“Salvage” is a Unique Piece of Writing

I have never read any of Orson Scott Card’s work, apart from the Ender’s Game series. However, I was intrigued upon learning that one of his early stories was included in the science-fiction anthology Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse. Upon reading it, I found it enjoyable and interesting in its mixture of post-apocalyptic fiction, Western influence, community, and themes of faith. Although faith and community are at the core of the text, the story is not a positive one, because it presents the anger, bitterness, and isolation of individuals who seclude themselves from society.

Having lost his parents at an early age, Deaver Teague was found and raised by a travelling group of Mormons, who named him after two men in their group (in the vein of Wild West stories). The trauma of his youth causes him to be largely detached from other people. As an adult, he is a salvager who makes his living by collecting items which were abandoned before an apocalyptic war which took place several years ago. Deaver is largely pessimistic about life, but he holds an idealistic yet naive view about finding hidden treasure. He is also aware that his profitable job of salvaging will not last forever, hence his decision to seek out wealth. Although he does not like to talk about himself, he opens up to his friends and companions Lehi and Rain, because he feels that keeping secrets from friends is not right (irony). Upon finding that the “treasure” he seeks is not what he envisioned, Deaver feels betrayed by his two friends supposedly not telling him, but it is revealed that they did not want to hurt him. Despite their good intentions, he decides to head off for the New Soil Lands in search of a new life. Deaver has shut out his friends and further isolated himself.

The setting in which “Salvage” takes place is in what was the state of Utah and the flooded Salt Lake City. Prior to the events of the story, there was a catastrophic war which decimated America, the water levels in Utah have risen, and the surviving citizens are reduced to living in small towns and villages. Card indicates that monetary systems no longer exist, because the characters bartering goods instead of money. It is peculiar to note that a Mormon government has set itself up in power and elects bishops annually. Being a devout Mormon, Scott Card incorporates his beliefs into the text. While a number of Card’s critics feel that his use of Mormonism is “overkill” or “too obvious”, it works within the existentialist elements of the story, because Deaver and Lehi repeatedly debate the pros and cons of having faith. Whereas Lehi and Rain are not religious yet likeable, Deaver is religious yet pessimistic. The intention of the story appears to be that one must “dig” for his or her own faith, because nothing is guaranteed in this life.

Overall, I liked the story for its combined themes of religion, isolation, existentialism, and the importance of community. Having been written early in Card’s career, “Salvage” focuses on a world where towns have replaced cities, money is no longer used, and religion has taken over the way of living. There is also a theme of seeking faith, which is represented by Deaver’s idealism and disappointment. Although interpersonal relationships are at the core of the story, Deaver continues to isolate himself from others.

 

Why Keep Dissing Year of the Flood?

Upon learning that Margaret Atwood’s Year of the Flood concerned characters who were introduced in her previous novel Oryx and Crake, I was initially convinced that the book might be a sequel. As I read it, however, it became evident that what I previously dismissed as a “sequel” was actually quite good. However, there are those who continue to call YotF a sequel with disdain, and they seem to act if it is “inferior” to Oryx and Crake. Despite having similar characters and plots, the books are vastly different from each other.

The narration in Year of the Flood is told from the point of view of the two female protagonists, which makes the story a “Rashomon” type of plot. Ren and Toby are both survivors of their environment,  sexism, and tragedy. Whereas Ren was fleetingly mentioned in Oryx and Crake, she is given more examination as a character, because the reader never got to understand her in the former. Atwood has often commented that she prefers to write from the perspective of female characters. In Oryx and Crake, the narrative darts back and forth from Snowman-Jimmy’s youth to his current state, but he refers to his younger self as if “Jimmy” is a wholly separate individual. At several points, the text mentions that Snowman cannot remember certain facts or determine memories from imagination. This stands in contrast to Year of the Flood, in which the events of the story are made clear for one to comprehend.

Oryx and Crake was interesting for shrouding certain facts about how the world ended in mystery. Although not many details are revealed, Atwood does indicate that Glenn/Crake was involved in creating a kind of plague that wipes out most of humanity. In Year of the Flood, the narrative goes into greater detail by revealing what the plague was, such as the account given by the colleague of Crake. A number of my fellow students argued that the novel demystified or “cheapened” the plague by explaining it more in depth. However, the emergence of these facts enable the reader to further understand what motivated Crake, how he created the pandemic, etc.

Based on these findings, it is more appropriate to refer to Year of the Flood as a companion piece instead of a sequel, because it expands on what the first novel established. While a sequel picks up after its predecessor, Year of the Flood takes place during the same timeframe as Oryx and Crake, and their endings take place within hours of each other. Both novels share the same characters, themes, and settings, but it would be difficult to say which one is “better” than the other. My approach to a novel is to read it, assess its central argument, and determine if it succeeds on its own terms.

As an interesting side-note, the New York Times’ review praised Atwood for supposed “imperfections” in depicting the “flawed reality” of the novel. Although it is not saying “the book fails”, there is a condescending tone in its reference to the story supposedly being “flawed.” If the critics or readers do not like Year of the Flood, they must remember that they have the right to do so. To each their own.

However, I will avoid judging a book until reading it in full.

Satirizing the Corporate World in Year of the Flood

I have always enjoyed the satire towards the corporate market in fiction and film. Such examples include Skynet in The Terminator series, the Tyrell Corporation in Blade Runner, and even the pharmaceutical company Gen-Sys in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. However, Margaret Atwood satirizes corporatism, consumerism, and mass media in her novel Year of the Flood. While a corporate empire controls the society in which the story takes place, the novel also examines consumer products and desanitization of viewers.

The CorpSeCorps are a prominent part of Year of the Flood (as well as Oryx and Crake) in the control of society, monitoring of citizens, and targeting individuals who they deem to be dangerous. While it is not a Big Brother-type omniscient force, the Corporation is very fixated on controlling the masses, but it is far from being similar to George Orwell. Atwood uses a subtle piece of irony in the deliberate mispelling of words, such as CorpeSeCorps referring to the practice of executing prisoners and dissidents. Several characters who were disillusioned of the Corporation went underground, lived “off the grid”, and resort to stealing/forraging in order to survive. Serious crimes are often ignored in favour of making raids on petty offences such as grow-ops. Toby’s parents end up losing their jobs and their lives both directly and indirectly, and their deaths are transferred over to Toby, who chooses to go underground and join God’s Gardeners. Medical care is only available from the corporations, and those doctors and specialists who did not conform disappeared in mysterious circumstances.

Consumerism is also explored through the corporate-owned HealthWyzer, which was introduced in Oryx and Crake. Toby’s mother is a worker for the corporation and a major customer of HealthWyzer products. Upon falling ill, she is told that there is nothing wrong with her, but she ends up dying not long after. By contrast, Ren ends up working in the nightclub Scales as an exotic dancer wearing scaly coverings. Although she is worried about the possibility of the job being a front for prostitution, she is assured by her boss that she will receive health coverage and other benefits. Further adding to the spirt of consumerism, she is forced to wear a mask and avoid talking about her personal life to patrons, because they “want pleasure” from the dancers.

Atwood is known to be interested in various mediums of art, social media, and music, all of which she incorporates into the text. Throughout the narrative, the God’s Gardeners’ hymns are depicted as an insight into their view of life. Critics have praised them as being really stellar in rhythm and their place in the story. As previously introduced in Oryx and Crake, the world of the novel also has websites such as nitee-nite.com (an assisted suicide program), a website depicting live executions of death row inmates, and the popular sport of Painball. Painball is a televized sport in which criminals are given the chance to be gladiators instead of being put to death. Taken to an arena-type setting, they receive a limited supply of food and weapons for the purpose of holding out against their opponents. Atwood is providing a satiric depiction of sports and desanitization of the masses through the power of media.

Gender Issues in Oryx and Crake

 

The novel Oryx and Crake is an interesting one, because author Margaret Atwood explores the issue of gender in the text. Specifically, the character Jimmy/Snowman is the first male protagonist whom Atwood has written, but he is complex in his detachment from others, his use of child pornography, and his poor relationships with his girlfriends. By comparison, Oryx could have been the quintessential female ‘victim’, but Atwood depicts her as a strong, resilient type who seems to have come to terms with her past. However, the relationships depicted in the text are very uninspiring and negative.

Jimmy/Snowman is the first male protagonist of Atwood, and he is a difficult character with regard to his treatment of others, his uninspirational relationships, and his conflicted feelings for Oryx. Due to his troubled relationship with his mother (who abandoned him while he was a teenager), he has difficulty relating to people and spends time with Glenn/Crake exploring child pornography on websites. His attitude is very jaded in terms of his POV of men and human relationships. Upon coming across Oryx years later, he assumes she was the girl on one such website and becomes obsessed with finding out. Despite her denials, Jimmy is convinced that it was indeed Oryx and inquires about what supposed abuses were inflicted on her. However, given his exploration of kiddie porn, Jimmy could be trying to bury his guilt by creating Oryx as a victim of exploitation.  In university, he has a few girlfriends, such as his high school friend Amanda, but these all end badly due to his making fun of them and growing aloofness. Later, he becomes a boy-toy for significantly older married women. As a result of his detached nature and trouble with connecting, Jimmy never has a healthy, positive relationship in the novel.

Oryx, by contrast, is a quiet, strong woman who was forced into child prostitution and later ended up making pornographic films, but she is not the stereotypical “victim” that many would write her off as. Technically, Jimmy is envisioning her as a victim of child abuse, but Oryx affirms that she is not the little girl he saw on the website and refuses to talk about it any further. One might argue that she is suppressing the traumatic memories of her youth, but I feel that she seems very pragmatic about what happened and willing to put it behind her. She could have made peace with the past, but her rationale to not speak about it might be to avoid upsetting Jimmy. After meeting Glenn/Crake at Student Services, Oryx begins a relationship with him but remains a prostitute. Atwood appears to be exploring how the exploitation of women makes true relationships next to impossible.

Through the character of Jimmy, Atwood is providing a commentary on the male possessive impulses. With Oryx, she also examines how women can be damaged by exploitation and unable to have true happiness in relationships. Whereas Oryx could have been the archtype “damaged woman” or “victim of abuse”, she appears to have come to terms with what happened. However, it is Jimmy’s behaviour that is more troubling with regard to his use of child porn and his negative treatment of girlfriends.

Understanding Atwood

For this week (as well as the next), we had to read Margaret Atwood’s novel Oryx and Crake for class, and a public lecture of the author a few years ago was screened for us.

With regard to Oryx and Crake, Atwood does not consider the novel to be a science-fiction story, because the narrative concerns a “possible future” and avoids using any supernatural/fantasy elements. For this reason, her depiction of the future is different from several other works of science-fiction. There are no rogue asteroids, self-aware supercomputers, or killer robots. However, the use of genetic manipulation of animals, transgenesis, and xenotransplantation are real scientific subjects today, so it is easy to understand why Atwood incorporated these themes into the story. The problems of global warming, extinction, and government interference are also important to Oryx and Crake, because environmental catastrophe is crucial to the backstory of the narrative. Instead of having a doomsday-type plot, the story is concerned with its protagonist Snowman/Jimmy, understanding how he became a post-apocayptic hermit, and learning what happened to the titular characters.

During the hour-long reading/Q&A, Atwood explained that she nearly became a biologist but ended up studying English Honors. Among the list of science-fiction writers whom she admires consist of H. G. Wells, Ursella Le Guin, W. H. Hudson, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. She began writing as a 16-year old high school student in the mid-1950s, but her first novel did not get published until 1969. At one point, she believed that she could write true romance novels during the day and write artistic works during the night. Needless to say, she did acknowledge that the writing process can be difficult! To all budding writers, Atwood advises not to throw anything away since one never knows when it might come in handy. It is interesting to note how she likes to leave space in her novels, and this is due to her belief that reading is a participatory activity. Certain details about the plot, characters’ backstories, and other elements are left vague, because the reader is able to invent images of said details via imagination.

Margaret Atwood is a compelling writer with an acute sense for storytelling and her own unique style. It is interesting how Oryx and Crake could be considered science-fiction, but Atwood feels it is far from that genre with the absence of supernatural or fantasty archtypes. I certainly would reccommend her novel to anyone intrigued with character-heavy narratives.

The Use of the term “Messiah” in The End of the Whole Mess

While reading the Stephen King short story “The End of the Whole Mess”, I found it interesting that the protagonist Howard referred to the death of his brother Bobby as “the death of the Messiah.” This is significant to note, because the latter’s actions lead to the end of the world in spite of his intentions to save humanity. Bobby has no intentions to destroy the human race, but he is not a stereotypical ‘mad scientist’ either. However, his fatal flaw is acting rashly without considering the consequences.

Unlike King’s other works, this story is closely focused on the relationship of brothers Bobby and Howard instead of placing them in a nuclear-war ravaged wasteland. Indeed, the catastrophic events affecting the world are alluded to or briefly mentioned in the narrative. Although academically brilliant, Bobby is perhaps too gifted for his own good, and he intends to eliminate aggression, violence, and war from human society. Howard makes note of Bobby’s well-intentioned yet troubling plans, and he reluctantly assists him in spreading the chemical substance around the world to quell violence. Bobby insists that his idea will either cure humanity or act as “heroin”-type relief for a world like “a patient with cancer.” Ultimately, it is discovered that another constant of the town La Plata causes premature dementia and leads to death. Bobby’s last act is to beg forgiveness of his brother and ask to be given the “special water”.

The use of the word “Messiah” to describe Bobby is ironic, because his actions contribute to the end of humanity while trying to spare further suffering. While he is not a God-appointed Saviour, he intends to do good, but he unknowingly brings about destruction. Despite being vastly intelligent and talented, Bobby’s impetuous way of acting without thinking is what condemns him. Although ironic for Howard to use the term “Messiah”, it also serves as a tragic hint at what potential Bobby might have had as a leader.

Comet is a Swell Comedy

Last week, we viewed the 1984 disaster film-zombie spoof Night of the Comet. Consisting of big hairdos, pop culture jokes, montages set to 1980s songs, and a reddish mist, it is interesting as a comedy and a tribute to several disaster films.

During the passing of a rogue comet which comes close to Earth, sisters Regina and Samantha Belmont inadvertedly survive the end of humanity by holing up in metal surroundings, which protects them from a mysterious red mist which disintegrates human bodies and leaving behind clothes (did Spielberg borrow this idea for 2005’s War of the Worlds?). After Regina’s boyfriend gets killed by a zombie, the two sisters decide to find help and later meet fellow survivor named Hector. Upon arriving at a radio station, they attempt to call others who survived the mist, but they end up being attacked by zombies and rescued a team of goverment researchers.  As Regina and Sam are separated, it becomes apparent that the researchers have a sinister agenda which is related to the effects of the comet. Coincidentally, the sisters were trained in the art of guns by their military father, and the action brews to an escape attempt/race against time.

As a pastiche of end of the world scenarios, the film bears similiarities to other movies, but the chemistry of the cast and the use of humour keeps it fresh and fun. Unlike other sci-fi films with apocalyptic themes, two dim-witted girls provide a welcome point of view for the audience, because the use of the white-coated scientist would make it cliche and predictable. Catherine “Reggie” Mary Stewart has certain similarities to Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor of The Terminator, and she holds her own as the protagonist. The zombies themselves are less than frightening (The Hills Have Eyes probably had more $$$ for the makeup effects), but the shoot-em-up fight sequences give the film a chance to chew up scenery. Although clearly dated, it is amusing to watch the sisters cavort around a deserted shopping mall to the lyrics of Cyndi Lauper.

While it is cheesy and dated by today’s standards, Night of the Comet is quite funny for science-fiction and zombie buffs to watch.

Examining The Stand (1994)

While on down-time from studying and writing assignments, I did manage to find time to finish the 1994 miniseries The Stand. Given Stephen King’s role as screenwriter for the adaptation, the overall product is very faithful to his original vision (he also had a role in producing the 1997 Shining miniseries). Having been originally planned as a feature film, it was cut down to a miniseries, but it noticeably struggles at times due to its budget and limited scope. However, it might be one of the best adaptations of a King novel to date.

The first episodes are, on a whole, very well-written and acted; the dialogue of the characters feels like verbatim lifted directly from the novel. As Stu, Gary Sinse does a good job by portraying the character who comes closest to being a protagonist, but Molly Ringwald (at 26) felt “off” playing Frannie. However, Jamey Sheridan is riveting as Randall Flagg, and it is a shame that he is not given more opportunities in film to showcase his talents. However, there are some drawbacks to the miniseries, such as the “epic” nature of the story, the limited special effects, and the removal of several prominent scenes (Flagg`s murder of the druggie and the discovery of the female zoo). Many minor characters are either removed or merged with others, and a number of storylines have been condensed.

While it may not be 100% faithful to the novel, the miniseries does a good job of presenting and exploring the characters and themes which King popularized in the story. Although the darker and more scary moments are mostly removed, it still felt like the experience of reading The Stand itself. Recently, it has come to my knowledge that Ben Affleck and Steve Kloves (writer of the Harry Potter films) have teamed up to adapt The Stand for film in 2013. Personally, I am intrigued with this development, because it might be able to achieve what previous attempts have failed to do. While there is the issue of what must be included/omitted, it might work to split the story into two parts a la Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows….

Lovecraft’s Nyaralathotep- Not Your Usual Post-Apocalyptic Story

Having read all three stories for the past class discussion last week, the one which stood out for me was H. P. Lovecraft’s Nyaralathotep. Lovecraft is an interesting writer, because he employs vivid narrative techniques, the idea of the collective consciousness, the collapse of the psyche, and the use of mythical figures. While some might beg to differ, I found the story fascinating due to the gothic elements and the examination/danger of how cult figures can inspire a following.

Nyaralathotep the character is a mysterious figure in the story (as well as online fan-fiction and fantasy role-playing games), because he is inspired by myth. Although he is described as resembling an Egyptian pharoah, next to nothing is known about Nyaralathotep’s background or origins. However, he does refer to receiving visions which are not of Earth origin, which indicates a possibility of his being a demon or some otherwordly being. Stephen King has cited Nyaralathotep as an influence on the creation of his signature character Randall Flagg in The Stand; several similarities between the two can be made regarding their powers, the lack of a backstory, etc.

The tone and style of Nyaralathotep is rooted in the breakdown of the human mind and Gothic elements, which continue to exist in the genres of horror, science-fiction, and fantasy. With regard to the type of genre, Nyaralathotep is more of an apocalyptic horror story rather than one of science-fiction, because it relies on fantasy and dark magic. The narrative examines the idea of everyone tapping into the collective consciousness, which can manifest in different ways. Lovecraft was philophizing on the notions put forward by psychologist R. D. Lang, who theorized the idea of insanity being a method of seeing things which one cannot see while “sane.” While Lang has since been discredited, Lovecraft expanded upon the theme of how madness is a path which one ought to avoid. However, he succeeds in doing is making the reader uncertain as to whether or not the characters are really losing their minds or experiencing Nyaralathotep for real. Indeed, it is difficult He simultaneously explores the meta-physical realm, demonstrates how religions needing structure, a leader, and practices, etc. For this reason, Lovecraft focuses on how people are willing to accept a figure as a messianic figure or saviour, which is a recurring plot device in post-apocalyptic stories. 

Overall, Nyaralathotep is a neat work of fiction by Lovecraft, whose work I have never read in-depth before. While his writing might not interest anyone, I would reccommend it to others.

Post-script: speaking of Lovecraft’s influence on King and The Stand, I did manage to catch up with the rest of the 1994 miniseries. But that will have to be covered another time…..

Does The Stand really hold up?

For this week, we are examining Stephen King’s 1978 literary classic The Stand, a novel which has undergone several revisions and additions in the years since its initial publication. Needless to say, it has its high points and its critiques (specifically regarding its length), but does it stand- no pun intended- as a classic of science-fiction?

By starting out with a minor character fleeing from a military base, one cannot help but wonder what is taking place, because King has the reader locked in suspense with regard to what will happen next. In the novel, the cause of the virus which decimates 99% of the human race is slowly revealed over a number of chapters, which adds to the bleak, grim nature of the story. Shortly afterwards, a car crash and the demise of the AWOL soldier has dire consequences for those who find him (as well as everyone who comes in contact with them).  After introducing Stu Redman, the narrative depicts his being detained by the government for researching his supposed immunity to the virus, his escape, and rise to leader of the Free Zone. As the plot progresses, King moves from diverse characters such as the moral student Frannie, the young, cocky musician Larry, the deaf-mute Nick Andros and the shaman-like Mother Abigail. Each of them are given considerable backstory and exploration of their character strengths, flaws, and interactions with others. You cannot read the subplots of the various characters without becoming invested in their predicament and hoping against the dire circumstances that they might survive. Finally, there is the introduction of Randall Flagg, who is the story’s antagonist and arguably King’s most famous villain. His motives are to create society in his image, his past is mysterious and unknown, and he appears to people via their dreams. Even more sinister is the hint that his abilities prevent him from being killed.

Throughout the narrative, King does change gears by switching over to others and leaving those he had just developed until revisiting them later on. For this reason, a number of critics have accused King of being indulgent and using a “word processor style”; in the preface of the “Complete and Uncut Edition”, he makes mention of this when describing his love of writing. Their argument is that several characters are introduced, then dropped in favour of others, and then killed after being fleshed out. However, the use of several characters and their different fates is important to the themes of King’s story. For example, despite being a minor supporting character, Barry the ex-cop is an interesting figure, because he is morally sympathetic to others while siding with Flagg to ensure law and order within society. It is those choices which make him along the lines of a morally complex individual, which asserts the notion of varying degrees of gray instead of black-and-white sides. In addition, the story features excerpts from popular songs (Bob Dylan, Springsteen, and Blue Oyster Cult) at the beginning of every section; each song reflects the themes dealt with in the text.

Overall, The Stand is a great piece of literature, and I reccommend it to anyone who loves long narratives and works by King. While it may seem long, verbose, and drawn out, the emotional investment in the characters is what drives the story! I have not seen the 1994 miniseries in full, but I may watch it someday….