It seems that several of the stories I've read lately have to do with The Meaning of Life/What are We Here For? Today as I was waiting at the doctor's office (to get a tetanus shot, thanks to an old bed frame I moved), I read a couple of stories from the new Hartwell/Cramer Year's Best Fantasy 5: Dale Bailey's "The End of the World as We Know It" and David D. Levine's "Charlie the Purple Giraffe Was Acting Strangely." I thought both were well written and effective.
In Bailey's story, a man wakes up to find that everyone he knows is dead. Also dead are the telephones as well as all television and radio stations. A part of the man continues going through the motions, realizing that the world has probably just about run its course, but still he follows familiar routines. Levine's "Charlie" is more comical (although Bailey's story is not without humor): a purple giraffe comic book character comes to realize what he actually is, a character in a comic book. He can't get anyone else to believe him – his friend the orange squirrel or the rhinoceros doctor. "There are no readers," they tell him. But if they don't exist for the readers, why are they there?
Both stories seem to ask the question "Why are we here?" I think it's enormously interesting that writers are still asking the question. The answer says a lot about your worldview. Is life just a cruel joke? Is there a purpose? Is there a God? (I believe there is.)
I suppose these would be labeled "postmodern" stories. I enjoy reading them and I've written a few that I would consider postmodern. However you classify them, these are good stories and ask questions that people want answered. Interesting reading.
Now Playing = Blood on the Tracks (The New York Sessions) – Bob Dylan [Thanks, Trent!]
4 comments:
I read Charlie and The Purple Giraffe when it originally appeared in Realms of Fantasy.
I've never seen anything like it. Metafictional comic strip/cartoon! Its one of those rare "modern" stories I wished I had written.
I was totally blown away by the way that story is structure. Glad to see someone else saw the awesomeness of it.
You back from vacation yet?
I was totally blown away by the way that story is structure. Glad to see someone else saw the awesomeness of it.
I've read a few of Levine's stories before, but this is definitely the strongest.
You back from vacation yet?
Yeah. Can you believe it's been a year since Clarion?
Man, I miss Clarion. I think about that time and although I had a few petulant moments, they were some of the best times of my life. I made such great friends there!
The whole experience, other than the heat, was amazing.
We all need to pick a convention one of these days (Readercon ::cough::) and meet up as a group.
You should go to World Fantasy in November. I'll be there, so will Trent, Nikki, Marjorie, probably Dr. Phil, maybe some others. Also Jeff Ford, Kelly & Gavin, Gordon, Andy Duncan... Try to go if you can, it looks like a great con.
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