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I'm glad to hear you liked Ghost Dick, even if your friend didn't, and that's totally cool by me. I know my stuff isn't to everyone's taste, and from the author side of my life, I am totally okay with bad reviews, especially if they're funny. Oftentimes, bad reviews of my books, I read them and say, "Well...they're not wrong, this IS a pretty stupid book."
I think the only thing where I don't feel like "anything goes" is when it turns into personal attacks on the author. But even then, I'm not one to go back at the person, those are just a little more sucky to read, especially because the reader is always making assumptions based on no real information.
I'm sorry to hear you lost a buddy, especially the kind that you can argue with about books. Those aren't all that common.
As for rating more personal works, that's where we differ; if you're gonna tell me a story of ANY kind, you'd better make it good. I also pride myself on being able to separate the artist from the art -- which is why I can still enjoy watching Cosby's GHOST DAD or LEONARD PT.6, despite him being a loathsome human offscreen. Maybe that makes me a similar monster? I don't care. The internet is a garbage scow of all the good and bad stuff we choose to think and share. We all know that now. (Especially if someone uses Twitter, FFS)
It's implausible to believe that there will never be people who don't respond the way you want to something you may create and share with the world (unless you're Tom Hanks maybe, why does everybody love that guy?). [Quick aside: when I read your book GHOST DICK: PRIVATE EYE, I was bowled over, called up my (now late) best friend, and practically forced him to get a copy. He HATED it. Said it was so badly written. We argued a bit over it. I don't believe he rated or left it a review -- which is odd as he ONLY ever left bad reviews (very problematic, imo) -- likely out of deference to me. So, if he had, I'm guessing it would have stung you somewhat, but it's only an opinion, and ONE opinion. And as he's dead now you don't have to worry about that, right?]
I'm curious as to how Wertz would respond were the review to be actually negative towards the work presented.