Kc’s Comments (group member since Mar 02, 2013)

Kc’s comments from the EDCMOOC group.

Thanks all for some great ideas. I had a few notes about reality TV - it's massively popular in the UK but caricatures people into single dimension love/hate figures. Also, how society was organised was interesting - Districts organised for specialisation (have you seen District 9 the film? reminded me of this) - exploitation of the population, offering them up as sacrifices.... the District mirrored a reservation (as in the US) - perhaps a critique?

Anyway, here are some suggested questions for later...

1. How does media affect people's tolerance of violence or other offensive behaviour? - audiences consumption of the HG was on the television - how is this different to the internet?


2. Is the 'Hunger Games' reality TV taken to a logical conclusion? How do the individuals fight to preserve their own identities in the face of the Game?

3. What resonances/relevances does HG bear with the world(s) that we know/live in?
eg. in technological innovations?
"What must it be like, I wonder, to live in a world where food appears at the press of a button? ..." (p.65; especially given the survivalist title and overarching plot), virtual reality & games, bio-droids, surveillance,... and the delightful contrast with hunting, gathering, ...

But also social resonances, which leads onto the next question...

4. How do the sacrificial children rebel within their own districts? - Ping pointed out the role of nature as a narrative device - is nature a shorthand for rebellion in HG?

5. Is this an appropriate coming-of-age novel? Why/why not? (Is it realistic?)

We are discussing this on Saturday 7th June (Sunday for NZ) 21:30 to 22:30 (UK time) using Twitter, hash tag #edcmchat

It is available quite widely http://www.multivax.com/last_question...

Please post any thoughts, themes and so on below.

Please add any thoughts, themes or discussion topics.
Thanks,
K

Excellent! Thanks Stephane.

April's read is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins with a Twitter chat on Sat 3 May (Sunday for NZ - see the discussion topic for times).

In May we're reading Isaac Asimov's The Last Question for a chat on June. We need a moderator for June if anyone's interested.

Please post any thoughts here.

The chat will be on Twitter on Saturday 3rd May @ 21:30 (UK time).

I'll let Ping workout the NZ dates!

Thanks
KC

That's great Maddie, looking forward to it.

I read it in a lunch break!

Here's a question for Saturday (while trying not to reveal anything!)

Was it worth it?

You did a great job! I've been raving about this book took. I had friends over while chatting. They got involved with the questions too.

Yes, welcome Sue. Asta - nice quotes - this book had so many layers.

Please add any comments or themes below.

PDF available here: http://www.tnellen.com/westside/harri...

Or it's available in the short story collection "Welcome to the Monkey House" by Kurt Vonnegut

This is the best book I've read for a while. Really glad it was put up here!

Great points Chris. I really liked the theme about the value placed on intelligence and development of the IQ. His other development was still immature - one at the expense of the other?

There was an introduction in my book which asked the question "Would you rather be Socrates or a Happy Pig?" which is similar to the point above. What do we lose when we become more aware and knowledgeable?

In relation to edcmooc - the transhuman elements were there - would you want to live in a world that consisted only of super-intelligent beings?

The narrator-led style was very effective too - it really put the reader in Charlie's head!

Looking forward to the chat
Kirstie

February's read is Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes.
Chat is Saturday 1st March (Sun NZ) UK time 21:30
Follow #edcmchat on Twitter.

Vote on which story to read in March https://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/9...

That would be great if you can. Really enjoyed this book, very moving. Will add comments nearer the time.

This is the read for February for twitter chat on 1st March 2014 (21:30-22:30 GMT)

Download as ePUB here http://www.epubbud.com/book.php?g=BF5...

... or as PDF here http://www.oglethorpe.edu/faculty/~m_...

We need a moderator!

There were some excellent quotes in this book. It's very rich. I highlighted those quotes too Asta. I wonder about the year - can't think of anything?

The constant references to light, the sun, candles etc. stood out - I hadn't thought of it as related to new lighting, but also light/fire was a technical innovation. The world would have been so dark. Light is also used as a metaphor for science and progress (Joseph Wright http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesi...)

I'll use the 4 questions but also add:

5. What was significant about the times the TT travelled to? How has the book influenced our cultural ideas about time travel?

Thanks all!

A few ideas for topics...

"There is no difference between Time and any of the three dimensions of Space. Except that our consciousness moves along it" (I liked this quote!)

1. Are the Eloi and the Morlocks human? Was the Time Traveller's disgust at the Morlocks justified?

2. Do humans need struggle (eg against nature, each other) to progress?

"There were no signs of struggle, neither social nor economical struggle"

3. How did Wells view nature? What social commentary is he making?

"The whole world will be intelligent, educated and cooperating; things will move faster and faster towards the subjugation of nature."

4. Was the Time Traveller optimistic or pessimistic about our future?

Also, Wells referred to the sun throughout the book, I wonder what significance this had?

"It seemed to me that I had happened upon humanity upon the wane... the sunset of mankind"

Also, the simplicity of the Eloi reminded me of the Island (Huxley), although they had no struggles as such but were functioning very well as a society.

Please add your thoughts

K

For info:

January's read is The Time Machine by HG Wells

Please vote on February's read in the polls https://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/9...

January's read is The Time Machine by HG Wells.

We will discuss this book on Saturday 1st February (or Sunday for NZ) 21:30GMT.

This book is free for Kindle, or from Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35

Please post any topics/themes you would like to discuss below.

Also - please cast your vote for what to read in February https://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/9...

Thanks
K