Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: geeky
  • Music: Taylor Swift, "Long Live."

BLACKOUT open thread!

To celebrate the release of Blackout, here. Have an open thread to discuss the book.

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS.

Seriously. If anyone comments here at all, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. So please don't read and then yell at me because you encountered spoilers. You were warned. (I will not reply to every comment; I call partial comment amnesty. But I may well join some of the discussion, or answer questions or whatnot.)

You can also start a book discussion at my website forums, with less need to be concerned that I will see everything you say! In case you wanted, you know, discussion free of authorial influence, since I always wind up getting involved in these things.

Have fun!
Tags: blackout, mira grant, zombies
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  • 357 comments
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dornbeast

May 26 2012, 16:45:28 UTC 5 years ago

"I'm not disputing the methods of coping that George has -- and in fact they are all quite true. I am stating the simple fact that a light sensitive person will blink more rapidly and often than a normal person..."

Is this involuntary, deliberate, habitual, or reflexive? (Not disputing, just trying to get some idea of how this works.)

"...and probably squint or even almost completely close their eyes to lessen the harshness of a light source. I am speaking of situations where said person is trying to see, though. This is not the same thing as just avoiding light or pain. These are the coping methods when walking around and trying to actually see the world. I'm saying it becomes almost involuntary because it happens all the time for a light sensitive person. It's not just bright sun that is an issue. Simply being outside when it's light out is enough to cause discomfort because the sky itself is a source of light and a damn big one."

I'm aware that the sky is a source of light. (One morning, an unusual cloud formation resulted in my shadow pointing east.)

"I guarantee that the author of that Wiki article -- and certainly you -- are coming from a world where you recover pretty quickly from something like a high beam dazzling you or blinding yourself from turning on the bathroom light in the middle of the night. I don't. Essentially, I'm saying I don't think George should be able to either, but the idea that she doesn't blink as a method of coping and/or recovery seems to side with the opposite."

I agree with you that she shouldn't be able to recover from bright light at all. Would you mind quoting the throwaway line you mentioned? I can't remember the context, and I still haven't gotten Feed back, so I can't remember why George said that she doesn't blink. I can see her not needing to blink as often, but given what you describe, either George is in a different range of light-sensitivity than you are - one where the only practical adaptation is to wear dark sunglasses, such that the blink/squint response doesn't have time to become almost involuntary - or this is one of the places where the science isn't perfect.

ext_209138

May 26 2012, 17:01:01 UTC 5 years ago

Well, all four to some extent. But that's true of any person. :-) In a way you sort of answer your question about the involuntary yourself. It's through the reflexive/habit-forming nature of the coping that it becomes an involuntary reaction. But results certainly could vary. I don't think it's anything I can quantify and to even do so would take into account a lot more hormone chemistry and brain workings than I'm familiar with. Granted this is in reference to the real world where there are other reasons why we blink than just issues with light and I'm almost certain George touches on that though I can't recall what she says.

You'd be surprised how often I have to explain the sky thing. ;-) The fact that I'm for all intents and purposes completely blind outside during the day is basically why I work a guide dog. Well, that and I got hit by a car.

I don't remember the exact line (actually it may have been two different lines), which is part of why I want to reread the book. I could probably hunt for it but I'm running out the door to a barbeque in a few. There may well be an explanation I missed and you're right the science might be spotty in this aspect. I think that was pretty much what I was trying to determine when I asked. Hehe.