Bloodchild Response (Assessment)

1. I was confused, uncomfortable, and grossed out. I like happy, Disney-esque stories. I can't deal with the gross things that sci-fi has to offer. Also just coming out of "Attack the Block," I'm a little pissed off. How do I root for hoodlums? I don't want to root for bad people. But back to Bloodchild, the relationship between Gan and T'Gatoi saved the story a little, but that's all. It's a short story so I understand why we have so little info, but what about the world? I know we're on an alien planet, but I'd like to know more about it. That's what I like about storytelling: characters and worlds. Every plot's been told before, it's the different characters and worlds that I get invested in. In short, I wouldn't want to read this again.

2. I didn't make a single connection with this story. And that's honestly sad. I couldn't even connect with the protagonist, and that's the one thing a story is supposed to do! The human characters are African American, and I am not one, but even if they're a different race I should be able to connect with them, right? But I couldn't. Gan fights his brother, almost tries killing himself and is just overall a selfish person. This story is trying to be realistic with real-life emotions, and that's fine for people who are into that. I am not, however. I like cartoons because I can escape my crappy real-life. I want exaggerations and imaginative scenarios. I don't want to watch a movie, my escapism, only for it to shove real-life in my face again. The same applies to books and short stories like this one.

3. I'd adapt this to a movie, obviously, and I would overhaul everything. First, I wouldn't make this a horror, soap opera story. In other words, I'd change the tone of the story. I could have the elements from this story like the Tlic and the birthing process, but I wouldn't show the birth. Also, I'd have to expand the story to make it a feature, so I'd expand on Gan and T'Gatoi's relationship and expand on the alien planet, which I don't think has a name. I'd make the story a lot more optimistic. Maybe Gan and his family need to protest against the government trying to make birthings more public, like Gan mentions in the story. Oh, also I'd have to find a black person to help me write Gan and his human family. I can't write black people believably.

4. I don't want to know what the future looks like in 15 years. Even 2020 sounds like a year in a sci-fi story. It doesn't sound real at all. 2030, 2040, 2050, they sound made up. I can't believe it. I'd LIKE to imagine I'm working for Disney in some capacity, either at Disneyland / Walt Disney World or working on my scripts for Disney. Animated movies and series, probably for Disney+. I'd like my animated series to be on Disney+, anyway. I'm dodging the question obviously. I dunno, I'd like the future to look like Tomorrowland. An ideal, visionary future, but clearly that's not going to happen. And that's why I love Tomorrowland so much. It's perfect and not real, and I love things that aren't real.

5. Don't even get me started on 50 years. I just hope the world doesn't burn by then.

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