tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8383687614967941820.post2151958387089054922..comments2024-02-28T01:13:30.122-08:00Comments on Billy Goes to Mordor: The Weird ClassicsNadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13379496050656646495noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8383687614967941820.post-5989538629038296902013-11-06T13:11:27.827-08:002013-11-06T13:11:27.827-08:00A cool blog post! Yeah, weirdness is personal and...A cool blog post! Yeah, weirdness is personal and their philosophy makes the weird stand out.<br />Venger Satanishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04447932700800930510noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8383687614967941820.post-86718228931381766422013-11-06T00:10:48.364-08:002013-11-06T00:10:48.364-08:00So you're saying that modern authors potential...So you're saying that modern authors potentially have the same sorts of world-views, but just don't like to insert them into their writing. You make a good point--I accept that's also a significant factor.<br /><br />At the same time, look at some of the ideologies of the above authors with modern eyes. Like Howard's Euro-Centrism. Like take a look at this quote from Wings in the Night. It's not just an issue of racism. It sounds literally ridiculous to modern ears having lived through two world wars, globalization, multi-culturalism. Like, really--you think skin color makes him a better fighter? Do you follow pro-boxing?<br /><br />"Kane stood, an unconscious statue of triumph--the ancient empires fall, the dark-skinned peoples fade and even the demons of antiquity gasp their last, but over all stands the Aryan barbarian, white-skinned, cold-eyed, dominant, the supreme fighting man of the earth, whether he be clad in wolf-hide and horned helmet, or boots and doublet—whether he bear in his hand battle-ax or rapier—whether he be called Dorian,<br />Saxon or Englishman—whether his name is Jason, Hengist or<br />Solomon Kane."<br /><br />Or consider Machen's relatively tame mysticism/occultism. Today, these sorts of views are considered much more nutty than they were back then, because we've delved so much deeper into the sciences by now, without finding any goblins or demons. At best a religious person today could see Machen's writings as a parable for spiritual experience, but at the time, his stories made a reasonably compelling argument for his beliefs.Billyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16717291964764757651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8383687614967941820.post-19394014588562149582013-11-05T05:31:35.072-08:002013-11-05T05:31:35.072-08:00I think many modern authors just prefer to keep th...I think many modern authors just prefer to keep their personal views a secret, maybe because the world is so full of "trollish" behavior and general vitriol for anything the general populous deems unrational.<br /><br />It would seem we have a few writers that express their world views through writing though, Neil Gaiman comes to mind, he's a bit of an odd bird with his own thoughts on reality. He also has a weird thing for cats.<br /><br />Terry Goodkind of course is one of those guys that ooze with their own philosophy on reality, He seems to have connections with Ayn Rand and her pseudo-philosophy. <br /><br />One might claim Steven King, but personally I think the guy is a hack, dancing on the graves and past endeavours of better horror/weird writers.<br /><br />Mike Mignola is a master of weird, at least to me. The guy does some incredible work and his nods to the Mythos is outstanding, weird personally, I don't thik so. HOWEVER Alan Moore, now that guy gets weird and is weird and has his very own unique world view.<br /><br />I think they are out their, the ones that have picked up the mantle, but they are reclusive, maybe a little to much in our rational and sterile world of skepticism and logic. Sad to be truthful. I think we as a society do much to crush the weird and the odd.<br /><br />Science and Religion have one thing in common, if it doesn't fit their mold, kill it, burn it with fire.<br /><br />Awesome post BTW, made me think, and kinda pine for days I never saw.ERIC!https://www.blogger.com/profile/18251132223571608976noreply@blogger.com