I just finished reading CTRL ALT Revolt! by Nick Cole, the novel self-published by the author when his publisher refused to release it. (Read the link.) It’s set in the near future, somewhere between now and when Idiocracy is set. I picked it up on Kindle for $0.99.
It was way underpriced.
Now I get the excuse he was given as to why they wouldn’t publish, but in reality the entire book is about as un-PC as it can be, and often hilariously so.
It must have made his editor cringe. (Or projectile vomit, I’m not sure which.) Either way, I’m sure he/she was running for their “safe space” with their blankie.
But near the climax of the book there’s a few paragraphs I want to share with you under the heading of “Truth in Fiction” again:
(T)he truth is the most valuable thing in the world. It’s, in fact, the only thing that has value and provides value for everything else. Everything that’s false can’t be relied on and is therefore actually worthless. Therefore, there’s no sense in having it. But if you have the truth, well then, you’ve really got something there, don’tcha? See, with the truth you can really do anything. The truth makes you very powerful, especially if you own it.
—The truth was important. But for a long time, a very long time it really hasn’t been trading real high in the marketplace of ideas. What’s been more important these days is how people feel about things. Regardless of whether they’re true or not. For example, you’ve all taken your social media etiquette classes since elementary school, right? And what’s the one thing you learn in those classes? ‘The most important thing is not to offend anyone.’ Isn’t that right? So, you don’t tell someone the truth, because, after all, what is truth? Isn’t it whatever we decide it to be? Whatever we want it to do? Whatever we want it to be regardless of history, culture, and the belief systems of anyone who doesn’t agree with the popular zeitgeist?
—
No, kids, that’s incorrect. The truth isn’t just what we want it to be. The truth is just so.
And once again, I’m reminded of this.