I thought I would dedicate this blog post to progress on knitting and reading. Also, since my reading has been challenging traditional notions of what it means to be human, I want to talk a little about my thoughts on this theme.
I am currently knitting my birthday socks, a pair of socks for myself for my birthday month of January out of a favorite yarn. This year I’m using a sock blank custom dyed for me by Fibernymph in the colorways “Mirror, Mirror On My Yarn.” I’m using a size 1 Hiya Hiya sharp needle and knitting a fish lips kiss heel. The yarn is gorgeous, and knitting from a sock blank is really fun.
I am currently actively reading two books. I am just about finished reading The Passage by Justin Cronin on my kindle. I love this book, and I will be giving it 5 stars and reviewing it for Goodreads when I finish. I am also listening to Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood on my audible app. I am reading this book for my book club for January. I’m enjoying it as well.
A theme of a lot of media I’ve been consuming recently is what it means to be human. In our current world, I am comforted by science fiction narratives that engage this theme by bringing in altered humans in different forms, or by introducing “aliens” from other planets into the mix. In both Sense 8 which I am rewatching on Netflix and The Passage, these altered humans and aliens have been said to be more human than humans. I really enjoy the paradox of thinking about it this way.
As I go about my days, I try to treat eveyone equally and consider everyone, including myself, as only human. Because of how easy it is to “other” people in this world, it is challenging to put aside my preconceptions and talk to each person I encounter as human. And it’s exhausting. However, it is so important. Dehumanizing anyone because of this or that characteristic is a dangerous business.
What do you think it means to be human? What narratives have you encountered recently that bring up this theme? I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject.
Hey Hannah! I hope you like Oryx and Crake–I return to it time and again and just finished the second book in the trilogy this past summer. As for being human, I teach a Human Design project in my science fiction course, so much of our conversation over the course of the semester circulates around that question. I love a mash-up of Frankenstein, Dr Moreau, Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang, and Oryx and Crake (or lately World War Z) for the course, plus some shorts and movies etc. I’ll have to check out The Passage and The WindUp Girl is also on my list. Lovely socks, BTW! Happy reading and knitting!
Thanks for the suggestions! I love World War Z (the book) for these questions as well.