Author Archives: youngpark
TV Skies and Mushroom Clouds
William Gibson’s Neuromancer deals with some common science fiction themes such as the blurring line between nature and technology. I enjoyed discovering how seemingly casual descriptions and metaphors served to highlight this theme. Take the opening line of the book for example: “The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a […] Continue reading
Elevators, Escalators, and Asymmetries of Power
Having power is fraught with difficulties of its own. It’s not easy being the Dark Lord. Continue reading
“I wouldn’t sleep with you if you were the last man on…wait, where is everyone?”
This post was written partially in response to jaycrede’s post and more generally in defense of authors who take certain liberties when writing science fiction. I agree with jaycrede. That a comet’s deadly gases (do they even emit deadly gases?) could permeate through the atmosphere in such a concentrated way as to devastate a single […] Continue reading
Contradictions abound in Frankenstein
“That is also my victim!…in his murder my crimes are consummated; the miserable series of my being is wound to its close! Oh, Frankenstein! Generous and self-devoted being! What does it avail that I now ask thee to pardon me?” (emphasis mine, p. 240) I think this line encapsulates much of the contradictory emotions propelling the novel. […] Continue reading
Why is Frankenstein SF?
In class, Professor Sample suggested that science fiction (SF) is often about voyages, both literal and metaphorical. It’s easy to see why this might be the case: if humans possess a primal urge to venture into the unknown, science—and its handmaiden, technology—has been, and is still, essential to fueling that drive. However, the voyage narrative […] Continue reading