August 2009
“Extreme Possibilities”: Mapping “the sea of time and space” in J.G. Ballard’s Pacific fictions
Sun, 08/23/2009 - 11:44 — AnonymousABOVE: The Terminal Beach. Photo courtesy Brookings: “Beneath this concrete dome on Runit Island (part of Enewetak Atoll), built between 1977 and 1980 at a cost of about $239 million, lie 111,000 cubic yards (84,927 cubic meters) or radioactive soil and debris from Bikini and Rongelap atolls. The dome covers the 30-foot (9 meter) deep, 350-foot (107 meter) wide crated created by the May 5, 1958, Cactus test. Note the people atop the dome”.
This essay was first published in Colloquy no. 17, August 2009, pp. 44-61. Reprinted with permission.
One of the more enduring misconceptions surrounding the work of J.G. Ballard is that it operates in the classical dystopian narrative mode, [1] supposedly mining pessimism, repression and the negativity of a post-industrial age. Robert Collins’s commentary is typical, placing Ballard’s Crash (1973) at number three in a list of “the ...
“Extreme Possibilities”: Mapping “the sea of time and space” in J.G. Ballard’s Pacific fictions
Sun, 08/23/2009 - 11:44 — AnonymousABOVE: The Terminal Beach. Photo courtesy Brookings: “Beneath this concrete dome on Runit Island (part of Enewetak Atoll), built between 1977 and 1980 at a cost of about $239 million, lie 111,000 cubic yards (84,927 cubic meters) or radioactive soil and debris from Bikini and Rongelap atolls. The dome covers the 30-foot (9 meter) deep, 350-foot (107 meter) wide crated created by the May 5, 1958, Cactus test. Note the people atop the dome”.
This essay was first published in Colloquy no. 17, August 2009, pp. 44-61. Reprinted with permission.
One of the more enduring misconceptions surrounding the work of J.G. Ballard is that it operates in the classical dystopian narrative mode, [1] supposedly mining pessimism, repression and the negativity of a post-industrial age. Robert Collins’s commentary is typical, placing Ballard’s Crash (1973) at number three in a list of “the...
A Monster's Notes
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 19:22 — AnonymousAnother reworking of a classic, A Monster's Notes is a lyrical take on the story of Frankenstein, told through a series of letters from the monster himself to his creator, Dr. Frankenstein. I love how delicate and beautiful the cover is, possibly making a statement about the humanity that the author injects into the seemingly mindless monster.
...The Quick and the Dead
Thu, 08/06/2009 - 18:47 — AnonymousThis is one of those "I wish I did that" moments. The hourglass that covers the cover and envelopes the title also reads seamlessly as an ampersand. Beautiful, subtle, and strong execution seems to be the MO of the Walker Art Center design team. Check out more of Chad's work here.
...Hater
Sat, 08/01/2009 - 20:54 — AnonymousDavid Moody is a force. He originally self published this novel, determined to get it out. Later, the book was picked up not only by a publisher, but also by Guillermo Del Toro, the director of the Hellboy movies and the forth coming The Hobbit.
The story follows a blue collar working man trying to protect his family amidst a breakout of a mysterious violent impulse. Those that catch the condition are dubbed 'haters' and wander the streets preforming random acts of violence against anyone and everyone. It's somewhere between the apocalyptic zombie rage thriller 28 days later and the amoral vigilantism of Javier Bardem's character in No Country for Old Men.
In the same do-it-all-yourself attitude that got this book into mass-distribution, David Moody went ahead and designed the cover himself as well. The splattered blood typography is expected, but the perfect execution is not, es...