Stanley

“Saul had seen the rash of demonic-children entertainments as a symptom of deeper underlying fears and hatreds; the “me-generation’s” inability to shift into the role of responsible parenthood at the cost of losing their own interminable childhood, the transference of guilt from divorce—the child is not really a child, but an older, evil thing, capable of deserving any abuse resulting from the adult’s selfish actions—and the anger of an entire society revolting after two decades of a culture dominated by and devoted to youthful looks, youth-oriented music, juvenile movies, and the television and movie myth of the adult-child inevitably wiser, calmer, and more “with-it” than the childish adults in the house hold. So Saul had lectured that the child-fear and child-hatred becoming visible in popular shows and books had its irrational roots in common guilts, shared anxieties, and the universal angst of the age. He had warned that the national wave of abuse, neglect, and callousness toward children had its historical antecedents and that it would run its course, but that everything possible must be done to avoid and eliminate that brand of violence before it poisoned America.”
― Dan Simmons, Carrion Comfort

“Happiness comes to be understood as the by-product of individual will, rather than structural circumstances—and this rising generation of working-class youth draws swift and unforgiving boundaries against those who cannot achieve self-change and contentment through sheer emotional resolve.”
― Jennifer M. Silva, Coming Up Short: Working-Class Adulthood in an Age of Uncertainty

“Yet, Wally’s lone hope represents a tiny force of resistance against the rising tide of risk. At the heart of his vision of the future lies a firm belief in equal opportunity, social solidarity, and risk-pooling. He also offers the possibility of a concept of self-worth and personhood that is founded on collective well-being rather than individual suffering. Across the United States and around the world, glimmers of opposition to privatization and deregulation can be found in newspapers, political debates, and policy initiatives.”
― Jennifer M. Silva, Coming Up Short: Working-Class Adulthood in an Age of Uncertainty

“Great,” said Natalie, “in evolutionary terms they’re supermen. In psychological development, they’re retarded. In moral terms, they’re subhuman.”
― Dan Simmons, Carrion Comfort