12 [library]
Why haven't I been blogging?
I have. Differently. I'm using [library] to put a catalogue of my books online.
I'm not sure if it's bragging or just flaunting my tastes, but either way it's what I've been doing with my time on the computer. The prospect of writing after I've been using the program all day, editing the entries to my preferences, is too much. I don't like being on the computer all day despite the joy it can create.
Right now I'm watching [bluegender], which is an increasingly interesting show. At first I found it a little emotionally strained and strange, but ever since the Blue arrived on the "Second Earth" satellite, the situation is creepy and "Resident Evil"-y. In the good way.
I guess it's officially yet another response to an entire lineage of science fiction that (officially) started with Heinlein's [starshiptroopers]. Joe Haldeman wrote a response to it in [foreverwar], then [endersgame] arrived in the 80s. Haldeman rewrote his 60s novel twice in the last decade, once as [foreverpeace] and again as [foreverfree].
The entire mass of discussion, reverberation and reaction to Heinlein's book created even continued as Verhoeven tried to update and translate it with his 1997 blockbuster of the same name; although the movie was pretty sucky as an adaption of Heinlein's book and also was a fairly lousy movie, Verhoeven did manage to convey his understanding by putting his "heroes" in appallingly Nazi-derived uniforms and political situations. Having survived Nazi occupation, Verhoeven really gets the mood of fascism going.
Translating the deeply disturbing political vision of Heinlein from pro to con was one nice touch, although I doubt many people understand that; even less do they understand the deliberateness with which he links "patriotic duty" with fascist politics and corporate political control.
Ooh, big words. In short, [starshiptroopers] was a lousy movie but a brilliant political satire of those who demand our allegiance in the name of culture, ethnicity, religion or even species. These points are similar to those other writers were trying to make in their response(s); it's a fascinating read to go through the whole series.
One last note: the most off-genre response to Heinlein is my favourite novel of all time: Ursula le Guin's [dispossessed], which comes right out and deals with communalistic and 'communistic' societies without using social insects as a prop. I think it is her best writing and the height of her career. It originally had a subtitle as well, [ambiguousutopia], but for some inexplicable reason she dropped it after the first printing. I'm lucky enough to have a rare, leatherbound, limited-edition printing of this work - thanks, 'rental units!
My homepage is here now. I'll post my library listings there.
I have. Differently. I'm using [library] to put a catalogue of my books online.
I'm not sure if it's bragging or just flaunting my tastes, but either way it's what I've been doing with my time on the computer. The prospect of writing after I've been using the program all day, editing the entries to my preferences, is too much. I don't like being on the computer all day despite the joy it can create.
Right now I'm watching [bluegender], which is an increasingly interesting show. At first I found it a little emotionally strained and strange, but ever since the Blue arrived on the "Second Earth" satellite, the situation is creepy and "Resident Evil"-y. In the good way.
I guess it's officially yet another response to an entire lineage of science fiction that (officially) started with Heinlein's [starshiptroopers]. Joe Haldeman wrote a response to it in [foreverwar], then [endersgame] arrived in the 80s. Haldeman rewrote his 60s novel twice in the last decade, once as [foreverpeace] and again as [foreverfree].
The entire mass of discussion, reverberation and reaction to Heinlein's book created even continued as Verhoeven tried to update and translate it with his 1997 blockbuster of the same name; although the movie was pretty sucky as an adaption of Heinlein's book and also was a fairly lousy movie, Verhoeven did manage to convey his understanding by putting his "heroes" in appallingly Nazi-derived uniforms and political situations. Having survived Nazi occupation, Verhoeven really gets the mood of fascism going.
Translating the deeply disturbing political vision of Heinlein from pro to con was one nice touch, although I doubt many people understand that; even less do they understand the deliberateness with which he links "patriotic duty" with fascist politics and corporate political control.
Ooh, big words. In short, [starshiptroopers] was a lousy movie but a brilliant political satire of those who demand our allegiance in the name of culture, ethnicity, religion or even species. These points are similar to those other writers were trying to make in their response(s); it's a fascinating read to go through the whole series.
One last note: the most off-genre response to Heinlein is my favourite novel of all time: Ursula le Guin's [dispossessed], which comes right out and deals with communalistic and 'communistic' societies without using social insects as a prop. I think it is her best writing and the height of her career. It originally had a subtitle as well, [ambiguousutopia], but for some inexplicable reason she dropped it after the first printing. I'm lucky enough to have a rare, leatherbound, limited-edition printing of this work - thanks, 'rental units!
My homepage is here now. I'll post my library listings there.
posted by Unknown @ 04:07
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