This is a review of one of my favorite bands as a young man: Ministry. Though I have not kept up with them in the past couple of years, they were a big influence on the bands I played with in my 20’s. This new release reveals their new wave synth-pop roots in all their glory. Published originally on The Record Stache
ANTIFICTION is an idea I’ve been working out in my head for a long time. According to a blog entry on Bruce Sterling’s blog in WIRED: Online, there is something that looks suspiciously close to MY IDEA. Too bad I didn’t have a lawyer when I was 12, which is when I think this card-game like concept was developed. Then again, I may be a little off my rocker. I often am. And sometimes (when it’s 3 am and I’ve just finished and edited a 28-page short story with no breaks), I may not have read too closely.
Whatever.
MY IDEA is thus released like the proverbial kraken of yore, to be widely ignored and laughed at by the 2 people who have visited this site. Okay, I’ve had more visitors than that (and thank you!), but–seriously–this one depends on you, the reader or it just doesn’t WORK.
ANTIFICTION is not QUITE the direct opposite of fiction. That would be, well, just telling the truth. I almost said “the news” but as I have actually WORKED for “the news” I know that they are a bunch of filthy liar liars and their pants are most definitely on fire.
What I WANT it to be is a new form of writing, different from a standard collaboration but very much like it also–something produced in collaboration with the readers. It works like this:
1. I select a character, event, item or story (or maybe a combination of two or more, taken from different sources), mined from the Internet via a search engine of my choice. I will try to make them pay for this if the idea works, and guess what? If I gets paid, you gets paid. How about THAT for sharing the wealth?!
2. I post, under the ANTIFICTION category, the person, place, thing, etc. (it has to be REAL insofar as I am able to find out by due diligence, not an Internet meme, etc.) and a link to where I found the item(s) listed.
3. The first response (from you, the reader) should be a simple paragraph or three describing something fictional (that is: something you MAKE UP OUT OF YOUR OWN IMAGINATION) occurring to, created by, or happening at (etc.) the item(s) I originally listed. You can be as descriptive or simple as you wish. By participating, you agree that this work of ANTIFICTION (as a piece of “art”) will be protected EXCLUSIVELY by the ‘Copyleft’ “rules” (see ‘Copyleft’ at wikipedia.com for a description), except where that would somehow interfere or aggravate me. The “Author” will be listed as me or (more likely) some ridiculous name I make up. You can use your real name (or a ridiculous made-up one, as long as it is not profane in nature, since I am not putting an age restriction on who can participate) and you will be listed as a “Contributor”.
4. I will embellish (as much as I feel it needs) on your idea(s), and print the results.
5. Repeat process until a Mad-Lib-like story appears. Except it’s NOT going to be a Mad-Lib because those were only fun when I was 10 and thought “butt” and “farty” were really funny to use in the abovementioned way. No one else (except my brother and some of my cousins) agreed any of them were ever funny or even made sense, except that they said butt and farty a lot.
This may sound strange. It is. But it is also taking the reader’s ideas and helping write a story–a fictional story based on random facts. THAT is my definition of ANTIFICTION. It is (c) Greg Purvis 2014 because ha-ha, just because I vote democrat doesn’t mean I’m a commie.
P.S. If you think this is stupid, raise your hand. But I’m really, uhm, going to do it anyway.
SOMEWHAT TRUE LIES 