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I didn't say I wanted to read occult books. Darth_Katie Send a noteboard - 14/09/2009 09:40:40 PM
Just that they should be classified under non-fiction if that's what the author says they are.

7. Do you consider books about the occult to be non-fiction or fiction? Why?

Interesting question. I'm gonna have to go with non-fiction. Because fiction generally sets out to tell a story, and books about the occult don't do that. Besides, if The Secret gets to be non-fiction, then so does Tarot Cards for Dummies.

I found myself wondering about this when I read the Carlos Castaneda books. While I think that he did document some valid conversations with practitioners of shamanism and ideas regarding shamanism, there are serious reservations that many people have regarding the authenticity of his experiences even when the drug-induced states and "visions" are removed. At the same time, his books say "Non-Fiction" in the classification at the front.


It's a difficult question because non-fiction books don't necessarily have to be correct. You could make up a load of shit and get it published anyway under the moniker of "non-fiction." I'm sure people have done it in areas such as science and history, I just can't think of any. ;) The problem is that there's no fact checking authority controlling the publication of such books. It's up to others in the field to denounce fake pieces of crap when they come along - and I'm sure this happens with good historical and scientific literature. With the occult though, there's no such larger community dedicated to the truth. ;)

This is one of the reasons why I'm leery of political non-fiction, actually. There's no guarantee the book's not just partisan biased nonsense running rampant without any sort of checks at all. Frustrating. ><img class=' />
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Non-Fiction survey Tom - 14/09/2009 05:38:04 PM 1343 Views
Heh. jh - 14/09/2009 05:58:59 PM 1055 Views
You associate non-fiction with work? Are you a non-fiction book reviewer by day? Tom - 14/09/2009 06:35:59 PM 878 Views
Nah... jh - 14/09/2009 06:56:41 PM 885 Views
I like non-fiction as long as it's not preachy. Darth_Katie - 14/09/2009 06:25:42 PM 1068 Views
So...Bill O'Reilly's out but Aleister Crowley is in, right? Tom - 14/09/2009 06:34:38 PM 940 Views
I didn't say I wanted to read occult books. Darth_Katie - 14/09/2009 09:40:40 PM 1473 Views
Fun. Legolas - 14/09/2009 06:31:28 PM 1155 Views
Machiavelli is a good case study for translation vs. original language Tom - 14/09/2009 06:48:46 PM 890 Views
Fact not fiction. Rebekah - 14/09/2009 06:43:32 PM 1085 Views
I loved Radzinsky's Rasputin bio Tom - 14/09/2009 06:58:46 PM 970 Views
Re: I loved Radzinsky's Rasputin bio Rebekah - 14/09/2009 07:10:01 PM 974 Views
You're going to force me to start a Dan Brown discussion in a different thread. Tom - 14/09/2009 09:00:32 PM 898 Views
Well, I can do it here, no worries, just think of it as non-non-fiction. jh - 14/09/2009 09:06:34 PM 956 Views
This is pretty much it. Rebekah - 14/09/2009 09:09:18 PM 948 Views
Re: Fact not fiction. Cockatiel of Doom - 17/09/2009 12:40:31 AM 994 Views
Re: Fact not fiction. Rebekah - 17/09/2009 03:08:34 PM 903 Views
Re: Fact not fiction. Cockatiel of Doom - 17/09/2009 11:57:22 PM 844 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey mapthis - 14/09/2009 07:25:20 PM 894 Views
Legacy of Ashes sounds interesting Tom - 14/09/2009 08:59:38 PM 888 Views
Re: Legacy of Ashes sounds interesting mapthis - 14/09/2009 09:09:30 PM 918 Views
So nossy - 14/09/2009 10:14:47 PM 860 Views
Re: So mapthis - 14/09/2009 10:35:40 PM 863 Views
I do read sometimes. Craig - 14/09/2009 08:01:03 PM 1104 Views
If you liked Jesus, Interrupted... Tom - 14/09/2009 08:58:26 PM 967 Views
Added to The List. *NM* Craig - 14/09/2009 10:28:14 PM 401 Views
I read it quite a lot, obviously. Camilla - 14/09/2009 09:20:40 PM 1008 Views
I have Antonia Fraser's bio of Oliver Cromwell. Tom - 15/09/2009 05:14:06 AM 925 Views
Re: I have Antonia Fraser's bio of Oliver Cromwell. Camilla - 15/09/2009 08:07:28 AM 975 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey random thoughts - 14/09/2009 09:24:35 PM 1114 Views
I'd be interested to know the title of that Lincoln book. *NM* Tom - 15/09/2009 05:11:14 AM 431 Views
Tried by War by James M. McPherson random thoughts - 15/09/2009 07:01:30 PM 950 Views
Thanks! *NM* Tom - 17/09/2009 03:07:50 PM 434 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey ranagrande - 14/09/2009 10:05:56 PM 881 Views
I'm sorry. I just can't take "pro wrestling" seriously enough to comment on it beyond this. *NM* Tom - 15/09/2009 05:15:13 AM 424 Views
What, pro wrestling is awesome! ranagrande - 16/09/2009 05:59:44 PM 1104 Views
Sweet nossy - 14/09/2009 10:09:21 PM 1045 Views
My problem with Fisk is his naivete Tom - 15/09/2009 05:10:00 AM 901 Views
If you're referring to the passages I think you're referring to... Legolas - 15/09/2009 11:06:04 AM 1033 Views
I need to read more American Indian books random thoughts - 16/09/2009 07:01:21 PM 887 Views
Good survey! smaug - 14/09/2009 11:40:58 PM 1054 Views
Ah...but where do you draw the line on the occult? Tom - 15/09/2009 05:07:14 AM 860 Views
Intent. Craig - 15/09/2009 06:02:39 AM 899 Views
Yea, I would tend to agree. smaug - 15/09/2009 11:10:03 AM 928 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey Chas - 15/09/2009 12:25:57 AM 922 Views
You should consider reading more non-fiction. *NM* Tom - 15/09/2009 05:04:55 AM 455 Views
It's under consideration. Chas - 15/09/2009 11:50:47 PM 798 Views
I read a lot of it for my classes, so I read very little of it for leisure. Ghavrel - 15/09/2009 12:46:23 AM 1051 Views
As someone who read Ab Urbe Condita in Latin...the book you reference "delenda est". Tom - 15/09/2009 05:04:05 AM 902 Views
It's infuriating, yes. *NM* Ghavrel - 15/09/2009 06:22:36 PM 423 Views
Mea culpa; the book in question is Zoch's Ancient Rome. Ghavrel - 15/09/2009 06:45:22 PM 835 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey Vodalus - 15/09/2009 01:07:13 AM 965 Views
I did a survey about personal libraries, too... Tom - 15/09/2009 05:01:12 AM 917 Views
great survey. Avendesora - 15/09/2009 02:17:26 AM 1197 Views
Re: great survey. Tom - 15/09/2009 04:56:50 AM 973 Views
Interesting questions! Sophy - 15/09/2009 07:20:05 AM 1089 Views
I'm not sure if it's a translation issue, but Tom - 17/09/2009 03:10:49 PM 981 Views
That's the English titel yes! Sophy - 18/09/2009 07:03:45 AM 1177 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey Jonielle - 15/09/2009 11:35:48 AM 1217 Views
Try reading something new you think you'd like and post a review! *NM* Tom - 17/09/2009 03:11:47 PM 370 Views
Books on Napoleon.... Napoleon62 - 15/09/2009 08:03:55 PM 919 Views
Narcissist. *NM* Craig - 15/09/2009 08:21:44 PM 385 Views
David Chandler's The Campaigns of Napoleon is wonderful. *NM* Tom - 17/09/2009 03:13:03 PM 380 Views
i like non-fiction! temeraire - 15/09/2009 09:40:40 PM 972 Views
Lots of people have recommended The Omnivore's Dilemma to me *NM* Tom - 17/09/2009 03:14:09 PM 427 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey Cockatiel of Doom - 17/09/2009 12:49:35 AM 1190 Views
Re: Non-Fiction survey ajah - 26/09/2009 01:49:16 AM 952 Views
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