John C. Wright's Journal

This is what I would have posted had I been doing a daily post, but since I have two books or more overdue at the publisher’s, not to mention working a day job, I can only summarize.

So just imagine the following points were explored, dwelt upon, and ranted about for several pages, perhaps illuminated with video clips of Hammer’s SHE or Fogley’s GIRL GENIUS, and seasoned with really long and obscure words (words like ‘nuncupatory’ – a Jack Vancean word, and ‘cyclopean’ – a H.P. Lovecraftian word in more ways than one, and ‘urticate, salpinx, bordereau’ – words so remarkably Gene Wolflike in character, that they are as rare as an onager with a dulcimer).
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I am violating my ‘Friday-only’ posting rule, because this story is (1) an enormity (2) timely and (3) I am only posting a link. You can read it and decide for yourselves what the mind-set and political philosophy is which leads up to such things, and from what sort of philosophical and political position such things come.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1211950/Premature-baby-left-die-doctors-mother-gives-birth-just-days-22-week-care-limit.html#ixzz0QcrzUSS0

My beautiful and talented wife has posted another Wright’s Writing Corner

http://arhyalon.livejournal.com/82274.html

Naturally, the same instruction as previous posts apply–leave compliments and praise on her website, where she can answer it, and leave criticism and rude barking here, where I can ignore it. Chivalry demands no less, gentlehobbits.

Or better yet, send your hate mail to John Scalzi, because (a) he grades it and (b) he makes me laugh. (NOTE: no John Scalzi were harmed in the making of this post. He was not consulted, and he does not know me from Adam, but I think he is a funny guy, so here is a link and a free plug for his book.)

In the interests of chivalry, let me also link to and plug my wife’s book, PROSPERO LOST.

Listen to what her close friends and relatives have to say about it! "The characters are lovable and the plot is enthralling. The author, Lamplighter, has written some fantastic short stories through the years but this is her first book. She’s done an excellent job. I highly recommend it to all." — Mark W. Lamplighter. There you have it! The book was so good  that the top Amazon.com reviewer, Harriet Klausner, gave it six or seven stars even though (a) Klausner had not read the book, or even the book jacket and (b) Amazon.com only allows you to give up to five stars. But where this book is concerned, the impossible is possible!

Here is a quote from Edgar Allen Poe that touches on a discussion recently in this space, particularly the relation of taste to intellect and moral sense. I am delighted to see he is of an alike mind with me with his reverence for Truth, and for the cool-hearted approach on must take toward that most virginal of goddesses. I differ from him somewhat in that I see a profound and obscure interconnection between truth and beauty, or, if you like, between the needs of drama and the needs of logic. Here is the quote:

With as deep a reverence for the True as ever inspired the bosom of man, I would nevertheless limit, in some measure, its modes of inculcation. I would limit to enforce them. I would not enfeeble them by dissipation. The demands of Truth are severe. She has no sympathy with the myrtles. All that which is so indispensable in Song is precisely all that with which she has nothing whatever to do. It is but making her a flaunting paradox to wreathe her in gems and flowers. In enforcing a truth we need severity rather than efflorescence of language. We must be simple, precise, terse. We must be cool, calm, unimpassioned. In a word, we must be in that mood which, as nearly as possible, is the exact converse of the poetical. He must be blind indeed who does not perceive the radical and chasmal difference between the truthful and the poetical modes of inculcation. He must be theory-mad beyond redemption who, in spite of these differences, shall still persist in attempting to reconcile the obstinate oils and waters of Poetry and Truth.

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What is the first Science Fiction novel?

This question was raised in an interesting article by one Jim Harris at Auxiliary Memory (found here http://jameswharris.wordpress.com/2009/06/25/the-time-machine-by-h-g-wells/) where he argues that THE TIME MACHINE by H.G. Wells is the first science fiction novel properly so called.

Let me quote his words, so as not to mislead:

I agree in part and disagree in part. What would I consider the first science fiction novel properly so called? That depends on what I consider the boundaries of science fiction to include.
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I hope I will be forgiven for breaking my “no posting save on Friday” rule for an issue of astounding importance: GIRL GENIUS JUST WON THE HUGO! (And by "just" I mean it happened a month ago, and I only noticed just now.) Congratulations to Kaja and Phil Foglio! (and to the colorist, whose name is Wright. I bask in the reflected glory.)

This award was granted at the World Con in Montreal (which I also attended, thank you, with my lovely and talented wife, L. Jagi Lamplighter, whose book PROSPERO LOST had its debut there)— but I did not stay for the ceremony due to the iron necessity of the airline flight schedules, and thus was ignorant of the news.

Fortunately, a wholly accurate and illustrated account of the significant segment of the awards ceremony has been recorded for posterity. See below

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For this week’s Wright’s Writing Corner, Mrs. Wright introduces guest Danielle Ackley-McPhail to describe writing description.

http://arhyalon.livejournal.com/80664.html

I have consulted with my Jesuit Confessor, Father de Casuist, who tells me that merely posting a link, does not count as "posting" and hence does not violate my "Only Posting on Friday" rule. He also says that rumor that the Pope Joan in the Thirteenth Century ordered Friday to be a day to avoid meat because of the foresight that I in the Twenty-First Century would be posting on Friday, while not being true in the literal sense, is nonetheless an appropriate rumor for veneration and instruction.