John Ringo book to avoid.

[rhtufts]

Any John Ringo fans here will want to save your money on his latest book Tuloraid. The book was so awful I wrote my first amazon review to hopefully warn others.

The funny thing is the co-author didn't like my review so he has been calling me a dolt and telling me to sue my high school teaches in the comments section. I probably deserve it. I wish I could find the books afterward to post here its a retarded anti-atheist sermon about how dim so called "brights" are and anyone that can study history can easily see evidence of gods existence... bleh.

Here is my poorly written review on the book. Check out the comments, I'm a lurker here and every other forum I visit so I'm not very good at arguing with theists.

http://www.amazon.com/review/R2IHCT6SXN1GLO/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R2IHCT6SXN1GLO

.02
Russell

[Achán hiNidráne]

I note how he seems to ignore your basic argument while striving to insult your intelligence: HELLO! THE MUSLIMS PROBABLY HAD AS MUCH BLIND STUPID BELIEF IN THEIR RESPECTIVE IMAGINARY SKY TYRANT AS THE CHRISTIANS! WHAT EVIDENCE DO YOU HAVE THAT MINDLESS CREDULITY IN SPITE OFF PROOF (i.e. "faith) HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE OUTCOME OF THE BATTLE? WAS ALLAH ASLEEP AT THE SWITCH? DID YAHWEH REALLY HAVE THE MAGIC MILITARY MO-JO? HELLO???

I don't think I can use smaller words.

DAW seems to be the publishing house for American fascists who fancy themselves science fiction writers (e.g. John Ringo, David Weber, Orson Scott Card, etc.). I tend to stay away from anything published by them.

[rhtufts]

uugh he wont stop. This is why I always just lurk and read.

"JESUS, you are _hopeless_! Do you deny faith can be or is a factor in motivation?

You are a doltish ox masquerading as a human being. Try something simple: X+Y+Z > X+Z. All factors count. Where faith was equal, as it was, it devolves on other things. But in the absence of any difference in those other things, faith is a factor on its own.

You know, I'm not really angry with you. You're providing a perfect illustration of what I _was_ talking about: "Brights" tend to be something other than very bright.

And you're really not bright enough to comment, you know. "

[Audible Click]

I reported him for calling you a dolt. I'll go back and see if I can report him for anything else.

ETA: reported him twice more and clicked the button stating his posts were not helpful.

[Outback Jack]

Thanks for the warning. I loved the ACS books but the series has been getting progressively worse (The Hero is the exception. That one stunk on ice). I won't be buying this one either.

[rhtufts]

I loved the first four books and tolerated most of the books after. Eye of the Storm wasn't bad it was actually pretty good. But this one ruined everything for any future books.

.02
Russell

[Cactus Wren]

ObOH JOHN RINGO NO.

[Matthew Best]

John Ringo is way overrated. I much prefer the works of Paul George.

[Chaos]

I note how he seems to ignore your basic argument while striving to insult your intelligence: HELLO! THE MUSLIMS PROBABLY HAD AS MUCH BLIND STUPID BELIEF IN THEIR RESPECTIVE IMAGINARY SKY TYRANT AS THE CHRISTIANS! WHAT EVIDENCE DO YOU HAVE THAT MINDLESS CREDULITY IN SPITE OFF PROOF (i.e. "faith) HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE OUTCOME OF THE BATTLE? WAS ALLAH ASLEEP AT THE SWITCH? DID YAHWEH REALLY HAVE THE MAGIC MILITARY MO-JO? HELLO???

I don't think I can use smaller words.

DAW seems to be the publishing house for American fascists who fancy themselves science fiction writers (e.g. John Ringo, David Weber, Orson Scott Card, etc.). I tend to stay away from anything published by them.

Weber is a fascist? Perhaps you are confusing him with Mark Weber (of Holocaust denial fame)?

In any case, you should add Tom Kratman to your list.

[Squid]

DAW seems to be the publishing house for American fascists who fancy themselves science fiction writers (e.g. John Ringo, David Weber, Orson Scott Card, etc.). I tend to stay away from anything published by them.

Well, since I know David Weber personally, based on my experience I'd say you couldn't call him a fascist. His basic idea for the HH series was "Horatio Hornblower in space" and that might be coming off as a bit fascist. But his personal beliefs are far from it.

Squid

[Chaos]

Well, since I know David Weber personally, based on my experience I'd say you couldn't call him a fascist. His basic idea for the HH series was "Horatio Hornblower in space" and that might be coming off as a bit fascist. But his personal beliefs are far from it.

Squid

His portrayal of liberals is definitely annoying, but I´d consider this "typical US conservative" rather than "fascist".

[The Central Scrutinizer]

He's a great drummer.

[Outback Jack]

Heck, rhtufts, I'm even going to thank you again. Thank you!

I went to see a movie today and got there a little too early so I dropped by the book store next door. To my pleasant surprise, I found Ringo's book AND a new book by Terry Pratchett. Normally I would have been overjoyed to find books from 2 of my favorite authors! Instead I read/skimmed the Afterword you mentioned.

Another reviewer sums it up nicely,
To give you an idea of how it goes, it states on the first page that "We're not going to sit here and lecture you on the value of atheism vs. faith." They then spend five dense pages doing just that. (Your criticism is good too.)

Long story short, I'm now enjoying my new Pratchett book. The Ringo book is still on the shelf.

[rhtufts]

Heck, rhtufts, I'm even going to thank you again. Thank you!

I went to see a movie today and got there a little too early so I dropped by the book store next door. To my pleasant surprise, I found Ringo's book AND a new book by Terry Pratchett. Normally I would have been overjoyed to find books from 2 of my favorite authors! Instead I read/skimmed the Afterword you mentioned.

Another reviewer sums it up nicely,
(Your criticism is good too.)

Long story short, I'm now enjoying my new Pratchett book. The Ringo book is still on the shelf.


Cool glad to help!

And yes that other 1 star reviewer did a WAY better, far more in depth review of the book. Funny that Kratman hasn't said a word about that review preferring to call the much less articulate reviewer a dolt. lol

.02
Russell

[Achán hiNidráne]

but I´d consider this "typical US conservative" rather than "fascist".

There's a difference? :rolleyes:

[fuelair]

I have added my own review - look for a tag for Jack Chik Flicks

[Outback Jack]

And yes that other 1 star reviewer did a WAY better... review of the book. Funny that Kratman hasn't said a word about that review preferring to call the much less articulate reviewer a dolt. lol

Don't sell yourself short. You did fine. Especially about the quote/redact Krapman criticized. Unless Ringo/Kratman was using a dicta-computer from the original BattleStar Galactica series (damn I really wanted one of those things!), they PRINTED that first sentence because they wanted to. And I think they meant it. IMO the only reason they included that short phrase you cut was so that they could do exactly what they've done; Complain about the fact that they were called on their claim that their religion won the battle.

And, dude! You got to give the co-author crap! I don't know how many times I've wanted to do that. (Which is a pity because "Watch on the Rhine" is the only spinoff that I think is as good as the original 4 books).

Cheers!

P.S. It's nice to see another person in Texas share my views. I'm stuck in Keller for now.

[Outback Jack]

Hee-Hee! I just thought of another response for you.

JESUS, you are _hopeless_! Do you deny faith can be or is a factor in motivation?

How does one measure faith or motivation between 2 religious groups of people? Especially 2 religious groups of people in the 1500's?

Plus, isn't he taking the Lords name in vain?!? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Outback Jack]

Maybe another?

Try something simple: X+Y+Z > X+Z. All factors count. Where faith was equal, as it was, it devolves on other things. But in the absence of any difference in those other things, faith is a factor on its own.(emphasis mine)

So which was it? Was faith equal a factor in that battle (as you say) or was it not a factor(as you also say)? Inquiring minds want to know.

[quixotecoyote]

The only John Ringo I've read was his Empire of Man series.

I enjoyed the character development of the protagonist and the broad arcs of the story, but too many individual plot points were "screaming hordes of kamikaze barbarians throw themselves to their deaths on the superior firepower and elementary military tactics of our heros."

Were the rest of his books similar or worse?

[Chaos]

There's a difference? :rolleyes:

A subtle one, yes.

[rhtufts]

The only John Ringo I've read was his Empire of Man series.

I enjoyed the character development of the protagonist and the broad arcs of the story, but too many individual plot points were "screaming hordes of kamikaze barbarians throw themselves to their deaths on the superior firepower and elementary military tactics of our heros."

Were the rest of his books similar or worse?


The first four of the posleen war series were like that but in a good way.

Their dumb were smart, they have better tech we have better tactics, they have massive unstoppable hordes we have guys in armor suits. lol I would still recommend those four I enjoyed them, just don't waste time or money on the later entries.

[rhtufts]

I have added my own review - look for a tag for Jack Chik Flicks


I see some new reviews but don't see one by Jack Chik Flicks. Which one is yours?

[rhtufts]

Maybe another?

(emphasis mine)

So which was it? Was faith equal a factor in that battle (as you say) or was it not a factor(as you also say)? Inquiring minds want to know.

Yeah that's pretty much what I was trying to say. Oh well I let him have the last word. I'm to laid back for flame wars or arguments with pig headed theists.

Feel free to have at him if you want.

.02
Russell

[fuelair]

I see some new reviews but don't see one by Jack Chik Flicks. Which one is yours?

tagged Jack Chick Flicks not named. Hunter.:D



Battle of Lepanto was won by good military strategy and execution of the strategy, not by dog's interference. And due to the fact that IIRC Don John of Austria came down from Alcalar!

[fuelair]

Oops, "is gone by Alcalar" But then it has been 35 years since I read it. And here it is (G.K.Chesterton wrote it): http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/lepanto.htm

Basically, Don John opened a Can of WhuppAss on the Saracen fleet at Lepanto. Superior gunnery cut them a new one though the fleets were pretty evenly matched.

Ended even the thought of Saracen supremacy at sea.

[imjohn]

The guy arguing with you is the co-author of the book. In fact knowing the way publishing works Kratman probably wrote the book based on a synopsis by Ringo. He's defending his work, probably not the best way to spend his time, but, hey, plenty of writers do that.

[CriticalSock]

Good stuff Mr Tufts! This Kratman fellow seems to be foaming at the mouth while you are clearly stating your case. /bow

Oh, one thing. You're using "There" where you should be using "Their" in your last two posts. You were probably pretty mad though, so I won't hold it against you! :)

[rhtufts]

Oh, one thing. You're using "There" where you should be using "Their" in your last two posts. You were probably pretty mad though, so I won't hold it against you! :)


Well crap I always do that... maybe I should sue my english teacher. :D

[Ysidro]

The first four of the posleen war series were like that but in a good way.

Their dumb were smart, they have better tech we have better tactics, they have massive unstoppable hordes we have guys in armor suits. lol I would still recommend those four I enjoyed them, just don't waste time or money on the later entries.

And Baen has put all four books online for free. I just started reading the first one today. :D

[quixotecoyote]

And Baen has put all four books online for free. I just started reading the first one today. :D

Nifty. Thanks for the heads up. For free, I'll try just about anything.

[ponderingturtle]

His portrayal of liberals is definitely annoying, but I´d consider this "typical US conservative" rather than "fascist".

Well his portryal of the liberal party in the Maticoran house of lords sure. But the conservatives come off worse.

The reducing of characerchur has been noticable recently.

[ponderingturtle]

Nifty. Thanks for the heads up. For free, I'll try just about anything.

link (http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/)

[Ysidro]

Nifty. Thanks for the heads up. For free, I'll try just about anything.

Correctiong. ALL current novels are online free of charge. Even the bad ones. :p

[Achán hiNidráne]

Did I say DAW? I mean Baen! I apologize to all the find folks who work at DAW for my error.

[Chaos]

Did I say DAW? I mean Baen! I apologize to all the find folks who work at DAW for my error.

But then, Baen also has Eric Flint, who is anything but a typical US conservative... or any kind of conservative, from a US point of view.

[rhtufts]

Caught Kratman astroturfing asking his fans to post positive reviews. I changed my review to out him, if any of you are still interested.

http://www.amazon.com/review/R2IHCT6SXN1GLO/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R2IHCT6SXN1GLO

.02
Russell

[Simon39759]

This all behaviour seems somehow unethical to me...
Answering to bad reviews? Asking people to crash the reviewing sites on purely ideological grounds?

[fuelair]

Caught Kratman astroturfing asking his fans to post positive reviews. I changed my review to out him, if any of you are still interested.

http://www.amazon.com/review/R2IHCT6SXN1GLO/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R2IHCT6SXN1GLO

.02
Russell
Russell, you might want to do a bit harder look-up on the Battle of Lepanto - particularly re galleases and artillary and gunners not bowmen. Wiki is a fine place to start. Faith did not do crap for either side. Don John had better firepower and he used it to, as I said above, cut the Musslemen a new one. He did not need pederast priests for that, just shot and powder and the decks to hold them!!! But, you bet your butt ill Papa took credit for dog's influence on it!

[fuelair]

Re:Lepanto: the silly people even tell the truth about it: http://www.conservapedia.com/Battle_of_Lepanto

Lovethe description of the galleases doing their work - and it's effects.

[rhtufts]

Thanks for the link I never thought to look at conservapedia, not a bad article at all considering the source.

I'm done arguing with him, its pretty pointless. If you go to his website he seems to relish negative reviews and especially loves insults from "the left".

It makes me smile thinking about my edited review out there for forever with quotes of him telling people to post positive reviews.

.02
Russell

[fuelair]

Thanks for the link I never thought to look at conservapedia, not a bad article at all considering the source.

I'm done arguing with him, its pretty pointless. If you go to his website he seems to relish negative reviews and especially loves insults from "the left".

It makes me smile thinking about my edited review out there for forever with quotes of him telling people to post positive reviews.

.02
Russell

Ya done well!!!:):)

[shadron]

But then, Baen also has Eric Flint, who is anything but a typical US conservative... or any kind of conservative, from a US point of view.

Right, I think he's been identified as a Trotskyist. He was and is active in worker's groups and unionizing. I think his novels are pretty good, and not very politically biased, unlike Ringo's. He and Weber often collaborate.

[shadron]

Well his portryal of the liberal party in the Maticoran house of lords sure. But the conservatives come off worse.

The reducing of characerchur has been noticable recently.

Yes, but the ultra-conservatives come off even worse than the ultra-liberals do. The ultra-liberals are fools; the ultra-conservatives are evil.

[fuelair]

Yes, but the ultra-conservatives come off even worse than the ultra-liberals do. The ultra-liberals are fools; the ultra-conservatives are evil.

That is a fair description in real life.

[ponderingturtle]

Yes, but the ultra-conservatives come off even worse than the ultra-liberals do. The ultra-liberals are fools; the ultra-conservatives are evil.

Not in the new books, they introduced a noble conservative captain who is portraid as being inteligent and of upstanding moral character. The problem is what when you make one groups view on international politics correct and the others dangerously wong it is hard to give a ballanced view of their concerns.

The books have largely been adventure stories, only in the most recent books has the politics become such a major issue.

[ponderingturtle]

That is a fair description in real life.

A fair number of liberals in the books are also corrupt. Hence you get the liberal conservative alliance that pushes out the centrists and crown loyalists.

Honestly Baen books tend to have military science fiction and fantasy, so you have to expect that they will often portray the military as being beneficial in and of itself. And it will often tend to show military solutions as nessacary and the bad guys as being rather bad.

[Chaos]

Not in the new books, they introduced a noble conservative captain who is portraid as being inteligent and of upstanding moral character. The problem is what when you make one groups view on international politics correct and the others dangerously wong it is hard to give a ballanced view of their concerns.

The books have largely been adventure stories, only in the most recent books has the politics become such a major issue.

There are a handful of sympathetic characters in the other parties now - Captain Oversteegen for the Conservatives, Cathy Montaigne for the Liberals, Captain Zilwicki for the Crown Loyalists. But then, even in its pure villain days, Haven had more sympathetic characters than all the Manticoran parties taken together.

[ponderingturtle]

There are a handful of sympathetic characters in the other parties now - Captain Oversteegen for the Conservatives, Cathy Montaigne for the Liberals, Captain Zilwicki for the Crown Loyalists. But then, even in its pure villain days, Haven had more sympathetic characters than all the Manticoran parties taken together.

Baroness Morncreek was always a simpathetic liberal. She was just not in many of the books.

[ponderingturtle]

Oh to speak to reading too much into the politics of a books as the intention of the author.

Why are those who are bashing these books not bashing Tolkien, I mean does anyone here actualy believe that a divine right monarchy is the best form of goverment?

[shadron]

DAW seems to be the publishing house for American fascists who fancy themselves science fiction writers (e.g. John Ringo, David Weber, Orson Scott Card, etc.). I tend to stay away from anything published by them.

Did I say DAW? I mean Baen! I apologize to all the find folks who work at DAW for my error.

Nice correction there. You might have noted that the most prolific writer/editor Baen has, Eric Fint, is an leftist ex-union organizer. Also, Orson Scott Card doesn't write for them. Perhaps it isn't that they love conservatives, but rather that most military fiction (their specialty) writers might simply tend to be conservatives.

Sorta wiped out on that opinion, altogether.

[shadron]

There are a handful of sympathetic characters in the other parties now - Captain Oversteegen for the Conservatives, Cathy Montaigne for the Liberals, Captain Zilwicki for the Crown Loyalists. But then, even in its pure villain days, Haven had more sympathetic characters than all the Manticoran parties taken together.

I liked Rob S. Pierre. Cut-throat, yes, but his heart was in the right place. Sorta.

[Chaos]

I liked Rob S. Pierre. Cut-throat, yes, but his heart was in the right place. Sorta.

I was thinking more of Theisman, Tourville, Giscard, Yu, Caslet, Foraker, Pritchard... even "Citizen Admiral Cluster Bomb" McQueen.

[ponderingturtle]

I liked Rob S. Pierre. Cut-throat, yes, but his heart was in the right place. Sorta.

He was likeable in the first book.

[ponderingturtle]

Nice correction there. You might have noted that the most prolific writer/editor Baen has, Eric Fint, is an leftist ex-union organizer. Also, Orson Scott Card doesn't write for them. Perhaps it isn't that they love conservatives, but rather that most military fiction (their specialty) writers might simply tend to be conservatives.

Sorta wiped out on that opinion, altogether.

Or military fiction might come across as being facist, as it tends to glorify the military. Ringo and is one of the few I have seen make a point about intentionaly bringing in contemperary politics into his books.

[applecorped]

John Ringo is way overrated. I much prefer the works of Paul George.

:D

[shadron]

Or military fiction might come across as being facist, as it tends to glorify the military. Ringo and is one of the few I have seen make a point about intentionaly bringing in contemperary politics into his books.

One other person that does that is Dale Brown, but his genre is military thriller (ala Clancy) rather than military SF. The rest in that genre also avoid current politics, with only an occasional genuflection in the direction of Ronald Reagan.

[shadron]

I was thinking more of Theisman, Tourville, Giscard, Yu, Caslet, Foraker, Pritchard... even "Citizen Admiral Cluster Bomb" McQueen.

Yeah, they're good ones. Also Mr. Cachat, the spy. I think Weber is having loads of fun exploring role reversals, which is an interesting change from his earlier plot line of we're totally right, and they're totally wrong. Now we see a rogue corporation coming out of the woodwork as the baddies.