Sweet Dreams from the Dream King

I know.... this post is late...



Happy. I was thinking of what to write for this blog ever since my Marvel 1602 and Sandman: Endless Nights was signed by Neil Gaiman but I could only come up with one word: Happy. But I’ll try a bit harder…

When it was my turn I told him his books and graphic novels helped me cope with my work as a social worker. They saved me from possible breakdowns due to stress. He smiled and told me it was great for a writer to hear that and he said he wished me “sweet dreams.” And that’s what he wrote in his dedication on my Marvel 1602.

Neil was amazed at the “mad enthusiasm” of Pinoys. The crowd of course shouted louder and became as rowdy as geeks could be. Yes, Pinoys who read Gaiman are madly enthusiastic about him being here – we hung on to his every word; took pictures from all angles; laughed at his jokes (which were funny, mind you) – because we couldn’t believe that HE WAS HERE! In the midst of economic problems and political upheavals HE IS THERE RIGHT IN FRONT OF US! Have you ever heard of a multi-awarded author visiting the Philippines for a book-signing event? NO! It’s so unbelievable that we might as well be trapped in one of the realms in the Dreaming. But I wouldn’t mind …. This is a sweet dream.

*****

Also an added bonus during the Gathering - while Neil was signing, music was blaring on the speakers. Suddenly the Magnetic Fields were on - if memory serves me right - it was "When you were my baby" from the Wayward Bus/Distant Plastic Trees CD. Thor told me Neil listens to the Magnetic Fields so that organizers must have done their research. I love this album - it's so sad and full of drama but so low fi that in a way it was funny - like in Candy, Merrit wrote "I'll just go away somewhere and slowly loose my mind." Hehe!

Send in the Clone

House of the Scorpion
Nancy Farmer

When I bought House of the Scorpion, it wasn't because I knew it was good or that I read a review about it - I bought it because it was red. I didn't read any reviews before I read it I just hoped that my p300++ wasn't wasted. I wasn't disappointed. When I started reading it I ended up forcing myself to sleep at 3am.

The House of Scorpion is not the usual sci-fi with spaceships, dimensions, and temporal fluxes. It's a story about a part of Mexico's society in a possible future: between the US border and Mexico a new country has arisen. It was called "Opium" because it was literally an Opium farm. The drug dealers offered a deal with the US and Mexico - that they would plant opium farms in between them, not sell drugs to both countries, and be unmolested by both governments. In return, the opium farmers will police the borders and prevent anyone from crossing.

In the midst of this context, Matt was raised by the household cook of the most powerful farmer in Opium - El Patron. Matt was El Patron's clone. Generally, clones are considered to be animals at that time. The book is a narrative that follows Matt's developmental stages from early childhood to teen-age years. It's an interesting study of childhood that can be paralled to today's children in need of special protection or special circumstances. So maybe that's why I loved it so much.

Important

After making plans for Neil Gaiman's book signing tour on the 9th to the 11th of July, I just got told that I have to be in Bangkok for a conference on Violence Against Children and the particpation of children in the recovery and rehabilitation efforts of tsunami affected areas. I reacted with disbelief, they knew that Neil Gaiman was coming and that I made plans! But well, these are not people who read sci-fi, fantasy or graphic novels - they have no idea who Neil Gaiman is.

Other officemates were volunteering to go in my place but I'm the only one who has had experience in the field. Fuck. Boss told me that the conference was important and what was a book signing anyway. Well, it is important to me.

From one plane to another

Changing Planes
Ursula Le Guin

Ursula Le Guin amazed me when I read Dispossed and the Left Hand of Darkness. I like sci-fi stories with an anthropological, political, and sociological slant like OS Cards’ Ender series (particularly Speaker for the Dead) and Herbert’s Dune. It’s fascinating that they painstakingly imagined what societies would be like if --- there was no male and female, if there was no government, if humans settled on a planet with a developing specie and civilization, if the economy, society, civilization depended on only one resource – wow.

What was very interesting with Changing Planes was that it was based on the premise that people can change planes (dimensional) while waiting for a plane (airplane) – the combination of stress, anxiety, and frustration enables humans to slide to other planes where they can go on a holiday and relax. There’s a “time difference” – days in one plane is only equivalent to maybe an hour in the airport. (For someone who travels often - GOD, I wish this was really possible!) The chapters were observations and stories about different planes – they’re short anthropological or sociological papers about a culture! Well, you can also see it as a travelogue. Either way, it was a very great read.

Fight the Night

A wrinkle in time
Madeleine L’Engle

My brother has been telling me to read this book for years, I finally got around it. I expected a sci-fi story for young people and I found it very philosophical – well, make that spiritual. It was a classic story of good vs. evil but there was a spiritual element on it. The kids were fighting an on coming darkness that controls lives – it deprives people of freedom, forcing them to be the “same” to the extreme – same thoughts, body rhythm, and activities. The controllers (or IT) saw the arrangement as a nirvana – no crime, no sickness, no poverty. One of the children, Meg, fought the darkness with love with the support of beings from other planets/dimensions who believe in good – in the light and in God.

A Wrinkle in Time reminded me of Sci-Fi books where religion and belief in God were central such as Orson Scott Card in his Memory of Earth series and Stephen King’s the Stand. It was amazing that L’Engle wrote the philosophical conflict for young people. The book also implied that “conformity” is an instrument of evil – the Borg of Star Trek also embodied this point of view. We can see this idea in a lot of books and films but isn’t it funny that our society encourages individuals to conform and frowns upon anyone different?

The calm before the storm

April and June were slow months for me - no trips to disaster areas or war-torn communities. Yes, my work does require me to go to buwis buhay trips in order to help out - in our own way. So staying home for two months meant I had time to buy books and graphic novels! Reading my hoard will take a bit longer but July and August schedules will be devastating - to my social life and so-called life.

Wish I could stay home longer.

Lost in Space: Me according to Aimee Mann

Choose a band/artist and answer only in song TITLES by that band:
Aimee Mann

Are you male or female: "Susan"
Describe yourself: "I know there’s a word"
How do some people feel about you: "Say anything"
How do you feel about yourself: "Stupid thing"
Describe your ex girlfriend/boyfriend: "Real bad news"
Describe your current girlfriend/boyfriend: "Deathly"
Describe where you want to be: "Put me on top"
Describe what you want to be: "Driving with one hand on the wheel"
Describe how you live: "High on Sunday 51"
Describe how you love: "Nothing is good enough"
Share a few words of wisdom: "This is how it goes…"

Trekkie Talk: Trouble in Paradise

The UNITED FEDERATION of PLANETS was Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future. In the Star Trek Universe, the United Federation of Planets was founded as a peaceful collaboration of many planetary governments, dedicated to peaceful acquisition of knowledge, technologies, and better living. The Federation seeks out new civilizations, in hopes of establishing peaceful contact, and developing a relationship which is prosperous to both. (http://www.lbow.com/ufp.htm)

It was a vision of Utopia, Earth on which UFP and Starfleet Headquarters are found, maintains a "moneyless" society. In "Star Trek: First Contact," when asked by a woman from the "past" how much the ship had cost, Captain Picard tells her: "The economics of the future is somewhat different. You see, money doesn't exist in the 24th century... The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives. We work to better ourselves and the rest of humanity."

But as the different series progressed, we saw the flaws in vision of utopia. “The Federation is just like the Borg.” Starfleet officer turned Maquis Lt. Com. Eddington said to Capt. Sisko. The Commander said that the Federation “forced” it’s people to follow its beliefs and principles and if you do not abide by these, you are isolated or they send Starfleet after you. In Encounter at Farpoint, Picard proudly defended humanity saying that discrimination, war, and greed were in the past. But as the story of Star Trek unfolded we began to see that maybe the intolerance and discrimination and greed –the most common root causes of conflict – are just laying dormant.

We have seen intolerance and discrimination in the Star Trek – Worf and B’elanna both experienced cruel teasing from human children because of how they looked. In the first episode of ST VOYAGER, Quark hinted that Ferengis are discriminated against by Federation people. In “Let the one without sin” in Deep Space 9 where Worf and Dax encountered “Federation Fundamentalists” who condemned the culture and lifestyle of Risa and any being who come to enjoy the culture and lifestyle of Risa.

In Paradise, is discrimination only lying dormant or is it just a pink elephant in the room that no one wants to acknowledge? Is the fault in human (or any other species) nature?

“You lack harmony, cohesion, greatness. It will be your undoing.”
- Seven of Nine, Scorpion Part 2

Seven, or the Borg’s analysis of the human condition was unforgivably blunt. An analysis that would trigger a reaction to any humanoid specie with a society based on individual thinking. But is it not strange that “harmony, cohesion, greatness” are what humanity strives for? Isn’t “harmony, cohesion, greatness” words that would describe peace and progress?

Seen from a different point of view, Borg society is a form of “utopia” – there is no disease, hunger, greed, poverty – all of which are causes of great wars, deaths, and social problems. Moreover, in the Borg, there is no loneliness or depression – for some individuals being alone is the worst fate there is. When Seven of Nine was initially disconnected from the Collective she almost lost her sanity because she felt so alone – one voice, one mind. In the episode “Survival Instinct” she did what she could in order to maintain a Collective because she could not stand to be alone. In “Homecoming” – the novel about Voyager’s well, homecoming, a human attempted to start a new collective because she felt abused and alone. The Queen found comfort among her drones who loved her back.

Star Trek was hailed by many because of it's belief in humanity's goodness and potential in the midst of science fiction that focuses on how foolish and selfish we are- and how these would lead to our ultimate distruction. But now Star Trek brings up the question that no matter how bright the dream of utopia is, how well planned and organized - human nature is still the biggest obstacle.

First Contact

"Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals." (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fiction)

Orson Scott Card said in one of his essays that science fiction and fantasy do more that speculating about what the future might be - like contemporary literature, sci-fi and fantasy reflect "real-time" contexts, issues, and culture. A story about a current and controversial issue set in a galaxy far, far away makes it easier for the reader to be open to other views - even to ones that are contrary. It distracts you from the pain and frustration of confronting an issue or a reality head on.

Welcome to my distractions.