[ life:revisited 2010 + 1 ]

I love to read :). From H.P. Lovecraft to Henry David Thoreau, Kurt Vonnegut to Richard A. Knaak, I have read many classics, and also many pop culture phenoms, such as Michael Crichton and Dan Brown. It is the latter that is the subject of this post. I have read all of Dan Brown's books. I was a fan of his style before DaVinci Code was even being advertised as a new release. I read Angels & Demons on a whim in O'Hare Airport, and I enjoyed it. I then read Deception Point and Digital Fortress, both ~ok~ novels, but nothing really in the same ballpark as Angels & Demons. Then I read DaVinci Code. I enjoyed it thoroughly, both for its semi-historical roots, and Brown's ability to draw so many aspects of a story into one point, and not lose anything in the convergence of the storyline. I recommended the book to many other friends, they read it and felt similarly about the work. Then a week or two passed, I moved on to an action novel by Matthew Reilly called Ice Station, and that was that. But apparently I was a little "behind the times".

I don't know how many of my readers (all 3 of them) pay attention to the reaction this book has caused, but its loyal readers and defenders are just this side of fanatics. But also the opposers are in the same boat, so its just another "Battle of the Crazies". Both sides' arguments are most likely logical, but the arguments are resting on one HUGE basic fallacy. IT IS FICTION NOVEL. As much as the conspiracy theorists (which I must digress, I am considered one, but at least I don't wear any foil hats) would love to believe that there are faults in religion's history, we do not know for sure. In addition, as much as the bible thumpers are calling this book heresy and Dan Brown the devil, they don't know how much of the backstory/history of this book is false. So, we are back to knowing jack and shit, and jack left town. I cannot say anything to solve this beast of an argument caused by a fictional work, except to say this book is supposed to be a fictional work, made to entertain the thoughts and exercise the mind, not to be taken as some controversial historical finding, which it seems to have become in the media and pop culture (which is, sadly, sometimes one in the same). This is not a good thing, I would rather see my money and time poured into archaelogical/palentological/liguistical/other-large-word historical research on this subject, but let the fiction writers write fiction, not history books. But that really isn't the issue, at least for me.

My biggest problem is the fact that after this book became such a runaway hit, and controversial topic, everyone thinks that writing on The Knights Templar, or the Holy Grail is now going to be some ground-breaking work that will gain the author the same fame. This is what bothers me about human nature, the propensity for some people to ride other's coat-tails to glory, or in this case, semi-stardom. Now you can't search Amazon without finding some book about religious conspiracy, secret societies, and the like. Also, I think the reason we are so hung up on grail mysteries and religious wrong doing is rooted in current, and semi current events. People losing faith in the Catholic Church, and Tom Cruise parading his Scientological involvement by beating down Oprah (I actually just think he is crazy, I think the Scientologists are really gonna regret signing him up) just to name a few. These societal effects, coupled with all of the incredible, absolute shit whe see on the TV and nightly news, have made other authors just not as inventive on new topics. Everyone is blinded by religious conspiracy, so I guess that they are only part to blame, because religious controversy is one of the only stimuli they are assaulted with. That, along with 9/11, SuperNanny, and Old Navy Commercials is what aspiring writers are given a barrage of if they happen to turn on the tube. I don't know. I am writing this just because I need some refreshment. I would love to see some new idea, some new goal of the American culture other than wiping out terrorism or watching Extreme Home Makeover. But, once again, I have no answers. I wish I could have a conversation with Plato, to get his feel on our society's climate and direction. Somehow I don't think I would like his answers.