Weekend Transformation
Dec. 10th, 2006 04:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
essentialsaltesWe're pretty much set for the Xmaholisolstizaa season. The tree is up and decorated. Becca has put up lights, inside and out. The Christmas CDs have been ripped. The room smells of tree, presents, candles and spiced nuts. Yay!
A couple days ago I finished Cordwainer Smith's Norstrilia, apparently his only sf novel. It's very dated and (as usual with 'Cordwainer Smith') the book is less interesting than the author's life. Seriously.
But I will point out the random fact that the book uses the phrase "Instant Messages". Of course, it refers to speed-of-light-defying messages from planet to planet, but so what.
The book also features 'underpeople,' who are genetically modified animals, basically treated as slaves. Despite the fact that the world's sexiest person is just such a catwoman, canoodling between people and underpeople is strictly verboten on pain of death or memorywipe. If this book had been written a decade later, I'm sure it would be a classic of furry stroking-material. But as it is, it's a furry dystopia, where not even underpeople of different stocks get it on.
A couple days ago I finished Cordwainer Smith's Norstrilia, apparently his only sf novel. It's very dated and (as usual with 'Cordwainer Smith') the book is less interesting than the author's life. Seriously.
But I will point out the random fact that the book uses the phrase "Instant Messages". Of course, it refers to speed-of-light-defying messages from planet to planet, but so what.
The book also features 'underpeople,' who are genetically modified animals, basically treated as slaves. Despite the fact that the world's sexiest person is just such a catwoman, canoodling between people and underpeople is strictly verboten on pain of death or memorywipe. If this book had been written a decade later, I'm sure it would be a classic of furry stroking-material. But as it is, it's a furry dystopia, where not even underpeople of different stocks get it on.
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Date: 2006-12-11 01:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-11 02:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-12 04:58 am (UTC)daylight?
Date: 2006-12-13 04:26 pm (UTC)I read the wikipedia stuff on Cordwainer; his stories sound awesome. Now I'm torn, though, by your tepid review. It also makes me wonder how much of later stories by Robert Heinlein and Frank Herbert were based on his stuff. How does the timing work out there?
Sadly, wikipedia let me down and provided NO INFORMATION about this "Kirk Allen" character that was supposedly based on Cordwainer's own fucked up life. But it appears Allen was deeply absorbed in his own fantasy world; believable of Cordwainer.
All I know is that I'd hate to be married to the man that INVENTED psychological warfare. Yeesh.