Friday 14 December 2012

Mindset Cafe: 2012-12-14

On today's menu... fairypunk, more drivel from climate change deniers laid to rest and internet muses.

Stories for stories

Wall-E comes to some kind of life in a story about the Fukushima robots. Forget the 21.12 apocalypse. If you need something to go badly wrong, here are some real apocalyptic items for your toolkit.  And, if you are into alternative worlds with a good helping of pseudoscientific fantasy, look at what the creationists have to say.

Reading and writing

I'm currently reading the next of the Harry Dresden novels in which he takes up his role as the Winter Knight. As always it is an undemanding thrill. I expect to see more of this type of reading matter in future.

The signs are all there. The recent rise of fairypunk and Grimm derivatives began, as far as I know) with Tad Williams' 'War of the Flowers' and copious works and other references by Neil Gaiman. There were definite references in 'Pan's Labyrinth' and the theme carried through 'Hellboy: Golden Army'. Terry Gilliam's 'Brothers Grimm' also springs to mind. Of late, there is a new(ish) television series, 'Grimm', which takes a more fairypunk approach. I also see a number of anthologies on sale or in the process of setting up.

I doubt it will be as big as zombies, but it will be a more prominent subgenre. It's certainly significant if it earns itself a TV series. Take note though that it doesn't have to be faeries, but it can also include derivatives of the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen and Charles Perrault, all of which used the fae folk quite sparingly.

Get your enigmatic evil on while the wave is still cresting. Wings are not necessary, but will probably add to the sense of fictional verity.

Mother Nature and other terrifying things

Deprived of the scientific insights and editing of the last Bush administration, climate change deniers (lets not call them skeptics, because that dignifies things) have been trying to blame solar activity for global warming. That's patent drivel. Take a look at this report. Sorry guys, it really is pollution.

And finally...

I spent a bit of time thinking about muses this week after getting a wonderful idea for a story, then I found this... a witty updating of them for today's internet.

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