The Lord of the Rings

These books were my first real exposure to fantasy, my family read the Lord of the Rings to me when I was younger and I have loved the Discworld series ever since my mom suggested I read them. For me I love the sense of adventure and true exploration that the Lord of the Rings books bring. Going to far off lands, fighting monsters, a time that is at once more simple and much more complicated and terrifying. The worlds are lush and vibrant, the characters engaging and unique, and the fights exciting and harrowing. The only thing that can be said against them is their lengthy wordyness, by to me that's hardly an obstacle.
As for the Discworld series I think they are some of the funniest books I have read, from Guards, Guards! to Thud the books never stop making me laugh. The world is just ridiculous and rich, and I love the parody that Terry Pratchet creates. So on one side we have the perfect example of the fantasy adventure exploration novel, and other the other the perfect example of a book making fun of that world, while still being a wonderful read.

The J-Horror from below

J-Horror and ghost stories have always been interested in me, whether its the ghosts and apparitions in anime, or the more traditional stories like the ones in Kwaidan. The difference between Japanese and American horror are quite different and its really interesting to see the difference especially in the movies that have been taken from Japan and made American. Personally I like the Japanese versions better as I like the more creepy sort of horror rather than the more and more prevalent jump out and scare you horror. Watching Pulse I got a lot of hair raising moments and a general feeling of "oh what the fuck...". Pulse was a fantastic movie that I felt got less good as it went on, but that often happens once movies start to explain themselves. As for the Japanese horror stories, I never really much cared for the actual stories, as a lot of the tradition and that sort of sense is lost on me. But the ghosts and creatures have always interested me. This is what I like the most about these horror stories. With the creatures ranging so greatly over the areas of Japan the number of oddities is quite staggering, with their powers and appearances ranging from rather cute, to bizarre, to terrifying. The selection and imagination in the creation is what interests me the most.

Vampyr

One of the most ubiquitous horror creations out there, from The Cont on sesame street, to Count Chocula, to Nosferatu, and Edward Cullen, vampires span the scale in terms of all aspects. I liked the way that Interview with a Vampire portrayed them. Not necessarily bloodthirsty mindless monsters like in I Am Legend, and not pretty sissy boys as in Twilight, but somewhere in between. They care as demonstrated by Louis being distraught over Claudia's death, but can also be angry and mindless as demonstrated by Lestat and the Vampires in England. Vampires always seem to be a tricky thing to get right, at least for me. Stray to far to one side and they become hard to identify with or just seem to be monsters, and stray to far to the other side and you get whatever Twilight is, I don't really know what. However Interview with a Vampire falls nicely in the sweet spot and I can see why it is so highly regarded.

Warbreaker Peacegiver

Personally I loved this book, the story had several twists that left me genuinely surprised. The book had some basic fantasy conventions, the princess in distress, the vagabond who isn't as he seems, a kingdom torn apart from inside. The author did a marvelous job of manipulating my feelings toward characters, at first I really liked Denth, didn't see his betrayal coming, and then disliked him, where as I began to like the God King's Priests. I think that this is a wonderful work of fantasy and I really want to get into his other creations. The idea of the colors and breaths were really unique and reminded me of another series called the Night Angel Trilogy which I'll talk about in another post.

A Spiritual Compass

Easily one of my favorite book series ever. What truly makes me love this series is the character progression and the really fascinating world that Phillip Pullman creates. At first I found Lyra to be a bit annoying, not really helped by her voice actress in the BBC production. But after reaching the second book she started to become an interesting character, independent and strong. While Will is still one of my favorite characters in literature, his personality and weapon just make him so amazing.
The underlying symbology is not really underlying, its fairly obvious to see. A story about kids becoming teenagers, discovering sexuality, and butting heads with the adults in their life. The biggest point of contention with people who don't like the book is its anti-religious tone. However I always saw this book not as anti-god, but as anti-organized religion. In the final book god is portrayed as a weak and frail figure, kept alive only as long as he stays inside his glass coffin. Lyra even feels pity for the angel when he dies. The real bad people are the church and the general oblation board, they pull the strings and act as the antagonists.
Either way the story of the Golden Compass is extremely enjoyable and I'm sure that it will continue to be my favorite book long into the future.

Zombies! Zombies! Zombies!

The zombie is becoming more and more of a prevalent figure in today's pop culture. From movies like Zombieland to games like Left 4 Dead, it seems that zombies are certainly rampaging in our media. Our fascination with the walking dead could stem from several sources, they act as a punching bag to vent our frustrations and anger. Is killing something that's already dead really wrong? Additionally it seems to become a bit of a spitting contest between developers to see in what new and interesting ways you can present new hordes to turn to red mist in the most novel of ways.
The Zombie Apocalypse is also a fun exercise for your imagination. How would I survive? What would I need? Where would I go? Would I even survive? These questions present interesting dynamics not only in a personal will to survive but an chance to see more complex group dynamic. What will happen when a group of people come together to try and live? Will they come together as a group and over come, or will the crumble under the collective weight of their different backgrounds and ideals? Several times I have found myself thinking and devising plans and scenarios in which the dead have taken over and what my actions would be.
(PS: 3d labs for weaponry, Publix for supplies, then stay on the move on a bike, travel light)
But I personally believe that this interest in the dead comes from the teens, tweens, and young adults coming to terms with the impending onset of adulthood. The job, the suit, just being another number in a vast land of numbers. Being afraid to become just another number of the horde of schedule driven adults. These fantasies give them a place to escape to, where they are free from societal rules and the expectations of those around them. It also serves as a proving ground, testing their mettle against a seemingly impossible task and proving themselves as individuals. It used to be fantasy novels and Dungeons and Dragons, now the current generations seems to have grasped this
Any one of these would serve for the seeming omnipresence of zombies in our lives. But, personally, on of the more interesting issues that these scenarios bring up involves loved ones, children. When someone you care about has been turned into a flesh hungry creature, would you have the courage to strike out?

To me the social issues are far more interesting and poignant. For instance the recent trailer for the game Dead Island that has been going around has sparked a lot of controversy and tears.
Watch the trailer
A family being torn apart literally and metaphorically, a father being turned upon by his daughter, while a mother watches. These dredge up emotions and a lot of serious questions. Either way it's a beautiful piece of work.

I found Monster Island to be an interesting piece of work, with a bit of a unique twist, but in the end I really couldn't get into it as much as I could, say, World War Z. Mostly due to the way it was written being so short and limiting.

It's Frankunshteen! Not Frankenstein!

The monster erroneously labeled by the public as Frankenstein. This is not my first encounter with this story, from Young Frankenstein to the story of the Golem, I've seen many adaptations of this story. All of them share the same common elements, the theme of hubris, seeking a place to belong, vengeance. While I find the story to be entertaining, it never really tickled my interest or intellect. Unfortunately I don't have much else to say on this book.