This week I decided I'd go ahead and dip my feet back into fantasy and I read Hilari Bell's "The Goblin Wood"
I actually only have a copy because my sister was reading it and insisted I had to read the trilogy, but I only have enough patience for the first book. (Not that they're terrible works of literature, I'm just busy right now.)
Wow, I digress.
Anyway, the format for the book is pretty simple, it has to do with goblins, witches, and humans and there is sort of this good vs. evil type of motif going on. I think the most clever thing about this book (And I assume it is a recurring theme throughout the trilogy) is the sort of back and forth of multiple narrators from the perspective of both the "Human" side and the "Goblin"side. With these two main narrators we get this kind of omniscient view of the world while our individual narrators have very much skewed perspectives. The trick Bell really pulls off here is that she explores the fact that evil doesn't actually exist and it's all a matter of perspective and that conflict comes from miscommunication/misunderstanding. It's a pretty simple and altruistic moral but it's strung together rather beautifully through the perspectives of our two main characters (Makenna and Tobin).
The magic system is fun and believable and although the world isn't as fleshed out as Tolkien I still found it to be somewhat immersive and I enjoyed my time while I was there. All in all pretty good read, but it's definitely directed more at young adults than at 22 year old men.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Monday, October 5, 2015
Screwed Turns
For the reading this week I went and revisited horror and ghost stories. I read through Turn of The Screw by Henry James.
I think the problem for me is that I'm a person living in the 21st century and I'm reading a book from the late 19th century so my idea of pacing is a little different from theirs. However the story still has strength. The plot is essentially the ghostly possession/haunting of two children in a wealthy home being observed by their governess. At first it's just the governess's observation of these geists but we soon find out the children are connected to these ghosts. The book catalogues the Governess's desire to protect the children she watches over and her slow descent as she realizes she is powerless.
I think that's the most fascinating thing from this book. This third party, someone who doesn't have anything more than a job obligation to these children so desperately wants to protect them. The fact that she's unable to save them and that she just has to observe is also something fascinating. She has to watch as two children slowly descend into whatever the ghosts have wished upon them.
That convention of powerless is something really empathizable and I see it come up over and over in Ghost/horror stories as a trope. This sense of power far beyond our own understanding is something quite common to fantasy but I suppose if a normal human being was all powerful than the book wouldn't be too interesting would it?
I think the problem for me is that I'm a person living in the 21st century and I'm reading a book from the late 19th century so my idea of pacing is a little different from theirs. However the story still has strength. The plot is essentially the ghostly possession/haunting of two children in a wealthy home being observed by their governess. At first it's just the governess's observation of these geists but we soon find out the children are connected to these ghosts. The book catalogues the Governess's desire to protect the children she watches over and her slow descent as she realizes she is powerless.
I think that's the most fascinating thing from this book. This third party, someone who doesn't have anything more than a job obligation to these children so desperately wants to protect them. The fact that she's unable to save them and that she just has to observe is also something fascinating. She has to watch as two children slowly descend into whatever the ghosts have wished upon them.
That convention of powerless is something really empathizable and I see it come up over and over in Ghost/horror stories as a trope. This sense of power far beyond our own understanding is something quite common to fantasy but I suppose if a normal human being was all powerful than the book wouldn't be too interesting would it?
Sunday, September 27, 2015
In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit. . .
I mean, it's going to be hard to write a response of The Hobbit. It's such an icon and I feel almost all that is to be said of The Hobbit has been said (Or turned into a trilogy of movies by Peter Jackson).
I think The Hobbit is one of the epitomes of the genre of fantasy for children, it also perfectly illustrates Joseph's Campbell's "Hero's Journey".
Essentially, the book begins with poor Bilbo Baggins who doesn't want to leave the comfort of his home despite Gandalf the Grey proposing an adventure for him to do so. Bilbo is more or less cast out from his home and forced to go on this adventure into the unknown. Of course Bilbo follows the rest of the "Hero's Journey" (Trials, tribulations, Death, Abyss, etc.) and eventually comes to his conclusion. What really made The Hobbit special was it's incredibly powerful storyline but also in compilation with the worldbuilding that occurs. Tolkien's world in The Hobbit is so incredibly described that it has inspired many other works of fantasy (E.g. Jim Hensen's The Dark Crystal).
It's hard to really go into detail on the monumental impact Tolkien's book has had on the genre of fantasy, but I highly recommend reading The Hobbit and the rest of his works. (And if not, at least try sitting through the movies)
I think The Hobbit is one of the epitomes of the genre of fantasy for children, it also perfectly illustrates Joseph's Campbell's "Hero's Journey".
Essentially, the book begins with poor Bilbo Baggins who doesn't want to leave the comfort of his home despite Gandalf the Grey proposing an adventure for him to do so. Bilbo is more or less cast out from his home and forced to go on this adventure into the unknown. Of course Bilbo follows the rest of the "Hero's Journey" (Trials, tribulations, Death, Abyss, etc.) and eventually comes to his conclusion. What really made The Hobbit special was it's incredibly powerful storyline but also in compilation with the worldbuilding that occurs. Tolkien's world in The Hobbit is so incredibly described that it has inspired many other works of fantasy (E.g. Jim Hensen's The Dark Crystal).
It's hard to really go into detail on the monumental impact Tolkien's book has had on the genre of fantasy, but I highly recommend reading The Hobbit and the rest of his works. (And if not, at least try sitting through the movies)
Monday, September 7, 2015
J Horror
Though I will admit I have read a good bit of Murakami, I don't think he quite qualifies as J-horror. I think he falls into the category of "Magical Realism" similar to Kawabata's "House of Sleeping Beauties"
I already spoke about Uzumaki which I feel is a pretty solid example of Japanese horror. I find that there is no real "enemy" that things simply exist, whether it be good or bad, things simply exist in Japanese horror. The natural world collided with the supernatural world, and the outcome simply created what we consider horror. This is such a common thing in J-horror. It's all a mixture of pure coincidence or circumstantial things. It's not because someone committed a grave sin or anything along the lines of that. The reasoning behind the events can be as simple as "Oh, it's Wednesday. Supernatural things always happen on a Wednesday around here." Uzumaki also ends with a stereotypical jhorror ending, where no one really ends up happy. Things simply are, things that went wrong just went wrong and that's the end of that. The death of everybody in the village was a bittersweet thing, but that particular ending felt at home in the genre.
After Chris Phelps spoke about Homonculus I went home and read that as well and found it rather fascinating. It was more of a trip into supernatural realism as well. Dealing mostly with the psychological aspects of horror; it was rather fascinating. Lots of guilt and sex, pretty entertaining, don't know if I'd consider it horror but that's just my western definition of the genre I suppose.
Oh and if we're talking asian horror, I'd recommend I Saw The Devil, Chaser, or any other Korean thriller. I find them to be pretty incredible, works of art in fact.
I already spoke about Uzumaki which I feel is a pretty solid example of Japanese horror. I find that there is no real "enemy" that things simply exist, whether it be good or bad, things simply exist in Japanese horror. The natural world collided with the supernatural world, and the outcome simply created what we consider horror. This is such a common thing in J-horror. It's all a mixture of pure coincidence or circumstantial things. It's not because someone committed a grave sin or anything along the lines of that. The reasoning behind the events can be as simple as "Oh, it's Wednesday. Supernatural things always happen on a Wednesday around here." Uzumaki also ends with a stereotypical jhorror ending, where no one really ends up happy. Things simply are, things that went wrong just went wrong and that's the end of that. The death of everybody in the village was a bittersweet thing, but that particular ending felt at home in the genre.
After Chris Phelps spoke about Homonculus I went home and read that as well and found it rather fascinating. It was more of a trip into supernatural realism as well. Dealing mostly with the psychological aspects of horror; it was rather fascinating. Lots of guilt and sex, pretty entertaining, don't know if I'd consider it horror but that's just my western definition of the genre I suppose.
Oh and if we're talking asian horror, I'd recommend I Saw The Devil, Chaser, or any other Korean thriller. I find them to be pretty incredible, works of art in fact.
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Mutually Beneficial (Vampire response)
Having read a few books on vampires previously (Dracula, some cheesy young adult novels, etc.) the relationship between Constantine and Sunshine in Robert McKinley's "Sunshine" peaks my interests. First off we have the reluctance from Constantine and how he's almost being forced to feed from Sunshine (Of course, we know he doesn't but the premise is that he's being starved so that he will).
I find this to be very atypical. Of course it's almost this weird kind of Stockholm syndrome relationship between the two of them as they're stuck together and are both captives of the same greater evil.
Sunshine saving Constantine is also a bit of an odd thing as far as relationships between humans and vampires go. Usually the human (Almost always a human woman) is in a state of powerlessness and they're under the influence of the vampire. The interaction between them is very different. It's a mutually beneficial relationship which is very bizarre, it seems there is no real person who's in power here. The two of them need each other and although Constantine could potentially kill this woman, he doesn't. It's a weird twist of humanity to a traditional monster.
On an unrelated tangent, I read Carmilla and the relationship between those two and the form the vampire takes are a very different thing than what I'm used to and it was one of my favorite vampire tales. (Vampire cat creatures? Who could imagine that.)
I find this to be very atypical. Of course it's almost this weird kind of Stockholm syndrome relationship between the two of them as they're stuck together and are both captives of the same greater evil.
Sunshine saving Constantine is also a bit of an odd thing as far as relationships between humans and vampires go. Usually the human (Almost always a human woman) is in a state of powerlessness and they're under the influence of the vampire. The interaction between them is very different. It's a mutually beneficial relationship which is very bizarre, it seems there is no real person who's in power here. The two of them need each other and although Constantine could potentially kill this woman, he doesn't. It's a weird twist of humanity to a traditional monster.
On an unrelated tangent, I read Carmilla and the relationship between those two and the form the vampire takes are a very different thing than what I'm used to and it was one of my favorite vampire tales. (Vampire cat creatures? Who could imagine that.)
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Week 1: Gothicness
The influence of gothic aesthetics and literature is incredibly strong in contemporary culture. Before we elaborate on particular examples it is best to establish what "Gothic" truly means.
In reality it is a term used to categorize media that combines the genres of romanticism and horror. Literary examples would be works like Dracula, Frankenstein, Turn of the Screw, etc.
Specific iconography associated with Gothic works are things like black cats, stormy weather, terrible frights, and things that go bump in the night (amongst many other tropes). But what really defines something as Gothic rather than horror?
Does it have to do with time period?
Does it have to do with where the material originates from?
I would reply no to both questions.
For an example of "Gothicness" in contemporary cultures I'd like to examine manga and comics.
A great example would be Itou Junji's Uzumaki.
In short, Uzumaki is a story about the overpowering magic of a spiral. It's hypnotizing effects and how it draws one's attention through it's organic shape. The comic is really a collection of short stories that all deal with the supernatural power of spirals and how a small japanese town is caught in the vicious cycle of it's shape.
I chose this example because it fits the category of a gothic work but it's not a typical european style of gothic. Uzumaki combines your typical tropes of mystery, horror, and romanticism to create a truly terrifying experience that fits the gothic genre perfectly. The most obvious connection is in the delivery/pacing of the story. As in many gothic works of literature uzumaki begins with a seemingly normal story about normal people in a normal place. However, as the story progresses the more the supernatural becomes apparent and it it's energy begins to affect the normal world the tale began in. Uzumaki draws on themes that a lot of gothic writers drew on. Nature versus civilization, the individual versus society, etc.
I chose the medium of comics specifically to talk about the gothic genre and how it can portray horror differently through words or images. With classic works of gothic literature the fear was created in the mind of the reader, the more immersed in the tale you become the deeper and more personal the experience can be and thusly the more horrifying an experience it can be. Creating images with your mind to give visual meaning to the words you're reading, that's the power of words in the horror genre. However, comics hold a slightly different level of power. Comics not only have the gift of words, but it's accompanied by visual imagery. These images can create horrors your visual library could not have possibly come up with on it's own. Images created by someone else can show horrifying things you just don't have the frame of reference for.
I digress and stray far from the original assignment, but I feel like it's a fair thing to address in terms of contemporary culture embracing "gothicness".
In reality it is a term used to categorize media that combines the genres of romanticism and horror. Literary examples would be works like Dracula, Frankenstein, Turn of the Screw, etc.
Specific iconography associated with Gothic works are things like black cats, stormy weather, terrible frights, and things that go bump in the night (amongst many other tropes). But what really defines something as Gothic rather than horror?
Does it have to do with time period?
Does it have to do with where the material originates from?
I would reply no to both questions.
For an example of "Gothicness" in contemporary cultures I'd like to examine manga and comics.
A great example would be Itou Junji's Uzumaki.
In short, Uzumaki is a story about the overpowering magic of a spiral. It's hypnotizing effects and how it draws one's attention through it's organic shape. The comic is really a collection of short stories that all deal with the supernatural power of spirals and how a small japanese town is caught in the vicious cycle of it's shape.
I chose this example because it fits the category of a gothic work but it's not a typical european style of gothic. Uzumaki combines your typical tropes of mystery, horror, and romanticism to create a truly terrifying experience that fits the gothic genre perfectly. The most obvious connection is in the delivery/pacing of the story. As in many gothic works of literature uzumaki begins with a seemingly normal story about normal people in a normal place. However, as the story progresses the more the supernatural becomes apparent and it it's energy begins to affect the normal world the tale began in. Uzumaki draws on themes that a lot of gothic writers drew on. Nature versus civilization, the individual versus society, etc.
I chose the medium of comics specifically to talk about the gothic genre and how it can portray horror differently through words or images. With classic works of gothic literature the fear was created in the mind of the reader, the more immersed in the tale you become the deeper and more personal the experience can be and thusly the more horrifying an experience it can be. Creating images with your mind to give visual meaning to the words you're reading, that's the power of words in the horror genre. However, comics hold a slightly different level of power. Comics not only have the gift of words, but it's accompanied by visual imagery. These images can create horrors your visual library could not have possibly come up with on it's own. Images created by someone else can show horrifying things you just don't have the frame of reference for.
I digress and stray far from the original assignment, but I feel like it's a fair thing to address in terms of contemporary culture embracing "gothicness".
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