roseembolism (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
roseembolism) wrote2011-11-13 01:10 pm
roseembolism) wrote2011-11-13 01:10 pm
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Those stories you're embassed to have once liked
We've all done it. We've all read those books or stories that at the time we thought were wonderful, they spoke to us. Later on though, with more maturity or simply perspective, we realize that not only are those stories bad, but we are actually embarrassed that we ever liked them.
For me, one of the big embarrassments in my reading past is Emergence, by David Palmer. At first as a callow youth I thought this story of a genius 11 year-old girl traveling across an America where a plague wiped out 99.9% of humanity was a fun adventure story...but then on later reflection the creepiness started surfacing. The Mary Sue nature of the protagonist (black belt genius who everyone wants to sleep with), the elitist "Fans are Slans" distinction taken to the genetic level (the plague wiped out all the mundanes, you see), the far, far right wing politics (all Communists are evil psychopaths who must be killed), the pedophilia, and of course, the telepathic macaw. Oh god, the telepathic macaw. The book is really like a parody of a bad post-apocalyptic novel, except serious.
There's also The Harper Hall trilogy, which has Menolly as the definition of a Mary Sue (literally everyone except her parents and the bad guys loves her). And anything I read by Ann Ricin. And finally, Enders Game, about which enough has been written.
So let's hear it people- what are some stories that you're embarrassed to admit you ever liked?
For me, one of the big embarrassments in my reading past is Emergence, by David Palmer. At first as a callow youth I thought this story of a genius 11 year-old girl traveling across an America where a plague wiped out 99.9% of humanity was a fun adventure story...but then on later reflection the creepiness started surfacing. The Mary Sue nature of the protagonist (black belt genius who everyone wants to sleep with), the elitist "Fans are Slans" distinction taken to the genetic level (the plague wiped out all the mundanes, you see), the far, far right wing politics (all Communists are evil psychopaths who must be killed), the pedophilia, and of course, the telepathic macaw. Oh god, the telepathic macaw. The book is really like a parody of a bad post-apocalyptic novel, except serious.
There's also The Harper Hall trilogy, which has Menolly as the definition of a Mary Sue (literally everyone except her parents and the bad guys loves her). And anything I read by Ann Ricin. And finally, Enders Game, about which enough has been written.
So let's hear it people- what are some stories that you're embarrassed to admit you ever liked?