h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: A true story, - A5388410
Author: Gardener - U196976

IS there any section in the Workshop for non-fictional stories, where the Entry forwarded herewith can be featured in and classified for easy search and perusal.
It will be also of undoubted benefit if someone can turn their hand to report on any howlers and inconsistencies or apply themselves to improving and extending the story in the spirit of cooperative writing.

Hello Gardener,

My name is Ron, and I have just read your story, which I take as a real experience, seen by you to some extent at first hand, but containing, perhaps, some degree of creative imagination to fill in the gaps which I feel you could not possibly have seen at first hand, except from other sources in and around the city that typified the general living conditions of those times. This is quite a valid technique to employ in order to depict the realities and prevailing plights of those times.

You have given us a tiny historical glimpse into your world; a world uncertain, bleak in terms of political uncertainty under Boris Yeltsin, a world longing for stability and for social and economic reform to improve the living conditions of the good, ordinary industrious people of Moscow and Russia in general.

This is a nice story, one which we see from time to time in various forms, relating to the loyalty of animals to their human carers. The 'love' shown by animals is based, of course, on pragmatism. Or is it? When an animal will lie next to the grave of its former master almost to the point of its own death, hardly bothering to eat or drink, surely this is proof of the capability of that animal to have an emotional link with its master that does not contain, necessarily, that pragmatic drive.

This is very well written. There are one or two places that could perhaps be better phrased; but if your native language is not English this is a superbly constructed piece.

Ron

Ah! Now I see you have been here on h2g2 almost as long as I have myself!

I just haven't seen you around much; you don't post very often, you must be busy working on your degree major.
I should have looked at your Personal Space before posting to you, but I am always eager to make some contribution, or to give my personal views on pieces. There are often about 1500 people on line at busy times, so I suppose it's difficult to get to know everyone unless their name pops up from time to time.
A lot of those on line seem to post a strange nickname and then disappear for good, their posting remaining around for a long time.
Nevertheless, I am very pleased to make your acquaintance and to have read your nice story. You have other postings that look equally interesting which I shall take a look at if I may.
Are you at a UK university or back in Russia? (there is no need to answer this question if you think it intrusive, but it would be interesting to know.)

Ron

Thank you for your interest in the story and other literary and factual observations.
Indeed, it is true that the story contains some fictional inserts, which are unavoidable in the case in hand. But I vouch for the authenticity of the main subject matter of the story,I saw the dog in late 90th and came across the people that were witnesses to that traffic acident.
If you have any suggestions on how to improve the narrative,I will be imeasurably gratefull;this is what the Workshop is intended for in my view: to bring the virtue of cooperative writing to bear upon our output.
As to my personal details: I live in Moscow and pass my weary hour in professional endeavours among other things. I work as a business valuer and also translate some literature incedent to the field.I also do a PhD degree.
I believe I will frequent h2g2 oftener in winter months, because there are lots of recreations and work to be done on free summer days at my dacha (countryhouse).

Hello Gardener,

Well, this is an interesting 'first' for me!
You are the first Russian with whom I have ever had the opportunity to communicate. I am really pleased to make your acquaintance. A lover of mainstream classical music, one of the first works I 'fell' for as a 20 year old was the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No2, played at that time by Julius Katchen. But I love all Rachmaninov's works, as I do Tchiakovsky's!
In fact (and I am not saying this because they were your fellow countrymen!) I love all Russian classical composers, and all your literature greats.
I believe that in Russia almost everyone goes to the ballet and to concerts as normal, every-day recreational and cultural activities.
Yours is an extremely cultured nation.
I was very pleased when your country 'opened' to the west; and I was happy to hear President Putin say that the Russian people always felt that they belonged to Europe, and were glad to be a part of it once again. After all, England (Britain), and Russia had a long history of friendship and cooperation before 1917.
Good luck with your doctorate degree.
Your English is indeed wonderful; my Russian non-existent!
I shall look out for your postings as the year progresses and you find some spare time to come on h2g2.
I shall probably take a look at your present work again, if you would like me to make some positive and constructive comments and give you a few tips on current English usage.
Not that I am a particular expert!

Ron

frontiersman

It indeed warmed the cockles of my heart to read such enthuthiastic comments about Russian music and, generally, about Russia. I am not much of a music lover, though I had a pleasure to attend accordeon class decage ago. During three years of this tortuous process I learned 3 pieces of uplifting revolutionary music plus the Internationale (for my teacher was especially fond of this genre). Having secured this modest successes I decided to call it a day to the effect that I never for the last 10 years ever took accordeon in my hands. Well, I did recently and discovered this instrument as difficult to play as the first day I approached it,-lost the skill entirely. Still, I am fond of belting out The Internationale when a rare opportunity presents itself.

There was also the question of dog motivation posed by you, which I forbore to elaborate upon because I was in hurry to write the last posting.
I am not going to humanize canine perception and psyche. But from my experience their emotional reactions are quite akin to those of humans. (And that is not to say that their sense of self-awareness and symbolic world is that developed). They have retentive memory registering physical features of external world and good sense of orientation in space. They also can adopt to various challenges and conveniences that urban environment poses to them. (It is many times that I seen wandering dogs taking public transport in Moscow to assist their mobility, perhaps, in exploration of dumping sites and refuse collectors. Trams and buses are most amenable to them, some even venture into underground trains and stations (it is obvious that it is warmer there in winters)). But not every dog, especially domesticated one, can adapt sensibly to challenging environment, when put through the wringer of such insuperable misfortune, as is described in the story.
On balance I do not even think that the dog in question behaved unreasonably. At least he was always at hand and this made easier for those locals that pitied him to bring some nourishment. And then where could he possibly go at first?
Yet if there is one thing of which I am most astonished in this entire affair, it is the subtle interplay of chances, of illusive probabilities, which sometimes materialize with utmost and inexorable inner logic: No roads are barred to bad luck if it wants to grind down upon its subjects. Others are immune to the contagion of this vicious circle of chance and keep to the silver lining of the clouds. So in the story, of which my partially veritable entry serves but a faulty account (so little is known of the actual life of the dog’s owners, so much had to be invented through the imperfect ways of fancy), his masters had by unexplainable and malign mischance (being far from harms way’s all the while - it is to be admitted in fairness) drawn more than their fair share of all the terrible and ghastly moments that colored final days of their sundown of life. Things having turned out as they did, the fortune was more benevolent to the dog, for many years thereupon only a few meters away from the stream of deadly traffic. Animals do not have human institutions to rely upon for protection, and when calamities prevail on them, they are left to fend for themselves to the degree of their ability. I still wonder how he had held out for so long, despite all the potential ravages of evil ways around him.
Heavy traffic was only one insignificant danger of many. The time was still mid-90th and profitable, legally institutionalized and state-financed system of sustained animal slaughter was in full blossom, which only recently was weaned off the needle of the city government subsidies and outlawed for good. So, add to the vicissitudes of this poor dog that he was literally like a sitting target waiting for a rifle bead to be drawn on him. Hopefully, he evaded such dispensation of death but I do not venture into the territory of conjectures.
Away from these considerations, I just thought that this animal was in a sense an epitome of what steadiness, perseverance and tranquility is both to animals and humans alike. Qualities virtuous and often rare and often left unexposed by the routine of comfortable existence. Perhaps, in the past or in the lands gripped by plight people are tried more often by circumstances on the edge of fortitude that had a potential to bring out best stamina and effort of will in them. There are some as submit to it out of their own voluntary determination - so acted monks and people of holy orders of the days of yore, whose deeds still are found recorded in the annals of ecclesiastical compositions.
Inaction and aloofness is a form of asserting one’s will to life and spirit of quiet vigour. To forsake restlessness, to distill the serenity out of changing world and make it last is no small feat in itself. That dog’s actions were canine manifestations of this resolve in faith refined to its core: for not an ounce of human guile could have possibly entered there. This story is perhaps a good inverted metaphor for what it stands for and then there is this word: “doggedness” – a form of faith made explicit in the unflagging staying power that greases the wheels of endurance.
In perceiving that, however, I hold off emotions of regret, but tender gratefulness for the animal that was for long a touchstone against which the world moved, that, as it seemed, persistently evoked the resemblance to the bright and inert star in the shifting sky. When it faded some sense of blankness prevailed. Unjustifiably, no one will raise a stone to this unnoticed incendent and so in good faith I had to preserve it by curving few lines.
On a personal level recording this account, it is to be admitted, was sort of cathartic experience for me. I also had a mongrel once that was quiet and unobtrusive yet at the same time lively, frolicking, fox-like and warmly attached. He never asked for a walk when delayed in indolence, but capered alongside me to and fro to his heart’s content when I used to share joys of forest skiing with him. That is until, and it was not a year ago and in the vicinity of my dacha, some bloody bastard, evidently mistaking himself for an English lord, a nearby forest for the extension of his grand half-acre estate and my dog for a fox, set his hound(s) on him and thereupon proceeded to thrush his head with a rod or cane. He succeeded in breaking away and in ebbing strength dragged himself to my gate, where he collapsed. Vets (one particular dimwit turned in our way) were worse than useless- he expired within 24 hours. For my part, I should have blamed myself: one should keep all things under one’s nose, be on the toes and never relax vigilance for a moment. There is always some low-intensity warfare going on around the corner.

As to the social issues that you observe were raised in the entry, life in Russia will just about be passable so long as oil prices are good. Should those raise to over 100 dollars a barrel, perhaps we will see a time when school teachers are able to earn not 5 but 10 dollars a day, and pensioners, those relying exclusively on their endowment, look into a shop, and not to local dumpster, for their new set of clothing. If crude prices fall back to below $15 a barrel, the level where they stood for the most of Yelzin’s decade, we will be back to square one.- Again my personal viewpoint, but this is how I see last 5 years of squandered economic (and for that reason budgetary and public sector) opportunities.
So I fail to see what Mr. Putin’s phrase of Russia being a part of the Europe is all about. Mr.Putin is, of course, a great talker and diplomatist and in great presidents these qualities are indispensible; but he has one fatal flaw: he is also full of himself - and he that is full of himself is empty when it comes to putting words into deeds. His reforms of the last three years indicate all to often that he is living in some rosy castles in political air. It looks that sooner of later some accident is bound to happen to him which will expose him for what he is - too likely, The Great Wizard of Oz.
In conclusion, I hope that you will keep your word and send me your improvements to the story so that we are able to make it a little more perfect. My E-mail, where the revisions could be sent to, is: [email protected]

Wish I'd read this a while back Gardner. It's a very touching story and your Moscow setting gives it extra interest for someone who's never been near that part of the world.

My deepest thanks to you Gardener for crafting this story in such a fashion, and my thanks to you to Waz for bringing it to the surface once again. Alas, I did read this at the time it was first entered but was too overcome to comment properly having shared a similar experience.

Even now the emotions conjured by this tale are tugging at my heart, the impact of such total and undying devotion so inspiring and yet tragic in turn. Perhaps it is because of my affinity to all creatures great and small, a deeper understanding of the true compexity of their emotional responses and actions that brings such to bear. Maybe it is the fact that the author has imbued this piece with a life and soul as real as that of the dog itself, immortalizing something which would have otherwise left this plane if only sustained by memory alone.

Perhaps and maybes aside I found this to be a most well written piece, full of thought provoking complexity yet not drawn out nor overdone for it's own sake. Instead it relies upon it's own virtues, that of perseverance in the face of tragedy and unending hope to give it force and it's impact is undeniable. When viewed in context with the authors own personal experience as related in previous posts it becomes all the more potent, an undeniable ode to love shared beyond the boundries of speech or species, a bond that transends such mere trivialities.

Once again I say thank you and I sincerly hope that you grace us with more such works in the future. I for one will be on the lookout!

Spy

Hello Gardener, it looks as though you're an occasional visitor to h2g2. I do hope you come by again.

You asked if there was anywhere for non-fiction stories to be featured and searched for. Well the best h2g2 has to offer for personal stories is a place in the <./>underguide</.> (UG). To be selected for the UG, entries must to be well written and have what it needs to attract the selectors' attention. Your entry qualifies on both counts and I'm here to offer you congratulations on your entry being picked for the UG, .

What happens next is that an UnderGuide Gem Polisher (a kind of editor) will be in touch with you. They'll deal with any howlers, inconsistencies (though I don't recall any on my read through) and talk about any improvements they might see.

After that the UG polished copy of your story will be featured on h2g2's Front Page and will then go into the UG archives.

The unofficial, but more user-friendly archives, giving different UG categories, are here A1007876 while the official h2g2 UG archive is at C1233 if you wish to look at previous selections.

Thank you for posting this - it's a moving story and it's setting gives it an extra flavour.

My apologies for a belated reply to your posting: It is indeed over a year overdue. But I have a habit to answer any well-intentioned comments. In your case it slipped under my 'radar screen' initially, and it is only now upon re-reading the string that I was able to retrieve it.
Well, I hope that any good said unto others, will come back amplified one day: Even if it not be universally so,it makes the principle even more valid for the sake of it ( so in this sense praise is a pudding in itself). In my case it is almost certainly not univesally so: I read your writings concerning the space and time travellers and the miraculous happenings in their experiential domain, by means of repaying the efforts of your good comments upon me. They are indeed elegantly composed, but it is mostly a fiction. It has hyperbolic elements of reality and, as such, does reflect it, though remaining a fiction.The prevailing claustrophobia is well-depicted, as are other elements of the stage-managed 'reality TV of reality'. As a rule,I don't like fiction, because the reality is always, but generally in ways unbeknown to us, stanger than it. That is why I seldom have a calling or duty to write. But you write volumes, and they are its own reward, since it can be said that your fiction is stranger than fiction and almost surpasses it in its inclination towards reality.Both worlds are combined well, and you depicted the one appearing most probable to you!

It's good to see you back Gardener. Did you see the UnderGuide copy of your story here A9904773?

We did alter a couple of things in the narrative, that we thought made it a little easier to read but nothing much. The big thing we changed was the title. We already had an entry with that title, so called yours 'By the Shosse Enthusiastov - a true story...'.

It was h2g2's Front Page for a week in March.

The comments you make there about writings on space and time travel -I wonder which entry it was you read. It sounds like one of dmitrigheorgheni's.
Waz

Actually I was replying to the Researcher 1143270's kindly comments about me.
But your comments are also more than welcome. I read your title page too,now. It has a very relevant parable about the Gardener (not me I hope, but I share in the sentiments):

"Someone once said a passerby looked over a garden wall & said to the man gardening what a very nice garden it was, & that you could see God's work in a garden. The man who was gardening, who hadn't seen God doing any of the digging, said he should have seen it when God had had it to himself.

When "God" really had it to himself, before man built on it, it was a wild wood teeming with birds & insects, lizards, frogs & toads, polecats, boar & wolves.
Or a grass plain filled with wild flowers, shoals of blue & copper butterflies , rabbits & hares, buzzards soaring overhead.
Or a marsh, vibrating to a bittern's boom, whistling reedbeds, ducks scattered by harriers skimming the water. Otters fishing.

And all without ploughing, digging, mowing, weeding, spraying, fertilizing, strimming, edging, raking, hoeing, forking, mulching, watering, staking, tieing, pruning, clipping, shredding, burning . . . "
I recently attended a presentation by Sir Boulton of Ediburgh Univesity, it looks that, if he is to be believed, in 50 or 100 years due to global warming it is all lights-out for us. Well, in 50 or 100 years it is lights-out for us, anyway. But,personally, I care about the deluge after and due to us. But I am optimistic (even at this early stage when it has not yet ended) that the 'world's great age will begin anew'.
Do you?
I read the story in its final March completion in the UnderGuide,and I am glad you did some changes improving it. I hope I might be able to write something worthy again for H2G2 one day.