Ian's Reading Workshop

"Epic" by Conor Kostick Review 1

2012-02-20T13:58:00.000-06:00

Book Response 1: #32 (LA)Compare the book to other texts with the same themes or from the same genre.

I found this book, Epic by Conor Kostick, to be very similar to works by Cory Doctorow such as For The Win. Both stories have a strong video game background, and I think video game enthusiasts of any kind will enjoy both books immensely, particularly those who like playing MMORPG's.

Epic takes place sometime in the future on "New Earth," a planet that has been colonized by humans. Much of this colony is poor, living in rural areas and working in agriculture and mining. What really makes this society unique is it's judicial system: all conflicts of any kind are solved by means of the greatest and most integral video game ever, "Epic." Violence of any kind on New Earth is not tolerated, in fact it's unheard of. Any dispute, be it an issue between civilian and civilian, or a peasants request for better equipment, is decided by a battle in an arena. These battles involve using characters taken from an era of knights and kings, with some added video game flair, such as magical elves and wizards. Everyone plays Epic, and they consequently build up characters in which to make real-life decisions with. In addition, money earned in the game by killing creatures or discovering caches of treasure, equate to your wealth in the real world. This means their entire society is completely entwined with this one, ever changing video game that appears to be it's own entity.

This means that when a group of teenagers decide to challenge the government, physical strength or influence mean practically nothing, and their prowess at mastering Epic will be the difference between dissolving a corrupt system and being banished forever. I found this tactic very similar to Cory Doctorow's book because they utilize a MMORPG to unite workers all over the world to demand better conditions and wages. In both scenarios they realize that in the video game, they hold all the power to change things for the better, and ultimately succeed. While the government intended this to be their shining beacon of power and ability to take advantage of the working class, in the end it becomes a lightning rod for their downfall.

"Rim" by Alexander Besher Review 1

2012-01-20T13:52:00.005-06:00

Cover art for Rim
by Alexander Besher

Book Response 1: #30(LA) If your book was a work of fiction are the main characters realistic or believable? Give evidence, using both real life and the book.

While I felt the majority of the plot line of the story did not carry much weight, the characters did. While it was not enough in my opinion to make up for the somewhat disappointing time line, it certainly helped carry the book along and make it more enjoyable.

I felt each had their own unique persona, that really gave the book a well rounded feel. Every time a new character was introduced, you wondered with eagerness as to what this new person would bring to the story, and to the fate of the main character. For example, my favorite character, Simon Chadwick, was a jolly fun english chap. Or so you thought. He stumbles into the main character at a hotel and stumbles out of the story just as pleasantly as he came. Until he comes back, with a somewhat more pronounced appearance, but not quite enough to tell you for sure if he was going to stick around or keep hopping in and out. I won't spoil his true nature or intentions, but he is definitely unforgettable. All in all I think the author did a great job of character development, and it definitely improved the book for me.

"Rim" by Alexander Besher Review 2

2012-01-20T13:52:00.004-06:00

Cover art for Rim
by Alexander Besher

Book response 2: #25(G) Would this book make a good movie? Explain why or why not.

I think this book would make an excellent movie. I would usually pride myself on being able to visualize certain abstract concepts and pictures very well, especially anything on the "techie" side of things. But with this book I struggled to grasp a well rounded idea of what the author was trying to portray more than I have with any other story that has a strong focus on technology and the future. I do not necessarily attribute this fact to any judgment of mine about the author's writing skills; based upon the story he seems to have a firm base of what he wanted to express and and it would seem he articulated his points and concepts well, except I could not grasp them. It is more than likely this book requires another read-through for me at a slower pace, taking care to focus on the concepts I struggled with the first time. In any case, I think this book could be an incredibly visually stimulating film, where the futuristic and technological concepts could be represented beautifully. It might also be a more effective medium for those like me who struggled with visually representing aspects of the book in their head. Regardless, I think this book would make an excellent stand-alone movie, not necessarily to portray the books concepts in a different manner.

"I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson Review 2

2011-12-22T13:37:00.001-06:00

Book Response 1: #32 (LA) Compare the book to other texts with the same themes or from the same genre.

There is one thing in my mind that sets this book dramatically far apart from other works within the genre of post-apocalyptic novels and that is the lethargic, depressing tendencies of the main character. It could also be with the category of a horror title, leaning towards an end of the world type fear with nasty creatures involved. While this very classic human, especially American trait of the main character is very realistic, it is not common in the hero of the story in books of this genre. The survivors are meant to be tougher than steel, incredibly resourceful, and unimaginably lucky. While our character somewhat fulfills two of these traits, tough is not the word I would use at all to describe him. Perhaps numb to the pain of living with a couple glasses of whiskey in him (which is frequent), but most definitely not tough. Frequently smoking, he retains many of his normal suburban lifestyle habits, as if battling vampires is his 9 to 5 job.

He struggles with day to day necessities, with the exception of brushing his teeth. While he manages to get important jobs done, his does it with much hesitation and procrastination. Most things he tells himself will get done another day, perhaps a rainy day. Does that sound the ultimate survivor, battling the odds of natural selection? The only thing he truly manages to battle valiantly is his cavities.

"I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson Review 1

2011-12-22T12:36:00.001-06:00

Cover art for
"I Am Legend"
by Richard Matheson

Book Response 1: #21(LA) Does this book raise questions about society as a whole or of a particular culture? What view of the world and/or human beings does the author seem to be expressing?

If I had to guess what view the author of "I Am Legend" is trying to express with this post-apocalyptic novel and describe his feelings on humanity in one word, it would be simple: stubborn. Stubborn to break habits, stubborn to deal with change, stubborn to ignore insanity when it is apparent. But most importantly, stubborn to survive.
"I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson is a gripping tale of a survivor living through a world that has seen the worst virus mankind has ever known. Naturally immune to this disease that turns humans into something resembling the classic vampire, he could be the last living person anywhere on the planet. By day he moves, fixing his fortress, searching for supplies carving wooden stakes and utilizing them to kill the "vampires" while they sleep. By night he must return to his safehouse that he will someday get around to soundproofing. When the sun goes down the vampires constantly berate the walls of the house he once lived in, turned into something of a survivalists paradise. If he stays one step ahead of the repairs, and the intelligence of the creatures, he might live to die of old age.

Did I mention he's a raging alcoholic?

He is almost never more than an arms length away from a glass or flask of whiskey, that is unless he's thrown it against the wall in a fit of rage or simply crushed it in his hand from the unending stress building inside him everyday. While yes, he is prepared physically, he is clearly not emotionally equipped to handle scraping by in the post-apocalyptic world that has become his reality. He constantly procrastinates the things that need to be done, usually only able to accomplish the bare minimum depending on the weather or how much hes had to drink.

Like I said, he is very prepared and equipped with excellent skills and materials, but he grows weary of this life. It is a never ending battle of fighting an enemy he understands very little. If anything, it is the stubbornness of his humanity that keeps him going, keeps him searching for other survivors, and eventually to try to find a cure. While he eventually finds things to keep him somewhat positive about the future, which inspires him to do more, his stubbornness to cling to self destructive habits and simple civilized constructs that get in the way of surviving astounds me.

The other aspect of humanity's stubbornness I see plainly through all the chaos is that of a group of infected humans. As it turns out, there are more survivors in the world, but they are tainted. They are not vampires, but retain some of there tendencies. They are unable to stay in direct sunlight for long periods of time, and are susceptible to things like garlic and mirrors. But they stubbornly retain most of their humanity, owed to a kind of vaccine that keeps them from turning to full blown vampires. At the core of their stubbornness is the need for justice. When they find our once lone survivor, they decide that he must be executed for his crimes against their people, people that could have been saved had he not plunged wooden stakes into their hearts. His survival meant their sorrow, and like all humans, they are not without a stubborn sense of revenge.

"The Road" by Cormac McCarthy Review 2

2011-12-08T13:45:00.001-06:00

Charlize Theron plays the mother
and wife in "The Road"

Book Response 1: #2 (LA) Write down one quote or short passage that you really loved, you reacted strongly to, or made you stop and think. Write your reaction to that passage.

//Insert blockquote here//

If that doesn't give you the feeling of living in a black hole, your emotions could be comparable to that of a 1st year dentist anesthetizing his patient with what he thought was the correct dosage of Novocaine but in reality it could fool an elephant into thinking he was having a lethal stroke. The level of seriousness and desperation McCarthy injects into this cold-hearted passage is astounding. Coming to terms with such a horror in real life would be unimaginable for me, yet it is done with such brutality and arrogance in this story that the feeling it invokes is indescribable. From my perspective most suicides seem to come from a feeling of sheer desperation, of nothing else to do or feel but pain, and that there is no hope left for you. While yes, she does say she has given up, it is not done out of instinctive, illogical emotion. It is done with a clear, rational mind, no different than deciding what to cook that morning with a touch of frustration. She presents her case eloquently and argues it defiantly, before executing her plan with intent. All the while her husband pleads for her to do what would be irrational and illogical in her mind, and of course the jury is in her favor, as her argument holds more truth in her eyes.
Can you imagine existing in such a state of intolerable depression? To be brought down to an alien level, a hellish level, that there is no escape from? Because if you look at the world around you, everything and everyone that once was beautiful is gone. A level where suicide is not only a relief, as I'm sure it is in reality, but to where it is the only logical, concise, and best way to go?

Author Info: Cory Doctorow

2011-11-17T14:03:00.001-06:00

Author info for Cory Doctorow

"The Road" by Cormac McCarthy Review 1

2011-11-14T13:33:00.001-06:00

Cover Art for "The Road"
by Cormac McCarthy

Book Response 1: #32 (LA) Compare the book to other texts with the same themes or from the same genre.

While this book could definitely be categorized as a post apocalyptic novel, it's originality and unique perspective of what a possible future after a cataclysmic event could be sets it a mile apart from any book I've read under this genre. In a good way. "The Road" is a story of a father and son struggling to survive in a world where almost everything is dead, except for bloodthirsty cannibals. They are constantly on the move in order to find food and water, or on "The Road", traveling to some distant coastline where they hope the world holds a little bit more forgiveness. While most stories within this category, whether the medium is book, movie, or video game form, almost always glorify the perspective in some way. Such as living in a land where most of the population has perished as well as all forms of government and civility along with it, the heroes of these stories give the word "survival" a new meaning. But most of these stories do not seem to depict realistic projections of what the world would be like after something like unstoppable deadly viruses, mass rioting, complete civil unrest, nuclear war, etc. Then again, we are not living in such a state of existence, (yet) so whose to say what the world would be like or not be like? In any case, Cormac McCarthy does an excellent job of depicting a brutal, savage world in which the "Heroes" struggle everyday in every way imaginable to survive where every minute detail is as interesting and important as the next.

"Fight Club" by Chuck Palahniuk Review 2

2011-10-26T13:50:00.001-05:00

Movie Cover for "Fight Club"

Book Response 2: #25 (G) Compare and contrast the book to the movie version.

I cannot tell you how much I love the movie fight club. After watching it once all the way through it instantly become one of the best movies I have ever seen. I would recommend anyone and everyone to watch it regardless of background, personality, or even age.

After reading the book, the movie seems like a home-made amateur movie made in a basement somewhere by kids with way too much time on their hands and active imaginations.

I still think it's one of the best movies I've ever seen, but the book gave me an entirely new perspective that the movie could not. In the movie there were many unique concepts for theatrical purposes that I thought were pure genius, such as the repetitive nature of the main characters narration, a certain amount of time line jumping that was just enough of a shock to draw you in more and more each time it happened, while still being able to follow along. It made me think I was watching two movies at once, at the same time watching the same movie from the middle. And this is not entirely attributed to the fact that the book and movie actually start out the narration with the end of the story.

These concepts are amplified ten-fold in the book, switching from the middle to the end to the beginning to descriptive ideas and theories and instructions that aren't based in any time in the book and seem unrelated to the story, yet somehow you feel compelled to read them and soak them in until you understand them completely. It feels like true subliminal messaging to the fullest extent possible in a book that you choose to read.

What really struck me as the difference between these two mediums telling the same story was the ending. In the movie, it leaves you feeling somewhat inspired and happy-go-lucky, without a magnitude of attachment still clinging. That doesn't mean I think you don't walk away from it without an entirely new perspective or desire to go over it in your head, just without a longing passion for it.

In the book this couldn't be more opposite. After reaching the last page, I was begging on the inside for more. I ate up the after word like a starving dog, and it still wasn't enough. I was literally crestfallen that this story was at an end and I could not take the ride any farther. At the same a part of me was hoping something about this story was, well, true (as awful as that sounds if you consider all the violence and destruction). I thought to myself, " There has to be something about this that is real, something more. How can something so gripping and hypnotic and intriguing be just a story? And how can it be over?"

"FIght Club" by Chuck Palahnuik Review 1

2011-10-26T13:11:00.000-05:00

Cover art for "Fight Club" by Chuck Palahniuk

Book Response 1: #21(LA) Does this book raise questions about society as a whole or of a particular culture? What view of the world and/or human beings does the author seem to be expressing?

This is a perfect response question to this book because of how many great questions about society and human beings it brings up. You could look at the entire book as a critiquing of the human race, but I don't think thats exactly what the author was intending. Either way he definitely raised a great number of questions and brought the current conditions of our society into an entirely different light for me.

The book starts out with a nameless main character (or having many fictitious names at support groups) who is your complete average fucking Joe. Beyond hopeless schmuck. He his locked in an utterly pitiful existence of working a job he hates that completely drains him physically and emotionally, living in a lovely spacious condo filled wall to wall with furnishings that are lavish and pointless in the sense of survival while he allows these possessions to define him to a T. Through his eyes his life is pointless.

But through the thing that defines him most, his severe insomnia, he turns his life around. Through this he creates an alter ego (subconsciously) that can be everything he can't, and do the things he cannot persuade himself to do. He starts an entire underground movement of "fight clubs" that inspire and desensitize people while giving them a sense of liberation that cannot be attained through all their normal, boring existences. This starts an entire revolution of people digging and cutting their way through the status quo of society as a whole to give them all a sense of true living.

The thing that brought the biggest question to me was a passage that talks about living in a world that is entirely ungoverned by any political body and humans existing as hunters/gatherers. Aspects of this passage include wearing one pair of leather clothes that will last you your entire life, climbing vines wrapped around the Sears Tower, and laying strips of venison to dry on a super-highway. This perspective of living in a modern world without modern amenities is fascinating and inspiring, whether or not you believe that is how we should live. It makes you think about what you really need and how much you don't that you possess in today's world, and how angry you should be at social constructs that cause this addictive, pointless, excessive existence.

This book left me feeling like all the things this one man did were good, even though he directly and indirectly caused so many terrible acts of terrorism and violence, which gives me the biggest question: Could this be a good thing for society? For the human race?

"Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom" by Cory Doctorow Review

2011-10-24T13:43:00.015-05:00


Cover art for "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom" by Cory Doctorow

Book Response 1: #2 (LA) Write down one quote or short passage that you really loved, you reacted strongly to, or made you stop and think. Write your reaction to that passage.
Passage from book, page 14 paragraph 2:

"I'd get him to concede that Whuffie recaptured the true essence of money: in the old days, if you were broke but respected, you wouldn't starve; contrariwise if you were rich and hated, no sum could buy you security and peace. By measuring the thing that money really represented- your personal capital with your friends and neighbors- you more accurately gauged your success."

The concept of "Whuffie" went "whooshing" over my head the first time I read through this ( haha ). After several re-readings and delving deeper into the book, I found that it's a beautifully simple theory. In the futuristic time period this book takes place in, you could say Whuffie has replaced money, but it is much more than that. As stated in the book and above, it represents your personal capital among anyone and everyone you interact with in every way. You can give it away at will, as well as lose it through negative actions or inaction. It's measured or can be earned through things like favors, jobs you perform, and your overall popularity.

But it can go both ways. For example someone could hire you to kill someone.
While you will consequently earn Whuffie from them, you lose some by committing murder, especially if anyone close to the person you murder find out it was you who killed them. In the futuristic setting the book takes place everyone has a sort of "built-in" HUD (Heads Up Display) in their brain that allows them to view their own and others Whuffie ( as well as copious amounts of other information that can be accessed almost instantly by thinking it ). While you will find HUD's in today's world of video games and entertainment, you will not find them as sophisticated or advanced as the ones in this book. It allows everyone to be "connected" in a way that is almost frightening.

The most interesting and perceptive aspect of Whuffie I found was how it appears to be it's own flowing entity individually and with others. For example, in the book one of the main plot lines takes place in a "buffed" up Disney World where a group of "Ad-Hocs" are attempting to take over certain attractions from the current caretakers. In today's world, it would be a matter of corporate takeover, or buying them out sort of thing.But with Whuffie, it's a completely different delicate matter. Not only does it involve looking at your own Whuffie and having enough of it (or popularity) to be "allowed" to take over the attractions, but the Whuffie of those who are the current caretakers and degrading it. All the while people are joining either side, affecting the Whuffie as well as the intentions of the group as a whole, which can then change the Whuffie based on the popularity of the new direction of the group. In essence I find this idea fascinating, my overall generalized reaction to it being, "Why hasn't this system been implemented yet??"

And then I remember Cory Doctorow's ability to dream up mind boggling yet perceptively sound concepts is a million times more progressive than anything I've ever read or anything present in todays world.