The Ocean at the End of the Lane

This Thanksgiving my mother came up to visit me and brought me a copy of, The Ocean at The End of The Lane. Since this past summer I’ve wanted to get my hands on this novel by Neil Gaimen, and she knew it. I have a good mom.

            I did what any self-respecting 22-year-old introvert would do and read it in one sitting. It’s filled with a corner of the room loneliness I didn’t even know existed. And it moved me. Much in the same way wind moves a mountain, except it happened all at once and I didn’t even know it.

            I’d recommend the novel to anyone interested in speculative fiction or Neil Gaimen or great writing in general. The better than brilliant narrative is there. The characters feel and react and live and you can’t help but feel a little voyeuristic when reading this book. By the end you feel like you’ve learned something you weren’t supposed to know. But you feel like you’ve really learned.  And that’s hard for a book to do, but the ones that do deserve to be read and written about and taught in classrooms.

            Few writers can envelope you in the same way that Gaimen does in his works. There’s darkness to his work but you can’t always point it out —Like the swift black thing in the corner of your eye that causes you to turn.

If you’ve never read anything by Neil Gaimen before The Ocean at The End of The Lane is as good a place as any to start. Its short and can be read and understood in a day. It’s also just very, very, well written.

I can’t wait to read it again. Hopefully not too soon. Hopefully I can resist the urge. I already here it calling.

Video games and literature.

Today I’m going to talk about two games. One from 2013 the other from 1999

The Last Of Us, is a magnificent post apocalyptic experience. Much like Cormac McCarthy’s, The Road, the story follows a child and adult on their journey across a tarnished America. Like The Road, the story isn’t about how the world came to such a state of decay. It merely serves as a backdrop, creating a setting for the two main characters. The Last of Us is one of the most memorable experiences in video game history. It’s a tale littered with uncertainties, vulnerability and the omnipresent feeling of despair. (A quick teaser review. But it helps you get the feel of what the game is like.)

The Last of Us is a great example of the trans media narrative. It could easily have been a book, or movie but I think it was captured perfectly as a game. I think that games now are where comics were 50 years ago. And I think we’re just coming to an age where people understand the cultural value that’s told/shown in the games of today.

Games are narrative and immersion and music. Games are art.

I think another great example of this is a game called Planescape: Torment. It was based of the Planescape RPG boardgames and has some of the best writing and character progression I’ve played through.

In fact, author Patrick Rothfuss is on board and helping with the writing of the new Planescape game. (Which I helped fund on kickstarter. Kickstarter deserves a blog post of its own.) 

It’s rather wild to see how games have been evolving. Everything has changed, people expect more. Even if they can’t put their fingers on it —Some people want better graphics or stories or art or music and that drives the value dynamicly upward. And that’s pretty cool.

My thoughts on Advertising

Advertising is less  about recognizing trends and running with it. We’re problem solvers, having more in common with the mathematician than the artist or poet laureate.

            As an undergraduate with one semester left until I receive my BFA, it’s an odd philosophy to embrace, but I believe this is true. Here’s why:

We don’t say new things; we say old things in a new way.

When it comes down to it, advertising is about telling a story. In western literature there are only 7 stories. Overcoming the Monster, Rags to Riches, The Quest, Voyage and Return, Comedy, Tragedy and Rebirth. That’s it boom done. Any story you’ve ever told is one of those. The same is true with advertising. It doesn’t matter if it’s a two-minute spot or a print ad —it can be placed into one of those categories.

This is a wonderful thing because it gives us a creative rulebook to follow. We’ll never be able to break the rules, but we can bend them and create the illusion of something new.

Oldspice (Comedy) did this, Nike (Overcoming the Monster) did this and Allstate (Rebirth) did, too.

Advertising is a commodity.  

            I like to think of advertising as a product. I’m not creating a 30 second spot to sell something. I’m creating a 30 second comedy. If you think of advertising as a way to entertain, or to create a dialog with the consumer, then you’re off to a great start. What creates good advertising? The same thing that creates good products —that’s innovation.

Dr. Who and Bilbo and Long Form Television.

For class we were assigned to watch some long form television. And to think about literature and media and the trans narrative that can be found within long form television. Personally, I don’t watch a lot of long form television, be it online, broadcast, streaming or cable. In fact, it isn’t how I absorb story for the most part –I usually stick to the tried and true. Which for me are novels and videogames. 

            I chose to watch Dr. Who, and boy was it the correct choice for me. I had a blast watching the whole first season. (The 2005 rendition of Dr. Who.) I chose Dr. Who because of my natural gravitation towards anything SciFi related. But I was surprised to find out Dr Who was rather well written. At least what I’ve seen so far. Long form television, especially if the series drags on, can be plighted with bad writing. Dr. Who is worth the watch and I’ll be trying to find the time to visit the other seasons during December break.

            In class we talked about how with long form television each episode needs to have a story arch of its own. With a longer, more drawn out story arch throughout the show and that got me thinking.

            The Hobbit would make a great 1 season, 19 episode series. The Hobbit is probably my most read book; it is the book that, like so many others before me, opened my mind to the world of reading. It would make a great television show because The Hobbit is a very episodic book, meaning that each chapter has a tale of its own and a message to be taken away. In fact, I believe that a 1-season series would have been a better translation into film than a 3-part movie. I base this argument on the fact that you’re turning something that is episodic in nature into a trilogy and you’re bound to lose something along the way. I hope that someone someday realizes this. I would watch it.

Look how well Game of Thrones is doing.

(I’m not bashing the films. Personally, I love The Hobbit film. It’s a 3-hour escape into Middle Earth, what’s not to love about that?) 

My Review of The City of Lost Children.

I recently watched City of Lost Children and would like to share my thoughts on the movie.

            First off, I’ve been meaning to watch this movie for a while now but the amount of books I’ve had to read, video games I’ve been meaning to play, and women I’ve wanted to go on dates with, has kept me exceptionally busy. 

            The City of Lost Children is a French SciFi film that hit theatres in 1995. For some bizarre reason, don’t ask me why, the main character is portrayed by Ron Perlman who speaks about as much French as a deaf parakeet. Surprisingly, I find this confusing choice of lead role a story enhancer. I guess Ron Perlman was destined for comic cons since the inauguration of his acting career.

            The story is entertaining. It’s about a young man who is goes out on a mission to rescue his adopted younger brother. This quest feels more like a random string of events without any stalwart plan of how he will actually find his brother, but it adds to the charm of the movie. As well as the characters Ron meets along the way.

            Directors, Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet do a fantastic job at portraying character development, especially between the characters of Ron Perlman and Judith Vittet. By the end of the film I found myself completely attached to their relationship and it gave off a vibe similar to the love between the father and son in The Road by Cormack McCarthy.

            The art direction is one of my favorite aspects of the film. It’s this creepy cocktail of SciFi and steampunk that creates an aesthetic similar to what you’d see in a Tim Burton film. It’s dark, green, gritty and machine based. I think based on the art direction alone, this film really stands out and is worth seeing on that merit alone. All in all I enjoyed this film and recommend it to anyone who has an interest in speculative fiction and urban SciFi storytelling. I give this move a 7.8 out of 10.

Ni No Kuni, Wrath of the White Witch.

For as long as I can remember, Hayao Miyzaki has been a personal hero of mine. With the aid of Studio Ghibli, he has created some of the most celebrated animations of all time.

That’s why I preordered a game called Ni No Kuni.

Ni No Kuni is a collaboration effort between Level-5 entertainment and Studio Ghibli. It centers around a young boy, Oliver, who with the aid of some unlikely sidekicks, sets out on a quest to save his mother. If you own a Playstation 3, let me lay down the facts as to why Ni No Kuni should be your next purchase.

            The first reason is story. It’s grand; it’s full of adventure and peril, and it rocks. I think portal fantasy has been lacking the past couple years. I really do. The last good portal fantasy for me was, The Magicians, by Lev Grossman. Before that, Harry Potter. So for me, this got me wrapped up in another great portal fantasy. The plot is compelling and heartfelt without feeling cheesy, generic or overdramatic. As you progress through the game, you get totally attached to the characters in your party and there’s a sense of loss when it’s time to part ways, even if it’s only for a moment.

            The Tokyo Philharmonic executed the in-game music. Enough said.

            Art direction in this game is flawless. It’s absolutely gorgeous and it feels as if you’re playing a Studio Ghibli film. I’d like to add that the transition between playing the game and the in game cut-scenes was as smooth as can be.

            Mechanics and gameplay are another reason why I love this game. It’s just so fun to play and there are no bumps or hiccups along the way. If you’re curious as to what it’s like. Imagine the monster collection and evolution of Pokémon, combined with the turn based/ real time strategy of the early final fantasy series and that’s what it’s like. Fights always feel fresh and engaging and the skill curve as you progress throughout the game is rewarding and just challenging enough.

            If you had any doubts about the game don’t. Enjoy some great entertainment this winter break. I give this game an 8.5/10.

The Odyssey. By Homer.

I’m currently halfway through The Odyssey by Homer and this is my first time reading it. I’d like to share my thoughts on why I think it’s a great story all men should read.

I’m currently in what the Greeks called, “The apex of youth.” A time merriment and hard work and of finding yourself. And the perfect time to read The Odyssey. 

            I’m reading a slightly antiquated translation of the novel so I’m going at a slower pace than usual put that’s okay. Like an as seen on tv sponge I’m soaking it all in, and retaining it, too.

            I love how the story starts. It starts in the middle of the conflict with Telemachos going from stasis to change right away. You see this in the way that he addresses his mother Penelopia, who is lamenting over the “death” of her husband and Telemachos’ father, Odysseus. Basically he tells her that she’s not the only one who lost somebody in the war with Troy and that if she doesn’t like the singing of the bards then she should go to her room. She is startled by her son’s outburst but is surprised how manly he has become.

            I really like how this story starts because it puts the reader right in the middle of the action. It takes no time to get to the root of the problem. It’s really one of the first novels and a great heroes’ journey story.

            They way Homer incorporated myth and real life is rather interesting. With the gods playing a pivotal role within the context of the narrative. I never thought Athena would be such a great character and she’s a rather alpha female and quite possibly one of the first.

            How this translation is worded is my only complaint about the novel so far. It’s a bit dated for my taste but that doesn’t take away from the story too much. And if I’m ever lost or confused I always have the Internet at my disposal. Although, I haven’t had to use it yet.

Thoughts on Libriomancer

 For this week’s blog post I thought I’d write about a book I read last week called Libriomancer by Jim Hines. I’ll start off by saying it’s a pleasant read and if you have any interest at all in speculative fiction, or even just a pacing fancy, it’s worth the $7.99. Here are a couple of reasons why you should get a copy:

First off, the concept is brilliant. The magicians, or as Hines refers to them in the novel, porters, get their power from the cumulative belief of readers. Allowing porters to draw their weapons from novels. For example, if I was a porter and had to defend myself against some vampires a might have Excalibur in one hand and a ray gun in another. Pretty neat, and Hines did an excellent job at making his magic system feel believable.

Libriomancer has a fun story. It’s part urban fantasy, part noir detective story, and an all around homage to geeky fantasy literature.  I say fun and not great because I felt the character development was a little lacking but that didn’t hinder my overall enjoyment of the novel. It’s funny, well written and imaginative, but don’t go into this novel expecting to find some deeper meaning. Jim C Hines puts everything right there on the surface for us.

            As I mentioned a moment ago, my only real complaint about the novel is the character development seemed lacking. The main character was your run-of-the-mill magician with his collar slightly out of place and his witty one-liners.  But that’s okay, clearly the concept was more important than the forgettable cast. Although that’s what makes this novel not as great as some other fantasy novels I have in my arsenal.

            To the books credit, the book is a great detective story. It thought I had it solved halfway through but was constantly being surprised up until the very end. It does a great job of taking that detective story and fusing it with urban fantasy.

            If you’re looking for a book that will give you unadulterated geeky joy than this book is for you. It’s pure, shallow fun and a wonderful time. Its literary references are smartly placed. I give this book an 8 out of 10.