Accidentally offending readers

[Daniel Arenson]

Is Flaming Dove offensive?  I don't think so.  I certainly didn't intend it to offend.  But one reader read a few chapters, then stopped.  Because of his religion, he felt uncomfortable reading about a war between angels and demons, Heaven and Hell.  Okay, I don't know if he was offended per se, but he felt uncomfortable enough to stop reading.

Have you ever accidentally offended readers?  I don't see Flaming Dove as being a controversial book.  This isn't like the movies "Dogma" or "Religulous"; I'm not out to insult or attack religion.  I respect religion.  Flaming Dove is not a religious book, it's a fantasy novel.  Yes, it features angels and demons.  Yes, Michael the archangel is a character.  So is Beelzebub the demon.  But I also have a hot half-demon chick firing an Uzi, a huge black wolf who can tear demons apart, and a water gun firing holy water.  It's fantasy.

So what do you think?  Has this ever happened to you?  I know "33 AD" features Jesus; I wonder if that book offended anyone.  McAfee?

[EllenFisher]

Anything with religion in it (even peripheral religion) is going to offend someone, somewhere, at some point in time.  Don't worry about it.  If you took care to write books that could never offend anyone, then you'd spend your life writing the literary equivalent of oatmeal.

[Jessy]

I've mentioned it before, but my book offended my grandma because it's fantasy and there's magic in it. She's the kind of grandma who hates Harry Potter for the same reason, so I didn't feel too bad about it. She still read the whole thing though, which was sweet. She just made me promise not to write any more fantasy (which I won't...for awhile).

[Guido Henkel]

It hasn't happened to me yet, but I am pretty sure it is only a matter of time in my case particularly. Because I draw deftly from history and make historical references, liberally embellishing events and characters to the needs of my stories, I have no doubt that before long someone will come along who feels that I have misrepresented someone or something in an outright offensive manner.

[Joel Arnold]

Heck, some people wanted to ban the Harry Potter series, claiming it promoted witchcraft, and was therefore satanic, or something like that.

[Betsy the Quilter]

Is Flaming Dove offensive?  I don't think so.  I certainly didn't intend it to offend.  But one reader read a few chapters, then stopped.  Because of his religion, he felt uncomfortable reading about a war between angels and demons, Heaven and Hell.  Okay, I don't know if he was offended per se, but he felt uncomfortable enough to stop reading.

Have you ever accidentally offended readers?  I don't see Flaming Dove as being a controversial book.  This isn't like the movies "Dogma" or "Religulous"; I'm not out to insult or attack religion.  I respect religion.  Flaming Dove is not a religious book, it's a fantasy novel.  Yes, it features angels and demons.  Yes, Michael the archangel is a character.  So is Beelzebub the demon.  But I also have a hot half-demon chick firing an Uzi, a huge black wolf who can tear demons apart, and a water gun firing holy water.  It's fantasy.

So what do you think?  Has this ever happened to you?  I know "33 AD" features Jesus; I wonder if that book offended anyone.  McAfee?

It happens.  There are members of my family who won't read the Harry Potter books because they deal with "magic."  And I'm pretty sure they wouldn't read 33 AD--they wouldn't go to see "Jesus Christ Superstar" the rock opera because they didn't think it was respectful.  You have to be true to yourself and write honestly and let the chips fall where they may.  You'll win some (readers) and lose some (readers).

Betsy

[M.R. Mathias]

Is Flaming Dove offensive?  I don't think so.  I certainly didn't intend it to offend.  But one reader read a few chapters, then stopped.  Because of his religion, he felt uncomfortable reading about a war between angels and demons, Heaven and Hell.  Okay, I don't know if he was offended per se, but he felt uncomfortable enough to stop reading.

Have you ever accidentally offended readers?  I don't see Flaming Dove as being a controversial book.  This isn't like the movies "Dogma" or "Religulous"; I'm not out to insult or attack religion.  I respect religion.  Flaming Dove is not a religious book, it's a fantasy novel.  Yes, it features angels and demons.  Yes, Michael the archangel is a character.  So is Beelzebub the demon.  But I also have a hot half-demon chick firing an Uzi, a huge black wolf who can tear demons apart, and a water gun firing holy water.  It's fantasy.

So what do you think?  Has this ever happened to you?  I know "33 AD" features Jesus; I wonder if that book offended anyone.  McAfee?

Religious people drowned witches and Catholics murdered all throughout the inquisition....   I would'nt care if I were you.  In fact I'd send a few free copies to some churches.  the stink they raise will only boost your sales.  

[farrellclaire]

My latest review on A Little Girl answers that question with a resounding yes.  

Difference is I know I'm walking the line with those stories, I've been waiting for a review like that since I pressed publish.  I'm just surprised it took so long.  A story about angels and demons?  Not something I'd expect to be offensive.  It's fantasy, presumably not a personal belief or an effort to push any religion or belief onto another person.  I can't see how it would offend or upset someone because of their religion.    I'm not religious so maybe I'm missing something but I'm surprised a fantasy reader couldn't face reading a book about a war between heaven and hell.  I don't understand how anyone can be against books about magic either for that matter.  I just don't get it.  

[Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake']

Is Flaming Dove offensive?  I don't think so.  I certainly didn't intend it to offend.  But one reader read a few chapters, then stopped.  Because of his religion, he felt uncomfortable reading about a war between angels and demons, Heaven and Hell.  Okay, I don't know if he was offended per se, but he felt uncomfortable enough to stop reading.

Have you ever accidentally offended readers?  I don't see Flaming Dove as being a controversial book.  This isn't like the movies "Dogma" or "Religulous"; I'm not out to insult or attack religion.  I respect religion.  Flaming Dove is not a religious book, it's a fantasy novel.  Yes, it features angels and demons.  Yes, Michael the archangel is a character.  So is Beelzebub the demon.  But I also have a hot half-demon chick firing an Uzi, a huge black wolf who can tear demons apart, and a water gun firing holy water.  It's fantasy.

So what do you think?  Has this ever happened to you?  I know "33 AD" features Jesus; I wonder if that book offended anyone.  McAfee?

Wow, someone else who has seen Dogma. I got it because Alan Rickman was in it. Then it started out on the Asbury Park boardwalk with a big skee ball sign. I spent most of my childhood on the AP boardwalk playing skee ball. Strange movie.

[Daniel Arenson]

Harry Potter is a good example.  You know, when I wrote Flaming Dove, I honestly couldn't imagine it offending anyone... even religious people.  But you're right.  If Harry Potter offends people -- and those books are sweet and lovely and good natured -- certainly a book about angels and demons could.  

[JoeMitchell]

There are a few themes within my book that I expect will upset some people.  I figure it's just a matter of time.  On religion, there isn't much, but one line of dialog later in the book draws a direct parallel between religions and computer viruses.  I expect someone might get upset over that at some point, even though it was just a fictional character speaking in a fantasy story.

[Daniel Arenson]

Wow, someone else who has seen Dogma. I got it because Alan Rickman was in it.

I wasn't a big fan of Dogma, but I'll watch almost anything with Alan Rickman.

[daringnovelist]

Ellen is right.

Further, there are some religious where people are not so much offended as things are simply outside what is acceptable for their religion.  For instance, if you were to run a restaurant called "The Pig Pit" and served only pork at it, you would expect that no Jews or Muslims or Vegans would want to eat there.  You wouldn't assume you offended them (though some might take offense) - you'd just know that they do not eat what you  serve.  There are some Christian religions where no element of fantasy is acceptable, especially about things which are mentioned in the Bible.  Those people can't read your work.  Some don't feel like they _can't_ but they don't enjoy it.  It just makes them uncomfortable.

And then there are people who just live to be offended.  

So here's a little fable:

And old man and his grandson had a fine camel, and they were walking along the road, leading it by the reins one day when a passerby sneered at them.

"Look at you two, a fine camel and nobody riding it!"

So old man shrugged and put his grandson up on the camel's back.  And they went a long a little farther, and another passerby shouted angrily at the child.

"What kind of ungrateful child are you, to make an old man walk?"

So the grandson got off the camel and the old man climbed on, and they continued on their way.  The next person who passed shook her finger at the old man.

"What a selfish old man you are!  Making a poor child walk, while you, a strong grown up ride in style!"

So the old man called to his grandson to climb up with him, and they both rode along for a while, and sure enough people were shouting at them again.

"Animal cruelty!"

So they got off the camel's back and thought for a minute, and finally the old man picked up the front end, and the grandson picked up the back end, and they carried that camel all the way to their destination.

It was a heavy burden, but that's the burden you bear when you worry too much about what other people think.

Camille

[Tom Wood]

Well they're really gonna hate my angel-demon story when they all turn out to be space aliens. In drag.  

[Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake']

Harry Potter is a good example.  You know, when I wrote Flaming Dove, I honestly couldn't imagine it offending anyone... even religious people.  But you're right.  If Harry Potter offends people -- and those books are sweet and lovely and good natured -- certainly a book about angels and demons could.  

That woman in Georgia thinks HP promotes the wiccan religion and keeps trying to get the books banned. If she had read it, she would know that there's nothing even remotely wiccan about the wizarding world.

[Sean Sweeney]

Controversy sells.

[Sean Sweeney]

Well they're really gonna hate my angel-demon story when they all turn out to be space aliens. In drag.  

You'll let us know when that comes out, right?

[Daniel Arenson]

Further, there are some religious where people are not so much offended as things are simply outside what is acceptable for their religion.  For instance, if you were to run a restaurant called "The Pig Pit" and served only pork at it, you would expect that no Jews or Muslims or Vegans would want to eat there.  You wouldn't assume you offended them (though some might take offense) - you'd just know that they do not eat what you  serve.  There are some Christian religions where no element of fantasy is acceptable, especially about things which are mentioned in the Bible.  Those people can't read your work.  Some don't feel like they _can't_ but they don't enjoy it.  It just makes them uncomfortable.

That's a good point.  That might be the case here.

Love the camel story; I've heard that one before with a donkey. 

[Daniel Arenson]

Well they're really gonna hate my angel-demon story when they all turn out to be space aliens. In drag.  

Space aliens in drag, eh?  David Bowie would LOVE it.

[robertduperre]

I try to purposefully offend my readers as much as possible.  That way, I won't have to worry about the trappings of a large income.

[terryr]

John, don't let it bother you. Controversy sells. And like people have already said, no matter what you write, someone is going to take something the wrong way. Don't let someone's narrow mindedness ruin your joy in your new story. Stand by it. It'll be fine.

BTW, excellent parable, Camille, very excellent.

[Maria Hooley]

Yep, been there.  The only difference was mine was a short story entered in a contest.  It was a mainstream story, not horror.  The judge was so traumatized, she said she couldn't even judge it.  Did I mention it was a mainstream story, not horror?  I'm still not sure what that was about.

[Vianka Van Bokkem]

One of my books is titled "The Angel Vampire: A New Race is Born" and yes someone was offended by it. I did have a fan telling her not to read FANTASY books. lol

[daringnovelist]

Yep, been there.  The only difference was mine was a short story entered in a contest.  It was a mainstream story, not horror.  The judge was so traumatized, she said she couldn't even judge it.  Did I mention it was a mainstream story, not horror?  I'm still not sure what that was about.

And then there was the time that I wrote a poem about cooking rice, and it was rejected for being "too explicit."  I really didn't even want to imagine what she thought the poem was really about....

Camille

[swolf]

I'd be disappointed if I wrote a book that didn't offend anyone.