Week 11 Snow Crash blog

Snow Crash blog

In the novel the people have a lack of concern for the environment and are more concern for the sack of convenient everything is about virtual gain in a virtual reality. The American economy used of out sourcing to immigrants that the. There seems to be Asian cultures embedded in the American steampunk-like world. Has a Japanese fashion style that America’s young generation was obsessed with Japanese culture with the goggles, there are Asian men in suits, eccentric Asian idols and immigrants or low class represent Japanese demographic. Unnecessary modifications are made in a simple task or job like the pizza delivery service that can be done manually but like the industrial revolution that any advance technologies overshadow the individuality among people like Hiro.

The main character is a mix raced that kind of represents the fusion of Western and Eastern culture: its diversity of the identity crisis of not fitting to any of the racial groups but more of an army brat. America’s ideals emphasizes on consumerism and the obsession of upgrading. Virtual reality when humans created a video game real life fantasy like world very Steampunk with a lot of fancy gadgets that seem unnecessary and over the top.

The fantasy online and reality overlapped with fantasy trying to make realistic avatars and the basic fundamentals of gravity and the limits of how a human is form.  Future technology seems to prioritize on the most basic and simple jobs like skateboarding or delivery pizza.  It seems that the skills humans should obtain with practice and talent is replace by the technology to make things very easy and convenient. Showing more problems that come with advance technology. It seems that has a similar tone to industrial revolution that creativity is being out run by assembly lack of individuality. Everything is like a video game it is almost hard to tell apart from reality to fantasy. When reality itself is trying to created its own ideal world with technology like the “white columns” community. There seem to be superficial values that focus on American trend of constantly upgrading itself but the mental state of mind and morality is almost nonexistent or obsolete. Almost like reality is becoming fake while the virtual reality is trying to go for the realism of communication.

High technology, in the movie Paprika 2006, invades the privacy of the mind the whole theme of manipulation psychological warfare on the human’s emotions and inner thoughts.  There seems to be a fusion of Virtual reality fantasy and sci-fi thriller. The movie Paprika like the novel “Snow Crash” there seems to be an overlap between reality and fantasy that almost fused them in a chaotic and harmful way that invades one’s mind making them vulnerable.  Dream and reality merge can be dangerous in messing with the mind and technology. The human need to control and understand everything and to control one self, desire, and fear; both are huge themes in both “Paprika” and “Snow Crash” to dominate and express their own version from right and wrong. That technology in any shape or form can amplify our basic needs to over excessive dependence on them.

Week 10 blog The Drown Giant

Blog 10

The drown giant seems to hint that we as a species are too relax and naïve humans who have short intension span as almost as if we are all children even if something extraordinary happened it would not make a difference to us and become just a phase like so many modern materialistic trends that come up short in the long run. What draws the humans attention is not how the giant dead body got there or where did the giant came from or if this was any connections with the bio of humans and how closely we could be related since humans have had obsessed with the apes and how they are our like long distant cousins but how to used its parts for either science or fertilizer or amusement attraction or decoration demonstrating the human exploitation of anything we can get our hands on. The time went by when from the giant fears once a magnificent giant man with the ideal face of a roman man transform to a pile of rubbish that could symbolized mortality and humanity is quite fragile and very short like human’s attention span. Like an ant colony feeding upon a dead roach tearing it from limb to limb. At first it seem the humans connect to the giant but later the theme turn into dehumanizing the corpse into material to be used to humans for convenience and long lasting. The giant’s immortality is through his body being part of the beach city as a background or landscape. We as humans, humanize things until it becomes unrecognizable as what was unique but filter through human eyes as an object and as entertainment or profit.

The movie “Farenheit 451” seems to banned books or anything with written knowledge to prevent thinking and curiosity among the public. The films marks the books as taboo like they are poison or illegal drugs but is a reflection of American society and social media: how the common people rely on the social media to give them the truth but there is always censors in how the government or anyone with money and position can influence the topics and the complexity of the life subjects. There is a lack of independent relying on the government due to very strict rules and brainwashing. To not question the government and the theme “ignorance is bliss” is represented by the brainwashing TV, public education, and civil service. There seem to be isolation among the people who are distracted by TV the opposite of what they were taught by the government that the TV brings people together. So the people can’t make decisions or have any original thought or their own personal opinion. The moral of the story is humans, as individuals have to think for themselves in order to find what is right with our own mind and beliefs.

Week 9 Blog 11 Shards of Honor

Week 9 Shards of Honor

The novel Shards of Honor has a very western film like quality of having the heroes bring order to the chaos that is about to be unleashed to the world or in their case the galaxy. They do so by achieving the leadership to maintain order and peace for all. This novel has a very similar trend like Star Trek how the hierarchy and position in power affect the people and their relationship with one another in trying to pick sides. Stereotyping the male deuterogamist as a very butch man with instincts to fight and thrive in war, very male dominated with traditional-like roman soldiers with no women. The female deuterogamist shows another side of strength with her emotions as her driving force for her morality and position as a commander and proves to have intelligence as her strength.  

The genre of romance of love makes you do crazy things in the situation of Commander Cordelia who decided to stay behind to help fight with her captor and love interest Vorkosigan against mutiny. She jeopardizes her own safety and rejects the rescue from her home team. Even in the attempt of rape of her she still tries to remains calm. This shows a side of war that is very common barbaric and savage treatments against female soldiers or women in general. Almost always pairing the two opposite sex characters together when struggling together. The main characters from opposite side are in similar situation like their counterpart the star-cross lovers Romeo and Juliet of two enemy households.

The romance is emphasis on the trust and hope that the two main characters have for each other considering, for right now they are each other’s most trusted allies. Maybe that is why in so many films of adventure and thriller there are people getting paired up because during the heat of excitement and life or death situations the heart and the adrenaline are amplified as if ones heart skip a beat and could be mistaking it for love or attraction.

The drama, part in the novel, is the fact that they show some realistic tragedies of how female soldiers are treated when capture. Barrayaran, very military traditional obsess with the power of dominating in territory where as Cordelia’s society is more on Democracy and intelligence. The novel captures how soldiers in real life go through this type of danger of fighting among themselves and being manipulated by politics. The genres other than Sci-fi are action, adventure, romantic, drama, thriller and war. War genre mainly focuses on socialism the problems of struggling to be on top of the hierarchy. Like “Games of Throne” with enemies working together allies betraying one another the upper ranks soldiers of the privilege class is corrupted the underdogs are the main characters.

In the movie “Serenity” the fact that the suppress of human emotion as the way of life and logic, to hold back on things that humans instinctively or unnaturally do without hesitation almost like being a robot. In the movie “Serenity” there seem to be a used of Chinese culture infused with this westernize world and no Chinese main characters, another trend in western movies of having almost all white cast with one main black actor despite the fact the world they live in a world that has a fusion of Western and Chinese culture and society in not only having the Chinese characters or chopsticks but Asian people. And the fact, that the two main characters have Chinese last names but are not Asian.

Blog 10 American Gods and lady in the water

Blog 10 American Gods week 8

There seems to be an uncertainty if the myths and legends and gods are real or not almost as if you cannot tell between illusion and what is real. This is a reflection how these traditions are place in our modern society. It seems like the myths are being explored in dreams that which cannot be prove to be real or base on the subconscious, leaving this up to the reader if this was just a dream or a real prophecy.  In Shadow’s dream there seem to be an Native American gods with a human body and the head of a buffalo; the buffalo is consider sacred to the tribe as a source of life and appear in his dream like a oracle or vision or being psychic. In Greek mythology and Native American traditions you see visions the godlike creatures speak in riddles or very obscurely like a prophecy. Strange dreams have some hidden meaning that could be a warning of the danger in real life. I believe that Shadow is not the type to be religious therefore he interprets all this god-like magic and strange effects to be either a really good trick or illusion from the point of view of a modern human with no belief and is very logical. Shadow himself represents today's generic average-joe with no defining foundation of his own, no solid belief everything he does is usually from advises from his previous cellmates.

There are hints at the beginning that the gods are real. Example: the producer and his hooker. There seems to be a set up of an altar in the bedroom of the hotel where the producer is making love to a goddess pretending to be a hooker. The producer experience is quite similar to enlighten where your mind is blank of fear and with peace and clarity because in some religion there seem to be an eroticism and sexual awakening like in Hinduism and that when you give yourself in sex you are also acknowledging n will the power of the gods or god and awakening the super natural’s magic can work the producer becomes a sacrifice to the goddess as he “offer” himself off to her.

The gods seem to suffer like humans when their jobs and roles were terminated and they lost power, they had to struggle in the slums to survive. There seems to be an identity crisis of America since America was created by immigrates from around the world and therefore has multi religions, traditions, and identities.

There is conflict with the old vs. new traditions and customs, we humans throughout history have constantly changed our priorities and beliefs therefore most of the younger generation neglect the old religions and traditions. We humans have gone through many trends trying to evolve through our technology, which is reflected on the new gods that focus on the materialistic side and instead of the primitive spiritual side. The gods are our reflection of what our values are. Tradition is being threatened by modern trends that make the old traditions out dated. We humans go through so many trends that don’t last but the reason why the old gods still exist because they were the foundation to how the humans found hope and created our civilization in surviving and judging by the novel “American God “ we are on the verge of destroying our civilization with our materialistic obsession, our origin that makes us who we are they are part of who we are and our culture even if we forgotten them or only see them as myths and legends. The old customs are not prioritizes in our modern American society, who has its own goal for the people to dream big, work to get the latest advance technology and medical and other trends.  

Lady in the water movie seem like the water people are the voice or subconscious if the humans that the humans forgotten humans have feed themselves with lies and hid from the truth and so the water people are like the reflection of humans to see beneath the surface. When see the water like a mirror everything is clearer. Go deeper in to the mind bring out the ideals and hope for humanity that had lead to astray when the humans abandoned them as nothing more than a fairytale that has morality. The water is very symbolic that anything that comes from the sea will return to the sea like sea turtles or “The little mermaid” just like the humans even if they were lead astray they will return back to who they were suppose to be, with the help of water people.

Night Circus blog

Week 7 blog Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Prospero the Enchanter one of the main characters and a powerful magician treats his very own blood like a doll and a military soldier in terms of his merciless and cruel ways of training her to be a great and powerful wizard not as a proud father but more like a master with his pawns. The overall treatment of the kids from the adults are that kids’ social status is the same as a stepping stool and are like pawns in a game of chess whose only chance of survival is turning into a queen who has almost all power.  The kids are not treated with care and gentleness and more like soldiers preparing for battle. The father Hector Bowen also known as Prospero the Enchanter does not treat Celia like his own blood but as an accessory that is only for looks and denies her to socialized with almost any other humans and instead gives her merciless lessons on life or death situations.

The man in the grey suit with no real name and distinct look also treats his orphan apprentice not like a son but as solely a student without giving him a name. The boy had to make up his own name and goes by as Marco. He is isolated at a very young age from the world no human contact or relationship not even with his master in the grey suit. There is no morality or modern humanity towards the kids in the novel but more on the survival of the fittest or in this case the more powerful magician wins. There is no concern for the safety and the innocence of the children very similar to the human history when the safety of the children were compromised by many diseases, unfair labor wages, and violence. Seems like the kids have their destinies force upon them and their fates are intertwined. Isobel and Marco like Romeo and Juliet.

 The main characters Marco and Celia are kids who are nothing more than puppets on strings for their masters who don’t even see them as living breathing people but as weapons for their so call battle that hints that both of them, Marco and Celia, will not only be seriously injured but one of them will die in order for there to be a winner. That the two kids Marco and Celia who get along and could be more than just friends have to fight each other for the sake of their masters’ egos and pride as magicians. So far it seems the kids are strong and very mature for their age as they put up with their own unique versions of isolations and boot camp for magicians.

“Time Bandit” of how the kid, Kevin, has the common sense and morality and more idealistic where, as the adults is corrupted and materialistic. It seems so bizarre that they killed off the parents thinking that this could be a happy ending when the boy just became an orphan. It seems that the adults are really irresponsible and neglectful of their child where the parents’ priority is to get more advance technology to beat other adults and that they would go into their fire burning home to save a kitchenware as if it were their child. This does reflect our society in America especially the time of the 1950 where the person with the latest product has the higher social status. This reminds me of another movie Matilda 1996 of how a kid who has not been corrupted by the superficial greed of her society seeks books to expand her knowledge and finds learning necessary. The kids are like the symbol of purity, hope and righteous. There is a lack of role model for the Kevin who seems to have a lack of decent role models in his life and has found his ideal role model with King Aganemnon, who also was not greedy for wealth or absolute power but more concern with knowledge and his role as king for his people.

Blog 6 Lud in the Mist

“Lud in the Mist” week 6 blog    mlee

           This novel reflects the basic relationship between the common folks and the royalty when the royalty succumb to luxury and material trinkets and traditions and the common people are paranoid and spreading gossip like wild fire on dry grass in being very superstition and naïve with the lack of knowledge of the fairyland. There seems to be a miscommunication with the kingdom as a whole. The age of ignorance like in the medieval times of omens and demons.

It seems to be that the shelter son of the mayor, Ranulph, hit puberty or has a family curse. He has embarked on his own journey outside of his home to see the world with his own eyes and instead rely on the gossip of the small town of a exclusive kingdom. The kingdom had chosen politics and laws and rules over magic as part of their heritage. It seems weird that the novel focuses on politics and the government rather than the obvious and cliché roles like a young peasant, king, or princess but chose instead the son of a mayor of a common town. Almost like a historical biography of a small town in the world of fantasy. 

Fairy land and Dorimarite have in history interbred with fairyland that help created the world of Dorimarite of its fine features that despite denial of fairyland as part of the Dorimarite’s culture their animals, flowers, and even facial or hair characteristics was part of the fairies. Like how in America alcohol was ban but the Americans still drink with the smuggling the alcohol only the fairy fruit is extremely intoxicating and deadly. Corruption in government seems to be emphasis and it seem in Dorimarite, its history may repeats itself of the struggle for power in hierarchy with the characters loose their morality, values, and give in to all types of temptation found easily in high class. This is somewhat realistic to the overall relationship of the government with the people. Showing us the world that is divide and the mystery and the unknown of the fairyland with a terrible reputation. This has a modern take on fantasy that doesn’t rely solely on magic as a vessel to carry on the story.

Very historical like infused with fantasy with showing different stories of different social class. Not much love between master Nathaniel and his wife with the arrange marriage. She, Dame Marigold the wife of Mayor Nathaniel, shows resentment to her husband, the Chanticleer side of the family namely Nathaniel and Ranulph (father and son). The way they are talking about tunes is almost like they are describing how their mind works and the boy’s “tune” is a bit off, this is his heritage instead of from a fairy fruit almost like a curse in fairytales like how the royal family will have some kind of dark omen that might destroy their kingdom. There seem a conflict between traditions and conventional customs as can be seen in the Mayor Nathaniel. The movie “The Color of Magic” seems to be a mix with fantasy with modern slang. This movie is more of a comedy than a classic heroic tale. The main characters seem to be either ignorant or stupid and weak kind of like an underdog story. The magic in the movie ”Color of Magic” is used as comic relief rather than used as serious and dark arts of magic. The main character is a tourist a sign of ignorance and childlike manner when going to the unknown hostile land with such innocent and amusing intent. The tourist sees danger as delight and fun instead of taking it with caution and the sign that it is real and intent on his life.