Duncan Falconer

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Might wanna try his latest book Spike, it is like a very long and thick, funny, scary and enjoyable newsletter. Like Camban, I finished the book and I loved it !
Altho I am not a proffesional reviewer as the Great Camban but I rate it a 5 star book. Mister McNab, read and learn ... read and learn ....

>>By Ninjawoman   (Thursday, 9 Feb 2006 15:16)



Daily mirror friday 10 feb, as i'm fighting flu on the sofa still ill a month on, and i'm reading the paper and guess what a review of The operatvive and its mmm not a good one as its only two stars with the word ouch across the top mmm so i'll pass on this one.

>>By Milligoon   (Friday, 10 Feb 2006 15:53)



I think with books it's the same as with wine.. it's as good as the reader thinks it is and there seem to be quite some happy readers here ;-)

>>By Lynn   (Friday, 10 Feb 2006 17:24)



mmm might give it a go but mmm review kind of put me off lynn but if you and Ninjawoman and lisle think its good then thats good enough for me.

>>By Milligoon   (Friday, 10 Feb 2006 19:49)



Better call a doctor Milligoon, you are very very ill, then again, if you are in the house, better read a good book, it might cure you !!

Eat/drink more vitamins

>>By Ninjawoman   (Friday, 10 Feb 2006 21:05)



There is a 'new' book on Amazon, called The Mercenary. According to the DF website this is NOT a new Falconer/Stratton book - or better put "believe nothing you read on Amazon" hehe.

But other websites are taken over that info so it's gonna lead its own life this book. Maybe DF should write it after all.. it may have been ordered by avid readers!! :-))

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/
ASIN/0316733067/202-5581554-0199853

and now on

http://www.booksnbytes.com/authors/
falconer_duncan.html#QS3607

Looking forward to a 'synopsis' on those sites :-)

>>By Lynn   (Sunday, 12 Mar 2006 18:29)



NEWSLETTER !!!!!!!!!!!!!

www.duncanfalconer.com

:-))

>>By Lynn   (Thursday, 23 Mar 2006 09:04)



Good story - it would be better if it were fiction, it makes me sad for a lot of people involved.

One little comment on the last line.... "all good things" it's a bit odd to hope DF is not a good thing himself ;-)

>>By Lynn   (Thursday, 23 Mar 2006 09:21)



Loved the joke !

>>By Ninjawoman   (Thursday, 23 Mar 2006 11:15)



Call me thick but I don't get the joke, what has Buffalo got to do with it?

>>By camban   (Thursday, 23 Mar 2006 15:09)



Yeah I'll call you thick .. it is not the city but he/the man became the beast. Or should that be, more of a beast/male ?

>>By Ninjawoman   (Thursday, 23 Mar 2006 16:03)



Cam, don't feel bad, I don't get the whole post...Sort of disturbing, really. If I were writing a fictional first-person account of the soul-destroying nature of war, I couldn't have done much better, only the scary part is that I think Falconer considers that sort of thing "light reading."
We have flip hookers desperate for money, dudes cheating on their wives/girls while exploiting said impoverished flips, and then an apparent massacre to boot...All told as an amusing anecdote! I noticed it also wasn't very well written (sorry, DF), which makes me wonder if something's getting to the guy.
I guess it comes down to someone trying to share something no one wants, i.e., that sort of life where humanity is so worthless. Guys like DF are so tough in the traditional sense, but I read something like that and just feel pity, really. I can't imagine anyone ever intended to arrive at that sort of philosophy.
There's something really sad about DF's latest post, I wish I could put it into words better because I see where's he's coming from and wouldn't wish that on anyone.

>>By Just Jon   (Friday, 24 Mar 2006 19:17)



I did appreciate the letter. There's definitely something sad about this - same as with the Abu Ghaib 'scandal' to name one - soldiers are supposed to fight evil for/protect those people who can't defend themselves, and for sticking out their necks to be seen as our heroes. And I'm sure there's a lot of fine men/women out there doing exactly what they believe is a very good cause. At the same time some of these guys represent a form of evil themselves, in this case by abusing desperate women and betraying the people they're supposed to be committed to. It's very likely not how the military wants to be represented so you won't hear these stories from them.. unless they're forced to. And it's a shame these stories reflect on the whole military. What I'm reading in the newsletter is nothing light, but it's definitely heavy stuff brought in DF's writing style which is - to me - more like an observer so perhaps somewhat distant at times, but he adds a dark humour and cynism that makes it a good read. IMHO - of course.

>>By Lynn   (Friday, 24 Mar 2006 19:53)



2 things I want to add... first that the men DF is talking about do act out of themselves..not out of being (former) soldiers, they're probably there because they are (were?) former soldiers but they're nothing other than civilians after they've left the army, and definitely no better or worse that some civilians. These things happen everywhere, not just involving (former) soldiers. It's just that when military (same as police officers for example) are involved there's this clear contrast between good/evil (though I'm fully aware there's an anti-war opinion in which case there might not be a contrast but just evil).
Second is that the men (team) involved/men in general, who have no respect for women and keep these kind of abusive business blooming must be very sad individuals too for it's much more rewarding to give than to take. I agree Jon, it IS hard to put into the right words but these stories do keep you with 2 feet on the ground....it's a dirty world. And that's enough rambling from me for tonight.

>>By Lynn   (Friday, 24 Mar 2006 20:25)



The way I read it is that the Philippineo girls wanted to stay and had every chance to go back home. I dont know what you guys dream of when you wake up in the morning , but I d say that a luxury pent house staffed by willing pretty young girls would do the trick. it works for me !!

maybe there are girls out there who would also want to stay in a luxury pent house full of Brit former military types ?

probably with out being paid ?

I cant see anything sad about it. and I ve read it 20 times to make sure.

Infact ,I think I wil buy a penthouse !!

>>By Rikky   (Saturday, 25 Mar 2006 11:05)



Uhm.. and you think all those women (girls/boys) who work in prostitution do that because they like it? Because they have the choice? How do you know in what way these girls were 'recruted' ? How do you know they even had the choice of going home and what would they be going to? Do you know whether returning would not be even worse than staying (not only because of poverty but what about shame and fear). How old were these girls anyway? And if they had said '18' wouldn't that be really possibly be 17 or 16? I don't want to think even younger.

There is quite a difference in 'rich' girls getting off on military types and penthouses and young women like in this story.

This subject is way way too big to be covered in a few words, but please please think again Rikky if you think these women had a REAL choice and were REALLY doing what they wanted.

>>By Lynn   (Saturday, 25 Mar 2006 11:31)



I have no experience on the reasons why prostitutes work nor am I refering to prostitution.
the newsletter says that the situation worked well for all concerned.

>>By Rikky   (Saturday, 25 Mar 2006 14:26)



Except for the fact they're all dust in the wind now ;-)

>>By Lynn   (Saturday, 25 Mar 2006 14:28)



Rikky, the thing many of us really appreciate about DF is that he does not hold anything back or try to make himself look good. That story has sickened everyone I know, and I should add that I learned the word "flip" from a Philipino hooker, so it ain't like I'm some bleeding heart, unused to the "real" world. DF decided to share a part of his world that many "action" fans never see in their sad little dreams, and I commend him for that. I don't see that he needs defending--he wasn't the bloke shagging the twelve-year-olds, after all.
Furthermore, who knows what he feels deep down about the whole thing? He wrote about it, and didn't write it as well as his other posts, so it stands to reason he felt something about it one way or another. I personally think it came out sounding like a guy trying to say he didn't care when in fact it really bothered him, but then again I've my own nightmares and ain't gonna lose any sleep over his.
I can't speak for anyone else here, but I personally will support DF in his endeavours precisely because he says what's on his mind, and I'm not gonna apologise for questioning it.
Simple way to avoid this sort of thing--don't have a website, don't write what you feel, and be a really lame imitation of all the other SF authors out there.
That we're talking about this shows the difference between DF and others...I say, damn good job!

>>By Just Jon   (Tuesday, 28 Mar 2006 03:38)



Where did the 12 year olds come from ? was Gary Glitter there aswell, I am going to have to read that news letter again . looks like I am missing something

>>By Rikky   (Tuesday, 28 Mar 2006 15:02)



Thank you Jon. What I'm writing below is not meant to be lecturing in a negative way. I feel there's a huge lack of knowledge as to what trafficking women/prostitution really is, but taken for 'well..that's just the way things are'. I wasn't sure to post this but as a friend said.. if only 1 person reads what you have to say it's worth it. So there it goes.

Article 3,UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime

Sexual exploitation is a practice by which person(s) achieve sexual gratification or financial gain or advancement through the abuse of a person's sexuality by abrogating that person's human right to dignity, equality, autonomy, and physical and mental well-being.

Sexual exploitation includes sexual harassment, rape, incest, battering, pornography and prostitution. .

All prostitution exploits women, REGARDLESS OF WOMEN'S CONSENT.

Prostitution includes casual, brothel, escort agency or military prostitution, sex tourism, mail order bride selling and trafficking in women.

'Trafficking in persons' shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs;

(b) The consent of a victim of trafficking in persons to the intended exploitation set forth in subparagraph (a) of this article shall be irrelevant where any of the means set forth in subparagraph (a) have been used;

(Article 3,UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime)

Source:
http://www.rapeis.org/activism/sextrade/
sextrade.html

And related...(no, it's NOT something completely different if you might think so)

The BBC had a documentary a few years back called "BOYS WILL BE BOYS"

"It has become a tragic inevitability that whenever international peacekeepers are sent to bring law and order to a war torn country, a vast and exploitative sex industry, allegedly follows close behind.
Correspondent looks at Bosnia and Kosovo where girls as young as 15 have been duped into working in brothels and forced to have sex with UN personnel. We find that the boys will be boys culture prevails and that international soldiers and police officers at the highest level are turning a blind eye."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/audiovideo/
programmes/correspondent/2043794.stm

Some quotes:

"Analyzed as a market, human trafficking includes both supply and demand forces. On the supply side, poverty, corruption, lack of education, and the eternal human yearning for improving one’s life make people vulnerable to the lures of trafficking."

"A person may travel of his or her own volition to another location within his or her own country or abroad and still fall into a state of involuntary servitude later. The movement of that person to the new location is not what constitutes trafficking; the force, fraud or coercion exercised on that person by another to perform or remain in service to the master is the defining element of trafficking in the modern usage. The person who is trapped in compelled service after initially voluntarily migrating or taking a job willingly is still considered a trafficking victim"

"Victims of human trafficking pay a horrible price. Psychological and physical harm, including disease and stunted growth, often have permanent effects. In many cases the exploitation of trafficking victims is progressive: a child trafficked into one form of labor may be further abused in another. Another brutal reality of the modern-day slave trade is that its victims are frequently bought and sold many times over—often sold initially by family members."

Well sigh.. like I said before.. so much to be said about this - but I do realise this is already a lot. I only hope 1 thing is clear...'consent' does not mean 'like to do' and even if someone choses to stay it does not mean it's not abuse.

>>By Lynn   (Tuesday, 28 Mar 2006 16:09)



Good points Lynn, but let's remember that a) the women weren't hired to be prostitutes, and b) DF himself wasn't involved in any way. I shouldn't have made flippant remark about 12-year-olds, since in this case the women were adults. My point, like yours, was more that the everyday injustice of war leads to even more injustice, and that no one hanging out in a war zone can escape unscathed, whether they get physically injured or not.
New topic, hope it hasn't been asked before...Do any of ya'll have DF's autograph?

>>By Just Jon   (Wednesday, 29 Mar 2006 03:07)



Sorry, forgot to add one thing regarding Lynn's point...
She's absolutely right in saying that if desperate, impoverished women from a third-world country are sleeping with you, it's probably NOT because you're a hot soldier dude. Has more to do with feeding kids, not dying, that sort of thing. And the de-humanizing talked about--some of the guys here should probably take a long hard look at themselves if they like porn, because porn is just desperate women doing crap they hate themselves for. Hating self, not a turn-on to me.

>>By Just Jon   (Wednesday, 29 Mar 2006 03:59)



No @ autograph Jon, and with the above I may have lost any possibilities of getting one either ;-)

>>By Lynn   (Wednesday, 29 Mar 2006 13:03)



Regarding the autograph, that is adressed in the Q & A part of the site. Try that and share if it works .. pwease ?

>>By Ninjawoman   (Thursday, 30 Mar 2006 16:41)



Newsletter ! This time without the controverie that sparked the one before this one .. unless you are a soccer/foottie person ;-)

>>By Ninjawoman   (Wednesday, 5 Apr 2006 21:24)



Dear mister FAlconer, I am sorry to let you know that I am the only person here who even takes the time to read your newsletters. Please do not think I am complaining, I enjoy then very much! So keep up the good work, the others will return ( trust me, I am good in reading tea leafs )

>>By Ninjawoman   (Tuesday, 11 Apr 2006 20:50)



err... uhm....

Dear Mr. Falconer,

Please don't take Ninja's "I'm the only person" as gospel -- it's really just her wishful thinking again... (you know, as in you and she, alone, in private, her hanging on your every word... wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

(PS: That Iraqi son's "plan" was definitely a tragic comedy of errors...)

>>By am-i-binned   (Wednesday, 12 Apr 2006 14:40)



Oh happy day dream .. thank you Am-I-Cheeky, remind me why I like you again ? ;-) You should see him in his Bridget Jones jumper.. very huge-able !

>>By Ninjawoman   (Thursday, 13 Apr 2006 11:33)



well i just finished the operative and what a brilliant book it was. I think falconer is superior to both cr and am, and can't wait for the next installment.

>>By fony   (Saturday, 15 Apr 2006 15:09)



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