Posts

Genre Study

          In his famous review of Hawthorne’s Twice-told Tales, Edgar Allan Poe classifies the short story based on its “unity of effect and impression.” Building on this idea, literary critic Brander Matthews (1901) adds that this “essential unity of impression” “shows one action, in one place, on one day. A Short-story deals with a single character, a single event, a single emotion, or the series of emotions called forth by a single situation.”           Although I entirely agree with Edgar Allen Poe’s short story dicta, I think Matthews’ definition could certainly be revised. I think his idea of a short story isn’t nearly broad enough as there are many short stories we have read this year alone that don’t fall under his criteria. One of the biggest exemptions from Matthew’s set of rules is Jenny Zhang’s “The Evolution of My Brother.” Matthews’ claim greatly limits the scope of short stories, but Zhang’s story heavily contrad...
1 comment
Read more

Alternative Ending to First Person Shooter

               I put my hand on top of Janine’s and slowly lower the gun. Her hand is warm and full of blood. I should be excited to be touching Janine but instead I’m worried about Zombie Lady. Her finger falls out again, and we all look down at it. An uncomfortably long silence fills the air until I hear a sharp and painful groan come from Zombie Lady. All of a sudden, she begins to put her hands over her ears and cry out in agony. I look up from the finger to see that Zombie Lady suddenly looks annoyed, enraged even. She stumbles back as I watch the last bit of humanity flicker from her eyes, leaving nothing but her animal instincts behind. I exchange looks with Zombie Lady and Janine for what feels like an eternity until suddenly, she lunges out as Janine with her teeth barred. Janine tries to raise the hand cannon but my hand feels frozen in place on top of hers and by the time she rips the gun away it's already too late. Her wobbly...
3 comments
Read more

Reimagining Bloodchild From the Perspective of Lomas

When I awoke, I saw a Tlic and a fellow Terran hovering over me. I looked around to see I was laying on the floor of what appeared to be their home. For a moment, I wrongfully believed everything would be okay. That is, until the Tlic turns to the Terran boy and says, "Go out and slaughter an animal at least half your size." Immediately, my body began to fill with panic. I hadn't quite regained full control over my body from falling unconscious, but between being laid out on the floor, the increasingly painful movements in my stomach, and the Tlics demand for an animal’s slaughter I was able to piece together they needed meat for the grubs they were likely about to rip out of my intestines. I laid there in shock, hearing the urgency swell in the Tlic’s voice but not the words themselves. I watched as the boy grabbed a rifle from what seemed to be the kitchen as I started to regain some control over my body, though I knew that would only make the process harder. I prayed t...
Post a Comment
Read more

What is the Meaning of "The Machine Stops"?

E. M. Forster's "The Machine Stops" depicts a post-apocalyptic underground society that worships and lives under the rule and care of what they refer to as "the Machine". Under the rule of said machine, everyone loses their values and they begin to lack critical thinking as its no longer necessary to them. My question is, "What is the meaning of 'The Machine Stops'?". Upon finishing my first reading of the short story, I only thought it was a critique of society's overreliance on technology. However, upon further inspection I have come up with another possible meaning to the story. It could be argued that "The Machine Stops" aims to critique some of the freaky cult and "behavior modification" schools that were far more popular at the time of the story's conception. It's possible the futuristic society portrayed by Forster is meant to show what would happen if these abusive child correction facilities became commo...
3 comments
Read more