The Fiction of Ideas Response

This weeks readings and subject was really interesting in many different ways. I really enjoy reading books and looking videos/movies that deal with mind experiments and outcomes to those experiments. A lot of what I've read and seen deal with things such like the movie we saw "A Scanner Darkly" by Richard Linklater. The subject of drugs and what drugs can do, following some type of law that is involved. However that is not what Accelerando by Charles Stross, the reading I read for this week  was about, it was something I'm not really interested in, but still fascinated me at the same time. 

Now Accelerando was very interesting, not only because I'm not interested in this subject and it again interested me in the end. But because of the fact that it was something people have discussed, but this was discussed differently. The world basically ended, humanity had been wiped out and there is this virus. Here I think is something everyone's always wondered when talking about an apocalypse. Whether did man make this end of the world or is the world just done with our shit? I too have these thought every once in a while. And this is where the thought of what IF man actually made this happen? Which is what the mind experiment come into play with this reading and topic. People and I believe that somewhere in this hidden underground cave government scientists are creating this virus or have created a virus where these "zombie" like people come to life and now they're trying to fix everything, but somehow can't and all hell breaks loose. 

Either way, I don't think man is smart enough to experiment our own ideas, especially with drugs or viruses. I understand that they're trying to help us, but there's just a point where you just need to think of what could happen long term. For example if we make this killing virus what if it explodes or escapes and gets into the air and everyone dies? Whatever it may be I don't think we think before anything. Which is why the topic of mind experiments come into play. 

Space Opera and the New Frontier Response

I remember when Martian came out in 2011 and being so excited to read it, because I love space books and movies. Finally, when the movie came out it in 2015 was such a visually pleasing movie to watch. Not only because I already loved the book, but because in this day and age graphic effects and technology has increased so much in quality, they were able to portray the movies so well visually.

Now I think this book and movie show a lot of peoples deepest fear. Which is being stuck in space on Mars, having no contact with anyone and not knowing what to do. Now of course Mark Watney knows what he's doing because if he didn't he wouldn't be working at NASA. I think this movie shows the world what could happen in the future, which is where this movie is taken place in (year 2035). It gave us some type of fantasy as do many movies do, but I always think that these movies alway appeal to everyone in some time of way. We alway want to explore more, we have always wanted to explore more of the world and universe we live in. It's something we've been fascinated with since the beginning, always looking to the future. Now as freaky as The Martian is to us, it still shows us "what could be and happen", which is at the same time cool and scary and the same time.

Mythic Fiction and Contemporary Urban Fantasy Response

I think the book and movie Coraline was a good way to show myth with a mix of reality. I remember reading this book when I was younger and always found it fascinating and I enjoyed it very much. In 2009 when the movie was made I enjoyed the story even more, because you're able to visually see the difference between myth and the "real world".

In Coraline the story is very odd, and I think the choice to make it a claymation made it all the better for the effects. The mythic part of this movie and book reminded me of a story my grandmother told when I was younger. It was a story similar to Coraline, there's this lady that steals little kids from their families at night and makes there lives seem better. Eventually after being pampered by the lady and the people around she asks the kids to stay. Of course the kids say yes and after their response the lady steals them and their souls forever. Which is almost exactly what the myth story of Coraline.

The myth I believe is the the door that's through the wall and The Beldam pretended to be Coraline's "other mother" and makes her "other father", "other neighbors" etc. with a better life and everything. Eventually asking Coraline to stay their only if buttons were allowed to be sewn into her eyes. It's obvious where the myth world is relevant to the contemporary world. That's what the movie is about, it's this myth world coming in contact with the real world. It collides and the everything gets mixed together and everything gets confusing for a minute. Especially when you watch the movie I suppose because it's visual. However, you see these two different, but similar worlds mesh into one and eventually Coraline loses all that she knows.

At the end is where things change, the myth of this story changes. I don't mean to spoil anything, but I don't think there's a way I can explain how it changes without spoiling it. At the end Coraline enters the other world with The Beldam, now in her original form (a spider). As Coraline tries to defeat her with a game this is a representation of reinventing the myth she's come to know. By defeating The Beldam she set the ghost children's souls free and helped save her parents, along with all the other people The Beldam captured.

Regardless I believe Coraline is a really good movie and book. Obviously I'd recommend reading the book first. There's always a chilling thought of myth coming into reality. Coraline is one of those stories, which is makes this a wonderful read.

The Tale of Spiritual Education Response

I believe that Harry Potter has many lessons/challenges to show and give in the movies and the book, which is what I read for this week and topic. I love Harry Potter and I learned a lot from the stories that JK Rowling wrote. However, this topic of having to think and talk about moral issues and spiritual challenges is something interesting where I actually have to look throughout what I've read and think hard about this.
For example what I've read in terms of moral issues you learn very fast that there's a separation of magic and non-magic. I believe this is used to connect younger audiences to show a sense of "not being apart of your muggle parents". Also you learn that there's a lot of rules of magic, such as when you first meet Hagrid he notes to Harry that magic shouldn't be used outside of Hogwarts. I suppose this reason to show the "rules" so early is to show us the viewers that stuff happens too where you need rules and laws. Eventually you learn more about these rules and realize how important they are to the Wizarding World. I also supposed they show the importance to get the viewers to realize that "hey maybe rules aren't so bad"
Finally I think that it's important that JK Rowling made it to where Harry Potter is raised from a very verbally abusive family, The Dursley's. This family of 3 treats Harry terribly, which is what you come into while reading the book and after the title in the movie. Regardless of when you see it, it's almost the first thing you notice about Harry Potter in his youth. Which as much as I hate to say it, but I believe it's a very good thing that this is how he is raised. The reason being, say Harry was brought onto know when he was very young that he is some "famous wizard", who is "the boy who lived". I believe he would have been going into Hogwarts with his head up high and a big ego following him, which I believe is what young adults are used to. However, they're not used to the most important person in the story being the one who was treated like crap. I believe this choice of seen was an important one that Rowling made. Also gave the viewers a sense of "hope" I supposed, showing that "anything is possible".
I love Harry Potter it is such a wonderful book and movie in so many reasons. This story is full of moral lessons for everyone regardless of who you are. Which is what JK Rowling wanted everyone to feel like, Hogwarts is always a place you can come back to.

The Heroic Journey Response

I believe in every hero role they're not what you expect, which is what The Hobbit has in terms of the "hero". However, I also believe that The Hobbit has multiple hero roles such as Bilbo, Gandalf and Tolkien, each obviously has their own individual reason, but still a hero. I'd like to talk about Bilbo for this entry though because I feel that he has more of a hero role in The Hobbit. 
A hero in most classic hero journeys has some type of self reflection of some type which his also where you realize that the character is actually worth something and is important. For example Bilbo, someone who would never leave his hometown or go anywhere for that matter and doesn't like the unexpected. Then eventually he leave because he was to see what it'd be like on "the other side" the more adventures side. This is a time where a type of self realization is taken for Bilbo. The ring is something he uses in a heroic way to, something he would of never thought of doing. Also convincing Tolkien that he has to change his lust for gold ways, if not then it'll end badly and such.
Either way, I believe that The Hobbit shows a classic hero journey through Bilbo. By classic hero journey I mean having the most unexpected hero figure has a self realization over time. Also by helping characters along the way during his journey. All of which Bilbo showed in The Hobbit.