What if a character in a story suddenly became self-aware? What if it was a character in SIMS or Second Life, or any of the other countless computer simulations out there that run on intricate programs and the occasional keystroke of a nameless, faceless person? What if that self-aware character (simulation?) were you?
THOMAS WORLD by Richard Cox starts off with a wonderful quote attributed to a much-missed fictional character (Fox Mulder, for those of you wondering …) that sets the tone for the surrealistic story that follows: “They say when you talk to God it’s prayer, but when God talks to you, it’s schizophrenia.”
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Writers sometimes try quirky experiments to relieve creative pressure. “I’ll write this for fun,” we tell ourselves, “and put it online for whoever wishes to read it.” Like an exercise of sorts.
Or we do it to give ourselves creative pressure to force ourselves to write (because there are so many damnable temptations that take us away from the keyboard). We give ourselves deadlines, sometimes impossible ones, in order to spark our creative muse. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes it works so well, some of us get book deals.
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In 1936 Stalinist Russia, the wrong comment to the wrong person, even if told in jest, can get you sent to prison. It’s a dangerous place. The country is in transition, and no one is sure of their newfound place. Those in power can wake up to find themselves suddenly accused of crimes against the party.
Capt. Alexi Korolev of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Moscow Militia is in a precarious position: low enough in rank to be overlooked by those looking for scapegoats, but good enough at his job that he’s considered a valuable resource to his department.
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Personally, I prefer paper-and-ink books to the electronic format. I like the way they feel. I like the way they smell. And I like the way they look on a bookshelf.
I like the electronic editions, too, just not as much. But there are distinct advantages to the electronic books: You can carry your whole library around with you, they’re easier to dust, the pages don’t yellow over time, and we’re not decimating trees to print up the latest Stephen King doorstopper.
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Christwire.org is to the fanatical right wing Christian conservatives what The Onion is to Middle America: a satire of everything that makes them firm in their convictions, and makes them look like nutjobs to the rest of the world.
Starting as a website/blog, ChristWire is now expanding its dry sense of humor into the world of print with THE CHRISTWIRE HANDBOOK, a collection of essays with titles like:
• “Is My Husband Gay?”
• “Sweat, Sodomy, and Radical Socialism: A Shocking Look Inside America’s Most Dangerous Gay Bars”
• “Gays Invent New Wii Sex Toy, So Blacks Can Have Virtual Sex with White Women”
• “How to Know If Your Child Is a Chinese Hacker”
• “Why Can’t I Own a Canadian?”
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