The Book of Eli
Given that ol' Denzel is headlining, along with no-so-hard-on-the-eyes Mila Kunis riding side-kick, it is likely fair to say that most folks went out and watched 'The Book of Eli' a good six months ago. But not me. Oh no. Until the day comes that first-run theaters provide couches, local micro-brews, AND accommodate boxers-only attire, I'm afraid that I shall remain a DVD release man. At least that is how I intend to justify the untimeliness of my reviews for the foreseeable future.
That said, I was incredibly stoked to finally get a chance to view this film. With A-list actors, big budget financing, and a post-apocalyptic scenario, I knew that at the absolute least, it should look damn pretty. And it did. Admittedly, there were a few of those annoyingly blatant product placements (mmm.., nothing like a nice warm 30 year old Busch to satisfy that post-apocalyptic thirst), but it was all around very satisfying eye-candy.
Beyond its visual success, however, I think the film was a little more run-of-the-mill. It certainly did have some entertaining combat, a reasonable mix of characters, and a pace that kept the story moving along well enough. However, it also had a pretty strong 'Mad Max' flair to it that, despite my enjoyment of the classics, came across as a little cheesy to me.
Along that vein, I also didn't find any of the performances particularly remarkable either. While I don't think that any of the actors fell painfully short in the delivery of their roles, I also didn't feel any of the strong emotional resonance that the scenario could have conveyed.
Admittedly, I'm judging this film shortly after having viewed 'The Road', which I felt was incredibly successful in these regards. So, perhaps If I hadn't just seen the fore-mentioned masterpiece, I may have been inclined to gush a bit more about 'The Book of Eli'.
*Warning* Spoilers
Reservations with the veneer of the film aside, I did very much enjoy the questions it raised regarding its central object of focus, the Bible. Far from being of a particularly fundamentalist inclination, the thought of a film about a man defending the word of the almighty against the godless heathens tends to make me a little worried about the volume of propaganda to which I am about to be subjected. And yes, it certainly was there (it was our protagonist who was preaching and protecting).
However, albeit through the role of the villain, the film did flat out declare the flip-side of the coin, that the book (and correspondingly, religion in general) is very much a weapon as well. As our lead antagonist recognized, the "word of God" can be an extremely powerful tool. Independent of goodness or moral integrity, it is a means to unification and control. Be it hope or fear, it is a power that any suitably charismatic individual can wield to achieve ends of their own choosing.
So, even though it was the story's hero, defender of the weak and innocent, who championed the virtues of the good book, the film did a fair job of pointing out that you better take a close look at who is doing the preaching before dropping to your knees in praise.
Anyways, despite my complaints, I really did enjoy 'The Book of Eli'. I thought it was a solid production and found it to be highly entertaining. If you're a fan of Mr. Washington, bloody sword-play, and viewing the gritty beauty of a post-apocalyptic world from the comfort of your decidedly pre-apocalyptic living room, you should check this film out.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Deep, Dark
Deep, Dark
If you are a fan of Mr. Jonathan Maberry's 'Patient Zero' and 'The Dragon Factory', or simply enjoy a tasty bit of black-ops fun with a sci-fi twist, you should really download Mr. Maberry's free short story 'Deep, Dark'. It can be found at http://jonathanmaberry.com/.
It's a quick read, just twenty or so pages, and for those familiar with the Joe Ledger series, it takes place at some point in between the fore-mentioned novels.
While little more than a tease of a story, 'Deep, Dark' is very much in the vein of the novels, with questions about the ethical implications genetic research, the honor of soldiers, and our government's duty to those that have volunteered their lives to service.
I won't say much more about it, but on a lighter note, the story is just damn fun. There's something about battling mysterious monsters in the deep and dark that never ceases to entertain. Check it out.
If you are a fan of Mr. Jonathan Maberry's 'Patient Zero' and 'The Dragon Factory', or simply enjoy a tasty bit of black-ops fun with a sci-fi twist, you should really download Mr. Maberry's free short story 'Deep, Dark'. It can be found at http://jonathanmaberry.com/.
It's a quick read, just twenty or so pages, and for those familiar with the Joe Ledger series, it takes place at some point in between the fore-mentioned novels.
While little more than a tease of a story, 'Deep, Dark' is very much in the vein of the novels, with questions about the ethical implications genetic research, the honor of soldiers, and our government's duty to those that have volunteered their lives to service.
I won't say much more about it, but on a lighter note, the story is just damn fun. There's something about battling mysterious monsters in the deep and dark that never ceases to entertain. Check it out.
Shadowmarch
Shadowmarch
It has been a few years since I first read Mr. Tad Williams's 'Shadowmarch', and similarly to the first time I read Volume 1 of his 'Otherland' series, I was pretty thoroughly infuriated to discover that I had only finished the first leg of a series that had not yet been written. Fortunately, this frustration stemmed directly from my immense enjoyment of the stories, and I was able to forgive, forget, and enjoy them all over again as each installment was eventually released (albeit with similar periods of frustration in between the subsequent volumes).
Fast forward a few years and I find my perusing through one of Powell's fine establishments and what do I spy, but Volume 2 of the series, 'Shadowplay'! Oh, I was so delighted. That gleeful anticipation of rapidly rereading Volume 1 before losing myself in a wholly new tome of content.
Uh, wait second, I already have 'Shadowplay', dammit! Sigh. Yes, I'd completely forgotten having read 600+ pages of pure delight from a favorite author. And now I have two copies.
Fortunately this most recent round of self-induced frustration was soundly alleviated by the remarkably near-following discovery that there was in-fact new content available, but in the form of Volume 3, 'Shadowrise'! And yes, I imagine it is becoming abundantly clear that I do a pretty poor job of keeping track of recent literary developments.
I had thought this third volume would be wrapping up the series, but it seems there may still be a fourth coming to finish it off. However, with this good chunk of the story already on the shelves, I'd like to take some time to write out a post of thoughts for each of the installments. So, without further adieu (beyond the bloody essay it has taken to get to this point), let us talk about 'Shadowmarch'.
Needless to say, the start of this more recent series of Mr. Williams was damn fantastic. Its flavor of fantasy and tone of storytelling is both colorfully inventive, and comfortably approachable. Both die-hard fantasy buffs and casual interest readers will be satisfied by a story with magic and mystery that sparks the imagination, but does not stray too far from our 'practical' expectations of a world in which most folks aren't walking around with a wand or slaying dragons on every mountaintop.
For a large part, 'Shadowmarch' is a story of the challenges of governing a kingdom. Managing nobles, the intrigues of royal succession, assessing threats, gauging truths, finances, loyalty, authority, and so on. It is a day-to-day struggle for folks to find their place, make sense of the greater world, and strive for some measure of happiness amongst it all.
We also witness fantastic variety of character displayed by the many intertwining players and their actions. Innocent and experienced, honorable and desperate, wise and self-entitled. Mr. Williams hints, illustrates, and develops characters in a wonderful manner that establishes a position and role, but does not quickly reveal what final part they will play.
Admittedly, the above mentioned quality is one that most authors likely seek to achieve, but I think Mr. Williams is successful with its use at many levels. For example, while the story is centrally focused around the human society, I really enjoy the hints of demi-human culture that we're treated to as well.
For example, the Funderlings are quite prominently featured, but a great deal of mystery is hinted at in the depths of their tunnels. Then the Rooftoppers, only known in legend, have played a small role thus far, but they clearly have knowledge and history that will have an impact on the shaping of the tale. Similarly, the Skimmers have only been briefly featured, but while they appear on the surface to have only a servile role in the kingdom, they clearly have their own secrets and part to play.
Lastly, the Qar, the mysterious and feared fairy folk whom the kingdom's grandfathers did battle with in the past are the little understood threat that must now be faced. I particularly like Mr. Williams's depictions of these folk, which for all their otherworldly alien-ness, clearly have a culture, history, and code that governs their actions.
I believe I am partly enjoying this tale of fantasy because it does not seem to be following a quite so formulaic hero arc as we saw in the 'Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn' series. I am not sure that it is of quite so many initially disparate starting points as in 'Otherland', but they do not yet seem to have such clearly predictable paths.
For those few that may have made it this far through my ramblings, I may as well admit that this is my first attempt at commenting on a fantasy novel. Despite my love for the genre, I'm not entirely sure what to say, other than whether it was entertaining or not. So, to at least be perfectly solid on that point, 'Shadowmarch' is damn fine entertainment. Mr. Williams's work has yet to disappoint, and I fully encourage folks to check it out.
It has been a few years since I first read Mr. Tad Williams's 'Shadowmarch', and similarly to the first time I read Volume 1 of his 'Otherland' series, I was pretty thoroughly infuriated to discover that I had only finished the first leg of a series that had not yet been written. Fortunately, this frustration stemmed directly from my immense enjoyment of the stories, and I was able to forgive, forget, and enjoy them all over again as each installment was eventually released (albeit with similar periods of frustration in between the subsequent volumes).
Fast forward a few years and I find my perusing through one of Powell's fine establishments and what do I spy, but Volume 2 of the series, 'Shadowplay'! Oh, I was so delighted. That gleeful anticipation of rapidly rereading Volume 1 before losing myself in a wholly new tome of content.
Uh, wait second, I already have 'Shadowplay', dammit! Sigh. Yes, I'd completely forgotten having read 600+ pages of pure delight from a favorite author. And now I have two copies.
Fortunately this most recent round of self-induced frustration was soundly alleviated by the remarkably near-following discovery that there was in-fact new content available, but in the form of Volume 3, 'Shadowrise'! And yes, I imagine it is becoming abundantly clear that I do a pretty poor job of keeping track of recent literary developments.
I had thought this third volume would be wrapping up the series, but it seems there may still be a fourth coming to finish it off. However, with this good chunk of the story already on the shelves, I'd like to take some time to write out a post of thoughts for each of the installments. So, without further adieu (beyond the bloody essay it has taken to get to this point), let us talk about 'Shadowmarch'.
Needless to say, the start of this more recent series of Mr. Williams was damn fantastic. Its flavor of fantasy and tone of storytelling is both colorfully inventive, and comfortably approachable. Both die-hard fantasy buffs and casual interest readers will be satisfied by a story with magic and mystery that sparks the imagination, but does not stray too far from our 'practical' expectations of a world in which most folks aren't walking around with a wand or slaying dragons on every mountaintop.
For a large part, 'Shadowmarch' is a story of the challenges of governing a kingdom. Managing nobles, the intrigues of royal succession, assessing threats, gauging truths, finances, loyalty, authority, and so on. It is a day-to-day struggle for folks to find their place, make sense of the greater world, and strive for some measure of happiness amongst it all.
We also witness fantastic variety of character displayed by the many intertwining players and their actions. Innocent and experienced, honorable and desperate, wise and self-entitled. Mr. Williams hints, illustrates, and develops characters in a wonderful manner that establishes a position and role, but does not quickly reveal what final part they will play.
Admittedly, the above mentioned quality is one that most authors likely seek to achieve, but I think Mr. Williams is successful with its use at many levels. For example, while the story is centrally focused around the human society, I really enjoy the hints of demi-human culture that we're treated to as well.
For example, the Funderlings are quite prominently featured, but a great deal of mystery is hinted at in the depths of their tunnels. Then the Rooftoppers, only known in legend, have played a small role thus far, but they clearly have knowledge and history that will have an impact on the shaping of the tale. Similarly, the Skimmers have only been briefly featured, but while they appear on the surface to have only a servile role in the kingdom, they clearly have their own secrets and part to play.
Lastly, the Qar, the mysterious and feared fairy folk whom the kingdom's grandfathers did battle with in the past are the little understood threat that must now be faced. I particularly like Mr. Williams's depictions of these folk, which for all their otherworldly alien-ness, clearly have a culture, history, and code that governs their actions.
I believe I am partly enjoying this tale of fantasy because it does not seem to be following a quite so formulaic hero arc as we saw in the 'Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn' series. I am not sure that it is of quite so many initially disparate starting points as in 'Otherland', but they do not yet seem to have such clearly predictable paths.
For those few that may have made it this far through my ramblings, I may as well admit that this is my first attempt at commenting on a fantasy novel. Despite my love for the genre, I'm not entirely sure what to say, other than whether it was entertaining or not. So, to at least be perfectly solid on that point, 'Shadowmarch' is damn fine entertainment. Mr. Williams's work has yet to disappoint, and I fully encourage folks to check it out.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The Dragon Factory
The Dragon Factory
I recently had the opportunity to read Mr. Jonathan Maberry's 'The Dragon Factory', and much like its predecessor, 'Patient Zero', it was a highly entertaining read. The story is a fast paced action thriller packed full of government intrigue, just barely fictional scientific madness, and a whole lot of special forces butt kicking. Sadly, our hero did not get to take another crack at battling the undead, however Mr. Maberry succeeded in creatively taking the mad scientist theme in other equally frightening directions.
*Warning* Spoilers
In this chapter of the ongoing Joe Ledger story, global destruction is imminent via the schemes of aged Nazi scientists. Mastery of genetics and gene-therapy have dramatically extended their lives and afforded them time to develop weaponized diseases, which they intend to unleash around the globe.This plan for genocide of unprecedented scale is the grand goal of the book's arch-villains, but we're also treated to other unsettling oddities, and outright horrors, in the shape of transgenic animals, men, and women of bizarre design.
As readers living in a world where our scientists' understanding and mastery of genetics is rapidly increasing, this story really highlights the potential power of this technology. I would by no means advocate abandoning the pursuit of this realm of understanding, for I believe an equally tremendous amount of good and benefit to humankind could be attained. However 'The Dragon Factory' plausibly postulates just how terrible a use it could be put to as well.
Putting aside the possibility of terrorists or governments creating and unleashing custom tailored plagues, the ethics behind this research walks a very fine line. For instance, we see examples of the technology being used to extend life expectancy, and greatly increase physical strength. Admittedly, at a glance, this doesn't sound all that bad.
We also see examples of extinct animals being brought back to life. Perhaps a noble aim, given the number of species devastated by humanity's presence, but it is getting a bit fuzzier. As I think we can all agree, roaming packs of velociraptors would not make anyone's life easier.
The point where I think the line has been fully crossed is when we see the radically redesigned species. Creatures that have been combined piecemeal from the genetic code of unrelated organisms for the service and amusement of those that can afford the purchase price. 'The Dragon Factory' effectively demonstrates just how repulsive and heartbreaking the results can be. Even if you forget the countless malformed trial-run experiments that must have briefly lived before the final design was perfected, the picture this novel paints of their existence, in a world in which they did not naturally evolve, seems cruel beyond imagining.
'The Dragon Factory' is pretty damn fantastic in both the questions it raises about the future of modern science, and the craft of the story it delivers. Admittedly, the story is almost archetypically cliche with its villains, though in a thoroughly delightful manner. We have an evil dad, with his evil assistant, and evil henchmen, and evil children, in their secret evil lairs, with grandly evil plans for world domination. It's pretty hilarious in that regard.
However, I have to say that one big and annoying aspect of the story (which was also present in 'Patient Zero') is the villains' insistence on only unleashing their grand plans when it coincides with some event or anniversary of some personal significance, but zero strategic value. All through 'The Dragon Factory' were references to the count down to the extinction waves, and how everything was in motion and nothing could stop it. Um, false. Seriously, Dr. Evil, when you have the opportunity, just shoot your nemesis and be done with it.
This bit of foolishness aside, it did fit the formula, and it did nothing to lessen the entertainment value of the story. Mr. Maberry crafts a pretty thrilling adventure in this novel, and once again does so while addressing questions of real world consequence. My compliments to the author, and I look forward to reading more of his work. If you haven't read either 'The Dragon Factory' or 'Patient Zero', you won't regret checking them out.
I recently had the opportunity to read Mr. Jonathan Maberry's 'The Dragon Factory', and much like its predecessor, 'Patient Zero', it was a highly entertaining read. The story is a fast paced action thriller packed full of government intrigue, just barely fictional scientific madness, and a whole lot of special forces butt kicking. Sadly, our hero did not get to take another crack at battling the undead, however Mr. Maberry succeeded in creatively taking the mad scientist theme in other equally frightening directions.
*Warning* Spoilers
In this chapter of the ongoing Joe Ledger story, global destruction is imminent via the schemes of aged Nazi scientists. Mastery of genetics and gene-therapy have dramatically extended their lives and afforded them time to develop weaponized diseases, which they intend to unleash around the globe.This plan for genocide of unprecedented scale is the grand goal of the book's arch-villains, but we're also treated to other unsettling oddities, and outright horrors, in the shape of transgenic animals, men, and women of bizarre design.
As readers living in a world where our scientists' understanding and mastery of genetics is rapidly increasing, this story really highlights the potential power of this technology. I would by no means advocate abandoning the pursuit of this realm of understanding, for I believe an equally tremendous amount of good and benefit to humankind could be attained. However 'The Dragon Factory' plausibly postulates just how terrible a use it could be put to as well.
Putting aside the possibility of terrorists or governments creating and unleashing custom tailored plagues, the ethics behind this research walks a very fine line. For instance, we see examples of the technology being used to extend life expectancy, and greatly increase physical strength. Admittedly, at a glance, this doesn't sound all that bad.
We also see examples of extinct animals being brought back to life. Perhaps a noble aim, given the number of species devastated by humanity's presence, but it is getting a bit fuzzier. As I think we can all agree, roaming packs of velociraptors would not make anyone's life easier.
The point where I think the line has been fully crossed is when we see the radically redesigned species. Creatures that have been combined piecemeal from the genetic code of unrelated organisms for the service and amusement of those that can afford the purchase price. 'The Dragon Factory' effectively demonstrates just how repulsive and heartbreaking the results can be. Even if you forget the countless malformed trial-run experiments that must have briefly lived before the final design was perfected, the picture this novel paints of their existence, in a world in which they did not naturally evolve, seems cruel beyond imagining.
'The Dragon Factory' is pretty damn fantastic in both the questions it raises about the future of modern science, and the craft of the story it delivers. Admittedly, the story is almost archetypically cliche with its villains, though in a thoroughly delightful manner. We have an evil dad, with his evil assistant, and evil henchmen, and evil children, in their secret evil lairs, with grandly evil plans for world domination. It's pretty hilarious in that regard.
However, I have to say that one big and annoying aspect of the story (which was also present in 'Patient Zero') is the villains' insistence on only unleashing their grand plans when it coincides with some event or anniversary of some personal significance, but zero strategic value. All through 'The Dragon Factory' were references to the count down to the extinction waves, and how everything was in motion and nothing could stop it. Um, false. Seriously, Dr. Evil, when you have the opportunity, just shoot your nemesis and be done with it.
This bit of foolishness aside, it did fit the formula, and it did nothing to lessen the entertainment value of the story. Mr. Maberry crafts a pretty thrilling adventure in this novel, and once again does so while addressing questions of real world consequence. My compliments to the author, and I look forward to reading more of his work. If you haven't read either 'The Dragon Factory' or 'Patient Zero', you won't regret checking them out.
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