#409700 - 01/21/10 10:19 PM
The Devil's Soapbox
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CoS Member
Registered: 12/18/07
Posts: 6756
Loc: Nar
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This is a feisty little book, and one curiously named. It's as far from a soapbox rant as I can imagine. When I think of a soapbox preacher I think of disjointed, absurd and wrong bullshit. "Devil's Soapbox" is none of those. It's just a straight, clear, strong-minded collection of essays. The only thing it shares with a soapbox rant is passion.
It certainly has more character than any given street preacher, even more than I'd expect from a legitimate Satanist expounding his views. You get a real sense of who Madden is, more than I've gotten from his posts here or expected to get from his essays. He has a real voice and something personal to say with it. And what he says is not what I expected either. Though he covers the usual suspects of Satanic philosophy from his own angle, he adds some new ones that have, and this is the highest compliment I can give a book, never been written about before.
The centerpiece of the book is two chapters on the similarity of the Dark Side (Sith) of the force and Satanism. It sounds funny and Madden isn't oblivious to the nature of a Star Wars essay- But he's right about it all and it's friggin' deep stuff when you think about it. I am very impressed with the extended universe Star Wars writers and have to wonder if they used the SB as a starting point for the nature of the "Dark Side" we've heard so much about. But Madden doesn't just give you the topical similarities and some clever Sith quotes- He puts it into real world practical application. One can muse about the "Matrix and Philosophy" all they please but they're not gonna tell you how to get ahead in the world with it, only some bullshit about a spoon and how it doesn't exist. Not very Satanic, we all know there is a spoon and you can eat yogurt with it, fucking Buddhists... Anyhow, Madden surpasses the blurry realm of ideas and confronts us with that rare mingling of thought and action that we Satanists so crave to find in literature. The book is worth its price for these chapters alone.
If you need to justify shipping costs you can take your pick from a synopsis of the Yezidi learned firsthand in Iraq, a brilliant analysis of modern military culture and training (also firsthand, and it SHOWS) and the problems arising in both, or chapters on subjects ranging from martial arts to Wiccan rituals to a fun and scathing "If I were President" batch of concepts. And there's much more, even Boobs!
The book also has a subtle merit that I just adore- It's a Satanic Lulu book with ads in the back, notes by LttD regulars and some familiar names (mine) in the dedication. That won't add a cent for a bookstore deal but it means everything to me. These are my friends, this book comes from here. Catcher in the Rye will never be able to claim that.
HAIL FREDERICK MADDEN! (And read his book)
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#409705 - 01/21/10 10:30 PM
Re: The Devil's Soapbox
[Re: Delta]
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CoS Member
Registered: 08/23/08
Posts: 2153
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For my initial impression of the book, you'll have to buy it and read the afterword. Sorry, lulu only lets you preview so much.  But I fully agree with everything Delta has said; furthermore, I cannot tell you how incredibly honored (and surprised) I was when Frederick asked me to contribute to it. The book also has a subtle merit that I just adore- It's a Satanic Lulu book with ads in the back, notes by LttD regulars and some familiar names (mine) in the dedication. That won't add a cent for a bookstore deal but it means everything to me. These are my friends, this book comes from here. Catcher in the Rye will never be able to claim that. This is also my feeling. I can't help but have this immense pride when I hold it in my hands. It's not just from someone who happens to share a lot of my viewpoints, it's from someone I have the distinguished honor to call my friend. Someone I've actually had meaningful conversations with. And the greatest feeling of all is knowing that there's a whole lot more where The Devil's Soapbox came from. 
_________________________
"Logic is the beginning of wisdom, Valeris; not the end." --Leonard Nimoy as Captain Spock in The Undiscovered Country
"May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house." --George Carlin, Playin' With Your Head
"[There is] no contradiction between saying 'evolution has no purpose' and 'organisms have purposes'; just different vocabularies for different levels of description." --Sean Carroll
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#409955 - 01/24/10 05:40 AM
Re: The Devil's Soapbox
[Re: NapalmNick]
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CoS Member
Registered: 04/06/09
Posts: 996
Loc: My suburban lair
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I was honored that Frederick trusted me enough to allow me to act as the editor for The Devil’s Soapbox, and it served as a valuable learning experience. It was both my privilege and obligation to read over each essay multiple times and I found many of them to be quite enjoyable. One thing that really impressed me was the wide variety of subjects that his essays covered. Frederick has a lot of interests and insights into many different topics and, as Delta mentioned above, things that you may not expect to find in a book of Satanic essays. You must also appreciate Frederick’s extremely blunt and unapologetic perspective, which you're not likely to find very often in today's all too politically correct world. This makes for a very refreshing read. The book also has some pretty snazzy cover art as well.  You can purchase The Devil’s Soapbox at: http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/the-devils-soapbox/8144075
_________________________
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#411106 - 02/03/10 01:32 PM
Re: The Devil's Soapbox
[Re: Talon Pierce]
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CoS Member
Registered: 08/25/08
Posts: 579
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John: It really was an honor working with you on this project, and I appreciate the support.
Talon Pierce: Thank you, I am happy you enjoyed but, I thought the green was blue, my bad.
_________________________
Resigned -- again.
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#413188 - 02/19/10 07:55 AM
Re: The Devil's Soapbox
[Re: Delta]
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CoS Member
Registered: 12/31/04
Posts: 1963
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"The Devil's Soapbox", by Frederick Madden
The debut book by Citizen Frederick Madden (aka. SomethingLikEvil) offers a collection of writings related to his own Satanic perspective. It covers his experiences as an Iraqi War Veteran, martial arts and his own styles of self-defense, his poetic offerings that paint a Lovecraftian picture of the natural world, as well some fiendishly delicious diatribes related to pseudo-Satanists, crybabies in many areas of life, perception and misconceptions of paranormal activity.
What I personally liked about the book is that it doesn't feature a slew of impossible vocabulary words smashed together to make the reader think he's reading something "esoteric" or "mystical". Nor does it beat a dead horse on topics that have already been covered in other works depicting the Satanic philosophy. Many of the writings are short, but each one delivers it's point effectively and doesn't pull any punches.
Included is an introduction by The Degenerate (aka Phosis), as well as an outro by NapalmNick that also paint a vivid picture of the author upon the soapbox.
I recommend this read to anyone in tune with the Satanic philosophy. Not recommended for the faint of heart, the crybaby, or those who are afraid to look at women's breasts.
\m/ Horns up! \m/
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#413853 - 02/25/10 01:58 PM
Re: The Devil's Soapbox
[Re: Prometheus]
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CoS Member
Registered: 08/25/08
Posts: 579
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Thank you all so very, very much for the thoughtful and generous reviews.
_________________________
Resigned -- again.
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#414993 - 03/07/10 02:09 AM
Re: The Devil's Soapbox
[Re: Delta]
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CoS Reverend
Registered: 06/25/02
Posts: 10761
Loc: England
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Yes, the problem we face with books of this nature is that for the most part an author is "preaching to the choir."
So we have to look for a personal perspective within the writing itself. And I feel Mr. Madden does bring that to the table in this offering of essays.
The stance Madden takes will not be at all palatable to most audiences. But I do not get the impression he was writing with a wider audience in mind.
Madden is rather judge, jury and executioner here; dragging those he charges before a kangaroo court of his own appointment.
It is an aggressive and unapologetic onslaught.
_________________________
Human beings are as significant as a cigarette burn in the sun.
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#416559 - 03/21/10 03:59 PM
Re: The Devil's Soapbox
[Re: Drake_Bamboozle]
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CoS Member
Registered: 08/25/08
Posts: 579
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Thank you Reverend for the review. It is rather difficult to come up with things to write about, especially since every aspect of Satanism has been covered. The best one can do is bring their own perspective/application to the table, which is what I attempted to do. The personal perspective that you mentioned.
_________________________
Resigned -- again.
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#430602 - 08/30/10 03:37 PM
Re: The Devil's Soapbox
[Re: SomethingLikEvil]
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Registered: 08/24/10
Posts: 24
Loc: California
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"Lulu Marketplace We're sorry, the item you requested is not available."
Is this book no longer available??
_________________________
I am not white because I shine; nor dark because I follow Him. I am Human.
bumper sticker I saw - God, please save me from your followers
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#439105 - 12/02/10 08:47 AM
Re: The Devil's Soapbox
[Re: Delta]
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CoS Member
Registered: 08/25/08
Posts: 579
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TheVulture, Prometheus, thank you both for your generous reviews. Ferocious Beast, the book has been put up again and can be found here: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/th..._shelf/center/1
_________________________
Resigned -- again.
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