I’m sure you’d like that too.
Some other fantasy / SF writers I would read anything by:
Diana Wynne Jones, Tanith Lee, and Sheri S Tepper. All sadly dead now, so nothing new to hope for from them.
Jones mainly wrote for children, with the occasional Young Adult work, maybe that’s why her universes were so unexpected and yet seemed realler than mere reality. The Dalemark Quartet is probably my favourite series of hers.
Tanith Lee wrote epic multitome fantasies, kids and YA adventures, queer erotica, supernatural alternate historical myths and modern urban strangeness of all kinds. I particularly love the Flat Earth series.
Sheri Tepper: the True Game series takes the classic Swords & Sorcery RPG tropes and slowly gently emulsifies them. But I think The Enigma Score, a standalone, is my favourite of hers.
Now I’m just remembering that the third book in the Broken Earth trilogy is due out next month. Whoo hoo!
I only read the first 2 Expanse books, they were fun, but… I couldn’t see any reasonable method of resolution besides “Deus Ex Machina” somewhere towards the end of the series.
@KatieKitten
Have you read Tea with the Black Dragon by R.A. MacAvoy? It’s admittedly urban fantasy and not sword&sorcery, but it’s well worth a read. It’s essentially a story of an elderly woman trying to solve the mystery of what happened to her daughter and why the daughter invited her to stay in a hotel and then never showed up herself.
Most of the books I think you would like have unfortunately never been translated into English, it seems, so I don’t really have anything else to recommend.
@KatieKitten420
Patrick Rothfuss is such a fantastic writer, though I hope he gets a more aggressive editor for his 3rd book. He’s just so talented with words – he could write a dozen pages about someone writing their taxes and make it feel engaging – but it felt like the last 1/3 of A Wise Man’s Fear got away from him. Probably coulda chopped a good 2-300 pages – at least – off that book for the better.
Have you read any Steven Erickson? Namely, the Malazan series? I’m always hesitant to bring it up with big fantasy nerds, because it’s such a divisive series, and I have a hard time telling people who don’t like it that they are wrong, but it’s hands down my favourite series to date, and I feel that everyone who likes fantasy at least needs to try it. If you haven’t heard of it, let me know, and I’ll do my best to sell you on it.
ETA: I can’t remember who, but I know there’s at least one other Erickson fan here, who can probably vouch that recommending him is weird to do because of the almost “adversarial” relationship that develops between you and his writing that is difficult to explain to people who haven’t read the books.
@Katie
McClellan’s got two more Powder Mage books out now. Also, have you read and of Bujold’s fantasy? Curse of Chalion is good, and the sequel, Paladin of Souls, is excellent. She’s also done The Hallowed Hunt in the same world, and The Spirit Ring, set in a magical Renaissance Italy.
As I said elsewhere, in a lot of ways I like Rivers of London better than Dresden Files, and I’d also recommend the Iron Druid books by Kevin Hearne. Stross’ Laundry files have a lot of nerd jokes, same as Dresden or Grant is prone to making, plus labyrinthine bureaucracy, pointless meetings, and soul-devouring* PowerPoint presentations.
*Not a metaphor; Bob Howard works for the branch of the British government that protects the Home Islands from people who want to summon Nyarlahotep.
If you’re not familiar with Wen Spencer, you should be. Also you’d probably like Elizabeth Moon, Tanya Huff, and Nnedi Okorafor.
@DanHolme
If you like Mieville, I definitely recomment Max Gladstone’s Craft Sequence (First book is either Three Parts Dead (written) or Last First Snow (Series chronology). Kadrey’s Sandman Slim series has a very Nightside feel to it, and you might also take a look at the Iron Druid series.
@Croquembouche
In fact, she wrote Howl’s Moving Castle
Diana Wynne Jones also wrote “The Tough Guide to Fantasyland”, an entertaining piss take on the tropes, cliches and stereotypes of mass market fantasy literature. She then reworked the idea into “Dark Lord of Derkholm”, because she was just that good.
Seconding the recommendation of Stross’s Laundry Files.
The soul-devouring PowerPoint… the RHR security guards. The interesting bit where you find out Bob Howards middle names.
Violin of doom. Oh, so many. He’s not quite as good as Pratchett, but that’s a pretty high bar. His take on unicorns… Start with a large cone snail.
“Missile Gap” about a Cold War on a Lovecraft inspired planet, and “Colder War” about a Cold War that had weaponized Lovecraftian craziness.