Author Archives: mcarrolc
The House of the Scorpion
The major departure I’m seeing in The House of the Scorpion from the other books we’ve been reading is a stark lack of the science side of science fiction. Even in the most intensely scientific moment of the opening of … Continue reading → Continue reading
The moment of first Blindsight from the view of Bates
pg. 159 in the kindle version PG. 159 The view of Bates during that first mission into Rorshach “Another spike, ” I warned as tesla and Sieverts surged on my HUD. “Hang on.” This place was not only giving me … Continue reading → Continue reading
Dear Akin please grow up to be a human looking alien hybrid, love mo
Dear Akin, As I look forward to your birth, I cannot help but be filled with apprehension and anticipation. You are the fulfillment of dreams I never thought I would again be able have. I believed giving birth to a … Continue reading → Continue reading
Neuromancer? Aren’t those the guys that raise skeletons or something?
The particulars of why Neuromancer is such a challenging read comes from the vernacular and conventions that Gibson employs. A prime example of this is in chapter titled FIVE, about 6 paragraphs down in my version. Gibson uses common language … Continue reading → Continue reading
Comment on THE THING AND OTHER NIGHTMARE SCENARIOS by mcarrolc
The obvious link that can be made in the comet and frankenstein is the story and struggles of the monster. Jim Davis personifies the “monster’s” struggle of being different and despised among humankind and yet desiring contact and love which he is denied even when he does something right. In Davis’ tale he is reduced to racism and subjugation the moment that the woman’s father and friends arrive. He had chosen to help rescue this woman in the midst of this crisis and experiences her change in attitude towards him. Then his transfiguration that occurred moments before in the woman’s eyes to that of a titan among men and some sort of ancient king to be the progenitor of a new humanity, is totally stripped from him with the first mention of the word nigger. This mirrors the word monster expressed in Frankenstein and carries the same evil stigma.
In the monster’s tale he rescues a young girl and is shot for it, he also helps the old man and his family for an entire season and they beat and reject him immediately upon seeing his figure.
This thread of of alienation occurs under different meaning and circumstance in “Who Goes There” and The Thing because it is sort of a reverse process in those instances. In these stories the alienation occurs as people are exposed to the virus that changes people into the “monster” and makes everyone suspicious of each other. Thus everyone becomes a suspect and thus is separated out from the rest of humanity whether anyone knows they’re an alien or not. To me that is the theme that threads though all of these stories. Continue reading
THE THING AND OTHER NIGHTMARE SCENARIOS
Lots of things to talk about this week but first let’s get the obvious out of the way. Thank you Lord that the reading of Frankenstein is over and with that strong fundamental base of Science Fiction literature we can … Continue reading → Continue reading
OH WOE IS ME!
Well I ended up reading the whole remainder of the book in one feverish sitting and I find myself getting more and more infuriated with the character of Frankenstein. His persistent woe is me attitudes are born are strictly based … Continue reading → Continue reading
Frankenstein Vol 1 Blog 1
Looking at Volume 1 of Frankenstein through the narrow restraints of Suvin’s definition of science fiction as “the literature of cognitive estrangement”, I think it is fair to say that Frankenstein can be considered a good example of science fiction. … Continue reading → Continue reading