Contrariwise, in one of *my* literature classes I came up with an alternative theory about that very same story, and both the professor as well as everyone in the class was electrified. No uncritical acceptance whatsoever about what other authorities had said about the story: any good, new idea was greeted with great…

"'Critical theories' are 'uncritical theories.' When some theory has the prefix 'critical' it requires the uncritical acceptance of a certain political perspective."

Yes, it definitely did. In spite of the "magic flowing water" moment near the ending of the first one, both miniseries really made a point of foregrounding the false and manipulative aspects of the messiah-story — which, after the Lynch version, I was very grateful to see. (That's part of why I was so taken aback by…

Oh yeah, that comes in a close second on my list.

Totally agree with all that. I quite like both Harrison adaptations, in spite of the facepalm moment I mentioned earlier.

Yes, but he couldn't literally cause rain to happen and water to flow *on the spot*. That's magic.

One doesn't really know where to begin with this one, but probably the most egregious change was the magic rain that falls at the end of the film. The *entire point* of the book was that Paul was not the mystical messiah the Fremen imagined him to be. The rainfall killed that point dead. (The only thing sillier was…

Article's great — but I am also seriously loving the accompanying artwork.

Agreed. Never had any problem with Adric whatsoever.

The sheer *velocity* of the attacks... makes me unhappy.

"Migration patterns of *European* human beings"

Like the slowly rising, unearthly siren sound at the end.

Presumably politics you disagree with, or you wouldn't have brought it up.

"I'd never heard of it before I started hanging out here" = NO ONE ELSE EVER HEARD OF IT OR LIKED IT EVER.
Three lists it's not on = PROOF THAT NO INFORMATION ATTESTING TO ITS INFLUENCE CAN BE FOUND ANYWHERE ELSE.

"I think he's attempting re-entry, sir!"

Yes, what *do* traditional writings about Zeus have to say about extraterrestrial life?

Looks good!

On Wings of Song is similar to another Disch novel, 334. Both are near-future dystopias in which America hasn't so much fallen under the sway of some gigantic totalitarian regime or otherwise diabolical power, but rather has slowly declined into a state of general economic stagnation and social degradation. These…

Well, considering I was talking to neilcassidy when I mentioned sockpuppeting, and not you, and yet you seem to be replying to my post to him... well, what's a guy to think?
"Utter lack of good faith..." Yeah yeah, you can say any dumb old thing you want.
"The Conglomerate" is interesting. Particularly interesting were…

"Only" one? How many are acceptable? Two? You're inventing goalposts and then running around the field with them.