Okay, folks, I've been asked for it, and here it is: the spoiler party for Feed. Anything goes in the comments on this post only. If you haven't read the book, I ask that you not click. If you have, feel free to jump in, ask questions, discuss, or just yell at me. I'm cool either way.
Just one minor, tiny little thing: I loved the teeny reference to the legalization of gay marriage. George mentions "the Congresswoman and her wife" without even blinking.
I could see how a world in crisis might learn to prioritize its politics, and I loved how it wasn't a big, long explanation, like so many of the other changes. It was just . . . there.
Weeeellll.... just as a minor and possibly not relevant point, historically major depopulation events are followed by a significant loss of freedom, especially for women - the focus suddenly being on rebuilding the population quickly. The most notable instance of this which I can think of is the Mongol invasion of Japan: prior tot hat time, women had almost achieved political parity with men, but afterwards those privileges all but vanished.
However, this may not be relevant as: 1) We're already at a technological point such that a lower population might be good for the economy; there's no real impetus to rebuild to pre-Rising levels. 2) Modern Western culture isn't feudal Japanese, nor in fact feudal anyone culture, so reactions are notably different. 3) Kellis-Amberlee isn't a Mongol invasion; in fact it acts differently from just about every other threat humanity has encountered.
So, net meaning is that things like gay marriage aren't fait accompli after a big disaster.
Of course, it's your world and if you say that in the face of the living dead people stop arguing about whether or not gays should marry and how many eyes god has, then people stop arguing about such petty things.
Normally, women lose freedom. In this instance, your points 1-3 all apply, as does the fact that, for a while, everyone was too busy going AHHHH ZOMBIES AHHHH to really worry about what other people were doing at home. By the time they had the luxury of caring again, it was too late.
Of course, realistically major social change takes 2-3 generations - long enough for the people who remember that way things used to be to have died off. We tend to get impatient and forget this.
May 12 2010, 01:06:57 UTC 7 years ago
I could see how a world in crisis might learn to prioritize its politics, and I loved how it wasn't a big, long explanation, like so many of the other changes. It was just . . . there.
May 14 2010, 19:22:13 UTC 7 years ago
May 16 2010, 08:44:39 UTC 7 years ago
However, this may not be relevant as:
1) We're already at a technological point such that a lower population might be good for the economy; there's no real impetus to rebuild to pre-Rising levels.
2) Modern Western culture isn't feudal Japanese, nor in fact feudal anyone culture, so reactions are notably different.
3) Kellis-Amberlee isn't a Mongol invasion; in fact it acts differently from just about every other threat humanity has encountered.
So, net meaning is that things like gay marriage aren't fait accompli after a big disaster.
Of course, it's your world and if you say that in the face of the living dead people stop arguing about whether or not gays should marry and how many eyes god has, then people stop arguing about such petty things.
May 18 2010, 15:48:07 UTC 7 years ago
May 18 2010, 15:51:34 UTC 7 years ago