I am both filmmaking and writing because I love great stories. Why? Because stories are one of the key ways we make sense of life. I'm particularly fond of science fiction because I think it is a genre uniquely equipped to get philosophical. Through my blog, I explore how we as people encounter and wrestle with meaning of life questions in the stories we love. In addition to writing novels and short stories, I am a writer/director and have made several short films that have played at festivals domestically and abroad. Many of those shorts have snagged some nomination and awards. I'm also the co-founder of Stories by the River and run the River Film Forum (a film screening series focused on meaning of life discussions).
Great interview about a fascinating book. I was wondering why there has never been an authorized biography of Campbell, Jr. but Mister Nevala-Lee helped clarify this oversight. I do feel that it is unfair to critique the "old white guys" of Campbell, Jr.'s time for not having been inclusive enough or affording room for more diverse voices. Complaining about this presently would be the equivalent of me retrospectively criticizing the country of Japan for not having allowed enough white Western voices to be heard in their country during World War 2. Does everyone see the issue here, within a historical context? These older "white" WW2 generation Americans were living in a different environment and we cannot judge them for doing what was socially expected of them when it came to writing stories and expressing idiosyncratic points of view. Unless Campbell, Jr. actively participated in crimes (such as that horrifying historical practice known as lynching) then it is decidedly unfair to attack to his Socratic process of reasoning by simply deeming him a "racist." This is a shallow assessment at best. Also, referring to science fiction as "literature" is disingenuous because the field (as originally intended) has traditionally always been about leading readers into scientific careers OR getting readers into thinking about speculative scientific possibilities (it is hard for the screen-saturated video-game generation to grasp this, I'm sure). Today, sf is known by the company that it keeps with fantasy writing, which has simply lessened the seriousness of the critical response to the field as a whole. Yes, some sf novels can deal with heavy political themes and sociology, but to ask a genre that has always been about the solving and proposing of hard scientific problems and issues to conform to the social fiction done in literature (from Jane Austen to Cervantes to Toni Morrison) is asking something of the field that it cannot rightfully provide. Therefore, the criticism that sf didn't have enough diversity of voices is invalid, since the genre grew up and developed around Western men and their understanding of scientific principles and experiments (to suggest that "white" Americans should have made way for more diverse voices for the sake of diversity alone is a real threat to meritocratic thinking). Since sf writing is more about the model of mind that grew up around Campbell, Jr.'s generation of dominantly male authors, it is wrong to suggest that it should attempt to be more like social fiction (literature). Most of these writers, by the way, did have ties to government-funded operations and departments, and were privy to people and information that the average teenage nerd reading WONDER STORIES in his bed at night would never have understood or cared about. But it is true that the history of published sf magazines and books was something of a controlled experiment in itself. Asimov understood that the sf writer shouldn't be that concerned with social fiction (which has today become the school of multicultural resentment, one reason why new work simply won't appeal in the way that older books continue to do) because sf writing is all about Transhumanism, not about curing the problems of existing humanity but instead making way for the artificial man (the "human being" that is referred to in futuristic stories is an artificial person, not a real human being, c'mon guys). These writers from the Golden Age well understood that the ills of racism, economic inequality, social injustices, and gender competition won't matter in a world in which the human being's influence has all but been removed. Now, did some of these older authors have issues? Sure they did! Campbell, Jr. has always struck me as a bit nutty, and L. Ron Hubbard is likely to inspire more hatred (due to the religious institution that he left in his wake) than any of the others from the WW2 period combined. Again, a very good interview on the topic, but someone has to remind others to realize that there is historical context at work here. I am excited to read the biography on Buckminster Fuller, he is way too undersung in this day and age.
Daemon and Freedom by Daniel Suarez The Wealth of Nations is an influential book and people are constantly arguing about economics. Technology has made it possible for it to have been in Project Gutenberg since 2001. Search it for "and account" and you will find multiple instances of "read, write and account". But in all of the arguments you have heard about economics when has anyone advocated mandatory accounting in the schools? Our brilliant economists do not compute and report the depreciation of durable consumer trash. So planned obsolescence is not accounted for.
I've been looking for someone to cover this book at all in the years since it came out and it's been very scant on YT. I'm a lover of relatively "close to home", relatively 'hard' space Sci Fi, like this novel, and The Expanse, and Seveneves, Mars trilogy, Three Body, and so on. Most of those start to eventually go way beyond the relatable close to home science, but Saturn Run was maybe the one that best captured a feeling of "near future space race." I think tribalism is hard to imagine getting away from as ultimately not everyone will always agree to even basic fundamentals. I As long as people have even subtly different preferences for how life should be lived, society becomes anisotropic and along those grain boundaries;the cliques and clubs and groups, fissions will form under stress, and eventually leading to factures. I don't see tribalism as so much of a human condition as it is a natural consequence of anisotropy in our makeup. No amount of acceptance and tolerance in our lifestyle can make up for the fact that eventually a stress concentration will fracture the tribe and put us back where we started. And if we are so 'annealed' as to try and prevent it, it only makes is soft and malleable to outside forces which may not be a useful state to be in. So, conscious of this in some way or not it's been the custom to keep tribes within a certain envelope. The friction between tribes is often frustrating and feels pointless and futile and wasteful. But I try and see it as, in some ways, just the means through which we operate and in some ways the inevitable friction of not being a homogenized mass forced into all being one way or the other (for better or worse) Sure, I got so frustrated by some of the people in this novel doing things I could never in 1000 years imagine trying to think or do. Boneheaded moves for sure on all sides. And good points made all around. Even though truths. But it indeed did a good job of having those different attitudes represented and being at odds in the story. I would love if there was some kind of "politician's book club" where members of the different branches and parties would read books and interact with regular folks who also read those stories and have discussions about how and where those stories can inform future political movement and reaction. That's the type of political discussion that especially the US has tried to burn away I feel. But, like him or not it was an interesting fact to hear how Obama likes Three Body Problem. And knowing an important world-stage leader was thinking about the same questions and scenarios that the book had put into my head, made things feel a little more close to home and important.
Thank you. This is a great film that serves as a premise for good sci-fi entertainment to come. I find time travel movies very captivating. Is it possible for you to do a youtube video about the script formatting that went into this film? As a film student, I am always trying to find the right way to format information that is on computer screens or monitors. (and phones for that matter)
@@MikelWisler I need help with the best way to format images or words on a computer screen/monitor. How is it supposed to be conveyed or formatted when writing the script?
I love the paths this book review took you into. Interesting reflections about humanity’s tribalism, and about politics, etc. As for science fiction that’s post tribalism, the closest I’ve seen is sequels to 2001 space odyssey. Especially 2061 and 3001.
Thanks for checking out my video. Yeah, Space Odyssey. That's a good point. Clarke has some really thoughtful fiction. Have you ever read his novel, "Childhood's End"?
Nothing happens and yet so much at the same time. The actresses express a variety of emotions, you can feel with them. Especially in the last scene. I don't know exactly what fascinates me so much about this short film that I have already watched it several times. In any case, highly recommended.
This is a very moving and meaningful story. The impact of a happenchance turn of events on the course of our lifetimes can be so subtle and so profound. What I take away from this story is that the yearning for a true-love is (nearly) universal in us (exceptions warmly accepted). Anyone who wants to deny equality to anyone else is just full of hate. This video is a dagger to the heart of bigotry.
Boring? This was a lot of things but boring is definitely not it. It's very much about making a human connection at its best. I really appreciate the dialogue.
Sad but some people don't seem to enjoy watching people grow in love. Now days it's wham bam they are in love. But these two characters have a legitimate chance because they want to get to know the other.
just finished reading it today. I really liked it, a pity that John Sandford hasn't followed up with other scifi books. What I found intriguing is that in 2015 America's n. 1 adversary was probably Russia, whereas in the book he predicted it would be China.
I am so sorry about your brother's passing! Glad you were able to come out to him and share that bit of your authentic self. That's incredibly meaningful. I hope our little film has given you some small bit a catharsis as you continue to miss your brother and be true to who you are. Hugs!
What a Friday night treat! The actors were wonderful and so talented! The first part was such dry wit and hilarious, I couldn't stop laughing. And then they moved into a serious, dramatic exchange. I didn't want this "short" film to end. Luckily for the viewers, there is a silver lining in the cloud and the rest is her story :-D