The Politics Of Gene Wolfe

David Stockhoff · 02 Jul 2010, 16:43 · from 2010-July.txt.gz

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From: dstockhoff at verizon.net (David Stockhoff)
Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2010 12:43:44 -0400
Subject: (urth) The Politics Of Gene Wolfe
In-Reply-To: <4C2E1554.1000705 at gmail.com>
References: <mailman.59022.1278079311.5093.urth-urth.net at lists.urth.net>	<4C2DF567.8010809 at gmail.com>
	<4C2E1554.1000705 at gmail.com>
Message-ID: <4C2E1740.3060301 at verizon.net>

Exactly my thought. Dystopian government is an old SF theme. Depicting 
evil government agents says nothing about your beliefs.

James Wynn wrote:
> >>I've read through most of _Starwater Strains_ now, and my 
> initialbelief has hardened:
> >>Gene's writings are definitely getting more
> >>political. In his older works like _Peace_ or _Book of the New Sun_
> >>(pre-90s), I didn't notice anything political, or at least,
> >>contemporary. But in stuff from the last 2 decades? My suspicion has
> >>become certainty.
>
> >Have you read _Operation Ares_?  Perhaps an outlier, but definitely 
> political.
>
> Not an outlier, I think. "The Devil in a Forest" is fine unflattering 
> deconstruction of Robin Hood as a hero who "robs the rich to give to 
> the poor".
>
> For the most part, however, the examples given from "Starwater 
> Strains" are seeing what one expects to see. You don't have to be a 
> conservative/libertarian to imagine a dystopian government (ex. George 
> Orwell). You don't need to be a Tea Partyer to wish well a revolution 
> that will bring down the "big important gangs with suits and guns". 
> That sounds like the communist/anarchist G-20 protesters in Toronto.
>
> u+16b9
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