Millenium People (for and of Ivor), 2012
There are lots of things I love about blogging, but spotting stylish and interesting people in the street is one of my favourite aspects. Ivor and I were both in a hurry that morning, but he still had time to stop and pose for a photograph, for which I’m really grateful. For me this is a genius combination of hat, suit, tie and shirt – extremely stylish! Thanks, Ivor!
OK, so it’s Ballard night here at The Future etc. Millenium People was J.G. Ballard’s penultimate novel. It was published in 2003. Here’s the plot summary from Wikipedia: “When a bomb explodes on a baggage carousel at Heathrow Airport, killing his ex-wife, David Markham tries to unravel the mystery surrounding her seemingly pointless death. But with unresolved questions about himself, his job, and his loving but adulterous wife, he soon finds himself immersed in the deeper waters of middle class revolution.” That’s about the size of it – it even includes instructions for making a poison gas weapon out of a toilet.
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For the time being I’m naming my posts and photographs after Science Fiction novels (and on this occasion short story collections).
As always thanks to John Pindar and Deanne who set this whole titling thing in motion. And to my collaborator and all-round cool dude, Richard over at CK Ponderings. Also, if you’re interested in learning a little more about J.G. Ballard, Bill Chance has written a great review of The Collected Short Stories here.
I also highly recommend for your delectation and delight, Theodora Brack’s blog, People, Places and Bling, and Cheryl Moore’s Unbound Boxes Limping Gods.
The Future Is Papier Mâché 
I found Ballard’s writing to be quite disturbed / disturbing, I love it. Since I read Crash I have actual doubts about driving without health insurance, before I wasn’t even giving it a second thought …! And that burning sun in the drowned world is really haunting as well. The next novel I start will be one of his again, probably another one of his post-apocalyptic ones (in some way most of his novels fit that description, some more clearly than others though) …
I’m really enjoying your Science Fiction fortnight!
Thanks Verena! I’m glad you’re enjoying it. Yes, I totally agree that they are all in one way or another post-apocalyptic – it’s just that in some cases they are a personal apocalypse. I love The Drowned World too, and its opposite, The Drought. I suspect I will be posting more about him…
Thanks for the links. I’ll check out People, Places and Bling, and Unbound Boxes Limping Gods. Had a quick look at the Paris one and it looked cool – I think I’ll like it.
Links are something else I love about blogging – both of these are so lovingly created that they make for really rewarding reading in my humble mumble. Really dug your last photographs by the way.
Ivor certainly cuts a dash!
And yet another interesting title to add to the reading list – so many interesting tag points in your brief synopsis!
Yes, indeed!
Thanks, Patti. Hope you like the books when you get to read them. Ballard also wrote some non-SF – Empire of the Sun, about his experiences as a child in Japanese camps during WWII, was adapted for the cinema by Steven Spielberg.
Interesting pose, haha! 🙂
[…] her cat; I’ve walked the streets of Nottingham with Andy and the streets of London with Richard. This is starting to sound like Dylan’s “Hard Rain’s A-Gonna […]
The expression on his face is priceless.
Yes, he was a really nice man.
You are amazing and so lucky to take pictures of interesting charachters… I loved it. Thank you dear Richard, love, nia
Thanks so much, Nia. You’re right, I’m very lucky (and grateful).
You seem to stalk the right areas for people with an interesting appearance. He does seem to have a slightly painful look on his face though. Nice shot. There are lot’s of interesting characters in Brighton, but unfortunately I don’t really have the confidence to approach strangers and ask if I can photograph them.
Yes, area does make a big difference – the deeper I go into the City (the closer to the financial district), the more the number of interesting looking people diminishes. I’m not trying to make some big comment here – it’s just the truth for me.
The first couple of times approaching people was really difficult and I fluffed it more than once afterwards, but if you’re honest with them about why you want to take their photograph people seem to be pretty receptive. Having said that sometimes still my stomach turns
to water. Top tip: get some business cards printed that let people know what you’re doing – that worked wonders for my confidence.