Book Burning
Perhaps these images are a bit extreme for what I’m about to talk about, but I’m pissed off and I’m going to use them anyway.
The images I’m using are from a time that, unless you were alive during it, we don’t often think about. A time of war, prejudice, and book burnings. But since then, we’ve come past that. We still deal with most of the same problems but at least we’re not still burning books, right?
Wrong.
Fiction Scribe readers, I am thoroughly disgusted at book destruction. Modern day book destruction. Not last year. Not even last month.
Book destruction for various reasons is still happening, and now it has touched me directly.
When I was younger, I found the book to the left: The Writers Complete Fantasy Reference: An Indispensable Compendium of Myth and Magic
I saved up and bought it. While I didn’t find it “indispensable”, I did find it a good resource in checking up on facts on basic fantasy. It says “myth and magic,” but it talks about traditional fantasy cultures, races, traditional dress and costumes, and much more. It was lovely for me, who, at the time, didn’t have a clue about medieval clothing.
I am currently not in possession of the majority of my books, which includes that book.
Or rather, used to include.
I received a letter listing what was left of my “inventory”. When it came to the list of the books, there was my fantasy reference guide right on top with a cheery little note on the side saying - “I destroyed this one. There’s demonology stuff in this and I can’t contribute to it.”
The people holding my books are strongly religious, which I have no problem with until they start to destroy my books because they happens to have “magic” or something similar in the title.
It’s a fantasy writer’s reference guide. It does not push any religion, worship, rituals, or anything else. Fantasy. Is there anything else I can do with the font to make that more clear?
Honestly, I don’t know what makes me more angry - that someone destroyed my property or that book destruction is still happening today.
It’s disgusting, and I am fuming. Absolutely. Fuming.
I thought we were in a better world than this.
September 24th, 2007 at 7:58 am
This makes me mad and it wasn’t even my book! I really hope you have found an alternative residing place for what is left of your books.
September 24th, 2007 at 8:22 am
This makes me angry. And what the heck were they doing going through your books in the first place??
September 24th, 2007 at 8:46 am
Who is holding your books? A relative? A friend? A storage company?
In any case, I would ask for your money for it. That’s unacceptable. It’s like burning a dress you own because they believe it’s too short or burning the food in your house because it’s too high in fat. We’re adults and we can make our own decisions. You’re out the money you spent on that book, so you should be reimbursed.
September 24th, 2007 at 9:18 am
[…] then I came across this story. She was storing her books, and the other person took it into her own hands to take of of them and […]
September 24th, 2007 at 9:19 am
Wow.
Suggested solution from a godless New Yorker:
Borrow their Bible. Send a note letting them know you destroyed if for the same reason they destroyed your fantasy book.
Fair’s fair.
September 24th, 2007 at 9:45 am
Ack! That would piss me off, too. My books are like old friends to me.
September 24th, 2007 at 10:43 am
I’m horrified.
what’s it going to take from us to:
1. Replace the books that were destroyed
2. Save the rest of your inventory and get it to you?
Drop me an e-mail if I can help. Whoever’s got your books needs to be relieved of that duty ASAP.
September 24th, 2007 at 5:27 pm
People who make judgments like these do it not out of any sense of right or wrong (otherwise they would respect your property) but from a sense of self righteous that comes from a need to exercise power and control. This is a form of abuse.
You have every right to be angry.
September 24th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
[…] offensive to someone else (even though it wasn’t theirs), but they chose to burn it instead. Read her story and get outraged on her […]
September 24th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
April - Yes, it made me absolutely furious. I’m hoping I can get the rest of them out to me before any more casualties happen.
Leslie - I’m glad I’m not the only one. I asked her to write down the titles so I can set a priority list of what I wanted shipped right away. Unfortunately, this happened.
Allison - I am planning on asking to be reimbursed for it. Had she opened the book, she would have seen there was nothing at all to do with demonology. Heck, if she had read the title properly, this might have been avoided.
And it is my mother who has the books. It adds insult to injury.
Mark - Ha! She might have a heart attack, though, and I certainly don’t want to be blamed for murder.
Kyla - As are mine. If she touches one more of them…
Susan - Thank you for your concern. It is a horrible, horrible day when this sort of thing happens. It’s disgusting and wrong.
The book is still available on Amazon.com and is thankfully cheaper than it was when I first bought it. I’ll get another copy eventually.
As for the other ones, it might involve sending what I can in a check and hoping the check isn’t put to other uses (like checks have been in the past).
Beth - Thanks for stopping by. What you made makes sense, given she’s abused me other ways. Why not go and destroy my property?
September 27th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
By all means…let’s burn all books that reference demons or magic in any way…The Bible has already been mentioned…Wizard of oz…The Grimm Brother’s fariy tales…The Koran…any of the filth Disney has put out in the last 5 decades…
September 27th, 2007 at 9:32 pm
[…] kid. I was reading about Allison’s site and she mentioned JM’s book burning incident . It has always amazed me when people get crazy about books…works of fiction…and there […]
October 1st, 2007 at 1:35 am
So, are you storing them with a friend or do you pay someone to store them for you?
If you pay them, have you thought about filing charges against them for destruction of property?
cjh
October 2nd, 2007 at 3:08 am
[…] week I am reading a book that one of my friends lost when someone close to her burned it. For the record, I would have never even known that The Writer’s Complete Fantasy Reference […]
October 6th, 2007 at 7:32 am
CJ - I’m storing them at my parents’ place, strangely enough. You think you know someone, eh?
I honestly think the only thing I can do is save up as much as I can and get the rest shipped out before she starts finding reasons to burn the rest of them.
October 6th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
Glad to hear you will be asking for the money back. Hate to hear someone would destroy a book, let alone a book that wasn’t even their book to begin with. UGH. I can’t even stand leaving a book behind when I move, can’t imagine hearing it was burned on purpose.
October 6th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
I had a very hard time leaving my books behind. They’re not quite my babies, so to say, but they are very special to me. Hearing that one of them had been destroyed made me absolutely furious.