In order:
- Over at Instapundit, noted brag.
- Over at Genreville, noted source of brag (in comments of post about book-blogging): sneering, non-cognitive slam by religious fanatic of Instapundit’s contribution to John Scalzi’s publishing success refuted by… John Scalzi.
- Over at Whatever (John Scalzi’s site), read short-short about intelligent yogurt taking over the world, admittedly to our benefit. Laughed, because John Scalzi is a good writer.
- While still at Whatever, read damning-with-faint-praise review of Atlas Shrugged. Laughed some more, because personal opinion is that it’s political pornography for the Right (like the way Nineteen Eighty-Four is political pornography for the Left).
- Over to Moe Lane, where will prepare for at least one comment informing the world that Atlas Shrugged is the Best Book EVAR.
Not that many people probably care. Still, the yogurt story was pretty good.
“Atlas Shrugged is the Best Book EVAR.”
It’s not the best book ever. That said, Scalzi’s summation of it, and characterization of its readers, is (though obviously meant to be funny) grossly unfair. I’ve certainly read worse, and less fair-minded, “critiques” of both the novel and its fans, and it is at least mercifully short — but then again, that’s sort of like saying “Gosh, thank you for only slamming a ball-peen hammer into my cat’s paw. The last guy skewered her in twelve places and tried to roast her alive.”
I’ve never read _Atlas Shrugged_, largely because in my experience, Thinly Veiled Allegory That’s Supposed To Teach an Important Lesson tends to be very dull reading, even when I tend to agree with said Important Lesson.
This is just fascinating. No, really. As for myself, I put on pants this morning. Updates to follow, as warranted.
I still prefer Whittaker Chamber’s original review of Atlas Shrugged for National Review from back in 1957. He leaves Ms. Rand and her polemic lying on the ground in about a dozen bloody pieces.