mtbc | Science fiction and intriguing differences (Reply)

In the shower one recent morning, I was remembering past Star Trek series and noting that, among the various encountered creatures, the Borg are among my favorites. I surmised that this may be because they are among the most different, or inhuman, thus more interesting. I have seen more deeply alien portrayals in written fiction, possibly because staging isn't an issue. Alas, I no longer remember which, but I rather liked one story that involved a juvenile entity in an environment so alien that it was barely possible to construct a worldly, rather than abstract, representation of it. I wish there were more stories that are so imaginative or, at least, I wish they were easier to find.

I realized that my attraction to difference helps to explain why I also like to watch shows and movies from distant countries that are set in the real world, it is interesting to see the many small differences, also the similarities, for example, an Iranian movie that happened to feature the same model of vaccum cleaner that my mother used in my early childhood. I am also happy to learn about the cultures of those who don't share my heritage. I don't think that there is anything deep or laudable here, I am not unusually compassionate or cunning or whatever, it is just that, at least in some regards, for some reason I appear to be attracted to novelty, to want to know from others how things can be and are different. This somehow balances with that I also appreciate predictability and routine, even ritual. Everything in moderation, perhaps.