CyberPunk

            

Knowing about the movie Tank Girl was enough for me to get amped about cyber punk. I have known about that movie since I was an early teen so I guess I have been semi familiar with the genre for some time now.  A heroic ‘badass’ type female character based in a futuristic post apocalyptic world is enough to get anyone’s gears grinding. This movie has been a favorite of mine since early adolescence.

            

Neuromancer was not what I was expecting however. Although I am so familiar with the cyberpunk genre neuromancer really took me into the heart of the genre. If Tank Girl was a drizzle Neuromancer was a hurricane and I can say that I enjoyed this story two to three times as much. I could sit here and drone on about the story and why Neuromancer was ‘badass’ to me or I could just say that this story was highly entertaining and I would recommend it to anyone. 

Space Opera

           

I was excited for this weeks reading because I am very familiar with this genre. My dad was a huge star trek watcher when I was growing up. All generations of Star Trek were commonly on the television for most of my younger years. Star Wars was another huge staple of my childhood. The adventures of Luke Skywalker were common knowledge to me at a very young. My parents happily taught us about Star Wars when they felt we were old enough.

           

When I picked up Shards of Honor I must admit I did not know what I was in for! This romantic intergalactic tale caught me off guard at first but once I got settled into the story and began to know what to expect it went much smoother. Cordelia was a great character to follow throughout the story. Although her constant abduction was a little much, it was a great way for the author to move the plot along and allow for a swift and heroic rescue. I love a good story set in space so for that I was immediately hooked and I enjoyed this read a great deal. I was not ready for the intensity of the love story at first but all in all I had fun with this book.

           

I am not sure if Enders Game counts as a space opera but this is another futuristic series that takes place in space and throughout a planetary system. I enjoyed this book as a young boy and I kept thinking back to it as I read Shards of Honor. I know they don’t really have much in common as far as plot goes but I kept thinking back to  Orson Scott Cards books as I read.

Neil Gaiman

To be honest the world of Neil Gaiman was completely unknown to me before this class. I had never heard the name before, and I had no idea where to begin when approaching his work. As I researched and read prior to the class I realized there was a story that I was familiar with. Tim Burton’s version of Coraline came out in theatres when I was nineteen years old. I didn’t read the book at the time but I did go see the movie in theatres because I have been a Tim Burton fan for most of my life. The research I did for this class led me to the realization that Coraline was based on a book, I felt kind of stupid for not knowing that earlier. So I decided I should read it as penance.           

            

Reading the book after watching the movie was a great way to experience this story. When you watch a movie after reading the book, you are usually pretty disappointed while watching. You notice every small detail that director left out and a lot of times you may like the movie less. When you do it the other way around you are surprised positively with richness of detail and other small extras you miss with the film version. Coraline was a great read and I was surprised with the way Neil puts his stories together. I couldn’t seem to put it down and I was happy when it came time to read The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

            

This second story was nothing like I expected when I first picked it up. His ability to create characters and weave these dark and intricate worlds holds me in and makes it nearly impossible to put the book down until it is finished. I really appreciate the way he catches me off guard with the next twist of the story. I never know what to expect to happen and it makes it a really enjoyable read. This lesson opened me up to an author that I had no idea existed and I am glad that I discovered Neil Gaiman. Reading these two stories makes me want to dive deeper and experience more of his strange and fantastical worlds.