Quote:Ringo is very, very, very political. And very very polarising.
It is true that these words - these concepts, really - have instant emotional impact. It means that writing stories that swim counter to the current on these ideas will net you opposition Just Because - in places, it will net you passionate opposition.
It does not inherently mean that those who choose to take that gambit are either a) Bad Writers or b) Bad People. Those questions come down to what you *do* with it.
That doesn't make him a bad author, though. I'm using the word "bad" not as a measure of literary quality, but a yardstick of financial success.
He is a success. That can't be denied. He's published, widely printed, and a bestselling author. For whatever reason, lots of people buy his books.
Now, I'm just speculating here, but it's possible that...part of his success may be due to, I dunno, his tackling of delicate issues head-on, as it were. In a less than sensitive fashion.
Lord knows parts of his books have made me wince, put then down, and just walk away, because I literally wasn't able to continue reading until I calmed down a little.
That said...that kind of thing really does make you think about the issues involved. Be they...hm, I dunno, militant terrorism in the Islamic world, or BDSM sexual practices.
'course, you know the old saw. The two things you should never discuss in polite company are politics and religion. But if you don't talk about 'em, what's left to talk about?
Granted, I don't know if sparking debate or thought about the matter is Ringo's intent, or simply an accident. Maybe he simply uses such subject matter to make his action yarns more "gritty"... like a goth kid with excessive makeup for club cred. Hard to say. It depends on how much literary credit you wanna give him.
In terms of his prose and ability to structure a narrative...I think he's a decent writer. I've read some of his stuff, and mostly enjoyed it, on balance. He does good action, and he understands military stuff. If I remember correctly, John Ringo did serve in the Airborne, so he knows what he's talking about.
Personally, I view his stuff like...an action movie. Light entertainment, but not to be taken that seriously.
-- Acyl