Just a few minutes ago, a good story took a turn for the horribly wrong.
I was going to post this in the "Books you tossed across the room" thread (so, if preferred, a mod should feel free to move it there) but my disgust cannot be contained at the end of a long thread.
While I'm not going to name the title and author (since she is unpublished), I've been reading a psychological horror, Lovecraftian-influenced, chapter-a-week story for a little while now. The writing style is good, the concept is very interesting and her characterization is excellent.
However, she crossed the line today. See, the MC has been living with the one person who he can see as a human being (everyone else looks like a oozing monster). He perceives this person as a twelve year-old boy, despite the character's obviously adult intelligence. Up to date, their relationship has been cute and heart warming.
Today's chapter was all about how her staunchly moral, strong-willed adult MC gives the boy a "physical" and, when the boy gets aroused and begs for sex, they make wild passionate love.
The only time the MC considers (briefly) that this might be pedophilia is when the boy says that he's actually TWO YEARS OLD instead of twelve.
I was appalled. Disgusted. The moment I saw the scene was leading to sex, if I could have thrown it roughly across the room I would have. An otherwise good story was turned into nothing but a vehicle for the MC (a man well into his 30's and former medical doctor) to have sex with someone we are led to believe is a very intelligent child. Even if it's proven later that the character is an adult and that it's the MC's warped perceptions showing him as a child, that does not make right what was shown to us in this chapter.
Thankfully, this story will never be published. Although I feel the concept is strong enough to work in a full-length novel, the fact that the author betrayed my trust so strongly means I would never go within miles of it.
Thank you for allowing me the rant.
I was going to post this in the "Books you tossed across the room" thread (so, if preferred, a mod should feel free to move it there) but my disgust cannot be contained at the end of a long thread.
While I'm not going to name the title and author (since she is unpublished), I've been reading a psychological horror, Lovecraftian-influenced, chapter-a-week story for a little while now. The writing style is good, the concept is very interesting and her characterization is excellent.
However, she crossed the line today. See, the MC has been living with the one person who he can see as a human being (everyone else looks like a oozing monster). He perceives this person as a twelve year-old boy, despite the character's obviously adult intelligence. Up to date, their relationship has been cute and heart warming.
Today's chapter was all about how her staunchly moral, strong-willed adult MC gives the boy a "physical" and, when the boy gets aroused and begs for sex, they make wild passionate love.
The only time the MC considers (briefly) that this might be pedophilia is when the boy says that he's actually TWO YEARS OLD instead of twelve.
I was appalled. Disgusted. The moment I saw the scene was leading to sex, if I could have thrown it roughly across the room I would have. An otherwise good story was turned into nothing but a vehicle for the MC (a man well into his 30's and former medical doctor) to have sex with someone we are led to believe is a very intelligent child. Even if it's proven later that the character is an adult and that it's the MC's warped perceptions showing him as a child, that does not make right what was shown to us in this chapter.
Thankfully, this story will never be published. Although I feel the concept is strong enough to work in a full-length novel, the fact that the author betrayed my trust so strongly means I would never go within miles of it.
Thank you for allowing me the rant.
Locking this, so it'll sink away.