ฤฐt all started with this and that, setting ? facebook..
๐๐จ๐จ๐ค๐๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ข-๐
๐ข
I have recently been challenged for using the term bookcloak, so let me take a moment to explain why I stand by it. The label is not a random insult but a descriptive term for a very particular pattern of behaviour in the fandom. In fact, I have even seen people in this very group proudly adopt the name themselves, and yes, I have the screenshots to prove it if anyone is still in doubt.
Some argue the term is unfair, but I must respectfully disagree. Bookcloak is one of the most book-appropriate names for this sort of behaviour. Any objective reader can see why it fits: it is apt, pointed, and almost poetic in its accuracy.
Consider the conduct we see so often. These self-styled โdefenders of authenticityโ do far more than simply love the books. They pick fights, belittle fans who genuinely enjoy the show, and try to invalidate the joy others find in it. They do not simply defend the source material; they patrol conversations, police enthusiasm, and sneer at anyone who dares to appreciate the adaptation on its own terms. Tell me, what could be more bookcloaky than that?
And here is the irony: I was not even the one who coined the term. Plenty of your compatriots have worn it proudly themselves. So, please, do not waste your energy picking a fight with me.
The deeper reason the name works, however, is that bookcloaks behave very much like the Whitecloaks in The Wheel of Time.
1) Self-righteousness: Whitecloaks think they alone define the Light. Bookcloaks think they alone define โauthenticity.โ
Gatekeeping: Whitecloaks police beliefs. Bookcloaks police fan joy.
2) Intolerance of joy: Whitecloaks cannot stand others living freely. Bookcloaks cannot stand others enjoying the show.
Hypocrisy: Whitecloaks claim to serve justice but often act unjustly. Bookcloaks claim to โprotect the booksโ while spreading toxicity.
3) Authoritarian streak: Whitecloaks want to control thought and behaviour. Bookcloaks want to control how everyone responds to the series.
So no, the label is not random. Robert Jordan gave us the perfect metaphor. The Whitecloaks in the books are rigid, joyless, and convinced only their way is the right way. When fans behave in exactly that fashion, the title bookcloak is not only appropriate, it is earned.
That is why I use it, and that is why I will continue to do so.
#TheWheelOfTime #Bookcloaks #Whitecloaks #SaveWOT #FantasyTV