It takes me a while to get to these Rabbits posts because I usually have to listen to each episode twice to really catch what's going on. So, although episode 4 is out already, today's post will be about episode 3. Anyway, spoilers ahead and let's dive in.
So, in this episode, Carly plumbs the depths of pirate radio while pursuing a lead on an older iteration of Rabbits in an attempt to understand what kind of game it is. She also recovers a mysterious, impossible photograph from her friend Yumiko's password-locked laptop that holds a secret message encoded within. And if that's not enough, Concernicus gives Carly some information about her parents' death that....well, let's just say that things haven't been as cut and dried as she once thought. The episode ends with a dramatic in-person meeting with Concernicus Jones and a cliffhanger (argh!).
All right, so let's look at this impossible photograph first. The photograph is considered impossible because it shows Carly and Yumiko in a Starbucks that had only been in a specific location for a year, and yet Carly is wearing a distinctive t-shirt that she lost three years ago. Now, you could argue that the picture is doctored, but then doesn't that make it even creepier? I mean, sure, you could splice a couple of individual photos together, but unless you were a photo editing software genius, I doubt that you could get the lighting and everything just right to make it look right. Why that specific, distinctive shirt in that specific place?
But the weirdest part of this impossible photo isn't the subject matter, but the extra information encoded within. Someone has created a "version" of a painting called Christina's World, a painting that Carly has a deep, personal love for, and hidden it within the "impossible picture" of Carly and Yumiko. Now, like the impossible photograph, this picture of Christina's World is also subtly wrong, but unless you really knew the painting the way Carly did, you probably wouldn't even notice. Carly seems to think that these pictures were sent to Yumiko, but, what if someone is trying to get Carly's attention? Could these pictures be from Yumiko? Or is someone else trying to draw Carly into something?
Then there are the death certificates that Concernicus sent Carly. They're extremely suspicious, not just because of the obvious discrepancies, but because of his implication that her parents were involved in some kind of "mysterious underground plot" of some kind. This, combined with the dramatic cliff-hanger ending, makes me really suspect Concernicus of suspicious shenanigans. I mean, he's the one who sent Carly the pictures of Yumiko from that escort site in the first place, and he's been her primary source of information about the Rabbits game. He knows way too much to be trusted at this point.
As for the pirate radio station - I am hoping that there will be more about the connection between Marigold and the game aside from one transmission. Maybe episode 4 will have more to offer.
So, does anyone have any thoughts about episode 3? Theories? Corrections? Leave me a comment.
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Rakugo
A lot of my exposure to Japanese culture comes by way of Japanese anime, manga, and literature. It's not the most efficient way to be learn - it's kinda like trying to look at a landscape painting through a keyhole. One of the things that you typically don't get exposed to in the West is Japanese theater and comedy. Part of this is probably because puns and certain comical trends just don't translate very well into English.
Most anime fans are probably familiar with manzai comedy, which relies on two-man teams. Think of classic Western comedy duos like Laurel and Hardy - one man is the funny-guy and the other is the straight-man. We're less familiar with a more minimalist form of performance comedy - the one-man skit performance known as Rakugo.
Rakugo is similar to stand-up comedian acts like Louie Anderson and Gabriel Iglesias. One man performs the skits and plays all of the parts, using changes in his physical position on the stage, his body language and posture, and his voice and speech style to convey each character. You may not have ever heard a full Rakugo performance, but if you've ever watched Fullmetal Alchemist, you've at least heard part of Jugemu Jugemu.
Rakugo acts should really be viewed rather than just listened to, but if you can't get to your nearest rakugo performance, you can at least listen to some translated stories here: Rakugo. Some of the stories do require a little bit of understanding about Japanese culture, but the hosts do a wonderful job of explaining things like the festivals used for backdrops for the stories or cultural practices, and of course the actual performance of the rakugo skits is top-notch.
So far, I think that the podcast has been family-friendly, so it's a good way to expose kids to something outside of their usual culture. If you have an interest in Japanese culture or stand-up comedy, or you just want something to listen to on your commute that doesn't require a lot of concentration, I think you'll enjoy this podcast.
Most anime fans are probably familiar with manzai comedy, which relies on two-man teams. Think of classic Western comedy duos like Laurel and Hardy - one man is the funny-guy and the other is the straight-man. We're less familiar with a more minimalist form of performance comedy - the one-man skit performance known as Rakugo.
Rakugo is similar to stand-up comedian acts like Louie Anderson and Gabriel Iglesias. One man performs the skits and plays all of the parts, using changes in his physical position on the stage, his body language and posture, and his voice and speech style to convey each character. You may not have ever heard a full Rakugo performance, but if you've ever watched Fullmetal Alchemist, you've at least heard part of Jugemu Jugemu.
Rakugo acts should really be viewed rather than just listened to, but if you can't get to your nearest rakugo performance, you can at least listen to some translated stories here: Rakugo. Some of the stories do require a little bit of understanding about Japanese culture, but the hosts do a wonderful job of explaining things like the festivals used for backdrops for the stories or cultural practices, and of course the actual performance of the rakugo skits is top-notch.
So far, I think that the podcast has been family-friendly, so it's a good way to expose kids to something outside of their usual culture. If you have an interest in Japanese culture or stand-up comedy, or you just want something to listen to on your commute that doesn't require a lot of concentration, I think you'll enjoy this podcast.
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Rabbits - Episode 1 & 2
I posted earlier about how excited I was that I was going to be able to listen to a new podcast from episode 1. I did a short post about the first episode, but it was pretty skimpy. There wasn't much to go on, but now that there's a second episode, I'm going to go ahead and talk a little more about episode 1 before going into episode 2. There will be spoilers here.
In episode 1, we're meet Carly Parker and learn a little about Yumiko Takata, her missing friend. She disappeared shortly after getting involved in a game called Rabbits. (Well, Rabbits isn't exactly its "real" name, but it's the name that it's known by.) Rabbits is, apparently, related to a category of games called "ARG"s (alternate reality games). ARG's rely on immersive storytelling and role-playing to progress, and can sometimes trek into "conspiracy theory" territory. It's a little hard to understand the connection between ARGs and Rabbits, but it seems that Rabbits steers a little closer to "conspiracy theory" than "immersive role-playing game". Because of the secretive nature of the game, it's difficult to find much concrete information about it, but here is what we know:
- If you play, you cannot tell anyone that you're playing.
- There are Wardens that make sure that you are following the rules and/or honoring the spirit of the game.
- Consequences of breaking the rules while playing can result in serious physical or mental harm.
- The modern version of the game has been played eight times, and this is iteration number nine.
Presumably, the prize for winning the game is worth the potential dangers, but no information about previous winners has ever surfaced. If Yumiko is involved in this game, did she catch the attention of a Warden? Or is she caught up in the pursuit of clues? Or could her disappearance be completely unrelated?
The first episode focuses on establishing the relationships and histories among the different characters and giving background information about Rabbits and people that may or may not be related. At this point, the only things that are known about Yumiko is that she has gone missing, she started acting strangely shortly before her disappearance, and that she visited the Natural History Museum before she disappeared. Before its ending, Carly receives her first clue about Yumiko - a pin-up girl style photograph of young woman from an escort website - from someone called Concernicus Jones.
But even as you get that clue, you're left with so many questions: Who is Hazel, and how were they involved with the previous iterations of Rabbits? What is Concernicus Jones's angle?
So, episode two starts with a snippet of a conversation with the mysterious hacker Concernicus Jones. But, before we can dive into that tantalizing little chat, it's time for a bit more background on the Yumiko situation.
Apparently, before her disappearance, Yumiko had become obsessed with learning more about people who had died while playing video games. Yumiko herself became so absorbed in her research that, had Carly not had plans to meet with her, she might have followed the gamers who died playing MMORPGs in Korea. Clearly, something is not right with Yumiko, but she can't talk too much about it.
Carly also follows up on what exhibit Yumiko looked at when she visited the Natural History Museum. She doesn't learn much, but apparently, passenger pigeons have something to do with Rabbits. Perhaps it's a clue in the game?
Finally, we can get into Concernicus Jones and his information. It turns out that he knows quite a bit about Rabbits, and he encountered Yumiko while he was "watching" someone else. He provides Carly with another lead - a website devoted to reviewing escort services like the one that Yumiko's picture had been on. This new lead eventually turns up a new clue - "How many steps to the lighthouse?".
The latest episode has made me wonder - is Carly now an unofficial player of Rabbits herself? How long until the Wardens turn their eyes on her, and will she be in danger if they do? Or, since she's following another player, would the Wardens just consider her one of the fans/observers that have always existed in the game?
So far, this podcast has been pretty top-notch and interesting. I am a little concerned, though, that this is going to turn into TANIS 2.0, as it has a lot of the same elements: the Deep Web, conspiracies, a trail of clues that lead to more clues, and hackers that know way too much. I am hoping that I'm wrong. Despite this, I am enjoying how stimulating this story is. It's definitely something that I have to stop everything and pay attention to, but I don't mind because it's so absorbing.
So, is anyone else following Rabbits? Any theories you'd like to share?
Apparently, before her disappearance, Yumiko had become obsessed with learning more about people who had died while playing video games. Yumiko herself became so absorbed in her research that, had Carly not had plans to meet with her, she might have followed the gamers who died playing MMORPGs in Korea. Clearly, something is not right with Yumiko, but she can't talk too much about it.
Carly also follows up on what exhibit Yumiko looked at when she visited the Natural History Museum. She doesn't learn much, but apparently, passenger pigeons have something to do with Rabbits. Perhaps it's a clue in the game?
Finally, we can get into Concernicus Jones and his information. It turns out that he knows quite a bit about Rabbits, and he encountered Yumiko while he was "watching" someone else. He provides Carly with another lead - a website devoted to reviewing escort services like the one that Yumiko's picture had been on. This new lead eventually turns up a new clue - "How many steps to the lighthouse?".
The latest episode has made me wonder - is Carly now an unofficial player of Rabbits herself? How long until the Wardens turn their eyes on her, and will she be in danger if they do? Or, since she's following another player, would the Wardens just consider her one of the fans/observers that have always existed in the game?
So far, this podcast has been pretty top-notch and interesting. I am a little concerned, though, that this is going to turn into TANIS 2.0, as it has a lot of the same elements: the Deep Web, conspiracies, a trail of clues that lead to more clues, and hackers that know way too much. I am hoping that I'm wrong. Despite this, I am enjoying how stimulating this story is. It's definitely something that I have to stop everything and pay attention to, but I don't mind because it's so absorbing.
So, is anyone else following Rabbits? Any theories you'd like to share?
Thursday, March 2, 2017
The Unwritten vol 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity - written by Mike Carey, art by Peter Gross
Tom Taylor and Christopher Robin Milne have a lot in common. They're both the inspiration for their father's greatest literary works. They both have quite a bit of resentment toward their father for that fame. But, unlike Christopher Robin Milne, Tom Taylor may not be quite who he thinks he is.
Tom Taylor's father wrote the popular Tommy Taylor series, which follow the exploits of a boy wizard and his friends as they try to survive the rise of a powerful dark lord. After writing the final Tommy Taylor book, Wilson Taylor went missing, leaving his son to grow into a rude, cynical slacker. There's no love lost between Tom and his father - his father never seemed especially affectionate toward him and insisted upon drilling seemingly useless knowledge of literature and literary geography into his head at every available opportunity. Although Tom has attempted to distance himself from his fictional childhood self throughout his life, he always finds himself returning to the convention circuit.
It's at one of these conventions that he encounters two people that throw his life into turmoil. The first is a very eccentric man who believes himself to be Count Ambrosio, the villain of the Tommy Taylor novels. He has been stalking Tom Taylor's convention appearances for a while, and his behavior has been getting increasingly erratic. The second is a woman named Lizzy Hexam, who asserts that Tom Taylor is not the real son of Wilson Taylor - in fact, the boy known as Tom Taylor may not have ever existed at all. There's no evidence of Tom's existence - no birth certificate, no real social security number, nothing. So, who is he, really? Before Tom can fully digest this revelation, "Count Ambriso" kidnaps him and attempts to livestream his villainous triumph over the boy wizard. And the "Count" isn't the only one that seems to be out for Tom's blood.
The Unwritten may sound like AU Harry Potter, but it's a lot darker and grittier than the beloved children's series. It's kind of like what Harry Potter would have been like if it had been crossed with Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere.
The first volume's pacing fluctuates. During the action parts, it's pretty quick, but then there's an entire chapter following the literary life of Rudyard Kipling that's pretty slow. The Rudyard Kipling chapter isn't included just for giggles - there's important things being established in this chapter - but it's slow and hard to read because you're reading handwritten diary entries. It was my least favorite chapter, but don't skip it or you'll be confused about the overall "shadowy cabal" stuff that's going on.
I can't say that any characters stood out as being "favorite character" material in the first volume. Tom Taylor is an unlikable, self-centered jerk, and you don't really know enough about anyone else to really form a strong opinion of them. Lizzy Hexam is interesting - why does she know so much about Tom, and why was she researching him in the first place?
The real star of this book is the world-building that's going on. We may think we know what's going on in the modern world, and we may think that literature is just a form of entertainment, but the line between the two may not be as clear as we think. Authors might be more than just spinners of fanciful tales, but just how much power do they wield if that's the case?
The art is pretty good - it conveys emotion and movement really well. The action sequences are paced well enough that you can follow what's going on without having to study each panel for five minutes. You should definitely take the time to study the cover art and alternate cover art gallery at the back, though. I think that a couple of them would make nice posters.
I think that this would be good reading for older teens to adults who were fans of the Harry Potter series or like darker fantasy stories. It's definitely not something you'd get for your ten-year-old Pottermaniac nephew for his birthday. There is a lot of strong language, and it's pretty violent - they don't shy away from committing grisly acts of murder with, for instance, farm tools or nail bombs. (Okay, your ten-year-old nephew might be mature enough to deal with this, but, y'know, full disclosure and all.)
Tom Taylor's father wrote the popular Tommy Taylor series, which follow the exploits of a boy wizard and his friends as they try to survive the rise of a powerful dark lord. After writing the final Tommy Taylor book, Wilson Taylor went missing, leaving his son to grow into a rude, cynical slacker. There's no love lost between Tom and his father - his father never seemed especially affectionate toward him and insisted upon drilling seemingly useless knowledge of literature and literary geography into his head at every available opportunity. Although Tom has attempted to distance himself from his fictional childhood self throughout his life, he always finds himself returning to the convention circuit.
It's at one of these conventions that he encounters two people that throw his life into turmoil. The first is a very eccentric man who believes himself to be Count Ambrosio, the villain of the Tommy Taylor novels. He has been stalking Tom Taylor's convention appearances for a while, and his behavior has been getting increasingly erratic. The second is a woman named Lizzy Hexam, who asserts that Tom Taylor is not the real son of Wilson Taylor - in fact, the boy known as Tom Taylor may not have ever existed at all. There's no evidence of Tom's existence - no birth certificate, no real social security number, nothing. So, who is he, really? Before Tom can fully digest this revelation, "Count Ambriso" kidnaps him and attempts to livestream his villainous triumph over the boy wizard. And the "Count" isn't the only one that seems to be out for Tom's blood.
The Unwritten may sound like AU Harry Potter, but it's a lot darker and grittier than the beloved children's series. It's kind of like what Harry Potter would have been like if it had been crossed with Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere.
The first volume's pacing fluctuates. During the action parts, it's pretty quick, but then there's an entire chapter following the literary life of Rudyard Kipling that's pretty slow. The Rudyard Kipling chapter isn't included just for giggles - there's important things being established in this chapter - but it's slow and hard to read because you're reading handwritten diary entries. It was my least favorite chapter, but don't skip it or you'll be confused about the overall "shadowy cabal" stuff that's going on.
I can't say that any characters stood out as being "favorite character" material in the first volume. Tom Taylor is an unlikable, self-centered jerk, and you don't really know enough about anyone else to really form a strong opinion of them. Lizzy Hexam is interesting - why does she know so much about Tom, and why was she researching him in the first place?
The real star of this book is the world-building that's going on. We may think we know what's going on in the modern world, and we may think that literature is just a form of entertainment, but the line between the two may not be as clear as we think. Authors might be more than just spinners of fanciful tales, but just how much power do they wield if that's the case?
The art is pretty good - it conveys emotion and movement really well. The action sequences are paced well enough that you can follow what's going on without having to study each panel for five minutes. You should definitely take the time to study the cover art and alternate cover art gallery at the back, though. I think that a couple of them would make nice posters.
I think that this would be good reading for older teens to adults who were fans of the Harry Potter series or like darker fantasy stories. It's definitely not something you'd get for your ten-year-old Pottermaniac nephew for his birthday. There is a lot of strong language, and it's pretty violent - they don't shy away from committing grisly acts of murder with, for instance, farm tools or nail bombs. (Okay, your ten-year-old nephew might be mature enough to deal with this, but, y'know, full disclosure and all.)
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living - Meik Wiking
Before I get started: it's pronounced "Hoo-ga", and you can listen to the pronunciation here. (Incidentally, Forvo is an excellent free resource for language-learners.) This does not stop me from reading "hygge" every time as rhyming with "pig", and I apologize to Denmark and all Danish speakers in advance.
So, what is hygge? It's pretty hard to explain, as the word doesn't translate very cleanly into English, but - picture yourself in an overstuffed armchair, your warm beverage of choice within reach, a fireplace crackling and popping before you, the scent of baking bread in the air, a snowstorm swirling beyond the windows, and your favorite comfort-novel in your hand. That's basically hygge. You can hygge alone or with a small group of close friends.
The purpose of this book was to explore hygge and give tips about how to add hygge to your everyday life. After all, if the Danish are frequently ranked #1 in happiness, there must be something to this hygge thing, right?
The book is fairly short, and the chapters are typically only a few pages long. As I read it, I couldn't help but be reminded of the Marie Kondo books I'd read earlier, as both talk about how changes in one's environment can help change one's mood. They also both emphasize mindfulness as one of the secrets of being happier. I got the sense that, once you've gotten rid of your clutter using the Konmari method, you can start introducing some hygge to your life using Wiking's tips.
I would be doing a disservice to the idea of hygge if I tried to break it down into a simple list, but some of the things that Wiking mentions as important to hygge is: candles, food, companionship, and comforting surroundings. If it weren't for the fact that I don't speak Danish (yet...) and that winter last about eight months up there, I think I'd move to Denmark just so I could be among like-minded individuals.
Fortunately, you don't have to move to Denmark, or make a lot of money, to add some hygge to your surroundings. In fact, Wiking maintains that the more humble and simple something is, the greater its hygge factor. A home-made knitted pair of socks is more hygge than cashmere socks, especially if you made them yourself and can fondly recall the experience of learning to turn a heel or cast-on when you wear them. A humble but hearty beef stew with home-made crusty bread is far more hygge than a gourmet meal at an expensive restaurant, especially when made and shared with friends. Hygge is about simple pleasures.
I can't say that I see hygge catching on in a widespread fashion here. We're too addicted to our toys, our noise, and our pursuit of "the next big thing" to slow down and appreciate the simpler things in life. It would pretty much require a complete cultural overhaul to have a chance of catching on around here. But, you can at least make your "down-time" more refreshing and pleasurable by taking a few tips from this book. For introverts, this is basically a how-to book for building the perfect nest, and they might be the ones to benefit most from reading this book. As for me, well, if you need me, I'll be in my hyggekrog.
So, what is hygge? It's pretty hard to explain, as the word doesn't translate very cleanly into English, but - picture yourself in an overstuffed armchair, your warm beverage of choice within reach, a fireplace crackling and popping before you, the scent of baking bread in the air, a snowstorm swirling beyond the windows, and your favorite comfort-novel in your hand. That's basically hygge. You can hygge alone or with a small group of close friends.
The purpose of this book was to explore hygge and give tips about how to add hygge to your everyday life. After all, if the Danish are frequently ranked #1 in happiness, there must be something to this hygge thing, right?
The book is fairly short, and the chapters are typically only a few pages long. As I read it, I couldn't help but be reminded of the Marie Kondo books I'd read earlier, as both talk about how changes in one's environment can help change one's mood. They also both emphasize mindfulness as one of the secrets of being happier. I got the sense that, once you've gotten rid of your clutter using the Konmari method, you can start introducing some hygge to your life using Wiking's tips.
I would be doing a disservice to the idea of hygge if I tried to break it down into a simple list, but some of the things that Wiking mentions as important to hygge is: candles, food, companionship, and comforting surroundings. If it weren't for the fact that I don't speak Danish (yet...) and that winter last about eight months up there, I think I'd move to Denmark just so I could be among like-minded individuals.
Fortunately, you don't have to move to Denmark, or make a lot of money, to add some hygge to your surroundings. In fact, Wiking maintains that the more humble and simple something is, the greater its hygge factor. A home-made knitted pair of socks is more hygge than cashmere socks, especially if you made them yourself and can fondly recall the experience of learning to turn a heel or cast-on when you wear them. A humble but hearty beef stew with home-made crusty bread is far more hygge than a gourmet meal at an expensive restaurant, especially when made and shared with friends. Hygge is about simple pleasures.
I can't say that I see hygge catching on in a widespread fashion here. We're too addicted to our toys, our noise, and our pursuit of "the next big thing" to slow down and appreciate the simpler things in life. It would pretty much require a complete cultural overhaul to have a chance of catching on around here. But, you can at least make your "down-time" more refreshing and pleasurable by taking a few tips from this book. For introverts, this is basically a how-to book for building the perfect nest, and they might be the ones to benefit most from reading this book. As for me, well, if you need me, I'll be in my hyggekrog.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Rabbits
It's rare that I get to post about a podcast from its beginning as it's being produced, so let's see how this goes. So, I'll be following the podcast Rabbits and talking about it on the blog as new episodes are released.
Carly Parker's best friend, Yumiko Takata, has gone missing. Carly believes that she has gone missing because of her participation in a mysterious secret-society game called, in a roundabout way, Rabbits. But, just what is Rabbits? A recruiting tool for the CIA? A super-secret club that runs the world from behind the scenes? A method of uncovering the secrets of the universe? No one has ever been able to track down previous winners since the game's first iterations in 1959, so it's difficult to tell what the aim of Rabbits is. Whatever it is, the game has some pretty strict rules, and some apparently terrifying consequences for breaking those rules.
If you listened to TANIS or The Black Tapes, then you'll be familiar with the investigative-report-style used in this audiodrama. The story is told through first-person narration of experiences and research and supplemented by interviews with other people who are connected with the game or people who played it. It's produced by the same group of people behind both, so the production is pretty high-quality. Not only do you have some good voice acting, but there's background noise layered in under the narration to add audio-depth that emphasizes different parts of the narrative. It's amazing what stock sounds can do for an audio production.
Since it's only the first episode, you only get a teasing taste of what's to come in the series. Still, if it's anything like The Black Tapes and TANIS, you'll definitely want to subscribe to this one.
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| My first blog-along! I feel like a real blogger now! |
If you listened to TANIS or The Black Tapes, then you'll be familiar with the investigative-report-style used in this audiodrama. The story is told through first-person narration of experiences and research and supplemented by interviews with other people who are connected with the game or people who played it. It's produced by the same group of people behind both, so the production is pretty high-quality. Not only do you have some good voice acting, but there's background noise layered in under the narration to add audio-depth that emphasizes different parts of the narrative. It's amazing what stock sounds can do for an audio production.
Since it's only the first episode, you only get a teasing taste of what's to come in the series. Still, if it's anything like The Black Tapes and TANIS, you'll definitely want to subscribe to this one.
The Fireman - Joe Hill
Draco Incendia Trychophyton, better known as Dragonscale, is the hottest plague to sweep the nation - literally. Once contracted, it's only a matter of months before the sufferer spontaneously combusts, sometimes setting off chain reactions with other Dragonscale victims and creating conflagrations capable of destroying entire city blocks. The world has looked on in horror as civilization crumbles into a sea of flames and molten concrete, unable to trace the source of the infection or the method of its transmission. Amidst the chaos and smoke, a mysterious man known only as The Fireman has emerged like an urban legend. It's said that he can control the 'scale - bend its flames to his will - without being consumed. He comes to take the infected to a place where they can be safe from the threat of spontaneous combustion, or worse, execution by their frightened friends and neighbors. Newly-infected Harper Grayson hopes that these rumors are true, if not for herself, than for her unborn child, who may yet be uninfected.
You may recognize Joe Hill from the movie Horns starring Daniel Radcliffe. Or you may have read Locke and Key, a fantastic dark fantasy/horror graphic novel series. My first exposure to Hill's work was through Locke and Key, and it wasn't until much later that I discovered that he was Stephen King's son. (Although I guess if he'd kept his father's name, he'd be Joe King....)
The idea of a plague that not only kills you, but kills you in such a horrific and destructive fashion, was intriguing. Sure, zombies are scary, but they are a threat that can be contained and dealt with given enough time. Walking, contagious wildfires, however, are a different story. I was fascinated by the level of detail and thought that had gone into the nature of the infection, its transmission, and its management. If not for the whole possibly-ending-in-flaming-death-throes thing, Dragonscale sounds like a pretty cool thing to have. Unfortunately, Dragonscale was about the only unique thing about this book.
When you get down to it, this book is just Lord of the Flies meets Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix while playing with matches. People separate into tribes - infected/uninfected, those in the Bright/those outside of the Bright, with us/against us - and try to take over limited supplies for the good of their tribe. Mother Carol, the eventual leader of Camp Wyndham, is basically Professor Umbridge without all of the pink, and Harper's plucky band of rebels is Dumbledore's Army - complete with its own traitor.
That wouldn't be so bad in itself if the author had just stopped trying to cram stuff into the book to compound the horribleness of the situation. And what would make things worse, you might ask? Oh, a roadtrip from hell while pregnant and being pursued by your crazy ex-husband might qualify, I suppose. Really, it's just absurd the amount of awfulness that happens to these people. Even Lemony Snicket knew to spread the awful out across thirteen books.
Another complaint I had about this book is Hill's tendency to tell readers that a chance to discuss something would never come after all, or that a character was about to act really horribly toward another character instead of letting the action unfold on its own. I seriously considered making a drinking game out of it. Authors, for the sake of my liver, please don't do this. Remember, show, don't tell.
Finally, there are the characters. The titular Fireman is actually only in about a third of the pages, and he spends almost all of his page-time recuperating from injuries or doing something that gets him injured. I was kind of hoping for a cool superhero-like character, but instead I got an angsty Brit with broken ribs, so that was disappointing. Harper is pretty bad-ass, but after a while her obsession with children's literature and movies got annoying. It seemed that she couldn't be on-page for a few paragraphs without making reference to Mary Poppins or some other sugary-sweet children's story. The only characters I felt were even remotely believably written were Allie and Renee. Everyone else, even the side characters and villains, felt like strawmen or caricatures rather than real people.
Fans of Stephen King may enjoy this book, if nothing else than for the shout-outs to King's works. I've only ever read It, so I couldn't tell you any specific references that I noticed, but I did feel like this book had a lot of the same pacing and ending issues that It had. Around the second third of the book, everything slows to a crawl and it's really hard to keep up the desire to keep reading. The action picks back up toward the final third, but then you get to the end and it sort of fizzles out like a wet match. There is an afterword hidden in the author acknowledgements at the end that may be setting up for a second book, so if you do decide to read this one, make sure to read it all the way through.
Overall, I thought that the book had an interesting premise, but the execution was lacking. It may just be that it was being executed in the wrong medium. This story makes for a long and laborious read as a novel, but the visual language used to describe the ways the Fireman can manipulate fire, as well as the shoot-outs and car chases, make it ideal for making a graphic novel or t.v. series out of it. I mean, with fire, it's more captivating to watch it than to read about it.
You may recognize Joe Hill from the movie Horns starring Daniel Radcliffe. Or you may have read Locke and Key, a fantastic dark fantasy/horror graphic novel series. My first exposure to Hill's work was through Locke and Key, and it wasn't until much later that I discovered that he was Stephen King's son. (Although I guess if he'd kept his father's name, he'd be Joe King....)
The idea of a plague that not only kills you, but kills you in such a horrific and destructive fashion, was intriguing. Sure, zombies are scary, but they are a threat that can be contained and dealt with given enough time. Walking, contagious wildfires, however, are a different story. I was fascinated by the level of detail and thought that had gone into the nature of the infection, its transmission, and its management. If not for the whole possibly-ending-in-flaming-death-throes thing, Dragonscale sounds like a pretty cool thing to have. Unfortunately, Dragonscale was about the only unique thing about this book.
When you get down to it, this book is just Lord of the Flies meets Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix while playing with matches. People separate into tribes - infected/uninfected, those in the Bright/those outside of the Bright, with us/against us - and try to take over limited supplies for the good of their tribe. Mother Carol, the eventual leader of Camp Wyndham, is basically Professor Umbridge without all of the pink, and Harper's plucky band of rebels is Dumbledore's Army - complete with its own traitor.
That wouldn't be so bad in itself if the author had just stopped trying to cram stuff into the book to compound the horribleness of the situation. And what would make things worse, you might ask? Oh, a roadtrip from hell while pregnant and being pursued by your crazy ex-husband might qualify, I suppose. Really, it's just absurd the amount of awfulness that happens to these people. Even Lemony Snicket knew to spread the awful out across thirteen books.
Another complaint I had about this book is Hill's tendency to tell readers that a chance to discuss something would never come after all, or that a character was about to act really horribly toward another character instead of letting the action unfold on its own. I seriously considered making a drinking game out of it. Authors, for the sake of my liver, please don't do this. Remember, show, don't tell.
Finally, there are the characters. The titular Fireman is actually only in about a third of the pages, and he spends almost all of his page-time recuperating from injuries or doing something that gets him injured. I was kind of hoping for a cool superhero-like character, but instead I got an angsty Brit with broken ribs, so that was disappointing. Harper is pretty bad-ass, but after a while her obsession with children's literature and movies got annoying. It seemed that she couldn't be on-page for a few paragraphs without making reference to Mary Poppins or some other sugary-sweet children's story. The only characters I felt were even remotely believably written were Allie and Renee. Everyone else, even the side characters and villains, felt like strawmen or caricatures rather than real people.
Fans of Stephen King may enjoy this book, if nothing else than for the shout-outs to King's works. I've only ever read It, so I couldn't tell you any specific references that I noticed, but I did feel like this book had a lot of the same pacing and ending issues that It had. Around the second third of the book, everything slows to a crawl and it's really hard to keep up the desire to keep reading. The action picks back up toward the final third, but then you get to the end and it sort of fizzles out like a wet match. There is an afterword hidden in the author acknowledgements at the end that may be setting up for a second book, so if you do decide to read this one, make sure to read it all the way through.
Overall, I thought that the book had an interesting premise, but the execution was lacking. It may just be that it was being executed in the wrong medium. This story makes for a long and laborious read as a novel, but the visual language used to describe the ways the Fireman can manipulate fire, as well as the shoot-outs and car chases, make it ideal for making a graphic novel or t.v. series out of it. I mean, with fire, it's more captivating to watch it than to read about it.
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