I’m not trying to be a tease, but that wraps up this short Natural History of a World Without End strip, originally done up as a teaser for our San Diego Comic Con submission package. The irony of this post is I’m taking a month’s sabbatical from the site. I won’t be idle, though. See you in December.
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That looks crazy/amazing. Cramazing? Crazamazing?
No! What will I read?
Read a book. It’s what normal people do.
Mee-yow!
Actually, I was going to make the same suggestion, but list a few examples to go with it:
Factory GIrls – Unnerving series of portraits of teenage Chinese factory workers. Unnerving in the sense that they lead fairly normal, modern lives, in an environment that encourages (according to the Wall Street Journal employed author) lies, deception, ladder climbing, and, for all intents and purposes, a western lifestyle. Throughout the book the author seems to be implying that modern industrial China is sort of a good thing, in the sense that it’s turned traditional Chinese society on its head, giving power and opportunity to young migrant women, breaking the static, group-think mold of the past few millenia. Though it paints an atmospheric, ominous, almost science fiction-esque picture of factory city life, the book is suspiciously bereft of any awareness of the ecological impact of modern industrial China, and I was left thinking of a short sci-fi story I read in the past (the name or author of which I can’t remember) where feminism is injected into a patriarchal alien society via consumerism.
Saturn’s Children – Recent Charles Stross novel about a future where humanity has mysteriously disappeared, leaving their robotic servants to run civilization, an aristocratic class of android has enslaved 90% of the robotic population (sound familiar?), and the political spy intrigue that the main character, an obsolete sexbot named Freya, is thrown into.
“…and I was left thinking of a short sci-fi story I read in the past (the name or author of which I can’t remember) where feminism is injected into a patriarchal alien society via consumerism.”
That seems like something I’d want to read, just to see how the author would treat feminism.
I think I’ve heard of Saturn’s Children before, and I think it was a friend recommending it, but I have no memory besides the familiarity of the title.
Also, uh, that doesn’t sound like an accurate picture/perception of modern China…but I’d have to read it to really know.
This Robert Anton Wilson clip that I watch 2.6 times a week suggests that normal people don’t actually exist:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4PQJGlARtc
But that’s no reason not to read a book!
Andy: As they say in Reading Rainbow, don’t take my word for it!
They also said “I can do anything”, but I don’t think that’s really true.
Relevant? http://shii.org/knows/WisCon,_the_Feminist_Sci-Fi_Convention:_A_journey_of_self-hate
Damn that’s offensive.
I won’t lie, I’m offended.
I bought the stross novel. I’m not loving it so far. Does it improve?
…OR DOES IT???
I have mixed feelings about Charles Stross, so I’m not sure how to answer that, Jeff. Like “Accelerando”, I really like the post-human picture Stross paints, and yet… I’m left wishing that a different author had tackled the same book, because I also find myself kind of annoyed by his so-called ‘gonzo’ voice. However, I’d much rather read one novel about Freya the blowjob-bot, than read a regular Dresden Codak strip.
…what about NCS?
Come back, guys! December has come and gone!
signs point to Riotfish updating again on thursday, with a round of “Random Commercial Parody.” NCS could be coming back soon as well, though soon might be a strong word