Category Archives: Philosophy

Billion Year Spree – further thoughts

Posted on July 18, 2017 by Terence Park

Just finished The Neried. About myths, legends and homelessness; set in Blackpool. Just started Core. Set in the core of the Milky Way, in the Galactic Bar. Explores aliens —lots of aliens —sexuality and that kind of thing. ETA: unknown … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Opinion, Philosophy, Review, Writing | Tagged Andre Norton, Billion Year Spree, Brian Aldiss, History of SF, J.G. Ballard, Michael Moorcock, New Worlds, Philip K Dick, Robert Heinlein, Roger Zelazny, Science Fiction, Timarchy | Leave a comment

Kulturá at Kavá 2

Posted on August 3, 2016 by Terence Park

[* edited 06/08/2016] To blog or not to blog. I shuck off thoughts of Grant Morrison’s Invisibles (Vertigo Comics) and retellings of The Fisher King. Once more I am at Kulturá at the Kavá in Todmorden. In another life, things … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Review | Tagged A Slow Blues, Aristotle, Cheetham Street Writers, Ed Reiss, Hasiwriters, Idries Shah, Kavá, Kulturá, Lucky, Mandy Pannett, Plato, Poetry, Sentinel Books, silt from distant lands, Sufi | Leave a comment

My Fantasy Influences

Posted on September 5, 2015 by Terence Park

I sometimes reflect on the circumstances surrounding Michael Moorcock’s New Worlds. It was the premier British SF periodical and at the time had a reach that, though it didn’t rival that of the American offerings, was substantial. Under his stewardship, a significant … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Links to Fiction, Philosophy | Tagged Castle Brass, Dark Empire, France, James Branch Cabell, Michael Moorcock, New Worlds, Plato, Roger Zelazny, Silver Stallion, the Bareqqua, the Camargue, the real world, Theory of Forms, Wars of the Roses | Leave a comment

Writing Theory: Aristotle and Plato’s Contribution

Posted on June 7, 2015 by Terence Park

In a few days’ time I get to do a bit of a talk; that is, in the absence of group members (holidays) and given the no show of Bury Borough Council plus writing course, I elected to provide a … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Opinion, Philosophy, Writing | Tagged Aristotle, Gorgias, imitation, Ion, mimesis, Phaedrus, Philosophy, Plato, Plato The Republic, rhapsodes, The Poetics, Theory of Forms, Ultimate Good, Writing Theory | 1 Comment

Meeting of the British Science Fiction & British Fantasy Associations York Pubmeet 9th May

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Terence Park

York Pubmeet 9th May 2015: British Science Fiction Association, British Fantasy Association the Elmbank Hotel, York Midnight 09/05/15 (last Saturday) I was woken by my eldest son texting a reply to my earlier message – – he said – – I … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Philosophy | Tagged 3rd Pubmeet, Alan Moore, Breed, Brigantes bar, British Fantasy Association, British Science FIction Association, Elmbank Hotel York, Idries Shah, KT Davies, Lee Harris, Mark Morris, Mary Gentle, Micklegate, Obsidian Heart, Philosophy, Promethea, The Wolves of London, Tor.com, York | Leave a comment

Notes to World Building and Cosmogonies

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Terence Park

I’m gonna talk about two things here: Cosmogony and World Creation Cosmogony Any theory concerning the coming into existence (or origin) of either the cosmos (or universe), or the so-called reality of sentient beings. World Creation Essentially a process of defining a sandbox … Continue reading →

Posted in Opinion, Philosophy, Science, Trivia, Writing | Tagged Amber, Aristotle, Averroes, Cosmogony, Plato, Roger Zelazny, World Building, World Creation | Leave a comment

On Poetry

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Terence Park

The first principle. If you wait it will fade. Explore the impulse. This assumes you have both inclination and wherewithal. The second principle Know something of it Then, bin all you know You won’t get there on rules gone stale … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Opinion, Philosophy, Writing | Tagged Burnley Irony, Enchanted Forest, Poetry, The Poetics | Leave a comment

Eckhart von Hochheim

Posted on March 27, 2014 by Terence Park

685 years ago today… On 27 March 1329, Pope John XXII issued a bull (in agro dominico) concerning the works of Eckhart von Hochheim – a German theologian, philosopher and mystic. By the time this bull was issued, Eckhart was … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Philosophy | Tagged Dominican, Eckhart, Eckhart von Hochheim, German theologian, in agro dominico, Inquisition, mystic, neo-Platonist, Philosophy, Pope John XXII, Roman Catholic orthodoxy, Theologia Germanica, theologian | Leave a comment

Philip K Dick, again

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Terence Park

This morning, I was certain that chrome on my PC had been infected by a virus; after a bit of digging, I realised that Google had done their usual: we’ve decided to change the interface and we’re sure you’ll like it but … Continue reading →

Posted in Opinion, Philosophy, Review | Tagged Ace Books, Analog, Blade Runner, Dickanian, Drugs, John Brunner, John W Campbell, Michael Moorcock, Michael Sheen, New York Times, Philip K Dick, Plato The Republic, Robert Heinlein, Science Fiction, SF, Stranger in a Strange Land, the real world, Ursula K LeGuin | 1 Comment

Philosophy in Science Fiction

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Terence Park

Do you have anything to say? I was always struck by the pithy aphorisms that littered the works of writers such as Zelazny and Heinlein. In a few words they could show what made the protagonist tick, or even the … Continue reading →