How to write pulp fiction that celebrates humanity's essential goodness

[doctorow]

Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2017/07/06/paradise-built-in-hell.html

…

[Papasan]

But what if a story made the fact of humanity’s essential goodness the center of its conflict?

Interesting concept.

[Boundegar]

This sounds good, but it doesn’t sound a bit like pulp fiction.

[timothy_krause]

There was a lot of altruism in The Road, just sayin’.

[anon15383236]

@timothy_krause

The Road

Speaking of pulp fiction.

[timothy_krause]

Huh? Cory mentioned McCarthy, disparagingly, in the original.

[anon15383236]

Ah, got it, I hadn’t clicked through. I see what you’re saying now, and agree, thanks for the reply.

[timothy_krause]

Thanks! A small point but one I’d hoped was worth making.

[Footface]

I loved The Road. I read it years ago when my son was only a couple years old (sometimes with him sleeping right beside me, which was rough). I still think about that book all the time. Does this mark me as a Philistine?

[anon15383236]

I don’t blame those with children for liking sentimental stories about children. I seem to recall that he said he wrote it for his own son. How it turned out, and how it differs from a lot of his earlier work, makes me suspect that what he meant was that he wrote it so he could leave more money to his son.