Author Archives: dcallan

So, once again our instructors, in their infinite wisdom, have chosen a class text that is overwhelmingly preoccupied with “meat.”  We’ve seen it before.  Most prominent amongst the stories we’ve read this semester with a flesh-obsession would have to Neuromancer: … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I come out of blindsight.  I find myself talking, making public announcements.  Backups engaged.  Nav offline.  Starboard afferents offline. I cut the alarm I’d been singing.  Check diagnostics, take an instant to assimilate all data.  Rorschach’s attack: the jailbreak, the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

“Metaprocesses bloom like cancer, and awaken, and call themselves I.” (303) In Blindsight, there are several references to Information Theory.  Admittedly, Information Theory covers a lot of shit.  In this blog, I’ll try to limit discussing information theory as it … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Tape 7, November 10. Where was I? What’s most difficult for me is trying to decide what to tell you and what not to. But I guess I have a while yet before you’re old enough to understand these tapes. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

After the almost paralyzing boredom of Lilith’s first two hundred and fifty years among on the Oankali, her final exposure to the extraterrestrials, starting with her meeting Jdahya, comes as something of a shock.  And, indeed, Butler does manage to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Throughout WE3, the animals are all preoccupied.  1, who is arguably the highest of the three animals, cognitively speaking, is preoccupied with the idea of “HOME,” the act of “PROTECT,” and morality, striving to be a “GUD DOG.”  2, on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Nadine and I, along with Jessica and Ashley, had briefly discussed Gibson’s Neuromancer at the beginning of another class.  I had enjoyed Neuromancer, and in particular Gibson’s conventions.  However, as our class discussion on Tuesday, as well as the out … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I really loved John Campbell Jr.’s short story Who Goes There. And, though I’ve never seen the movie adaptation of the story, a friend of mine had suggested that I watch The Thing.  My interest having been piqued by Who Goes … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I was very taken with Lynd Ward’s woodcuts for Frankenstein, and thought that it would be interesting to dig up some other pictorial interpretations of Shelly’s work.  In particular, I wanted to look at key parts of the novel, as depicted … Continue reading → Continue reading →

It has been some time since I last read Frankenstein.  And I’ve never read it under the pretext of science fiction, but rather as a gothic novel.  However, upon rereading the epistolary opening sections of Mary Shelley’s novel, I immediately … Continue reading → Continue reading →