[Prestidigitweeze]

The point isn't what I think of Ballard (except in the sense that people are welcome to disagree with what I think). It's his place in history and the fact that Empire of the Sun has nothing to do with it.

I have to say -- I'm a little sad to find that no one here wants to argue contrary positions, ideally without making things personal. Perhaps it's impractical to expect that on a forum, but people here generally seem to be civil and well-read, so I did have hopes.

In these polarizing political times, we often forget that one of the best ways to test our conclusions is to find a friend who totally disagrees with us and perhaps can shoot our conclusions down. If no one disagrees, then it's harder to gain perspective.