I don't understand where all this negativity to the human race comes from. The human race is a pretty stupid species, we always have been. What we can do and already have done however is unbelievable and amazing, all things considered. Humanity as a race is worth saving, because some part of us, despite pretensions, is fundamentally good.
Because we've ruined this beautiful planet; ruining its nature and killing entire species. A couple of weeks ago I was watching a program about some wildcat in Scandinavia which only had 34 of its species left. I felt so sad to see such a beautiful animal that close to extinction.
We are predators, designed by nature to kill other animals. Civilization is what is most unnatural to us. If we are to act like the dominant species on this planet then yes we should take care of our planet. But we are a young species facing a great challenge right now, and there are encouraging signs to show that we are at least learning the problems of our ignorance. Like I said, humanity is worth saving because of it's potential - what we need to do is accept our own problems and limitations, and stop being so proud of being 'mankind', instead accept the fact that we are all too human.
I'd definitely go for 'The Alchemist' by Paulo Coelho. Beautiful inspiring story of a kid who discovers the essence of life and the road to the life's horizon with a numinous wizard helping him out at places!
Not for me. But it does raise an interesting question: If there's something wrong about it, what is it, given that most of the quotidian objections to slaughter do not apply?? No person physically suffers. No person grieves. No person lives in fear of slaughter.
thanks for understanding my position somewhat, daydream... and to you, art, for getting the point that i wasn't planning on having any suffer... just a sorta 'POOF! All gone!' kinda thing...
But you don't have to try to change it in that tone of matter. Much too narrow and strong. It seems quite 1-sided which causes much problems among readers.
We should've known better than to think we could have a simple thread, with a simple concept, and expect people not to go off on negative tangents. Le sigh. If I could live out any novel, it'd probably be something like The Beach by Alex Garland. I've been curious for a long time about communal living, and the beach dynamics are really interesting and well developed. I'd have an amazing adventure, be culturally awakened, have wised up by the end and, ultimately, will have made it out alive and enriched by the experience. Safe and educational.
Jack Flower's, in Paul Theroux's or is it Therouxs' Saint Jack. He's a slippry character but I like the setting. Or anyone of his teacher roles in Singapore the 1970's.
Marguerite from "To Dance With Kings". I don't think I'd want to be the Queen or the Dauphine, knowing what's getting ready to happen to the monarchy in two generations, but being the mistress would be most awesome. The corsets, the petticoats, the fact that I wouldn't need to shave my legs to snag a man. I'm just going to forget that most people had head lice back then.
Haha, Maia, that more or less happens in my story. You can live there, if you want. On-topic: I wouldn't mind living in the world of Nobody's Boy, going around Europe as an adorable little orphan with a merry band of dogs. Yeah, life would totally poop on me 24/7, and everyone I come to love will probably die or end up in jail at some point, but I'd be an adorable little orphan who can just keep on trekkin'.
I'm surprised no one has picked this yet, so I'm calling dibs: The All-Powerful Alpha-Omega God of the Bible. I'd be so powerful I could change my own story to suit my own liking. I could even make myself be real if I didn't exist to begin with.
Hm, let me go write one I'd want to live... If I had to choose one that's been already written, though, I'd take... Xenocide and Children of the Mind (Card). I'm not sure which character I'd take, but I think it'd be Wang-mu. I know you're all going to start laughing, but I disagree with the following points: >The human race is a stupid species >We have ruined the planet >Civilization is unnatural In the first instance, we are not stupid. I don't see any other animal doing what we can do - posting in writing forums, for instance. We are an unbelievably intelligent species. We are not gods; we are people, and we have failings, but that doesn't make us stupid. Secondly, I don't believe the propaganda that we've ruined the planet. It's as bad as The Mysterious Benedict Society (an old favorite kids' book) in which the premise (extremely believable) is that a man creates in people's minds an artificial disaster that they believe only he can solve. This would eventually make him the leader of everyone. (Sound familiar anyone?) Finally, has it ever occurred to you that we are civilized because we were designed to be civilized? But personally, I don't believe that anything can really be said to be "unnatural" about humans. We have independent will. We can make ourselves things we weren't before. Or, if we don't have free will, I have been made to believe that we do, and I can't be blamed for my imposed belief. And in light of all that, I would never eradicate humanity unless it was an alternate reality and I could come back to my present circumstances with no consequences. In which case, that'd be really fun. I think. I know this is really off topic... guess I just wanted to make the point.
I'd be picking a spot in "The Seventh Tower" series. It's been years since I read those books, but I enjoyed them when I was a kid. The world itself is solid- light magic is based on concentration and mental ability, so if my tested IQ of 146 and straight A's through all of my school years are to be trusted, I would be incredibly powerful in that world. I wouldn't really care if I was the protagonist or not- he was a bit of an idiot who had everything handed to him by his capable allies and the lucky chance of getting stranded outside the castle. Anyone with a brain and an interest to go outside the big cloistered castle (as I would, given that I'm a history buff) to investigate the world could easily out perform him. I'd want to go there to explore the world and usher in a new golden age of technology/magic by re-uniting the Chosen and the Icecarls, and by breaking into the upper echelons of the castle towers to investigate all that ancient technology. So much hinted lore in that world, just waiting for a protagonist who isn't an idiot and leaders who aren't imprisoned by tradition and corruption to reclaim all that forgotten technology and power. . .
