Just yesterday I wrote about my intention to read more science fiction. As if the devil were playing with it, I was gifted two books for Christmas: Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughthouse-Five and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451.
I read a bit in Fahrenheit 451, and the beginning of the book immediately sets the story on fire, which was not meant to be an overly lame pun (the book is about a fireman).
I read an article on science fiction on Ted Gioia’s blog.
I started reading science-fiction books. And lots of them.
This made no sense. The last time I had taken a serious interest in science fiction was in 8th grade. The typical mid-life crisis is an attempt to recapture the magic of your late teens and twenties. And here I was revisiting a passion that had disappeared at age twelve.
I have a similar experience. I did read some science fiction as a child and adolescent, but it generally could only interest me moderately. I read books like 1948 by Orwell, Brave New World by Huxley, and A Clockwork Orange by Burgess, which, although science fiction lists, I consider more like (rather dystopian) novels of the future.
Being firmly in the beta profession, I had many friends who also read science fiction. Somehow, it seemed to me at the time to be something for betas, which doesn’t seem to be correct. Without having researched it, I would venture to say that when betas read books, it is more often science fiction than anything else.
I read a lot anyway, and also things that chafed at science fiction. The Lord of The Rings, by Tolkien, before it became popular, I think with that, but that’s probably not right. I also read The Day of the Triffids, by Wyndham (ok yet core science fiction). I read H.P. Lovecraft (more horror?). But I never really got “hooked” on the genre.
I also think it was because in high school the science fiction genre was dismissed with much disdain.
A few years ago, I started reading more science fiction. I never before read Isaac Asimov or Ray Bradbury (yes I read his On Writing – a great book). I’m definitely going to catch up on that. I’m also going to read more of Stephen King.
Een interessant project van Andy Hamilton, Longhand, een met de hand geschreven roman. Interessant detail is dat Hamilton een aparte manier van schrijven heeft doordat hij de duim van zijn schrijfhand op jonge leeftijd is verloren. Hij houdt de pen in zijn linkerhand en stuurt de schrijfbeweging met zijn rechterhand.
PS. Ik vind geen goede Nederlandse vertaling van het woord longhand. Ik denk dat “handgeschreven” het dichtst in de buurt komt, maar vraag me af of het de lading helemaal dekt. Ik vind het ook een veel lelijker woord, handgeschreven.
ze sliep niet meer at weinig vergat waarom ze altijd had gegeven vergat degenen die om haar gaven dacht alleen nog aan wat zij ontbeerde tot de tijd voor het geluk begon te dringen en er geen restje respijt meer over was.
