Skip to content
Click on cover to enlarge

          Facebook         Stumble      Get The Walrus on your Blackberry or Windows Mobile        RSS

“He downloaded the screen saver shortly after downloading the dog. It is a continuing sequence of images, like a silent cartoon feature, in which a man on a desert island performs a series of Robinson Crusoe-like tasks. Some — such as waving at a passing ocean liner — are designed to get him off the island; others are just things he needs to do to survive, trying to catch a fish, for example, or to climb the palm tree growing in the middle of the island to get at a coconut. In none of these endeavours is he successful. Calvin is amazed that the man has lasted so long, almost half a year, given his lack of success at acquiring even the basic necessities of life. The program must take up a huge amount of memory. At the moment, the man is throwing stones at a monkey that has appeared at the top of the coconut tree. The monkey catches the stones and throws them back at the man. Calvin watches this bloodless exchange for a while, then decides to go out for a walk.”

— from “The Man on the Island,” by Wayne Grady

For more on this and other articles in the issue, click here.

Subscribe Today Subscribe Today

» SIGN UP FOR THE WALRUS E-NEWSLETTER

Comments (4 comments)

macker: I had Johnny Castaway as a screensaver on a old 386 back in 1999 then I gave the machine away. I would like to get that screensaver again, where can I get it please? len_agnew@hotmail.com April 15, 2007 22:58 EST

freedom24: http://web.onetel.net.uk/~gnudawn/johnny/links.html April 27, 2007 07:55 EST

Smooth: Hi there - I just loved Johnny and I noticed Len's comment...there is a kind of new 'story' like screensaver, but it is a little different. It is called Skeleton Adventures and is found at http://www.skeletonadventures.com I couldn't believe it when I saw it - it is GREAT! June 16, 2007 21:09 EST

caio: hello, sorry my english because i'm brazillian.
one question: how can i donwload the screensaver The Man on the Island ???

the e-mail anonymous.jmz@gmail.com is valid
please help me January 08, 2008 17:43 EST

Comment on this article


Will not be displayed on the site

Submit a comment online

Submit a letter to the Editor


    Cancel

The Walrus E-Newsletter

Online exclusives, events, offers:
get news of everything Walrus.


IN THE NEWS:
Politics

Stephen Harper and the Theo-cons

Stephen Harper and the Theo-cons

(From Oct 2006) How cozy will Stephen Harper allow church and state? The rising clout of Canada's religious right

From the archives: November 2006

The Bad Future

Climate change vs. civilization
ADVERTISE WITH US
THE WALRUS STRAW POLL