Knoxville 1863

Posted on June 2, 2010 | Comments Off on Knoxville 1863

Continuing the marketing of my battle novel “Knoxville 1863,” I discover that it’s been previewed at Bull Runnings, Pennsylvanian Harry Smeltzer’s popular ACW blog, which is primarily devoted to First Manassas (Bull Run in Union terminology). Thanks, Harry.

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0 responses to “Knoxville 1863”

  1. Veeshir's avatar Veeshir | June 6, 2010 at 5:25 pm |

    I have to admit it’s taking me a long time to read your novel, “Leaving the Alamo”.
    I thought it was a novel about Texas.

    I don’t normally read books like that, what I’ve read so far is very well written, which from my perspective doesn’t make it easier to read.

    I read to escape reality, not to be depressed.
    I understand that soldiers have a real problem with returning from war. I don’t want to try to deny it, but I don’t want to wallow in it. That’s the same reason I won’t go to the Holocaust Museum. I know how evil the Germans are (Whenever I see the Band of Brothers episode where they find a concentration camp I wish we had made our nukes a year earlier), all the Holocaust Museum would do is depress me unutterably.

    I try to really understand things, perhaps the word is “empathy”.
    I’m not trying to brag, but I really try to understand things, and there are many things I just don’t want to think about. I know they happen, and I wish I could stop it, but all I do is get impotently angry.

    It’s interesting but I think the problems our soldiers have is because of how civilized we are.
    It’s much easier to kill when you’re not civilized. When you are, you realize that you’re killing people, not just the enemy.

    I’ll finish it eventually, but I can only take it in small doses.

    • Dick Stanley's avatar Dick Stanley | June 6, 2010 at 7:26 pm |

      It’s not a novel. It’s a collection of short stories about different people, all Texas veterans of Vietnam. I appreciate you trying. It is about Texas, but not to the degree you apparently envisioned. That’s why the subtitle is “Texas Stories After Vietnam.” If you do finish it, I’d appreciate a review at its Amazon page, whatever your conclusion may be.

      I have found that veterans and active-duty military (with some exceptions, of course) find the most enjoyment in LTA. So, if you never served, I’m not surprised it might bother you more than them. You might try the Knoxville novel, instead. It’s also not escape stuff, but its reality is 147 years old.

      I’ve been wondering why there are so many fantasy novels, about time-travel, witches, princes, elves, magic, etc. There are just scores and scores of them, most in the YA category but also for adults. Especially among the Indie authors. Not all are of theirs are well-written, I’m sure, but some are bound to be. Your attitude may explain why they exist in such abundance. Not that I don’t enjoy escape myself, though generally in hard science fiction. I’ve thought about trying to write a fantasy novel. But I just don’t think I have one in me.

  2. Veeshir's avatar Veeshir | June 7, 2010 at 6:11 am |

    I don’t read fantasy much anymore, I did go through a phase when I was in my early 20s, I do read hard sci-fi and military sci-fi.

    I also read histories and historical fiction.
    I just don’t want to wallow in other’s problems. I have quite enough of my own.