Author Archives: Josh A
Comment on Leading up to “a spark of being into a lifeless thing” by Josh A
That's a good final question, one that I've been pondering myself. Do you think Shelley legitimately thought when she wrote the book that the day was coming when AI would be created?
According to wikipedia, btw, the word "robot" was first used in the 1920s. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robots_in_literature Continue reading
Comment on ‘the modern prometheus’ by Josh A
I think you're right! I think too that perhaps we can get a greater appreciation for the narrative's estranging qualities when we consider its original audience…and how unknown Shelley's narrative may have been for them.
Then again, was it THAT unknown? You've already referred to other creation myths. There's also the Jewish folktale of the Golem…but this very well may have been the first time an author tried to explain a creation myth with science (even "vague" science!) Maybe that's where the unknown truly came in. Continue reading
Comment on Desiring the Extinction of Knowledge by Josh A
Some good thoughts here. I'm especially intrigued by your question:
–Is Frankenstein arguing that rather than putting questions to nature by means of science, humans should content themselves with that which can be immediately felt through intuition or the senses?
I'd love to see you continue to comment on that as the narrative progresses. Are you suggesting that Shelley is a Luddite, despising any and all technology?
I think your observations about the rather simple aesthetic brush Shelley depicts her characters with are well worth noting and merit further discussion in class. After all, isn't this a complaint often made about science fiction? That the characters are lacking in nuance, at best?
One minor formatting note–I'd suggest paragraph breaks for your readers' sakes! Continue reading