About this Blog

Bronx-otopia explores topics of interest to the blogwriter.  The name is based on the geographical location, in that I live in southwestern Bronx, and the term “topias.”  There are five different topias:  Utopia, eutopia, dystopia, outopia and heterotopia.  Utopia is an ideal society.  Dystopia is a negative utopia, or a totalitarian, oppressive world (sounds like some recent politics, where on one side consensus is forced and the other, it’s invited).  Eutopia is a positive utopia.  It is a perfect place but not fictional.  Outopia however is fiction; or unrealistic.  It is derived from the Greek “ou” for “no” and “-topos” for place.  When blended with Eutopia, the words mean utopia, or a positive fictional place.  Another otopia is Heterotopia, which means, the other place.  It is a mixture of “utopian” escapism and turning virtual possibilities into reality.  An example of a heterotopia is cyberspace.  Samuel R. Elany’s novel, “Trouble on Triton” is subtitled:  “An Ambigiuous Heterotopia” suggesting it is neither utopian nor dystopian.  It presents several conflicting perspectives on utopias.  Examples of a dystopic society?  Jack London’s The Iron Heel, George Orwell’s 1984,  Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange, and Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta.    More:  Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Evgenii Zamiatin’s We, Ayn Rand’s Anthem, Lois Lowry’s The Giver, Samuel Butler’s Erewhon, Chuck Palahniuk’s Rant, and Cormac McCarthy’s The Road.  These definitions are taken from Reference.com (though I’ve read most of the above books). 

So this website deals with reality but also ideal, fictional worlds, in the hopes of turning the virtual into the real world. It is a matter of turning the virtual into the real, if that real is worthy.

My background: journalism and later book publishing as an editor. Occasionally freelance articles for publications, and in spare time, work on fiction. I work in the computer services industry.  Hobbies:  reading, jogging, writing.  Like to run road races and train for marathons, more for improving fitness than anything.