Explanation - invariably I will read a fantastic book, beautifully written with a sweeping or moving story that is profoundly impactful…and some amateur reviewer will have written, “That book is so boring! Blah, blah, blah, nothing exciting ever happens!” 🙄

When I read these, I often pause to try to imagine what sort of book those reviewers WOULD like, lol. No doubt its probably an elitist, pompous exercise…but its fun imagining for a moment a book filled with non-stop, over the top action, gory or imaginative deaths by the dozens, torrid romantic liasons, CIA and KGB and SS agents around every corner, etc. Ive been tempted to write that book, tongue in cheek, just so those reviewers would have something to be happy about.

Then I thought…maybe someone has already done this? Intentionally written a book so egregiously over-the-top that even those action-aholics might be tempted to say, “too fast, and too much excitement…” in their reviews?

  • DecentChanceOfLousy@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Read literally anything by John Ringo. I recommend the Into the Looking Glass series. It involves, among other things:

    • a US submarine blasting rock music (as an in-universe soundtrack) to show how cool they are to the Chinese listening on sonar
    • dual wielding sniper rifles
    • mech suits
    • anthropomorphic warrior cats
    • a judo practicing, rock climbing, alien-fighting genius theoretical physicist that speaks with a Southern accent and repeatedly in-universe has to explain that Southerners can be smart too
    • copious amounts of fawning sycophantism for the US military

    I can’t tell if it’s entirely sincere/a bit cringe or if he knows what he’s doing and enjoys writing half parody, over-the-top nonsense because rule-of-cool works better when you’re not taking it seriously.

    • aging-graceful@alien.topOPBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Interesting! Thanks for sharimg, and your bullet point list sounds hilarious. I’d love it if it was written in a self-aware, half-parody sort of way. The name sounds familiar…I may already have something kept his in my library.