A Mind of Secrets and a Heroin Addicted Dolphin

    Johnny Mnemonic was an enjoyable read considering my fancy for cyberpunk stories and films. I have been a fan of Ghost in the Shell for some time now as well as Akira and the cinematic masterpiece: Blade Runner. Ever since diving into this genre years back with Akira I have enjoyed any chance I can get to obtain related material.

    I read the short story written by William Gibson for this week and thought it was a nice take on cyberpunk. I was a fan of how quickly Gibson set the tone for the piece and introduced the protagonist. The world took on its own unique look as soon as Johnny entered the Drome Bar. Body alterations were regarded with a sense of normality and even seemed mundane albeit quirky as with the twins guarding the door. Johnny clearly did not regard them with much indifference, aside from them being trained killers and exceptionally dangerous, considering they are regarded as "sisters" yet one was once male AND they are lovers. Stories like this estrange the reader and places them in a world that could possibly be seen as crude, vulgar, primal or perhaps downright abhorring to a degree that fans either really love it or would rather forget the sub-genre even exists. I make this assumption because my friends are quite black-and-white about the subject. I mention this because the story seems to follow a common denominator I have found in most cyberpunk stories, and that is exploitation of technology. Society in these times seem to have a "since now we can, we will" mentality. What I mean is; things such as body alterations to some individuals may be fantasy but are achievable in cyberpunk worlds. The divide between man and machine becomes such a small gap that, because of human nature, society could descend into the grungy, obsessive and advantageous state of being that allows these stories to be dark or even depraved.

    The concept behind the character Ralfi Face in some way reveals the idea of "individual" in the setting of the book. Since technology allows one-self to change their face so easily, a person cannot be known by appearance but perhaps by what they do and how they do it. Face alteration is made to be such an easy day-to-day thing akin to buying shoes by regarding Ralfi's current face as "the Christian White" and through his explanation of the details to such a job, implies it as a cookie-cutter thing. For all I know there could be hundreds of people walking around with similar faces in this strange world who all probably regard each other with a certain content comparable to two people seeing each other with the same shirt. From this part of the story and on, I consider Johnny's world to be a place where someone cannot be just one person but a part of a collective whole; instantaneously connected to anyone and anything. Gibson wasn't kidding when the Sprawl was described as "grey".

    In the story, Johnny is a data/info trafficker in a time of advanced technology. This scenario goes to show that the most important thing in his time and age is information, where words can still be the most powerful tool of persuasion. Johnny Mnemonic's cargo, as a result, is precious. For the right price, one could use Mnemonic as a "data whore" to get secrets from one place to another. I make this comparison because in my mind, Johnny is just that. People are using his body for personal gain at a price, so why not?

    I am also a fan of the societal hierarchy and city-scape as explained by Gibson in his fictional world. I must say the concept of the Sprawl is really cool. Mega-cities and domes that encase vast amounts of space is quite intriguing and the idea of placing a whole society of its own high above the city is appealing to me. The dredges, slums and underworlds of cyberpunk have always held a certain interest for me because of the intriguing characters that can originate from there. I find it interesting that the Lo Teks are high above the city rather than typically underground. I find it furthermore interesting that they should be called Lo Teks even though they still, in some way, are connected with advanced technology because of their altered bodies.

    I watched the movie adaptation of this short story and thought it was decent. Just as with any movie based on a written piece of fiction I found it lacking, but only because of the capacity of the human mind and the individual's ever-varying take on something that is read versus what is presented to us visually by someone else. It's amusing how Keanu Reeves played the lead in this movie and The Matrix as well. I would like to read more from William Gibson and the Sprawl Trilogy.

By the Way, You're the Son of a God

    Neil Gaiman's The Anansi Boys was an enjoyable novel. I am a fan of stories that mix modern reality with fantasy elements . It reminded me of a book I read when I was a kid called Kingdom for Sale, SOLD! by Terry Brooks. Both of these novels take a modern day individual who have ordinary lives and throws them into a new reality they were totally unaware of. This seems like an alternative way of taking the reader into another world and it works fairly well I would say. I have always been a fan of tall-tales and The Anansi Boys is a great new adaptation of one.
    I really enjoy the manner in which the story is told. I think I can see some influence from Tolkein in this. He delivers the story as a storyteller would: as if he were sitting in front of you presenting his own creative narrative spun around a modern urban setting. He would sidetrack from the main narrative and explain any details that the reader may not know about just in the manner Tolkein would. This appeals to me. I like being told a story versus simply reading words on a page that create a story.
    The imagery presented for the Gods' caves at the beginning and end of the world was quite imaginative. This was a new and imaginative vision for me, so it was refreshing to picture their caves and appearances in my mind. I thought maybe their home would be much grander than it was. I would imagine something such as an endless expanse of land with areas designed specifically for each type of animal God. However I can see the justification for what was given for the sake of continuing the story.
    On a random note, I was not a fan of Rosie as a person, but I do not hold any contempt for the writer because it helps the story. If she were truly in love with Charlie, I would feel she could see past the guise of Spider and see him for the imposter he was. This helps develop the connection, or lack-there-of, between Charlie and Rosie. This gives Charlie more of an opportunity to put his old life behind him and assume his rightful position his father once held as well as get a girl who actually loves him. The fact she cannot see past Spider's falsity helps to create the tension needed to separate Rosie and place Spider in a sticky situation one would expect him to fall into.
    The whole fiasco between Grahame Coats and Maeve Livingstone is a great device used in the book to link many things together. This was almost a whole story on its own that was interwoven with the main narrative and kept my interest throughout the book. Maeve's murder seemed to be chalked up to fate due to the fact she played a pivotal part in the finale and Anansi knew of her arrival. Her wandering ghost was a unique element to the story that really sells the tall-tale nature of the story. Her character was great. The fact she was essentially unaware, or rather, in denial of her own death at first and claims she has unfinished business was really cool.
    On the topic of appealing characters, I would say the the character I visioned as the grandest was the bird woman. If this book were to be adapted to film, her character would have an awesome screen presence. Her involvement with the Anansi bloodline and her ultimate role in the end was very compelling. Not to mention tiger's involvement with Grahame Coats. This incarnation of the tiger was definitely foreseeable as soon as Grahame committed his first murder and he goes on to say it felt good and primal.
    I would definitely recommend this to friends who are fans of this genre.

Dust and the Aurora

    I am a fan of fantasy novels so naturally I found this book intriguing, but I personally do not think it was amazing. I cannot place this on the same level of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and other works I truly enjoy. I do not mean to say the book is not good though. I would have to say a respectable level of originality is present in the book and it was refreshing in that way. I enjoy how the protagonist is a young girl who actually wants to go head first into danger versus the typical hero who is essentially thrust into a situation they would rather not be a part of. This fact carries the book well since the main idea behind her character development is making mistakes and learning from them.
    The concept of daemons as souls is an interesting approach to creating an alternative universe. I can see how this raises some controversy with religious groups. The fact one's soul is physically manifested in a creature and that there are alternative universes would indeed raise some eyebrows. Personally I am not a fan of people who take a piece of fictional literature too serious and turn it on the author in a negative way. This goes the same for those who blame video games for any violent act done by a youth. Anyways...
     I think the alethiometer is a creative tool for adventure. This plays in part to the fact that this society seems to hold science on a higher pedestal than religion. Scholars are revered individuals who seem to pride themselves on the pursuit of knowledge and the sciences. The fact a scientific device can give you the truth to any question brings to light the whole issue of destiny versus free choice. Just the idea of being able to know who is doing what at any time leads me to believe there is no such thing as free choice in this particular universe. Personally I am not a fan of characters with too much power, however it is not like she is unstoppable or unbreakable. Characters like Dr.Manhattan from The Watchers is an example of a character with too much power and I dislike this.
     The characters in this book are great. I particularly like the polar bears and Iorek Byrnison. The section regarding Iorek and Ragnar is great. I found it interesting that the bear king wanted a daemon and was even tricked into believing Lyra was one. This raises a few questions. Firstly, why would a presumably intelligent being think that Lyra is a daemon? She is obviously human, and Ragnar has surely made acquaintances with other humans considering he knows about daemons. Which leads to my next question: Could a daemon take on the form of a human? I enjoy books that can rattle my brain like this. Anything with moral, ethic, existential or metaphysical quandaries and questions will immediately peak my interest.
     Ultimately I found this book to be an enjoyable source of entertainment that is not only fantastical but scientifically driven as well. I wish I had not seen the movie before reading the book so that I could have created my own imagery through my own imagination instead of already having some exposure to someone else's interpretation. If I have the time I would like to read the last two books. I would also like to see them made into movies.

There, back, and there again.

     As a fantasy fan, this novel is hands down one of the best pieces of literature I have ever read and probably ever will read. I read this again for a third time and it still holds merit in the realm of wizardry and heroes. I feel this falls in part because it essentially paved the way for how we view the world of orcs, wizards and dragons in modern film and literature. I love a book that can take me to another world and put me in the mind of a hero or multiple heroes and make me lose track of time.
      Pitting an innocent and small character against the evils of an unknown world far greater than him/her is the major theme of the book. He felt himself too small to be of any significance but in the end proved to be the keystone of a far greater scheme. I love how this unsuspecting character ends up bringing multiple races together, killing a dragon and all he wants is to go home to his nice warm chair and fireplace and smoke his pipeweed. This falls into the theme of the heroic journey. Through the many trials Bilbo goes through, he sees that size does not define the importance or greatness of a man. He achieves the originally intended goal, plus some, and ends up back where he started but is a different, more improved, person. Or rather.... hobbit. This idea of taking someone who is unaware of the world and throwing them into the fray is mirrored in a series I am reading called The Sword of Truth written by Terry Goodkind. In the first book a wizard takes a man from the west and says he is destined for greater things than just being a woodsman. He unwillingly finds himself going from nobody to the most important man in his world, if not the most powerful. Well I'm four books in and so far he is on his way to achieving this anyways... Throughout the whole book he wishes only to be done with his task and return home, which he ultimately does.
      But back to The Hobbit!
      Not only is the content of Tolkein's book enchanting, but the way it is written is incredibly appealing. It feels as though I am being told a story, not simply reading one. It is a narrative that favors the fancy of the reader and allows the world to unfold without confusion. Moments such as when he backtracks to explain the backstory to the elements of this fictional world allow for this feeling.
     I think it is great that so many characters can be involved, but the reader is not lost in the rabble. Tolkein manages to keep the reader focused on the story of Bilbo and not muck it down with less important people. On the same token: I have started reading a series written by George R. R. Martin called A Song of Ice and Fire and it is really quite incredible. Each chapter is written to tell the story of another character as the world around them progresses and changes. It is an epic tale that follows the lives of many important characters of different kingdoms that make up a magical world. The fact he can involve so many important characters and not lose me is truly a mark of literary prowess.
      It is furthermore impressing that he can take Bilbo and traverse him across woods, swamps, mountains, caverns, towns and castles without losing the reader. I would say it is quite the opposite actually. In my mind I could imagine an immense canvas for each scene and paint a vivid image in my mind. I haven't read the book for a while before reading it for this class and yet I found myself imagining all the same images as if it were a recurring dream.


Recommended books:
Fellowship of the Ring series : J. R. R. Tolkein
A Song of Ice and Fire series: George R. R. Martin
Magic Kingdom for Sale - SOLD!: Terry Brooks
The Sword of Truth series: Terry Goodkind


Next post to come: Anansi Boys: Neil Gaiman

Frankenstein

     My initial impression of the book was quite positive. At first the writing style threw me off, but I am not one to pass judgement just based on the method and style.
     It was evident that Victor had many issues. I would argue his biggest problem is his inability to recognize moral responsibility and through this, figure out his priorities in life. As a result he becomes a selfish man so entrapped in his own bubble that he fails to see the world around him. Throughout the story he steadily degenerates into a monster himself, unable to cope with the life he has created for himself. This selfishness can be seen to a great degree when he is working and when the monster warned him of his wedding night. In his work be becomes self-absorbed and even falls ill only to find comfort not his own accord, but through the help of other people such as his father. He is like a child with too much freedom and the mad pursuit for more knowledge through risks he sees as mere annoyances. He is a frail and weak man who should have been ready to father his creation and care for the people closest to him.
     This idealist view he has of himself continues even later into the story when the monster warns him to be wary on his wedding night. Instead of protecting his newlywed wife, he leaves her alone as he tries to be wary of the monster in fear he will be killed. I find this to be a ridiculous notion on his part. Any other man with any sense, who has just been married, would think to protect his wife. I cannot see what Victor had going through his mind here. If the monster is out to prove and point and exact revenge, why would he kill the man he is trying to prove a point to? When Victor is in his lab, he is book smart but outside of this world, he becomes a small child.
     Diverging slightly; this leads into Mary's life as well. With the kind of life she led, it is evident that she is trying to communicate that men cannot bring life into this world and care for it as well as a woman could. Although her many attempts to do this herself has not yielded favorable results.