Before Dawkins and Hitchens, There Was Philip Wylie

But I could not express such thoughts as these on the American radio or by motion pictures or printed in the newspapers or get them published in the magazines. No business has sponsored an atheist on the air--its gross would drop too suddenly and too much. Theoretically, the atheist has as much “right” to argue as the Baptist. Actually, he has no opportunity. The “good” people in our society choke him. For justice, they have absolute contempt. They already “know” that they are “right” and will not hear anything further or permit the public to listen to a syllable of dissent!

We haven't progressed that far with the public discourse on religion since Philip Wylie's critique of organized religion was published in his book An Essay On Morals in 1947.

Why You Should Buy Issue 118 of Filmfax magazine

It's a bit late, but not too late for me to mention issue #118 of Filmfax magazine. I would be remiss in not tooting my own horn. This issue of Filmfax contains my 4,300-word article, "LA 2017: Steven Spielberg's lost science fiction TV classic!" My article explores the origins and making of "LA 2017," the Hugo award-nominated 1971 episode of the TV series "The Name of the Game," written by Philip Wylie and directed by Steven Spielberg.

"Megaloid momworship has got completely out of hand"

Meanwhile, Megaloid momworship has got completely out of hand. Our land, subjectively mapped, would have more silver cords and apron strings crisscrossing it than railroads and telephone wires. Mom is everywhere and everything and damned near everybody, and from her depends all the rest of the U. S. Disguised as good old mom, dear old mom, sweet old mom, your loving mom, and so on, she is the bride at every funeral and the corpse at every wedding. Men live for her and die for her, dote upon her and whisper her name as they pass away, and I believe she has now achieved, in the hierarchy of miscellaneous articles, a spot next to the Bible and the Flag, being reckoned part of both in a way. She may therefore soon be granted by the House of Representatives the especial supreme and extraordinary right of sitting on top of both when she chooses, which, God knows, she does. At any rate, if no such bill is under consideration, the presentation of one would cause little debate among the solons.

Philip Wylie, "Common Women," from Generation of Vipers (1942)

Trailer for the "LA 2017" Episode of The Name of the Game