Personal pet hate in books

I like reading.

I read a lot. Probably obvious really.

Was recently reading a book, actually book 2 in a series. Not going to name it though. Chances are nobody here has heard of the author. It was an Amazon self publish thing that popped up on a list.

Pet hate.

Do your damn research! If you're going to use a real place, research it.

I can forgive the occasional thing. But jeez.

Especially if you're writing about a foreign country.
It was bad enough with Harry Potter fanfic's back in the day. But it's 2020 (Or rather 2017 when the book above was written) Google exists and is easy to use. As is Google maps.

Stupid stuff.

The Catholic church in Australia doesn't run Sunday School programs, they have actual schools. Especially if they are on the same piece of ground. Easy to check, the church newsletter is online.

They also don't call the priest "Preacher".

Hell, having a character not using a lift in a single story hospital! Yes, the hospital map is online too.

It's so frustrating.

<edit>
They traveled from Victoria.
Going east to head towards Queensland as a diversion.
Before heading to Sydney.
To visit the US embassy in Canberra.
</edit>


OK, I might be a bit pedantic about it. I may even have a barely started novel set in NY where I used Googlemaps to work out what shops a character passed going from school to home ;p


Come to think of it, it might be part of what I like most, and want to emulate the most, about RFC writing.
Research, thought, planning.

Just wanted to vent without trashing someone's Amazon reviews. Because apart from the frustration of my hometown being mangled, I didn't mind the book.

You now understood my pain when Western authors tried to write about Russia...

Annachie wrote:

Come to think of it, it might be part of what I like most, and want to emulate the most, about RFC writing.
Research, thought, planning.

Weeeeell, RFC also isn't research failure-free: but there is a difference between making SOME mistakes (especially in complex matters), and just being ignorant (as in case of unnamed author you cited here)

Dilandu wrote:You now understood my pain when Western authors tried to write about Russia...

Or when foreign posters try to post about America?

Annachie,

I understand your exasperation quite well.

There is no way someone writing about your hometown or something about it is going to get it quite right. Not only that, it's like they go out of their way to flub it. Case in point, Wilmington NC is a popular tourist trap for beach goers all over the world. It is also a popular site for making movies as it has its own studio. The famous courthouse on the river front is THE famous courthouse used in Matlock. But I digress.

I am yet to see a movie that correctly assigns the Battleship NC to the city of Leland, which is the adjacent city across the river. Everyone wants to put the Battleship in Wilmington. It is NOT located in Wilmington. Wilmington is the largest city in the area. Beautiful azalea bushes with the Azalea Festival every year. Along with dogwoods that line picturesque streets that provide a driving canopy down certain routes. It even has its famous gay parade and bike rally. I've been living in the area all of my life, until college and adulthood whisked me away. The beaches and coastline are my favorite haunts, along with picturesque Wilmington.

But movies can't seem to get it right. Four movies thus far that place the USS NC in Wilmington. NOOOOO! As you said Annachie, a quick google will tell you. (Although much of the internet gets it wrong too.) Besides, what are you doing the entire time you are IN Wilmington, filming?

Plus, one book has a chase scene. I didn't watch the accompanying movie. There is a foot chase through downtown Wilmington, lots of shooting. The poor guy stops and waits for the tourist boat that services the Wilmington side of the river to the Leland side. He waits an eternity for the boat to arrive and hides amongst the large crowd during one of the festivals. The author simply says "local festival." The protagonist says something silly. "There has to be a faster way to get to the other side!"

There is! Hop a cab and take the literally two minute ride over the bridge. A bridge that can be seen clearly from ANY vantage point on the river. Or, better yet, jog there yourself in five to ten minutes with all the running you just did.

cthia wrote:Or when foreign posters try to post about America?

Please dial your Ubermanshism to a tolerable level; Eagleland is not exceptional anymore, and you better get used to it.

Dilandu wrote:

cthia wrote:Or when foreign posters try to post about America?

Please dial your Ubermanshism to a tolerable level; Eagleland is not exceptional anymore, and you better get used to it.

What is it about your pain—caused by non Russians writing about Russia, reflected in my pain of non Americans writing about America—causes you to become combative against Eagles and America?

Could it be that America's current problem with Covid-19 causes you happiness? Or is it rooted in something else you know and I don't? Perhaps you're simply proud of Putin? Do tell.

cthia wrote:
Could it be that America's current problem with Covid-19 causes you happiness? Or is it rooted in something else you know and I don't? Perhaps you're simply proud of Putin? Do tell.

Happiness, no. Have no habit of being happy of other peoples suffering. Grim justification may be better therm: that after decades of telling everybody how the victory in Cold War proven America superiority, the mighty empire proven itself to be only marginally more stable than those who it "defeated".

Not a pet hate, but a source of amusement is how Hollywood tends to use Kookaburra calls to make a jungle soundtrack. The Kookaburra (Azure winged kingfisher) is found in temperate savanna and forests. Never in a jungle. Lots on my place.

Different worlds and attitudes. One way I veg out and put my mind in neutral is by playing Freecell. Using the Microsoft version I'm up to 7500 consecutive wins. However recently they keep trying to get me to sign up for paid role playing games, by playing initial scenes. One is a worker in a retail bakery/cafe. Poor girl is run off her feet, but in one scene her boss comes in and says "You're fired". In our country that boss would be slapped with an unlawful dismissal charge immediately. So I assume that it would be acceptable behaviour in the USA?

On political and nationalistic matters it may be better to simply accept that most people love their country and don't want to see it being insulted. I'd hate to have to live in either the US or Russia, but many millions choose to do so.

One of the benefits of using a fantasy or sci-fi setting is that you can avoid making these types of location/setting related research errors.