In which I am insulted

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Commenters on Ray Lilly’s cage match have gotten pretty hot, calling Ray a “mary sue”, saying my writeup was weak, and a couple of other insults.

I don’t link to it because I want people to rush over to my defense (please don’t). I pretty much expected this and at least one of Bakker’s readers has already backed off and expressed regret at letting things get too serious. Besides, much worse has been said in Amazon.com ratings. No big.

Still: interesting human behavior and it’s cool to see that Bakker has such passionate readers.

Added later: I’ve tried twice to post a comment on that thread to say “No blood no foul” but my comments aren’t showing up. What’s more, the page won’t reload with newer comments, even after I clear my cache. I wonder what’s going on?

22 thoughts on “In which I am insulted

  1. I never even heard of the other character until this. Do comments like this ever make you consider doing things differently with your writing, or give you ideas?

  2. Neither, actually. I’m really busy trying to keep on top of my own stuff.

    And I’m not much interested in the sort of Superman ultra-powerful character that Kellhus represents. I don’t think I’d want to write one except as a villain.

  3. Don

    Amazing how heated that stuff gets, given how pointless the exercise is. I was delighted to get a chance to read a little more Ray Lilly – and get a little peek at his conflicts, post-golumn flesh – but what do people expect from a foible like genre-mashing head-to-heads?

    I guess it’s up for interpretation whether you’d be better off trying to match characters from similar genres. It’s not surprising high fantasy folks might not be all that excited by stuff in a noir/urban fantasy vein. But if you’re going to bother to mash stuff up why NOT mix it up a little?

  4. The comment I tried to make (but that hasn’t shown up) says, partly,

    Q: Why is university politics so bitter?
    A: Because there’s so little at stake.

    It’s all in fun and I’ve been called worse things on the Amazon.com reviews. :)

  5. Cas

    tbh, I think the “all-powerful” character archetype attracts the munchkin players (By that, I dont mean the wonderful card game, more the player type the game was based upon, that need to be the best at everything) and these people are also the ones who ‘simply cant accept that someone this powerful would lose’.
    These are the character types I used to drop mountains on. oops, you’re buried under 4 miles of land. yes you may even survive that. good luck eating for the next 8 weeks while you dig your way out with a spoon!

    This cage match has two upsides, in my opinion.
    1, advertising! yay, new people buying books means maybe a book 4… you know you want to.
    2, the whining munchkins will either stay clear, leaving the good reading to us, or will suddenly realise why having flaws is good!
    3, maybe a book 4! (yeah, I know, there is no three)

  6. fafner

    i think you see it wrong they dont cry about that he lose it is the way how he lose

    the way that ray walk to him beat the shit out of him and then eat him is something he dont even do in his own books

    and to be honnest he cant do that stuf by some1 in the Twenty Palaces world who rank at primary or higher and that is what they are angry about

    see for better write up that from anomander rake and Mellorin Rebaine

    my point is ray can win by his normal luck tactic but not this way

  7. jury

    50 over comments and counting. i think it’s the most discussed fight right now. it’s good for your publicity ray.

  8. jury

    but my advice is to let your readers defend ray and not join in the fray. or better yet, let ray defends himself.

  9. vath

    I think the way in which he’s spoke in the thread so far has been fine, but I agree with you on principle jury. Even a slightly derogatory comment would make him look bad.

    I’d reccomend against trying to post that comment of yours Mr. Connolly. Although it sounds like your trying to lighten the mood it probably will come across as condescending twards other fans arguments.

  10. Well, you know.

    I do hope there will be an uptick in sales, but not so far. I’m guessing these early rounds are only bringing in the readers of the two sides and as you can guess those guys aren’t buying.

  11. I don’t want to jump in to defend my writeup (not any further, at least) but I would like to see an end to insults. Spectre being condescending and contemptuous of other commenters looks bad for the other author, and that’s not fair to him.

  12. fafner

    point is even when the mages in bakkerverse are extreme strong they got 1 weakness that is anti magic look it up on wiki and you see is it

    instead of beating him up like that make the paper knife act as a anti magic item he dodge first time paper knife comes back and he is turned in salt that is wat i mean with luck and tactic

  13. fafner

    also the whole walk to someone and kick is ass is more like the peer way

    he is so good as mage killer because he thinks like a normal person and not a wandering tank

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