We're back for our post-read discussion of Waste Tide by Stanley Chan / Chen Qiufan! (https://amzn.to/2njvSFr)
We had mixed but ultimately positive feelings about this book. It's been a great experience to read and talk about—rarely does a book present such a breadth of topics for us to cover. Matt read it in Chinese while Adrian read it in English, so we discuss the mechanics of the translation in depth, as well as how even small changes can have large effects on the over-all tone of the book.
However, it've also a book that deals with very dark subject matters, and handles some of those elements better than others. Heed our content warnings on this one. We discuss the problematic elements explored by the book in depth.
Some related works & links (if the links don't show up, they will be available in the show notes at spectology.com )
Non-fiction books about living in China:
* The Corpse Walker by Liao Yiwu (https://amzn.to/2o7yBSl)
* Factory Girls by Leslie T. Chang (https://amzn.to/2msDvci)
* China Candid, edited by Sang Ye (https://amzn.to/2myPgy4)
Three links about Guiyu, the real-life inspiration behind Silicon Isle.
* https://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/campaigns/toxics/problems/e-waste/guiyu/
* https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2112226/chinas-most-notorious-e-waste-dumping-ground-now-cleaner-poorer
* https://www.revealnews.org/article/looks-are-deceiving-in-chinese-town-that-was-us-e-waste-dumping-site/
Notice the date published & publisher for each of the above when reading, these are not without agenda.
Yaz Minsky on Cyberpunk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ8S1CV3JwA
Hedy Lamarr: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedy_Lamarr
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As always, we'd love to hear from you! Chat with us on twitter at @spectologypod, send us an email at spectologypod@gmail.com, or submit the episode to r/printSF on reddit. We'll reply, and shout you out in the next podcast when we talk about your comment.
And if you like the episode, subscribe at spectology.com or whever you listen to podcasts, and share it with your friends!
Many thanks to Dubby J and Noah Bradley for doing our music and art.
Things We Like October 2019: Video Games, LARPS, and Music
19.1: Zone One pre-read: Zombies, Horror, and LitFic
Critical Conversations: Ning Ken's Ultra Unreal, how to define a genre, and genre gatekeeping
18.1: Waste Tide pre-read: Chinese Language, Literary History, and Science Fiction
17.2: The Killing Moon post-read: Lucid Dreaming, Writing Compelling Villains, and Genre Blending
17.1: The Killing Moon pre-read: Worldbuilding techniques in SF & Fantasy
Critical Conversations: "Critics: Endgame" by Soraya Roberts & the purpose of criticism in a dying world
16.2: Empress of Forever post-read: Journey to the West, Redemption, and Buddhism in Science Fiction
Things We Like July 2019: Anime, Music, Poetry, and Cookbooks
16.1: Empress of Forever pre-read: Space Opera, Epics, & Journey to the West
15.3: Exhalation (collection) by Ted Chiang post-read: AI, Identity, & Metaphysics in Science Fiction
15.2: "Exhalation" post-read: Re-reading stories, philosophy of mind, & the heat death of the universe
15.1: Exhalation by Ted Chiang, pre-read: Philosophical thought experiments & short stories
14.2: The Raven Tower post-read w/ Reading the End: 2nd Person, Language Games, and Hamlet.
Things We Like May 2019 (feat. Reading the End): TV Shows, Art, and Fish
14.1: The Raven Tower pre-read w/ Reading the End: Fantasy, Genre, & Gender!
13.3 (fixed): Chris Beckett discusses his novel Dark Eden, writing for realism over role models, and how he thinks about genre.
13.2: Dark Eden post-read w/ Kevin Kelsey: From Stories to Legends to Myths to Religion.
13.1: Dark Eden pre-read w/ Kevin Kelsey: Linguistic drift, creating myths, and rogue planets.
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