A strange tale is gradually unfolding in China Mieville's Perdido Street Station, and our conversation also gradually unfolded. But luckily, no one had to flay anyone else alive to illustrate their point.
As befits a novel called Blame, the team gathered to assign a little. After a brief bit of rote business wherein Chris Lake encouraged all to "sandwich with compliments", the knives came out. So here is a slice of compliment bread at the top--this novel united us. United us in hate. It was a novel in an Arrested Development world devoid of irony, a Veronica Mars world devoid of a troublemaker, a 90210 world devoid of camp. And the blame fell squarely upon author Michelle Huneven.
The concluding night focused upon The Handmaid's Tale dovetailed with the previous, as we discussed the further revelations of life under the flag of Gilead, and the mysterious fate of mysterious Offred.
