Within BORN TO FEAR, page 83, in the section
Work Not Done?: An Interview with Thomas Ligotti (Thomas Wagner 2003), there is a passage which may lend insight to the theme I am trying to zero in on in the new thread,
I dislike both Capitalism and Socialism.
Wagner: :
One could interpret My Work Is Not Yet Done
as a harsh critique of modern American, or let's say, Western society: human greed is the root of evil. The greed for more and more money and power, along with stupidity, corrupts our whole world and leads to unavoidable catastrophe. But, nonetheless, My Work Is Not Yet Done
is not some kind of political statement, because you don't show any solution or way out of the dilemma. Your view of the world seems to be 100% pessimistic.Ligotti: My view is exactly that. While
My Work Is Not Done uses the corporate system as a starting point, this is only so that the story can go on to depict the all-encompassing system of human existence -- in fact, all organic existence --
as something fundamentally and inescapably evil. This view is essentially that of Buddhism, except Buddhism offers salvation in the form of an ultimate escape from existence through attaining enlightenment and nirvana. For me, the only escape is death.
.... (I will not type up the rest, not just yet ... too many damn things to tend to in living reality) ...
Wagner:
In our last interview you mentioned "The Shadow at the Bottom of the World" as your favourite story. What about the stories in My Work Is Not Yet Done
, especially the title story, which must really have a personal meaning for you.Ligotti: Thematically, the title story of
My Work Is Not Yet Done and "The Shadow at the Bottom of the World" are identical. Both of them emerge from the feeling of a dark, hideous power that underlies the nature and guides the workings of all organisms. In that sense, they both have a personal meaning for me.
_________________________
much more I wish to type up, but torn ... by the demands of just another day.
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