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
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
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.
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