They gave a funeral and I didn't care
Feeling a bit weird today about Tom Clancy's passing. A lot of people are very saddened by Mr. Clancy's death and understandably so. He was an immensely popular author with a rabid following, and a pretty amazing rags to riches (or at least polyester suits to riches) story. I feel like I should be sad, but I'm not.
I just don't like the guy. I never read one of his books and I don't like his politics. I think, because of things like Tom Clancy's Op Center, that his career arc is marked out by what's wrong with modern publishing. And he came across, to me anyway, as the kind of smug, entitled jerk who, once he made the big time, felt he could look down on anyone. But I feel guilty because I'm probably wrong. I felt the same way when Michael Crichton died.
After all, he doesn't fall into the "makes the world worse by being in it" category. He's not Jerry Falwell or Jesse Helms, so it's not like I'm going to dance a jig or anything. And like I said, I know many, many people, including friends of mine, are very sad right now-—as sad as I was when Jim Rigney or Mike Ford passed. But I'm not sharing in the sadness, and I feel the need to address it somewhere. So here it is, and I hope you don't mind.
And maybe somewhere Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton are hanging out, talking writing, and feeling good that so many people enjoyed their life's work.
I just don't like the guy. I never read one of his books and I don't like his politics. I think, because of things like Tom Clancy's Op Center, that his career arc is marked out by what's wrong with modern publishing. And he came across, to me anyway, as the kind of smug, entitled jerk who, once he made the big time, felt he could look down on anyone. But I feel guilty because I'm probably wrong. I felt the same way when Michael Crichton died.
After all, he doesn't fall into the "makes the world worse by being in it" category. He's not Jerry Falwell or Jesse Helms, so it's not like I'm going to dance a jig or anything. And like I said, I know many, many people, including friends of mine, are very sad right now-—as sad as I was when Jim Rigney or Mike Ford passed. But I'm not sharing in the sadness, and I feel the need to address it somewhere. So here it is, and I hope you don't mind.
And maybe somewhere Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton are hanging out, talking writing, and feeling good that so many people enjoyed their life's work.