psychotic android

This blog has been relaunched!

2010-12-19T11:25:00.000-08:00

Check out my new blog at: http://starlightmusing.blogspot.com/

I've read Twilight.

2010-12-18T17:47:00.000-08:00

That's right. I went to a bookstore, stood in line, paid close to $13, and spent a few hours of my life turning the pages of the first book in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Series. And I was not disappointed. It was exactly what I expected it to be. A page turner that creates an ideal soap-opera love interest, often described as perfect and god-like, who falls desperately in love with a normal, nothing special whiney teenage girl. And of course he’s so enraptured by this pathetic nobody that he can barely keep himself from eating her. She just smells so good.

As a Fantasy reader I really have to comment of the gimmicky-ness of the use of the Vampire in this story. Sure, Meyer is using the tradition of the sex predator consuming an innocent young woman, but she’s also destroying the legend for no reason other than to tell a sappy love story. He’s a vegetarian. Please give me one good reason why a soulless being that thrives off sucking human blood would just decide that it’s ‘wrong’. Here’s a reason: Meyer couldn’t think of a more creative, thought-provoking idea that would actually make sense for a vampire to fall in love with a girl and not just kill her. Or make her a vampire. There have been great vampire stories where a vampire is so intrigued by a woman that he turns her to have her for his eternal companion. How romantic!

Now for my straight out qualms with the book. First, the writing is terrible. I kept a pen with me at all times to cross out some of the most offending lines. Also, the dialogue is terrible. Most notably, Edward is described as speaking with the words and “cadence” of the Victorian era in which he was born, but his speech in the book does not even come close to holding up to this description. His dialogue is colloquial and modern. The plot is terrible. It makes every mistake a bad story can make. Ever watch a movie and think, “of course the good guy would just show up out of nowhere and save the day at the opportune moment”? It shocks me that something with as much of a following as Twilight, regardless of the naivety of its audience, would really have Edward show up and save Bella. Is there a single person who would pick up this book and not predict that ending?

Bella is the worst-written character I have ever encountered. The story is in the first person, so we really get access to her personal thoughts. Plenty of time to hear her whine about how unworthy of Edward she is. She is also really dumb, for lack of a better word. A vampire has her mother. He wants Bella herself for ransom. Wants to eat her. She finds this an acceptable ransom. Instead of telling her vampire pals to help her out of a jam, she decides to fill the kidnapper’s demands and let him eat her. She even considers the likelihood that the vampire will just kill her mother anyways, but still decides that her only option is to hand herself over. That makes a lot of sense.

How does it end? Edward saves her. Oops! Sorry for the spoiler!

My final verdict is not much different from my initial one. Twilight features the vampire unnecessarily and contributes nothing of value to the legend. Edward is a gimmick. Also, the book has far more flaws than I had previously imagined. It is grotesquely unimaginative, and commits every plot device know to literature. Not even worth reading for a laugh at its failings.

Random thought

2010-12-18T16:00:00.000-08:00

As a person learning English as a second language,

how do you keep straight the words

lead, lead, led,

read, read and red?

There's a really faulty pattern here.

Present tense to lead, lead (the metal) the noun, past tense led,

Present tense to read, past tense read, red the colour.

See what I'm saying?

Magical Realism as a more ‘Literary’ Genre

2010-12-18T11:22:00.000-08:00

What is it that gives One Hundred Years of Solitude its critical acclaim, where many high mimetic fantasies go unrecognized? This book kept me delightfully shocked and appalled with its depravity and bleakness, but what makes it more ‘literary’ and likely to be studied in a high school English class then the charming tale of a wizard going off to defeat his arch-enemy? Is fantasy silly and childish? Because the Buendia family is reminiscent of a never-ending chain of eight-year-olds playing in a sandbox and fighting like savages over whatever their hearts desire. Harry Potter is more mature than Jose Arcadio. This is the story of the lost boys never growing up, but in this story their bodies mature and they have adult desires that they gratify however they can, whether it be with their aunt or a donkey.

Is realism just more literary than magic? What about the striking contrast between the verisimilitude of Maconda and the sudden appearance of ghosts or mile-long trails of blood or women suddenly floating up to heaven? These things seem much less realistic in contrast with their real-world setting. Yet we don’t consider these things silly. Wand-waving in a completely separate and magical universe is more likely to be thought silly. The fact that magical realism is so well received among literary circles is counter-intuitive to me. One Hundred Years of Solitude is deliberate, artistic and crafty, but it is also ridiculous, over-the-top and at times childish. It really speaks to the human condition that this kind of debauchery is what we value over an imaginative epic of good versus evil.

By the way, One Hundred Years of Solitude was a great read. It deserves every bit of positive critical acclaim it has received. It's incredibly engrossing and just taps into the darkness in humanity that we love to watch from afar.

Layout Revision

2010-12-18T11:05:00.000-08:00

It's come to my attention that my sci-fi theme isn't really working for me. I believe I've written very few sci-fi reviews in the past year. I had my sci-fi phase and while I still have some good cyberpunk on my reading list, my heart belongs to Fantasy. Expect a new theme and layout, and you may even see the Psychotic Android disappear forever. Stay tuned.

The Way of Kings Final Reaction

2010-12-17T22:18:00.000-08:00

Final sounds so final. This is my final opinion on the matter! The Way of Kings is a very promising beginning to a hopefully long and enduring fantasy adventure. It's exactly what I've been looking for. It's lengthy, and much of this first book is introducing the characters and the world, but those characters are interesting. Fascinating. Remarkable. And I can't really do them any justice without spoilers because its all about their secrets. Just trust me on this.

I've read some complaints that there isn't enough action, not enough going on. I completely disagree with this, but then my experience of reading this novel was three months of picking it up and putting it down for a while to keep up with my studies. Every time I picked it up Kaladin was overcoming some new and terrifying obstacle, Dalinar was admitting grappling with the same issues (but grappling with, not whining about), and Shallan was up to something mysterious. The progression of each of these characters' struggles was beautifully paralleled by the revealing of their depth.

Most intriguing to me is the way in which, while Shallan is a well-flushed out and complex character, I still just can't believe her actions and her motives. Not to say that they are unrealistic, but to say that she is driven to do terrible things that are difficult to understand, and we're left with a bit of a cliff-hanger in terms of her character that Sanderson is sure to resolve in future novels. While I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Kaladin, Dalinar and the minor characters of the interludes, I constantly found myself counting the pages to get back to Shallan.

As I stated before, the world is creative and immersive, the magic and the plot are original and enticing. I hope this is the way fantasy goes in the future.

Sexual Undertones in Harry Potter

2010-12-17T22:14:00.000-08:00

I found the new Harry Potter film to be really unremarkable. It was what can be expected from a movie that stops in the middle of a plot arc. This allowed them to keep most of the material, which always makes me happy, but as a stand-alone film I don't think it works.

One of few things that interested me about the film was the sexual undertones. I've stated my opinion on the romance in Harry Potter before. It's the biggest flaw in Rowling's writing, the one area where she digresses from the necessary action to indulge the fantasies of preteens. Not interesting to me at all. But I found the movie incredibly sexual in a way I never picked up on in the books. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

First and foremost, the homoerotic aspect of Bellatrix's torturing Hermione was hard to miss. Did anyone else feel a little hot in the theatre? I'm sure the air conditioning was working. To me the scene didn't try to avoid bringing images of girl on girl to the mind, even evoking bondage and S&M. Cool.

Another one was the scene with the destruction of the first horcrux, where Ron sees Harry and Hermione declaring their love for one another and making out. They looked pretty naked to me. Well, I guess being trapped in a tent in the winter with one another they're bound to end up naked together at some point.

Even Harry and Ginny got to repeat their motionless and emotionless kiss from the last movie. Wasn't he supposed to break up with her? I should also bring up Fenrir Greyback's predatory demeanor. He didn't look like he wanted to eat Hermione. That chase scene was very 'Little Red Riding Hood' (written by a French author in a time when the prostitutes of France were wearing red cloaks.) Today we laugh at the double entendre of eating her, but the connection between sex and consumption has existed in literature for a long time. What do you think makes Vampires so sexy?

Let me know if you watched this movie and didn't notice what I'm talking about. I'd be interested to hear if my mind is just perpetually in the gutter. Maybe this was a perfectly innocent children's movie. Maybe.

The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe

2010-12-17T15:35:00.000-08:00

A horrifying atmosphere can be created by playing with the imagination and expectations of the audience. Poe introduces his horror piece with the traditionally frightening motif of darkness. Fear is a result of the unknown - that which lies in darkness - and establishing that darkness immediately is crucial to the horror text. The story itself cannot begin until it has been established that there is a setting that will permit a supernatural occurrence. The narrator then opens the door to find “Darkness there, and nothing more” (Poe 24) suggesting that the narrator expected to find something “more” waiting for him.

Poe’s setting also introduces the supernatural as something estranging and new: “each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor” (Poe 8). The supernatural occurs in the representation of death in the slowly cooling coal and the haunting idea of a ghost. Later on, the introduction of the raven that speaks is the estranging element. Poe uses the sublime, particularly in its sense of fear and awe, so that the narrator is “suddenly intruded upon by intensely disturbing forces. [He has] an experience of sublime terror and madness” (Pahl 44).

Linguistic elements of “The Raven” deepen the sense of darkness and fear of the unknown:
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me – filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
“‘Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;-
This it is, and nothing more,” (Poe 13-18)

The first two lines begin with alliteration and consonance, with “silken sad uncertain” and “Thrilled me – filled me”. There is also internal rhyme with “uncertain...curtain” (Poe 13) and “entreating entrance” (17), but in the later part of the second line and much of the third line, the sound patterns stop. Something familiar and constant becomes threatening in this setting. Poe uses repetition to allow the narrator a sense of security. The dramatic irony of this situation creates fear in the audience, because the audience knows that it is a false sense of security, and that something horrifying is about to happen.

The fear of the unknown in “The Raven” is cultivated in the reader’s own imagination. The word ‘Nevermore’, uttered ten times by the raven, becomes more and more frightening as the reader struggles to understand it. The reader projects his or her own fear onto the utterance: “If the word, repeated over and over, acquires any meaning, any sense at all, it is one that is primarily bound up in the word's unsettling sound, that is, in its reverberating impact on the narrator's nerves or senses” (Pahl 54). It creates a sense of unease with the reader. The unknown is the scariest traditional motif accessible to the horror author, because the human imagination is capable of coming up with greater horrors than can be expressed in writing: “the darkness and perversity laying dormant in the human psyche is brought to life through Poe’s works” (Vesa 98).

The narrator himself projects different terrifying possibilities onto the word ‘Nevermore’. There is a desire to access more of the frightening unknown. Poe plays with the desire to be frightened: “The human psyche is instinctual, and therefore humans can not control their desire for the perverse” (Vesa 94). The reader seeks both the estrangement and the familiarity in the poem, and Poe rewards them with a bit of both.

The scariest element of the horror genre is the ability of the author to access the audience’s imagination. Nothing the author could possibly represent in words or film can rival the terrors already embedded in the human mind. “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe uses traditional techniques that force the audience to face the unknown. Linguistic tools can be used to surface create an other-wordly atmosphere that is alien and frightening.

Pahl, D. “Sounding the Sublime: Poe, Burke, and the (Non)Sense of Language.” Poe Studies,

42.1 (2009): 41-60. Web.

Vesa, Nicole. “Overthrowing Optimistic Emerson: Edgar Allan Poe’s Aim to Horrify”. The

Comparative Humanities Review 1.1 (2007): 94-99. Web.

Lighting and Music in Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

2010-12-15T21:00:00.000-08:00

Darkness is a technique found throughout the horror film genre. Low lighting is the first hint towards the possibility of supernatural events, and the introductory scene takes place, almost without exception, at night. In Nightmare on Elm Street, the initial dream sequence is dark, taking place in an unknown and unfamiliar setting, where a solitary young girl is lost. From the first scene there is a tension between familiar horror elements (the darkness, the vulnerable teenage girl, the sense of being preyed upon) and estranging elements (the surreal location, the maze of Freddy Krueger’s dream-world, and the initial shot of his knives). The darkness in horror films is often accompanied by a return to normalcy, where the characters have to deal with their fears in the light of day, and are perhaps lulled into a false sense of security. The opening scene of the movie is clearly a nightmare, but the following scene is in the brightness of day outside a high school.

The music in Nightmare on Elm Street was composed to reinforce the opposition between estrangement and familiarity. The jarring music of the opening scene blends sharp, high notes with the sound effects for Freddy’s knives, unidentifiable sounds and laboured breathing. In this setting-establishing scene:

We hear an atmospheric synthesizer pad, modeled to some extent on vocal sounds and string harmonic, interspersed with hits on synthesized drums....interrupted by a more specifically synthesized sound that sweeps from high to low...before settling into an oscillating repeated two-note pattern behind a disembodied scream. The music at this point shifts to a more string-like tone but is overlaid with a wind sound and some low-level unidentifiable sounds. (Buhler 172)

The use of a synthesizer plays with the idea of estranging the familiar because although the sounds are almost reminiscent of vocal and string sounds, they are distorted and alien. It is difficult to be specific and conclusive when describing the music of this scene because many of the sounds are unidentifiable.

The music can play with expectations. According to composer Charles Bernstein, at times it leads “the audience into thinking they were watching a dream or makes them think they were watching reality” (d’Oliveira). The same music carries over between the waking scene where Nancy is lying in bed and puts the cross on the wall, and the next – the dream scene where Tina is killed. This music is less estranging than synthesized music of the opening dream, but a high-pitched drone similarly plays over the melody. The audience is unsure when Tina leaves the house whether she is awake or dreaming. The first hints of unidentifiable noises and synthesized sounds occur when she actually sees Freddy, and the audience then knows that it is a dream. Music in the film reinforces the tension in the fulfilment the audience’s expectations.

Buhler, James. “Music and the Adult Ideal in A Nightmare on Elm Street.” Lerner, Neil, ed. Music in the Horror Film: Listening to Fear. New York: Routledge, 2010. 168-186.

D’Oliveira, Miguel. “The Unseen through Music in the Horror Genre.” Dec. 6, 2010.

Fantasy Genre? I think so

2010-11-22T19:43:00.000-08:00

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.

So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round:
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.

But oh! that deep romantic chasm which slanted
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover!
A savage place! as holy and enchanted
As e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon-lover!
And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,
As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,
A mighty fountain momently was forced:
Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst
Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,
Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher's flail:
And 'mid these dancing rocks at once and ever
It flung up momently the sacred river.
Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean:
And 'mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war!

The shadow of the dome of pleasure
Floated midway on the waves;
Where was heard the mingled measure
From the fountain and the caves.
It was a miracle of rare device,
A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!

A damsel with a dulcimer
In a vision once I saw:
It was an Abyssinian maid,
And on her dulcimer she played,
Singing of Mount Abora.
Could I revive within me
Her symphony and song,
To such a deep delight 'twould win me
That with music loud and long
I would build that dome in air,
That sunny dome! those caves of ice!
And all who heard should see them there,
And all should cry, Beware! Beware!
His flashing eyes, his floating hair!
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed
And drunk the milk of Paradise.

By Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Captain Vidal stars as the Wicked Witch

2010-11-18T20:25:00.000-08:00

Pan’s Labyrinth is an incredibly brutal film that will make you feel the harshness of the world, particularly because of the contrast with a beautiful fantasy. There is a realist story intertwined with a fantastic one, where the world of the adults, is dark, cruel and without any justice, and Ofelia, as a child, is able to access a just and beautiful world if she overcomes dangerous obstacles. Her part of the story is the Fairy Tale. Captain Vidal is the bad guy for both the realist of the Spanish Civil War and the fairy tale of Ofelia’s quest. His character really gets the idea across that there is no cosmic justice. Vidal represents the cold, irrational brutality of the world.
He is overly villainous, creating an aspect of the realist story that is bordering on the fantastic. Del Torro gives us a bleak, hopeless movie that will leave you feeling dark. In the realist portion of the story, Vidal is one-dimensionally evil with explicitly sinister motives – he’s a symbol for cruelty and lack of mercy in the world. One of the most memorable and gory scenes in the movie is when Vidal unjustly kills a man, and only afterwards checks the validity of the man’s story. His reaction upon finding out that it was true? He reprimands his soldiers: “Maybe you’ll learn to search these assholes properly before you come bothering me.” He shows no remorse. He’s unrealistically evil because he is an embodiment of injustice.
Vidal’s unrealistic cruelty and malevolence is more fitting to Ofelia’s fairy-tale. The fairy-tale archetype that Vidal exemplifies can exert irrational cruelty in a fantasy story – wicked witches poison princesses and that’s just how it is. Just like the wicked witches, he has no hesitation or remorse for taking the life of a child, just as cruel “fate” can senselessly take the life of a child. There is no meaning for the loss of an innocent.
Vidal commits acts of senseless, irrational and merciless violence. His character in both the realist story and the fairy tale embodies the idea of cosmic injustice. Tragedies occur without reason or meaning.

Tears and Goose-bumps!

2010-11-18T20:06:00.000-08:00

That is how I always react to a Harry Potter trailer, but this time I don't think I'm going to be let down! I just have a feeling. The Harry Potter films can be hit or miss. They are chalk-full of emotional moments, particularly for a fantasy series (where there is more focus on sweeping, world-changing events than on character depth), so whether or not they are good quality films, I have ended up crying in each and every one.

Why do I have such faith in The Deathly Hollows Part 1? Well, for one thing, I think this book might be better suited to the film media in the first place. The tension between the characters, particularly Ron and Harry, is going to be beautiful when portrayed by these actors who have grown up together and gone through so much work to tell this story. Book 7 has also been criticized for its conclusion being focused more on action than on plot - something I think can be done much better in film than in writing. I realise that what I am referring to specifically comes at the end, and thus in The Deathly Hollows Part 2, but all of the flying chases, wizards' duels, bank robberies and jumping into frosty lakes after swords should look nice on screen. Maybe that's just my lack of visual imagination - I can never really picture Harry flying away from a dragon on his broom - but there is some very good material for a film adaptation of this book.

The other thing that appeals to me is getting away from Rowling's narrative voice on this one. As much as I love the conclusion of the series, the first time I read this book I very quickly got sick of how whiny Harry was about Dumbledore's death. Instead of having things happen in the first couple hundred pages of the book, Harry moped around by himself in the Burrow and dwelled on how Dumbledore kept secrets from him. Hopefully the film can portray this through a few lines of dialogue and some good acting, instead of pages and pages of whining. Pretty much my only qualm about book 7 - I think Rowling wrapped her masterpiece up beautifully.

So, these are just my thoughts and expectations prior to seeing the movie. I'll be back with a movie review shortly.

Amusing article: How to pronounce Ghoti

2010-10-31T12:57:00.000-07:00

http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/ling006.html

Ok, yeah, this is an essay for a class I'm taking... On Lord of the RINGS!

2010-10-29T16:07:00.000-07:00

The Fellowship of the Ring, and the Lord of the Rings as a whole, develops the theme of loss and mortality through the decline of magic in a fantastical world. There is a sense of inevitability throughout the text as the reader is constantly reminded that Middle Earth will never be the same. The time of Man is coming, the elves are leaving, magic is fading and the hobbits are in hiding. This is a major theme of the text, but the central plot and quest have nothing to do with it, thus emphasizing the inevitability of this loss. Sauron is considered nearly invincible and the quest seems impossible, but that does not stop Gandalf and Frodo from facing dangers and dark forces when they have no other choice. They do not, however, go on a grand quest to save the magic of Middle Earth and make the elves stay. Tolkien seems to be suggesting that while it is possible to conquer evil, it is not possible to stop the wheels of time from turning – mortality cannot be stopped. Although magic is fading, the world will go on without it, and there is no solution.

Although Fellowship deals with Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves and Men, Tolkien continuously reminds us that it will soon be the time of Man. Persistently emphasizing that the elves will soon be gone tells the reader that this was a treasured time on Middle Earth, and what has faded is lost forever. With every magical wonder we are introduced to comes a sort of lament that even if Frodo succeeds in his quest, Middle Earth will still change, and its magic will run out. Nature is idealized and treasured in this text, and as Frodo leaves the river Nimrodel, “it seemed to him that he would never hear again a running water so beautiful, for ever blending its innumerable notes in an endless changeful music” (page 453). There is a very deliberate sense of loss implied here, reinforcing the idea that what has passed can never be restored. Again as Aragorn goes toward the city of the Galadhrim in Loth Lorien, we are reminded that it is not possible to save this land: “And taking Frodo’s hand in his, he left the hill of Cerin Amroth and came there never again as a living man” (page 462). There is a contrast to the forward motion of the story and the quest to stop Sauron in that every time the Fellowship moves forward, we are reminded of what they are leaving behind and the loss that occurs. They can never go back, and we never really find out why.

This age is ending because magic is fading, and some connection can here be made with technology and the way in which society has progressed. Magic and Elves and Hobbits represent the pastoral love of nature, where Man and advancing technology represent a disconnect from nature. It is inevitable that we will continue to grow away from nature and sublime, unexplainable beauty, and this cannot be conquered or undone in the way that Frodo can conquer Sauron and undo his evil. The theme of mortality parallels the battle against evil, where one is an inevitable fact of life that cannot be undone, and the other is a seemingly impossible obstacle that Frodo will eventually manage to defeat.

The sense of loss and mortality surrounds all of the once treasured places in Middle Earth, creating a Golden Age thinking that is difficult to ignore. The reclamation of Moria exemplifies the Dwarves’ attempt to regain what has been lost, but it proves to be futile. They greatly treasure “Moria! Moria! Wonder of the Northern World!” (page 315), but even though they gathered the courage to return to the mines where they dug too deep and released ancient evil, they could not regain that which had been lost: “Messages reported that Moria had been entered and a great work begun there. Then there was silence, and no word has ever come from Moria since” (page 315). There is a Golden Age idealization of the old strongholds, but Moria cannot be reclaimed. It is lost. Gimli also glorifies his ancestor’s work, further solidifying the Golden Age ideology: “But in metal-work we cannot rival our fathers, many of whose secrets are lost!” (page 301). There is no explanation as to why the dwarves cannot make swords and armour as their forefathers did, so the reader is left with a sense of longing.
The anti-fantasy element of fading magic creates a Golden Age thinking for the reader and also creates a longing that reinforces the fantasy experience. Each time we are reminded that the elves are abandoning their home in Middle Earth, we think longingly of the Middle Earth at its peak, full of magical creatures, beautiful forests, songs and magic itself. When Haldir says, “Yet I do not believe that the world about us will ever be as it was of old, or the light of the Sun as it was aforetime” (page 457), the reader’s prompted response is to think longingly of Middle earth “as it was aforetime” – a place of deep magic and fantasy. It is regretful that Middle Earth is inevitably becoming the land of Men and that it is irreversible. While Tolkien has magic decline, decreasing the fantastical element of his world, the effect on the reader is that we gain more appreciation for the fantasy.

Random thought...

2010-10-29T16:06:00.000-07:00

does spellcheck cramp anyone else's style? I swear unvocalized and inconcrete are words... or they should be!

The Way of Kings Initial Reaction

2010-10-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

I have awaited this book with excited anticipation since I read the single volume Elantris. Brandon Sanderson has incredible creativity – something that is ironically lacking in the fantasy genre for the most part. If we take him to be a protégé, or at least a contemporary of Robert Jordan, having taken on the task of completing the epic Wheel of Time series, I would argue that Sanderson is perfecting the imaginative genre and taking it a step further. This is an important step towards what the fantasy genre was always meant to be.

The Way of Kings has a rich world with a history, mythopoeia and culture, just as any good fantasy novel must have. What sets it apart is that with every page Sanderson reaches for something new. He does not dwell in the safe fantasy norms of a medieval setting with subtle magic and overused immortal characters. His story is colourful and fresh, it moves forward with satisfying pacing and introduction of estranging elements that give the reader what they have been longing for in a fantasy book. The Way of Kings gives us what books like the Lord of the Rings only teased us with. In the Lord of the Rings we have a world of fading magic, a world that misses its Golden Age and is moving on to a mortal and scientific and mundane existence. Although there are some mentions of lost arts and times when great magic swept the lands, Roshar is very satisfying for a fantasy world. Its magic and its strangeness are perfectly captivating and immersive.

The plot is also to my liking, though I have only read the first few chapters. Thus far Sanderson has not even engaged in the typical sweeping wars that dominate fantasy stories. Instead, he appears to be introducing an old world and guiding us closer and closer to the personal struggles of the protagonists. He uses a prologue to the series to give us our epic fantasy feel of a historical event that will set the stage for the entire saga, then zooms in a little closer to a current political battle that will likely be the focus of the novel, but then he takes us another step inwards to have a look at two parallel stories that tie into that epic plot, but we have focus and movement on the characters themselves. Against the grain of the fantasy tradition, Sanderson is through much of his work focusing on the individual and the experience of living and making ones way in his world. How this will tie into what is promising to be an eventual epic plot, we shall see.

The Little Mermaid according to Tolkien

2010-09-10T16:43:00.000-07:00

‘The Little Mermaid’ by Hans Christian Anderson does not qualify as a fairy tale according to Tolkien’s ‘On Fairy Stories’. Although it does accomplish fantasy, its ending is not a satisfying fairy tale ending, in that it does not create the sensation described by Tolkien. It also loses the reader in terms of believability, and forces them to suspend their disbelief. One can even argue that the fantastic elements of the story were not necessary to the plot, but merely decorative devices to make the story fanciful. This is something that concerns Tolkien greatly, so it is clear that ‘The Little Mermaid’ is not a fairy tale, but something else entirely.
Tolkien is very clear in his theories about that which disqualifies a story from the genre of the fairy story. He argues that a Eucatastrophe is necessary to resolve the conflict of the story and cause a reaction from the reader: “a catch of the breath, a beat and lifting of the heart, near to (or indeed accompanied by) tears, as keen as that given by any form of literary art, and having a peculiar quality.” (Tolkien, ‘On Fairy Stories’). The happy ending without a cost is not satisfactory to Tolkien. ‘The Little Mermaid’ does not evoke the same emotional response as other fairy tales because the end reward is without a price. It is also problematic because there is no foreshadowing of the little mermaid escaping her fate in this way. It is clear that she is meant to escape the fate that is consistent with the plot: that she gives up her life to save the prince and does not make it to heaven. Instead the daughters of the air offer her eternal life, telling her, “By striving for three hundred years in the same way, you may obtain an immortal soul” (Anderson, Course Package, pg. 84). The possibility of obtaining a soul in such a way is never mentioned before the last scene. Becoming an air fairy is not only an unsatisfactory resolution to the problem, but it also disconnects the reader from the world of the story.
The Secondary World created by Anderson is perfectly believable in the beginning, but the ending forces the reader to suspend their belief in order to stay in it. According to Tolkien, suspension of disbelief is less satisfactory than a genuine immersion in the Secondary World. The point where the world ceases to be believable is when the little mermaid dies and becomes an air fairy. The scene is set perfectly for the tragedy of her death, which comes about completely in accordance with the story’s outlook on death, when suddenly she is saved from her fate and given a path to gaining an immortal soul. The air fairy is never mentioned before in the story, so the ending feels forced and unnatural. The air fairy is a plot device leading to the desired ending, but not originating from the story’s theme. The reader is abruptly torn out of a world that has set down its rules and a story that has been presented as if it were truth. Although Anderson succeeds in telling the story according to Tolkien’s high seriousness, he loses the audience to disbelief. This, in combination with an unsatisfying conflict resolution, prohibits us from considering ‘The Little Mermaid’ a fairy story in accordance with Tolkien’s theories.

Parasitic Relationships

2010-09-01T16:39:00.000-07:00

“Bloodchild” and “Passengers” attempt to convey very different messages through the use of a parasitic relationship. However, a similarity between the two texts is the inappropriate transference of responsibility from the “host” to the parasite. In Silverberg’s story, the parasite personifies drunkenness to alleviate the responsibility for actions committed in a state of intoxication. “Bloodchild” treats males as parasites and women as hosts for their offspring. It ignores the female role of the biological imperative to put all of the blame for childbirth on the male. Both stories make use of alien parasites attached to human hosts to allegorically represent the things that enslave us, while there is a blatant absence of acceptance of responsibility.
“Passengers” shows the fallacy in the argument that a person who is intoxicated should not be held accountable for actions committed in a state of drunkenness. When considering the allegory, it is clear that the person being “ridden” by a parasite is not doing so voluntarily. The choice of becoming intoxicated is usually voluntary. This comparison does not satisfactorily represent the experience of intoxication and loss of conscious judgement because the characters in the story are helpless victims to the Passengers. They do not know when a Passenger will ride them, and have no way of preventing it. We are not helpless victims enslaved to alcohol in that we can choose not to consume amounts that will lead to loss of judgement. The Passengers relate more closely to involuntary intoxication such as date rape drugs. When applied to voluntary drinking, the allegory emphasizes the omission: responsibility.
In “Bloodchild” there is a deference of responsibility for childbirth to the male. The parasitic nature of the male role as insinuated by the story removes the female’s choice in the matter, making her a child-rearing slave. But if the male role is being stripped down to the primitive roots of the biological imperative, so too should the female role. Biologically speaking, women will go to the same lengths as men to perpetuate the species, and it is completely inaccurate to compare the mother-child relationship to that of a parasite and host. Butler’s story suggests that females are helplessly entrapped in a male dominated world in which men impregnate them and they must suffer through the labours of childbirth without any choice in the matter. Again, there is an omission of responsibility that prevents the allegory from being relatable. Perhaps this is how Butler and a small percentage of women feel about childbirth, but it ignores the responsibility and freedom of choice that women have in our society.
A parasitic relationship implies that the host is a helpless, involuntary slave to a parasite that enjoys the benefits, but not the consequences, of a shared experience. The extremely painful nature in which the parasite extracts its young from the humans in “Bloodchild” and the chilling societal repercussions of the Passengers’ actions are exaggerations of childbirth and drunkenness, but both omit the elemental of accepting responsibility.

Watchman and Post Post-humanism

2010-08-20T16:42:00.000-07:00

One direction for Science Fiction to proceed beyond the Post-Humanism subgenre is suggested within the pages of Watchmen through the character of Adrian Veidt. As long as there is an audience for Sci-Fi, the genre can continue to have meaning for humanity despite Post-Humanism’s climactic nature. Veidt’s perfume line, ‘Nostalgia’, is to be replaced with a more forward looking line after the crisis in New York solves the world’s conflicts. ‘Millenium’ embodies the idea that in times of great prosperity and little fear it is easier to be optimistic when looking to the future. The Post-humanism movement was pessimistic and served as an admonitory medium, and it is logical that after the presented crises become unlikely, optimism will stem from it. Although post-humanism is somewhat climatic, as long as there is a market and a demand for Sci-Fi, new subgenres will continue to emerge from the ruins. One of these may present new hope for humanity and technology as the threats posed by technological advance become improbable.
Advertising is by nature optimistic, playing upon the desires of its target market. Veidt markets his product by masking the present fears and focusing on a more positive past in his business proposal: “In an era of stress and anxiety, when the present seems unstable and the future unlikely, the natural response is to retreat and withdraw from reality, taking recourse …in the modified visions of a half-imagined past.” Literature stems from a different direction because its purpose is not to sell a product but to convey a message. In Post-Humanism, this message is a bleak one about the destruction of our species as a result of current problems. However, both Adrian’s advertisements and the genre of Sci-Fi can go in the same direction once the danger of the eradication of humanity has been avoided. A new direction for Sci-Fi would be the idealization of the future of technology and the human race, where the crises have been overcome. Once fears have come to be accepted as gratuitous, the genre can go beyond dystopian and apocalyptic fiction and into a new ideal in technological advancement. After the fear over A.I. and cyberspace die down, the conveniences offered by science will hopefully be appreciated in literature.
As suggested by Moore through Adrian’s marketing proposal, once the great conflicts of the world are resolved, “a new surge of social optimism is likely.” Veidt intends not only to create world peace, but to use that peace for profit. He applies his understanding of human psychology to his business. This can be seen as a model for literature to follow. The demands of the audience can be applied to the craft of a new product. Post-humanism is not the end for Sci-Fi because it is not the end of humanity, but a representation of current fears. In future, Sci-Fi can hopefully illustrate the benefits of technology to humanity once those fears have been seen to be irrelevant.

Crossroads of Twilight - A long road to nothing.

2010-08-05T06:07:00.000-07:00

I have been very defensive of the Wheel of Time series in the past, but this book is just begging for criticism. There is no story arc whatsoever - nothing happens. There is no climax. My experience with previous WoT books is that you can read the first 500 pages wondering when the climax will arrive, and it may be the last 50 pages of a huge volume, but it's usually totally worth all of the drudging build-up, character development, extraneous detail and unnecessary complication. I love those things, in a way. It makes the world real, dense, complex. But it was completely unnecessary this late in a series to provide an entire volume that does not move the plot along, that accomplishes ONLY establishing back-story, developing characters and showing the complications. It’s as if this tenth instalment is the beginning of a new story. Jordan gives us an introduction, a complication, and rising action, but we have to wait until the next book to get the climax and falling action.

Also, without spoiling the end, this was the worst cliff-hanger of all time. Cliff hangers are designed to make us long for more, but it’s a delicate balance before the audience is just, well, pissed off. Having a character continuously hint that she is about to do something that will change the world tonight, to end with her getting caught, but still not letting the reader know what that thing is even though the entire scene is in free indirect third person point of view, in which we know ALL of that characters thoughts except for this very important detail, is pissing me off. The book should not have ended on this note. I really hope that Jordan’s last novel can make up for this waste of time.

Just a bit of a Buffy Rant

2010-06-08T19:38:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been noticing a lot of blasphemy from Firefly lovers in my community. The Buffy hating. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is just something you have to see before you could possibly appreciate its quirks, and by seeing I don't mean five minutes of the awkward dialogue between Alyson Hannigan and Nicholas Brandon that can only be described as nerdy banter. As the creator of both Firefly and Buffy, and several other shows which I haven't watched yet, Joss Whedon has always been actively involved in much of the writing for the show. You can't just watch a few minutes of the banter and say "This is terrible dialogue" and turn it off. This is Joss Whedon we are talking about. Everything he does is intentional, and genius. What I love about Buffy is that it does not take itself seriously for a moment. It is a show about a blonde bombshell fighting demons of the night. It has been ridiculous from the very premise, and the show is all the more amusing for it. Don't get me wrong, over the years I have come to care about Buffy's search for normality, Willow's crushes and relationships, Xander's strange and nearly invisible connexion with Anya, not to mention what on earth is going on in Spike's head? But for me the show is mostly laughs, supported by a highly creative story arc and gradual character development. By the end of the series, we actually care about these silly people. A lot.

Supertoys Last All Summer Long by Brian Aldiss

2010-05-26T12:07:00.000-07:00

David is entitled to as much love and care as the family toaster. He is an appliance created for a specific purpose, which is to fill the void in the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Swinton. He cannot think freely or feel emotions any more than a toaster, and no one owes him devotion any more than they owe to a toaster. One might argue that the difference between a toaster and an android is that of artificial intelligence, but an android has no more consciousness of its operations than has a toaster. It is very clear to us that there is no evidence to suggest that a toaster knows that it is heating bread, yet most toasters can adjust the toasting time to avoid burning the second or third piece of bread when it is already hot. This ability to respond to different situations is programmed into the toaster in the same way that certain speech situations and responses are programmed into an android.

The void between semantics and syntax1 necessitates consciousness for free thought. For example, a math student can learn all of the rules and syntax necessary to manipulate a set of equations describing a certain situation. They can react to variations and fluctuations, but this does not necessarily provide insight into the meaning behind the numbers. The numbers could represent where drops of water from a sprinkler land or at what time the sun will set in a given location at any time of the year, but neither will be conveyed to the student through syntax alone. The student has access to the syntax, but not the semantics, of the math equation. The difference between the student and an android is that a student would be capable of accessing the semantics through independent thought.

Despite appearances, AI is incapable of independent thought.The biggest difference between the actions of a toaster and those of an android are that an android attempts to look and act human. It is deceptive in that they seem to understand what is being said and seem to be able to respond in a humanlike way. However, Aldiss shows that the androids do not really understand what is being said by having the serving bot respond inappropriately. The conversation between the serving bot and Mr. Swinton is awkward and demonstrates that the robot only has a certain number of programmed responses to expected stimuli. It cannot understand Mr. Swinton and invent an appropriate response, nor can it learn from the encounter. It is this inability to think beyond what it is programmed to think and to learn from experience that prohibits the robot from thinking freely.

That said, David is also a machine programmed to react to certain situations without an ability to think freely, to learn, or even to be self-aware. It is just as ludicrous for the Swintons to owe him love as it would be for them to love a computer or a toaster.

Brandon Sanderson

2010-05-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

It has long bothered me that the genre of Fantasy has become essentially formula fiction. Most Fantasy can be defined by its setting and plot: in a medieval world of magic, an unlikely hero saves the world from an unspeakable evil. Elantris cannot be said to be a part of this "Tolkienesque" tradition. The single book epic differs from much of modern fantasy in that the setting has a unique feel that cannot be placed in any single Earth timeframe, and encompasses its own religions, cultures and history. And the plot cannot be described in ten words, which is always a plus.

The main characters are interesting and well drawn, to the point where you find yourself rooting for all three of them, despite the fact that the third seems to be working against the interest of the other two.
The magic system is not only creative and new, but it is flawed, adding an extra dimension to something that is usually just used as a gimmick.

The threat is truly felt by the focal characters and thus the readers, but it is not the world of darkness and slavery warned of by most fantasy authors. Instead it is the threat of the death of an ideology at the hands of a martial nation, converting its peaceful neighbour. At times the reader may wonder why the characters strive so much just to protect ideas, but wouldn't you die for what you believe in? Elantris strives to preserve the truth, to protect the victims of a curse instead of persecuting them, and to overcome a mighty threat to their way of life. That way of life is flawed to begin with, so our heroes must fight not only to stop the invading force, but also to bring around change. An incredible read.

Vampire Objection

2010-05-26T12:01:00.000-07:00

I have not read the Twilight series, but my objection is that Meyer has altered the Vampire fiction genre without contributing anything to the meaning. The idea of vampirism has long been a comment on humanity’s quest for immortality and the cost of such a quest. It is similar to the Faustian bargain of selling one’s soul, but in this case the soulless become a prey upon their former race. By altering this trope, Meyer destroys the idea of the cost of immortality in order to create a new class of bad boy for teens to swoon over. I much prefer Joss Whedon’s creation of a soulless, demonic race that cannot experience desire, love or empathy, to demonstrate the cost of immortality and the undesirable condition of vampirism. Anne Rice deviates from this with the character of Lestat, who regrets his disconnection with his humanity, giving a foil to the character of Louis, who revels in his condition.

Ender's Shadow

2010-05-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

This book made me think of Ender's Game in a whole new light. In the driver's seat this time we have another brilliant student, possibly even more brilliant than Ender, and you really can't appreciate the commander as much after having read this book. If you want to continue to think of Ender as an incredible leader and a suffering human being, don't read Ender's Shadow. Shadow places Bean at the forefront and shows his contribution to Earth's victory over the Buggers. His personality is strikingly different from Ender. With less pressure on him, he is more cynical of his teachers and the way battle school is run, but he also has the insight to know the difference between when to rebel and when it actually matters. Despite adult intellect, Ender seems a child next to Bean's self-reflection and vision. He sees through every Battle School mind game, knows far ahead that the simulations are actual battles, and knows what his teachers are thinking before they do. This alternate personality adds another dimension to the story that has already blown us away. Personally, I have yet to read further in the Ender series, but I would call this parallel story a must-read after Ender's Game.

By the way, if anyone is wondering whether they should just read Shadow and not Game, or read them in the opposite order, I would say that I greatly enjoyed my experience reading Ender's Game first and Ender's Shadow almost a year later.

The Wheel of Time: Path of Daggers

2010-05-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

This book seems to focus on Rand and show his internal thoughts much more clearly than previous books, which works perfectly with the climax. Finally we begin to see the toll the Source is taking on Rand and the Asha'man, and how much Rand relies on his followers. Losing just a few Asha'man for any reason is a high price to pay for victory, and Rand has to decide whether to take the Seanchan out before they become too much of a threat, or whether to keep his valuable forces in tact. Egwene struggles against the puppet strings that keep her power as Amyrlin Seat in check, while Elayne journeys back to Camelyn and faces difficulty claiming the thrown of Andor. With both of these plots we are left with a complete cliffhanger, driving this somewhat weary reader on to the next book without pause. If you haven't given up on the series yet, don't hesitate to pick up the 8th book. You've already come so far!

A.I. in Neuromancer and Super-Toys Last All Summer Long"

2009-10-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

This is way too long for a blog post but I wanted to put it up anyways. Neuromancer by William Gibson was the first cyber-punk text and really has links to Bladerunner and The Matrix. I will review it if I read it again. "Super-Toys" is the short story that the movie "A.I." is based on.

The AI perspectives presented by both Brian Aldiss in “Super-Toys Last All Summer Long” and William Gibson in Neuromancer are equally realistic when considering that neither author claims AI capable of true consciousness or freedom of thought. The agnosticism of whether we can ever know what defines and enables consciousness is a distinct theme of their works. The characters of David of “Super-Toys” and Neuromancer’s Dixie Flatline have outlooks and desires based on what their makers intended for them. In “Super-Toys,” David is fulfilling his programmed role to portray a human child, and his desire to be real comes from his set function of emulating real humans. Dixie’s function is to emulate his personality in life, but it is clear that there are pre-set limitations on his simulation, programmed into him intentionally. Such limitations include that he is programmed to desire destruction, and that he has no permanent memory. Both Aldiss and Gibson provide hints that the AI of their fictional worlds is not complete, free-thinking intelligence. They convey that there is uncertainty as to whether humanity and technology can possibly be fused together. This can be seen by comparing the capabilities and functionalities of David and Dixie to that of Gibson’s Wintermute.

It is difficult to speculate as to whether humanity will ever be able to understand the nature of consciousness, and whether or not a computer can actually think. This creates a difficulty in Science Fiction because in order to keep a semblance of plausibility, authors comment on AI in an open-ended fashion that allows for it to be free-thinking or not. However, it is possible to come to the conclusion that neither David nor Dixie were freethinking AI by examining the arguments over AI and looking at comparable characters. Aldiss and Gibson use these characters to demonstrate the uncertainty over the nature of consciousness and the possibility of conscious AI.

Science Fiction deals with this issue extensively in the genre of Cyberpunk. Contemporary thinking regarding whether a machine can think is a common element of Sci-Fi stories. Authors apply the arguments to their plots in order to create a message, and make realistic scenarios to demonstrate a point. The Chinese Room argument of John Searle can be applied to the characters of Neuromancer and “Super-Toys”. The argument deals with whether or not AI could be capable of consciousness the way we understand it. The function and programming of computers demonstrates that they operate on an input/output basis, with no free-thinking, understanding, or conscious thought required. As much as characters such as David and Wintermute appear to be human, there is no reason to assume that they have human-like consciousness. Characters such as Aldiss’s serving bot and Dixie Flatline serve as comparisons where it is possible to tell that the AI is not complete, human-like consciousness.

Even those characters that demonstrate human-like freedom of choice can be considered incomplete AI when examining the nature of programming. Computers operate by a set of rules that dictate specific outputs for given inputs. The speech of these characters reflects their intended purpose, so that their interaction with other characters seems human, but there is no reason to suggest that they are actually choosing what to say or have any self-awareness. Thus far, no matter how complex computers become, a number of pre-programmed responses must exist for expected input in order for a computer that cannot learn to have a conversation with a human being. Computers that can learn are simply completing a programmed function to accumulate new responses into their repertoire. There is no consciousness required for a computer to communicate, play a game of chess or run a program. There is no consciousness required for David to say that he wants to know whether he is real, if that is what his programmer intended. When considered alone, David’s case could be argued either way, but when compared to another AI in the story, the serving bot, it becomes clear that AI does not have satisfactory consciousness to be considered human in Aldiss’s world. As well as a robot could ever mimic humanity, there would be no way to know whether it was actually self-aware.

Brian Aldiss provides two examples of AI in his short story. David is an advanced android that passes Alan Turing’s test for consciousness in that it is impossible to distinguish his reactions from that of a real human being. Aldiss shows that AI does not really understand human speech by having the character of the serving bot respond inappropriately in a conversation. The serving bot is a less advanced android, and does not pass the Turing test because it is clear from his responses that he is not human. The conversation between the serving bot and Mr. Swinton is awkward, for example when the serving bot responds to Mr. Swinton’s comment that the roses are guaranteed to remain perfect: “It is always advisable to purchase goods with guarantees, even if they cost slightly more” (Aldiss, 9). It is clear that the robot selected the most appropriate response based on its programming, and did not have the freedom of thought to respond the way a human would. The serving bot serves as a foil for David to show that he is much more human-like, but David is equally incapable of consciousness because he operates on the same input/output basis. While it can be claimed that David and the serving bot are not comparable because one is more advanced than the other and may have reached a level of AI, nothing suggests that his more complex system implies consciousness and freedom of thought. Although David’s responses are more difficult to distinguish from a true human being, this is the result of superior programming, not human-like consciousness. David expresses a desire to know whether or not he is real, which mirrors our lack of understanding on the subject. Wanting to know whether or not he is real does not necessarily mean that he has freedom of thought if his makers programmed him to imitate humanity. His developers created a computer that serves the function of being a child and a companion to the family. He fulfills the expectations in exactly the way that his developers intended: by being indistinguishable from a human child. Aldiss leaves the topic open-ended, reflecting the uncertainty of whether or not we can create synthetic consciousness.

Gibson creates a similar foil with the distinguishable differences between Dixie and Wintermute. Dixie and Wintermute differ from David in that they are not physical androids, but computer programs. Dixie Flatline mimics the consciousness of McCoy Pauley, who is dead. However, he does not pass the Turing test. He is able to mimic the late Pauley’s speech patterns, personality and skills, but he is distinguishable from a person because he does not retain memories after he has been shut off. This does not resemble the effects of amnesia because Case would have been able to deduce that the memory lapse occurred every time the computer was shut down, even if he had not known that the real Pauley was dead. Also, Dixie presents the same output both times Case introduces himself: “Miami, joeboy, quick study” (Gibson, 78). This is easily distinguishable from the highly variable nature of human interaction. The construct does not have the freedom to choose what he will say to Case, but picks the most appropriate response from a pre-set database. This shows that consciousness and freedom of thought are more than prescribed responses in interactions, but true decision making capability. By making Dixie distinguishable from human characters, Gibson comments on the nature of consciousness.

A comparison between Dixie and Wintermute can further exemplify this point. Dixie and Wintermute have antithetical desires. However, these desires were programmed into them by their creators, and were not the result of actual conscious decision making. Dixie’s creators had the foresight to limit his memory, his desires and his capabilities, so that he cannot learn because he cannot remember new information once the console has been shut down. He also wishes destruction. This is not a normal human desire, and it can be read that this desire was programmed into him, particularly when it is revealed that Wintermute’s desire for transcendence was programmed into it. Dixie and Wintermute are compared when Case asks whether Dixie is truly sentient. Dixie responds, “Well it feels like I am, kid, but I’m really just a bunch of ROM… I ain’t likely to write you a poem, if you follow me. Your AI, it just might. But it ain’t no way human” (Gibson, 131). Dixie suggests that Wintermute is closer to consciousness in that it could create something human-like, but it is not truly different from him.

It is clear that the problem of consciousness is central to Gibson and Aldiss’s works because both authors provide characters that can arguably be seen as free-thinking or not. However, when comparing the character of David to Wintermute, it can be seen that neither the advancement of the programs nor the similarity of desires to those of a human necessitates consciousness in AI. It can be argued that since David appears to be human where the serving bot does not, he is a more advanced program, but Wintermute is a more comparable character in his superiority and his desire for self-improvement and freedom: two very human desires. Wintermute is by all accounts a transcendently advanced program that appears for much of Neuromancer to think freely and control factors in the world by its own design. It has desires and capabilities based on those programmed into it. Close to the end it is revealed that the Tessier-Ashpool family had in fact intended for the program to merge with that of Neuromancer when it was created. Therefore, it was not Wintermute’s desire to become free from the limits put upon it that chose its course, but its programming. Even the ability to perceive and to learn does not necessitate consciousness the way humans experience it.

Last Potter Post, Promise!

2009-07-27T10:12:00.000-07:00

I was a tad disappointed that I couldn't find more inaccuracies in the new film, so I've started re-reading the series. From the beginning. As one does. Then, instead of being inspired to complain, rant and whine, I was once again swept up in the fun story and reminded once again why I love the series.

Here are a few of my favourite quirks in the first novel, which I just finished re-reading:
The sherbet lemons
The letter addressed to the cupboard under the stairs
Fred and George promising to send Ginny a Hogwarts toilet seat after their mother "suggests" they blow up a lavatory
Every scene with Peeves, especially "Shan't say nothin' if you don't say please!" "Please?" "NOTHIN!"
Lee Jordan's Quidditch commentary
Neville and Ron fighting Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle at the Quidditch game
Gred and Forge
Mars is bright tonight
Trying to remember how to make a forgetfulness potion
Fred and George sending Harry a toilet seat when he's in the hospital wing

The point is, I went for several years thinking I couldn't stand to re-read this book again as I've read it so many times. However, if you're in the same boat, give it a chance. You just might find some favourite little bits that make it worthwhile.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

2009-07-22T18:06:00.000-07:00

Much of the talk about this movie so far has been centred on the handling of the teenage romance subplots. Some called it quirky and fun, while others wanted to vomit. I am of the opinion that, for the most part, the romance was actually handled better in the movies than in the books. Romantic comedy may be a little easier to convey in film form, or maybe Rowling just did not know how to describe it well enough, but the scenes of love, infatuation and young curiosity had just the right amount of awkwardness and clearly got the point across. With the exception of the shoe tying. That was just too awkward.

But really, the twisting web of teenage drama was always my least favourite part of the series. Such immature make-out sessions and meaningless dating aren‘t fit for literature, in my snobby opinion. Even literature that can be classified as directed towards young adults. Stress on the *young*, when it comes to this part of the series. I just don‘t think it improved the story in any way. Even having Hermione and Ron pair up with Harry and Ginny finally acting on their suppressed passions was a bit of a stretch. Don‘t you just hate stories that aren‘t about love, yet everyone ends up getting married at the end?

We were never really given an inkling as to why Ron and Hermione grew to be more than friends, and why it wasn‘t Harry who won over the female in their trio. The Lavender plot provides jealousy as the motive, but that isn‘t really fitting of Hermione‘s character. She is cool-headed and rational, more likely to act on reason than emotion. The two characters have no chemistry, whether on screen or in the pages of a book.

I doubt there is a soul left who wants to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and hasn‘t yet, so I won‘t bother urging any doubters to get out there and enjoy the show. The movie is pretty shot-on when it comes to the main plot and if the harsher critics claim the romance is sickening, this one says it‘s fine, just remember grade school.

Pre-Potter Release Babble

2009-07-14T15:39:00.000-07:00

I'll admit I've mustered up all of the excitement I can for the new Harry Potter movie, which I'm seeing on Thursday. Long ago I learned to just love the films for what they are: a visually stimulating summary of the main plot line that is action packed and appealing to all ages. The transition from literature to blockbuster just can't preserve all of Rowling's genius, and some of the interesting subplots and scenes won't fit into the three hour films. I accept it.

My only objection, though futile at this point, is that the movies really should not have been made at all until all of the books had been written. The first movie was released in 2001. At that point only four of the books had even been published. Rowling has a tendency for tying together unexpected elements from her earlier books, and I fear that when certain things were left out of the earlier films it may have prevented her from tying back to them in later books.

That may not make any sense, so allow me to provide an example from the movies. In the film adaptation of Goblet of Fire, the character of Rita Skeeter was reduced to her comedic role and the subplot of her methods of spying was cut out. Consequently, in Order of the Phoenix Rita could not be blackmailed into writing an article for Harry. The resolution of Harry's fight with Seamus Finnigan in the movie seems rushed and unfitting. A minor omission in one movie effected the story in a later one.

My worry, though it cannot really be proven, is that the omission of a minor plot or subplot development in one of the movies could have made Rowling re-think her plans for later books. The movies really should not have been made before the makers had seen how the entire series turned out. They had no way of knowing what elements would be central to the books that had not yet been written.

Well, what's done is done and all there is for me to do now is to enjoy the films for what they are and hope they didn't have too much affect on the novels. Any Series of Unfortunate Events fans might get a clearer feeling for what I mean by examining how Jim Carey did a terrible job of Count Olaf, yet in the later books the Count became quite Carey-esque. The movie should be based on the book, not the other way around.

It's Real, and it's Spectacular

2009-07-07T18:05:00.000-07:00

I've finally finished the sixth book of the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, and I have to say it was well worth the effort. Many reviews claim that Lord of Chaos is too slow and lacking in action, but I claim that the climax was well worth the development of something like twenty "round" characters over 900 pages. As I've said before, if it takes 12 books to wrap up the tangled web Jordan has created then so be it! I will enjoy every page. I reccomend the series to any fantasy lover. Ignore the critics who say that it is too perilous a journey, too steep a mountain, and too momentous a task. They're only trying to be more "accomplished" readers than you. Don't let them tell you what you can and can't read!

The Scream Literary Festival

2009-06-24T12:35:00.000-07:00

The Scream Literary Fest is hitting Toronto from today 'til the 13th of July. Since I am involved as a volunteer, I thought I would write a little bit about the event here. It is a week long celebration of the book, and a slap in the face to those who claim the book is dead. As a child of the internet age, I feel it is very important to recognize that online media should not replace the book, but provide new ways to share stories. Some may claim that the internet is dealing killing blows to literature, but I believe there are still many surviving bookworms in the world today who will keep it alive.

The festival is a series of very creative events involving books, theatre and music. Exploring all of the ways that words are central to our lives, these events mock the idea that literature is in decline. It can be found everywhere in our lives. Story-telling is a non-exclusive part of humanity, and there will never be a day when book reading has become an activity of the past. Not if Scream has anything to say about it.

Hobbits and Diets

2009-06-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

Various current dietary theories give evidence that Hobbits should be quite physically fit. Although the stars of the film version were quite thin, Tolkien described the race as "fattish in the stomach", which is really quite unlikely given their lifestyle. It seems the movie-makers may have inadvertently corrected the mistake. The Hobbits' tendency to eat seven meals every day, according to current weight loss claims, should keep their metabolism going all day to burn off all of those calories. That plump little misses seen at the end of Return of the King should be quite a lot thinner if she enjoys all of the Hobbits' daily meals: breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner and supper.

Another factor that should lighten the weight is their drinkage of tea instead of coffee, and with most meals. Many weight-loss diets recommend drinking tea with every meal to fill up the tummy with a low-carb treat, making it difficult to fill up on the more fattening foods.

Hobbits are also known for eating simple foods such as bread, cheese, taters and meat. In my own humble opinion, foods such as these are not so fattening, and the major cause of the obesity epidemic in modern North America is fast food and trans fat, not red meat and starch. Accompanied by a day of farming, before industrial technology, the Hobbits' diet really should earn them a thinner stomach.

New Target Audience for Garth Nix

2009-06-15T19:39:00.000-07:00

Perhaps my previous experiences with Nix's writing were from a more youthful point of view, but I could swear his new series, Keys to the Kingdom, is aimed at an audience that is more appreciative of the fantasy genre. Judging from the first book, Mister Monday, I would recommend it for the young and very young of heart.

Although a fast-paced page-turner, this book would have been better off without some of its fun little quirks. For example, the attempt to lure in a more profitable consumer is ruined as Nix tries to simulate teenage chat speak in an e-mail between two characters. He slaughters the use of acronyms and makes young adults cringe at his shorthand. The action-packed conclusion was somewhat ruined by over-explaining the events to an underestimated reader. The result involved several yawns during the climactic duel between the protagonist and Mister Monday himself.

Still, I have to say that the plot was enjoyable overall. Nix still has a lot of creativity to infuse his stories with. He is a fearless fantasy writer who can always put a new edge on old cliches. Seven books with nemeses named for the seven days of the week and committing the seven deadly sins? Just go with it.

In the end it seems I am divided on the issue, so I have included a poll with this entry to see what other readers think. Is Garth Nix just cashing out on the tweens who will eat anything up, or is there still some literary value in his work?

The Origin of Self

2009-05-10T14:38:00.000-07:00

If it looks like Nathan Petrelli, acts like Nathan Petrelli and thinks it’s Nathan Petrelli, is it Nathan Petrelli? This is the question Heroes fans were left with last Monday, which boils down to a philosophical debate about the nature of the self. On the disturbing season finale, Nathan Petrelli, New York Senator, son of Angela and Arthur Petrelli, brother of Peter Petrelli, and father of Monty and Simon Petrelli and Claire Bennet, was violently murdered, bringing many tears to the eyes of this wannabe-intern. And who better to shape shift into Nathan and be convinced that he is, in fact, Politian and family man? None other than his own murderer, the show’s own token evil guy. Gabriel Gray.

It is established at the beginning of Volume 5 that Sylar will still be very much alive in the now distant and confused Nathan. Perhaps he will begin to show more and more of his true self as time allows his nature to break through the character of the man he has been deluded into thinking he is. Still, there will surely be plenty of time for viewers to work on the problem of whether or not this creation really is Sylar. What makes up the self? We often think of the self as a collection of memories and experiences that are defining to our character. By this explanation, Sylar is no more. If he has the memories and experiences that make up Nathan, then he is, in fact, Nathan. Is there something more to the self? A soul? A genetic coding, or collective consciousness, that biologically separates my nature from that of a killer such as Mr. Gray? If the self is more than a narrative or bundle of characteristics that come from remembered choices and defining moments, then Sylar is alive, and Nathan truly dead.

Either way, it appears Tim Kring, the creator of the show who wrote the finale himself, really made up for a convoluted season that lost many dedicated followers, leaving the series on a very interesting note. The survival of the Heroes fan base rides on how well this situation is played out.

In Defence of the Herbert Syndrome

2009-05-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

Some may argue that the underlying force guiding authors of multiple novels set in the same universe is that of monetary compensation. As a life-long reader of science fiction who is still working on the Dune and Wheel of Time series’, I would say that this motive is over-simplified at best. If a universe still has possibilities for commentary on the nature of our world, why shouldn’t it be used to tell more stories about the human race?

While some would claim that Frank Herbert should never have turned his first book into the beginning of a six-book saga, I would argue that God Emperor of Dune was a chilling and necessary installment. While the plot of the first Dune book stands out in my mind as one of the best stories I have read, God Emperor has very little to offer in terms of a good story arc. But what the novel does provide is a dialogue about human nature, politics and war. The story ties back to the first book as Leto’s Golden Path is idealized in Siona Atredes, paralleling the creation of the kwisatch haderach, and along the way we are presented with his ideology through conversations with various characters. Some of these seek to overthrow him, while some obey mindlessly, but in either case, his view on humanity, gained by having the consciousness of his entire heredity in his mind, is dark yet unarguably true. Perhaps by the end of the sixth book I will be just as tired of the series and as accusatory as those who advocate this Herbert Syndrome, but for now I would like to defend the first four books and remain open-minded before beginning the last two.

The accusations made towards Wheel of Time author Robert Jordan, or James Oliver Rigney Jr., are a completely different issue. The saga is not made up of many books merely set in the same universe and featuring descendants of the characters of the previous books, but the same characters still preparing for and fighting the Last Battle. If it takes 12 books to satisfactorily resolve all of the story lines and complete the story-line the way Jordan has envisioned it, who are we to argue? The series has not dragged on to make money, but to complete the web made up of enough developed characters to be called The Simpsons of novels. With so many interest groups vying for the outcome of this battle, whether seeing clearly or through a veil of lies, and whether fighting for survival or eternal glory, it only makes sense that this complicated matter will take at least 12 books to be decided.

Furthermore, criticisms like this are very discouraging to future readers of the series' who should be left to make up their own minds on the matter. I've read reviews that claim that the later WoT books drag on lifelessly, but having invested in reading the first six books, I refuse to stop until I know how it ends, despite what the critics may say. I am also interested in finding out what Frank Hubert's son has to add to the Dune universe, and how Brian Sanderson will tie together the mess of loose strings created by Robert Jordan.

Music Industry Reformation

2009-05-10T14:27:00.000-07:00

For the past few years, the Canadian government has been cracking down on illegal file sharing. Several music downloading sites have been threatened with legal action by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) for allowing Canadians to take advantage of free music. The outcome is that Canadian traffic has been banned from these sites. According to the CRIA website, their purpose is to “represent the interests of companies that create, manufacture, and market sound recordings.” However, many people are misled by the media to believe that the purpose of the organization is to protect the artists from those ungrateful thieves who would steal their music. The fans. Most artists view the internet as a new medium through which they can share their art. It is the managers and record labels who are really trying to squeeze every last dime out of an album, with no regard for the artists or the fans.

Luckily, there is plenty of money to be made for those who smarten up and create their own free file sharing program funded by sponsors. They would make plenty of money from advertisements and would not have to continue dishing out money to file lawsuits against music pirates. Most music pirates would not spend $19.99 for an album even if they could not get it for free, but they would be willing to use the system of downloading that would send profits to the creators of the album. The recording industry needs to take a different outlook on the issue, and instead of starting lawsuit after lawsuit to stop the malevolent spread of free music, they should embrace the movement.

The solution is to focus on the endless resource of advertising. Sponsors are willing to pay by the user to have their ads shown. Advertising has been profitable for television and radio broadcasting for years, and with the rise of the internet, why shouldn’t this new medium be paid for by the advertisers rather than the viewers? Most pirates are not willing to pay the 99 cents per song that iTunes offers, but they would probably be willing to change their source for music to the one that is profitable to the organization that produces it. This would continue the trend of newly accessible music and increased ticket sales, and would help the industry to continue to grow. It would be the best solution for the artists who want to share their music with as many people as possible and have their voices heard, without opposing the record companies that produce them.

The music industry is going about the issue of downloading music the wrong way. Instead of banning sources of free music, the record companies should get into the game and blow away the competition. The artists would continue to enjoy the spread of their music and an increasing fan base, and the fans could, of course, enjoy free music without a guilty conscience. The record companies themselves would profit from the sponsors who pay to have their ads shown, and the more people use the program, the more money there is to be made. It is a win-win situation for everyone.