I saw Mommy KILLING Santa Claus Underneath the Mistletoe last MURDER!!!

Oryx and Crake (2003)
Written by: Margaret Atwood
Genre: Fiction/Literary SF
Pages: 376 (Trade Paperback)

The premise: from Amazon.com: In Oryx and Crake, a science fiction novel that is more Swift than Heinlein, more cautionary tale than "fictional science" (no flying cars here), Margaret Atwood depicts a near-future world that turns from the merely horrible to the horrific, from a fool's paradise to a bio-wasteland. Snowman (a man once known as Jimmy) sleeps in a tree and just might be the only human left on our devastated planet. He is not entirely alone, however, as he considers himself the shepherd of a group of experimental, human-like creatures called the Children of Crake. As he scavenges and tends to his insect bites, Snowman recalls in flashbacks how the world fell apart.

My Rating

Give It Away: this is an odd rating, because in LibraryThing, I gave it four stars. I'm glad I've read the book, and I'll likely pick up the companion/sequel The Year of the Flood, but I'm so ambivalent about Oryx and Crake that I don't see myself picking it up again. In fact, it's the kind of book I'll probably forget I've read, because it never impacted me the way it probably would a reader who isn't as familiar with science fiction. I think fans of Atwood will enjoy this, and readers who aren't SF-literate in terms of tropes and conventions may find this book to be a diamond in the rough. Certainly, Atwood has a different take on the apocalypse than Cormac McCarthy's The Road, and it's interesting, though it lacks the direction and resolution that McCarthy's novel had. But hey, I'm glad I read it. I just wish I'd read it sooner than I did, before I was as familiar with SF tropes as I am now. If you're an SF fan, I'd only recommend this book to you if you don't mind reading the lit-fic takes on the genre, if you don't mind the fact you're not going to find something wholly original. I read this because I'm a sucker for lit-fic SF, and after The Handmaid's Tale, I wanted to see what else Atwood would do with the genre. The Handmaid's Tale is a much stronger book, but this one was interesting at least, even though it was a little unsatisfying.

Review style: spoilers ahead. Considering the pace and style of the book, the spoilers aren't exactly Earth-shattering, but here's the warning anyway. SPOILERS. :) If such things bother you, there's no need to click the link below, which takes you to my LJ. However, if you're interested, the more discussion the merrier! As always, comments and discussion are most welcome. :)

REVIEW: Margaret Atwood's ORYX AND CRAKE

Happy Reading!

Book club selections @ calico_reaction. Hop on over! We'd love to have you!

December: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
January: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
February: Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

A McDonald's 'Happy Meal' commercial, from the first TREK film, in 1979.

Oh, the Klingon-ity! :D

stepstomarrow
When granddaughter, Jada, was born with leukemia, a donor-match was located and Jada made a miraculous recovery. In honor of her grandaughter's health, Jeanna has decided to walk across the country (in the dead of winter) to raise awareness and build support for the bone marrow registry (all that's required is a cheek swab). Follow Jeanna's remarkable journey as she travels the United States by foot.

SPORTS!
Any particular one?
No! SPORTS!

No wrecks? Garsh!

Let's rip out his copper wiring - that stuff really sells!

Put on your 3-piece pajamas, son.

Castle Films: butchering peasants and putting their heads on the spikes of Xmas!


Did I catch those correctly?

... Rifftrax Live is only live in L.A.? i'm following along with them on Twitter, and they appear to be starting now. did i miss something?

I can't remember how my online wandering brought me to a blog of altered versions of Edward Hopper's Nighthawks, but color me pleased to find a few old friends having a nice evening out:

( Cut for size )

I was reminded as I watched Sing Off tonight. Then I made a playlist of MST3k songs (that is way too short)</a> when I realized that there was all this great MST3k music on YouTube. I'm listening to the Final Justice clip now.

"Take the roast and wrap it in bacon, but there's potatoes on the side - Yeah, pass the gravy now!"

...

"Meatballs fried in la-a-aard"

Anyone else going to see CT in Philly on NYE? I have my tickets, my hotel reservation and a restaurant reservation all set.

This will be the best NYE ever.

I hope that I'm not breaking any rules by posting this here, but I thought since it was the mst3k characters doing what they do best it might be appreciated here

45 Multi-Fandom Icons + 5 Banners
Star Trek: TOS, Community (Abed), Rocky & Bullwinkle, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Pushing Daisies, Glee, 30 Rock (Jack), House, Possession (Lee Pace), The Office, Stock: Winter, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

samples:


( his goal in life was to be an echo )

Is there a non-riffed version of "Shine Your Love" available, either as a music file or on YouTube?

On December 26th, Encore Westerns will have a marathon to this month's Six Gun Salute honoree, everybody's favorite Occidental Ninja, Lee Van Cleef. But I'm sure Master Ninja will not be part of the marathon.
I do hope they show High Noon. The last time I watched that I commented during the opening credits that I had forgotten he was in the movie before I realized he had been on screen the whole time.

Hello Misties!!

I have a request!

I'm making an epic Christmas CD to listen to while opening gifts on Christmas morning of less, uhm, traditional songs. :D

So I was really hoping someone out there has the audio of A Patrick Swayze Christmas from one of the host segments from Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.

Thank you so so much in advance!!

Stuck on a planet with no booze..

hulu link

taste_buds
Holidays provide a built-in excuse for indulgent entertaining. This all-purpose foodie community covers everything from homemade hangover cures to dinner party menus. Need quick advice? Get five-minute snack suggestions, low-fat ingredient substitutes, and even measurement conversions. Delicious recipes garnished with humorous advice. Yum.

naturesbeauty
Always on the lookout for compelling images, we were delighted to discover this flourishing community of artists who share a love of nature. Honoring the subject with photographs, paintings, sketches, prose, poetry, and other creative works, you'll be simultaneously riveted to your monitor and inspired to run helter skelter towards the nearest wooded dale.

Berlusconi expressed anger regarding filmmakers and television writers that portrayed a connection between the Mafia and the Italian Government. Frustrated, I guess, by the stereotype that Italians are violent, murdering thugs, Silvio Berlusconi said, "If I find out who is the maker of the nine seasons of 'The Octopus' and who has written books on the mafia, which give such a bad image to Italy across the world, I swear that I will strangle them." Which, of course, gives me a very positive, welcoming image of Italy.

Yuri: Are you calling me a psychopath?
Crow: I'll kill your whole family if you call me that!

Update: Changed above link because the actual quote is just too good to leave buried.

Someone in a recent thread mentioned the mainstreaming of science fiction over the past decade or two. I think it's worth pursuing further.

Do you think this mainstreaming is real, or largely illusory? Is it happening in books, or just in Hollywood movies?

And are we seeing genuine science fictional concepts appearing in non-genre books and films, or are we just seeing the use of cool SF trappings in what are really just conventional action/adventure movies?