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znnys's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I've seen the film before, so I knew the plot going into it. I think this was kind of a benefit for me, honestly, because I was able to read beyond the shock value and digest the story between the lines.
It feels very reminiscent of A Clockwork Orange, in the very matter-of-fact, conversational tone in which Vic recounts his atrocities. However, once the shock value settles, I don't really see him as malicious as Alex DeLarge is. Not intentionally malicious, that is. This brutality is all Vic really knows. It's like, he's raised in this environment where he's entirely driven by his id. He has no human connections, no goals, no dreams, no moral compass. All he wants is food and sex, because that's all that's been presented to him as valuable. Blood has the intelligence to try and teach Vic things like history, but he's still a dog, and dogs are famously loyal. He can't really act as any kind of moral guide, but he is, nonetheless, the one constant in Vic's life.
It was interesting to me how the idyllic "downunder" residents were referred to as "middle classers." It gave me the impression that the people who escaped to these underground facilities had a considerable amount of privilege compared to the people left on the surface. The way that Topeka is meant to resemble an early 20th century community was similarly interesting, as it's explicitly meant to be "before the First World War." It was a bit reminiscent of Fallout, which obviously took some inspiration from this story, though rather than the 50s, we have something before the concept of world wars even came into public consciousness.
I don't really have the inclination to applaud Ellison as a feminist, but I do think he's making some points here about sexual dynamics beyond what a lot of readers seem to just interpret as misogynist brutality. Vic bemoans the lack of women on the surface, and Topeka bemoans their lack of men. Both view sex as a scarce commodity, one that's been depleted by the war - Vic desires sex to satisfy his base desires, and Topeka desires sex to propagate their population. This is a world of selfish people, where everyone has ulterior motives. Consider how quickly Quilla June turns on her community, consenting to Vic killing her father, taking pot shots at the crowd, aiming to gun down her own mother. There are some subtle implications that Topeka is much darker than it presents itself as (Lew's rotted teeth felt metaphorical, and I think it's implied Quilla June's father might have molested her, or at least wanted to molest her). Topeka is like a fun-house mirror reflection of the more viscerally brutal surface world.
Vic is confronted by a community that presents itself as, on the surface, much more wholesome than what he came from, but ultimately they still intend to use him. The end returns us to Blood, Vic's one single constant, and he ultimately prioritizes this affection for Blood over his base desire for Quilla June. Even though he kills her and feeds her to his dog, in a strange and twisted sort of way, this ending feels almost like a very very small triumph of empathy. He didn't love Quilla June. He wanted her for sex. He did love the dog. In this ending, he chose the loving connection he has over his own selfish desires.
It feels very reminiscent of A Clockwork Orange, in the very matter-of-fact, conversational tone in which Vic recounts his atrocities. However, once the shock value settles, I don't really see him as malicious as Alex DeLarge is. Not intentionally malicious, that is. This brutality is all Vic really knows. It's like, he's raised in this environment where he's entirely driven by his id. He has no human connections, no goals, no dreams, no moral compass. All he wants is food and sex, because that's all that's been presented to him as valuable. Blood has the intelligence to try and teach Vic things like history, but he's still a dog, and dogs are famously loyal. He can't really act as any kind of moral guide, but he is, nonetheless, the one constant in Vic's life.
It was interesting to me how the idyllic "downunder" residents were referred to as "middle classers." It gave me the impression that the people who escaped to these underground facilities had a considerable amount of privilege compared to the people left on the surface. The way that Topeka is meant to resemble an early 20th century community was similarly interesting, as it's explicitly meant to be "before the First World War." It was a bit reminiscent of Fallout, which obviously took some inspiration from this story, though rather than the 50s, we have something before the concept of world wars even came into public consciousness.
I don't really have the inclination to applaud Ellison as a feminist, but I do think he's making some points here about sexual dynamics beyond what a lot of readers seem to just interpret as misogynist brutality. Vic bemoans the lack of women on the surface, and Topeka bemoans their lack of men. Both view sex as a scarce commodity, one that's been depleted by the war - Vic desires sex to satisfy his base desires, and Topeka desires sex to propagate their population. This is a world of selfish people, where everyone has ulterior motives. Consider how quickly Quilla June turns on her community, consenting to Vic killing her father, taking pot shots at the crowd, aiming to gun down her own mother. There are some subtle implications that Topeka is much darker than it presents itself as (Lew's rotted teeth felt metaphorical, and I think it's implied Quilla June's father might have molested her, or at least wanted to molest her). Topeka is like a fun-house mirror reflection of the more viscerally brutal surface world.
Vic is confronted by a community that presents itself as, on the surface, much more wholesome than what he came from, but ultimately they still intend to use him. The end returns us to Blood, Vic's one single constant, and he ultimately prioritizes this affection for Blood over his base desire for Quilla June. Even though he kills her and feeds her to his dog, in a strange and twisted sort of way, this ending feels almost like a very very small triumph of empathy. He didn't love Quilla June. He wanted her for sex. He did love the dog. In this ending, he chose the loving connection he has over his own selfish desires.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Rape, and Cannibalism
lesa_reads's review
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Brutality, teen angst and black humor so basically this short story is Mad Max meets Holden Caulfield. Offensive and not for the fainthearted. (so I read it twice)
Book geeking:
1. That last line though. Terrific ending! As a short story devotee, I must say: Well done, Mr. Ellison. 👏👏👏 (pun always intended)
2. Albert! I get the joke. As a kid, I read Lad: A Dog.
3. The vibe reminds me of Leiber's Night of the Long Knives.
4. I reckon that the science in this book may have inspired Brin's Uplift books and Koontz' Watchers.
Book geeking:
1. That last line though. Terrific ending! As a short story devotee, I must say: Well done, Mr. Ellison. 👏👏👏 (pun always intended)
2. Albert! I get the joke. As a kid, I read Lad: A Dog.
3. The vibe reminds me of Leiber's Night of the Long Knives.
4. I reckon that the science in this book may have inspired Brin's Uplift books and Koontz' Watchers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Murder, Violence, and Cursing
Moderate: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, and Racism
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