The Martian (5 points)

 "Space madness" is a term I enjoy. It became a popular idea when space travel started. The idea that a human being spending a prolonged amount of time in a claustrophobic and unnatural state in space. Claustrophobia doesn't have to be a small space, it can some times trigger in large open areas, the main defining feature is feeling trapped. And the main character, Mark, is most definitely trapped. Being in a deadly environment, which can only be explored in large, cumbersome outfits is anxiety inducing. Mark finds his own way to cope with "space madness." Alone, abandoned, and fighting for his life, he has to fill every role of the crew in order to survive. Andy Weir does a fantastic job of combining heart pounding moments and filling them with euphoria. You could easily be laughing as Mark died (hypothetically) depending on how he narrates.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Night Circus (6 points)

I found my favourite part of the novel was waiting to see what new thing Celia and Marco would create. The story was more about the mystery of the challenge, the creativity of the contestants, the history of the contortionist, and the future of Poppy, Widget, and Bailey. I was disappointed with the sudden romance between Celica and Marco, though it was predictable. The "love at first sight" motif doesn't sit well with me, and though the story does seem to focus on "fate" it was just too pushed. I felt there was a specific moment when the story changed ideas, from whimsical mystery to destined lovers. I did however think the author's solution to their game was unique, and the love story was essential to this. I felt bad for Isobel, and that what Marco did was misguided. Isobel is made to be the one at fault and this didn't seem right to me. We know Marco was the one altering Chandresh's memories, and should be at fault for Fredrick's death, but in
Read more

Annihilation (6 points)

Relations with Lovecraft mythos I have read a few of Lovecraft's stories, and I can say there is something they all had in common: being changed. Most of the narrators don't return from their expeditions to the realms featured in Lovecraft lore, and those who do are never the same again. Whether they feature physical mutation or mental warping, they are not who they once were. The sentence when this all clicked for me in Annihilation is when the Psychologist tells the narrator "You've changed." This was like a punch in the gut for me. The narrator, at that point, wasn't showing major signs of physical change. But the psychologist could still tell something was different about her. I think the most chilling part of the story wasn't the experiences the narrator had but rather the transition of being human to something else. Separation of Soul and Body Part of the transition is a physical change. The narrator starts to noticeably glow, and there could be othe
Read more

The Hobbit (6 points)

Family The Hobbit is well known as the first world building fantasy novel. Tolkien describes in great detail the life, society, and languages of these new races. Authors have tried to replicate the creativity of Tolkien's tales, but I think they all miss something important. Modern novels follow a simple format: love interest, call to action, destiny, and force of evil. Tolkien uses his own format, and this stands out from the rest. There is no set love interest, but relationships matter. Bilbo builds his own family among the dwarves. They forge brotherly bonds, and work as a team. (Though this is disrupted by Thorin's madness later) In the time of the Hobbit, Bilbo is alone, and he likes it that way. His family is broad and stretches to many of the other hobbits mentioned, but they are not bonded like a family. Bilbo's journey (and his Character Arc) is not limited to his bravery, wit, and skill, but also his open-mindedness for others. From Homely to Adventure Bilbo start
Read more