LibraryThing Author:
Gary Wolf
Gary Wolf is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.
Random books from GaryWolf's library
Maximes Et Reflexions (French Edition) by La Rochefoucauld
Memoires d'Outre Tombe by FrancoisRene de Chateaubriand
A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful (Oxford World's Classics) by Edmund Burke
The Histories (Penguin Classics) by Herodotus
Chess Story (New York Review Books Classics) by Stefan Zweig
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Member: GaryWolf
CollectionsYour library (110), Currently reading (1), All collections (110)
Reviews18 reviews
Tagsphilosophy (37), literature (26), fiction (22), political correctness (18), collectivism (13), conservative (13), freedom (12), western decline (11), marxism (11), liberty (11) — see all tags
Cloudstag cloud, author cloud
GroupsAlternative Fiction, Ancient History, Classically Liberal, Faith and Reason, Free State Project (FSP) Readers, George Orwell, History at 30,000 feet: The Big Picture, Libertarian and Market Liberals, Randroids
Favorite authorsAristophanes, Honoré de Balzac, Gustave Flaubert, F. A. Hayek, Montesquieu, George Orwell, Roger Scruton, Jonathan Swift (Shared favorites)
About meMy literary mission can be summed up in one phrase: "Updating Orwell for the era of political correctness."
From 2000 to 2006 I lived in Paris, during which time I witnessed the breathtaking collapse of traditional European culture, set against the backdrop of the city’s aesthetic and historical splendor. The glaring contradictions that surrounded me were almost too much to bear.
I felt compelled to write, if only to record for posterity the hallucinatory reality. I authored a series of futuristic novels that have incorporated themes from the contemporary meltdown: political correctness, multiculturalism, the victim industry, declining standards, affirmative action, feminism, post-modernism, scientific hoaxes on a global scale, and the rest of the intellectual decadence that is reducing the greatest civilization of all time to a state of mental cacophony.
I invite you to read my novels. To see a brief synopsis or to read the first chapter, visit my website (http://awolcivilization.com) and click a book’s picture on the sidebar. The most recent novel, "The Kicker of St. John's Wood" (Feb. 2009), is listed first.
While you're there, you might want to check out my blog, which now features short speculative fiction.
I look forward to "meeting" you on LibraryThing.
Homepagehttp://awolcivilization.com/
Real nameGary Wolf
LocationAlbuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Emailcontact
awolcivilization.com
Account typepublic, paid
Connection NewsConnection News
URLs
http://www.librarything.com/profile/GaryWolf (profile)
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/GaryWolf (library)
Common KnowledgeSeries (12), Awards (42), Characters (127), Places (65)
Member sinceMar 6, 2009
Currently readingThe Plato Cult and Other Philosophical Follies by David Stove
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I'd certainly never heard of Volney and his Ruins, although I did learn about the Alien and Sedition Acts in high school and college.
But it never ocurred to me to ask, "just exactly who were these aliens?" Turns out Volney was at the top of that list...
If I may ask, do you have any thoughts about the religious content of my Why Is This Important section?
I have a feeling this is going to be the most controversial themeatic in my novel. In the story, you see, Volney befriends a Christian preacher (Reverend Power), a Muslim Mamelouk (Mohammed) and a Jewish jewelry merchant (Samuel). They join his conspiracy to overthrow Bonaparte at the latter's coronation ceremony in New Orleans.
But, predictably, religious differences between Power, Mohammed and Samuel almost scuttle the plot. It's then that Volney delivers his solution to the world's enduring religious conflicts. The three battling monotheists suddenly realize Bonaparte Is The True Enemy and the plot to overthrow him proceeds...
Before September 11 I wasn't going to focus on the religious content in Ruins of Empires at all. I was only going to build a plot based on the anti-Rousseau and pro-market themes. I'll just let people discover the religion section for themselves, I told myself.
I had a good draft going...and then 9/11 happened.
It didn't occur to me immediately, but after a while I realized the circumstances of the world required that, somehow, I incorporate Volney's solution to religious conflicts into my novel.
I had to start from scratch. And that's when I created the characters Reverend Power, Mohammed and Samuel...
Anyway, I don't really know you and I don't know your beliefs. But as someone who has lived in Paris and who has published books, I value your opinion.
So, if you can spare me a moment longer, I'm back to my original quesion: do you have any thoughts on the religious content of that new section? How do you think the religious themeatic in English-Turn (my novel) will strike Middle America?
Total honesty is fine by me. I'm not going to change my work, of course, but I always make a point to read a wide range of opinions.
Thanks again for your time and All Zee Best, TCW
posted by ThomasCWilliams at 10:09 pm (EST) on Nov 26, 2009
posted by goydaeh at 2:33 pm (EST) on May 1, 2009
posted by madhousemirror at 7:55 pm (EST) on Apr 14, 2009
I just wanted to thank you for your message and to let you know that I will be posting my review over at Amazon soon. I have posted my review of Workshop on my blog and my forum:
http://bookandmoviechat.blogspot.com/200...
http://monicalynn.proboards.com/index.cg...
I will be posting the review on some other sites as well. Again thank you for writing such a wonderful book and I will be looking at your other work too.
Monica
posted by crazy4reading at 8:54 pm (EST) on Apr 1, 2009
posted by jasmyn9 at 9:39 pm (EST) on Mar 31, 2009
I just wanted to let you know that I received my copy of The Kicker of St. John's Wood today. Thank you for the speedy delivery. I am looking forward to reading it and will be sure to share my thoughts with others.
-Emily
posted by redwood5 at 10:55 pm (EST) on Mar 27, 2009
;-p
jude
posted by jdthloue at 1:50 pm (EST) on Mar 27, 2009
I really enjoyed reading your long and careful review of Mark Steyn's book. I recently finished it, but haven't had a chance to post my own opinion.
All best wishes
Messpots
posted by messpots at 7:42 pm (EST) on Mar 7, 2009