Monthly Archives: February 2016

by

Bats Of the Republic by Zachary Thomas Dodson – A Book Review

I should say from the outset that this book warrants a second read.  I’ll explain why in a bit.

If you’re a book lover like me, you need to own this work.  Not because it’s a terrific story, but rather because it is so original in format.  I often discuss with my friends the next steps that book publishing should take, and productions like this may be the answer.

Bats Of the Republic takes place both in the future and in the past.  It is comprised of old letters, field journal drawings, handwritten notes accompanied by sketches, chapters from a fictional book written to exist within this book, technical schematics, as well as electronic messages.  It boasts photographs, a fold-out map, beautiful illustrations, and a very (literally) long letter you can take out of an actual envelope.

Its overall design is exquisite and it is, undoubtedly, a multifaceted work of art.

So, even with all that being said, the story itself did not satisfy.  It’s an interesting read, of that there is no doubt.  But it is somewhat repetitive, the plot seems to serve the design, the characters struck me as inexplicably motivated at times, and, frankly, there were moments when I didn’t quite follow why anything happening proved important to the overall story.

However, because there is so much to digest, because it is so visually interesting and spans so many different eras and formats, it is entirely possible that I missed an important aspect of the plot.  I plan to reread the book this summer with fresh eyes and see if I pick up on things previously missed.

Even so, if the story proves to disappoint on a second reading, I will still unabashedly recommend this work to friends on the strength of its design alone.  This is a step forward in publishing, and it’s one that needs to be experienced.

by

A Special Valentine’s Day Short Story For You

If you’re looking for a special Valentine’s Day short story, check out “Cupid’s Conundrum!”

Cupid’s got a bit of a problem. He now appears old and decrepit, and he’s lost his will to spark romance. In fact, on St. Valentine’s Day, he’s content to merely mope on a park bench, sulking. What has brought Cupid to this lowly state, and is there any way Bernie and Patti can renew his vigor to unite lovers?

Find out HERE!

by

Deadpool – A Movie Review

Though I’m an avid lover of all things superhero, even I must admit that the genre has become somewhat formulaic when adapted to film.

Due to the nature of Deadpool’s meta-fiction characteristics, I had high hopes that his feature film would redefine the comic book film genre and blaze a new trail.  I wanted it to show me something I’ve never seen before, to provide a story unlike the typical comic book movie, and to completely ignore any established conventions.

More on that later …

I’m the first to admit that Deadpool is hilarious.  It’s also violent, crude, profane, gratuitous – but somehow all in a lovable way.  Living up to his “merc with a mouth” moniker, Deadpool is literally talking throughout the entire movie with joke after joke after joke.

While I’ve never followed the character closely, all indications suggest that they stayed true to the antihero, even down to his ability to talk directly to the audience and acknowledge that he’s part of a story.  It’s honestly hard to see anyone other than Ryan Reynolds playing this role.  He pulls off the physicality and the humor perfectly.  In other words, this is the Deadpool we’ve wanted since he appeared in that other movie.

So while it’s true I liked it, I didn’t love it.

The simple fact is it didn’t break the mold liked I hoped it would.  I won’t spoil the plot, but other than the constant jokes and some moments of “breaking the fourth wall,” this is a movie we’ve generally seen before.

And that’s okay.

Perhaps I placed too high of importance on Deadpool.  I expected it to be more than it had any business being.  It absolutely lived up to the character and stayed true to his nature.  But I hoped it would be unlike anything else I’ve seen in a superhero movie, and in that case it disappointed me.

So, if you want Deadpool in the thick of crazy action, hilarious jokes, gratuitous violence, unapologetic nudity, and ceaseless profanity – this is the movie for you.

Just don’t take the kids.

by

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline – A Book Review

When I heard Steven Spielberg planned to direct a film adaptation of this novel, I knew I had to read it first.

The premise is fascinating.  The year is 2044, and America has gone completely down the tubes.  The recession is in its third decade, there isn’t enough food, there’s not enough housing, there aren’t enough jobs – it’s bleak.

Luckily, there exists an open source virtual reality called Oasis.  In it, you can be anyone, and it’s literally a universe of possibilities.  That is where the majority of people spend their time, spend their money, and spend their lives.  It’s an escape from the every day world, a world with which less and less people care to interact.

Our protagonist, Wade Watts, is a teenager who excels in this video game world.  In the real world, well, he doesn’t have much going for him.  But in the VR world of the Oasis, he’s got great skill, even if not great means.

That is, until the Oasis creator, James Halliday, died.  He had no wife, no family, and no heirs, yet he had more money than virtually anyone on the planet.  As a lover of pop culture from his own childhood, especially the ’80s video games, Halliday left a puzzle within the Oasis, and whomever solves this puzzle first wins his entire wealth.  All of it.

Wade Watts knows he can do it.  He knows he can solve this impossible game embedded within thousands of VR worlds.  He knows he can overcome the thousands of other competitors.  The only question is, can he survive when some of these enemies come after him in the real world?  What happens when he deals with real killers?

If you grew up in the ’80s, you will love all the references in this book.  If you grew up as a gamer in the ’80s, this is probably a dream come true for you.  This is one of those rare books where I think the movie will surpass the novel because of the very visual virtual world it’s based within.  In one scene, you may have an X-Wing Fighter flying alongside the Enterprise with Voltron in the background.  It’s that insane because in this VR world of Halliday’s, there is no limit.  (Although I do have to wonder if copyrights will impede the movie at all …)

That’s not to say the book is perfect.  Even though it develops the plot both entertainingly and intricately, it ultimately falls a little flat at the end.  I won’t spoil anything, but it ends on a rather predictable note – it’s an ending we’ve seen before.  It will be perfect for Hollywood, don’t get me wrong, but for such an imaginative work to end on a bit of a cliche, well, I personally felt disappointed.

That’s not to say I don’t recommend the book – I do!  It offers an interesting glimpse into our potential future and doesn’t shy away from how people would probably use such a thing, which, in turn, is offering commentary about our obsession with technology even in the here and now.  It is generally well written, very descriptive, humorous, exciting, and fast-paced.  However, I think those inclined to ’80s pop culture and those passionate about video games will love it most.

 

 

by

The Martian – A Movie Review

Of course, I have to urge you to read the book by Andy Weir because it is a wonderfully fulfilling read, but this film version starring Matt Damon captured the essence of the book very well.

If you’re unfamiliar with the story line, Mark Watney is left behind by his crew mates during a mission on Mars.  Not to Mars.  On Mars.  A storm blows in, they must flee the surface, he gets separated from them, they believe he died, they blast off, and the story ensues.

The movie nailed the characters in this adaptation.  The book has no villain.  It is literally everyone doing their best to keep Watney alive and bring him home.  Everyone is a decent person; everyone wants to do their job well.  Refreshing, right?  The movie succeeded in casting very likable actors to play these roles, and Matt Damon plays the most likable of them all – Watney.

The film’s only shortcoming is that it didn’t even scratch the surface of the actual math and science described in the book.  Watney calculates every thing he does in the book and runs the reader through those calculations and experiments.  The movie did not have the time nor the audience’s likely attention span to delve quite so deeply.  It also left out some pivotal moments in the book, but again, few movies are able to achieve a page-for-page adaptation.

The movie exceeded my own imagination in depicting Mars’ barren landscape.  It also somehow managed to make a two and a half hour film move incredibly quickly and execute one exciting scene after another.  Finally, Watney survives months and months alone on an inhospitable planet largely because of his positive personality and fun sense of humor.  Damon definitely delivered on the Watney readers love.

This is certainly one of my favorite movies of the year.  Not surprisingly, I’ll ask you to read the book first, but other than leaving out some important aspects of the source material, the film pleases on every level.