Week 15: The Future

Throughout this course I learned a lot of things that I didn't know existed. It definitely made me open my eyes and broaden my perspective on many aspects of literature and even life! I personally think that the future will hold even more technological advances than now. In the path we're going, I don't see any other future. We have advanced so much already and we only continue to discover new possibilities. For example, the other day I stumbled across a video that showed scientists are working on contact lenses that can allow you to record and recapture moments. I'm not entirely sure how accurate that video was but the idea of that amazes me. I think designers, scientists, engineers, etc. will keep working hard to come up with different ways technology can interact with humans on more personal levels.

Week 14: Satire and Sci-Fi

This week's final theme was Satire and Sci-Fi and I listened to "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". It was interesting because I usually just read either short stories or novels, but this time I was able to experience a radio show version. After listening to part of it I realized that the author had a very dark vision of what the future may hold. It was however dark humor because part of it were actually comical. It's obvious we are having a lot of issues with climate change and the slow but inevitable destruction of earth, including war, deforestation, and uncontrollable acts of nature. We may not necessarily be headed toward the future that is described to us in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, but it is possible that this was a warning of some sort or a wake up call telling us we all need to take better care of our planet.

Week 13: Literary Speculation

This week I read The Distance of the Moon by Italo Calvino. The setting takes place in a time when the moon was so close to the earth that visiting was a daily occurrence. In the short story's opening paragraphs the narrator recalls everything with a childlike joy, remembering how fun it was when they were able to shift themselves to the moon's gravitational pull, and collecting moon milk which was thick resembling cream cheese. The narrator even recalls when a young girl was caught in the moons gravity and got covered with little surface sea life. Throughout all these scenes, the intrigues of the human heart are consistent: jealousy, infatuation, and infidelity. Seems as though the more things are different, the more they really are the same. The main point of the story seems to be the moon pulling away from the earth and how hard it becomes for everyone to get back safely, one of which isn't able to return (the captains wife). The infatuation the main character has for the captains wife keeps him waiting for a month to pass so he can finally save her and bring her back to earth. Calvino definitely evokes nostalgia; the narrator looks back on his experiences with the moon and treasures them. I very much enjoyed reading this because it was a different type of love story, and one that doesn't have a happy ending. I think Calvino wasn't trying to recreate an adventure story, but instead allow the reader to look at universal experiences and emotions in a different perspective.

Week 13: The Aquatic Uncle

In the short story "The Aquatic Uncle", the main character's are used as a prominent symbol for modern themes such as prejudice and the differences between generations. It suggested that even from the beginning of time, racism and pride in ones upbringing was a major factor and played into how you were viewed. Qfwfq was essentially embarrassed because of Lll's purity and the fact that he was part of both land and sea. Not only this, but scientific progress is also a major theme in this short story.

The connections I made with this story is that everyone always has that one family member that they are afraid of introducing their significant other to. For example, I have grandparents that are always last to meet a boyfriend of mine simply because of their standards and what they think. Different generations play a significant role in this short story as does it in real life. Then again there are those grandparents that have all the new, modern technology and then there are those grandparents like mine that still have flip phones. I think this stems from the fact that change is feared. What they see as safe and reliable throughout all these years is what they stick to instead of trying something new.

I'm having trouble seeing this in another medium because it's a short story and I can't really imagine it as anything else. What I love about this story is the theme of evolution. I'm sure this can be turned into a movie with human actors, however I think it'll take away from the story and how the readers visualize it. The best way I would say it an animated piece, because given the right style and approach it could definitely compliment the story's creativity.

Week 12: Diverse Position Science Fiction

This week I read "I Live With You" by Carol Emshwiller. I was fully aware of what was going on in the story, however I couldn't figure out who it was that lived with her. At first I thought it was from an animal's point of view, however, when I came across the part where they said all her clothes fit just the right size, I knew it was a human. When I kept reading it occurred to me that maybe it was all in her head? There were some strange parts that made me assume so, for example, when the main character was in the bedroom with the man and they kept switching where one would go under the bed and then lock them inside. It was confusing, but entertaining at the same time because you want to know who it was that lived with her and created all these scenarios.

Week 11: Cyberpunk & Steampunk

This week's theme was cyberpunk and steampunk, and I read "Johnny Mnemonic". At first it was very hard to follow with what the story was about, but as I kept reading and rereading some parts, I had an idea. At the end of it I had to check if I was on the right path by googling the summary. In some ways I did enjoy it and in others I didn't. It was interesting to see this world come to life, however, because I had difficulty in understanding everything, it took away from the experience. I do believe however that in the future we will have similar worlds to those portrayed in these types of books, movies, short stories, etc. Technology is developing so far ahead that I completely see us headed in this direction; whether it ends up being utopian or dystopian is obviously unknown. I like to read and watch movies about both worlds because at the end of it all I reach the same conclusion, there will always be malfunctions in technology no matter how advanced it is.

Week 10: The Fiction of Ideas

This week's theme was the fiction of ideas, and I read a short story by J.G. Ballard "The Drowned Giant". The story features many of Ballard's eternal themes such as, physical deformities, and the interest society has with them; alienation, the juxtaposition of life and death, and a sense of bleakness that pervades the human condition. In the short story, the narrator, along with many other random onlookers, witness the appearance of a dead giant that washed up on shore. Everyone takes part in exploring the giant and observes how it decays, undergoes many mutilations, and is then distributed all throughout the city. I think Ballard was trying to make a statement in terms of body horror and inconsistency of identity. For example, there is no explanation for the giant's corpse, where he came from, who he is, etc. The story is less about solving the mystery of the giants appearance than it is about exploring the towns fascinations with distributing its body parts. In some ways, it's kind of sickening to think about the fact that the public was more concerned and entertained with selling the giants body parts rather than figuring out any bit of information. Everyone seemed to be okay with tearing the limbs off of the giant and it makes it clear that Ballard is commenting on the dehumanizing effects, on both the observer and observed. Eventually nothing is left of the giant other than his skeleton, and his identity was never known.

Week Nine: Space Opera

This week's topic was space opera. I read a short story called "The Star" by Arthur C. Clarke. I've always found interest in our infinite space and all the planets and stars that wander all around us. I'm a firm believer that we are not alone in this massive galaxy, not even accounting for all the other galaxies. I particularly enjoyed this piece because it's basically about what we're been trying to do all along, and that's to find life outside of earth. In this short story, we discover that a group of space explorers travel to a distant star to find remnants of an advanced civilization that has been destroyed when its sun went supernova. This planet was highly advanced so they predicted when their demise would occur. They built a vault that was placed far enough so it would not get destroyed by the supernova, and in this vault contained complete records of their history, philosophy, achievements, and culture, hoping that someday it would be found and their existence was not for nothing. Stories like this could potentially be true, and this feeds my interest in the universe. I think it would be wrong to think we are the only ones in this universe, and I hope someday we will find life else where.

Week 8: Mythic Fiction and Contemporary

This weeks topic was contemporary urban fantasy, with Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman as the reading. In the book, African Gods and Goddesses live the lives of regular people with issues much similar to ours. Although they still contain their powers, they hold grudges and deal with them in today's world. I found that mixing history and myths with modern day cities, characters, and situations was very interesting. It's not like classic fantasy where everything is set to a long time ago with a strong male hero and fantastical creatures. In urban fantasy, all the typical stuff is taken out and presents a world much like ours except with magical beings, who are able to blend into society and interact with everyone. Our idea of what a hero looks like also changes in this new world; they come in various shapes and sizes without judgement. Overall, it is engaging to read because we feel connected to this world due to how we live, and to see the same setting in a book allows us to really get a feel for this world and we imagine ourselves in it.

Week 7: Magic

This week's theme is magic, and the main texts being Harry Potter and Night Circus. I personally loved Night Circus because of its originality. I've seen and heard of many circus stories and none like this one. I really enjoyed watching the storyline unfold and the introduction of the main characters. I also found it very interesting the way the story kept switching between past and present. Many times I would read a book with a similar style and it wouldn't be pulled off as well as in Night Circus. As for Harry Potter, I think I can speak for many of us when I say we basically grew up on that, and watched all the characters grow. What I found pretty cool was the fact that just because Harry and all of them were in a magical school, didn't mean that they didn't go through many of the things we "muggles" go through. Sports, mean kids, awful teachers, and those who actually believe in you and want to see you succeed. I believe that making a character connect with the audience in some way is very important because it creates a tie.

Week 6: Hero's Journy

This week we discussed the hero's journey, and a cycle that seems to be never broken. This week's reading was The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien. Bilbo Baggins sets out on a journey from the shire to the kingdom of Erebor through treacherous lands to then end the story right where he began, and sets up for The Lord of the Rings trilogy; leaving the story to begin all over again. This technique in heroic narrative is used often, and although heroic journeys must end where they all began, it doesn't necessarily fit sometimes. Harry Potter is a great example because at the end of the series, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all stand at platform 9 3/4 and wave goodbyes to their children who are off to start their journey at Hogwarts. This moment, although very beautiful, also gave me a feeling of nostalgia. It made me think back to when all of them started their first year, and now their kids are going through that. It gave a feeling of a never ending cycle. It made me feel like things won't be any better for their kids, as if there will be other Dark Lords and evil to fight. And instead of changing the future, it'll be stuck in the past forced to repeat tragedies with lots of suffering and death. Cycles like this are vital for heroic narratives and they should in no way ever be taken out, but sometimes change must occur in order to remind us all that it does get better, and although there will always be challenges and suffering, there will be light and happy times to come.

Week Five: Witches

This week I read "The Tough Guide to Fantasyland" by Diana Wynne Jones. I very much enjoyed this book because of all the detail and funny/cute definitions. This was basically a tourists guide, but for fantasyland. Diana include almost all classic tropes in this guide and majority of them I was able to recognize right away. Another reason I was able to read this with ease and understand every definition was because I recently finished watching Once Upon A Time, which is a TV series based on Disney's characters and their stories. You can pick this book up and read it in the traditional way, front to back, or you can choose any random page and still be just as entertained. This book really got me laughing especially because all the fantastical tropes are very much put out there and in many ways ridiculed for the repetitive and overused cliches that they are.

Week 4: The New Weird

This week I read "The Art of Dying" by K.D Bishop. While reading this short story, I was conflicted because of the lack of information I was given because it was a short story. The author drops you down where ever they want and give you the information that they think is enough for you to figure out the rest. Death and suspense was definitely present in the story because it took place at not only a graveyard, but dark settings that added to the main characters personalities. The three main characters, Mona, Vali, and Gwynn, are famous but it wasn't clear to me for what. Apparently they were portrayed as hero's to the people with dolls made to look like them, and children looking up to them. However, later in the story a reporter follows them to the graveyard and ends up getting shot and killed by Gywnn. This made me question whether or not they were hero's. Overall,  I was confused by what was really going on, especially with Mona. Was the monster within herself or her thoughts? Or was she really sick and thought death was her best option? At the end of it she ends up taking her meds and gets better. It made me think that maybe their job caused them to act and see the world like they do.

Week 3: J-Horror

In J- horror, I realized, and even discussed in class, that the rules of good vs. evil do not really apply. They are not like regular horror stories where there is a monster running loose killing innocent people, and the good guy steps in to kill it in order to restore peace and happiness. There is no "finale"; its more of something is our of balance and must be restored. A lot of the movies and books we discussed in class focus more on a problem in society or even in personal lives of people that must be addressed, and the ghosts, monsters, etc. are representational of that. In "A While Sheep Chase", the main character was lost and could not find his meaning of life. He was looking for something he already had and chose to embark on a journey to find adventure and meaning. He left a woman behind who loved him unconditionally, and is now left with an empty existence, when in reality he should have appreciated the path he was given. The fact that he has no name throughout the story symbolized his own emptiness and lack of emotion.

Week 2: Vampires

In the novel, "Interview With A Vampire", many themes prevail, among them one being obvious: Immortality. At the end of the story, Louis seems to have made one thing very clear; living on for centuries is a curse rather than a blessing. Living for so long, you watch all your loves ones grow old and die, and having unlimited amount of time makes it hard to really appreciate what you have. Good vs. Evil is seen to overlap with sin and religion; however these battles are internal. Louis is a perfect example because he is having a constant battle within himself throughout the whole story. Vampires are known to suffer from an intense craving for human blood. However, Louis has a craving for knowledge. Louis tries to squeeze knowledge out of Lestat, but little does he know that Lestat has nothing to offer him. Vampires are portrayed as beautiful with eternal life, however dissatisfaction plays a major role in their lives. Maybe we humans are prone to dissatisfaction. For us its never enough, therefore we create this fantasy of someone who is beyond beautiful, can travel the world, and holds eternal life. Naturally, you'd think vampires are full of hate because they kill their victims; but they are full of hate in a different way. They enjoy the hunt and kill, and love their victims in their own twisted ways. In the novel for example, they are forced to spend centuries together and this creates their hate for each other. Love on the other hand is most prevalent in today's romantacized vampire. Almost all of today's films and books that have to do with vampires set a standard for us, portraying them as lovers. I think this is because they have lived for so long, and they show love, respect, and loyalty through all the things they've learned and undergone. We have crafted and perfected the ideal man, and through a vampire, thats what we seem to achieve; eternal life and beauty, and understanding of what women really want and need. Supernatural also comes into play not only in this novel, but in the general concept of vampires. They are said to have abnormal abilities such as speed and strength, on a whole other level that is humanly impossible. I believe that this stems from our minds; as humans we wish to have supernatural abilities and by creating the perfect person and giving them all these characteristics, we play out our fantasies.

Week 1: Frankenstein and the Gothic

In Mary Shelly's novel, "Frankenstein", there are many gothic aspects. Dark settings play a major role in setting the mood throughout the entire story. Even words like, dreary, black, and dark, add to the mood and sets up the scene as well as foreshadows that what is to come is darkness and evil. The use of lighting also tells us that darkness is all around. The idea of a single candle that is about to be burnt out shows that there is no real light to look at for life and hope. Mary Shelly especially uses the moon as a great example of a light that possess evil. By comparing the monsters yellow skin and the moon's yellowish hue, Shelly alludes to the moon as representing a thing of death and evil. This sets up a connection that readers make between the moon and the monster. Setting plays a big part in giving away the gothic theme of the novel. In the beginning of the story, the setting takes place in the North Pole; a secluded, isolated place that sets up a mysterious mood. The use of extreme weather and landscapes shows us horrible things are happening and will continue to happen. Other gothic aspects of the novel include decay, madness, and supernatural powers.