tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post4267264674620733517..comments2024-03-13T07:34:24.149+00:00Comments on The Age of Uncertainty: The New DystopiansSteerforthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07627936539372313828noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-11264690908509084082014-12-30T13:30:49.635+00:002014-12-30T13:30:49.635+00:00So (rest of comment deleted by management)So (rest of comment deleted by management)zmkchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08972549292961948240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-18414574035507397552014-12-24T00:04:24.858+00:002014-12-24T00:04:24.858+00:00Just wanted to take this opportunity to wish you a...Just wanted to take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy Christmas, Steerforth. Hope you and all the family have a peaceful and joyous holiday. And may 2015 be filled with good things for you all.<br />xoxo CarolCanadian Chickadeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12995693884248628958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-42842788014509513642014-12-19T06:00:41.041+00:002014-12-19T06:00:41.041+00:00Jeff VanderMeer lives here in Tallahasse. He drew...Jeff VanderMeer lives here in Tallahasse. He drew upon the nearby St. Marks Wildlife Refuge, a preserve of tidal marshes and forest, for his descriptions of Area X.<br /><br />Someone this week wanted us to suggest a book similar to Hugh Howey's Silo trilogy, which got us talking about post-apocalyptic dystopian novels. I remembered the film Logan's Run too and the silos reminded me again not of a book, but of the computer game, Fallout.<br /><br />Several librarians favored The Dog Stars, by Peter Heller.Bretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09389916070547430075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-76937569286321237882014-12-15T03:49:03.277+00:002014-12-15T03:49:03.277+00:00He does also say "As in every Mitchell novel ...He does also say "As in every Mitchell novel there is much to be impressed by" and "Mitchell's dexterity, stylistic range and ability to build fictional worlds are very impressive". I wouldn't spit in the face of a review like that.<br />You can read an individual article online for nuffink if you don't mind logging in.<br />http://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n23/theo-tait/a-turn-for-the-woowooGert Lovedayhttp://www.gertloveday.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-16231618021784180412014-12-15T00:11:19.560+00:002014-12-15T00:11:19.560+00:00Dale - Yes, there is a macho quality to these word...Dale - Yes, there is a macho quality to these words, full of bluster but ultimately complete hot air. I'm glad you were able to reintroduce a note of clarity to the documents you edited. <br /><br />Carol - That reminds me of those military men with Kissinger-style voices who will never say "Yes, we're supplying them with arms", but hide behind "That is in the affirmative. We are weaponizing the allies."<br /><br />Gert - Ouch! I wish I could have read the whole of the review, but I'm not a subscriber. The Bone Clocks is a big mess of a book, but it doesn't take itself too seriously. Whether playful, postmodern fiction is merely a million dollar penny dreadful or not, I don't know.Steerforthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07627936539372313828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-55935201617265656002014-12-14T23:36:19.105+00:002014-12-14T23:36:19.105+00:00Re "The Bone Clocks" Theo Tait says in ...Re "The Bone Clocks" Theo Tait says in the LRB, "The result is what John Updike called 'a million dollar penny dreadful', a work that is admirable only if you think that ambition and vitality trump every other literary virtue".Gert Lovedayhttp://www.gertloveday.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-1443392108361974892014-12-13T01:07:26.260+00:002014-12-13T01:07:26.260+00:00Steerforth, humour and sometimes sarcasm are great...Steerforth, humour and sometimes sarcasm are great weapons against a lot of bureaucratic pomposity. <br /><br />Speaking of pomposity, I was reading a book this morning, in which the author referred to a set of circumstances as being "incriminatory." Now it's probably a perfectly good work, but a little overblown for my tastes!Canadian Chickadeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12995693884248628958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-38357838515979862962014-12-12T23:39:49.735+00:002014-12-12T23:39:49.735+00:00I got offered a plethora of "robusts" an...I got offered a plethora of "robusts" and also "rigorouses" long ago when I was editing draft public service material. The writers thought it sounded macho.<br /><br />I fixed their wagons - every time I came across a mention that something was to be "rigorously" enforced or structured, I replaced it with "meticulously". "Robust" regulations/measures became "stringent" regulations/measures.<br /><br />They hated my girly words, but couldn't argue because I was boss. Bwahahahaha. Dalenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-91373728986929248502014-12-12T22:52:06.410+00:002014-12-12T22:52:06.410+00:00Carol - Yes, that's a very annoying one becaus...Carol - Yes, that's a very annoying one because there's something dishonest about it - you either are or you aren't <b>doing</b> it. And so often, companies are <i>looking</i> to <i>grow</i> their profits these days. I grow plants; I increase my profits (if only). It's lazy English. <br /><br />I don't know if you had this in the US, but a few years ago, nearly every politician or civil servant would always claim that they were introducing <i>robust</i> measures to deal with a problem. The word robust became such a cliche, it started to be mocked and slowly died a death, so I think humour is probably the best weapon against cliches.Steerforthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07627936539372313828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-58944723451460340152014-12-12T21:45:18.066+00:002014-12-12T21:45:18.066+00:00I've just been re-reading your post and commen...I've just been re-reading your post and comments. I've probably mentioned this before, but my current peeve with newspapers and news readers is the misuse of word "looking": He is looking to improve his golf score, the company is looking to maximize profits, etc. Why not hoping to improve or maximize? I prefer to think of looking as something that involves seeing.Canadian Chickadeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12995693884248628958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-91640346863937387942014-12-11T17:57:56.206+00:002014-12-11T17:57:56.206+00:00Thanks Chris. I've read it too and agree, it w...Thanks Chris. I've read it too and agree, it was very good. I must read the other two books in the trilogy. Steerforthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07627936539372313828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-26638889096407111712014-12-11T17:15:27.300+00:002014-12-11T17:15:27.300+00:00Thanks for these recommendations. Along these line...Thanks for these recommendations. Along these lines, you might want to read Margaret Atwood's ORYX AND CRAKE. I thought it was excellent. Chris Matarazzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17885109959459471509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-52551929440833980842014-12-11T00:21:15.768+00:002014-12-11T00:21:15.768+00:00Carol - I'd love to read a bit of sci-fi for e...Carol - I'd love to read a bit of sci-fi for escapist relaxation, but I rarely get past the first few pages without thinking how silly it all is.<br /><br />I enjoy speculative fiction because, apart from the vicarious thrill of seeing how people cope with the collapse of civilisation, there is always an interesting political message about the path we've chosen to pursue.Steerforthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07627936539372313828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-66714243049729371012014-12-10T23:52:24.082+00:002014-12-10T23:52:24.082+00:00I'm not really into SciFi. There's enough...I'm not really into SciFi. There's enough stuff going on in the "real" world that I don't understand. I don't need to spend any time in an alternate universe solving alternate problems. I've only ever managed to finish two SciFi books: The Day of the Drones (can't remember the author right off hand), and The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis, which was riveting. Canadian Chickadeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12995693884248628958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-57977084245634775662014-12-10T21:16:35.218+00:002014-12-10T21:16:35.218+00:00Again, you've got me nodding. At nineteen, I j...Again, you've got me nodding. At nineteen, I joined the Sherwood Anderson Society, which then included members who had known the man. <br /><br />The end of my comic book obsession pretty much coincided with <i>Superman vs The Amazing Spider-Man: The Battle of the Century</i>. Reading the synopsis online, it is easy to see why.Brian Busbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-16076024303318200672014-12-10T15:55:56.775+00:002014-12-10T15:55:56.775+00:00Brian - At least the blues had a bit more street c...Brian - At least the blues had a bit more street cred than my collection of Scandinavian 20th century symphonies. I used joined the Vaughan Williams Appreciation Society and realised that the next oldest member was at least 40 years older than me. <br /><br />Re: Marvel vs DC, even today, a small part of me feels shocked when they have characters from the separate universes in one story. Steerforthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07627936539372313828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-14335146131577896812014-12-10T13:23:07.698+00:002014-12-10T13:23:07.698+00:00Steerforth, I nodded knowingly when when reading t...Steerforth, I nodded knowingly when when reading that the first half of your adolescence was wasted on Marvel comics. I was more of a DC boy myself. Like you, at fourteen, one obsession replaced another - only in my case it was the blues. The seed was a BBC documentary aired on CBC.<br /><br />I also wasted a fair amount of time on Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert E. Howard - and spent it wisely reading John Wyndham. I was introduced to the man's work with <i>The Chrysalids</i>, assigned by my Montreal high school. One thing that struck me at the time was the Labrador setting. It was the only book handed out that actually took place in Canada... a post-apocolyptic Canada, anyway.Brian Busbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-12902266889403828412014-12-10T00:01:01.368+00:002014-12-10T00:01:01.368+00:00Carol - Re: Vocal mannerisms, I've just listen...Carol - Re: Vocal mannerisms, I've just listened to myself talking on the radio and it was all "um...well...yeeessss..." - anything to give myself half a second of thinking time. I also sounded like a BBC announcer from 1942. <br /><br />What's the quote about "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone?" I shall go off and hang my head in shame.Steerforthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07627936539372313828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-10869955976952345392014-12-09T22:00:19.670+00:002014-12-09T22:00:19.670+00:00Nota Bene - Will you eat the relatives who are sur...Nota Bene - Will you eat the relatives who are surplus to requirements?<br /><br />Brian - A Scientific Romance looks promising - thanks for the recommendation. <br /><br />Re: lonely adolescences, I'd be interested to know what sort of things you read. I also had a rather isolated adolescence and wasted the first half reading Marvel comics. Then, from the age of 14, I became obsessed with classical music, which was something even fewer of my peers were interested in. Steerforthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07627936539372313828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-3233096092100313712014-12-09T20:21:59.380+00:002014-12-09T20:21:59.380+00:00As a child, I fed on things dystopian. But when I ...As a child, I fed on things dystopian. But when I grew up, I put away such things. This is not to suggest that are childish, rather that they are fixtures of a lonely adolescence I'd prefer to forget.<br /><br />So, thank you for recommending <i>Station Eleven</i>, a book I'd ignored for no good reason. Dare I hope the Travelling Symphony visit my neck of Ontario? <i>No</i>, don't tell me.<br /><br />In return, I recommend Ronald Wright's <i>A Scientific Romance</i>. I read this novel in the autumn of 1997, and enjoyed it immensely. The threat back then was mad cow disease. Does that make it dated?<br /><br /><br />Brian Busbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-12438561493482996132014-12-09T17:25:17.864+00:002014-12-09T17:25:17.864+00:00We too have done post-apocalyptic planning, even d...We too have done post-apocalyptic planning, even deciding which of the relatives we'd keep, and which ones would be surplus to requirements...Nota Benehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00969705852180234416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-10847634288659065822014-12-09T10:35:52.999+00:002014-12-09T10:35:52.999+00:00Carol - I generally switch off my pedantry when ta...Carol - I generally switch off my pedantry when talking to people from other countries, so you'd be safe from the wrath of the Lewes Militia. <br /><br />The most grating aspect of "so" is the way it has spread like a virus during the last two years. What was wrong with our old friend "well"? <br /><br />Any vocal tic, whether it's the overuse of "like", the rising inflection at the end of sentences or, when I was young, peppering sentences with "You know..." distracts from what the speaker's saying. <br /><br /><br />Steerforthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07627936539372313828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-56386445680901891202014-12-08T22:16:38.251+00:002014-12-08T22:16:38.251+00:00So it's probably good that I live a long ways ...So it's probably good that I live a long ways away from Lewes, I'm guessing! :) xoxoxCanadian Chickadeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12995693884248628958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-78842314173794920202014-12-08T20:07:43.972+00:002014-12-08T20:07:43.972+00:00It's such a good story. I was also gripped by ...It's such a good story. I was also gripped by television programmes like 'The Changes' and 'Logan's Run'. <br /><br />By the way, I've just realised that reading about the last days of the Austro-Hungarian empire is also a form of apocalyptic fiction. Steerforthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07627936539372313828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32570460.post-45276871408100971962014-12-08T19:18:25.981+00:002014-12-08T19:18:25.981+00:00It was The Chrysalids that made me love dystopian ...It was The Chrysalids that made me love dystopian novels too!Annabelhttp://gaskella.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com