Developing Usable Experiences

Dream cling and short stories

December 21st, 2006 8:28 am —  134 views

I’ve been reading the short stories of Orson Scott Card lately. Seeing how I don’t have to read about information theory, ethics, or other such academic subjects. While he won’t admit to being a violent person, his stories have an eerie and somber quality to them. They stay in my head for awhile.

To call him a science fiction writer isn’t too far from the truth. But like good sci-fi writers, he doesn’t explain his future as much as he just drops you into it. Its your job to make sense of things. I suppose that’s part of what makes it “good” science fiction…at least in my opinion. Other writers that are good at this are Asimov, Bradbury, Huxley. Reading Card you are reminded of the scary and freakish power the government wields. Like Aldous Huxley in Brave New World, some of Card’s stories are rooted in this eutopian future that everybody wants but never can really get. Unless you fool yourself and give up certain freedoms.

I have the next week off work and school. I hope to spend my time preparing for the new year. Cleaning up my office and such. I also hope to get some quality reading time in. Who knows though. Plans can be taunting and imaginary. We’ll just see what happens.

And what was up with that crazy dream I had last night? Maybe I shouldn’t be reading Card before I go to sleep. Not that it was anything like his short stories. But it was disturbing. Disturbing like when something you are involved in is wrong but you let it keep happening, doing nothing to stop it. Enjoying it because its rare and transitory.

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