Gender and Sexuality (Blog Post 8)

      In the story "Day Million" by Frederick Pohl is a very short and interesting story. I find it almost crazy how he practically predicted our near future and how spot on he was about almost everything. First of the gender role and representation has been starting to mesh and blend lately (although are meshing and blending of the sexes aren't as severe and seemingly normal as in the story Pohl creates); however, the LGBTQ community rising up and working its way into pop culture is happening in our world. While sexual transformations (and people-who aren't completely people but technologically infused- not caring) are there in this story. Also, how Dora and Don casually falls in love gets married, split up, and go on with their normal lives as if nothing has ever happened kind of reminds me of today's celebrities. Today celebrities such as Kate Winslet (divorced twice), Jim Carry (divorced twice), and Angelina Jolie (divorced twice) are getting married and divorced faster than you can even blink. However, despite these things, Pohl's story concentrated little on the simplistic love story between Dora and Don but focused his attention more towards the reader simply because of the fact he writes in second person (rare in writing because it is the least used writing point of view). The central idea of his writing was to question the sensibility and rationality of the reader. For example, on page 383 he states "...if I try to tell you any of that you will simply stare. Or glare; and grumble, what the hell kind of love-making is this?" Pohl is directly challenging the reader's small-minded world view and our prejudices because we "glare," "grumble,"  and "stare" at the things we don't understand or cannot relate to like the idea of Dora getting sexually aroused and stimulated by herself through an analog of memories and characteristics. 

          When I think of the story "When It Changed" by Joanna Russ, I immediately think of feminism in all of its glory. In Whileaway (a world with only women) they established their own political system, defense mechanisms, social structure and reproduction processes without a feeling of lack while also being fulfilled in reproduction, sexually, and in relational matters. The Whileaway women view men (in a more extreme) way that most feminists today probably view men, the direct chasms that separate the two genders.

Blog Post 7

"We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick was a befitting name for this short story considering the protagonist, Douglas Quail, in retrospect paid the Rekal Incorporation to ultimately remember the erased part of his life when he was just supposed to implant a fake memory that wasn't actually so imaginary. I just thought that the irony of it was funny (I literally laughed out loud reading the title of the book again after I finished the story; it still makes me chuckle actually). The adaptation, the movie Total Recall had a lot of similarities (as it should be expected because it's an adaptation), and it had it differences. The first main difference, despite the evident name change of Doug Quaid (from Total Recall) to Douglas Quail (from "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale"), the book wasn't as gruesome as the movie, and had less complexity and action scenes as the movie. For example, though in both stories the two officers tried to kill Quaid/Quail, the book only depicted Quail injuring the officer, while the movie depicted Quaid killing the cops and their troops practically immediate. Also, another difference was the moment of realization that Quaid/Quail realized that was an assassin who went Mars. When he was in the cab, in the story, he found the ReKal Incorporated card in his coat pocket which him to his questioning and propelled the story to keep going. In the movie, he was randomly attacked by the officers for spilling the beans about his mission on mars. This brings the adaptation to another difference. The wife's reaction in the story was completely different. I really don't know if Kirsten was a part of the Interplan set up; however, maybe she was just in denial at the accusations Quail made that he went to Mars and ended up leaving him because of his preposterous allegations or maybe she was in on it the entire time.  In the movie, Quaid's wife, Lori, was a part of the gimmick the entire time and once she realized that Quaid's memories came back and she attacked him, she was forced to tell Quaid what was actually going on. So in this sense, the movie was more personal and deceitful and action-packed extra drama while the book lacked as much action and tension within the marriage. I am not negating the idea that the book had no tension at all within the marriage at all; it was just minimized while the movie maximized the traumatic experience. Although the book and the movie did have their differences, and the book  left out some aspects of the movie decided to juice up (or filler out), the adaptation remained similar in the fact that a man finds out that his reality was never a reality and his dream ultimately was his reality. 

Update:

Oh my goodness. I watched this movie so much that everything I said was almost true except the fact that fact that the movie wasn't the original.(I fixed it though) I am mortified and kind of embarrassed by my silly mistake but hey, you live and you learn.Usually the movie is the adaptation of the book, like always so I don't know where my mind was for that. I guess since I watched that movie so many times and didn't even think twice to look and see when the book was published I made the mistake. Anyhow, the story remain pretty consistent in both the book and the movie adaptation with some differences of course. 

Computers and Virtual Reality (Blog Post 6)

In the story "Burning Chrome" by William Gibson, it was really difficult to into the story (at least for me)  and because of that I probably missed some grave details within the story to help give me that establishment of everything going on. I didn't start getting into the groove of the story until about the last five pages, and each and every time I read it, I just couldn't seem to develop that imaginary world for this story, not because the story wasn't descriptive, but because Mr. Gibson was able to make his story very realistic-a little too realistic. Realistic in the sense of long banters of computer and technological processes that took more effort for me to understand and process- in order build it into my imagination. For example, “A freezer. A fermenter. An incubator. An electrophoresis system with integrated agarose cell and transilluminator. A tissue embedder. A high-performance liquid chromatograph…” Ultimately, the over description and listing of technological processes killed me in the end. However, the way the story is set up, the protagonist working toward their goal and is usually the hero, Gibson did this-yes- however, in a twisted way. The characters, You get attached to the characters and root for them, hoping for their success and lament in their failures. However, he did this in an anti-heroic manner. It primarily two guys (Bobby and Jack) in the slums just trying to get rich, and most definitely not in the most legal manner. However, the future Gibson displays for us seems to mirror a perfect, complicated reflection of modern-day life. Also, this story to me, though the characters may be in slums and aren’t living it up, doesn’t seem dystopian nor does it seem utopian. However what really stood out to me within this story, were the people’s need and almost-like addiction to, what I’d call, “plastic surgery, despite the possible negative  results overall. For example, when Rikki wanted to get the cheaper set of eyes ( at least until she has the money to get the expensive Iris) as a quick fix for her problem. For some reason, this just reminded me of the hot story of when  Tiny (T.I.’s wife, well ex-wife---who knows anymore?)  changed her eye colour with laser eye surgery to like a greyish colour despite the negative possible outcomes. This story just reflects our need to constantly fix ourselves. Overall, this story is a story I appreciate, not so much like. However, I can say Gibson stylistically and skillfully wrote this story like no other I’ve seen yet.

"Computer Friendly" by Eileen Gunn, I could most definitely say, was interesting and very like-able. First of all the fact that the story was written in the perspective of a seven year old girl which makes you questions even more how well will this story turn over because a child's mind is more simplistic. However, this story is amazing. The perfect system of technological system reminded me of the book The Giver where they would euthanize children who do meet the the requirements they have set. Same goes for this story where they are going to put Sheena to sleep because she doesn't reach the social standards they have set to become a part of the system. It is really scary thinking about the brainwash that occurs in this story because it reminds me the brainwash of culture. There's no escape and the more you try to revolt against cultural norms, or what they consider normal, the more shunned you are. Also, as a culture, there is an attempt to keep these revolts ts and abnormalities to a minimum because then there is a fear that people will convert and join the "timebombs" of society just as Elizabeth did when she became a "timebomb" in her technological system. 

Update:

So last week I did my update on the blog post. I updated my blog post seven instead of this blog post. I just not on top of my game this week. Anyhow, I did like the fact that we sat in a circle in class it made the atmosphere different and open. It was like either a therapy session or a book reading club; I couldn't decide which one seemed more suiting.  I also liked the exercise we did in class where we a had to pick a sentence to analyze. It made me develop a new appreciation for "Burning Chrome" by Gibson and his poetic language. It also lead to like "Computer Friendly" more than I already do.

Atificial/Posthuman Life-form (Blog Post 5)

          When reading the story "Reason," so many religious aspects jumped out to me; I immediately did research on the author Isaac Asimov. Isaac has a plethora of works and is highly recognized for his ranges of titles across the library Dewey Decimal System (DDS). His works  range from hard sciences (such as: chemistry, biology, physics, anatomy, geology, etc.) to  more abstract ideas and faiths (such as; humor, Greek mythology, and the Bible). He is famous for his science fiction works and is a proudly acclaimed atheist. So it doesn't strike me as surprising when I saw so many religious connections between this story and Christians versus atheists. In the story "Reason," I believe Mr. Asimov is trying to dictate the superiority of the atheist as the Robot assumed his superiority over the humans because of his (and the robot's) hard reliance on reason and nothing else more. The robot, Cutie,  rest his belief in the prospect of all things that remain in the realm of logic and reason. For example, when Cutie questioned his creation he states "I accept nothing on authority. A hypothesis must be backed by reason or else it is worthless..."(165) It is undeniable that atheists have this method of thinking due to the fact of their disbelief of a God. So they leave their faith in logic and reason (such as science) to explain questions that every human wonders: origin of life. Also when Donovan and Powell were leaving to return to Earth (parallel to how Christians believe when they die, they'll return to Heaven), Cutie pitied them because he had no belief in the existence of the Earth. So ultimately all he could reason is that they'll just be going to the void of nothingness in space. But what baffles me is the fact that he would use the Earth to represent Heaven. We all know that the Earth exists, Donovan and Powell proved that they created Cutie. Is  Asimov trying to convey that he is in denial that a God does exist? Or is he just simply using the Robot as a representation of his pity for the "Earthmen's" (Christians) "pointless" faith? Or is he really just trying to screw us all over by  my over-thinking everything?
        Reading the story "Super-Toys Last All Summer Long," by  Brian W. Aldiss really reflected (to me) about the relationship between adopted children and their "mothers." For example, the feelings David and Mrs. Swinton couldn't express the love they felt for one another because David felt as if Mummy (Mrs. Swinton) didn't love him due to the fact that he isn't really her child (but a robot), and Mrs. Swinton believes David is afraid her. I find it crazy how Mrs. Swinton at the end is willing to dispose of David because he is now an inconvenience to her  now that she thinks he isn't properly working (and is about to get her "real" child)--  parallel to how shelter mothers are welcome to kick their children out of their homes when they become 18 (and the government stop funding them grant), and their children become am inconvenience to them.
         "The Culling" is very....interesting...and dystopic. One aspect of the book that I find crazy is when Lucian's old friend Cussian becomes the prefect and is living against the morals he vowed to keep, killing people he said he'd protect never do, and following a government he wants to overthrow. The fact that he wants to overthrow the government by following their rules is literally brainwash!For some reason it reminds me of the book "Animal Farm" when the pigs take power and become the leader (dictators) they affirmed they'd never be.