The Land Beyond the Blow
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This carefully crafted ebook: «The Land Beyond the Blow (After the method of Swift, who followed Lucian, and was himself followed by Voltaire and many others)» is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. Is a story by Ambrose Bierce, an American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist, and satirist. Table of Contents: 1.Thither 2.Sons of the Fair Star 3.An Interview with Gnarmag-Zote 4.The Tamtonians 5.Marooned on Ug 6.The Dog in Ganegwag 7.A Conflagration in Ghargaroo 8.An Execution in Batrugia 9.The Jumjum of Gokeetle-Guk 10.The Kingdom of Tortirra 11.Hither Ambrose Bierce (1842-1913) wrote the short story «An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge» and compiled a satirical lexicon The Devil's Dictionary. His vehemence as a critic, his motto «Nothing matters», and the sardonic view of human nature that informed his work, all earned him the nickname «Bitter Bierce». Despite his reputation as a searing critic, Bierce was known to encourage younger writers, including poet George Sterling and fiction writer W. C. Morrow. Bierce employed a distinctive style of writing, especially in his stories. His style often embraces an abrupt beginning, dark imagery, vague references to time, limited descriptions, impossible events and the theme of war.
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Ambrose Bierce
(After the method of Swift, who followed Lucian, and was himself followed by Voltaire and many others)
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It is interesting to observe the important place held in Golampian affairs by religious persecution. The Government is a pure theocracy, all the Ministers of State and the principal functionaries in every department of control belonging to the priesthood of the dominant church. It is popularly believed in Mogon–Zwair that persecution, even to the extent of taking life, is in the long run beneficial to the cause enduring it. This belief has, indeed, been crystallized into a popular proverb, not capable of accurate translation into our tongue, but to the effect that martyrs fertilize religion by pouring out their blood about its roots. Acting upon this belief with their characteristically logical and conscientious directness, the sacerdotal rulers of the country mercilessly afflict the sect to which themselves belong. They arrest its leading members on false charges, throw them into loathsome and unwholesome dungeons, subject them to the crudest tortures and sometimes put them to death. The provinces in which the state religion is especially strong are occasionally raided and pillaged by government soldiery, recruited for the purpose by conscription among the dissenting sects, and are sometimes actually devastated with fire and sword. The result is not altogether confirmatory of the popular belief and does not fulfil the pious hope of the governing powers who are cruel to be kind. The vitalizing efficacy of persecution is not to be doubted, but the persecuted of too feeble faith frequently thwart its beneficent intent and happy operation by apostasy.
Having in mind the horrible torments which a Golampian general had inflicted upon the population of a certain town I once ventured to protest to him that so dreadful a sum of suffering, seeing that it did not accomplish its purpose, was needless and unwise.
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