Well, it certainly seems that The Darfsteller didn't win the Hugo Award for nothing. The concept is great, the writing is fantastic, the plot is amazingly interesting.
Quite a possible future as well. As everything will start to get robotized, the social layers will be separated more and more, while some will profit from the situation, most of the people won't even be able to get a proper job.
How far should we advance technology? How far do we have to advance ourselves before that? This story, from my point of view, is bringing attention to these questions.
Well, let's see where it's going, since I have certain belief the true ideas and points of the story are yet to be revealed.
Still, it's fun to read. I like this sort of sci-fi no less than something like The Hitchhiker's Guide. Also, I love Isaac Asimov's works and I doubt he'd include something below the level of complete total awesomeness into the collection.
Thursday 27 November 2008
10. Summmmmmmmmmmmmary. Real, fresh, sweet, tasty.
The Darfsteller
by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
1/3
This is a story about an old actor in a world, where theater's fully robotized. The stage and the mannequins on it are controlled by a machine called 'Maestro', which requires a special script data and actors' personality data.
The lead character, Ryan Thornier, formerly a famous actor, works as a janitor in an old yet also robotized theater. Theater has always been the only valuable part of his life, and he misses it greatly. All he can do now to make up for that is going to the expensive and limping live theater.
Even so, it usually fails since his boss, the theater's manager, makes him work almost without any day-offs. The last straw to break the camel's back was inevitable and Thornier decides to quit the job. Without any more doubts he carries out his revenge upon the fat manager by various vile pranks. It's no surprise that all that resulted into a two-week resignation warning.
Now all Thornier wants is one last performance to finish things off. He gets his chance when the theater's Maestro damaged both of the personality records of an actor chosen for the lead role, Andreyev, in "The Anarch", a role Thornier was going to play just before the cybernetic acting hype, which caused the play to shut down. He is sent for a replacement (as well as a mannequin which just happened to be the one based on his close friend who were also going to participate in that play as a female lead and more or less "retained" her role via the animated puppet) and he thinks of an intricate plan to spoil the stageplay by delivering personality record of a completely different actor, a comedian. Thornier guesses that this will leave the staff no choice but to ask him to play instead of the mannequin.
by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
1/3
This is a story about an old actor in a world, where theater's fully robotized. The stage and the mannequins on it are controlled by a machine called 'Maestro', which requires a special script data and actors' personality data.
The lead character, Ryan Thornier, formerly a famous actor, works as a janitor in an old yet also robotized theater. Theater has always been the only valuable part of his life, and he misses it greatly. All he can do now to make up for that is going to the expensive and limping live theater.
Even so, it usually fails since his boss, the theater's manager, makes him work almost without any day-offs. The last straw to break the camel's back was inevitable and Thornier decides to quit the job. Without any more doubts he carries out his revenge upon the fat manager by various vile pranks. It's no surprise that all that resulted into a two-week resignation warning.
Now all Thornier wants is one last performance to finish things off. He gets his chance when the theater's Maestro damaged both of the personality records of an actor chosen for the lead role, Andreyev, in "The Anarch", a role Thornier was going to play just before the cybernetic acting hype, which caused the play to shut down. He is sent for a replacement (as well as a mannequin which just happened to be the one based on his close friend who were also going to participate in that play as a female lead and more or less "retained" her role via the animated puppet) and he thinks of an intricate plan to spoil the stageplay by delivering personality record of a completely different actor, a comedian. Thornier guesses that this will leave the staff no choice but to ask him to play instead of the mannequin.
10. Words. Still the same, never ever changing words block.
01. lavish - щедрый
02. prominent - выдающийся
03. matinee - дневной сеанс
04. limping - хромающий
05. anticipation - предвкушение
06. mockery - осмеяние
07. wretched - никудышный
08. overdrive - ускорение
09. chores - рутинные дела
10. rickety - шаткий
11. lightly clad - налегке, в легком костюме
12. beady eyes - глаза-бусинки
13. incomprehensible - непостижимый
14. gangling - неуклюжий, нескладный
15. waddle - ходить раскачиваясь, вперевалку
16. confront - противостоять
17. sag - покоситься, осесть
18. forlornly - неприютно
19. eloquently - красноречиво
20. Pekingese - пекинес
02. prominent - выдающийся
03. matinee - дневной сеанс
04. limping - хромающий
05. anticipation - предвкушение
06. mockery - осмеяние
07. wretched - никудышный
08. overdrive - ускорение
09. chores - рутинные дела
10. rickety - шаткий
11. lightly clad - налегке, в легком костюме
12. beady eyes - глаза-бусинки
13. incomprehensible - непостижимый
14. gangling - неуклюжий, нескладный
15. waddle - ходить раскачиваясь, вперевалку
16. confront - противостоять
17. sag - покоситься, осесть
18. forlornly - неприютно
19. eloquently - красноречиво
20. Pekingese - пекинес
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