tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257559067333970126.post8728831738276662058..comments2024-03-28T19:49:24.277-07:00Comments on Strange at Ecbatan: A Forgotten SF Anthology: New Dreams This Morning, edited by James BlishRich Hortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07659613066689174738noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257559067333970126.post-8032890588346999692017-09-29T10:03:57.478-07:002017-09-29T10:03:57.478-07:00Recall also the story its title harkens back to......Recall also the story its title harkens back to..."The Country of the Blind."Todd Masonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18104399586348314594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257559067333970126.post-48534236770111487542017-09-29T10:03:22.263-07:002017-09-29T10:03:22.263-07:00Part of what's so powerful about "The Cou...Part of what's so powerful about "The Country of the Kind" is that it's about creativity (and too often the behavior of creative people) as aberrant, and thus the protagonist is monstrous, but so, too, is the society he finds himself in, even in its Kindness. Creativity isn't just the province of those who are disturbed or viciously transgressive, but too often the capacities are seen together in artists of various sorts...to a certain degree, non-conformity is likely to be at least seen as bad behavior. And creativity does at least demand a certain degree of nonconformity. I've never bought into the notion of the Must Be Indulged/Forgiven Artistic Temperament, not least due those who've been great artists and not asses or worse, but the tendencies can run parallel. And, sadly, the protagonist has a point...even if he can't use it on people (or, we hope, pets and other animals).Todd Masonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18104399586348314594noreply@blogger.com