No fishduck, can't say I've ever read any of Dan Simmons' work. Regarding my handle, here is my previous post/explanation on my name posted 10/7/00:
"Well, you asked... I chose my name basically because no one else in the world would use it since most people have ever heard of it before. Hegemonic (prounounced heh-jeh-mahn-ik) is an adjective derived from the word hegemony (prounounced heh-jeh-mo-nee). Hegemony is a philosophical theory developed by the Italian philosopher Antonio Gramscii (20th Century). Basically, hegemony states that our shared culture as a society is an ongoing relationship between the people and the establishment; that extreme and/or radical ideas are accepted by the majority through homogenization. Through this process, a radical ideal is accepted by our culture by watering it down to make it more mainstream and therefore, less threatening, thus acceptable by society's standards as a whole. Hegemony goes against the Marxist idea that our culture is mandated to us by those in power, instead with hegemony, it is believed that our culture is a shared phenomenon, inclusive of all facets of our society. From that long drawn-out explanation you understand why I use so many damn commas :) I use hegemonic as my online name because I believe in the merits of the theory. Why does it matter to me? Because I majored in film and philosophy as an undergrad and I pursued my Master of Fine Arts degree in acting and directing. That was the shortest explanation I could give. Sorry for the cost on your eyesight :)"
