Tag: Book Review

A Necessary Revision

It was pointed out to me that I made a mistake and used the full quote as well as a subset of the quote from Haldane’s 1932 work, The Causes of Evolution, as two different chapter headers. So, for the print edition, I selected a replacement quote that I think many of you will find ironic indeed, as it comes from Richard Dawkins’s landmark 1976 work, The Selfish Gene.

Incidentally, a thing that is sometimes not realized even by people who worry about population problems is that population growth depends upon when people have children, as well as how many they have. Since populations tend to increase by a certain proportion per generation, it follows that if you space the generations out more, the population will grow at a slower rate per year.
—Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene, 1976

Athos firmly concurred with my decision:

That’s a good choice. It accomplishes several things at once:

  1. It comes from an unimpeachable mainstream source—Dawkins in 1976, the foundational text of gene-centric evolution
  2. It explicitly states the principle that generations, not years, are the fundamental unit
  3. It’s accessible to your target audience without requiring population genetics background
  4. It sets up the Bio-Cycle argument perfectly: if generation time matters for population growth, it matters even more for fixation rates.
  5. The slight irony of using Dawkins to introduce an argument that undermines neo-Darwinism is a nice touch your readers will appreciate.

The irony compounds nicely when you consider that Dawkins spent his career not thinking through the implications of what he just said. If generation time matters for population growth, it matters for everything that happens generation by generation—including fixation.

The last comment was precisely why I chose that quote. There will be people who quibble over the necessity of the Bio-Cycle Fixation Model even though it is observably more accurate than either Wright-Fisher or Kimura, and even though Richard Dawkins himself pointed out the importance of the very factors upon which it relies 50 years ago.

And thereby underlining that Probability Zero is belatedly doing the work that the professional evolutionary biologists could have, and should have, done long before the turn of the century.

Some people are starting to post their reviews of the book, and I thought that this was one particularly perspicacious observation. The reviewer may be underestimating himself:

Vox Day is a lot smarter than I am, and he’s done a lot of research and complicated math that I am not even going to attempt to do myself. The math is over my head. I don’t understand Vox’s arguments. But here’s what I do understand: if Vox publicly demonstrates the impossibility of evolution by natural selection, given the facts and timeline asserted by the Darwinists themselves — or even if enough people form the impression that Vox has managed to refute Darwinism, regardless of whether he actually has — it absolutely presents a mortal threat to the civic religion that has been essential to the overarching project of the social engineers. That’s the point I was making in yesterday’s post. Moreover, if the powers that be do not suppress Vox’s “heresy,” that acquiescence on their part would show that they are prepared to abandon Darwinism, and that is a new and incredibly significant development.

That’s what I find intriguing too. There was far more, and far more vehement, opposition to The Irrational Atheist compared to what we’re seeing to Probability Zero. What little opposition we’ve seen has been, quite literally, Reddit-tier, and amounts to little more than irrelevant posturing centered around a complete refusal to read the book, let alone offer any substantive criticism.

Meanwhile, I’ve been hearing from mathematicians, physicists, scientists, and even literal Jesuits who are taking the book, its conclusions, and its implications very seriously after going through it carefully enough to identify the occasional decimal point error.

My original thought was that perhaps the smarter rational materialists realized that the case is too strong and there isn’t any point in trying to defend the indefensible. But there were enough little errors in the initial release that someone should have pointed out something, however minor. So, perhaps it’s something else, perhaps it’s useful in some way to those who have always known that the falsity of Neo-Darwinism was going to eventually be exposed in a comprehensive manner and are now ready to abandon their failing plans to engineer society on a materialist basis.

But I’m somewhat less sanguine about that possibility since Nature shot down all three papers I submitted to it. Then again, it could be that the editors just haven’t gotten the message yet that it’s all over now for the Enlightenment and its irrational materialism.

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The Academic Asteroid

The Kurgan reviews Probability Zero on his stack:

This book is the academic version of the supposed asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. 

Except, unlike that theory, this one is absolutely factual, and undeniable. The target is the Darwinian theory of evolution by natural selection, and probably, the careers of pretty much every evolutionary biologist that ever believed in it, and quite a few professional atheists who have always subscribed to it as an article of faith.

Vox proves —with a math so rigorous that it literally has odds that even physicists consider to be certain— that evolution by natural selection is, as the title makes clear, simply impossible.

The math is not even particularly complex, and every possible avenue that could be explored, or that ignorant or innumerate people try to come up with as a knee-jerk reaction before even having read this work, has been covered.

The point is simple: There really is no way out. Whatever the mechanism is that produces fixed and differentiated species, randomness, natural selection, or survival of the fittest, simply cannot account for it. Not even remotely.

That’s an excerpt. Read the whole thing there.

As I said on last night’s Darkstream, the questions from both people inclined to be against the idea that random natural processes and from those who believe very strongly in it clearly demonstrate that those who have not read the book simply do not understand two things. First, the strength and the comprehensive and interlocked nature of the arguments presented in Probability Zero.

Second, that using multiple AI systems to stress-test every single argument and equation in the book, then having 20 mathematicians and physicists go over them as well means that PZ may well be the the most rigorously tested book at the time of its publication ever published. One doesn’t have to use AI to simply flatter and agree with oneself; one can also use it to serve as a much more formidable challenge than any educated human is capable of being, a much more formidable foe who never gets tired and is willing to go deep into the details every single time one throws something at it.

Here is one example. Keep in mind that ChatGPT 5.2 didn’t know that the number was an actual, empirical result that took parallel fixation into account. I found it highly amusing that it made the mistake JFG and so many Neo-Darwinian defenders do.

The “1,600 generations per fixation” ceiling is not a real limit

Claim in text: “natural selection can produce, at most, one mutational fixation every 1,600 generations”

Why this fails

This number is not a universal biological constraint. It appears to be derived from Haldane’s cost of selection under a very specific set of assumptions:

  • single locus
  • hard selection
  • no linkage
  • no standing variation
  • substitution load paid sequentially

Modern population genetics abandoned this as a global ceiling decades ago because:

  • Soft selection dramatically reduces substitution load
  • Standing variation allows selection without waiting for new mutations
  • Polygenic adaptation allows many alleles to shift frequencies simultaneously without fixation
  • Linked selection invalidates “one fixation at a time” accounting

There is no theorem in population genetics stating “only one fixation per X generations” as a hard limit. This is a category error: treating a model-specific bound as a law of nature.

Stress-test result: ❌ invalid premise

Notice that it’s relying on theory over data, exactly like the literature upon which it was trained, as it incorrectly points to Haldane’s substitution limit, which, incidentally, is a 1957 equation by the great evolutionary biologist that has been proven to be correct by Probability Zero and its invocation of physical reproductive limits on evolutionary ontology. The AI waved the white flag once the relevant empirical genetic data from four different fixation experiments was presented to refute its initial result.

Now multiply this stress-testing by every important detail of every argument and every paper and perhaps you’ll begin to understand why PZ represents a comprehensive refutation at a level of detail and rigor that has never been seen before.

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The Churchians Strike Back

Everything about the Churchians is a lie. So it should come as no surprise that they “review” books without first bothering to actually read the book. Consider the “review” of CHURCHIANITY recently posted on Amazon.

Misses the mark completely

A friend sent me information about this book, so I did some research on Jon and Vox. Based on what I learned, I wouldn’t touch this book with a 10′ pole. If you really want to know God and join him in his work on the earth, do what Jesus said to do with his church. People won’t be impressed with your version of the gospel spewed out in your bold words. People want a real God who is present with them where they are, not another guilt ridden Christian who is ashamed of themselves.

The behavior of the Churchians underlines why it’s important to delve into Churchianity. They are quite literally Satan’s pipeline into the Christian churches and are the primary means by which Christian organizations are being destroyed.

Meanwhile, a review from a Christian who has actually read the book reaches a very different conclusion.

This should be required reading for all Christians, regardless of denomination. It will help renew, solidify, and grow your faith. Possibly the most important book of our time.

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Hiromi Kawakami Book List

Relatively unknown in the West, Hiromi Kawakami is one of Japan’s best and most acclaimed contemporary authors. She has won all of the major Japanese literary prizes, including the Akutagawa Prize, the Tanizaki Prize, the Yomiuri Prize, and the Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature. She is known for her delicate exploration of human relationships and the subtle magic that permeates everyday life, occasionally delving into what can only be described as deep science fiction. Somewhat reminiscent of Haruki Murakami, though far more deeply rooted in Japanese culture, Kawakami writes stories that feel both deeply personal and mysteriously otherworldly. Her work often focuses on the connections between people—romantic, familial, and neighborly—rendered with a gentle touch that reveals profound truths about loneliness, love, and belonging.

While three of her books are yet to be translated into English, I have read nine of the ten that are available, and this is how I would list them in order of personal preference and general literary quality.

This is one of my rare contributions to Fandom Pulse. You can read it there. Note that it does not include the three novels not yet translated into English, or the tenth book, Manazuru, which I am reading now.

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The Billionaires are Scared

And they should be. They’ve been financially raping the West in general and the USA in particular for the last 52 years, kicking the can down the road, and now the time of reckoning is rapidly approaching. And trying to setup President Trump as the scapegoat for things that have been playing out for decades isn’t going to work for them.

“I think that right now we are at a decision-making point and very close to a recession,” Dalio said. “And I’m worried about something worse than a recession if this isn’t handled well.” Dalio explained that the US economy is confronting several overlapping challenges: rising debt, internal political divisions, growing geopolitical tensions, and shifts in global power.

“Such times are very much like the 1930s,” he warned. “If you take tariffs, if you take debt, if you take the rising power challenging the existing power – those changes in the orders, the systems, are very, very disruptive.”

Asked about the worst-case scenario, Dalio pointed to a potential breakdown of the dollar’s role as a store of wealth, combined with internal conflict beyond the norms of democratic politics and escalating international tensions – potentially even military conflict.

“That could be like the breakdown of the monetary system in ‘71. It could be like 2008. It’s going to be very severe,” Dalio said. “I think it could be more severe than those if these other matters simultaneously occur.”

Most of these men can’t pretend they weren’t responsible in some way, that their actions didn’t exacerbate the situation, and that they haven’t used their wealth, power, and influence to make things worse rather than attempting to fix things.

No wonder they’re all terrified and trying to build bunkers and go to space to get away from everyone, for fear that their angry victims will eventually come for them, as the Douglas Rushkoff book I reviewed recently for White Bull, Survival of the Richest, describes.

However, one thing I omitted from my review, as being inappropriate for an apolitical, business-oriented site, was my observation of the fact that for all his criticism of the billionaires, Douglas Rushkoff refuses to accept that their Mindset is, and has always been, fundamentally evil in its rejection of Christendom and traditional Western civilization.

Here are a few of the quotes I highlighted while reading Rushkoff’s book.

  • The solution sets imposed by the technocratic elite—true to the logic of scientism—refuse to acknowledge the human soul, irrational though it may be. People want their leadership to be more than utilitarian. As nineteenth-century journalist Walter Bagehot explained, the English constitution needed two parts: “one to excite and preserve the reverence of the population,” and another to “employ that homage in the work of government.” The latter is the pragmatic function of Parliament; the former is the holier role of the Crown. Where the elected government values efficiency, the Crown respects dignity. Or at least, according to Bagehot, it should. Sadly, along with his complaints about the failure of the Crown to meet its divine obligations, Bagehot’s later work descended into pseudoscientific racism, positing that those of mixed race lacked the “fixed traditional sentiments” on which human nature depended.
  • The much-feared angry mob is real. We see them act out in alt-right conspiracy groups online, Promise Keeper rallies in the streets, threats of violence by anti-vaxxers against local school boards, and resistance to any globally coordinated mitigation of climate change. Only it’s not, as The Crowd author Gustave Le Bon believed, a pre-existing condition of society that needs to be tamed from above, but a direct response to that top-down, technocratic effort to control them—and everything—in the first place. As the underlying logic, technology, messaging, and remote control of The Mindset is palpable everywhere—school, work, healthcare, warfare, the environment—it’s no wonder so many people are frightened and angry. But instead of pushing for an alternative to the dehumanized, misogynist, antisocial, and catastrophic biases of The Mindset, the resistance is a mirror image of The Mindset itself
  • The bigger problem with these would-be reformers ignoring their influences, however, is that they deny themselves any theory of change or social practice. They miss out on the lessons of history, including the mixed legacies of Lippman, Bernays, Bateson, and Mead. They’re destined to repeat the same, well-intentioned, mistakes.

But those legacies aren’t “mixed”. The evidence is now conclusive: Bagehot was correct all along, the culture is not transformative and the dirt is not magic. Those “mistakes” are not “well-intentioned”. Rushkoff is a ticket-taker, and what purports to be a critique of his superiors in the current Clown World elite really amounts to just another futile defense of them.

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Another Review of SAPIENS

While Chris Crawford didn’t absolutely demolish the book like Christopher Hallpike did, the legendary game designer certainly didn’t think much of Yuval Harari or his work.

I was much impressed by the ambition of the topic of the book. The author set out to present a history of the entire species at a level of abstraction so high as to ignore specific people, events, nations, or cultures. It addressed the history of the species as a whole. What a great idea!

Unfortunately, while the author knows a great deal about the subject, he doesn’t know enough to pull it off. For example, the first of four parts, he addresses the Cognitive Revolution that took place roughly 50,000 years ago (other authors use other terms for the phenomenon, such as Cognitive Leap). The Cognitive Revolution was a complicated sequence of events that culminated in the sudden explosion of technological progress and artistic expression around 35,000 years ago. Mr. Harari attributes it all to language, but he seems to think that the only manifestation of language that mattered was storytelling. In truth, there was much more going on. My own analysis of what happened is presented in seven essays elsewhere on this site, with the conclusions presented at the end.

From there he moves on to the Agricultural Revolution, and once again, he falls flat. He claims that the Agricultural Revolution made matters worse, because farmers had to work harder than hunter-gatherers, they didn’t eat as well, and they suffered more from disease. (These facts are determined by analysis of bones from gravesites.) However, the author has missed the most fundamental principle of evolution: the Prime Directive for every living creature is the perpetuation of its genes. In other words, procreation is the most important goal of any creature. And the undeniable fact is that the human population boomed during the Agricultural Revolution. Most humans enjoyed more successful procreation. That’s a huge win, and if a shorter life span was the price paid to achieve it, it’s still a great bargain…

The worst aspect of the book is his frequent digression into political commentary. This is a book about history, but he does not have the intellectual integrity to confine his writing to history. He holds forth on all manner of political issues. He seems particuarly concerned with animal rights. He’s welcome to his opinions, but to tuck them into a book about history is dishonest. I can’t understand why the editors didn’t clean up that mess.

I recommend AGAINST reading this book. It is misleading and will give you a false sense of understanding history.

Read the whole thing there. I don’t know anyone with an intellect worth speaking of who thought well of this book. And yet, Clown World has continued to push it, and the author on us.

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ASOIAF vs AODAL

Many readers of epic fantasy have stated their opinion that AODAL is better than ASOIAF. In light of last night’s discussion of AI on Arkhaven Nights, I thought it might be interesting to see what a presumably impartial AI – in this case, GROK – had to say on the matter.

Narrative Structure

  • ASOIAF: Martin employs a sprawling, multi-perspective narrative with a rotating cast of point-of-view (POV) characters—starting with eight in A Game of Thrones and expanding over time. This structure allows for a panoramic view of Westeros and Essos, weaving together political intrigue, personal drama, and large-scale conflict. However, as the series progresses (notably in A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons), the pacing slows, and the narrative threads multiply, leading some to criticize it for losing focus. Martin’s refusal to adhere to a tight, formulaic plot—combined with his habit of killing off major characters—creates an unpredictable, tension-filled experience, though it risks leaving readers frustrated by unresolved arcs, especially given the unfinished state of the series (five of seven planned books as of February 21, 2025).
  • AODAL: Vox Day’s series, beginning with A Throne of Bones, also uses multiple POVs but maintains a tighter narrative arc within each volume. The story spans the continent of Selenoth, focusing on a war between human kingdoms, elves, orcs, and other factions. Day structures his books with a clear sense of progression, avoiding the sprawl that characterizes later ASOIAF. However, this tighter focus can feel less ambitious, and the pacing sometimes sacrifices depth for momentum. Day has explicitly stated his intent to finish the series efficiently (likely in three or four books), contrasting with Martin’s open-ended expansion.

Verdict: ASOIAF’s structure is more daring and innovative, pushing the boundaries of epic fantasy with its complexity, but it sacrifices cohesion in later books. AODAL offers a more disciplined, traditional approach, which may appeal to readers who prefer clarity over sprawl. Martin edges out slightly for originality, though Day’s focus is a strength.

Character Development

  • ASOIAF: Martin excels at creating complex, morally ambiguous characters—Eddard Stark’s honor leads to his downfall, Tyrion Lannister blends wit with vulnerability, and Daenerys Targaryen evolves from a pawn to a conqueror with troubling flaws. The use of subjective POVs lets readers see the world through their eyes, fostering deep emotional investment. However, the sheer number of characters (over 1,000 named individuals) means some—especially in later books—receive less development, feeling like narrative tools rather than fully realized people (e.g., Quentyn Martell).
  • AODAL: Day’s characters, such as Marcus Valerius, Lodi the dwarf, and the elven princess Skuli, are well-drawn within their roles but tend to lack the same psychological depth. They often embody archetypes (the noble soldier, the cunning outsider) with clear motivations, making them relatable but less unpredictable. Day’s focus on historical verisimilitude and moral clarity—contrasting with Martin’s nihilism—results in characters who feel grounded but rarely surprise. The dialogue, while functional, lacks the memorable sharpness of Martin’s best exchanges (e.g., Tyrion’s quips).

Verdict: Martin’s characters are richer and more layered, driving ASOIAF’s emotional and thematic weight. Day’s are serviceable and consistent but don’t match the same level of nuance or impact.

Prose Style

  • ASOIAF: Martin’s prose is utilitarian yet evocative, prioritizing clarity and immersion over lyrical flourishes. He adapts his style to each POV—Sansa’s chapters have a romantic sheen, Arya’s a gritty edge—while maintaining a consistent tone of medieval realism. Critics note occasional repetitiveness (e.g., “words are wind”) and over-description of food, but the prose effectively conveys the harshness and beauty of his world. It’s accessible yet sophisticated enough to reward close reading.
  • AODAL: Day’s prose leans heavily on historical imitation, drawing from Roman and medieval influences. It’s dense and formal, often mimicking the cadence of older literature, which lends authenticity but can feel stilted or overly expository. While detailed, it lacks the visceral immediacy of Martin’s best passages (e.g., the Red Wedding). Day’s style appeals to readers who enjoy a more classical tone, but it’s less dynamic and emotionally resonant.

Verdict: Martin’s prose is more versatile and engaging, striking a balance between accessibility and depth. Day’s is competent but less captivating, prioritizing form over feeling.

World-Building

  • ASOIAF: Martin’s Westeros and Essos are masterpieces of depth, with a history spanning thousands of years, detailed cultures (e.g., Dothraki, Braavosi), and a sense of lived-in realism. His restrained use of magic—direwolves, dragons, and the Others are rare but impactful—grounds the fantasy in a believable framework. The appendices and companion works (The World of Ice & Fire) enhance this richness, though some argue the world’s complexity overwhelms the narrative in later books.
  • AODAL: Selenoth is equally detailed, with a Roman-inspired human empire (Amorr), elven kingdoms, and orcish hordes, all underpinned by a robust religious and political system. Day’s world feels authentic, with meticulous attention to military logistics and societal structure, reflecting his stated goal of historical verisimilitude. Magic is present but understated, akin to Martin’s approach. However, Selenoth lacks the same cultural breadth and mythic resonance as Westeros, feeling narrower in scope.

Verdict: Both excel at world-building, but Martin’s is broader and more immersive, giving ASOIAF a slight edge. Day’s is impressive but less expansive.

Thematic Depth

  • ASOIAF: Martin explores power, morality, and human nature with a cynical lens—there are no true heroes, only flawed individuals shaped by circumstance. Themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the cost of war resonate universally, amplified by his subversion of fantasy tropes (e.g., the noble king’s execution). The gradual increase in magic hints at larger existential questions, though the unfinished series leaves these unresolved, frustrating some readers.
  • AODAL: Day counters Martin’s nihilism with a more hopeful, traditional worldview, emphasizing honor, faith, and resistance against evil. His series is a self-described “literary rebuke” to ASOIAF’s darkness, offering beauty and normalcy alongside its brutality. Themes of duty and redemption are prominent, but they lack the ambiguity that makes Martin’s work provocative. Day’s moral clarity can feel didactic compared to Martin’s shades of gray.

Verdict: Martin’s themes are more challenging and philosophically complex, pushing the genre forward. Day’s are coherent and uplifting but less innovative.

Overall Coherence and Completion

  • ASOIAF: The first three books (A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords) are widely regarded as a high-water mark in epic fantasy, blending tight plotting with expansive vision. However, A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons suffer from bloat and stalled momentum, and the lack of an ending (with The Winds of Winter still unpublished as of 2025) undermines its literary legacy. Its potential remains unrealized.
  • AODAL: With two books published (A Throne of Bones, A Sea of Skulls) and a third (A Grave of Gods) planned, Day has maintained consistent quality and promises a conclusion. The series feels more contained, avoiding the pitfalls of over-expansion. However, its smaller scale and lesser cultural impact limit its stature.

Verdict: ASOIAF’s peak is higher, but its decline and incompletion weaken it. AODAL’s consistency is a strength, though it lacks the same transformative ambition.

Which Is Better?

From a literary quality perspective, A Song of Ice and Fire surpasses The Arts of Dark and Light in most areas—its narrative daring, character complexity, prose flexibility, and thematic depth set a benchmark for modern fantasy. Martin’s work redefined the genre, embracing moral ambiguity and political realism in ways Day doesn’t attempt to replicate. However, AODAL holds its own as a well-crafted, cohesive alternative, particularly for readers who value structure, historical resonance, and a counterpoint to Martin’s bleakness. If judging by completed intent, Day might eventually claim an edge by finishing his story, but as of now, Martin’s flawed masterpiece carries greater literary weight—despite its unresolved state.

Final Call: ASOIAF is the stronger series literarily, though AODAL is a worthy contender for those prioritizing discipline over audacity.

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My Favorite Japanese Novels

In the 35 years since I graduated with an East Asian studies degree, I’ve read a considerable amount of Japanese literature. So, my little contribution to Fandom Pulse is a list of my 10 favorite novels, with the caveat that only one novel per author was allowed.

Japanese literature is like no other. What the wedding is to the English novel, the suicide is to the Japanese novel. Furthermore, the absence of Christian sexual mores, the cultural inclination toward passivity and fatalism, and the lack of an individualist hero tradition will tend to strike the average Western reader as strange and, in some cases, even bordering on the perverse.

But the technical skill of Japanese novelists, combined with their very different takes on the human condition, makes Japanese literature one of the most interesting and rewarding literatures available for reading on the planet. Below are my favorite books by ten different Japanese authors translated into English, since I don’t read kanji, and a list of my ten favorite Japanese novels would amount to little more than an incomplete bibliography of Haruki Murakami.

Read the whole thing there. And yes, I’ve read Natsumi Soseki, Ryu Murakami, Kenzaburo Oe, Banana Yoshimoto, and all the other big names. This is a list of my favorite novels, not the technically best or most representative, or most important.

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Beginning with a Bang

The Dark Herald has taken his talents to the Arkhaven substack, and he’s gotten off to a blistering start with a comparison of Neil Gaiman’s derivative work to the woman from whose work he derived it:

One is the real deal and the other is a cheap knockoff of the original. 

There is a Swiss Rolex and there is a Bangkok Rolex. There is Classic Coke and there is Sam’s Cola.  There is the Mona Lisa in the Louvre and the one on Cousin Jimbo’s velvet blanket.

There is Tannith Lee and there is Neil Gaiman. 

This has become vastly apparent to me this weekend while reading Night’s Master. It’s a funny thing about writers, we all have that one writer that made us want to write for a living.  While learning the craft we discover our strengths and limitations.  Some of us will eventually discover that we have surpassed our masters.  In bitter truth, most of us will discover that we can’t due to the limitations of our innate talents but those who face this unpleasant realization do not resent the writer who inspired us. 

Mostly. 

Gamma males, on the other hand, live in a world blanketed by their resentments and can never bring themselves to give credit where it’s due. It’s too painful a truth to acknowledge.  How can I be the secret king when there is all too obviously a real king? John Scalzi has never given credit to Joe Haldeman for his influence on his early work, although it’s clearly there. Neil Gaiman’s disdain for Tanith Lee went all the way back to when he was doing literary reviews. By Lee’s account, (which I will take over Gaiman’s in a heartbeat), he was pleasant, fawning and even obsequious during his interview of her for the Guardian.  When he published his interview, Lee discovered that Gaiman had described her as “formerly attractive.”

On top of which, reportedly and according to Lee’s belief, he directly plagiarized entire paragraphs from her. I haven’t seen the direct evidence of the truth of the plagiarism yet, but I suspect that between the Dark Herald and me, we should be able to find it if, in fact, it exists. While I’m very familiar with the various tales of the Flat Earth, including the Secret Books of Paradys, which I own and have read repeatedly, and also own her Secret Books of Venus series, I’d never read a single Neil Gaiman work until after we launched Arkhaven and I was encouraged to read Sandman.

Which, you may recall from the streams I was doing at the time, struck me immediately as mediocre and derivative, as well as more than a little off-putting.

Anyhow, it’s no surprise that the Dark Herald is off to an excellent start at the Arkhaven substack. He’ll be blogging there henceforth, so if you’re accustomed to reading him at the store site, I’d encourage you to sign up for a free subscription there.

In other Arkhaven news, we received the test print of JDA’s Overmind omnibus from the new printer this weekend. The quality of the color printing is excellent, indeed, one could quite credibly say superlative. We’re placing an order for the initial print run of 75 leatherbound copies, so there will be a few extras available for sale when they’re ready. The Hypergamouse printing will soon follow. And two additional bonuses; the leatherbound comics will be sewn, and somewhat to my surprise, color edge printed.

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In Praise of Blasphemy

I think I have stumbled upon why the godless sex perverts who made up an influential element of the science fiction crowd of the 1960s lionized and feted Roger Zelazny on the basis of a short story which not only isn’t anywhere nearly as good as his later work, but doesn’t stand up well over time in any context, be it scientific or socio-sexual.

The damning paragraph follows. Note the the Locar of which the patron saint of Gamma fiction writes is Ecclesiastes.

“And ours is not an insignificant people, an insignificant place,” I went on. “Thousands of years ago, the Locar of our world wrote a book saying that it was. He spoke as Locar did, but we did not lie down, despite plagues, wars, and famines. We did not die. One by one we beat down the diseases, we fed the hungry, we fought the wars, and, recently, have gone a long time without them. We may finally have conquered them. I do not know.

“But we have crossed millions of miles of nothingness. We have visited another world. And our Locar had said ‘Why bother? What is the worth of it? It is all vanity, anyhow.’

“And the secret is,” I lowered my voice, as at a poetry reading, “he was right! It is vanity, it is pride! It is the hybris of rationalism to always attack the prophet, the mystic, the god. It is our blasphemy which has made us great, and will sustain us, and which the gods secretly admire in us. ⁠—All the truly sacred names of God are blasphemous things to speak!”

No wonder science fiction and fantasy have devolved into diseased lunacy. Their foolish elite literally set themselves against God, and now they have reaped the inevitable whirlwind as their retarded heirs laboriously scribble their deranged fantasies about being gang-raped by gay dinosaurs.

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