Where do I feel the media will be in five years? Unfortunately, I am unable to be as current in what has been going on in the world, but with the knowledge of the new leak on WikiLeaks, it seems as if media will begin to be more controlled. At the moment, the media seems to be out of control and running free with their ability to basically say whatever they want in any form, where someone will read it or hear it. Technology is so accessible to the common man that if you want to get some sort of information, you probably can. Google is basically the tell all browser where you can find anything you need, it will give you a link. Perhaps in five years, things will be different. Google may be under more supervision and certain websites may not be allowed to be posted. Bloggers could become censored. It is already like this in China, so it does not seem impossible that that amount of strict control could end up in the United States.
How about in fifteen years? So this is way more of speculation than anything else, but in fifteen years technology should be amazing. Each year something new comes out that outshines the previous model or anything outdated. Right now, people are basically connected 24/7, with the ability to have internet on their cellular phones. In fifteen years, with many advances in technology, people could really be connected all day, everyday; even when they are sleeping. Personally, that just freaks me out. It is strange when people have to be on their phone all of the time because of emails or for the feeling of being connected to multiple people at once. New ways to interact with technology will also be invented, like taking stereoscopic televisions to a new level, perhaps making the computer stereoscopic, just to have an out of body experience at all times. Technology takes awhile to develop and expand so I do not think fifteen years will be too outrageous, but definetly as time moves forward, technology will begin to take over our lives on a whole new level.
In fifty years? I do not know where to begin. I probably will not even care about what kind of technology is out there in fifty years. Hopefully, I will be retired by then. Even though I am in the computer animation major, technology is cool, but it is not something I care a lot about unless I am looking to buy something. Trying to speculate about fifty years I can not really think of it.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
A Clockwork Orange
It has been a couple years since I have read Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange, and so this week I decided to revisit that novel. Anthony Burgess is a very talented author and every time I read A Clockwork Orange, I discover a new detail I had previously over read. The first time I read A Clockwork Orange was in ninth grade when my parents were given a vhs of the film adaptation. I had decided to read the novel prior to watching the film, since films tend to leave out many of the details that authors write. The novel was hard to understand at first with the colloquialism Burgess' characters speak. The further into the novel that I got, the more invested I felt in the plot and the life of Alex and his droogs.
The main character Alex's inability to experience feelings in response to the crimes he commits creates an interesting plot; his droogs an interesting sub plot. Alex, as the leader, is very reluctant to give up his position when he is tested by his colleagues and he is quick to respond with violence. Of course being violent themselves, his droogs trick him into getting caught at the scene of one of Alex's worst crimes where he murders a woman. My favorite part of the novel is when Alex gets out of prison early to be in an experimental method of brain washing. Everytime they played a movie of violent acts, Alex would eventually begin to feel nauseous. The cool part was when he also began to associate Beethoven's 5th with violence and nausea. The entire novel is excelently written and following Alex's journey through his crimes to punishment back to how he ends up at a house where he commited earlier crimes is very interesting.
Of course I saw the film after I had read the novel, and it was a good portrayal of the novel. I was impressed with the adaptation. Burgess' novel is better than the film, but I feel like the actors and the script were a good portrayal of the events that happen throughout the novel.
The main character Alex's inability to experience feelings in response to the crimes he commits creates an interesting plot; his droogs an interesting sub plot. Alex, as the leader, is very reluctant to give up his position when he is tested by his colleagues and he is quick to respond with violence. Of course being violent themselves, his droogs trick him into getting caught at the scene of one of Alex's worst crimes where he murders a woman. My favorite part of the novel is when Alex gets out of prison early to be in an experimental method of brain washing. Everytime they played a movie of violent acts, Alex would eventually begin to feel nauseous. The cool part was when he also began to associate Beethoven's 5th with violence and nausea. The entire novel is excelently written and following Alex's journey through his crimes to punishment back to how he ends up at a house where he commited earlier crimes is very interesting.
Of course I saw the film after I had read the novel, and it was a good portrayal of the novel. I was impressed with the adaptation. Burgess' novel is better than the film, but I feel like the actors and the script were a good portrayal of the events that happen throughout the novel.
Children of Men
For this week, one of the recommended movies was Children of Men. I had not previously seen this movie, but had heard about it that I decided to check it out. This film was definitely not what I had expected. In truth, I actually really disliked Children of Men. Nothing that occurred during the course of the film was remotely interesting to me and I did not like the plot.
Children of Men takes place in 2027 in a world where women can no longer conceive. No one has been able to become pregnant within eighteen years and miraculously a woman does. The rest of the film is about Clive Owen and his journey to help this woman get to freedom and safety from dystopian London with violence and warring nationalistic sects. The course of actions that occur do not make sense and explosions and incidents occur without any explanation of how that happened and what was even happening. At the very beginning of the film a building blows up and that explosion is really unnecessary. That does not help the plot and it does not really even explain why there are explosions happening randomly. Nothing was set up for the viewer. The ending was also extremely unsatisfying. Clive Owen dies with the woman and her baby in a row boat in the middle of this random body of water. She is left all alone to wait for a mystery boat that may not even exist. They went through this entire journey for a mystery Human project that no one was actually completely positive of it actually existing. I can understand why they would try; they had nothing to lose, but just the fact of it is ridiculous. They broke into an immigrant camp that was a whole lot like concentration camps which was really disturbing. That made me think about how if we do not look at history, it will repeat itself, which is clear in this film that they did not learn from the past. The cinemetography was fine, I was mostly unimpressed with the plot and subplots throughout the film.
Children of Men takes place in 2027 in a world where women can no longer conceive. No one has been able to become pregnant within eighteen years and miraculously a woman does. The rest of the film is about Clive Owen and his journey to help this woman get to freedom and safety from dystopian London with violence and warring nationalistic sects. The course of actions that occur do not make sense and explosions and incidents occur without any explanation of how that happened and what was even happening. At the very beginning of the film a building blows up and that explosion is really unnecessary. That does not help the plot and it does not really even explain why there are explosions happening randomly. Nothing was set up for the viewer. The ending was also extremely unsatisfying. Clive Owen dies with the woman and her baby in a row boat in the middle of this random body of water. She is left all alone to wait for a mystery boat that may not even exist. They went through this entire journey for a mystery Human project that no one was actually completely positive of it actually existing. I can understand why they would try; they had nothing to lose, but just the fact of it is ridiculous. They broke into an immigrant camp that was a whole lot like concentration camps which was really disturbing. That made me think about how if we do not look at history, it will repeat itself, which is clear in this film that they did not learn from the past. The cinemetography was fine, I was mostly unimpressed with the plot and subplots throughout the film.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Bloodchild
The short story read for class this week was Bloodchild by Octavia Butler. This short story was under the diverse position of science fiction section. I am not a fan of the science fiction genre; I tend to find the plots too strange for me. I sometimes pass by the science fiction channel on the television and stop to see what's on, but I tend to change the channel.
This short story in particular was not my usual reading material. The title Bloodchild makes the reader wonder the context of what that could mean. I originally thought about blood sisters and that tradition where kids will share blood to become related. The story itself is, lack of a better word, weird. Between the strange relationship the Tlic has with the Terrain at such a young age seems unnatural. Also, the role reversal of the child bearing was interesting. The Tlic's choose the men to carry their children for them so that the women can bear children for the Tlic's to have. It seems like the only reason the Tlic's are trying to protect teh Terrains is only to use them for children so they can have their children and continue on their bloodlines. definitely raised the question about how much the host knows about childbearing and how the Tlic's children actually work. The grubs hatch and eat their shell, but if they are not taken out in time they will eat their host from the inside out. That circumstance actually reminds me of the movie Alien vs. Predator or just Alien because the alien places its egg inside the human host, and when the egg is ready to be born, the alien baby will eat its way out of its host.
I am stuck at the age the Tlic chooses the Terran to be. In out society the age of the boy is so young and it seems so weird that he would be engaging in this way with the Tlic. The main character's brother seemed the most interesting to me. He's been in a situation that the main character can never imagine being in, which is why the brother is so against the Tlic's. Although, he has learned that as long as his brother is willing to carry the eggs of the Tlic than he is safe from being involved with them in anyway.
This short story in particular was not my usual reading material. The title Bloodchild makes the reader wonder the context of what that could mean. I originally thought about blood sisters and that tradition where kids will share blood to become related. The story itself is, lack of a better word, weird. Between the strange relationship the Tlic has with the Terrain at such a young age seems unnatural. Also, the role reversal of the child bearing was interesting. The Tlic's choose the men to carry their children for them so that the women can bear children for the Tlic's to have. It seems like the only reason the Tlic's are trying to protect teh Terrains is only to use them for children so they can have their children and continue on their bloodlines. definitely raised the question about how much the host knows about childbearing and how the Tlic's children actually work. The grubs hatch and eat their shell, but if they are not taken out in time they will eat their host from the inside out. That circumstance actually reminds me of the movie Alien vs. Predator or just Alien because the alien places its egg inside the human host, and when the egg is ready to be born, the alien baby will eat its way out of its host.
I am stuck at the age the Tlic chooses the Terran to be. In out society the age of the boy is so young and it seems so weird that he would be engaging in this way with the Tlic. The main character's brother seemed the most interesting to me. He's been in a situation that the main character can never imagine being in, which is why the brother is so against the Tlic's. Although, he has learned that as long as his brother is willing to carry the eggs of the Tlic than he is safe from being involved with them in anyway.
Blade Runner
The Movie Blade Runner was one of the better science fiction genre films I have seen. When Blade Runner was made in 1982, it was clear that it was ahead of its time. Taking place in the future of 2019 in Los Angeles with replicants of humans. Harrison Ford was the Blade Runner, a cop who was sent to terminate replicants who had excaped an off-earth colony and were threatening the city of Los Angeles. The effects of Blade Runner was what was ahead of its time. Computer Graphics were just beginning in the early 80s and really not that great. This film was definitely impressive. The cyberpunk story was also interesting. The connection that Harrison Ford's character, Rick, developed for the female replicant he had to test was a nice subplot to this film. The sophostication of the woman replicant and her ability to show feelings was also seen in the male replicant, Roy, at the end. When Rick was finishing off the last of the replicants he killed the girlfriend of Roy's which of course pissed Roy off and wanted to exact his revenge on Rick. Of course he was already planning on killing Rick, but it gave him more of a reason once he saw his love dead by a bullet. Roy had Rick off the edge of a building, but had an epiphany of the meaning of life and death at the very last second and saved Rick's life at the time of his own termination.
The growth of Roy's character was short lived, but Rick had the most development throughout the film. Rick begins as a retired Blade Runner who comes out of retirement to terminate these six replicants who escaped an off-earth colony who are dangerous. He starts off just as he would any other time he had to terminate replicants but it starts to become more personal when he develops feelings for the woman replica and when they start to come after him and he has many close calls with death. When he gets saved by Roy, he has become a changed Blade Runner. His new experiences have caused a change in his feelings towards his job.
The growth of Roy's character was short lived, but Rick had the most development throughout the film. Rick begins as a retired Blade Runner who comes out of retirement to terminate these six replicants who escaped an off-earth colony who are dangerous. He starts off just as he would any other time he had to terminate replicants but it starts to become more personal when he develops feelings for the woman replica and when they start to come after him and he has many close calls with death. When he gets saved by Roy, he has become a changed Blade Runner. His new experiences have caused a change in his feelings towards his job.
The Drowned Giant
For the week of the multiverse narrative, I read the short story "The Drowned Giant" by J.G.Ballard. I am not sure what a multiverse narrative is, but the short story was different than others I have read. The title is basically what this short story is about. There are no surprises at all. Literally a giant that drowned washed up on shore where everyone went to investigate it. There are great details about the body of the giant and his size in comparison to the fishing boats that went to investigate the body. Even the description of the people walking and playing on the giants appendages gives a great comparison of size.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Conventions of Science Fiction
What makes Sci-Fi?
I personally do not watch or read a lot of science fiction, but out of the few I have seen, there are many similarities...
monsters or aliens
chessy effects
bad acting
distant planets
stories based on urban legends (ie Chupacabra)
suspension of disbelief
alternative timelines
time travel
robots
outerspace
future
I personally do not watch or read a lot of science fiction, but out of the few I have seen, there are many similarities...
monsters or aliens
chessy effects
bad acting
distant planets
stories based on urban legends (ie Chupacabra)
suspension of disbelief
alternative timelines
time travel
robots
outerspace
future
The Sirens of Titan
This week I chose to read a novel off of the alternative reading list. Kurt Vonnegut is by far one of my favorite authors. His writing style is very unique and I just love how he tells stories. I was able to read part of Vonnegut's novel The Sirens of Titan. This week I was unable to spend as much time as I would have preferred reading his novel, but from what I was reading, the novel was very interesting. I was getting into the plot and was starting to think of questions of how certain scenarios were going to pan out.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Warbreaker
The week's theme was traditional fantasy where we were to read Brandon Sanderson's Warbreaker. The novel started off interesting, and yet very confusing. Sanderson jumped right in with details of BioChroma, but did not really explain what that was. I did not know what Breathe was either and the purpose of it. I was still unsure until around chapter five when the God's were introduced. When Sanderson introduced Lightsong, I had no idea who that was until the end of the chapter. The characters' introduction into the novel was very abrupt and I was unsure what was happening each time a new character took the perspective.
I stopped reading the novel on purpose this time; not because I ran out of time. I did not enjoy the confusion while I was reading, but also the plot. The story line seemed interesting at first, but as I got further in, the plot seemed to be going nowhere. The novel was pregressing too slowly to keep my interest. I am unsure why some details were in the novel or some random dialouge that seems to have no purpose. I enjoy a novel that goes into detail about places, people, or situations, but I can see a purpose in the writing. In Sanderson's Warbreaker, some things just seem unnecessary.
I stopped reading the novel on purpose this time; not because I ran out of time. I did not enjoy the confusion while I was reading, but also the plot. The story line seemed interesting at first, but as I got further in, the plot seemed to be going nowhere. The novel was pregressing too slowly to keep my interest. I am unsure why some details were in the novel or some random dialouge that seems to have no purpose. I enjoy a novel that goes into detail about places, people, or situations, but I can see a purpose in the writing. In Sanderson's Warbreaker, some things just seem unnecessary.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Anansi Boys
This week was a week for mythic fiction, where we read Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys. Anansi Boys was my first Gaiman novel and I really enjoyed reading it. I do not tend to read this genre either, but II will probably read more Gaiman. I found Anansi Boys to be very humorous and enjoyable.
As I began to read, it took me awhile to figure out who Fat Charlie was. Gaiman automatically names Fat Charlie as he introduces his father, but as a reader I did not know who Fat Charlie was making the beginning confusing for me. Of course, as I continued on further through the novel, I realized who Fat Charlie was and how he was the main character. Actually, the way that Gaiman introduces his characters in this novel is different than what I have read before, which made my experience reading this novel even more enjoyable.
The character Fat Charlie seemed very weak; he was not in control of his work life or really his personal life. It seemed as if he could not hold a job and the only reason his fiancé had agreed to marry him was because her mother hated the idea.
Unfortunately, I did not have time to complete Anansi Boys during the week. I have reached the part where Fat Charlie has just asked for help from a God to get rid of his brother, Spider. Now, figuring out his father was a God was a twist I had not seen coming and then also that Fat Charlie had a brother who had gotten all of the God-like abilities. The contrasting characters of Fat Charlie and Spider created a nice dramatic encounter between the two and also created the conflict of the novel.
It took me a few chapters to realize that the characters in the novel are of African descent. Gaiman never comes out to reveal what his characters actually look like, but through his descriptions of other aspects of the characters it starts to become clear.
I would really enjoy finishing Anansi Boys and begin to read more of his novels. Gaiman has a nice sense of humor throughout the novel and it never seems to get stiff. I look forward to finishing Gaiman’s Anansi Boys when I get the opportunity.
As I began to read, it took me awhile to figure out who Fat Charlie was. Gaiman automatically names Fat Charlie as he introduces his father, but as a reader I did not know who Fat Charlie was making the beginning confusing for me. Of course, as I continued on further through the novel, I realized who Fat Charlie was and how he was the main character. Actually, the way that Gaiman introduces his characters in this novel is different than what I have read before, which made my experience reading this novel even more enjoyable.
The character Fat Charlie seemed very weak; he was not in control of his work life or really his personal life. It seemed as if he could not hold a job and the only reason his fiancé had agreed to marry him was because her mother hated the idea.
Unfortunately, I did not have time to complete Anansi Boys during the week. I have reached the part where Fat Charlie has just asked for help from a God to get rid of his brother, Spider. Now, figuring out his father was a God was a twist I had not seen coming and then also that Fat Charlie had a brother who had gotten all of the God-like abilities. The contrasting characters of Fat Charlie and Spider created a nice dramatic encounter between the two and also created the conflict of the novel.
It took me a few chapters to realize that the characters in the novel are of African descent. Gaiman never comes out to reveal what his characters actually look like, but through his descriptions of other aspects of the characters it starts to become clear.
I would really enjoy finishing Anansi Boys and begin to read more of his novels. Gaiman has a nice sense of humor throughout the novel and it never seems to get stiff. I look forward to finishing Gaiman’s Anansi Boys when I get the opportunity.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The Golden Compass
The novel for this week from Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass; a novel of spiritual education. I was able to read half of The Golden Compass and it was different than what I had expected. Lyra,as the main character, definitely makes her the most interesting since the reader follows her journey. Since, I have only made it half way through the novel, Mrs. Coulter has not played a major role, but Pullman set up the plot in a way that the reader knows she will begin to play a more prominent role in Lyra's journey, which finding out Lyra's origins was definitely a surprise. After Lyra had run away from Mrs. Coulter, Lyra finds out that Mrs. Coulter was truly her mother and her "uncle" Lord Asriel, was in actuality, her father.
Pullman's character development allowed me to envelop myself in the reading. The mystery of Mrs. Coulter and her purpose was intriguing. Her daemon, the golden monkey, revealed some of her personality, especially when he would lash out in anger at Pan, Lyra's daemon. Pullman's invention of the daemon gave the novel and characters more depth. From what I noticed while reading, the daemon's were a part of the character's souls. For example, Pan was an extension of Lyra's life force, and whenever something happened to Pan, Lyra could feel it. The daemon’s helped with the fantasy of the novel and they acted kind of like the consciousness of the characters.
As I was reading The Golden Compass, I did not pick up on the spiritual aspects throughout. I am not entirely sure if it was because Pullman had embedded the teachings to certain happenings throughout. If the spirituality of a book is not obvious, it is hard for me to find it. When we had discussed the novel in class, the teachings and spirituality became clear, but it was through discussion that I finally realized. Pullman most likely embedded the meanings on purpose so it would teach morality and lessons, but the novel could also be entertainment. This would allow for multiple types of readers.
Pullman's character development allowed me to envelop myself in the reading. The mystery of Mrs. Coulter and her purpose was intriguing. Her daemon, the golden monkey, revealed some of her personality, especially when he would lash out in anger at Pan, Lyra's daemon. Pullman's invention of the daemon gave the novel and characters more depth. From what I noticed while reading, the daemon's were a part of the character's souls. For example, Pan was an extension of Lyra's life force, and whenever something happened to Pan, Lyra could feel it. The daemon’s helped with the fantasy of the novel and they acted kind of like the consciousness of the characters.
As I was reading The Golden Compass, I did not pick up on the spiritual aspects throughout. I am not entirely sure if it was because Pullman had embedded the teachings to certain happenings throughout. If the spirituality of a book is not obvious, it is hard for me to find it. When we had discussed the novel in class, the teachings and spirituality became clear, but it was through discussion that I finally realized. Pullman most likely embedded the meanings on purpose so it would teach morality and lessons, but the novel could also be entertainment. This would allow for multiple types of readers.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The Hobbit
The topic for this week's reading was the Heroic Journey, so of course it was only fitting for the novel of choice to be The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein. I had never read The Hobbit before, but I am a fan of Tolkein's The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, especially the movies.
Reading the origins of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins is an adventure for the reader. The Hobbit was escapism for me as I read the novel, since it put me in a completely different time and space that I could not really connect to on any deeper level other than pure entertainment.
I can not say that The Hobbit is the best book I ever read, but I did enjoy the novel. I could not really connect with the characters though; it was more as if I was looking in on their adventure than being apart of it.
The novel went full circle. Bilbo is greeted by some uncanny fellows,the dwarfs and Gandalf, at his door one afternoon around tea time at the beginning of the novel. Bilbo is forced upon this long adventure for the head dwarfs family's gold that was stolen by the dragon. When the gold is finally seized and returned to the dwarfs, Bilbo goes home to the Shire. At the end of the novel, Gandalf gives Bilbo a visit, which if the beginning was any indication, means Bilbo is bound for another adventure.
As we learned in class, epic journeys tend to be circular in structure. The hero begins the journey, the hero goes on the journey, the hero makes his way home, and at some point will go on a journey again. It seems as if once on an adventure, the hero always wants to be on an adventure. Maybe at the time of the journey, the hero does not, but once he is home all he can think about is being out in the world discovering new things.
The Hobbit is my first J.R.R. Tolkein book I have read, and now I may go on to read The Lord of the Rings. I do not tend to read epic journey novels, but as my first one, I will probably branch out of my usual genre and read more.
Reading the origins of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins is an adventure for the reader. The Hobbit was escapism for me as I read the novel, since it put me in a completely different time and space that I could not really connect to on any deeper level other than pure entertainment.
I can not say that The Hobbit is the best book I ever read, but I did enjoy the novel. I could not really connect with the characters though; it was more as if I was looking in on their adventure than being apart of it.
The novel went full circle. Bilbo is greeted by some uncanny fellows,the dwarfs and Gandalf, at his door one afternoon around tea time at the beginning of the novel. Bilbo is forced upon this long adventure for the head dwarfs family's gold that was stolen by the dragon. When the gold is finally seized and returned to the dwarfs, Bilbo goes home to the Shire. At the end of the novel, Gandalf gives Bilbo a visit, which if the beginning was any indication, means Bilbo is bound for another adventure.
As we learned in class, epic journeys tend to be circular in structure. The hero begins the journey, the hero goes on the journey, the hero makes his way home, and at some point will go on a journey again. It seems as if once on an adventure, the hero always wants to be on an adventure. Maybe at the time of the journey, the hero does not, but once he is home all he can think about is being out in the world discovering new things.
The Hobbit is my first J.R.R. Tolkein book I have read, and now I may go on to read The Lord of the Rings. I do not tend to read epic journey novels, but as my first one, I will probably branch out of my usual genre and read more.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
A Wild Sheep Chase
The J-Horror reading this week was A Wild Sheep Chase. I did not know anything about Japanese Horror going into this week's reading. I am personally not a horror fan, so I never ventured to foreign versions. As I was reading I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Haruki Murakami's novel. I am so used to fast pace novels where there is so much action taking place that having an author slow me down and take in the surroundings and the main character's daily life was refreshing, to say the least.
It was also interesting that in class someone had pointed out that Murakami never gives the characters names, except for the cat, Kipper. It is something I never realized as I was going through. It seems now that names are trivial to the actual plot and the author's storytelling abilities. I suppose sometimes author's rely on the names of characters than the actual personalities and what they have to offer the story.
The girlfriend is my favorite character in A Wild Sheep Chase. She is really interesting and I love how Murakami decided to portray her; her beautiful ears that she hides and her sixth sense. I think it is cute that she will reveal her ears only to the main character, kind of proving their relationship to the audience in a way.
I have not yet finished this novel, but I fully intend to. I am currently at the part where the main character and his girlfriend have just met and interacted with the Sheep Professor. The novel is beginning to pick up in pace, and yet still manage to capture the essence of the slow pace of Japanese life. Only now is the mysterious sheep with the star actually having a part in the novel. The first half did not really mention what the sheep had to do with anything. Everything was very wide open and ambiguous; leaving the reader’s mind to wonder and question. I enjoy novels that give me the chance to think and attempt to figure out the mystery for myself before it is revealed.
It was also interesting that in class someone had pointed out that Murakami never gives the characters names, except for the cat, Kipper. It is something I never realized as I was going through. It seems now that names are trivial to the actual plot and the author's storytelling abilities. I suppose sometimes author's rely on the names of characters than the actual personalities and what they have to offer the story.
The girlfriend is my favorite character in A Wild Sheep Chase. She is really interesting and I love how Murakami decided to portray her; her beautiful ears that she hides and her sixth sense. I think it is cute that she will reveal her ears only to the main character, kind of proving their relationship to the audience in a way.
I have not yet finished this novel, but I fully intend to. I am currently at the part where the main character and his girlfriend have just met and interacted with the Sheep Professor. The novel is beginning to pick up in pace, and yet still manage to capture the essence of the slow pace of Japanese life. Only now is the mysterious sheep with the star actually having a part in the novel. The first half did not really mention what the sheep had to do with anything. Everything was very wide open and ambiguous; leaving the reader’s mind to wonder and question. I enjoy novels that give me the chance to think and attempt to figure out the mystery for myself before it is revealed.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Interview With The Vampire
My first encounter with Interview With The Vampire was when I watched the movie a year ago. I happened to come across the movie on Netflix and decided to watch it. I can honestly say that I had never intended on reading the novel.
When I saw that the novel this week was Interview With The Vampire, I was looking forward to reading it. Much to my surprise, I enjoyed Ann Rice's novel. It surprised me how invigorating each page was and how I could rarely put it down. Rice's words kept me interested, not so much the action; since there was very little that truly happened. Most of the time they lived their days the same or they were searching for others, nothing more really happened. Yet so much time lapsed without the reader really realizing it.
A nice twist to the novel towards the end in Part 3 was when Lestat arose from the "dead" as Louis and Claudia had thought he was. Lestat knowing the vampires in Paris was enough of a spin, but bringing him back to avenge Claudia's attempt at murder was clever. It seems as if only sunlight will truly, without a doubt, kill vampires and keep them dead.
As I was finishing up the novel, the change in Louis was disheartening. I loved his character and how he felt love and passion when vampires are very self concerned creatures. He loved the mortal soul even though he could no longer posess it. When he killed all of those vampires in the Theatre des Vampires, he no longer felt love or really anything that made him an attractive character in the beginning. He had become more like Lestat with his selfish ways, dragging along Armand without really engaging with him in any of his pursuits. Revenge had killed the last of his mortal soul, which he tried relentlessly to hold on to.
The interviewer also was a surprising character. He seemed to play a role in the end which was not unveiled until Louis had completely finished his story. Throughout the interview I never had guessed that the interviewer would want to become a vampire himself. After listening to the misery Louis had been through, the mystery of immortality was still sronger than the warnings. The fact that he would then go to Lestat after hearing how he treats those he transforms into vampires is kind of humorous.
When I saw that the novel this week was Interview With The Vampire, I was looking forward to reading it. Much to my surprise, I enjoyed Ann Rice's novel. It surprised me how invigorating each page was and how I could rarely put it down. Rice's words kept me interested, not so much the action; since there was very little that truly happened. Most of the time they lived their days the same or they were searching for others, nothing more really happened. Yet so much time lapsed without the reader really realizing it.
A nice twist to the novel towards the end in Part 3 was when Lestat arose from the "dead" as Louis and Claudia had thought he was. Lestat knowing the vampires in Paris was enough of a spin, but bringing him back to avenge Claudia's attempt at murder was clever. It seems as if only sunlight will truly, without a doubt, kill vampires and keep them dead.
As I was finishing up the novel, the change in Louis was disheartening. I loved his character and how he felt love and passion when vampires are very self concerned creatures. He loved the mortal soul even though he could no longer posess it. When he killed all of those vampires in the Theatre des Vampires, he no longer felt love or really anything that made him an attractive character in the beginning. He had become more like Lestat with his selfish ways, dragging along Armand without really engaging with him in any of his pursuits. Revenge had killed the last of his mortal soul, which he tried relentlessly to hold on to.
The interviewer also was a surprising character. He seemed to play a role in the end which was not unveiled until Louis had completely finished his story. Throughout the interview I never had guessed that the interviewer would want to become a vampire himself. After listening to the misery Louis had been through, the mystery of immortality was still sronger than the warnings. The fact that he would then go to Lestat after hearing how he treats those he transforms into vampires is kind of humorous.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Monster Island
This was the week of Monsters and Zombies. Zombies are an interesting subject matter because they are people, but not really. They only have the shape of a human: no mental capabilities or any kind of drive except to feed. Basically, cannibals that can not die.
When I first started to read Monster Island, I was unsure what to think. I actually thought the book was kind of dull until chapter seven. Once the ship arrived in New York did the plot start to thicken and more action began. The whole reason they were there in the first place is confusing. The question of why does Mama Halimila need the AIDS drugs is still unanswered after Part 1.
Gary is the most terrifying zombie because he knows what he’s doing: when he eats people and etc. He is the reader's first person point of view from a zombie. When Ifiyah was dying, Gary could not help himself except to eat the girl. He tried to rationalize it by going over in his head that she was dying anyways and was in a lot of pain; more importantley it is still fact that he rationalized his cannibalism, which makes him terrifying. The characters are putting their trust in a thinking zombie who in the end is just as cannibalistic as the rest.
There is an ironic reversal of civilization in Monster Island. The most populated cities go first and third world countries are now the safe places to be. Delklab discussed how his life living in Africa was terrifying and he felt very unsafe. He was planning on sending his daughter off to Europe for boarding school for better education than what could be offered to her in Africa. Now, after the epidemic, he feels like Africa is the safest place he could possibly be and protect his daughter. She now has no choice but to be educated in a school where she will no doubt become a girl soldier like the rest of the living "orphans."
Also another interesting thought is that zombification is your future. There is no way around it. We go about everyday things without thinking. All we do is survive, sometimes not live our lives to the fullest; all we think about is following the orders of our society and never doing what we truly want. A zombie doesn’t think they only survive.
When I first started to read Monster Island, I was unsure what to think. I actually thought the book was kind of dull until chapter seven. Once the ship arrived in New York did the plot start to thicken and more action began. The whole reason they were there in the first place is confusing. The question of why does Mama Halimila need the AIDS drugs is still unanswered after Part 1.
Gary is the most terrifying zombie because he knows what he’s doing: when he eats people and etc. He is the reader's first person point of view from a zombie. When Ifiyah was dying, Gary could not help himself except to eat the girl. He tried to rationalize it by going over in his head that she was dying anyways and was in a lot of pain; more importantley it is still fact that he rationalized his cannibalism, which makes him terrifying. The characters are putting their trust in a thinking zombie who in the end is just as cannibalistic as the rest.
There is an ironic reversal of civilization in Monster Island. The most populated cities go first and third world countries are now the safe places to be. Delklab discussed how his life living in Africa was terrifying and he felt very unsafe. He was planning on sending his daughter off to Europe for boarding school for better education than what could be offered to her in Africa. Now, after the epidemic, he feels like Africa is the safest place he could possibly be and protect his daughter. She now has no choice but to be educated in a school where she will no doubt become a girl soldier like the rest of the living "orphans."
Also another interesting thought is that zombification is your future. There is no way around it. We go about everyday things without thinking. All we do is survive, sometimes not live our lives to the fullest; all we think about is following the orders of our society and never doing what we truly want. A zombie doesn’t think they only survive.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Zombie Movies
Why are Zombie movies so popular?
Currently, Zombies are everywhere. I remember my first zombie movie was Shawn of the Dead, which is the satire of Dawn of the Dead. To me, that classified zombies and their purpose. Since then, many serious zombie movies have been made and satires as well. The most recent satire was Zombieland which had a nice twist on the zombie. They have become more popular for viewers since it is an alternate reality where you're body can not die, unless of course "double tapped." The soul and mind are no more, but in some sense it's immortality. Yet, with all of the pandemics and illnesses zombies seem more real than ever.
Of course, their is overkill in genres. With all of the makings of Zombie movies and of Zombie novels, it seems as if Zombies are no longer exotic and ingenius. The Zombie movie now has a formulaic structure that most of them follow. They tend to act the same in every movie and people will react the same to seeing a dead person walking the earth.
Currently, Zombies are everywhere. I remember my first zombie movie was Shawn of the Dead, which is the satire of Dawn of the Dead. To me, that classified zombies and their purpose. Since then, many serious zombie movies have been made and satires as well. The most recent satire was Zombieland which had a nice twist on the zombie. They have become more popular for viewers since it is an alternate reality where you're body can not die, unless of course "double tapped." The soul and mind are no more, but in some sense it's immortality. Yet, with all of the pandemics and illnesses zombies seem more real than ever.
Of course, their is overkill in genres. With all of the makings of Zombie movies and of Zombie novels, it seems as if Zombies are no longer exotic and ingenius. The Zombie movie now has a formulaic structure that most of them follow. They tend to act the same in every movie and people will react the same to seeing a dead person walking the earth.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
In High School I took a class called British Literature. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was one of our required readings. I, personally, was not a big fan of her writing. Perhaps it was the way we discussed the work. Nevertheless, I chose to read Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde instead. The comparisons to "Jekyll" and "Hyde" are very common and I was curious to know the story behind the names. When I saw Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was on the alternative list, I seized the opportunity.
I greatly enjoyed my experience reading Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll is a scholarly doctor who pursues a part of himself through some drugs he creates. He wants to be able to connect and experience his other personality, which is a complete opposite of his true nature. Dr. Jekyll's experiments became less controllable and ends up causing him to alientate his friends, which leads to his eventual demise.
The beginning of the story is interesting and I had to reread the first chapter because I did not realize the point of view the novel was going to be the lawyer's. Since the reader was getting the same information that the lawyer was, suspense was created and definitely made me wonder what was going on with illusiveness of the Doctor and the craziness of Hyde. As the story developed and events unfolded, the reader learns more about the doctor and his strange events and his caring of Hyde. Hyde is Jekyll; and the more and more he took of his own drug, the more he began to switch to Hyde on his own. He soon needed the drug inorder to stay Jekyll. It seems as if his violent personlity was the stronger; clearly pushing out the kind, polite Dr. Jekyll.
As I reflected on my reading, it occurred to me that Stevenson's novel was written before the clinical term of Schizophrenia. He was able to realize the complexities of having dual personalities without realizing that you do not need a drug to transform. It seems very fitting that Jekyll be a doctor and discover he has a dual personality.
I greatly enjoyed my experience reading Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Dr. Jekyll is a scholarly doctor who pursues a part of himself through some drugs he creates. He wants to be able to connect and experience his other personality, which is a complete opposite of his true nature. Dr. Jekyll's experiments became less controllable and ends up causing him to alientate his friends, which leads to his eventual demise.
The beginning of the story is interesting and I had to reread the first chapter because I did not realize the point of view the novel was going to be the lawyer's. Since the reader was getting the same information that the lawyer was, suspense was created and definitely made me wonder what was going on with illusiveness of the Doctor and the craziness of Hyde. As the story developed and events unfolded, the reader learns more about the doctor and his strange events and his caring of Hyde. Hyde is Jekyll; and the more and more he took of his own drug, the more he began to switch to Hyde on his own. He soon needed the drug inorder to stay Jekyll. It seems as if his violent personlity was the stronger; clearly pushing out the kind, polite Dr. Jekyll.
As I reflected on my reading, it occurred to me that Stevenson's novel was written before the clinical term of Schizophrenia. He was able to realize the complexities of having dual personalities without realizing that you do not need a drug to transform. It seems very fitting that Jekyll be a doctor and discover he has a dual personality.
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