If nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do. Because that's all there is.
(I don't usually post random quotes without much in the way of context around them, but this one in particular just came to mind and I figured it was worth sharing on Existence is Wonderful. It very much expresses why I feel such a sense of awe at the fact of existence and the potential it provides for finding our own sources of meaning. Which is something I highly recommend over waiting for meaning to fall into your lap and then feeling all shortchanged and nihilistic when it doesn't. :P)
10 comments:
Personally I prefer his work on Firefly. Ya see I've never been a fan of vampires.
I like Firefly (and Serenity) a lot as well. I actually saw "Firefly" first and then went back and watched "Buffy" and "Angel", and was not disappointed. I like vampire lore, though -- was addicted to Dark Shadows for a while as a youngster.
Also, vampires in fiction are interesting in the sense that they represent very long-lived characters, which means they offer an opportunity for writers/readers/viewers to speculate on what issues someone with a very long lifespan might deal with.
Sure, most vampires are "evil" in fiction, but there's also a "reluctant vampire" archetype (seen in Buffy, Angel, Dark Shadows, and some literary works) that often ends up invoking fascinating moral/philosophical questions.
For instance, much of "Angel" is concerned with the nature of redemption -- the main character is basically a former mass murderer, but one who has effectively undergone a "modification" that gives him a conscience.
Is he the same "person" as he was before, and if so, what is his responsibility with regard to his past actions? If not, how can he deal with the memories of having done terrible things? And if he accepts that there is no way to "atone" for the past, what is the motivation for doing good in the present, particularly since he's not going to die "of old age"? (I think that's a pretty simple answer -- that is, if you can help people, you should, because good is an end unto itself and not just a means to gain favor with the universe for your own sake, etc.)
Anyway, wow, sorry for babbling, but I just find that kind of thing fun to think about. And don't worry -- I'm not one of those people who thinks they ARE a vampire or anything (such people frankly scare me...), I just find the lore and archetype fascinating. Maybe all this stuff sounds cliche and obvious, but I've always had trouble with literary analysis and for some reason I find questions of "theme" and character motivation a lot more accessible when couched in science fiction/fantasy settings.
I wish someone would put Joss Whedon in charge of a new Star Trek series. It'll probably never happen, but one can dream, anyway.
And yeah, vampires are cool for many of the same reasons that cyborgs are cool. They can live forever, they can change others to be like themselves, and they exist outside the mainstream society while still interacting with it.
compared to cyborgs vampires are just lame. A vampire can't possibly exist because they would die from all manner of diseases.
Cyborgs on the other hand have their own problems (EG: an old cyborg dying from a simple head cold). But still cyborgs are superior.
Oh and Anne. Its fairly obvious you don't think your a vampire. Your capable of intelligent discussion, don't have a myspace full of pictures of yourself semi naked (however if you do please link us), you don't constantly bitch about being cooler than everyone else and finally you seem to like being alive.
So yeah its obvious your too intelligent to think your a fictional creature. Unlike one guy at the college I go to who is convinced he's a werewolf...
abfh said: I wish someone would put Joss Whedon in charge of a new Star Trek series.
OMG yes. Though in many respects, Firefly was sort of reminiscent of the original Trek series, what with all the "Wild West" emphasis. I'm jealous of whatever parallel universe ended up with multiple seasons of Firefly. :P
gash said: compared to cyborgs vampires are just lame.
What about pirates vs. ninjas?
Or...cavemen vs. astronauts?
Or my personal favorite: Yoda vs. Wolverine?
(seriously, think hard about that last one...it's a very tough call!) :P
And with regard to people thinking they are fictional creatures: I wouldn't be too sure we won't have actual "werewolf modded" people in the future. I mean, you've heard of Catman, right?
(Personally I don't have any problem with people who modify themselves to resemble fantastic or fictional characters, or who identify strongly with literary archetypes -- I think that if radical modification technologies emerge, we're going to have a whole lot of very happy furries wandering around. More power to them, I say!
But identifying with an archetype is one thing. Sucking the blood out of those little absorbent pads that come in packages of steak is quite another, and would probably make me urge the person to get checked for anemia.)
I agree people should be allowed to modify their own bodies as they see fit. So long as their mods don't hurt other people or cause them to hurt other people. So if someone modded themselves to be like a werewolf then started attacking people because they felt they needed to hunt I would have problems and probly call for them to be demodded and undergo extensive psychiatric therapy.
Anne, I don't know if you ever read fanfic, but if so, you would love Djinn's Lair. She writes Buffy, Firefly, Star Trek (mostly the original series), and she also has some wonderfully weird and creepy Buffy/Trek crossover stories in which Christine Chapel is a Slayer.
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