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NEWS: A Christmas Short Story by China Miéville

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be afraid of this man [2]

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NEWS: Three Notable Deaths

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NEWS: A Christmas Short Story by China Miéville

Christopher

Portland, OR

November 2002

DEC 24, 2004 04:43 AM

CULTURE: A Christmas� Short Story by China Mi�ville

By now, youll have the true meaning of Christmas shoved down your throat from a million different directions. TNT or TBS will tell you Christmas is a metaphoric Red Ryder air rifle. Christians picketing down at the mall will tell you that Christmas is the celebration of God giving birth to Himself. Or I could tell you that Christmas is an SG hoodie, or perhaps a lovely calendar.

But I would like to direct your attention to one voice in the cacophony of sounds all fighting for your attention: author China Miéville. Mr. Miéville offers a timely short story as a critique to the gizmos and whirligigs and gift certificates. He offers a short story that touches the very essence of the holiday in this particular moment and period of time in our world.

When I read the letter I was shaking. This was YuleCo, so it would be the real deal. There'd be Santa, and Rudolph, and Mistletoe, and Mince Pies, and a Christmas Tree with presents underneath it.

That last was what I couldn't get over. It felt so forlorn, putting my newspaper-wrapped presents next to the aspidistra, but ever since YuleCo bought the rights to coloured paper and under-tree storage, the inspectors had clamped down on Aggravated Subarborial Giftery. I kept thinking about Annie being able to reach down and fish out her present from under needle-dropping branches.

Maybe I shouldn't have told Annie, just surprised her on the day itself, but I was too excited. And if I'm honest, partly I told her because I wanted to make Aylsa jealous. She'd always made such an issue of how she didn't miss Christmas.

'Just think,' I said, 'we'll be able to sing carols legally - oh, sorry, you hate carols, don't you...' I was awful.

Annie was almost sick with excitement. She changed her online nick to tistheseason, and as far as I could work out she spent all her time boasting to her poor jealous friends. I'd peek at the screen when I brought her tea: the chatboxes were full of names like tinkerbell12 and handfulofflowers, and all I could see were exclamations like 'noooo!?!?!? crissmass?!?! soooo kewl!!!!!' before she blocked the screen demanding privacy.

Our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents had O Henry, but I think Miéville is for us.

[Hat tip: Metafilter]

Cigarette

Cleveland, OH

April 2004

DEC 24, 2004 10:28 PM

Cute.

I don't get it.

ALIO

United Kingdom

October 2004

DEC 24, 2004 10:36 PM

me neather...is that the full story?

catdad

Portland, OR

August 2002

DEC 24, 2004 10:48 PM

ALIO said:
me neather...is that the full story?

If you followed the link, yes, that is the full story.

ALIO

United Kingdom

October 2004

DEC 24, 2004 11:02 PM

i did follow the link and i still dont get it sorry guess its to early or im to dumb or something...

effstop

Las Vegas, NV

June 2004

DEC 25, 2004 12:12 AM

someone's trying to be waaaaay to "cultured/smart"

wtf, over?

swingkitten

Portland, OR

OLD SKOOL

DEC 25, 2004 12:26 AM

I kinda liked it.

ephexis

I'm lost

September 2004

DEC 25, 2004 01:13 AM

Wow, I thought this site was all about being open-minded. Based on all these comments, some people have completely missed the point. Essentially, the meaning of Christmas has been lost to the over-commercialization of the holiday. No one is trying to be "waaaaay to cultured/smart" here. I found it to be a great story and I'm glad I got to read it. THANKS FOR THE POST, CHRISTOPHER!

dirtyground

Chicago, IL

August 2003

DEC 25, 2004 02:55 AM

i dont get the story. i did until the last couple of paragraphs i guess.

dirtyground

Chicago, IL

August 2003

DEC 25, 2004 03:00 AM

yeah Christmas is over-commercialized. but if it wasn't it wouldnt be nearly as fun.

admit it! if christmas wasnt such a headfuck and everyone was all chill about it then it would be boring... no-one gives a fuck about Columbus day, huh?

ok... heres my one act play about the NON COMMERCIALIZATION OF XMAS

"dude its christmas"
"sweet"

OR

"dude its totally columbus day"
"really? oh. thats cool. columbus day sucks. lets get a smoothie"

funkmunky

Wixom, MI

February 2004

DEC 25, 2004 06:01 AM

yeah... it was an okay story. I mean, I enjoyed the concept, but I'm not a socialist, so whatever. --Funk

whirlyknives

New Orleans, LA

August 2004

DEC 25, 2004 06:29 AM

it was a nice read, though 'jingle all the way,' featuring sinbad and co. played all day yesterday on the tele, and my brain is still fried.

effstop

Las Vegas, NV

June 2004

DEC 25, 2004 09:24 AM

ephexis said:
Wow, I thought this site was all about being open-minded. Based on all these comments, some people have completely missed the point. Essentially, the meaning of Christmas has been lost to the over-commercialization of the holiday. No one is trying to be "waaaaay to cultured/smart" here. I found it to be a great story and I'm glad I got to read it. THANKS FOR THE POST, CHRISTOPHER!

sounds more like a 1984-esque society than over-commercialization, or maybe a mix of both. besides what does anyone on this site know about christianity? seems like being liberal and non-seccular are the norm, and conservative christianity is the virtual outcast. yay, christmas! everyone think presents and shopping and spending half a grand on presents for people you never see otherwise you obviously don't care about them and are a cheapskate...let's just forget all about the birth of Jesus, and the gift giving of the 3 wise men (who didn't have much) gave simple gifts.....instead of the common belief that they charged their camel-cards to the max so they could afford the latest ultra-hip manger gadgetry.

JovialLush

Las Vegas, NV

June 2004

DEC 25, 2004 10:23 AM

It was a good story but I agree with fstop it was 1984 only the people won the battle.

My journal entry today was about christmas and why do most people celebrate a christian holiday if they aren't christians. I have a disdain for christmas, what we celebrate as christmas was invented by businesses.

effstop

Las Vegas, NV

June 2004

DEC 25, 2004 02:31 PM

JovialLush said:
It was a good story but I agree with fstop it was 1984 only the people won the battle.

My journal entry today was about christmas and why do most people celebrate a christian holiday if they aren't christians. I have a disdain for christmas, what we celebrate as christmas was invented by businesses.

good call, my roommates wiccan girlfriend is sad because shes away from her family this year during christmas.....huh?!

Stiles

Oakland, CA

November 2002

DEC 25, 2004 07:02 PM

Every year, a bunch of people complain about how commercial christmas has become - and they're right, to a point - but it's getting kind of predictable and stale to say so year after year, don't you think?

Christmas is and always has been what you make of it.

Vanuslux

Atlanta, GA

February 2004

DEC 26, 2004 12:53 PM

*groan* Not liking this has nothing to do with being open or closed minded. The fact is that it isn't well written and the premise of uber-commercial Christmas has been rehashed again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and so on and so forth. It's about two steps more revolutionary than writing a poem about unrequited love.

dingoes8

Milwaukee, WI

March 2004

DEC 26, 2004 07:01 PM

China Mieville is one of my favorite authors. I wish I had the patience to read short stories online, but I just don't.

obsidity

Berkeley, CA

May 2003

DEC 31, 2004 02:14 AM

Sorry to break it to ya'll but that was really frikken funny.