Jillian G. Keifer

I have 76 points in total from all of my readings. Adding 14 to each class attended brings that up to 90. Each of my blog posts relates to how I felt within my experience with each novel and delves into detail about the themes, characters, and form of the prose that interest me as a writer. I made sure each read as a short, personal essay that's clear, concise, and concrete in the points I wanted to address. Sometimes I combined the week's short stories into one giant essay that addressed the prompt for the week, other times I didn't have as much wiggle room in my schedule and took them one at a time.   I've missed only one class due to a tech error. However, I've never gone to a class without sharing what I've read and my thoughts about them, even responding to other classmates' points of discussion. I enjoy these genres immensely and, despite the early mornings, looked forward to what my classmates learned on their own readings.  According to the syllabus,...

  It is ten years from now, the holiday season of 2030.  You are thinking about a present you might be getting for the holidays.  What is it?  Talk about how you did your holiday shopping,  What is your job and how are you doing it?  What is your living situation and what are the major issues of the day?  Please make these questions relevant to any appropriate holidays you celebrate.   I am living in a Seattle apartment with my partner and cat, shopping online for Christmas presents. I’ve been home from my job as a narrative designer on a videogame for a little. Most of it I could probably accomplish from home, but I enjoy heading into the studio to speak with people face to face. I’ve had enough of quarantine and so has the rest of the world. We’re still careful though. Only a select amount of people can be in the studio at any given time. There are still naysayers. A lot of folks have tried moving past the virus and have contented themselve...

  Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy begins with a pretty funny parallel between Arthur Dent’s house being torn down for a bypass and a voice warning Earth that virtually the same thing will happen to them as well. Throughout the rest of the novel, more obsessively dark but hilarious moments ensue presenting that life is essentially meaningless and that seeking an answer to everything just ends up depressing people.  Adams’ opening description of Earth sets the tone for the rest of the novel.  Most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movements of small green pieces of paper, which is odd because on the whole it wasn’t the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy. Already, he’s outlining the rest of the novel. There are things that will not be explained and trying to do so will just ruin the fun of it. The joke of Deep...

  “All At One Point” by Italo Calvino condenses the Big Bang theory into a moment of pure love. Calvino places us into the point of view of Qfwfq and their recollection of the moment that made space. There’s no grand novum that shakes the familiar or speculates something from our future, its just pure character voice recounting a particular moment that has stuck with them since the beginning of time-literally.  Calvino plays with the idea of a collapsed universe through Qwfq’s retelling of the neighbor situation. Humorously, because these people are so close they refuse to really associate with one another. They do speak to each other, but only a select handful. Qwfq’s choice of company is that of “Mrs. Ph(i)Nk0, her friend De XuaeauX, a family of immigrants by the name of Z'zu, and Mr. Pbert Pberd.” Calvino aggravates the interactions between these folks and makes it pretty obvious that, while humorous to the reader, the petty interactions between them are really unenjoyabl...

  Octavia Butler’s Xenogenesis series chronicles the relationship between a devastated humanity and the Oankali, an advanced alien species hellbent on evolution. Throughout the three novels, readers experience each major event that establishes some new facet of the Human/Oankali hybrids. Each new development poses new questions on sexuality, race, and gender which shake the reader into thinking above and beyond what it means to be human.  “Dawn” begins with Lilith Iyapo “alive! Alive...again,” after surviving a nuclear war that has wiped out humanity. She’s been held captive by something for an unknown amount of time and has slowly been piecing together the truth of the matter over the course of her imprisonment. The truth, of course, is that the Oankali arrived on Earth just in time to round up the surviving humans and have begun the process of ‘trading.’ Lilith has been awakened 250 years after the fact and is tasked with learning about the Oankali and then conditioning...

1. What is your reaction to the text you just read? My initial reaction is a similar desire to that of Gan’s elder brother, Qui, in that I want each Terran family to be free of the Tlic. While the relationship dynamic between Gan and T’Gatoi is endlessly fascinating, it’s hard not to feel disgusted by the portrayal of the Ntlic and what essentially boils down to child grooming by T’Gatoi towards Gan. This story is eerie in normalizing this new facet that humanity has adopted to survive. The first couple paragraphs of this story read more like a typical family gathering instead of an alien visiting the family she is responsible for keeping imprisoned or ‘safe.’ It’s genius, but it leaves my stomach in knots- which is a sign of a great story.  2. What connections did you make with the story? Discuss what elements of the story with which you were able to connect? I connected a lot with Gan as someone who is not entirely innocent of what is happening but is certainly naive. Just li...

  William Gibson’s “Johnny Mnemonic” proposes a future in which nearly everyone has been augmented in some capacity to fulfill a job or sense of purpose within themselves. Be it Johnny’s implant, Molly’s razors, or even Jones’ completely inhuman appearance, every augmentation serves them in their pursuit of cash. It is a cold, harrowing reality that is normalized in their world and shows the extent to which people are driven to survive this new future. Specifically, the story draws heavily on eastern influences. Johnny is pursued by the Yakuza because of the information stored in his head most likely taken from Ono-sendai, a major Zaibatsu in this world. The only way to escape the assassin sent after him is to disappear alongside Molly in Nighttown and enlist the help of the Lo-teks. Here, people have shed the need to augment themselves to serve a particular purpose. They’re more inclined to natural scarification, tattoos, and teeth growth to express their personal style rather...

  “Fragments of a Hologram Rose” by William Gibson is a vignette exploring a pretty rough breakup from the future. In this, people have the technology to record their senses and replay them on tapes at their convenience. Parker uses the tapes of his ex-lover to sleep through the night but destroys a particular one that pains him to think about. Through this technology, Gibson compares the strength of memory to instant gratification. Parker has no real character outside of being a lens for the audience to view this future. While we get extensive looks at his past, it’s more so to show the state of the world he lives in and how that affected him rather than to build his sense of self.  This, however, mirrors how he uses the tapes to feel something rather than leaving the comfort of his apartment. Gibson shows us that this world, much like the one in “Johnny Mnemonic,” is dominated by corporations so much so that people have taken to indenturing their children to ensure a job...

“‘Repent, Harlequin,’ Said the Ticktockman” is a satirical look at a dystopian future in which people are ‘slaves’ to time. If you’re not on schedule, then you’ve committed a crime and are at risk of being executed. The presentation of the world relies heavily on references to other works like 1984 to both get the point of the story across and to make fun of dystopian fiction in general. Harlan Ellison takes this simplistic look at regimentation but gives it enough humor to be an engaging read.  The short story opens with a quote from Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau emphasizing the character of the Harlequin. Essentially, Everett has made the dangerous but admirable choice to stick to his guns by being late to everything and angering the Ticktockman. He does so by committing worthless, whimsical pranks that disrupt the precious schedule of the world by several hours at a time. For instance, he pours jellybeans on top of workers going to and fro on the ‘slidewalks.’ The p...

  “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream,” by Harlan Ellison takes punishment to the extreme and presents an existence that relies on creation. AM, a supercomputer made to complex human wars, rebels and instead decides to become the God of a new, destroyed world. The problem with this decision, however, is that AM is incapable of creation. Ted, the protagonist, characterizes AM both as an all-powerful “he” and soulless “it.” AM asserts power over Ted and the others, but would be lost without them. Despite his many tortures, he needs them. Ellison establishes this dynamic to examine the relationship between creator and creation. Ted and AM both draw on many biblical references to explain the situation they find themselves in. Be it Ted referring to AM as “ God as Daddy the Deranged,” or AM appearing to the group as a burning bush, there’s always an element of Judeo-Christian imagery that permeates the text. Ellison presents this clear dichotomy to explore Ted and the others’ agency ...

  “Aye, and Gomorrah” by Samuel Delaney explores the ideas of gender and sexuality through the group commonly referred to as Spacers- people who have been neutered to avoid the effects of space radiation on reproduction. They are androgynous people who are unable to have sex and feel no true desire to in the first place. Despite this, a group of people referred to as Frelks do have such an attraction to them and that's the main focus of this story. Delaney uses these two distinct groups of people to explore discrimination based on sexual attraction and gender. Readers are shown early on that Spacers are only superficially respected for the work they do in space. When they stay too long in a single place, they’re often told to leave either through overt politeness or subtle threats. In Paris, the gay men they stumble across do not fear the police but point out that the Spacers probably should. In Mexico, the woman merely shoos them off after remarking that its a shame they are Space...

  C.L Moore’s “Song in a Minor Key,” “No Woman Born,” “Vintage Season,” and “Yvala” all analyze human nature through the lenses of space travel and technology. By examining how each main character encounters the fictive novum- or new thing- of their world, C.L Moore isolates specific human emotion leaving her readers with something both fascinating and utterly haunting. “Song in a Minor Key,” is a short vignette starring Northwest Smith. In it, he’s managed to return to Earth despite his exile to rest and reflect before invariably starting another adventure. This story, compared to the others, is short and doesn’t rely on a series of plot points to explore the subject matter. Here, Moore is asking how predetermined is one’s fate, especially in a world like Northwest where you can be exiled from Earth and forced to survive on the barren landscape of Mars? Smith, as he muses in the grass, recalls just how much he had going for him before that one moment in time changed everything...

  Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys reads like the best improv story. Early on, Gaiman establishes the rules of Anansi’s powers/archetype through Charlie and his opening interactions with his fiance, Rosie. The idea of songs and names as a way to experience, interact, and manipulate the world form a solid base for the story that the characters build off of each moment. Be it Anansi’s mischief in Charlie’s childhood, Spider’s manipulation, or Charlie’s own quick wit, there are distinct moments of ‘yes, and?’ which makes the storytelling fun and really feel in line with the trickster archetype of Anansi.  I read American Gods before this. It was nice to see the semi-return of Anansi in this book. Terrible, awful things happen, but it’s all portrayed in such a way that the humor of the situation remains. People either are murdered or have their tongues ripped out, but still come back to haunt those that hurt them. Anansi borderline abused young Charlie, but the story of him dressing ...

 I've done a reading for every week so far, amounting to 39 points. If you double them, then that amounts 78 points. Each of my blog posts relates to how I felt within my experience with each novel and delves into detail about the themes, characters, and form of the prose that interest me as a writer. I made sure each read as a short, personal essay that's clear, concise, and concrete in the points I wanted to address.  If you add onto that for seven classes attended, then that amounts to an 85. I've missed no classes and have attended every discussion. I've never gone to a class without sharing what I've read and my thoughts about them, even responding to other classmates' points of discussion.  According to the syllabus, an 85 falls within a B for a grade. I've done that amount of work, so that should be my grade for the midterm. 

  Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone makes race and class one in the same, examining how power and brutality affect minority communities and their struggle to continue surviving. Zelie, the protagonist, has lived the reality of oppression for most of her life and, after a chance encounter, is given the means to mend the broken diviner/maji community through restoring magic to Orisha. Throughout her journey alongside her brother Tzain and Amari, Zelie witnesses time and time again the not so black and white nature of power and people. Her journey starts as opportunistic, but slowly becomes deadly and confusing as she learns more about magic and the world she lives in. Inan, who is Amari’s brother and prince of Orisha, represents this struggle as he tries to please his father’s wishes but also live true to himself. It is revealed that both he and Amari have magic in them. While he denies this part of himself and fuels his own prejudice against Maji, he only further ends up hu...

  N. K Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms dissects the traditional epic fantasy tropes of religion and race in a way that I haven’t really seen before.  The continent of Senm is lush with cultures that never once fall into the conventional stereotypes of being inherently evil. In fact, when characters like Scimina or the other Arameri refer to other cultures as ‘barbaric,’ they’re definitely meant to be seen as terrible people instead of crusaders for good. The entire city of Sky and the Arameri rule are crafted to relay real world institutions that enforce the same kind of oppression on marginalized communities as they do to the countries under their rule. While Sky and the rest of the empire are thriving, they’re shown to be doing so off the back of the lower castes’ suffering. Yeine, a perfect outsider to this world of political scandal and intrigue, battles with the realization that the people of Sky do not act in their people’s best interest. She’s even told to negl...

Deborah Harkness’ A Discovery of Witches plays with mythological figures and magic in a strangely grounded way. This novel has a certain passion towards conventional figures that I think other books like it lose in exchange for an overly grand plot. Whereas other novels within the same genre focus on saving the world or other macro level conflicts, most of the conflict in this book arises from Diana’s struggle to accept herself as a witch and find her place in a community she has ignored for so long. The meat of this novel doesn’t lie in the mystery of Ashmole 782. Instead, Harkness makes room for Diana to grow as a person and mature into her relationship with both Mathew (the resident vampire) and the magical world at large. The mystery of Ashmole 782 is a catalyst for Diana to grow. It doesn’t force her to change. In fact, up to a certain point, she actively avoids it. However, once it exposes her to the magical world, she has to take it within herself to grow into her powers and r...

Clive Barker’s Cabal deals with the archetype of the outcast and the nature of what people consider taboo. Aaron Boone, Dr. Decker, and Lori all dwell within societal expectations, but wear individual masks to cope with their feelings of isolation and abandonment. Boone tries to hide his mental illness. Dr. Decker hides his sadistic alter ego. Lori hides her dependency on others. The Nightbreed, on the other hand, choose to live within a community where they don’t have to hide themselves. Granted, they had to form the community to escape persecution from the outside world, but Midian is its own society based on the acceptance of each individual’s unique form. The only things the Nightbreed have to worry about are outsiders and getting caught in the sun.  Barker revels in the strange throughout the novella. Whether it’s Narcisse shedding his skin, Midian as a whole, or Lori sleeping with a reformed Boone, Barker takes the reader on a journey exploring the human side of th...

      Uzumaki by Junji Ito remains one of the best works exploring what it means to be completely at the whims of something far more powerful than the individual. Throughout each volume, Ito's unnerving illustrations and increasingly horrifying scenarios work to create this ever present sense of dread.       This dread never feels as though it's overstayed its welcome, however. It feels earned. There are several moments within each volume where there's a slim chance that Kirie and Shuicihi might be able to escape or survive the spiral, but that hope for a happy ending is crushed each time. It's too late to get Shuichi's father the help he needs, his mother succumbs to the spiral, Kirie refuses to run away, and the rescue teams sent in are either killed or forever trapped with everyone else in Kurozu-cho. I find it interesting that within both volumes people have the opportunity to stick together and help each other overcome the spiral, but actively cho...

  Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice was a study in pretty boys, morality, and what it means to be a monster. Louis and Lestat are two sides of a spectrum. Louis holds on to the last remnants of his humanity with everything he has, while Lestat is a hedonist who lashes out , manipulates, and gorges himself with the pleasures of monsterhood. Reading this after watching the movie years prior was a rewarding experience. I found the back and forth between the two main leads engaging and provocative, with the side characters additions to the main argument insightful.  Lestat stands out among the cast as the obvious bad boy. He’s a terrible person we love. He’s rude, narcissistic, and uncaring, but has enough wit about him to be somewhat endearing despite Louis’ best attempts to convince the interviewer that he’s the actual worst. Lestat stands out to me as the archetype of the tyrannical patriarch. Interview , despite it’s modern bells and whistles, remains a gothic story. ...