Parts of it are depressing, certainly, yet I wouldn’t say it was depressing overall. I think that in some sense the necessary mode of thought in NK is so different from anywhere outside NK, and maybe especially in Western nations, that in a certain sense this disconnect allowed me as a reader to remain somewhat separated from what was happening. It’s literally hard to comprehend how things could be like they are, and that in itself keeps it from being more depressing. There is a level of unreal-ness because it is so alien to me. It was not uncommon for that to be the case with characters in the book, too, despite them being in the middle of everything. I’m pretty sure there aren’t many dystopian novels with happy endings, so I don’t think it’s really giving anything away to say this isn’t exactly a happy-ending book. It’s also not uplifting, nor doesn it show any real promise of a path for improvement for the future of NK. But despite this, it has a lot of truly funny bits. The humor is pretty much all dark (some of it reminding me of what might be in Brazil., Catch 22, or that sort of thing). A few parts are horrific - not just in what happens, but especially in what people (have to) think about the horrific things that happen or that they feel they have to do. The book is pretty consistent in making it clear that things have deteriorated to the point that people are constantly in survival mode in pretty much all ways. And that this constant survival mode has affected literally everything in life. And that maybe the only way to ultimately try to care about someone there is to just always make sure they have plausible deniability and that you have the determination to sacrifice yourself at any moment. And that even that commonly won’t be sufficient. But, as I said, ironically, there is some humor in all of this.
Wow. That makes it sound really bad. It’s not. The book was still enjoyable imo.
40% of the way through Light From Uncommon Stars, and I’m having a hard time not taking a day off to read it (while I’m awake, instead of at night in bed for 15-20 minutes before I fall asleep).
I went back and forth the USA a few times looking for something. Whatever it was supposed to be, I didn’t find it.
Oh, and my ‘friend’ dumped me in Mexico City when I was sick from bad water. 'cuz he’s a jerk. He was supposed to be this great legendary thing. I’m just going to have to find myself a new friend, that’s all.
It’s like Catcher in the Rye – stuff a bunch of Boomers thought impressive when they were kids (and I guess their parents thought good when they were adults, as it was the older generation that initially bought the crap)
I feel a lot of Horror can fall into Fantasy. Does anyone know if Cell, Gerald’s Game, The Tommyknockers or Everything’s Eventual (collection) (all Stephen King) would fall under Fantasy?
It’s been a while since I read Gerald’s Game and Tommyknockers, but those are definitely horror. Gerald’s Game has absolutely nothing fantastic about it (other than dementia). Tommyknockers is really just alien horror.
In my mind, Fantasy needs some kind of magic that makes the things happen, usually under control of the protagonist. And most Horror doesn’t really have anything magical, so I would struggle to agree that “a lot of Horror can fall into Fantasy”. They’re both speculative, as are alternate histories and dystopian, but to slot much of horror under fantasy is quite a stretch.
Finished Light from Uncommon Stars. Excellent read. Possibly triggering for those who have dealt with abuse. For reasons hard to explain without spoilers, it seemed fitting to be finishing the book on Good Friday. Or maybe that is just me being me.
“Finding the Mother Tree” by Professor Suzanne Simard. Book chronicles Simard’s lifetime of research on how trees communicate and her challenges to have her conclusions adopted by the forestry industry.
I was a bit sceptical before I read it but her research is rigorous. Her recommendations on forest regeneration are finally being widely accepted.
Book falls into the science category but it is not dry as she brings her personal story into it as well.