Comments on: Disparate Thoughts on Ballard, the Nature of Memory, a Fisher-Queen, and Fantasy Generally http://www.blackgate.com/2009/04/20/disparate-thoughts-on-ballard-the-nature-of-memory-a-fisher-queen-and-fantasy-generally/ Adventures in Fantasy Literature Thu, 17 May 2012 03:55:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Judith Berman http://www.blackgate.com/2009/04/20/disparate-thoughts-on-ballard-the-nature-of-memory-a-fisher-queen-and-fantasy-generally/comment-page-1/#comment-788 Judith Berman Tue, 21 Apr 2009 05:30:09 +0000 http://www.blackgate.com/?p=1935#comment-788 I would say the (true!) postmodern stance would be that all narratives and all meaning is constructed. All stories are the products of human expression. "True" as in "universally true" might be something that humans can measure with instrumentation ... except that then you get into all the weird quantum stuff where particles seem to "know" whether or not they are going to be measured ... but human communication is about selection and shaping and context and who you're talking to.... by definition incomplete as a purely empirical record of anything. But that's me. I didn't grow up in a mythic society. I would say the (true!) postmodern stance would be that all narratives and all meaning is constructed. All stories are the products of human expression.

“True” as in “universally true” might be something that humans can measure with instrumentation … except that then you get into all the weird quantum stuff where particles seem to “know” whether or not they are going to be measured … but human communication is about selection and shaping and context and who you’re talking to…. by definition incomplete as a purely empirical record of anything.

But that’s me. I didn’t grow up in a mythic society.

]]> By: James Enge http://www.blackgate.com/2009/04/20/disparate-thoughts-on-ballard-the-nature-of-memory-a-fisher-queen-and-fantasy-generally/comment-page-1/#comment-786 James Enge Tue, 21 Apr 2009 02:18:51 +0000 http://www.blackgate.com/?p=1935#comment-786 I know (virtually, anyway) someone who takes a postmodern line that all narratives are false. I prefer to take a postpostmodern line that all narratives are somehow true--that people fashion them because they have some sort of validity which can tell you something about the storyteller, anyway, or the audience the story is intended to appeal to, or both. I know (virtually, anyway) someone who takes a postmodern line that all narratives are false. I prefer to take a postpostmodern line that all narratives are somehow true–that people fashion them because they have some sort of validity which can tell you something about the storyteller, anyway, or the audience the story is intended to appeal to, or both.

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