Timer

I really enjoyed the concept of this movie. What better way to prove your love is the real deal then by having a device confirm it for you. To turn something as unpredictable as love, and make it into a timer implanted onto your wrist. This small gadget pretty much determines your love life. Whats the point of going out and meeting new people when you can wait until the clock's number ticks to the due date. It inhibits you from discovering love on your own. But the ending was a bit intriguing, since the two "destined" for one another went to the same running track, so perhaps they were bound to meet one way or another without the aid of the timer.
I also love the little sprinkling on top; that in order for the device to work completely you must "lock eyes" with your soul mate and then the timer will ring. Love at first sight is completely justified with this work of science.

Dawn- Octavia Butler

This novel was very outside of the realm of my usual pick of books.
The aliens and their interaction with the humans. There is no clear cut definition of who's right and wrong. And the aliens. the usual suspects weren't the ones responsible for the end of humanity. Human beings are deeply flawed in this book, many have an intense sense of hatred and are for the most part belligerent.
A deep understanding of isolation permeates the entire story. Lilith, having been "saved" by these aliens must grow accustomed to their ways all by herself. All of the people she was familiar with are gone and can rely on no one except for herself. Even when other humans are introduced to the story, they are very wary of her and even grow to despise her. Since she is neither fully human or alien, she is utterly alone.
Her desperation to be rid of the responsibilities handed to her, is a common response to fear. She continues to deny her fate, but is the only one capable of surviving and retain a level mind. Against all circumstances, she still pushes against opposition, at first it came from the aliens but by the novel's end her enemy became her fellow humans.
It would be interesting to see what is in store for Lilith. If she will become more and more like the aliens and ultimately become fully assimilated in their world. This book was pretty slow at some parts, and some of the characters didn't feel as developed as they could have been. While of course much information is given on the protagonist, I would have liked to have more in depth description of the other human survivors. As for the aliens, I had a very difficult time trying to grasp what they looked like exactly. All I could picture was a mound of tentacles

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

     The entire story is a build up to the eventual discovery of how Snowman ended up being the sole surviving human in this wasteland of a world and surrounded by a mutated imitation of nature.
   The people of this time play god by the splicing of animals and the creation of dangerous chimeras. Bodies can be reconstructed and customized accordingly, a concept that is not so far-fetched today. In this book, war and vulgar acts become video games for the the two boys and everyone else in this world. Entertainment comes in various forms, but for the most part going to the extreme, anything to gain a reaction. In this future the value of life is trivialized. For a world that seems to be falling apart, society is still focused on appearances which is horrifying. There is also a clear division in status, the split of the poor and the rich. There is no attempt to remedy any economic problems, rather time and effort is spent on such frivolous things that make the rich richer. The majority of the English language had been discarded and replaced with spliced words, devoid of meaning but sound pleasant enough.
     The transition from the perspective of Jimmy to "Snowman" kept me reading at a faster pace, since it did not dwell on one point in time too long. When Jimmy goes to work for AnooYoo (A New You), he just adds to the problem by writing the copy for false advertisement on enhancement products. This fits his personality, since he thrives off of gaining people's attention and manipulating the emotions of each of his girlfriends. It's his nature to advertise, and unknowingly advertises the very product responsible for human extinction.
     There are various comments on medication, especially on the views we hold about prescriptions today. More studies reveal that the medications that we have become so dependent on have multiple side effects. In order to cure the source of the disease, one needs to risk the possibility of contracting other problems when taking any kind of medication.
     In the novel Crake takes the game of "Extinctathon" and turns it into reality, by gathering all of the top scoring individuals of the game and puts them to work on projects. They create new animals and a deadly virus which is distributed through BlyssPluss. Crake even created "people" who could not succumb to violence, think for themselves, or supposedly create. These skewed people were supposed to replace humanity, when they lacked various cognitive abilities and were complacent with their entire situation.
     I had mixed feelings about the ending. Of course a bunch of humans wouldn't just spring out of nowhere and everything would be fine and jolly, but even still it was depressing notion that humanity would be replaced by these manufactured imitations. Although it is mentioned that the Crakers show signs of self expression that could possibly mean that they may begin to think for themselves. This hope, added to the discovery of a few rogue humans leaves the novel ending on a pivotal question of what will happen next.

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

    I enjoyed this novel immensely. Not only did it have a compelling story, but had a colorful array of characters. The inclusion of "Breath" and the religion attached to it creates a dynamic concept. I had never seen or read about souls being treated in that manner. It felt like Sanderson was writing this novel for artists, with all the emphasis that he placed on color. Even some of the characters, depending on how much Breath they have, can determine the particular shades of each hue in the world around them. Aside from the intricately woven tapestry of the world, the characters intrigued me even more. The story revolves around the perspectives of three main characters, limiting our knowledge on the other characters around them. Each of these characters Siri, Vivenna, and Lightsong are pretty much ignorant whether by choice or circumstance. A young princess with a lackadaisical attitude who gets sent to wed the God King, another princess who was prepared for that task is left questioning her worth, and a god who doesn't even believe in himself. Even after the author fooled me about the intentions of one character, I still continued to get surprised every time a "good guy" was revealed to be the "bad guy." 

    I enjoyed the complex system of how to properly use the Breath. Only certain commands could be used and only organic materials could be controlled. The entire religion around the god was interesting, since they are only worshiped so they could one day sacrifice the entirety of their Breaths and then pass on. Other than that, they don't really contribute the welfare of the people of Hallendran. Lightsong seems to be the only one questioning his state of godhood, while others readily accepted the life. His attitude goes against the grain, and really questions the whole existence of the gods. At times his cynical view frustrated me, while other times he fulfilled his roles as the comic relief character. The two sisters, Vivenna and Siri, have their roles reversed. Neither one prepared what they had to eventually face and both handled their new life in unexpected ways. While Siri matured and came to accept the fact that she should be more involved in securing the safety of her homeland, Vivenna completely deteriorated. I was not very fond of the character, Vivenna from the beginning. She never intended to save her sister, she may have tried to convince herself of that in the beginning, but once she was in the city it was all about her. For someone who was educated to take on a queenly role, she was very inexperienced with dealing with others and her gullibility cost her and others suffering.

     I was a tad disappointed by the end, mainly because it was abruptly over but also the story wrapped up a little too cleanly. We are supposed to gladly assume that the army of the stone Lifeless reach and stop the other Lifeless army in time to save the city of Idris. Also, I felt like the explanations of the Five Scholars and finally the revelation of their true identities was just pinned on in the end. Overall this book held my attention The conflict of religious ideals, and how closely it reflects reality with monotheism vs. polytheism, gives this fictional world a link to our own. The treatment of souls is viewed differently in each city; in one city the soul is coveted, while the other sees it as a form of commerce.

           

The Color of Magic Ep. 1 & 2

     The only literature I have read by Terry Pratchett was Good Omens, which he co-wrote with Neil Gaiman. So I knew it would delve somewhat in the realm of comedy, if not entirely. Bits of the storytelling reminded me of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. There is an ultimate, universal question that just needs to be answered. In this case the question is as silly as "What is the gender of the turtle?"  It shares the same random twists and turns and most unexpected occurrences. The main characters are pushed into an adventure, and ultimately wind up saving the world after completing their quest.
    The two travelers, TwoFlower and Rince Wind are quite polar opposites. Two Flower is the optimist tourist, stepping into the face of danger with a care or worry. He is only curious about where he is and the functions of the surrounding. Rince Wind on the other hand, is the unfortunate guide who has plenty of near-death experiences thanks to Two Flower.

     It is definitely full of common fantasy references, but distorts them into something else. There was a bit with the enchanted sword that has a strong desire to slay dragons. The sacrificial maiden who was angry when she was rescued from the hands of death. The "Cohen" the Barbarian character is a toothless, man who is as old as dirt. And yet he still wins favor with a woman who is decades younger than he.  I  also enjoyed the sprinkling of modern influences, especially the stereotype of the tourist. His bright Hawaiian shirt, huge suitcase, and his constant need to take photographs. I would love to have luggage that was loyal and could defend itself.

War for the Oaks by Emma Bull

     There is something very enticing about the genre of urban fantasy. The possibility that the world of Faerie coexists with modern society does not seem so far-fetched when reading one of these novels. Works such as Tithe, by Holly Black, and Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman, are able to hold my complete attention. I become so enraptured by the story that I forget that I'm reading. War for the Oaks had the same effect, with its interesting characters and engaging plot. This story focuses mainly on finding one's own path.
Eddi is presented vulnerable, left her boyfriend, quit the band and is left in a financial mess. Although she is a victim of a circumstance, she soon transforms into a heroine of sorts. This novel was delved fully into female empowerment. The two courts of Faerie are led by intimidating queens. While the characters of Willy and the phouka seem to be in charge, Eddi reverses that with her own domineering qualities as the story moves along.
  
    The relationship of Eddi and the phouka mimicked the tale of Beauty and the Beast. The phouka, besides having the ability to transform into creatures, has a very agressive personality. He is constantly making a nuisance of himself, and purposely annoys everyone. It is interesting that he is never given a name. By calling him "the phouka" the author reminds us that he is supernatural. While, Eddi is not described a gorgeous woman, she has attractive qualities and is able to command the attention of others. And just like the tale, she is unhappy with the phouka's constant presence at first but unknowingly develops feeling for him by the end.

     After I finished reading, I found that I was a bit disappointed by some of the story's elements. While each character was very unique, there was little to no background information presented on any of them. The ending was quite abrupt, and the "battle" of the bands seemed a little strange after all that had occurred. While music played a major role as the base of the story, it was employed as an unconventional tool in deciding the fates of Faerie. The dramatic atmosphere came and went in the span of a couple of pages, and felt rushed. I felt that the mood was disrupted by some unnecessary, sporadic silly comments by the minor characters.

     Aside from that, I found this to be a great urban fantasy novel. I had never heard of the title or the author prior to seeing it on the recommended reading list. Using music as a source of power fits so well into the realm of fantasy. Melodies can manipulate a person's mood, and thus can control people. I have read other fantasy tales that utilize music as their primary theme, but this book really dove into the heart of it and presented it very well.

Being John Malkovich dir. Spike Jonze

I liked the concept of the movie, but the way the story was conveyed was... bizarre, to say the least. I think there was an attempt to jam pack too many side stories into the span of a few hours. It was interesting to see the purpose of the portal though, with the elderly man being able to become in a way immortal. It is the very oddity of this film that made it interesting to watch, but at one turning point it became a bit overwhelming.

There was a clear parody of John Malkovich career, when even some of the characters didn't know him by name. I had seen him other movies, but he was always in minor role and would only appear briefly. But in this movie he soon becomes a god-like figure in the eyes of the characters that discover the portal. For Lotte, it is her opportunity to discover herself, and what she really desires. For Craig he was able to fully use his skills as a puppeteer on a living being. To see the puppet master take over John Malkovich was surreal, and involved a lot of superb acting on Malkovich's part. Maxine, the antagonist, brings out the worst all of the characters.  Maxine gets the great idea to sell the "John Malkovich experience" and soon becomes a drug of sorts. Their thoughts influence his actions, and thus he appears as a figure struggling with multiple personalities. Although Craig is the puppeteer, the real one pulling the strings is Maxine. She is manipulative and overall cruel, until the end where her personality changes completely. 

     It had an appealing concept, but overall it was too twisted. This movie became too surreal for me, and about halfway through the movie, I tried to stop making sense of it. It remained creepy right up until the credits began to roll.