At 10:03 PM 19/05/2007, Michael Robison wrote:
>As far as sci-fi noir literature, Dick's I Dream
of
>Electric Sheep came across as less noir than
the
>Bladerunner movie. I thought Gibson's
Neuromancer
>pretty close to noir. And I wouldn't argue
strongly
>against Chicago being noir.
Viewing noir as precluding transcendence I have to say I too
thought Chicago was noir. More a struggle for survival there
than transcendence, unless you consider hoofing before the
footlights transcendent. And I know others disagree with me,
but I still think Maltese Falcon noir, in that the rules
Spade developed for himself, and was forced to accept and
live with, definitely precluded the transcendence through
love or justice, despite the fact that he solved his
case.
Although the genre is definitely a response to 20th century
conditions and philosophies it doesn't seem unreasonable to
me that authors might now write something we could call
historical noir set in periods that predate the genre's
origins. Like many, however, I've become a bit skeptical of
the use of the word "noir" to market fiction. I suspect that
for the most part they rely on the use of dark and sinister
atmospherics often associated with the genre while
incorporating a transcendent morality. Sort of sheep in
wolves' clothing.
Best, Kerry
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