Discussion:
(ReacTor) SFF Works About Creating, Revising, & Obfuscating History
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James Nicoll
2024-09-24 14:07:20 UTC
Permalink
Five SFF Works About Creating, Revising, and Obfuscating History

Each of these works explores attempts at controlling the past, and
rewriting history...

https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-about-creating-revising-and-obfuscating-history/
--
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My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll
Michael F. Stemper
2024-09-24 15:44:19 UTC
Permalink
Post by James Nicoll
Five SFF Works About Creating, Revising, and Obfuscating History
Each of these works explores attempts at controlling the past, and
rewriting history...
https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-about-creating-revising-and-obfuscating-history/
"We have always been at war with Eastasia."

Just sayin'.
--
Michael F. Stemper
This email is to be read by its intended recipient only. Any other party
reading is required by the EULA to send me $500.00.
Cryptoengineer
2024-09-24 16:20:11 UTC
Permalink
Post by Michael F. Stemper
Post by James Nicoll
Five SFF Works About Creating, Revising, and Obfuscating History
Each of these works explores attempts at controlling the past, and
rewriting history...
https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-about-creating-revising-and-
obfuscating-history/
"We have always been at war with Eastasia."
Yeah, that's the obvious missing example.

There's a lot of conspiracy theories involving 'hidden history', with
a ton of variants, including several centuries of medieval history being
faked, 'mud floods', 'Tartarians' ruling the world via Beaux-Arts
architecture (which is actually ancient). The insanity is remarkable.

pt
Tony Nance
2024-09-24 21:11:18 UTC
Permalink
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Michael F. Stemper
Post by James Nicoll
Five SFF Works About Creating, Revising, and Obfuscating History
Each of these works explores attempts at controlling the past, and
rewriting history...
https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-about-creating-revising-and-
obfuscating-history/
"We have always been at war with Eastasia."
Yeah, that's the obvious missing example.
Only sort of missing - the first sentence quote[1] in the article comes
from 1984.

Tony
[1] "who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present
controls the past"
Post by Cryptoengineer
There's a lot of conspiracy theories involving 'hidden history', with
a ton of variants, including several centuries of medieval history being
faked, 'mud floods', 'Tartarians' ruling the world via Beaux-Arts
architecture (which is actually ancient). The insanity is remarkable.
pt
The Horny Goat
2024-09-25 05:55:42 UTC
Permalink
Post by Tony Nance
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Michael F. Stemper
Post by James Nicoll
Five SFF Works About Creating, Revising, and Obfuscating History
Each of these works explores attempts at controlling the past, and
rewriting history...
https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-about-creating-revising-and-
obfuscating-history/
"We have always been at war with Eastasia."
Yeah, that's the obvious missing example.
Only sort of missing - the first sentence quote[1] in the article comes
from 1984.
Tony
[1] "who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present
controls the past"
Anybody here NOT know that?

(Hint: I first read Nineteen Eighty-Four in high schoo which I suspect
is before some of the younger people reading this were born. Let's
just say I was young enough to consider some of Winston's + Julia's
encounters "hot")
Tony Nance
2024-09-26 21:49:03 UTC
Permalink
Post by The Horny Goat
Post by Tony Nance
Post by Cryptoengineer
Post by Michael F. Stemper
Post by James Nicoll
Five SFF Works About Creating, Revising, and Obfuscating History
Each of these works explores attempts at controlling the past, and
rewriting history...
https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-about-creating-revising-and-
obfuscating-history/
"We have always been at war with Eastasia."
Yeah, that's the obvious missing example.
Only sort of missing - the first sentence quote[1] in the article comes
from 1984.
Tony
[1] "who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present
controls the past"
Anybody here NOT know that?
Actually, I only strongly suspected it, and had to look it up to confirm.

Sometimes when James doesn't spend one of his slots on an obvious
choice, he'll (sometimes obliquely) mention the obvious one. Seeing that
quote in his first sentence made me think "I bet that's from the obvious
choice that isn't listed below."

If I saw that quote without any context, I would have thought "that's
familiar-sounding, but is it a pastiche/homage/derivation, or is it from
a well-known original?"
Post by The Horny Goat
(Hint: I first read Nineteen Eighty-Four in high schoo which I suspect
is before some of the younger people reading this were born. Let's
just say I was young enough to consider some of Winston's + Julia's
encounters "hot")
The one-and-only time I read it was also in high school. I'll never
re-read it, but it gets referenced so often that I'm positive my
knowledge and understanding of it has grown and will continue to do so.

Tony
The Horny Goat
2024-09-30 07:05:35 UTC
Permalink
Post by Tony Nance
Post by The Horny Goat
(Hint: I first read Nineteen Eighty-Four in high schoo which I suspect
is before some of the younger people reading this were born. Let's
just say I was young enough to consider some of Winston's + Julia's
encounters "hot")
The one-and-only time I read it was also in high school. I'll never
re-read it, but it gets referenced so often that I'm positive my
knowledge and understanding of it has grown and will continue to do so.
I've read Nineteen Eighty-Four 2 or 3 times since high school (though
to be fair we had our 50th anniversary reunion last year so it has
been awhile) though finally read Homage to Catalonia (Orwell's Spanish
Civil War memoirs) within the last year.

(If you're remotely interested in the Spanish Civil War don't miss it
- my senior high math teacher was an ex-International Brigader who was
discharged from the IBs in Feb 1939 and he did odd jobs and played
tourist around Britain and France and was intending to stay another
year before returning to Canada but when Britain declared war on
Germany in Sept 1939, made his way to the Canadian consulate in London
to present his papers and volunteer for active service. They assigned
him to the British army as a rifle drill instructor until 1942 at
which point there were enough Canadian troops in Britain that he was
transferred back to the Canadian forces. Then served till 1945 and
became first an engineer then a high school teacher on the Canadian
version of the GI bill. Helluva math teacher and I owe him a ton. And
recommended Homage to Catalonia to me back then but I didn't get
around to finally reading it last year)
William Hyde
2024-09-30 19:36:02 UTC
Permalink
Post by The Horny Goat
Post by Tony Nance
Post by The Horny Goat
(Hint: I first read Nineteen Eighty-Four in high schoo which I suspect
is before some of the younger people reading this were born. Let's
just say I was young enough to consider some of Winston's + Julia's
encounters "hot")
The one-and-only time I read it was also in high school. I'll never
re-read it, but it gets referenced so often that I'm positive my
knowledge and understanding of it has grown and will continue to do so.
I've read Nineteen Eighty-Four 2 or 3 times since high school (though
to be fair we had our 50th anniversary reunion last year so it has
been awhile) though finally read Homage to Catalonia (Orwell's Spanish
Civil War memoirs) within the last year.
(If you're remotely interested in the Spanish Civil War don't miss it
Seconded. One of the few books I've read, then immediately read again.

But I'd say it has a far broader interest than only those interested in
the Spanish civil war.
Post by The Horny Goat
- my senior high math teacher was an ex-International Brigader who was
discharged from the IBs in Feb 1939 and he did odd jobs and played
tourist around Britain and France and was intending to stay another
year before returning to Canada but when Britain declared war on
Germany in Sept 1939, made his way to the Canadian consulate in London
to present his papers and volunteer for active service. They assigned
him to the British army as a rifle drill instructor until 1942 at
which point there were enough Canadian troops in Britain that he was
transferred back to the Canadian forces. Then served till 1945 and
became first an engineer then a high school teacher on the Canadian
version of the GI bill. Helluva math teacher and I owe him a ton. And
recommended Homage to Catalonia to me back then but I didn't get
around to finally reading it last year)
Fascinating.

I heard that one of the older chess players in Toronto was IB, but by
the time I began playing in tournaments he was gone.


William Hyde
The Horny Goat
2024-10-01 02:32:10 UTC
Permalink
On Mon, 30 Sep 2024 15:36:02 -0400, William Hyde
Post by William Hyde
Post by The Horny Goat
- my senior high math teacher was an ex-International Brigader who was
discharged from the IBs in Feb 1939 and he did odd jobs and played
tourist around Britain and France and was intending to stay another
year before returning to Canada but when Britain declared war on
Germany in Sept 1939, made his way to the Canadian consulate in London
to present his papers and volunteer for active service. They assigned
him to the British army as a rifle drill instructor until 1942 at
which point there were enough Canadian troops in Britain that he was
transferred back to the Canadian forces. Then served till 1945 and
became first an engineer then a high school teacher on the Canadian
version of the GI bill. Helluva math teacher and I owe him a ton. And
recommended Homage to Catalonia to me back then but I didn't get
around to finally reading it last year)
Fascinating.
I heard that one of the older chess players in Toronto was IB, but by
the time I began playing in tournaments he was gone.
Wouldn't surprise me though my teacher was the only person I knew
personally who was an International Brigader.

And as an officer of the Chess Federation of Canada
(https://www.chess.ca/en/cfc/personnel/ - you'll quickly figure out
which is me) I confess I know just a few chess players. <grin>

But seriously, my teacher gave an extremely good pre-calculus
preparation in every way - though the fact I did my undergraduate in
math should demonstrate he made quite an impression on me.

Christian Weisgerber
2024-09-24 17:37:36 UTC
Permalink
Post by Michael F. Stemper
Post by James Nicoll
Five SFF Works About Creating, Revising, and Obfuscating History
Each of these works explores attempts at controlling the past, and
rewriting history...
https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-about-creating-revising-and-obfuscating-history/
"We have always been at war with Eastasia."
"A cockroach in the concrete, courthouse tan and beady eyes
A slouch with fallen arches, purging truths into great lies
A little man with a big eraser, changing history
Procedures that he's programmed to, all he hears and sees
Altering the facts and figures, events and every issue
Make a person disappear, and no one will ever miss you
..."
--Megadeth, "Hook in Mouth"
--
Christian "naddy" Weisgerber ***@mips.inka.de
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