tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643523.post7761041449012781628..comments2024-03-20T03:11:21.756-07:00Comments on The Great Raven: Kim Stanley Robinson at the Melbourne Writers' FestivalSue Bursztynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09362273418897882971noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643523.post-29853943283766466462017-03-18T19:03:08.142-07:002017-03-18T19:03:08.142-07:00Btw, Sue, re KSR's 2140 novel, there is a char...Btw, Sue, re KSR's 2140 novel, there is a character in the story named General Octavisasdottir, she is the NYC police inspector and a great character. Is it possible that Stan maybe named her in homage and respect for Octavia Butler the great pioneering sci fi novelist? In Icelandic naming traditions, daughters and sons are often called by the father's name PLUS "dottir" so a common name might be Josephsdottir for a woman born in Iceland. Was this maybe Stan's way of paying homage to Octavia Butler? I guess so. So far, nobody has mentioned it in any of the reviews or interviews about the book. Your take? cheers, DanDANIELBLOOMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05130493903696077379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643523.post-80801146140792361382017-03-18T00:25:07.451-07:002017-03-18T00:25:07.451-07:002017 -- Sue, when you read New York 2140 i will lo...2017 -- Sue, when you read New York 2140 i will look for your review here. It's sci fi cli fi hybrid, what KST now calls in an interview "Utopian Climate Change Fiction: The Hot New Genre!" he actually said that last week. Google the quote. RE: ''I felt like applauding when he mentioned that he wasn't crazy about cyberpunk because it's so pessimistic (and for some political reasons). I remember when I read my first cyberpunk novel and thought, "If that's what the future is going to be like, I don't want to be there!"'' (above), cheers, dan in TaiwanDANIELBLOOMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05130493903696077379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643523.post-84207499646630778342010-08-30T19:07:05.017-07:002010-08-30T19:07:05.017-07:00I seem to have missed those writers, Aknyra, which...I seem to have missed those writers, Aknyra, which is weird, because I checked out last year's programme pretty thoroughly at the time. I'm wondering if most of them were at the schools days or during the day Monday to Friday, which is still no good to me, because I can't take flex time or flexible rec leave to go. :-(<br /><br />And yes, it was nice to hear that an English major who reads New Scientist can write SF so well. I'll use that as an inspiration, because I do read New Scientist myself!Sue Bursztynskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09362273418897882971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643523.post-22300965904954104082010-08-29T19:56:57.320-07:002010-08-29T19:56:57.320-07:00You've just made me realise that Robinson is s...You've just made me realise that Robinson is still on my "to read" list. I still haven't read his books. But I am SO looking forward to the worldcon and, of course, to seeing you there.Morva Shepleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06956649220337130363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643523.post-11322055276707766782010-08-29T16:29:35.377-07:002010-08-29T16:29:35.377-07:00Good write up! I loved Stan's talk. I thought ...Good write up! I loved Stan's talk. I thought it was particularly interesting to hear that this hard SF author was a literature grad. If you're interested, here are some links to things he discussed, <a href="http://vectoreditors.wordpress.com/2009/09/18/wheres-the-sf/" rel="nofollow">his Booker controversy and the SF authors he rates as contenders</a>, and <a href="http://whatmatters.mckinseydigital.com/climate_change/time-to-end-the-multigenerational-ponzi-scheme" rel="nofollow">what matters and what you can do</a>.<br /><br />MWF does pretty well for SF, I thought. Last year they invited a long list of guests associated with science fiction, including Justine Larbalestier, Shaun Tan, Kerry Greenwood, Scott Westerfeld, Steven Amsterdam, Max Barry, Peter Goldsworthy, Jack Dann, Margo Lanagan, and China Mievelle... Next week sees Mievelle again, plus Alistair Reynolds.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com