Post by Larwi B'nu on Sept 13, 2006 14:30:25 GMT -5
I'm a big fan of books that use science fiction and/or fantasy to relate to real-life problems/issues. That's why I made mention of [Richard] Staub's book "Christian Wisdom of the Jedi Masters." But as well-written as that book was, I thought I should mention one that reads like it was written by a two-year-old, "The Phantom's Dark Force" by Moody Adams.
Yes, as far as I can tell, that is his real name - or maybe the author is a "she?" - but I have to warn you; this book is sooooo bad, saying that it sounds like it was written by a two-year-old is an insult to toddlers everywhere. In fact, Master Jorlac, your son could DEFINITELY write a better book than this!
OK, so the goal of this book was to re-enforce the idea that spirituality has two sides to it, the Light and the Dark, and that those who would ignore the existence of the Dark side of modern, real-life spirituality run the risk of being inadvertently seduced by it. Unfortunately, the diction is TERRIBLE, and Adams has this inane tendency to jump from one tangent to the other w/out the benefit of a discernible segue. Here's an example, and I'll let you be the judge....
"The Star Wars story has gripped hearts around the world because it explores the world of evil...Star Wars shows the horrible depth of wickedness. Darth Vader pushed a button and destroyed the peaceful planet Alderaan. It was a beautiful island suspended in a sea of Cirrus Methane, where the good Princess Leia Organa, a member of the Alderaan Senate and leader of the New Republic, had lived. The evil Darth Vader, Lord of Alderaan, destroyed the planet and all its people as easily as a person swats a fly...This dark story is told in Star Wars: A New Hope. Princess Leia is held prisoner on the Death Star spaceship...Like the dark Force of Star Wars, the depths of Satan's power on our planet goes to terrible depths. What Hitler did was as wicked as Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies...Just as the Skywalker family was persecuted for giving birth to Luke Skywalker, who had the power to overcome the evil Emporer, Satan has persecuted the Jews for giving birth to Jesus, who had the power to defeat him."
What?! Huh?!
I see what Adams is trying to do, and I appreciate it, but for cryin' out loud, it's painful just trying to read two paragraphs in this book! I felt like an English teacher trying to grade papers! Oh, the chopped prepositions! Oh, the mutilated form! Oh, the proliferation of periods and other punctuation marks!
Ugh. Terrible.
