The difference, to me, is that he doesn't believe in Genre Fantasy Blather
I think I see the difference. You define a fantasy writer as a writer who cannot escape the strictures of stereotypical fantasy, yes? :)
a 'devouted' atheist, bit of a contradiction in terms there, you see?
I'm not so sure about that. Douglas Adams wrote that reading about evolution was a spiritual experience for him - it made him feel like he understood how everything fit together, like it all made sense. Just because it's not stupid it doesn't mean it's not religious - though I admit that there is a strong tendency in that direction... =]
Incidentally, I just finished that &"ยค@#$&3# Blue Like Jazz. Now I kind of want to yell at the woman who made me read that piece of crap. May I ask you, as someone who's been a smart person in a dumb world longer than I have - do you have any advice about how to not let this kind of garbage go unopposed while at the same time not driving your well-meaning friends away by saying exactly what you think? ^_^;;
You know, all I really want is to put an end to this eternal chorus of "but if you just understood Christianity, you'd see how wonderful it is!". I do understand it, and the more I understand, the more I loathe it! >_< If I wrote a story in which I had a priesthood that preached that people were shit and would never be anything else, and that they should be grateful that the benevolent gods hurt them, because they deserved it... if I wrote that, people would be telling me how unrealistic it was, that my priesthood was a bunch of one-dimensional villains. And I would say, "uhm, have you been to church lately? This is what they're saying there." =]
But no, if I don't agree, then that's proof that I don't understand, because Christianity is fundamentally true and no one can possibly argue against it.
Sorry, I am going off on a very bitchy tangent here, but I felt the need to vent and I believe I know you to be sympathetic with this particular issue. =]
Anyway, devouted atheists... I agree that Pratchett would not call himself one. He'd say that a devouted atheist would be one of those people who "hate the gods for not existing," whereas he's very comfortable with it. But I'd say that that's a pretty good working definition of "devout" - that it's so much a part of your life that you don't have to think about it anymore. I've never really been a devout anything (though I'm getting there), which would explain why I've always been so loud about whatever I've been at the moment... =]
no subject
I think I see the difference. You define a fantasy writer as a writer who cannot escape the strictures of stereotypical fantasy, yes? :)
a 'devouted' atheist, bit of a contradiction in terms there, you see?
I'm not so sure about that. Douglas Adams wrote that reading about evolution was a spiritual experience for him - it made him feel like he understood how everything fit together, like it all made sense. Just because it's not stupid it doesn't mean it's not religious - though I admit that there is a strong tendency in that direction... =]
Incidentally, I just finished that &"ยค@#$&3# Blue Like Jazz. Now I kind of want to yell at the woman who made me read that piece of crap. May I ask you, as someone who's been a smart person in a dumb world longer than I have - do you have any advice about how to not let this kind of garbage go unopposed while at the same time not driving your well-meaning friends away by saying exactly what you think? ^_^;;
You know, all I really want is to put an end to this eternal chorus of "but if you just understood Christianity, you'd see how wonderful it is!". I do understand it, and the more I understand, the more I loathe it! >_< If I wrote a story in which I had a priesthood that preached that people were shit and would never be anything else, and that they should be grateful that the benevolent gods hurt them, because they deserved it... if I wrote that, people would be telling me how unrealistic it was, that my priesthood was a bunch of one-dimensional villains. And I would say, "uhm, have you been to church lately? This is what they're saying there." =]
But no, if I don't agree, then that's proof that I don't understand, because Christianity is fundamentally true and no one can possibly argue against it.
Sorry, I am going off on a very bitchy tangent here, but I felt the need to vent and I believe I know you to be sympathetic with this particular issue. =]
Anyway, devouted atheists... I agree that Pratchett would not call himself one. He'd say that a devouted atheist would be one of those people who "hate the gods for not existing," whereas he's very comfortable with it. But I'd say that that's a pretty good working definition of "devout" - that it's so much a part of your life that you don't have to think about it anymore. I've never really been a devout anything (though I'm getting there), which would explain why I've always been so loud about whatever I've been at the moment... =]