[ExI] memetic influences RE: Flagrant Self-Promotion #2: UNCLE BONES

[spike]

> > ...On Behalf Of Damien Broderick
> > Subject: Re: [ExI] Flagrant Self-Promotion #2: UNCLE BONES
> > 
> > At 06:09 PM 6/8/2009 -0700, Spike wrote:
> > 
> > >Excellent work, Dr. Broderick!
> > 
> > Thank you, sir! I like that story myself. :)
> > 
> > Damien Broderick
...
> 
> I hope we get enough readers here to get a good Magi 
> discussion going here, and if not here, create a focused 
> literature group to discuss cool stories like that.
> 
> spike


To carry that thought a little further, do ask yourself the question: Who
were the people who were most influential in your life, from a purely
memetic sense?  In some cases, it might be a parent, but those who hang out
here are all readers.  For that reason, all your most memetically
influential people might well be authors.  The younger the reader when one
devours an author's works, the more influential that writer is likely to be,
for we form notions much more readily in our misspent youth.

In my case, the most influential three would likely be AC Clarke, Isaac
Asimov and John Steinbeck, in that order.  Two of those authors lived well
into my misspent adulthood, but I had no access to them.  What would I have
given to have had that access, to be able to interact, to ask them directly
what they meant in this passage or that, and where did they get this idea or
that.

All of us here have access to our own Dr. Broderick, who would have been a
huge memetic influence on me, had I discovered his works in my misspent
youth.  The Spike was still a mind blower, even in my late 30s, at which
time my mind was difficult to blow.  By the time I read that, I already knew
Damien as one of the lads who hangs out on ExI-chat.

We are all missing a wildly rare opportunity to discuss literature and
interact directly with the author himself.  When else have you been in the
position to pal around with a big name author?  Ja, I thought not, same
here.  

I propose a subgroup to read a particular work, such as Uncle Bones, or if
that is too much, then a specific story, The Magi, then a couple weeks from
now, come back and let us get a rip roaring discussion going, and even if
you don't participate in that, The Magi is well worth your time.

spike