Copier Repair Man

I sorta remember, vaguely, watching parts of Kevin Costner’s dystopic The Postman many, many years ago. Didn’t read the Hugo and Nebula Awards-nominated mid-80s book by David Brin it was based on. I must’ve been channel surfing or something and recall watching a couple of scenes from the movie, maybe a total of twenty minutes worth.

But one line of dialogue stuck out, struck me, and stayed with me all these years.

Now, I don’t know the exact context of the story. But apparently society has broken down to the point where warlords roam the countryside of what was formerly the United States of America, conscripting locals into their armies for the purpose of mayhem and conquest.

One of the warlords is played by Will Patton, a character actor you’ve seen in a bunch of other stuff. He’s confronting our hero, Kevin Costner, trying to get him into his militia the easy way, by persuasion, or the hard way, by the threat of physical force.

Patton asks Costner if he has any idea what he, Patton, did before the Apocalypse.

“I was an office copier repair man,” the warlord says.

Not trying to draw any deep thoughts or allusions out of this. Just something that interested me.

* * * * *

What did you do before the Apocalypse?

I did payroll, and self-published a couple of books …