A parasite blogs on art, museums & public history

A modern substitute for books

13/1/2012

Over a hundred years ago H.G. Wells imagined "a modern substitute for books" in his futuristic novel The Sleeper Awakes (1899/1910).

After downloading this fascinating novel for free from Project Gutenberg I added it to my newly acquired Sony eBook Reader PRS-T1 using the open source Calibre programme. And, stylus in hand, I found myself doodling Wells' prophetic words on the touchscreen.

Goodness me, what a joy and a privilege it is to live in an affluent part of the world at the dawn of the 21st century...

Comments are closed.

Author
an extinct parasite
of several hosts
Why parasite?

Para, jämsides med.
En annan sort.
Dénis Lindbohm,
Bevingaren, 1980: 90

Even a parasite like me should be permitted to feed at the banquet of knowledge

I once posted comments as Bevingaren at guardian.co.uk

Archives

July 2019
July 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
July 2017
June 2017
March 2017
January 2017
November 2016
October 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
August 2015
September 2014
August 2014
November 2013
August 2013
June 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011

Categories

Note All parasitoids are parasites, but not all parasites are parasitoids
Parasitoid "A parasite that always ultimately destroys its host" (Oxford English Dictionary)

    I live off you
    And you live off me
    And the whole world
    Lives off everybody

    See we gotta be exploited
    By somebody, by somebody,             by somebody

    X-Ray Spex
        <I live off you>
    Germ Free Adolescents
        1978

From symbiosis
to parasitism
is a short step.
The word is
now a virus.

William Burroughs, The word is now a virus

William Burroughs
<operation rewrite>

Do nothing
that can
harm
your host!

Hal Clement
<Needle>
1950