Week 9: Space Opera

     Besides "Star Wars", I've never really been a fan of space-themed science fiction movies. Though some boast stunning visual effects while others present their audience with unbelievably intricate story lines, I've come to realize that I'm definitely more of a fantasy person. That being said, I'll never pass up the opportunity to watch a space film. But space opera is a little bit different from just the average science fiction movie. Wikipedia defines space opera as "a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes space warfare, melodramatic adventure, set mainly or entirely in outer space, and often risk-taking as well as chivalric; usually involving conflict between opponents possessing advanced abilities, futuristic weapons and other sophisticated technology." 

     Space Opera brings a whole new set of "issues" to the table. There is commonly a damsel in distress during wartime and an intergalactic hero sent to save her. One thing I love about “Star Wars” is the fact that Princess Leia isn’t just some wimpy princess who gets kidnapped and can’t fend for herself. Though she is kidnapped, she’s very “girl powery”, something that I always appreciate in a female character. Many of the women in several of the movies we viewed in class were sort of helpless. Their only purpose seemed to be acting as eye candy for the men both in the audience and on screen. For example, in the film “Forbidden Planet” that we viewed during class, the girl is only there to serve as a sexual object; she’s only a romantic target for the men in the film. The entire film she’s clad in tight-fitting or short clothes. She’s very innocent and doesn’t seem to know the power she has over the space men. Throughout the film, she doesn’t really do anything of much importance; she’s very dependent on the males in the movie. This is a stark contrast to Princess Leia, who grabs a weapon, gets out there, and fights in the battles right alongside the boys. She knows what she wants and she goes after it, a quality that used to be rare in female heroines. Anyhow, Princess Leia serves as an awesome role model as well as my favorite character in the series.  She’s really out of this world! :) 

Week 8: Mythic Fiction and Contemporary Urban Fantasy

     Urban fantasy and mythic fiction are subgenres of fantasy, but equally as immersive and entertaining. In my last blog post, I talked about how easy it was to be pulled into a fantasy story; the author’s world quickly becomes our world. Unlike many fantasy books, urban fantasy is a bit more “realistic”. I mean, not that any fantasy story is necessarily realistic by any means, but urban fantasy makes the ideas within the story seem more tangible; it’s almost as if something like this could happen to you or me. These stories take ordinary people in ordinary places and throw them into extraordinary situations. The stories slowly begin to grow into something fantastic and almost dreamlike.

      Though I never really got far into the book series, I did very much enjoy the “Percy Jackson” series. This example of mythic fiction presented us with lovable characters thrown into fantastic situations. Percy was an easy character to connect with since he’s just a normal kid like I was. He seems confused in the beginning and unsure of himself and his purpose throughout the story, which makes him an easy character to connect with. The moment you open a “Percy Jackson” novel, you just get sucked right in; before you know it, hours have passed. This is what makes these books so popular among young adults. It’s easy to escape from this, at times, rather dreary world we live in and enter a magical world where almost anything is possible, especially when it’s common for the impossible to happen to normal people.  Take, for example, Harry Potter (who just so happens to be the main character of my all time favorite book series): he’s an average boy with a drab life whose life is flipped upside down on his eleventh birthday when he discovers his lineage (“yer a wizard, ‘arry”).  It would be a lie to say that you never secretly looked forward to  receiving a letter from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on your eleventh birthday, your name written in Dumbledore’s whimsical handwriting. Urban fantasy stories are all part of a complete childhood; without them, I don’t know if I’d be the same person and have the same interests that I do today.

Week 7: The Novel of Spiritual Education

     This week was most definitely my favorite. The fantasy genre has always been an interest of mine from a young age. I can recall many snowy winter days curled up in a blanket beside the window, watching the snowflakes and reading "Chronicles of Narnia" or breezy summer nights spent outside reading "Harry Potter" using the moon as my only source of light. Fantasy novels hold the most pleasant of childhood memories when compared to other books. They transport you to amazing places that inspire you to create fantastical places of your own. In fact, the fantasy genre has influenced a lot when it comes to my writing style and my artwork; the books I've read throughout my childhood make me think in whole new ways.
     I can still remember the days before I became a fan of the fantasy genre (what dark days those were). Every time a trailer for a new "Harry Potter" movie would pop up during a commercial break, I would openly mock the wizards in a high pitched voice. Coming from a small, Christian school, not many of my classmates and friends were allowed to read "Harry Potter" since it involved sorcery which apparently may "put dangerous thoughts in the children's heads" (ha). I was surprised when my mother came home from the library one day and put "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" down in front of me. I can clearly remember asking "are you serious? These books are so stupid" so she put it back beside her purse to take back to the library the following day. Curiosity eventually took over and I grabbed the book and began reading. One sentence in, I was hooked and as I turned the last page of the book, I realized I had been reading all day.
     I think that's what's so impressive about the fantasy genre; people yearn to get away from day-to-day life so that moment something unusual is presented to them, they let themselves become immersed into it. Why else would all these giant fantasy novel fan bases exist? These stories also leave a lot up to interpretation when it comes to meaning which makes them easily applicable to anyone reading. Fantasy stories are timeless and will continue to entertain masses of people for generations to come.

Week 12: Bloodchild

1.) Are there any prominent symbols in the story? If so, what are they and how are they used?

- One of the symbols within Octavia Butler's "Bloodchild" is the Terrans (or humans) themselves. The humans in this novel seem to have lost their humanity. They are used as animals; their only purpose is to serve the Tlic. In this story, humans are nothing more than a host for the parasites belonging to whichever Tlic they are linked to. Their job is to give birth, nothing more. This symbol comes to light during Bram Lomas's birth scene. This scene illustrates the dehumanization of the Terrans during this time. In addition to the fact that he appears to be nothing more than a larva vessel for the Tlic, Bram Lomas also seems to have lost some of his human qualities.

2.) What connections did you make with the story? Discuss the elements of the work with which you were able to connect.

- I can't say that I was necessarily able to connect personally to any of the characters. I can say though that I was able to connect on an emotional level with Gan as he watched the birth of the larva from Bram's body. Though I have no idea what it would be like to find myself in a situation where I was forced to host parasites within my body, I can definitely connect with Gan's disgust for the birth process. I guess the biggest connection I can make to this story is being forced to watch a birth in my high school anatomy class and dreading the day that I have to go through that myself. While watching the birth of the larva, Gan was kind of watching the pain he'd have to go through in the future, much like women watching births and knowing they may have to go through that pain if they decide to have children.

3.) What changes would you make to adapt this story into another medium? What medium would you use? What changes would you make?

- If I were to adapt this story into another medium, I would probably make it into some sort of video game. The imagery within this story just strikes me more as a video game rather than a film. I think it's a little too disturbing to make into a film and just sit there and watch this creature inserting eggs into someone, so I think it would have to be something more interactive where you have the ability to fight back. I feel like video games kind of give us an excuse to view disturbing or violent things because we're not just sitting there and watching it, we're fighting against it or interacting with it as well. If I were to adapt this to a video game, I would probably end the story with an open-ended question or have something go terribly wrong so that "Bloodchild" could open up and become a bigger story. Something with the larva could go horribly wrong and the premise of the game could be that Gan has to find a cure, or T'Gatoi could go crazy and try to kill people and Gan has to fight against her; the options are endless.

Week 6: A Rich Fantasy Life

     I'm so excited to be starting the fantasy portion of our class. These next few weeks will prove to be very intriguing since fantasy is one of my favorite genres. I've been reading fantasy fiction since I was young and I've enjoyed every second of it. In fact, I think most students can say the same. As kids, it's almost mandatory that we watch fantasy films or read fairytales. Take the animated Disney classics for example; what child didn't watch every Disney film that ever hit the screen? After we "grew out" of our animated Disney classics phase (unless you go to art school :) ), we were greeted by "Harry Potter", "Chronicles of Narnia", and "Lord of the Rings".
     I think the fantasy genre strikes a special chord with people of all ages and cultures. It allows us to escape from the dreary reality of our world and transports us into a fantasy land where our worries don't exist anymore. I can't tell you the number of times I've picked up a fantasy book or flipped on the television to watch a fantasy film in order to reduce stress. The moment my eyes hit the page, my worries seem to melt away.
     I think this is why so many adults shamelessly admit to loving fantasy series geared towards a younger audience. I know that my mother, for example, is a massive "Harry Potter" fan. After I had finished the series, I lent her my books and she loved them. I found myself calling through the house trying to find her, only to stumble upon her totally engrossed in a "Harry Potter" book, not even aware that I needed her for something. As an accountant, even she was shocked at the way the series drew her in; she had previously been reading non-fiction or serious fiction books. Ever since she began the "Harry Potter" series though, it seems that everything she reads has a hint of fantasy at the very least. I never understand why some people give each other a hard time for liking books such as "Harry Potter" or "Lord of the Rings". Who wouldn't want to experience the joys of a made-up place?
     I also think it's much easier for readers to connect to fantasy characters than it is for us to connect to characters from more serious pieces of literature. Since the characters are part of a fantasy world, it's much easier for us to believe things about them that we may not believe about normal, every day characters. We are much less critical when it comes to these characters, especially since they tend to face much stranger and more difficult hardships than characters from "normal" fiction.
     I can't wait to see what's in store for our class these next few weeks. Fantasy is definitely one of the most emotionally stimulating genres out there.

Week 5: Witches

     I continue to be amazed by the dozens of different ways witches are characterized in modern literature and film nowadays. When beginning to read a book about witches or after flipping on the television to be greeted by a movie about witches, I never know what to expect. I feel as though many creatures and people who were previously considered to be monsters and villains years ago are being given a "second chance" by authors and directors today. From zombies, to vampires, to this week's theme - witches - audiences are slowly beginning to develop sympathy for these types of characters. Entertainers and writers are telling us that these figures are simply "misunderstood". Take the "Twilight" series, for example; since when were blood-sucking vampires a nice thing? Somehow the author of the books has managed to persuade her audiences into loving the characters, so much so that the Twilight series now has a major fanbase.
     The same is true of witches. These creatures have been evolving a lot over the years. Comparing the Wicked Witch of the West in "The Wizard of Oz", the teenage girl in "Sabrina the Teenage Witch", and the young witch in "Kiki's Delivery Service", it's easy to see how drastically different all three of these characters are.
     I've been following the television series "American Horror Story" for a while now. Season three followed a witch coven. When I first heard about the concept, I was a bit disappointed to be honest; I couldn't imagine the different ways the writers could mix up the character stereotypes in order to make the series interesting. It turns out that I was pleasantly surprised! Through each character, the writers revealed several different views on witches. Some were genuinely good, some were very evil, and others were just straight up crazy. Because of the many different takes on witches, the season stayed very interesting throughout its fourteen episodes.
     I also loved watching "Kiki's Delivery Service" during class. I haven't seen many of Miyazaki's films and this movie made me fall in love. I found it interesting how, as an audience, we found ourselves rooting for Kiki the witch rather than her human counterparts. In fact, at many points throughout the movie, Kiki appeared much more likable than the villagers. I also found it interesting that many of the main characters were women, demonstrating how feminine heroines are becoming more and more popular.

Week Four: The New Weird

     Seeing China Miéville's name under the recommended reading list for this week was quite a pleasant surprise. I first discovered the author about two years ago. I had just finished reading "The Book Thief" (one of my all time favorites) and was looking for something different this time, but equally rich in content. Somehow, I stumbled upon China's name. I spent a half an hour scrolling through his list of works and reading excerpts of each book one by one. I ended up choosing to read "Railsea".
    China Miéville's writing style caught my attention immediately. From the moment my eyes skimmed the first sentence, I was hooked. The way China describes settings and characters paints a realistic and detailed image before your eyes. I feel as though China could even cause self-proclaimed "unimaginative" readers to see beautiful visions of his stories. Another thing that I appreciate about China Miéville's works is the way he throws in little hints of style that most writers don't use, just to remind you that it's his book you're reading, such as the way he uses an ampersand instead of actually spelling out the word "and". Although this is a rather small and perhaps meaningless detail, it still contributes to the overall feel and style of Miéville's works.
     The book, "Railsea", was what inspired me to begin developing a unique and more descriptive writing style of my own. In fact, it was this single sentence that threw me into the world of descriptive writing: "He stared at little rock islands furred in huddled birds plumping their oily feathers & shuffling together for comfort & warmth". I don't know why, but for some reason, this is the sentence that made me think, "I want to write more beautifully". When asked what inspires me to write, I'll always answer with "the penguin sentence".
     I think this genre will slowly become more and more popular as the years go on. Through recent years, people have become obsessed with expressing themselves uniquely, whether that be through style of dress, visual art, music, or literature. In addition to this, people today tend to gravitate towards darker subjects rather than light, cheerful ones. The combination of these two things makes for a culture ready to embrace the concept of "The New Weird" and help it thrive.