Thursday, April 13, 2006

Fahrenheit Hotter Than Hell


"Hotter Than Hell" is a science fiction novel set in the future in which global warming causes water shortages that result in the US invasion of Canada. All week the National Press Club website has been advertising the book launch at noon at which author Mark Tushingham was scheduled to speak.
Today Environment Minister Rona Ambrose cancelled the author's appearance.
Why? Because Mark Tushingham's day job is as a scientist at Environment Canada.

Go read about it at CBC Arts. I'll wait.

I loved this bit :

"Stephen Harper says he was not aware of the details, but his government was elected on a platform that included developing a new plan to deal with climate change."

Yeah we heard about some of this new plan today in the Globe and Mail : "The Conservatives will cut 80 per cent of programs aimed at curbing global warming at Environment Canada. Budgets in other government departments aimed at climate change will be slashed by 40 per cent."

Back to the Harper quote :

"And I not only hope, but expect, that all elements of the bureaucracy will be working with us to achieve our objectives," he said."

You arrogant ass. Did you get the part where the big issue here is a science fiction novel? Plus isn't it illegal in Canada to dictate how an employee spends his spare time? But knowing how ridiculous it would have looked to ask said employee to state at his own book launch that the plot of his science fiction novel was not the official opinion of Environment Canada or the Government of Canada, you opted instead to shut the whole thing down.

I'd never heard of the book before but now I'm guessing this publicity will result in it being turned into a movie before the end of the year. It might even gain the status of Fahrenheit 451. Remember that one, Harper? The rest of us do. Written by Ray Bradbury in 1953, it's about book burning and government censorship and suppression of thoughts and ideas.

In the meantime, let's see how far up the charts we can send Tushingham's book. You can order it here.

2 comments:

Joergen said...

Someone is evidently not familiar with the word "fiction". Well, I am buying the book. Just for the irony of it.

j.

Rosie said...

I am buying the book too. It just so happens that I have a strange fascination with stories about oppressive governments.

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