Our final class is, indeed, today

Folks, Ellie tells me that on the syllabus, I typo'd the date of our last class meeting. It is, indeed, today at our normal time and place. After class, the Honors College party starts at 5:30 -- just a few feet from our classroom door -- and from there, those who are interested will gather wherever y'all like. Wilhagan's has been popular in recent semesters, was was a downtown hookah bar. But it's up to y'all. Sorry for the confusion. See you soon.

Paper Topics!

So I figured at this point we're probably all thinking about what our final papers are going to be about, and at this point I'm proud to say that I actually have some idea of what I'm doing. So I'd like to write about the GMO industry in The Windup Girl and compare it to today's actual genetically modified foods. I've already started researching a little and there are plenty of parallels between the two. Hopefully I'll be able to find out where Bacigalupi came up with some of his ideas, both with science and ethics.

So what other paper topics are floating around? And if anyone has any ideas for what I should alter or include in mine, I'm totally open to suggestions at this point.

Big Brother....

Boneshaker/Dreadnought

I have rather mixed feelings about Boneshaker. On one hand, even though alternate histories/parallel worlds are nothing new, I quite enjoyed the steampunk aesthetic and the world building. It was a lot darker than I had imagined, but I thought Priest did a fantastic job with the history of the city and building up to the actual beginning of the plotline. The zombie concept was well integrated into both stories. On the other hand, the main characters were sort of detached for me, and I never really cared about what happened to them. Zeke was incredibly annoying and reminded me of a much less capable and slightly more whiny Marcus. The side characters were actually more interesting and likeable characters (e.g., Lucy, Cly, Jeremiah, Angeline).I enjoyed Dreadnought more than Boneshaker, I think because the world building was equally good, but Mercy, although still a trope, was a much more likeable protagonist.

That said, I was pleasantly surprised by the steampunk genre, but I probably won't seek out more steampunk books to read.

Z is for Zombie

As some of you may or may not know, I'm currently producing a zombie television show through the university. So needless to say, if I hear the word "zombie" one more time, I might scream. I was a little apprehensive in reading these, because, as Ashley said, I was worried they would be ALL about zombies.

I was actually pleasantly surprised. The books are fun and campy, yes, and there are definitely zombies, but they differ enough from other works of pop culture that I don't want to tear my hair out. I think the "Blight" backstory was an interesting take on the zombie virus trope, and I was glad they weren't the main focus of the story.

How do you think the zombies in Priest's novels compare to zombies in other popular works?

Priest's Alternate History

Was anyone else fascinated by Priest's take on an extended Civil War?

A quick summary in case this looks like long boring history babble: I think that in Priest's alternate history the Confederacy won the battle of Gettysburg and thus won over British support.

Priest gives just enough details about how the conflict differs from the actual historical one to lead me to several conclusions as to how the Confederacy has survived as long as it has in her timeline. The two key bits of information I'm most drawn to are that: 1. Stonewall Jackson survived the battle of Chancellorsville (as mentioned in Boneshaker) and 2. The British are providing aid to the Confederacy (mentioned in both books I believe).
These two points are actually linked in my interpretation of Priest's history because of how they are linked in actual history. Stonewall Jackson was one of the Confederacy's best generals and often trusted with the most vital tasks in an engagement by General Lee. Jackson was accidentally killed by his own troops after scouting at the battle of Chancellorsville (an otherwise resounding victory for the South). The next summer the Army of Northern Virginia marched through Maryland and into Pennsylvania where the battle of Gettysburg was fought. On the second day of the battle, Lee ordered his troops to take an elevated position called 'Little Round-top' which would have given his artillery a clear line of fire along the entire Norther line. This attack, however, was repulsed by a last minute bayonet charge.
There have been numerous 'what if' scenarios stating that if Jackson had survived Chancellorsville and been at Gettysburg, he would have taken Little Round-top, thus allowing the Confederates to win the battle (or at the very least, not lose) The battle, however, ended in a Union victory and the South never launched an offensive of this scale again. Additionally, this battle contributed greatly to the British's decision to refrain from involving themselves in the war.
I suspect that (unless its mentioned otherwise and I'm oblivious) in Priest's history Gettysburg was a Confederate victory thus assuring the British that supporting the South would not be a waste of resources which in turn caused the war to drag on into the 1870s.

Boneshaker Question

Overall, I enjoyed the novel and thought it was one of the coolest settings I've read in a while and agree that it should be adapted into a movie. I did have one question though: the story hinted early on that living within the city walls is near suicidal (and even life in the outskirts is pretty illogical), yet no compelling reason is ever provided for why the residents stay. It's apparently not too difficult for humans to leave the city. Yet many citizens have spent a decade or more running for their lives from the zombies while being manipulated by a mad professor. I know the setting is an alternate history where the civil war rages on, but America is a big and open country in the late 19th century. People set out for the plains and southwest on a regular basis. Yet cleaning contaminated water all day or relying on filter masks to step outside is the best existence these people can imagine? Maybe it's just their desire to cling to their homeland and that they're too stubborn to leave. Can anyone else see this more clearly? I might have skipped over it, but it did get me thinking for a while. See everyone in class!