Post by penigriffin on Nov 27, 2013 4:15:28 GMT
I'm not one for ranking things hierarchically and I don't often pick favorites, but sometimes I have a motive.
"A Plague of Peacocks" will always have a special place in my esteem because it cured me of the horror of the most appalling short story in the world, "It's a Good Life," by Jerome Bixby. If you haven't read this, you've probably seen the Twilight Zone episode, with Bill Mumy as Anthony, the omnipotent kid, which is not half as horrifying. The story starts with Anthony making a rat eat itself from the tail back. And story Anthony is four years old.
Just like Daniel Emmanuel.
But Jerome Bixby did not know as much about four-year-olds, or families, as DWJ. Anthony is the way he is because he was omnipotent from birth and only had to will things to make them so (including ripping the entire town right out of normal reality) and no one dared to discipline him or teach him right from wrong. Daniel Emmanuel, however, has to learn to use his ability along with all the rest of his abilities. He might have the power, but he doesn't have the skill; and his parents and older siblings have plenty of time to establish their authority over him and a provide a moral framework in which to develop. Also, his beleaguered parents are too harried even to notice his abilities, much less fear them.
So the most traumatizing horror story I ever read and one of the funniest domestic fantasies I've ever read have identical premises; and the domestic fantasy is much more authoritative on the subject.
The relief of this must be experienced to be appreciated.
Also, the juxtaposition demonstrates one of the central ideas I'm always trying to convey to people. If I ever teach a formal writing class (which there is no present reason to believe I ever will), I will require students to read these stories side-by-side, as an object lesson in why having an all-new, all-original idea is not important to the process.
"A Plague of Peacocks" will always have a special place in my esteem because it cured me of the horror of the most appalling short story in the world, "It's a Good Life," by Jerome Bixby. If you haven't read this, you've probably seen the Twilight Zone episode, with Bill Mumy as Anthony, the omnipotent kid, which is not half as horrifying. The story starts with Anthony making a rat eat itself from the tail back. And story Anthony is four years old.
Just like Daniel Emmanuel.
But Jerome Bixby did not know as much about four-year-olds, or families, as DWJ. Anthony is the way he is because he was omnipotent from birth and only had to will things to make them so (including ripping the entire town right out of normal reality) and no one dared to discipline him or teach him right from wrong. Daniel Emmanuel, however, has to learn to use his ability along with all the rest of his abilities. He might have the power, but he doesn't have the skill; and his parents and older siblings have plenty of time to establish their authority over him and a provide a moral framework in which to develop. Also, his beleaguered parents are too harried even to notice his abilities, much less fear them.
So the most traumatizing horror story I ever read and one of the funniest domestic fantasies I've ever read have identical premises; and the domestic fantasy is much more authoritative on the subject.
The relief of this must be experienced to be appreciated.
Also, the juxtaposition demonstrates one of the central ideas I'm always trying to convey to people. If I ever teach a formal writing class (which there is no present reason to believe I ever will), I will require students to read these stories side-by-side, as an object lesson in why having an all-new, all-original idea is not important to the process.
