Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood: greed kills

I really enjoyed this novel. Yes, it's kind of a tired and overdone subject, but it was executed very well, with a lot of new elements. In the very near future, the world is dominated by corporations, who's privileged employees and their families live in compounds isolated from the 'plebelands' where the regular poor folks …

Missing the point: IT

I saw the trailer for this remake, and I can't help but wonder if they are missing the point a bit... I remember Pennywise the clown being a villain in cheerful, friendly guise. In the new trailer, the 'clown' is pretty much a zombie in face paint. The surface is all that matters, it seems. The scary …

It’s the end of the world as we know it

I don't feel fine, though. Is this why old people are so bitter? I'm not even 40 yet, what is going on! I'm writing rambling, angry posts about the world instead of about writing... Our freedom, health, and human dignity is being attacked on all sides by the grossly rich and powerful. And now, in the …

How to set the tone

  Look at that tree. It's a pretty normal tree, right? I tried to pick a very neutral picture of a tree--one that could be anywhere, with anything going on around it outside the frame. Anything could be happening to the person observing it. How would you choose to describe this tree? That choice should …

Create without conditions

Imagine a cellist playing one of Bach's solo suites. Does he consider his audience? (Did Bach, for that matter?) Does he play the suite differently to audiences of different incomes and educations and social backgrounds? No, the work selects its audience. -- Verlyn Klinkenborg One could argue the above quote by noting that pop bands …