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STUFF_UP_THE_CRACKS
February 11, 2001
Disch is at it again, in book
length form this time:
"The Stuff Our Dreams Are Made Of":
DISCH
I've tried to write a review of
this book off and on over the
last year, but every time I get
bogged down in sorting out the
tremendous number of inaccuries
and snide cheapshots it's
weighted down with.
Just to pick one: Disch asserts
that the Delany novel "The
Madman" is devoted to the thesis
that HIV does not cause
AIDS. This is a completely
insane reaction to the novel:
nowhere in it is anything like Most simply: "The Madman" is
this thesis stated (many others about how the meaning of
are however), and nothing in the texts rely on contexts, and
events of the story contradict your perception of the world
the HIV hypothesis. If Disch can is filtered by what you're
get something *this* far wrong, ready to see.
nothing else he says can be
trusted. SYSTEMS_OF_THE_MADMAN
Disch asserts that Apparently, Disch was
science fiction is ready to see Delany
largely based on a back Duesberg.
worship of Big Ideas,
i.e. grand theories
about how the world (SF would be much
works. more interesting
if this were really
the case.)
Disch's take is that no one
rational system can encompass
the whole world. Believing that For an SF writer
one can is sophomoric, childish, he has a very
hence the idea that science mundane outlook
fiction is a branch of on life.
children's literature, and
so on. His bullshit filter
screens out psionics,
UFOs and scientology;
but also cryonics and
interstellar travel.
It's difficult to state the main
thesis of this book, because
Disch has a way of backtracking
to cover himself. Roughly, he
points out that ideas from SF
have a way of leaking out into
the real world, in sometimes
unsavory contexts. He keeps
stabbing in the direction of
saying that science fiction is
immoral because it encourages
people to believe in things that
turn out to be destructive (as
he quotes several times, "in
dreams begin responsibilities")
He is, however, not quite
willing to go as far as
to, say, blame Charles
Manson on Robert
Heinlein... because if he "Asimov cannot be
did it would be obvious blamed for Shoko
that his thesis is Asahara'a
ridiculous: Why not blame megalomania any
Manson on John Lennon? more than Heinlein
And blame Hitler on can be held
Nietzsche and Wagner responsible for
while you're at it. the deeds of one
of his many
admirers, Charles
Manson." p. 143-3
The closing quote:
"Delmore Schwartz had half of it right:
in dreams begin responsibilities. But (Yes, that's
it's no less true that in dreams begin the title of
irresponsibilities. The menu, in terms of a Delmore
our possibilities in both those respects, Schwartz story,
is well-nigh infinite. but it's a
"Science Fiction is that menu." reference to
Yeats. Oops.)
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