Just In Case You Think Everybody Loves Me
Posted on February 12, 2007 Posted by John Scalzi 26 Comments
This quote about me (or at the very least, my writing) that I found out there on Teh Intarweebs:
His writing drips with the unappealing mixture of flop-sweat and legitimate perspiration of someone trying much, much too hard to be clever.
Love it. Putting it in the .sig quote bank as we speak.
You gonna tell us where you found it?
Not entirely sure this fellow deserves to be inundated by a bunch of Whatever readers merely for expressing a snarky opinion. If the fellow wishes to out himself, he can do so. I’m fairly sure word will travel to him that he’s been quoted.
Also, of course, if people find out where I found this quote and choose to respond, I would hope they would do so politely.
“His writing drips ”
See, and I thought that was just excess Squee from the other cool things happening. Yuck. I hope Tide or Surf will get that out.
I need to get back to writing that macro for all the other good reviews. It’s either that or RMI (repetitive motion injury) therapy.
Finally finished OWM:
http://www.skyseastone.net/jvstin/unjvst/006387.html
“Just In Case You Think Everybody Loves Me” Huh? You’ve got us all wrong, John, secretly we hate you, ALL of us. We have meetings, there’s a secret handshake and everything. We’re thinking of having T-shirts printed, but nobody wants to pony up the money.
“…unappealing mixture of flop-sweat and legitimate perspiration…” Yeah, see THAT’s why your books don’t sell, right there.
That rules. I should be so lucky to ever get something like that said about me or my writing. You’ve really arrived.
It seems like he would have done better to pick one kind of badness-sweat and go with it; as it is, I am forced to wonder what the difference is between the sweat types, and how the reviewer was able to separate one from the other.
Just finished OMW (what’s with the OWM abbreviation in the review?) myself. For the second time. Loved it. Both times, though maybe more the second time.
Itching to read more Scalzi. Very soon.
So… thanks, man!
Don’t worry, he will soon be sleeping with the fishes. Is that polite enough?
Jim Wright, shhh, man. The plans aren’t ready yet. Not all assets are in place, and the tub of mayonaise hasn’t rippened with all the cold weather. Now you’ve tipped him off.
Scalzi sweats?!?
Hmmm… This is going to change things.
Dan – yeah – that’s really going to throw off the calculations on skin conductivity. I’d estimate the resistance will be 5 or 10 ohms lower.
People often confuse “popularity” with “being loved by everyone”. It doesn’t work that way.
In fact, the most popular writers will also, paradoxically, be the most resented.
Or look at it this way: if you don’t fancy a particular writer’s book but he’s not widely read, you have no reason to resent his success because there isn’t any.
On the other hand, IF the writer whose book you don’t fancy does get very popular, your sense of cosmic injustice is alerted…
If the fellow wishes to out himself, he can do so.
Another reason we like you, John — you’ve got class.
(You guys think that might lull him back to his false sense of security?)
Hmm. A Google search of “flop sweat and legitimate perspiration” turned up nothing but this entry.
John, did you let your multiple personalities out to play again?
There are more things in heaven and earth, my dear Joe Rybicki, than are dreamt of in Google’s search engines.
Sounds like a familiar tone to me. Could it be a blast from our collective past, or has the torch been passed?
It’s not who you’re thinking it is, Rob. I think that fellow has quit the Internet or something.
Are you insinuating that Google does not know everything?! Scandalous! Blasphemy! A non-believer! Persecute! Kill the heretic!
*runs of to gather a mob and outfit it with enough torches and pitchforks*
Don’t move! I’ll be right back!
I think it is time for the comfy chair!!!!
Just to be fair, the comment was about the cereal post yesterday on the Whatever, not the books.
And no, I am not him.
Mmmmmmmm, flop sweat.
Yeah John, what’s up with all this flop sweat everywhere?
I’ve had to wipe my monitor twice already :)
(Seriously though, it just sounds like sincere jealousy. Lucky you!)
I don’t know that it’s jealousy. I just don’t think the guy liked that particular piece of writing.
Hmmm, the quote seems to be commenting on itself; how ironic.
That might work as blurb on the back of a book. I’d wanna read to see what makes it so bad.