About my “Tone” on Social Media

(this started out as a facebook post, that kind of grew out of control)

I don’t think most people realize how many random jerkoffs show up to scream at me anytime I post anything. Which is why I get all these other well-intentioned types going “tsk tsk, Larry Correia is SO RUDE on the internet. He should be nicer.”

Of course, if these people who chide me about my rudeness had to put up with my social media feed for 24 hours, they’d either be curled up the fetal position on their shower floor, weeping. Or they would lose their shit and go on a tri-state killing spree.

I don’t think some of you realize what it is like to be a little bit famous with the wrong politics, but here, let me try to help. Let’s say that you put up a post about anything from current events which is even sort of controversial.

When I do that, people start to share it to their pages, where various strangers see it, and are inevitably compelled to come back to my page to tell me how I’m a horrible person who should die. Then the morons come flooding in. An endless stream of idiots, barking, hooting, screaming, throwing their feces, and dragging their diseased anuses on my carpet. And all of them feel compelled to share their bullshit hot takes with me, a total stranger, in the mistaken belief that they’re going to browbeat me or shame me into silence.

Good luck with that!

I’m pretty sure there is a mathematical formula to this. Y number of shares, R is the rate of controversy, find for X, which is the number of vapid morons blundering onto my page.

Three days ago I put up that post refuting the meme about the RNC speakers. By the time it got shared a thousand times, off the top of my head I think that thread got me an insane healing power of crystals hippie, five morons calling me names who were so incoherent that I couldn’t actually tell what they were upset by, a couple Common Internet Shit Gibbons, a Socialist Lemming, some pseudo-intellectual gotcha attempts from people who aren’t smart enough to pick up dog turds in the park for a living, and one incredibly boring dope who babbled about his asinine philosophy on EVERYTHING for THREE DAYS STRAIGHT. By the end I was reading all his posts in the voice of Colin Robinson.

That was ONE POST. But not a single death threat, or anyone wishing for me to get cancer… So that was actually kind of nice.
Awesome.  I’ll be the bad guy.



Then there’s the people who think they are funny, who aren’t. I’ve heard the same tired jokes 10,000 times. I can’t post about the availability of a new product without Shut Up And Take My Money memes, and I can never mention food spicier than white bread without listening to dozens of people whine about how weak their bowels are. Because having total strangers tell me about their painful shitting never ever grows tiresome.

Except I know they mean well, so I just sigh and move on. Usually. Sometimes it’s just too annoying. (by now I’ve got people mostly trained not to use the Fry meme).

Only then there’s those really needy, awful, painful types who aren’t funny, but who get upset when you don’t think they are funny. And they need to draw you a diagram explaining how they are actually funny, and I should feel bad for not taking time out of my day to tenderly pat them on the head to tell them everything is going to be all right. Because obviously if I don’t care for the mental needs of thousands of total strangers, I’m a bad person who hates my fans.

Worse than those however, are all the people who think I OWE THEM. Why do I owe them? I exist, in their universe at the same time they do, ergo, if I don’t want to let them spam my page with their Get Rich schemes, insane conspiracy theories, or incredibly shitty Youtube videos, I’m a terrible person who hates my fans.

(and it is almost a inevitable certainty of the internet, by me honestly venting, somebody will take it personally and get angry at me for saying this. Also of course, somebody will say “first world problems”. Well no shit, I don’t live in Nigeria. And also, “TLDR” because some people just need to let the world know they don’t read good!)

This combination of perpetual annoyance and entitled fuckery is why the vast majority of authors who are at my level of minor celebrity or above mostly avoid social media, and never interact with their fans. Because it’s a giant ridiculous time suck at best, and at its worst, it’s hundreds of crazy people threatening to murder my family.

But I stick around, because I do honestly like you guys. I interact with my fans far more than most writers. Because most of you are actually pretty cool.

So to deal with the never ending onslaught of hate filled randos, liars, gaslighting scumbags, insane attack dogs, “helpful” types, and the perpetually entitled… I’m a huge dick.

It is a cultural thing. I come from a very loud, animated, opinionated, and aggressive people. The odds of me holding my tongue and never speaking out on controversial topics is near zero. I’m not the sit there quietly and take abuse type. So my Bullshit Tolerance Threshold is set extremely low, and once you cross it, it’s game on. And I’ll skip right to where experience has taught me this “conversation” is going to inevitably end up anyway. It saves us all time.

It’s either that or bail on social media entirely, which believe me, is super fucking tempting.

So anyways, long story short, if you think I’m mean to people on the internet… Oh well. I’ll live. Not that your opinion matters to me anyway, because I’ve discovered the people who get the most sanctimonious about “tone” can usually be goaded into an incoherent rage within five or six posts.

Destroyer of Worlds is out tomorrow!
Destroyer of Worlds Audiobook Delayed, Regular Book Out September 1st

78 thoughts on “About my “Tone” on Social Media”

  1. You’re performing a public service, telling ignorant assholes how full of shit they are. NOT being told is how they got so full of shit in the first place. If more people call bullshit, the assholes might get a clue.
    Most days, I suspect that we could get a better government by picking 535 people at random. On bad days, I’m certain we’d get a better government by picking 535 people at random from lunatic asylums.

      1. What does it say that I honestly think that *WOULD* get us better politicians? Maybe state- and local-level would only need a $500 buy-in…

      2. Oh God! The elitists would have a cow. Having to compete for office against Joe Plumber, or Nick Sandmann? Why, they might lose!

      3. I’ve been thinking for a while that we should just put the names of everyone who’s legally eligible to be president in a lottery and pick a new person randomly every time. At least we’d have a *chance* of getting someone competent with good intentions.

      4. What if the majority of people who could afford said buy-in were all ‘liberal’, and neocons were therefore shut out as a result?????

  2. I have made a mental note to not do this.

    Although I have never thought my humor was particularly funny. My sarcasm is weapons grade. I do amuse myself.

    I’d prefer if you spent your time writing. But since I’ve started writing I’ve also discovered you need to do other things than write to recharge the batteries of the word mining equipment.

    Write on, Larry. You can’t offend me. Not that I’m laying that down as a challenge.

  3. We love you as you are, Larry.
    I read this blog to not only catch up on your writing, but to get truly scathing fiskings and moronic seal clubbing.
    You stay the aggressive, forthright, outspoken man of honesty and integrity you are.
    It’s a breath of fresh air in this era of obsequious political toadies and online Karen/trolls.
    We love you, and God bless you!

  4. Point taken. Let’s try this on for size… I’ve read and enjoyed virtually everything you’ve written. I exchanged tokens of my honest labor for the products of your’s. It’s been mutually satisfying to date and you owe me nothing. I recommend your work to others because I think they will enjoy them. I think I’ve given five or six copies of MHI to friends with the warning that the first hit is always free. I find myself in broad agreement with your posts on issues and events, and I share them with others because I think you frame the issue(s) well. The bottom line is that I enjoy watching you, be you. I’ve had my spirits lifted or my attitude improved by something you’ve written. Warmest Regards.

    1. His fiskings fill me with joy because I’m tired of having it feel like my life is ruled by internet shitgibbons, and that I should shut up and sit down and be properly ashamed because of my skin color.

  5. I enjoy your posts here because they give me a taste of your writing in between book releases.

    I don’t do The Devil’s Database or any other social media, so wouldn’t miss that if you left them, but I would miss you posting here.

  6. Too Fucking Insane To Register On Any Regular Political Scale

    You mean that there are more people like me? I’m glad I’ve never had anything drag me to Facebook.

  7. Here’s a helpful suggestion. Get the fuck off Fakebook and all other social media. I read your posts here, and nowhere else. Social media is a cesspool, and I’d rather pick up those dog turds in the park with my teeth than spend one minute there.

    1. Did you really just post a “helpful suggestion” comment on a post where he talks about how much he dislikes helpful suggestions?

  8. So that would be the upside to my never making it as an SF writer. Although my firearms policy and law columns do attract my fair share of idiots.

    1. Hmm. Maybe I should be asking you and not Larry what’s the best use of force training program for CCW holders?


    I don’t see a downside here Larry, other than the cost to you in wasted typing and burnt liver cells. Don’t hold back on my account. ~:D Vaporizing trolls is never a bad thing.

    Cowardly assholes hang out on social media. That’s just how it is. Swing that ban-hammer freely, IMHO.

  10. Actually, have you thought about posting an updated version of your Guide for Liberals interested in Gun Ownership? I keep reading about a surge in new gun owners thanks to the Covid and rioting, so I think it would be timely.

  11. You’re understandably upset and frustrated. However, reading this gave me the best laugh I’ve had all day.

    I hope you get a chuckle out of realizing your venting was amusing. Thanks for sharing and best wishes for less annoying behavior directed at you from fans that are clueless but well meaning.

  12. Sir, I think perhaps you are too kind and soft spoken. When you fisk insane jerks , I laugh with delight and roll with great verve and energy on the ground in a most undignified fashion.

  13. Oh well. I was about to give you a detailed, informed account of my views on Robert Byrd (re: Obama, Hillary, Biden, NAACP, etc), as well as my understanding of the importance of “party switching.” I wish you well.

    1. Luckily I don’t really give a shit what some internet rando’s opinion on an older blog post, so I’m not really out anything.

  14. How does that old joke go? “If you’re taking flak, you know you’re over the target”. So go ahead and pickle those bombs, you are definitely over the proverbial ball-bearing factory at Schweinfurt….

  15. F***’em. Write/sell more books; buy more guns; fill the moat around Casa Correia with gasoline; and laugh as you go downstairs to the wine room/torture dungeon/computer center to tweak another one.

  16. I apologize Larry, for the 95% who yell at you because they have nothing better to do with their lives. The crazies are just crazy.

    I don’t understand why so many idiots feel the need to bloviate in other people’s backyards.

  17. When you deal with people who go by emotions, you have to hit them in the feels. They don’t hear anything else.

  18. You are doing great stay the course. Also you need outlets at neck, waist and knee high in your closets, every 2′ 1.2″

  19. Well, your tone could be improved a bit, by using a rusty, broken bandsaw blade. THAT might get their attention. If they can’t or won’t take a joke, it’s too bad.

    If someone develops an IP-guided bomb, counterpart to GPS guidance, I foresee a second use (Saga Moose UAVs) for that stretch of flat roadway.

  20. When one side (mostly the Left) can’t win the substantive argument, they revert to tone policing. Facts and substance are cis-het raciss(tm), anyway, so they can win by refusing to address them!

  21. Larry, I don’t post or interact with you much if at all because I get how annoying shot can be and I have my own problems to deal with.

    That said, you’re awesome, and I enjoy reading what you have to say. Don’t change, man.

    Also, for what it’s worth, this random gunsmith on the Internet apologizes profusely if I’ve done anything of the sort.

  22. Nowadays, before I post a comment, I ask myself, “Does this contribute to the conversation?” And a lot of times…it doesn’t. Someone already made the joke I thought of, there are already 20 people making variations on the same point and mine sadly isn’t unique, the comment is actually about myself and not the topic at hand, some combination of the above, etc.

    I almost didn’t post THIS comment, but I don’t see any variations of this point above, so perhaps it will help someone else!


    So, would that particular culture be Portugese, or just American conservative/libertarian? Either way, I’m on-board with it! :o)

  24. Larry,

    I like your books. I like your non-fiction writings. I find you very entertaining and I have spent money purchasing the products you create. Please keep it up!

    Thank you!

  25. Also you haven’t posted any new mini pics recently. Too busy? Please take the time to relax and paint some as you imagine them crushing your online enemies underfoot.

  26. Even before the internet was the internet (back in the BBS days) it tended to attract the jerks of humanity. Such folks make it their lives duty to take a dump in any punch bowl they find. You can not reason with them and being nice to them only encourages their behavior.

    As to the well meaning, another aspect of the internet is the false sense of intimacy it creates. Some folks really do see you as “my good friend Larry, who happens to a writer”. You are nothing of the sort of course. You are Larry Correia, a guy who keeps the lights on by writing stuff that others find entertaining. You aren’t really our friend, though you can be friendly. And that is about all we can ask for.

  27. Larry, I think you’re a little bit famous for having EXACTLY THE RIGHT POLITICS!

    In fact, I dropped in to ask if you had a post on a good source of training on use of force. Buying a gun, learning how to use it properly and effectively are two parts. Knowing when and when not to use it may be equally important in protecting yourself from our government.

  28. Fuck em’, keep doing your thing. The fiskings and beatdowns bring me joy.

    Really looking forward to Destroyer of Worlds.

  29. Keep the faith brother! Gave up on Facebook a long time ago, I barely go on there except for our new puppy. Went on to check that, and the first post, the first post: Lo do I see before me, but the Scourge of the Idiocracy, driving them before him with his word processor of flaming angery truth in one hand and his Tetsubo of mirthful truth in the other. Driving them before him, ruining them with spicey memes of reality. Taking none of their vile parsimony from Wormtongue after Wormtongue concern trolls. Smiting the fools of cultural Marxists, and actual real Marxists that would have said Lenin didn’t go far enough and Stalin was misunderstood. You know as Stalin himself once said, “Useful Idiots.” The ones that get shot or guillotined right after it goes into operation. Cancel culture at its finest. And it just keeps getting funnier.

    We should all be more like you.

    Thank you Larry!!

    I’m gonna just keep buying your books. That Volcano on the island isn’t going to pay for itself. Though the new home looks absolutely amazing. Very happy for you and your family. Glad Bridget is doing so well also.

  30. It takes you five or six posts to goad them into an incoherent rage? Wow. You’re right, your tone is entirely too mild and kind. I won’t use the Fry meme, out of respect, and the fact that your NOT shutting up fills me with such joy. But yes, take my money. Write more books and keep being awesome.

  31. Larry, thanks for all of your writing, here and in print. I buy them, somd on kindle, some dead tree, and some dead tree to give away. I liked the comment above ” the first taste is free”.
    If you are considering a theme song for being a dick, might I suggest “Enormous Penis” by The Mummies. It has that kind of “why yes, I am” to it.
    John in Indy

  32. Larry, I think having voices that have different opinions than lefty mainstream that are actually coherent being part of the public space right now is uniquely valuable. Thanks for taking the time. It is hard to get decent info nowadays that doesn’t feel hugely tilted. I don’t always agree with you but I always appreciate your thoughts and opinions.

  33. I read your books and this blog. Facebook is not worth it.

    Looking forward to another Grimnoire novel. Enjoyed Monster Hunter Guardian.

  34. Most of the time I could not care less what the opinion of an author is ( if I like books – yours i do) I buy them. This was so entertaining I will follow you on social media … unless you want some advice (j/k)

  35. I will not tell you “Shut up and take my money. ” I freely give my money to you in exchange for some of the best entertainment I can find. I love the fiskings as much as I enjoy reading your stories so I come in here looking for the next victim of your ire. In this crazy ass world, a good laugh is worth millions so I hope that you will soon collect your well earned capitol.

  36. I can’t really deal with Facebook and the legions of perpetually confused about how their media sources are lying to them either directly, or by omission. The True Believers really get under my skin. Glad you post here regularly enough for me to get my fix on your refreshing honesty.

  37. God bless you, Mr. Correia, and your wonderful wife. You make thousands of people happier and better able to handle their lives. Keep the faith.

  38. The meme thing makes me think of this YouTuber I watch. He posts daily, and like a year or two ago he made a joke on one of his videos. He repeated it a few times in other videos. Ever since then, people continue to repeat it back. No context. No relevance to what they’re commenting on. Just meme repetition. His whole persona is “self-deprecating nice guy”, so he can’t really just come out and tell people to stop doing it, but he’s “joked” about it being a negative thing numerous times lately. I think most people have kind of gotten the hint and stopped, but it still happens a lot.

    I notice it a lot on YouTube especially. People want to say something funny, but they have no actual wit of their own, so they repeat memes. Some channels, half of all the comments on a video are memes. Sometimes more. It makes me not want to read comment sections. (Well, that and how any video can immediately devolve into an angry argument in the comments section.)

  39. Mr. Correia, I appreciate you, I like your books, and I’m looking forward to your newest (though I’m conflicted about getting the print version when I have the other two in audiobook. But I am looking forward to it)

  40. I am among those who love to read your fisks and opinion pieces. I am saddened that you might have to give them up because the ankle biters waste so much of your time when you do those posts.

    So let me propose you install a new comment system on your site. Charge anyone who wants to post for the first time a nominal fee (I am thinking one dollar, but you may be more accepting than I am). Then you simply rate the posts, and the fee for additional posts by that submitter adjusts up or down accordingly.

    This would of course be a bit of a pain to set up, but you generate enough emotional energy with your posts that I suspect you could actually make money on the site. And I suspect the satisfaction of knowing some idiot had to pay $20 for his latest rant would help with the annoyance. If you make the scale go up fast enough, you might not even have to ban anyone anymore.

    Regardless, keep up the good work. You give hope to the rest of us.

    1. Do you have any idea how much money he has turned down with this site? Advertisers would pay through the nose to have ads here. Larry finds ads annoying so the only “ads” on this site are the links to his books.
      And we don’t ban people for any but the most egregious trolls and spam. There’s also none of this disemvoweling, kittening, or massaging nonsense of comments like on so many other sites, either.

      1. Indeed. Having observed a few other sci-fi related forums, it’s amazing how many of them are practically run as the moderators’ personal blogs… whereas this is a personal blog, run like a well-balanced forum. Funny how that works.

        Not that I couldn’t use any other suggestions if anyone cares to offer. Baen’s Bar is just about the only one I’ve seen mention of, and I’ve been meaning to see what that’s like, but I’m also open to any other online community that might share the culture (or even some of the regular participants) I’ve found here.

  41. I drive for Amazon in Portland, and I’ve noticed something interesting in the past couple of days. I’m seeing “China” tags along the freeways. Definitely on 5, and I think I’ve seen a couple on 84. I’d take a picture, but that driving 55 on a highway thing kinda gets in the way. 🙂

    Portland is a total shithole at this point. I hate it. If I could get away with driving in Vancouver, WA, I’d do that full-time. But that ain’t where the money’s at, unfortunately.

    1. The problem of course being that Vancouver people are still willing to drive across the river for that tax free shopping since amazon and most online retailers collect sales tax for Washington.

  42. Just gotta say, I love your books!

    I live in Northern Michigan, we may get a lot of snow, but we dont have an abundance of snowflakes.

    Keep up the good work and keep slamming the haters!

  43. Hi Larry. I have heard of you, but never much about your books. I see many I would be interested in, where would you suggest I start?

    1. That tab up top that says Sample Chapters & Short Stories has a link to a free copy of Monster Hunter International. It’s a good place to start because
      A. It’s awesome and
      B. He has grown SO much as a writer that if you start with the latest, it will be disappointing to go back to where he started.

      1. B. No. It’s really not.

        I have re-read Monster Hunter International a few times and never been disappointed. I know, you can only read a book for the first time ONCE, but I don’t see any lack of story-telling on re-reads.

        Just because he got better, doesn’t mean he started off weak.
        At my house, the ‘things that go bump in the night’ are cats.

        1. Note I *DID* say it’s awesome. His writing on MHI just isn’t nearly as polished as his writing on say Destroyer of Worlds. Still awesome! But he’ll be the first to tell you that it isn’t as polished. Reading in the order he wrote them, you can really see how he has perfected his craft and gotten better with each book.

          1. Yeah, MHI is really freaking great, but the contrast between MHI and Destroyer of Worlds in terms of polish and fleshing out characters, etc… it’s mind blowing. I’m halfway through DoW, and I restarted the MHI series yesterday, and I was just struck by the difference.

            Even the “mushy stuff”…I won’t spoil, but you know what I’m talking about… It’s so much better in DoW…in comparison, I was cringing a bit reading Owen and Julie in MHI. No offense intended, of course. It’s just delightful to see the difference it’s made as Larry’s skills as a writer have been sharpened and his talent has matured.

            It’s like a custom muscle car built by a very, very gifted mechanic in his shop, next to a car designed and built by Enzo Ferrari in *his* shop, with all his genius, skill, and fantastic toys/tools.

            Both are truly awesome. One is more refined, more polished.

          2. Most people don’t know this… but in fact Larry doesn’t deal with these cattle mutants AT ALL. See, that’s what that big gaming room upstairs is for. He invites fans over for gaming sessions, and after they lose they’re confined to terminal cubicles in the Schloss Correia cellar where THEY have to deal with the cattle mutants as punishment for disapointing the ILOH at game.


  45. I keep up with several authors who have gotten semi-famous in the last decade — of various political leanings, and even some totally apolitical types (a rarity in today’s climate) — and it’s something notable that they all seem to become increasingly short-tempered and jaded in their interactions with people on social media as time goes on.

    Not blaming anyone. It seems to be a hazard of the profession (or of celebrity in general). I became marginally famous in ONE COMMUNITY, and the massive timesink that turned into was enough to drive a person to drink. I can’t imagine the stress, where you can’t even post a benign topic about some cool shirts you found without five dozen schlubs WELL AKSHULLY-ing, warning about sweatshop labor, calling you a capitalist pig, and blaming you for not bringing attention to their moronic pet cause.

    Wouldn’t blame you for withdrawing, though I usually find your posts entertaining/informative enough that it would be sad to lose them.

  46. Off topic, but the recent nominations for President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, could this be some sort of ‘Sad Puppies’ effort? The left is already saying they should end the Peace Prize rather than see Trump get it. Personally, after giving the prize to President Dronestrike, giving it to President Trump is an insult to President Trump.


  47. Thanks for your perspective on an author’s social media interactions Larry. Would you know if other authors pay people to manage their social media presence or would that be way to much overhead for most authors?

    Would it be worth the time and money to let annoying people on the internet to pay you for the opportunity to send you abuse? Set up an online store for them to send you social media posts and have them pay by the word?

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