Sunday, October 20, 2013
Old Paint
"Old Paint" is definitely one of the most touching stories we've read this semester. I liked the way it portrays the bond between family members, warts and all, although sometimes it almost seemed like a Hallmark movie waiting to happen (although those are good too, just somewhat cheesy). One of the most interesting aspects of the story is that while the theme is fairly universal, it would not have worked in any other genre besides science fiction. The sentient car in "Old Paint," which causes all the other revelations about relationships, forms a major part of the plot and removing it would result in a completely different story. What did you guys think of "Old Paint"? Can you think of any other story from the anthology that must be science-fiction in order to work?
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Honestly, I didn't think that it had to be science fiction. Don't get me wrong, I thought that it is a fairly limited story, but the whole time I was reading I couldn't help but relate it to elephant poaching and how this story could have taken place in a nondescript Indian setting, if some of the details were tweaked.
ReplyDeleteWhere Old Paint reminded you of an elephant, it reminded me of a horse. I think the story would have worked just as well if it took place in a society that still used large animals for labor and travel and the car was just replaced by one of those. You'd still get the same relationship that the family has with Old Paint where it's sentimental and still functional. Plus there's the feeling that Old Paint is kind of a wild animal after the nanos infect it.
ReplyDeleteExactly. I feel like it would be kind of an esoteric plot device, but there are other scenarios where it could work.
ReplyDeleteI agree in the sense that the car represented the history and relationship of family members and could also be replaced with a horse or elephant, for example, in terms of a different society. But because it is a car and therefore a part of technology, it helps this story fit into the science fiction genre in regards to the typical technological theme.
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