Marching Morons

I read Marching Morons by C.M. Kornbluth (a novella) early this year and thought it was pretty good.  It must have been an inspiration for the movie Idiocracy, which was pretty funny, but in that "oh, God, that's just too close to real" way.

Basic premise is that the smart folks become outnumbered and have to prop up and allow the world to function from the shadows while fewer and fewer maintain a level of intellect to keep things functional.  There are times when the world can seem like that, and especially so if you follow politics.

I am trying to illustrate something along those line in my writing project because it has been often on my mind after reading The Marching Morons.  I suppose I cannot eliminate having seen how things function "under the hood" (so to speak) as a possible cause for my recent contemplation.

It seems that many flash-point topics turn people into raving lunatics.  Gun control is the current manic-causing drug of choice among the populace.  It is a rotation.  Abortion, marriage, religion and all the other flash-point topics will come up again when it is their turn.  It all just keeps happening.

Battlestar Gallactica hammered the point home again and again: This has all happened before and it will all happen again.  Which begs the question... Are we getting dumber or have we always been pretty stupid and it just always looks like its getting worse?  I'm not sure one is better than the other.

So, has this all just happened before?  (Lame excuse for a cool BSG trailer)

Infinite Jest

Out of the blue, I started Infinite Jest, by David Foster Wallace.  This might be an insane decision on my part considering that I just finished The Pale King, but I am at a place right now that makes this book particularly appealing.  It just feels necessary that I read this particular book right now.

Why?  Now that is a good question.

Well, I've hit a point where dealing with certain serious matters has taken a jest-filled turn.  I have endeavored to swim up stream of late by taking a jester's view of a stuffy world.  From political debates, negotiations, and the everyday logical flaws that speckle this world like stars in the sky, everything just looks clown-shoes ridiculous to me.

Infinite Jest addresses our entertainment-based society in a silly way.  I recognize that I will enjoy such a topic now more than most any other time.  I started it last night and am hooked.  I would never have thought it possible for me to read two entire DFW books in a row, especially two as long as these two, without losing my entire mind.  It may happen yet (losing my mind, that is).

I may be a glutton for punishment, and it may take me a really long time and several breaks to finish this book, but it is apparently a masterpiece and I want in on that at the moment.

Happy reading all.

Prelude No More

Well... it has been more than five years and I am finally ready to drop the Prelude and get on with the book.

I have really enjoyed working on this blog, and I will keep it going the best I can.  I do not have many page views, but that was never my goal.  I enjoy thinking out loud and working through topics in writing.  I have even found myself forwarding older posts when a topic of conversation veers toward something I have written about.

I am pretty sure forwarding links to my thoughts has come across as rather vain.  But, it has been a pleasure to write my thoughts on this forum.  I am constructing my book from a story I wrote in 2010 and I have started a new blog page to flush it out.  If you receive an e-mail invitation, you will get to see it.  It is nowhere near done and will not likely be done anytime soon.  However, it will become my writing focus for the foreseeable future.

For me, this is a bucket-list item.  Probably my top bucket-list item at that.  I want to write a book.  I do not care if I publish it or not, but I must finish it.  It has become important to me.

At some point, I may publish my short story (the one that I base the book upon) on this site.  I will try to occasionally post updates here, but my focus will be on Schaden Street (which will make sense if you read the finished product).

I just think it is time to get this going.  I titled this site preludetoabook because I always knew the ultimate goal.  I am finally ready to tackle that goal and have started.  I have my chapters mapped and have started filling in the large gaps left by my story.  I am ready to do this, and I will.  I will read less and write more.  This will hurt my production level on this blog, but I am fine with that.

This is what I want to do, so I am going to do it.