The Campaign Builder's Guild

[blockquote=Light Dragon]For the record, I personally did not pity the Remade. Still, I thought it was a waste of city funds, completely unnecessary and the terror of the remade did not work because there seemed to be hundreds of remade- it seemed more sadistic than anything else. Much more efficient would have been to have killed them all. In that sense, I pitied the city's government, for waste and sadism. Then again, that lack of understanding of Mieville's socialist worldview could be why I am writing Gloria :![/blockquote]I think the idea is that its an attempt by the government to create a deterrent, but one that's subtler, less harsh, and more retributive/"karmic" than the death penalty.  Much in the same way that public executions and mutilations played a key role in medieval societies but used up some resources (executioners were very well compensated because of the dishonour incurred from the profession, and it took a lot of training to become one); New Crobuzon's twisted (and yes, definitely sadistic) punishment system seems similar: deter would-be criminals from committing crimes by showcasing, in the most grotesque fashion, the consequences for such an action.

Thanks for the review - it was a slightly shorter paper than some of my final essays, which tended to run a few pages longer.  The 3009 thing is hilarious, I'm embarrassed bu quite amused by it... it probably made it by accident into the copy I handed in.  And Dresden Codack is awesome...

Just thought i would alert all the Neweirdies to this http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Weird-Ann-VanderMeer/dp/1892391554/ref=pd_sim_b_4
Haven't really heard of it, just stumbled over it.

Yes, I flipped through it in a store. Oddly, about 60 pages of it is available free online since 60 pages or so was an excerpt about how to define the new weird.

The reviews of the book were about average- it was allegely disappointing in that it wasn't really 'weird' enough. So I decided not to buy. I wanted more Mieville-like content and that did not seem to be what they were offering. In that way, it seemed about as frustrating as the new Cthulu anthologies... which just do not seem to "get it".

Quote from: Rorschach FritosI would like to say, for the record, that if i thought I was capable of producing consistently good Carrollian fantasy, I probably would be writing it exclusively.

Why don't you try some out here on the boards? Perhaps you can develop the skill. Perhaps tied to your world-creation. I seem to recall one cat-based monster you created a while back based on the chatbox... But beyond that (?)

I'd just like to mention, I started readin Perdido Street Station and got into it this time.

I'm reading China's new book "the City and the City". It's actually very nice, but quite different from his other works.

If I may way in on the sex discussion just briefly:

I kind of hope sex always remains at least a little taboo.

Because otherwise you couldn't have embarrassed and prudish people.

That's just too much funny to lose. :demon:

I think what bothers me about sex in media and literature is less that it's there and more that so many authors and directors think it is necessary in order to have a good work of art. You can have a great adult focused film or book and never have one bit of sex in it. Yet so many feel that if they don't cram it in somewhere then their creation won't be good.

Funny how this thread is winding down a few different roads, but still is true to the title.  

I'd say there are a lot of things that don't need to be crammed into a work for it to be good.

Quote from: Lord VreegFunny how this thread is winding down a few different roads, but still is true to the title.  

also funny that I just realized that you misspelled consciousness in your title.