Why You Should Lie About Being Married

I can remember some controversy here about partnered men claiming to be single to pick up strangers. But in my experience (and here's the research backing me up) you're better off claiming to be partnered, which influences strangers to believe you are more reliable and desirable. And you most likely are!

So if you're single, lie and claim you are married. Win! It also makes detaching yourself from your admirers ever so much easier.

John C. Wright

Craziness is apparently an occupational hazard for science fiction writers. Or at least extreme detachment from normal political and religious views. There have been many examples, from A.E. van Vogt and L. Ron Hubbard (responsible for creating Scientology) to the more recent ramblings of Orson Scott Card.

What should be a defining characteristic of science fiction authors is a willingness to step outside all frameworks of belief to see things from a different perspective. Interesting that a minority get swallowed up in oddball belief systems. Homophobia from a science fiction author seems particularly odd.

A new one on me (though I don't pay attention much) is John C. Wright, whose works (The Golden Age, Orphans of Chaos) I've really enjoyed. Brought to my attention by Charles Stross' posting.