Oryx and Crake was probably my favorite book that I read during this semester. The concept of the world as we know it ending and starting a new seems so plausible and like it could happen at any moment. The way this book is set up was very intriguing. By starting in the middle of the story and working in back story and leading up to where they started kept it interesting. Throughout the whole book I was kept on the edge of my seat wondering how things got this way. The characters Crake, Jimmy, and Oryx were very dynamic and had so many aspects to relate to that really pulled me into the story. I really felt like I was there with Jimmy experiencing what he was experiencing, tried to work through and understand what is happening and trying to understand how it all relates to his past. I was always looking forward to the passages about his past and his experiences with Oryx and Crake. I loved reading the stories about Oryx's past, and just like Jimmy I wanted to know more about her, understand why she is how she is.
Also there are many great quotes in this novel, such as this one that talks about society, "Human Society, they claimed, was a sort of monster, its main by-products being corpses and rubble. It never learned, it made the same cretinous mistakes over and over, trading short-term gain for long-term pain. It was like a giant slug eating its way relentlessly through all the other bioforms on the planet, grinding up life on earth and shitting it out the backside in the form of pieces of manufactured and soon-to-be-obsolete plastic junk." I found it very interesting because in my business class I was writing a paper about urban development and how it affects the cultures and the environment. This quote seems right on with human society and how we are damaging the world.
I find the different concepts and studies of humans as a whole and the problems with our species to be very interesting this book definitely highlighted many concepts and ideas that I have thought about in the past and presented them in new ways. I have already recommended this book to many of my friends and I intend to read it again when I get a chance.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Snow Crash
I really enjoyed reading Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson, there were so many things to relate to. The whole concept of the metaverse reminds me of current mmorpg's. It seems like it will only be a matter of time before something similar is developed in our own world. We have the power to create it we just need to work out the details. The world is already tied together by the internet, and millions of people have access to it. The only thing we seem to be lacking is making the sensory parts, we have technology that can sense our bodys mostions and apply them in a game, such as with the Wii but it still isn't perfect. I deffinately believe that if a metaverse was created in our world I would join. Yet there are other parts to the story other than the metaverse, yet all of it seems to be tied together. This was one of the things that made the story confusing at first, Stephenson would jump back and forth between the real world and the metaverse and it could be hard sometimes to tell which you were in.
Overall I really enjoyed the characters in the book, especially Y.T. now it may just because I myself am a teenage girl but I found myself wanting to be her. Crusing along on a board down the high way, working with the mafia, meeting the Raven. Y.T.'s skateboard is one of my favorite technologies in the book. You can go anywhere over any terrain as if it is a smooth surface, it is as if it is a part of you as you move, it moves. I cannot wait untill something like this is developed in the real world, I can't actually skateboard but this sounds like something I could manage.
Overall I really enjoyed the characters in the book, especially Y.T. now it may just because I myself am a teenage girl but I found myself wanting to be her. Crusing along on a board down the high way, working with the mafia, meeting the Raven. Y.T.'s skateboard is one of my favorite technologies in the book. You can go anywhere over any terrain as if it is a smooth surface, it is as if it is a part of you as you move, it moves. I cannot wait untill something like this is developed in the real world, I can't actually skateboard but this sounds like something I could manage.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Bable-17
At first when I started reading Bable-17 I was a little skeptical. I was thinking oh great another book where they are going to spend the whole time on a spaceship just drifting through space, but I was pleasantly surprised. Samuel R. Delany brought so much more to the plate than just flying through space.
The first aspect that really sparked my interest were the creatures in the bar. Or, well, humans with cosmetisurgery. I have thought about this concept before so I was thrilled that it was brought up. People have gone beyond just getting simple tattoos, they now are getting horns or tails, or anything else they can imagine being added on to their bodies. I always figured it was a just a matter of time untill this began happening in the real world, and im still waiting. Ill be first in line to get my tail attached....ok maybe not. But the concept seems very plausible and I am glad he decided to include it.
Yet the best part of the book was all of the indepth discussion and theories on language. The theory about language revealing so much about a culture was very interesting. I think it makes perfect sense. They way a group of people speaks dictates the way they think, and if you can learn how a cultures language works, you are indirectly learning how a culture thinks. Such as when Rydra mentioned how some cultures have multiple ways to describe snow where as other cultures may only have one. The more words they have for a certain thing the more important it is in a culture. The whole concept could be taken to many extremes and applied to a variety of things.
Also the other intriguing thing was Rydras ability to "read" people. Sometimes I feel the same way, being able to read what a person is thinking based on their body language and facial expressions. I think that the concept of reading people is very probable. Some people are deffinately better at reading people than others, and the concept that she would have mastered it so well as to form exact sentances seems possible. It is a skill that would be very useful to learn and I am going to start trying to observe and watch people more closely now to try and catch what they are really trying to say, see if I can do it.
The first aspect that really sparked my interest were the creatures in the bar. Or, well, humans with cosmetisurgery. I have thought about this concept before so I was thrilled that it was brought up. People have gone beyond just getting simple tattoos, they now are getting horns or tails, or anything else they can imagine being added on to their bodies. I always figured it was a just a matter of time untill this began happening in the real world, and im still waiting. Ill be first in line to get my tail attached....ok maybe not. But the concept seems very plausible and I am glad he decided to include it.
Yet the best part of the book was all of the indepth discussion and theories on language. The theory about language revealing so much about a culture was very interesting. I think it makes perfect sense. They way a group of people speaks dictates the way they think, and if you can learn how a cultures language works, you are indirectly learning how a culture thinks. Such as when Rydra mentioned how some cultures have multiple ways to describe snow where as other cultures may only have one. The more words they have for a certain thing the more important it is in a culture. The whole concept could be taken to many extremes and applied to a variety of things.
Also the other intriguing thing was Rydras ability to "read" people. Sometimes I feel the same way, being able to read what a person is thinking based on their body language and facial expressions. I think that the concept of reading people is very probable. Some people are deffinately better at reading people than others, and the concept that she would have mastered it so well as to form exact sentances seems possible. It is a skill that would be very useful to learn and I am going to start trying to observe and watch people more closely now to try and catch what they are really trying to say, see if I can do it.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
The Stars my Destination
As far as sci-fi goes Ive never read a book in the genre. Ive seen a lot of sci-fi movies and TV shows but that was the extent of my knowledge. I enjoy the adventure and the creativity of new worlds but I'm not a big fan of all of the being on a space ship for chapter upon chapter, which thankfully this book didn't have. In the beginning it starts out on a spaceship but he finds a way out pretty fast. The main character Gully Foyle is interesting to say the least. At first he was easy to identify with, the feeling of mediocrity, nothing makes him special or stand out, until he becomes possessed by revenge, and that is when I thought he took a turn for the worse. I honestly didn't like the character that much, it was interesting to follow his struggle but I didn't like him as a person in the least bit. For me to really enjoy a book or novel I need to be able to relate to a major character in the book and that's what I thought this book lacked.
Yet I really enjoyed the concept of Jaunting. It reminded me of apparating in Harry Potter. Yet all of the government regulations and rules and defenses they had to make for this new mode of transportation were very intriguing. I loved how much detail Bester went into about all of the ins and outs of jaunting. Especially all of the new defenses people had to put up against it such as labyrinths and having only certain spots they can jaunt to, in the governments attempts to regulate it. Also the concept that they can only jaunt certain distances made it interesting, its not just like you can poof anywhere in the world, you have to make jumps.
I feel like the concept of all of the new rules and regulations is a lot of what sci-fi is based upon. It is just an exaggeration of our own governments and what we could turn into.
Yet I really enjoyed the concept of Jaunting. It reminded me of apparating in Harry Potter. Yet all of the government regulations and rules and defenses they had to make for this new mode of transportation were very intriguing. I loved how much detail Bester went into about all of the ins and outs of jaunting. Especially all of the new defenses people had to put up against it such as labyrinths and having only certain spots they can jaunt to, in the governments attempts to regulate it. Also the concept that they can only jaunt certain distances made it interesting, its not just like you can poof anywhere in the world, you have to make jumps.
I feel like the concept of all of the new rules and regulations is a lot of what sci-fi is based upon. It is just an exaggeration of our own governments and what we could turn into.
Anansi Boys
Before now I had never read anything by Neil Gaiman, I was familiar with some of his stories and movies such as Coraline, and I was curious to see what all the hype was about. After reading Anansi Boys I was sold, Neil Gaiman is well...pretty amazing. His stories have a different approach than most. Its hard to place what exactly it is that gives him his flair, but it works. He creates these new worlds that are, on the surface the same as ours, but once you really dive in you realize there is so much more. The way he presents the concepts make them see completely plausible and they could really be going on in our world and we just never noticed. The characters are very dynamic and each have their own set of distinct characteristics that make them special, well all except for Fat Charlie, or at least that's what he thinks. He comes off as a very average guy but he transforms into more than he ever thought he could be. He had the qualities all along he just never realized it.
What was also interesting about the characters is that they are black. Which I didn't realize until it was mentioned in class and I was already 3/4th's of the way through the book. I probably would of gone the whole book thinking they were white if someone hadn't told me. It was very interesting how Gaiman never mentions it. Once you find out, it fits and makes sense, but its hard to realize on your own. In most books the characters are white unless you are told otherwise, and so apparently I assume that in all books the characters are white. Especially since they lived in the UK it seemed to make sense.
But on another note I enjoyed Gaiman's God concept, and how they rooted from African stories. The concept of all of the gods as animals is very interesting and gives them unique qualities. I enjoyed how every god possessed the qualities that makes their animal unique, the strengths and the weaknesses. After reading this I realized that I will have to read the book "American Gods" by Gaiman as well to see how he expands on the concept. It is a unique way of viewing gods that I don't hear about very often.
What was also interesting about the characters is that they are black. Which I didn't realize until it was mentioned in class and I was already 3/4th's of the way through the book. I probably would of gone the whole book thinking they were white if someone hadn't told me. It was very interesting how Gaiman never mentions it. Once you find out, it fits and makes sense, but its hard to realize on your own. In most books the characters are white unless you are told otherwise, and so apparently I assume that in all books the characters are white. Especially since they lived in the UK it seemed to make sense.
But on another note I enjoyed Gaiman's God concept, and how they rooted from African stories. The concept of all of the gods as animals is very interesting and gives them unique qualities. I enjoyed how every god possessed the qualities that makes their animal unique, the strengths and the weaknesses. After reading this I realized that I will have to read the book "American Gods" by Gaiman as well to see how he expands on the concept. It is a unique way of viewing gods that I don't hear about very often.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Lyra, Lyra, Lyra....
This week I read the "Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman, the second book in the His Dark Materials series. I had read the first book "The Golden Compass" a little while back and I didn't enjoy it that much, I couldn't really put my finger on why I didn't like it but the second book was definitely an improvement.
I think what really bothered me about the first book was Lyra, something about her character just really bugged me. I never really enjoyed her, she just kinda got on my nerves, and there wasn't another character that I enjoyed either to make up for it. But in "The Subtle Knife" we are introduced to a few new characters and a few new worlds, that really helped to mix up the story. Will is from a world that is quite similar to our own world. Will quickly became my favorite character, he kept Lyra under control and wouldn't stand for any of her craziness, and he himself was very dynamic. Having to become very mature at a young age to take care of his mother, Will is no ordinary kid. I was very sad to see his father die after all of his searching throughout the story. I can understand why the author did it but I really enjoyed the character of Dr.Grumman or Parry or whatever his name is. He had the wise old shaman feel to him, of a man who knows far more than the average person about the world in which we live.
Also in "The Subtle Knife" the concept of other worlds that was just introduce in "The Golden Compass" is greatly expanded upon. We come into a world similar to our own, and the world of Cittagaze. The concept of the spectors was quite interesting, how they only feat upon the adults. I loved how that tied into the other aspects of dust that are explored and how it only settles on older people, which would explain why they only "eat" adults.
The book ended on a major cliffhanger which is frustrating because I have to move on to a different series and I really want to continue reading to see what happens. Roger finally realizes what he must do and then Lyra up and disappears. I have a strong feeling her disappearance has something to do with Mrs.Coulter but I suppose I will have to wait to find out. I really enjoyed this book much for than the first in the series and I can't wait to start reading the final book of the series "The Amber Spyglass".
I think what really bothered me about the first book was Lyra, something about her character just really bugged me. I never really enjoyed her, she just kinda got on my nerves, and there wasn't another character that I enjoyed either to make up for it. But in "The Subtle Knife" we are introduced to a few new characters and a few new worlds, that really helped to mix up the story. Will is from a world that is quite similar to our own world. Will quickly became my favorite character, he kept Lyra under control and wouldn't stand for any of her craziness, and he himself was very dynamic. Having to become very mature at a young age to take care of his mother, Will is no ordinary kid. I was very sad to see his father die after all of his searching throughout the story. I can understand why the author did it but I really enjoyed the character of Dr.Grumman or Parry or whatever his name is. He had the wise old shaman feel to him, of a man who knows far more than the average person about the world in which we live.
Also in "The Subtle Knife" the concept of other worlds that was just introduce in "The Golden Compass" is greatly expanded upon. We come into a world similar to our own, and the world of Cittagaze. The concept of the spectors was quite interesting, how they only feat upon the adults. I loved how that tied into the other aspects of dust that are explored and how it only settles on older people, which would explain why they only "eat" adults.
The book ended on a major cliffhanger which is frustrating because I have to move on to a different series and I really want to continue reading to see what happens. Roger finally realizes what he must do and then Lyra up and disappears. I have a strong feeling her disappearance has something to do with Mrs.Coulter but I suppose I will have to wait to find out. I really enjoyed this book much for than the first in the series and I can't wait to start reading the final book of the series "The Amber Spyglass".
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Smoking pipes and furry feet
As a big fan of the Lord of the Rings movies I was very excited to read the hobbit. I had attempted in the past to try and read the Lord of the Rings trilogy but I couldn't get into it. There was a lot of walking and talking...and it didn't move fast enough for me. This book had a bit of that but the characters and great environmental descriptions kept me reading. I love fantasy novels, they are the books that I have loved all my life. Starting with simple fairy tales about princesses to stories of epic quests and massive battles.
The hobbit incorporated some of my favorite elements of fantasy stories. Such as the wise old wizard or sorcerer , Gandalf in The Hobbit, these dynamic characters are always my favorite. They posses such a feeling of mystery and power, and all of the other characters put a strong amount of trust in the wizard. He has a great knowledge that everyone assumes he posseses much more information than themselves on matters and tend to go along with what he says. They are often the character who sends the main character on his journey or adventure. Gandalf sets Bilbo on his adventure with the dwarves, he also later on in Lord of the Rings sends Frodo on his quest to destory the ring. In other books such as Harry Potter, the wise old wizard, Dumbledore, is encouraging Harry in his adventures and before his death leaves Harry his finally quest to destory the horcruxes. Characters such as Harry, Frodo, and Bilbo set off on these adventures that are much larger than themselves but due to the large amount of trust they have in the wizard they overcome all obstacles to complete the quest.
I also loved all of the different fantasy creatures that were incorporated into The Hobbit. Dwarves, wizards, goblins, hobbits, elves, and the list goes on. Tolkein created a completley different world than our own and completley immersed the reader in it. Which is one of my favorite aspects of fantasy and reading. It gives you a world to escape to when you need a break from your own. A good book in my mind can do that, help you escape from everything that is going on and run away into the book. And The Hobbit does that, you run away with Bilbo Baggins on his amazing adventure with the dwarves.
The hobbit incorporated some of my favorite elements of fantasy stories. Such as the wise old wizard or sorcerer , Gandalf in The Hobbit, these dynamic characters are always my favorite. They posses such a feeling of mystery and power, and all of the other characters put a strong amount of trust in the wizard. He has a great knowledge that everyone assumes he posseses much more information than themselves on matters and tend to go along with what he says. They are often the character who sends the main character on his journey or adventure. Gandalf sets Bilbo on his adventure with the dwarves, he also later on in Lord of the Rings sends Frodo on his quest to destory the ring. In other books such as Harry Potter, the wise old wizard, Dumbledore, is encouraging Harry in his adventures and before his death leaves Harry his finally quest to destory the horcruxes. Characters such as Harry, Frodo, and Bilbo set off on these adventures that are much larger than themselves but due to the large amount of trust they have in the wizard they overcome all obstacles to complete the quest.
I also loved all of the different fantasy creatures that were incorporated into The Hobbit. Dwarves, wizards, goblins, hobbits, elves, and the list goes on. Tolkein created a completley different world than our own and completley immersed the reader in it. Which is one of my favorite aspects of fantasy and reading. It gives you a world to escape to when you need a break from your own. A good book in my mind can do that, help you escape from everything that is going on and run away into the book. And The Hobbit does that, you run away with Bilbo Baggins on his amazing adventure with the dwarves.
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