Mind Screens

So there’s been a blog gap (a blap?) due to unforeseen viral circumstances. I have managed to scribble some notes in between but not type anything up so I’ll schedule a few posts for those entries. Some day, one of these might be topical and/or relevant.

Sunday 20th May 2018

Context – Parent’s conservatory, drinking ginger beer with crushed mint and lime cordial, eating jalapeno pretzel pieces. This may also not be relevant.

I’ve realised how pervasive TV is in my life, being away from home. Normally by lunchtime on a day off, the TV would have been on for some platform gaming and an episode or three while eating breakfast, folding washing or lounging. That might be augmented if I’m not alone but then we’d likely be off to explore somewhere.

But here, we’re chatting. Long form chatting. With lulls and everything. Some are knitting. Some are napping. In order to appease my addiction, I’ve read the Radio Times that my parents get through the post every week and using my YouView app to set recordings on my home box.

I’m also sat beside my Kindle. Does that count as a screen? It’s always been quite similar for me, reading just switches on the screen in my mind. There are differences though; I’m much happier to ‘binge-watch’ one book than I am TV shows. My watching habits are always curated for variety in tone and style but I’m much more inclined to immerse myself in one written world. It also generally takes longer to get involved in a novel and I’d give up more easily. ‘One more episode’ is much easier than ‘one more chapter’.

I’ve just finished Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie and loved it. The circumstances of starting it were being on holiday, always a surefire winner. It also lends itself to mind screen projection and would be difficult to achieve on an actual screen I think (ambiguous or non-defined gender of other characters from the point of view of the protagonist, portraying the consciousness of a ship plus its ancillary humanoids as a cohesive whole and the complexity of societal meaning relying heavily on translation between difference languages). Not that I wouldn’t want someone to have a go.