SH Comments
Reged: Feb 16 2004
Posts: 1056
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This thread is for comments about Moons Like Great White Whales, by Charles Coleman Finlay.
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Very nice, Mr. Finlay. I look forward to reading your novel. Your last Excerpt in F&SF was a cruel tease.
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Thank you very much, Anonymous. May I take this occasion to confess that I am, likewise, a great admirer of your work, particularly your poetry. "This World's Joy" is a delightful poem:
Nou hit is, and nou hit nys,
Al so hit ner nere, ywys;
That moni mon seith, soth hit ys:
Now that's some rhyming for you!
I hope you enjoy the novel. I am proofreading the galleys this week, which makes it feel like a very near thing to publication.
Regards,
Charlie
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Charles Coleman Finlay
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MorningStar
New user
Reged: Mar 01 2005
Posts: 18
Loc: South Carolina, USA
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Beautiful story; I thought the imagery was especially evocative.
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garwall
New user
Reged: Mar 02 2005
Posts: 1
Loc: Greensboro, NC
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As I read the story I was at first annoyed when I realized how the author was relating it to Hills Like White Elephants by Hemmingway. But after I had read it I did enjoy the story and found it to be an interesting response to the original story especially since it almost an inverse of Hemmingway's story. An interesting piece, I'm interested to read more by Mr. Finlay.
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ccfinlay
Unregistered
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Thanks, MorningStar.
garwall, I'm glad that you recognized the inspiration, and even gladder that I was able to change your mind about the story by the end. I have three other stories currently online, which you can reach from http://www.ccfinlay.com, and I also have a novella available at Fictionwise.com.
Charlie
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Charles Coleman Finlay
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Hel
Regular reader
Reged: Dec 09 2004
Posts: 41
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Wow...
I'll admit that I was thrown off a bit with the exposition involving Mars, terraforming, etc but when the story got back to just the two of them... the imagery and dialogue were just spectacular. And the last line was just killer, I'll probably still be thinking about it later today. Glad to appear in the same issue with you Mr. Finlay!
~Hel
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PickyBastard
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Reged: Jul 18 2004
Posts: 21
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Ehhh, the visuals were pretty, and the prose was smooth, but the story left me feeling ultimately unimpressed. This could have been a conversation they (or anyone else) had on any of the seven worlds. Why now? Why this one? Why them?
I'd much prefer to see these characters in this setting (I mean, you've got some cool ideas floating together) actually doing something other than bickering. But as is, what's the point to this story even being Speculative? Just to have some oohs and ahhhs?
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Christopher Barzak
New user
Reged: Mar 15 2004
Posts: 21
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"This could have been a conversation they (or anyone else) had on any of the seven worlds. Why now? Why this one? Why them?"
Over the years I've realized the question "Why?" is a really easy one to ask. I much prefer "Why not?"
Why not them? Why not this world? Why not now?
Asking why is sort of like asking why are you here in this world, living this life, right now? I mean, that's great stuff to think about and all, but it can stop you from actually living life if you constantly question it. At some point you just have to live it, and at some point you just have to write a story about whatever pleases you.
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PickyBastard
New user
Reged: Jul 18 2004
Posts: 21
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Chris,
I guess I expect more out of my fiction than I do out of life. Besides, I've never been one to prevent people from writing what they want. As soon as I get to read it, though, I question up and down. There is a validity to asking 'why.' It ties directly into importance and interest.
p.s. I look forward to reading "Language of Moths" in RoF this month!
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