Musings

1. What is your reaction to the text you just read?          I found it strangely interesting… as in, I was disgusted by the concept of this centipede-like creature implanting eggs inside a human, and yet I couldn’t stop reading until I was finished. (For some odd reason, the gory and grotesque always fascinates me, especially if it involves some sort of underlying message/commentary on humanity itself. i.e, "Brave New World", "Atlas Shrugged"). In this case,    Octavia Butler seems to have a common theme within all of her works, in that she has some sort of message or theme to convey about humanity in some way, shape, or form (through descript sci-fi, filled with monsters and fantastical creatures). For example, in “Lillith’s Brood”, she reflects on the concept that humanity has an instinctual drive towards corruption. In this short story, she seems to be commenting on the overall morale of humanity through the character of Gan. One of several siblings, Gan is th

Snow Crash is a rather complex novel that deals with the nature of humanity, including the past and the future. It's view of the future is positive, for the most part-- with certain reservations, of course, thus making it a perfect fit for the Cyberpunk genre of literature. Snow Crash  begins with an extremely effective opening hook (especially considering the genre of this novel!) which involves a loving description of a high-tech, armored driver and car. He's a man on a mission with wonderful high-tech toys who works for the Mafia doing a job that we all know and can greatly appreciate on a late Friday night-- h igh-speed pizza delivery.  It's a beautiful setup, even if the pizza delivery job doesn't last far beyond the opening pages. It introduces the reader to Hiro Protagonist -- yes, a seemingly stupid, yet unforgettable name. (Can you guess who the protagonist of the novel is yet? Hmmm, I wonder... )  Hiro is a skilled hacker and a great swordsman, but

The Left Hand of Darkness  addresses the concept of science fiction (exceptionally well for the times), as well as  feminism. It  is a book about making whole. It’s also a book about what it means to be a good person and where gender is significant in that.  It, in a way, defined what it truly was to be a man or a woman. I t’s a fantastical story set in a fascinating culture, and the content regarding gender is only part of that.  This deftly constructed story touches on all key themes, including the  complexity of  gender roles, both in their biological and culturally imposed  forms. LeGuin probes the nature of political institutions and  examines the fragility  of pacifist attitudes as they try to reach a meeting of minds  in a dynamic setting.  Overall,  The Left Hand of Darkness  is the story of the journey that the two main protagonists take together. What's more is that the book is written in such a way that you have Estraven’s journals (currently written at the time)

The Stars My destination is essentially a book about revenge where the main protagonist, Gully, is initially changed from a mindless drone to a mindless predator, then a showman and finally a rounded and compassionate human being. Without spoiling the ending for those who haven't yet read it, I will say one thing-- Gully was incredibly lucky to survive, as were his targets. He was not alone in seeking revenge: Olivia Presteign sought to pay back all of humanity for her blindness and isolation. The Outer Planets sought revenge against the Inner for economic collapse, while the Inner Planets sought revenge against the Outer for the nuclear attacks. Even the proud Lindsey Joyce sought revenge on herself for her crimes; a martyr of sorts. All of these groups and individuals were changed, some for the better, some for the worse-- but none would ever be the same again. Gully Foyle is left stranded for 170 days in space on the wreck of the Nomad with not a single thought or hope.

"If you have to classify it, it's probably a magical-horror-thriller-ghost-romantic-comedy-family-epic," commented Gaiman during an interview about Ananzi Boys .  You're probably wondering why I'm starting off this week's blogpost a little differently. You see, I have a habit of reading about the author and their thoughts of the book before even diving head first into anything. Why, you ask? To discover any sort of context regarding the plot, the characters, etc. Were they related to him or her in some way, shape, or form? Were they semi-realistic figments of their past? Or even unrelated to the book itself; what am I to expect from the novel?  He makes it a point to include a little bit of everything-- humor, satire, comedy, etc. For example, the fact that Fat Charlie isn't actually fat acts as... well, a foreshadowing for the hilarity that is going to ensue later on. Things take a, rather sudden, dramatic turn afterwards however when Charlie

Cover art for Erin Morgenstern's "Night Circus" It is a risky business indeed to devote nearly 400 pages to a circus that occurs at night and is famous for doing "wild, magical, life-changing, impossible things." Like a magician, the writer of a genre such as this must pull the rabbit from the hat, cut the lady in half, make the elephant disappear and so on. We long to be fooled, and Erin Morgenstern works hard to do just that by creating a fantastic sense of magic in this novel. Perhaps one of Morgenstern's most remarkable feats is the creation of Marco and Celia  (enter, main characters!) , both of who, over the years, become passionately involved in the Night Circus's performances and acts, as well as, inevitably, with each other. Their prescribed competition becomes a mutual test of love. Whether they will destroy each other and the circus into the bargain, or whether they can escape their magical indentured servitude and rewrite their fates, e