Mary bothers to write a telegramme to inform her mother about the latter's death, and takes the opportunity to insult her.
Quincy Bryant whose wall behind the desk is a space heroes wall of fame yet on the other side, inside Quincy's office, the flipside of same wall is covered with hot pin-ups.
What is attractive in these two first issues is the sense of desoriented fatalism which seem to drag dwellers into losing control. Ellis's irony is at its best here again (people who live in a rocket have to defecate in a pot and throw the turd by the ship's porthole)
Let's skip favorite lines, since my favorite favorite one has alreadiy been quoted, the one about bolt washers.
In fact something has jumped up to my mind while reading:
feces. Yes it's an issue:
It's not evident, it's just I'm wondering if there's not something to focus on there, or is it because Ignition city appears to be a bloody shithole on the planet?
It starts with sloat's diarhea which is opposed to Lightnin Bowman's constipation, a disorder shared by many people here due to the food. I arleady mentioned the lack of main sewer. Colloquialisms are also excrement-orientated: "You're shitting me." People are called asswipes, assbandits (well there's a shift of meaning here but nevertheless), and they live in wingless shitboxes.
"I swear everyone here stinks of food-pill farts" Mary says. " As a matter of fact, the word shit is written almost on every page and then you can read "...g's going to shit himself" on Rock's journal, which is (precisely?) what Gears says while watching Mary leaving with a gun on her hip
Of course it is not the only aspect of Ignition City that attracts attention, but I just felt I should jot down my first impressions. Having read quite a few Ellis books, I've got a hunch that there is a pattern here which will appear issue after issue.]]>