The influence of Ligotti on True Detective should be nearly impossible to dismiss, considering that the use of the obscure word "tsalal" is almost unique to them in modern English language media
Nic Pizzolatto admitted in one of his interviews that he took inspiration from the ideas in "The Conspiracy Against the Human Race." Here is what he said: "I read The Conspiracy Against the Human Race and found it incredibly powerful writing," Pizzolatto told Calia, explaining Cole's monologue was an intentional homage to Ligotti. "In episode one, there are two lines in particular (and it would have been nothing to reword them) that were specifically phrased in such a way as to signal Ligotti admirers. Which, of course, you got," he added. I don't think it's plagiarism, by the way. I think it's more of an inspiration than plagiarism. The show presented the ideas very well through imagery, atmosphere, music, etc.
It's been some time since I read it, but I was left feeling Ligotti's book was fairly lightweight when compared to the people he is citing. If I remember correctly, he only gives two pages to the topic of Buddhism. And his readings of Schopenhauer were simplistic. But his greatest error, for me, is the humourless way he goes about things; Emil Cioran has all the depth and darkness, but he can also make you laugh, there's a caustic humour amid the gloom. Love Ligotti's fiction, though! A true master of the short story.
I can nod my head in agreement with Ligotti on some points here and there, and maybe more if I were still younger with a more transgressive temperament. At thirty six though I've come at it from the other side. I do agree that there is a soul crushing reality that we are sentient while nothing else is, the inevitably of pain and suffering, etc. I'm a writer myself and have had my share of mental health swings between being well and productive and unwell and miserable. All this to say after watching your terrific review, my summation of Ligotti is this: Ligotti's great question is not really a question but more of a bias assumption. One that takes his own particular prescription of pessimism and paints it with a self serving assumption of what should or shouldn't be, which is to say that we're conscious. Should is a dangerous word, one that takes Ligotti from stating his case to descending the whole thing into what on a very drab and low mental health day would resemble a near complete nihilism. His own self awareness of this negative perception is also his own error in philosophy. There is no should in nature, only what can be, and what conditions can manifest it. The irony of Ligotti is that if the human conscious couldn't create language, take the abstract and form it into virtual understanding, he wouldn't have even been able to write this novel in the first place. He wouldn't even have a career, yet clearly he wants to create. He can say what he wants about the inevitably of our awareness of death and the malignant puppetry of human life, but the honest truth is that he decided to live another day and not off himself somehow and actually write his novel and other stories in the first place. That alone defeats the purpose of his worldview. Writing takes optimism. It takes being more than a malignant puppet to create something which didn't exist before you sat down and worked it into reality with your wildly unpredictable imaginings that don't fit neatly at all under the deterministic model (one I'd even argue challenges the deterministic views of Degrasse Tyson and the like, but that's a whole other topics worth). A true pessimist cannot be an artist. Those two things are oxymorons, because the creation of what he's written in life is fundamentally optimistic. To his own personal view that puts him in contradiction to the main thesis of his book. I don't get down with the idea that human pessimism and human optimism is a zero sum game. Like a yin and yang, both are necessary and both are the same sides of a greater whole. One shouldn't be firmly planted on one side, just as I believe its not healthy to be firmly planted on Ligotti's dour side. Everything in moderation, even what consciousness and human life 'should' or 'shouldn't' be. Love the video!
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Ligottis fiction is even better.. honestly the man is a genius..
The influence of Ligotti on True Detective should be nearly impossible to dismiss, considering that the use of the obscure word "tsalal" is almost unique to them in modern English language media
forgot to rate it: 9/10
DIVINE DANCING LION BEAST!!!! ❤
@@johnny1013johnny Thats me
Most people can't handle Ligotti.
he is a morbid man after all
Nic Pizzolatto admitted in one of his interviews that he took inspiration from the ideas in "The Conspiracy Against the Human Race." Here is what he said: "I read The Conspiracy Against the Human Race and found it incredibly powerful writing," Pizzolatto told Calia, explaining Cole's monologue was an intentional homage to Ligotti. "In episode one, there are two lines in particular (and it would have been nothing to reword them) that were specifically phrased in such a way as to signal Ligotti admirers. Which, of course, you got," he added. I don't think it's plagiarism, by the way. I think it's more of an inspiration than plagiarism. The show presented the ideas very well through imagery, atmosphere, music, etc.
Good that he acknowledge but still not sure how I feel about him using large chunks of his ideas without permission
Cioran still rules this genre, for my money :)
Adding to my read list
It's been some time since I read it, but I was left feeling Ligotti's book was fairly lightweight when compared to the people he is citing. If I remember correctly, he only gives two pages to the topic of Buddhism. And his readings of Schopenhauer were simplistic. But his greatest error, for me, is the humourless way he goes about things; Emil Cioran has all the depth and darkness, but he can also make you laugh, there's a caustic humour amid the gloom. Love Ligotti's fiction, though! A true master of the short story.
I eventually want to review “my work here is not done yet” the plot alone sounds great
I can nod my head in agreement with Ligotti on some points here and there, and maybe more if I were still younger with a more transgressive temperament. At thirty six though I've come at it from the other side. I do agree that there is a soul crushing reality that we are sentient while nothing else is, the inevitably of pain and suffering, etc. I'm a writer myself and have had my share of mental health swings between being well and productive and unwell and miserable. All this to say after watching your terrific review, my summation of Ligotti is this: Ligotti's great question is not really a question but more of a bias assumption. One that takes his own particular prescription of pessimism and paints it with a self serving assumption of what should or shouldn't be, which is to say that we're conscious. Should is a dangerous word, one that takes Ligotti from stating his case to descending the whole thing into what on a very drab and low mental health day would resemble a near complete nihilism.
His own self awareness of this negative perception is also his own error in philosophy. There is no should in nature, only what can be, and what conditions can manifest it. The irony of Ligotti is that if the human conscious couldn't create language, take the abstract and form it into virtual understanding, he wouldn't have even been able to write this novel in the first place. He wouldn't even have a career, yet clearly he wants to create. He can say what he wants about the inevitably of our awareness of death and the malignant puppetry of human life, but the honest truth is that he decided to live another day and not off himself somehow and actually write his novel and other stories in the first place. That alone defeats the purpose of his worldview. Writing takes optimism. It takes being more than a malignant puppet to create something which didn't exist before you sat down and worked it into reality with your wildly unpredictable imaginings that don't fit neatly at all under the deterministic model (one I'd even argue challenges the deterministic views of Degrasse Tyson and the like, but that's a whole other topics worth). A true pessimist cannot be an artist. Those two things are oxymorons, because the creation of what he's written in life is fundamentally optimistic. To his own personal view that puts him in contradiction to the main thesis of his book.
I don't get down with the idea that human pessimism and human optimism is a zero sum game. Like a yin and yang, both are necessary and both are the same sides of a greater whole. One shouldn't be firmly planted on one side, just as I believe its not healthy to be firmly planted on Ligotti's dour side. Everything in moderation, even what consciousness and human life 'should' or 'shouldn't' be. Love the video!
@@austinauthor846 damn well written and thoughtful response, thank you for watching :)