A life time fan and Prisonerologist of the 1960's series 'the Prisoner', a leading authority on the subject, a short story writer, and now Prisoner novelist.
Monday, 24 February 2014
Caught On Camera!
As you can see the General Store does sell postcards, and postcards of the Village, well of where else?
This enlargement is a bit on the blurred side, but isn't that the Bell Tower in the top postcard? I'm not sure about the one below it.
So when in your blog on Thursday 23 January 2014 in 'Postcard From The Village' you were pretending to be a woman, No. 8, writing to someone OUTSIDE the Village, as anyone in the Village would already know all the items you mention, human chess, flavour of the day, etcetera, my month-old question remains: within your fictional scenario to whom is the postcard sent and how?
Somehow I like this question. First I thought it was difficult to answer, but with a little bit of imagination.. why not?
First, I can see no reason why the card HAS to be meant for someone in the outside world. What if she wrote it to another prisoner to convince him that the village wasn't as bad as he was pretending. And that he would be fine if he gave in and noticed the beauty.
But if you really insist that it has to be the outside world (IF there is one), here are some scenarios I could imagine:
Scenario one: Maybe poor Number 8 was new when she wrote this. New and naive and a little bit too optimistic, I guess.. But why not let her dream? If she wants to write cards and if she wants to imagine that they are even sent to the outside world.. Sometimes they need to pretend, you know!
Scenario Two: What if No8 was someonewho already defected and really was brought there for a short holiday (and maybe a renewal of her brainwash or the like). Then she might have written to another defector or insider out there. Why not? I guess there have to be people who know about the village and help organizing and managing it from the outside world. Maybe even without ever having been there.
Scenario Three: She might be the daughter of a high politician who has to be convinced by all means that the Village is worth to be sustained.
Scenario Four: It would also work if you took it for sarcasm. Or as an act of jamming, in a way.
Ha, I'm sure they did not stump him. But why take away the fun to ask yourself? And, what about you, did you have any answers? If so, why didn't you suggest them?
I would NEVER have presumed to have cooked up that clumsy postcard in the first place.
I'm with Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, creators of the Liaden universe, when it comes to fan fiction:
"I don’t want “other people interpreting” our characters. Interpreting our characters is what Steve and I do; it’s our job. Nobody else is going to get it right. This may sound rude and elitist, but honestly, it’s not easy for us to get it right sometimes, and we’ve been living with these characters. . .for a very long time... We built our universes, and our characters; they are our intellectual property; and they are not toys lying about some virtual sandbox for other kids to pick up and modify at their whim. Steve and I do not sanction fanfic written in our universes; any such work that exists, exists without our permission, and certainly without our support." - Sharon Lee, Writer (2013-10-26).
If you don't like it, then why do you bother, ask and even repeat the question as if it was of any importance of you? Additionally, mind you, every possible answer is a piece of fan fiction, too. And since it is fiction, there is always more than one possible answer.
Personally I like fan fiction very much. It's one way to appreciate the thing you like, in a creative and individual way. That's what is important to me. Creativity, individuality, and to use our own minds. Wouldn't want to convince Sharon Lee, it's up to her if she doesn't like it. But I do.
So when in your blog on Thursday 23 January 2014 in 'Postcard From The Village' you were pretending to be a woman, No. 8, writing to someone OUTSIDE the Village, as anyone in the Village would already know all the items you mention, human chess, flavour of the day, etcetera, my month-old question remains: within your fictional scenario to whom is the postcard sent and how?
ReplyDeleteSomehow I like this question. First I thought it was difficult to answer, but with a little bit of imagination.. why not?
ReplyDeleteFirst, I can see no reason why the card HAS to be meant for someone in the outside world. What if she wrote it to another prisoner to convince him that the village wasn't as bad as he was pretending. And that he would be fine if he gave in and noticed the beauty.
But if you really insist that it has to be the outside world (IF there is one), here are some scenarios I could imagine:
Scenario one: Maybe poor Number 8 was new when she wrote this. New and naive and a little bit too optimistic, I guess.. But why not let her dream? If she wants to write cards and if she wants to imagine that they are even sent to the outside world.. Sometimes they need to pretend, you know!
Scenario Two: What if No8 was someonewho already defected and really was brought there for a short holiday (and maybe a renewal of her brainwash or the like). Then she might have written to another defector or insider out there. Why not? I guess there have to be people who know about the village and help organizing and managing it from the outside world. Maybe even without ever having been there.
Scenario Three: She might be the daughter of a high politician who has to be convinced by all means that the Village is worth to be sustained.
Scenario Four: It would also work if you took it for sarcasm. Or as an act of jamming, in a way.
Thanks for the trip.
Jana
Thank you for making four very good attempts at answering a question that stimped, sorry, stumped David.
DeleteHa, I'm sure they did not stump him. But why take away the fun to ask yourself? And, what about you, did you have any answers? If so, why didn't you suggest them?
DeleteI would NEVER have presumed to have cooked up that clumsy postcard in the first place.
DeleteI'm with Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, creators of the Liaden universe, when it comes to fan fiction:
"I don’t want “other people interpreting” our characters. Interpreting our characters is what Steve and I do; it’s our job. Nobody else is going to get it right. This may sound rude and elitist, but honestly, it’s not easy for us to get it right sometimes, and we’ve been living with these characters. . .for a very long time... We built our universes, and our characters; they are our intellectual property; and they are not toys lying about some virtual sandbox for other kids to pick up and modify at their whim. Steve and I do not sanction fanfic written in our universes; any such work that exists, exists without our permission, and certainly without our support." - Sharon Lee, Writer (2013-10-26).
If you don't like it, then why do you bother, ask and even repeat the question as if it was of any importance of you?
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, mind you, every possible answer is a piece of fan fiction, too. And since it is fiction, there is always more than one possible answer.
Personally I like fan fiction very much. It's one way to appreciate the thing you like, in a creative and individual way. That's what is important to me. Creativity, individuality, and to use our own minds. Wouldn't want to convince Sharon Lee, it's up to her if she doesn't like it. But I do.