Everybody remembered the Great Crash of '27. The crash that killed the line. There was soot for weeks after. Old folks coughing. Trucks to take away all the bodies.
When the ravine finally stopped smoking, Eli climbed down. He had to know. Was this Number 847? Big John Sable? If only his Grandpaw was here to see.
Two days later, he was back with soap and polish. As he cleared away the broken branches, he discovered a line of sorts beneath the iron wheels. Well, almost a line.
The footplate rumbled beneath his hiking shoes, and as he looked out, he no longer saw the tomb of the familiar valley. Only Big John Sable. Gleaming and ready. With the hiss of old steam and even older memories, number 847 was waking again, slowly meandering towards stations previously unseen.
(Been so long since I last shared one of these, it seems that #FlashFriday is no longer a thing. Or rather it has morphed into another thing. Nevermind. Hope you all enjoy this story - Carine)
If Charlie Brookner used anime as a medium and decided to tackle the timeless folktales of Willem and Jacob Grimm. That's how I would describe The Grimm Variations, because you soon realize that although there are momentary hints of stylistic sweetness, it's counter-balanced by unsettling realities that have nothing in common with the magical charm of Ghibli-land.
In episode one we meet a Cinderella who kills with kindness. Lady Kiyoko is delighted when her father marries again, and she gains two sisters in the bargain. But then the gaslighting begins.
Episode two amplifies the menace of a big bad wolf hunting tender female flesh in a futuristically virtual environment.
Hansel and Gretel must choose between the stark environment of an institution under the iron rule of the stern "mama" and "papa" and questions raised by the subversive ideas of the old woman they meet in the forest.
N, a former literary prodigy, struggles to reprise past successes. But then he publishes The Elves and the Shoemaker - at the same time living its theme of benefiting from the labor of a secret, magical helper. The current discourse around AI-assisted writing makes episode four particularly relevant.
The musicians of Bremen (episode 5) become a metaphor for girl power and found family in a Wild West setting. Unlike the preceding episodes, which featured a jazzy soundtrack, this one draws on moody, bluesy rock interpretations of classical Beethoven.
The story of the Pied Piper is about the irresistible attraction exerted by a stranger upon an isolated village. About exchanging the oppressive familiarity of xenophobia for the uncertain thrill of exploration. About the power of music and the fact that self-discovery is a one-way-street from which there is no return.
Each installment is framed by an exchange between the scholarly Grimm brothers and their adorable younger sibling.
The themes of each of the stories are timeless and serve well as a lens that shapes our future dreams and nightmares, the fault-lines inherent in our society. The unsettling relationship between hunter and hunted has become a template for story genres as diverse as romance and horror. The oppressed angel of virtue makes compelling political drama, inviting narratives about victimhood being donned as costume and becoming an identity. The fear of unearned success lies at the very heart of the imposters syndrome that plagues so many creatives. And sometimes only the blind courage of innocents and fools can defeat cruelty and corruption powered by self-interest.
We have interacted with versions of these tropes for hundreds of years. And they remain accessible even today.
Trigger warnings: The stories contain violence, disturbing scenes and adult situations. They are not for kids.
When I told my friend that I had started watching Snowpiercer, I described it as
hectic and messed-up. He replied that that was an accurate assessment. But I
finished the series last night and what a ride it's been.
Snowpiercer is set in
an apocalyptic hellscape covered with snow, where one high-speed train houses
what's left of humanity (and a few random other creatures). The train was
created as a billionaire's wet dream where a privileged few could survive in the
lap of luxury, supported by a crew of necessary workers in third class. But at
the last moment, there was a stampede and the tail was occupied by as many of
the unticketed masses who could squeeze in at the last moment. Everyone grieves.
Everyone lost so much. Adaptation is survival, but among the lowest of the low,
a revolution is brewing.
It's a compelling story and it grew on me. Not to
mention that the train Snowpiercer is a wonder and the development of
subcultures and ceremonies aboard the train makes it feel authentic and real.
The leads Andre Layton (played by Daveed Diggs) and Melanie Cavill (played by
Jennifer Connelly) are each driven by visions that are at times overpowering and
lead them to make heartbreaking sacrifices.
Snowpiercer was based on a French
graphic novel
by Jacques Lob and was previously filmed by director Bong Joon-ho. It is
available for streaming on Netflix.
Sexiest character: The train Snowpiercer
Best performances: Sean Bean as Wilford (why is he so good at doing characters
that are morally compromised); Alison Wright as Ruth; Mickey Sumner as Bess
Till.
Best Bromance: Bennett and Javi.
Most interesting character arc: John'Oz' Osweiler
Character I would have loved to see more of: The Last Australian.
Trigger warning: violence; suicide
Most tragic passenger: Asha
Scariest characters: The Drs Headwood
Most breathtaking moment: When Javi says "I'm at the bridge."
Every monk has its demon, they say. Even if that monk is a digital furry and his demon, a somewhat dodgy idea of digital opportunity. As a returning World of Warcraft player, I found myself experimenting with my first Pandarian character (and my first monk) and right there -Quest number one - I made an unexpected discovery. The objective was to go get a staff and return to the master. But, because I really like using that unlock feature on WOW, I clicked it a second time after taking my staff. And discovered that it was possible to take a second staff. As I continued, I began to wonder about this possibility. How many staffs can you take from the training ground? In the interests of scientific enquiry (of course) I decided to create a second Pandarian monk to find out. That's when I found out that the Wandering Isle was generous beyond belief.
My (second) Pandarian helped herself to almost a backpack full of staffs.
To exchange those staffs for currency, she needed to reach a merchant. This required her to complete Quests 1 and 2 first before she could begin her neferious dealings. Quest 3 involved sparring with the Huojin trainees, but at this point she was able to go AWOL instead and track down the nearest available merchant.
It was slightly risky, because to reach him she needed to move through the aggressive Fe-Feng, without yet having achieved the ability to heal herself, if injured.
Lee Sunspark - blacksmith and 'fence'.
It was slightly risky, because to reach him she needed to move through the very aggressive Fe-Feng, without yet having achieved the ability to heal herself, if injured.
She had the luck of the devil, though, and was able to return to the training grounds without incident for a second load of staffs. Yes, even after handing in Quest no 1, you can still take as many training staffs as you want.
At this point, I deleted the little guttersnipe and switched back to my original Panderian. But, here's where it gets crazy. 14 training staffs = 1 silver 56 copper. After 75 trips, she would see her first gold. 75,000 trips and she would have over 1000 gold, while still a puny level 3. Okay, it would be v-e-r-y time consuming. And boring after a while. There are many better ways of earning gold. And World of Warcraft is about more than gold. Isn't it?
... are Gus's ears. You just can't stop watching them. The way they rise and droop to show what's going on in his fireball mind. They are also a large part of why it's so easy to suspend disbelief that hybrid children do exist. It helps that Christian Convery has been abundantly blessed with the natural beauty some kids just have. It's equally fascinating to observe his interactions with other animals - such as the way he draws deer to him in moments of high emotion. All these things contribute to making him more than just an adorable little boy with antlers.
The world of Sweet Tooth is a surprisingly relatable dystopia, especially in the time of Covid. As we do, many of its people mask up and stay home in the hope that it will keep them safe. Luckily we do not observe some of their more extreme rituals - such as immolation of the infected, but we could all imagine a pandemic going that bad - a totalitarian police state where fear makes people do terrible things. In a way, the characters represent the various points at which integrity, compromise and survival intersect. We can empathise with the difficult choices Dr Singh faces, but the ruthlessness of Last Men represents the emergence of humanity's darker side. It would have been nice to see more of Bear's bold animal army - they deserve a spin-off series - although the plight of that poor tiger in the container crate worries me. Aimee perhaps represents the best in humanity, even as General Abbott represents the worst.
For Big Man and for Bear, meeting Gus represents an invitation to confront their demons and change. But it's mostly Gus that we're rooting for, because Gus represents our longing for freedom, our hope at finding that Brave New World beyond the sadness. I can't wait for Season 2 to be available. This has been awesome.
The Tower of Stony Wood begins with the deceptive simplicity of a medieval style fairy tale. A lady in a tower and a knight on his dark charger. But the first lady we meet is no princess, but merely an errant baker's daughter who has sought to escape from her chores in a mysteriously magical place she does not quite understand. And the knight has to be persuaded by an unlikely tale to leave his somewhat happy life for a quest that may not even be real. And so the layers begin.
For there is more than one tower to explore and more than one enchantment to challenge. As the hero of this tale, Cyan Dag is a likely knight - the provenance of his family name is his main inheritance, but he lacks the means to woo the lady he loves. Melanthos is compelled to stitch together sense of faraway mysteries, but she does not quite realize that the greatest enigma has tangled itself into her own family. And then there is Thayne, who needs magic, but must also learn what to do with it once it finds him.
The characterization is stellar and enables interactions to be emotionally realistic throughout. Even relatively minor characters like Regis Aurum, Anyon and Gentian feel authentic throughout. Melanthos and Sel are exquisitely rendered and it's wonderful to encounter a female trickster for a change. The atmosphere of magic that permeates the story makes the plot seem hazy at times, but I suppose that is in the nature of tales of fantasy.
I believe (secretly) that I am probably one of the weirdest people you are likely to run into. For years, I compulsively read SF and fantasy - mainly because I was looking for that species of aliens/faeries/elves or whatever who had somehow left me behind here on earth. Now I know different. We are all strangely beautiful beings full of our own magic and mysteries. I would not say, I have secrets... rather, I have become one... I play in this oddly flawed reality as I listen to the sands whispering through my hourglass. When they are all gone, I will wake up into the infinity that is my true home. Until then, I write, play guitar and create art.
