Comments on: Guest Post: Davros, Daleks, and Disability

By: Gnatalby

Gnatalby — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:06:58 +0000

This is so interesting.

What I’m always struck by is how tech-phobic sci fi is. It seems to me that the audience for sci-fi is generally the computer inclined, so why does it tend to have the message that the vacuum is three seconds away from rising up to enslave you? (And in the case of cybermen and daleks, destroy or enslave you out of automation, not personal malice).

It’s always struck me as being very backward looking, and you’ve awakened me to how ableist it is, too. The only virtuous person is one who relies on tech for absolutely– a hearing aid, a wheelchair, a voicebox– these are signs of moral not physical decay.
Gnatalby´s last blog ..Castrated Queers

By: CapriUni

CapriUni — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:34:05 +0000

Peanutbutter: I came across it in the Harris Communications online catalog — bookhunting (they have the same books on Deaf culture as Amazon and B&N, but at a much lower price — specifically, Signing the body poetic [I'm not deaf, just a lit. geek]), and what made me scratch my head was the premise that America became stronger when Deaf culture became the majority culture… and I wondered if, once it’s in the majority, Deaf culture would have the same strengths it does now… But I’d forgive weaknesses in premises, if it’s a riproaring page-turner.

By: peanutbutter

peanutbutter — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:09:43 +0000

CapriUni: I thought the story overall was interesting. It’s a little rough around the edges (a first book) I’ll be the first to say, and bits struck me as a little unrealistic (but made sense in the context of the points he wanted to make). I’d go for it.

By: calixti

calixti — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:58:44 +0000

You just articulated what’s been bugging me about the Daleks and Cybermen for a while. Thank you.
calixti´s last blog ..Fat, health, invisible disability, and the intersection thereof.

By: CapriUni

CapriUni — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:46:51 +0000

PeanutButter: I’ve actually been contemplating reading Mindfield; is it any good?

Marge: Yeah, I know… *Sigh* I remember the old days, back on rec.arts.drwho, in between the McCoy vs. Pertwee flamewars, there were occassional discussions of: “Why can’t a future Doctor be a wheelchair-user, or survive with some other life-long injury without regenerating? After all, the TARDIS interior has no stairs…”

(But in the NuWho it does… sadface)

By: Marge

Marge — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:12:37 +0000

Your mention of the pre-Davros Daleks brings up a constant issue with Doctor Who – in abelism, sexism, racism; that it goes backwards as often as it goes forwards. You can’t look at NuWho and say that’s it’s really much (any?) better than, say, Troughton-era in those areas. Which for someone who loves DW is bloody depressing.

By: peanutbutter

peanutbutter — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:00:59 +0000

Re “they will bring us down to their level,” some of us deafies have written novels describing just that*

*Mindfield, by John Egbert