Off Topic — HabitableZone

Off Topic » in reply to After all the comments in this thread I listened to it...

I'm a big fan of Sam Clemens but Sweeney does this better...
Gary — (archived)

R.L. said:

>I highly reccomend reading 'The Mysterious Stranger' and 'Letters
>From the Earth' by Mark Twain- It is NOT understated, and his
>satire is BRUTAL. He makes his point well...

"The Mysterious Stranger" and "Letters From the Earth" are both very good reads. Sam Clemens wrote them near the end of his life when he was feeling very bitter. A better book by Mark Twain from that period in his life is "Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven". It's fun to read, carries many of the same messages as "The Mysterious Stranger" and "Letters From the Earth" but has none of the bitterness. Someone once told me that "Letters From the Earth" was once banned and considered pornographic. I find that hard to believe but it's possible.

The key to writing anti-religious material is not pissing off your audience. Most people are super sensitive about their religion. If you want someone to think critically about religion then you have to sneak it up on them slowly and carefully. Julia Sweeney did this brilliantly. Sam Clemens also did it brilliantly in "Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven". Unfortunately he did it less brilliantly in "The Mysterious Stranger" and "Letters From the Earth" (again he was bitter and near the end of his life).

Gary

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