The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
Publishing Date: 1886
Setting: Victorian London
Narrative Genre: Mystery, Science Fiction, Horror
Themes: Duality in Human Nature, Original Sin, Addiction
Subjective Length: A day or so
Overall 7/10. This is a classic work of literature which sets out to explore dual nature in humanity. At the heart of it, it deals with the distinction between what man aspires to be and what he, nevertheless, often is. This work establishes classic tropes of this theme, and its influence can be felt in the countless parodies, as well as in such popular works as Dragonball and The Incredible Hulk: as man seeks to either excise his own darker side or to "control the raging spirit that dwells within".
Controversial Themes
This is a work that hinges on good and evil. Definite terms are given here, and a black and white morality permeates the piece. It is somewhat disconcerting to see callous disregard as the first sign Hyde's evil, in an incident which might not be remarkable to a modern audience.
**SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD**
The story opens with a conversation between Mr. Utterson and Mr. Enfield in which Enfield relates the circumstance of seeing a man called Mr. Hyde trample a young girl. This Mr. Hyde then delivers a check in the name of a prominent and respected member of the community. Mr. Utterson reveals that he knows the unnamed benefactor to be Dr. Jekyll, and the reader learns that Dr. Jekyll has, for no discernible reason, written his will to strongly favor Mr. Hyde.
What follows is a mystery novel. Mr. Utterson learns more and more incomprehensible details of the relationship between Jekyll and Hyde, and becomes more concerned for his friend as time goes on. Finally, Utterson and one of Jekyll's servants break into his laboratory, seeking to find out the doctor's fate. They find the body of Mr. Hyde, and through letters, assemble the improbable conclusion that Jekyll and Hyde were the same man. Jekyll, corrupted by his own experiments to remove his baser desires, had created an alter ego of himself: a being of pure evil. Eventually, becoming Hyde became an addiction, and it became easier to put on Hyde, and harder to return to Jekyll.
The story deals with uptight morals of Victorian England, and makes its hero of Utterson, a more moderate and human person than Jekyll. Jekyll is a pure paragon, constrained to the point that enjoyment itself is beyond his public face. Jekyll begins to lead a dual life, and both the deception inherent in this, as well as the addiction of the chemical nature of the change both suggest to the reader a sense of corruption in his behavior.
What will, perhaps, strike a modern reader most is that this story is, at heart, a gothic mystery. Most modern retellings depict the story from the perspective of Dr. Jekyll. In fact, living in modern society is to have the twist of Jekyll and Hyde spoiled. It is so well known, that the mystery origins of the story can easily be forgotten.
Monday, October 31, 2016
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Monday Follow-up: Theming your Contribution to Magic Cube Pot Luck
Hey again,
So, on Monday, I talked a bit about how to make an event out of having everybody bring Magic cards to combine into what's called a "cube". That article is here in case you missed it.
With all of that level of event hosting-type logistics out of the way, it's time to think about your own contribution to the cube. You'll have a single color to use, for our example, let's go with Green; but that leaves a lot of leeway in terms of what actually shows up to the table. Today, I'll go into a few different ways to approach this, counting down from five.
#5: All-Stars
This is what you'll typically see in a standard cube. Just go through your color and choose some of the best individual cards available. There might be some issues with cohesion of strategy for the player(s) who choose your color, but the quality of individual cards could offset that, especially when considering that players will be taking them home to add to their own decks. In green, you might have cards like Concordant Crossroads or Exploration.
#4: Borrow the Set
When I say "borrow the set", what I mean is to pull all of the cards from the same block, or even the same expansion. This will give a narratively strong set with a cohesive tone, and many of the cards will work well together. That said, you are, in the end, just borrowing on the set design Wizards of the Coast has already done. For highly popular and thematic sets, like the Kamigawa block, the unique feel and relative obscurity of some of these cards might be worth it; but this may not be the way to go for everyone. If you do this, try to find a set that feels "right". The Innistrad feel could come through strong in white, black, or maybe green, but that gothic tone might not translate as well if you're bringing red or blue to the table.
#3: Creature Tribes
This is a slightly modified version of borrowing the set, as Wizards of the Coast has explored single creature sets in the past. However, with MTG's long backlog of cards, some creatures could form an entire set despite never having come together like that before. One thing you'll want to be sure of, if you want to make this really mechanically viable, is to include cards that have benefits to using that creature type. Green could work well with Elementals, Spiders, Wolves, Elves, or find one that looks good to you.
#2: Single Keyword
This is where you'll probably start getting players well on board with your choices for the color. If you build your color strong for a single keyword you'll start to see a clear strategy that players can immediately grasp and get behind. Certain keywords are better than others. "Defender" probably won't be much good, and "Reach" is a risky proposition, as you're counting on someone else having thrown enough "Flying" into the block to make it worthwhile. For our example of Green, the obvious go-to would be "Trample", but you could also shoot for "Hexproof", "Delirium", "Landfall", or anything else there seems to be enough of to make it work well.
#1: Modified Deck
. . . and now we come to the point where this could be too specific, or just specific enough, to make or break your color in the cube. For this one, you're essentially building a single strategy deck and modifying the numbers to make ti work well in a draft format. In Green, this might be a mana-ramping deck, a pit-fighter deck, or even a modified version of a deck you already own (best to pick up all the cube cards as a separate purchase though, since you won't necessarily be getting the same cards back). By this point, you're just taking a deck strategy and making it the definition of that color in that cube.
So, there we go, a few different ways to think through building a contribution to a pot luck cube for your next MTG draft. Hopefully, between Monday and today, you've got the info you need to make this great format a reality for your group.
Happy gaming, all.
So, on Monday, I talked a bit about how to make an event out of having everybody bring Magic cards to combine into what's called a "cube". That article is here in case you missed it.
With all of that level of event hosting-type logistics out of the way, it's time to think about your own contribution to the cube. You'll have a single color to use, for our example, let's go with Green; but that leaves a lot of leeway in terms of what actually shows up to the table. Today, I'll go into a few different ways to approach this, counting down from five.
#5: All-Stars
This is what you'll typically see in a standard cube. Just go through your color and choose some of the best individual cards available. There might be some issues with cohesion of strategy for the player(s) who choose your color, but the quality of individual cards could offset that, especially when considering that players will be taking them home to add to their own decks. In green, you might have cards like Concordant Crossroads or Exploration.
#4: Borrow the Set
When I say "borrow the set", what I mean is to pull all of the cards from the same block, or even the same expansion. This will give a narratively strong set with a cohesive tone, and many of the cards will work well together. That said, you are, in the end, just borrowing on the set design Wizards of the Coast has already done. For highly popular and thematic sets, like the Kamigawa block, the unique feel and relative obscurity of some of these cards might be worth it; but this may not be the way to go for everyone. If you do this, try to find a set that feels "right". The Innistrad feel could come through strong in white, black, or maybe green, but that gothic tone might not translate as well if you're bringing red or blue to the table.
#3: Creature Tribes
This is a slightly modified version of borrowing the set, as Wizards of the Coast has explored single creature sets in the past. However, with MTG's long backlog of cards, some creatures could form an entire set despite never having come together like that before. One thing you'll want to be sure of, if you want to make this really mechanically viable, is to include cards that have benefits to using that creature type. Green could work well with Elementals, Spiders, Wolves, Elves, or find one that looks good to you.
#2: Single Keyword
This is where you'll probably start getting players well on board with your choices for the color. If you build your color strong for a single keyword you'll start to see a clear strategy that players can immediately grasp and get behind. Certain keywords are better than others. "Defender" probably won't be much good, and "Reach" is a risky proposition, as you're counting on someone else having thrown enough "Flying" into the block to make it worthwhile. For our example of Green, the obvious go-to would be "Trample", but you could also shoot for "Hexproof", "Delirium", "Landfall", or anything else there seems to be enough of to make it work well.
#1: Modified Deck
. . . and now we come to the point where this could be too specific, or just specific enough, to make or break your color in the cube. For this one, you're essentially building a single strategy deck and modifying the numbers to make ti work well in a draft format. In Green, this might be a mana-ramping deck, a pit-fighter deck, or even a modified version of a deck you already own (best to pick up all the cube cards as a separate purchase though, since you won't necessarily be getting the same cards back). By this point, you're just taking a deck strategy and making it the definition of that color in that cube.
So, there we go, a few different ways to think through building a contribution to a pot luck cube for your next MTG draft. Hopefully, between Monday and today, you've got the info you need to make this great format a reality for your group.
Happy gaming, all.
Monday, October 24, 2016
How to Pot Luck a Magic the Gathering Cube
Hey all,
I've done this once with friends, and we keep talking about trying to plan another. This is a pot luck MTG cube. To start, let's go into a bit of terminology:
Magic: the Gathering: (a.k.a. "MTG") a trading card game designed by Wizards of the Coast. A good article of the basics of the game can be found here. It may be easiest to learn the game from experienced players if you have the opportunity.
Booster Draft: a trading card game draft is a way of opening booster packs while building a deck. Here is an article that goes into how a draft works, though it does assume some prior knowledge of how MTG works.
Cube: A cube is a set of cards that is used in lieu of booster packs for drafts. The cards in the cube are divided into fifteen card "packs" and used like booster packs; however, the contents of the cube are completely player defined.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alright, that out of the way, let's talk about your pot luck cube.
Most cubes are made by a single player and are used to turn classic drafting into something more like a deck building game. The cards are in a box, they come out for the game, and they all go back in at the end of the game. If you're looking to make something a little like Magic, but with a board game tone and feel, consider building a cube this way.
Additionally, since most cubes are carefully constructed sets built by a single player; they involve one person working to develop a balanced game, design their cube, and bring others over to play. This is not the style of play we're talking about today.
For a pot luck cube, the game's a little less predictable. Not only are you left wondering what your opponent's are building, but it gradually comes out in subsequent packs what the cube even looks like. You'll know your own contribution, but that leaves a lot of cube that you'll only know when you see it.
The setup for this kind of event involves first bringing together the group to play. You'll ideally want five or six people to play this type of draft. As people RSVP for the event, have them choose a color not yet taken by a prior RSVP. You'll want to get these commitments in early. About a month before the draft, send out a message to let people know who has what color. Stick with single color assignments. For five players, players choose between Red, Blue, Green, White, or Black. For six players, include the option to contribute Colorless to the cube.
For a normal three pack draft, tell each player to bring three rares, nine uncommons, three lands, and thirty commons in their assigned color.
At the event, shuffle together all rares into one pile, all uncommons into another pile, all commons into a third pile, and all lands into the last pile. Once these stacks are shuffled, make each pack with ten commons, three uncommons, one rare, and one land per pack. Some people prefer not to include lands in the drafts, but for this, I like to include them. This gives contributors the option to add non-basic lands to the set.
Then, draft the packs as normal. It's a good idea as well to offer prizes for the contributor elected to have made the best color in the set. This incentivizes people to do well at every stage of the draft, including in building their own contribution to the cube.
. . .and that's it. A pot luck cube can be a bit chaotic, but it's real fun in a casual enough group. What I like best is that, unlike the standard cube, this is a real draft, in that, you bring forty-five cards, and you leave with a different forty-five cards. You get to keep what you draft, unlike standard cubes where the cards get boxed back up for next time.
Happy gaming, all.
I've done this once with friends, and we keep talking about trying to plan another. This is a pot luck MTG cube. To start, let's go into a bit of terminology:
Magic: the Gathering: (a.k.a. "MTG") a trading card game designed by Wizards of the Coast. A good article of the basics of the game can be found here. It may be easiest to learn the game from experienced players if you have the opportunity.
Booster Draft: a trading card game draft is a way of opening booster packs while building a deck. Here is an article that goes into how a draft works, though it does assume some prior knowledge of how MTG works.
Cube: A cube is a set of cards that is used in lieu of booster packs for drafts. The cards in the cube are divided into fifteen card "packs" and used like booster packs; however, the contents of the cube are completely player defined.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alright, that out of the way, let's talk about your pot luck cube.
Most cubes are made by a single player and are used to turn classic drafting into something more like a deck building game. The cards are in a box, they come out for the game, and they all go back in at the end of the game. If you're looking to make something a little like Magic, but with a board game tone and feel, consider building a cube this way.
Additionally, since most cubes are carefully constructed sets built by a single player; they involve one person working to develop a balanced game, design their cube, and bring others over to play. This is not the style of play we're talking about today.
For a pot luck cube, the game's a little less predictable. Not only are you left wondering what your opponent's are building, but it gradually comes out in subsequent packs what the cube even looks like. You'll know your own contribution, but that leaves a lot of cube that you'll only know when you see it.
The setup for this kind of event involves first bringing together the group to play. You'll ideally want five or six people to play this type of draft. As people RSVP for the event, have them choose a color not yet taken by a prior RSVP. You'll want to get these commitments in early. About a month before the draft, send out a message to let people know who has what color. Stick with single color assignments. For five players, players choose between Red, Blue, Green, White, or Black. For six players, include the option to contribute Colorless to the cube.
For a normal three pack draft, tell each player to bring three rares, nine uncommons, three lands, and thirty commons in their assigned color.
At the event, shuffle together all rares into one pile, all uncommons into another pile, all commons into a third pile, and all lands into the last pile. Once these stacks are shuffled, make each pack with ten commons, three uncommons, one rare, and one land per pack. Some people prefer not to include lands in the drafts, but for this, I like to include them. This gives contributors the option to add non-basic lands to the set.
Then, draft the packs as normal. It's a good idea as well to offer prizes for the contributor elected to have made the best color in the set. This incentivizes people to do well at every stage of the draft, including in building their own contribution to the cube.
. . .and that's it. A pot luck cube can be a bit chaotic, but it's real fun in a casual enough group. What I like best is that, unlike the standard cube, this is a real draft, in that, you bring forty-five cards, and you leave with a different forty-five cards. You get to keep what you draft, unlike standard cubes where the cards get boxed back up for next time.
Happy gaming, all.
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Alter Ego Archive: Oak Thirdson under the Wane Moon
A genuine enjoyment of the barbarian class, and a stubborn affinity for human characters combined a few years back into one of the most enjoyable characters I've ever played in a tabletop game. His name was Oak, full name: Oak Thirdson under the Wane Moon.
His father was reputed of legend as one favored of the spirit of the oak. His mother was foreign, of another northern tribe. Her people were guided by the spirit of the Amaranth. In blighted times, when the great oak tree at the heart of tribal lands was dying, Oak's father went forth, and sought healing magic. He fell in love with Oak's mother, and as she brought to the tribe the magic of the Amaranth, the great oak was saved.
The man's third son, he named Oak. It fell to Oak to voyage to the lands of the milkdrinkers as an ambassador and seek to develop ties with the men of stone walls. He chronicled his journeys thoroughly, and looked forward to the day he could return, his mission completed, and take his place in the tribe. He had been promised the right, upon his return, to ask the hand of the woman he loved. It was this that sustained him in dark times.
Oak fought bravely, though he mistrusted the strange and bookish magics of the lands he'd come to. He was eventually led by a dream to unite with others and seek out the lost city of Kadath. There they would all find Morpheus, and learn the meaning of their strange dreams.
They aided a prince among cats in rescuing his people from a tyrannical community. They clawed their way through spider infested caverns and ape infested forests of towering paralytic mushrooms, and finally reached the coast to seek their goal across the sea. Once aboard ship, they discovered a dark secret hidden by the captain, an eldritch horror beneath the planking which had been tortured to work the oars as the ship's motive power. A fight ensued and the party sailed what remained of the ship into harbor, loaded down with valuable cargo in the form of massive jewels.
Despite the party's best efforts the ship was seized by avaricious dock inspectors who pinned the horror related deaths on the party. The group slunk out of town in secret, and Oak vowed violent revenge on the town.
The group traveled for days from the town, until finally reaching an unnatural and forsaken plateau. Inside, they slew a great flying beast while it slept and crept through long corridors depicting ancient and unknown gods and devils. Finally, they reached a deep chamber, after descending an enormous staircase. After a fight with a lone and raving cultist, a veil withdrew, and Nyarlthotep sat sneering in the place of Morpheus. He spoke in riddles, and after a long fall in darkness Oak woke up. It was Boston in the 1920s, the hypnotist had left sometime after putting his guests in trance, and Catherine Fortier was beset with the memories of this "Oak", left wondering what was real.
This was where our 4E D&D campaign ended and switched over into the World of Darkness system. I'm sure at some point, this Alter Ego Archive will come back around to Catherine Fortier, but until then; happy gaming, all.
His father was reputed of legend as one favored of the spirit of the oak. His mother was foreign, of another northern tribe. Her people were guided by the spirit of the Amaranth. In blighted times, when the great oak tree at the heart of tribal lands was dying, Oak's father went forth, and sought healing magic. He fell in love with Oak's mother, and as she brought to the tribe the magic of the Amaranth, the great oak was saved.
The man's third son, he named Oak. It fell to Oak to voyage to the lands of the milkdrinkers as an ambassador and seek to develop ties with the men of stone walls. He chronicled his journeys thoroughly, and looked forward to the day he could return, his mission completed, and take his place in the tribe. He had been promised the right, upon his return, to ask the hand of the woman he loved. It was this that sustained him in dark times.
Oak fought bravely, though he mistrusted the strange and bookish magics of the lands he'd come to. He was eventually led by a dream to unite with others and seek out the lost city of Kadath. There they would all find Morpheus, and learn the meaning of their strange dreams.
They aided a prince among cats in rescuing his people from a tyrannical community. They clawed their way through spider infested caverns and ape infested forests of towering paralytic mushrooms, and finally reached the coast to seek their goal across the sea. Once aboard ship, they discovered a dark secret hidden by the captain, an eldritch horror beneath the planking which had been tortured to work the oars as the ship's motive power. A fight ensued and the party sailed what remained of the ship into harbor, loaded down with valuable cargo in the form of massive jewels.
Despite the party's best efforts the ship was seized by avaricious dock inspectors who pinned the horror related deaths on the party. The group slunk out of town in secret, and Oak vowed violent revenge on the town.
The group traveled for days from the town, until finally reaching an unnatural and forsaken plateau. Inside, they slew a great flying beast while it slept and crept through long corridors depicting ancient and unknown gods and devils. Finally, they reached a deep chamber, after descending an enormous staircase. After a fight with a lone and raving cultist, a veil withdrew, and Nyarlthotep sat sneering in the place of Morpheus. He spoke in riddles, and after a long fall in darkness Oak woke up. It was Boston in the 1920s, the hypnotist had left sometime after putting his guests in trance, and Catherine Fortier was beset with the memories of this "Oak", left wondering what was real.
This was where our 4E D&D campaign ended and switched over into the World of Darkness system. I'm sure at some point, this Alter Ego Archive will come back around to Catherine Fortier, but until then; happy gaming, all.
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Thursday
It's midnight, so it's technically already tomorrow. Since the next post will be a day late anyway, I'll take the extra time to get something better going. Back in another half a day. It'll be good (hopefully).
Happy Thursday, all.
Monday, October 17, 2016
Book Review: At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft
At the Mountains of Madness
Author: H.P. Lovecraft
Publishing Date: 1936 (published with errors and abridgments, not corrected until 1985 reprint)
Setting Genre: Research Expedition
Narrative Genre: Horror, Ancient Aliens, Science Fiction
Themes: Hubris, Smallness of mankind
Subjective Length: A day or so
Overall 6/10 This is an excellent work, well worth reading for fans of the ancient aliens subset of horrific science fiction. Outside of that fairly narrow demographic, however, it likely has a very limited appeal. That being said, this story, and Lovecraft's body of work in general, began trends that continue into modern horror and even have their influences as far flung as Adventure Time and The Simpsons. If this, admittedly narrow, genre piques your curiosity at all, give this or, really, anything at all by Lovecraft, a look.
Controversial Themes:
Body Horror: At the Mountains of Madness deals with the horror of gore and the existential horror of its equivalent in beings not possessing bodies in the traditional sense. The imagery is disturbing throughout, to great effect, but possibly beyond what some readers can handle.
Origin of Man: Lovecraft in this work explores a fictional cosmology that, to my knowledge, is not the accepted origin of man in any scientific or religious beliefs actually held today.
The Place of Humanity: Lovecraft's mythos, explored deeply in this work in particular, emphasizes humanity's smallness as an aspect of the horror. Humanity is not seen as cosmically special or important in any way whatsoever. This is not so much controversial, as simply potentially very uncomfortable for some readers.
**SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD**
The story follows the exploration of an antarctic expedition looking to perform geological surveys. In this it references the fictional Miskatonic University, located in the fictional town of Arkham. This references other stories and places this work in the same continuity as Lovecraft's mythos; which includes: Cthulhu, The Great Old Ones, shoggoths, and other elements which have become mainstays of modern cosmic horror.
During their expeditions, they discover a mountain range beyond the reach of previous expeditions, and reaching higher than the Himalayas. Near this, a cavern is discovered with the remains of several strange and ancient creatures of a level of biological advancement not thought to have existed at the time the strata indicates they would have. Most of this is relayed to the main characters of the story by radio from a forward camp of the expedition. When the main camp loses contact with this group, they go to investigate. They find evidence of a struggle and inexplicable violence.
Two men fly over the high mountains, seeking answers, and find the remnants of an impossibly old civilization. It is discovered that some of the recovered specimens were still alive after thawing, and, in violence, escaped the camp, seeking to return to the civilization they'd known in ancient times.
Deep beneatwithin the city, the men discover these and other secrets written in a hieroglyphic language which they are able to interpret pictorally. It is here that they encounter the eldritch creatures which have taken residence in the crypts of these old ones: the shoggoths. A shoggoth, described as a vaguely made creature, intended as a slave which could shapeshift to complete various tasks, is seen briefly in the cavernous remains of the city. It chases the two men from the ruins.
The entire story is written in the past tense, by a man fearing to be called mad for his claims, but who came forward because of the urgency with which he feels he must prevent a future expedition from attempting to delve those same depths into the realm of things man was not meant to know.
This story explains the history of earth and space in Lovecraft's mythology more than many others which he wrote. Nevertheless, Lovecraft possesses a talent for keeping the monster scary after the reveal that is rare in the genre. As Orson Scott Card said, (paraphrasing) dread comes from an unseen menace, terror from a threat, and genuine horror is in the gory aftermath.
Most offerings of the horror genre are disturbing in the horror, startling in the terror, and only truly frightening in the dread: that is, in the time before the monster comes to light. The unknown frightens. Lovecraft, as seen in this work in particular, has a skill for explaining everything the human mind can grasp of his monsters, and placing the thing in vivid color in the reader's path, and still, through some rare talent, making it so other that it cannot help but have an aspect of the unknown.
The added horror of the piece, and of much of Lovecraft's writing, is that these things of other dimensions are not beyond veils of death or through gateways to fantastic realms. They are not on other worlds or other planes of existence. They are beneath the thin scraping of the earth's crust. These things that shouldn't be, whose mere presences are the precursors of madness, lie beneath a few feet of rock, or just around the next corner. Earth, to Lovecraft's mythos, is not the sole dominion of man, and the senses and knowledge of man is not sufficient to know our place in this world we thought we ruled. This is the true terror of what lies beneath the Antarctic ice.
Happy reading, all.
Author: H.P. Lovecraft
Publishing Date: 1936 (published with errors and abridgments, not corrected until 1985 reprint)
Setting Genre: Research Expedition
Narrative Genre: Horror, Ancient Aliens, Science Fiction
Themes: Hubris, Smallness of mankind
Subjective Length: A day or so
Overall 6/10 This is an excellent work, well worth reading for fans of the ancient aliens subset of horrific science fiction. Outside of that fairly narrow demographic, however, it likely has a very limited appeal. That being said, this story, and Lovecraft's body of work in general, began trends that continue into modern horror and even have their influences as far flung as Adventure Time and The Simpsons. If this, admittedly narrow, genre piques your curiosity at all, give this or, really, anything at all by Lovecraft, a look.
Controversial Themes:
Body Horror: At the Mountains of Madness deals with the horror of gore and the existential horror of its equivalent in beings not possessing bodies in the traditional sense. The imagery is disturbing throughout, to great effect, but possibly beyond what some readers can handle.
Origin of Man: Lovecraft in this work explores a fictional cosmology that, to my knowledge, is not the accepted origin of man in any scientific or religious beliefs actually held today.
The Place of Humanity: Lovecraft's mythos, explored deeply in this work in particular, emphasizes humanity's smallness as an aspect of the horror. Humanity is not seen as cosmically special or important in any way whatsoever. This is not so much controversial, as simply potentially very uncomfortable for some readers.
**SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD**
The story follows the exploration of an antarctic expedition looking to perform geological surveys. In this it references the fictional Miskatonic University, located in the fictional town of Arkham. This references other stories and places this work in the same continuity as Lovecraft's mythos; which includes: Cthulhu, The Great Old Ones, shoggoths, and other elements which have become mainstays of modern cosmic horror.
During their expeditions, they discover a mountain range beyond the reach of previous expeditions, and reaching higher than the Himalayas. Near this, a cavern is discovered with the remains of several strange and ancient creatures of a level of biological advancement not thought to have existed at the time the strata indicates they would have. Most of this is relayed to the main characters of the story by radio from a forward camp of the expedition. When the main camp loses contact with this group, they go to investigate. They find evidence of a struggle and inexplicable violence.
Two men fly over the high mountains, seeking answers, and find the remnants of an impossibly old civilization. It is discovered that some of the recovered specimens were still alive after thawing, and, in violence, escaped the camp, seeking to return to the civilization they'd known in ancient times.
Deep beneatwithin the city, the men discover these and other secrets written in a hieroglyphic language which they are able to interpret pictorally. It is here that they encounter the eldritch creatures which have taken residence in the crypts of these old ones: the shoggoths. A shoggoth, described as a vaguely made creature, intended as a slave which could shapeshift to complete various tasks, is seen briefly in the cavernous remains of the city. It chases the two men from the ruins.
The entire story is written in the past tense, by a man fearing to be called mad for his claims, but who came forward because of the urgency with which he feels he must prevent a future expedition from attempting to delve those same depths into the realm of things man was not meant to know.
This story explains the history of earth and space in Lovecraft's mythology more than many others which he wrote. Nevertheless, Lovecraft possesses a talent for keeping the monster scary after the reveal that is rare in the genre. As Orson Scott Card said, (paraphrasing) dread comes from an unseen menace, terror from a threat, and genuine horror is in the gory aftermath.
Most offerings of the horror genre are disturbing in the horror, startling in the terror, and only truly frightening in the dread: that is, in the time before the monster comes to light. The unknown frightens. Lovecraft, as seen in this work in particular, has a skill for explaining everything the human mind can grasp of his monsters, and placing the thing in vivid color in the reader's path, and still, through some rare talent, making it so other that it cannot help but have an aspect of the unknown.
The added horror of the piece, and of much of Lovecraft's writing, is that these things of other dimensions are not beyond veils of death or through gateways to fantastic realms. They are not on other worlds or other planes of existence. They are beneath the thin scraping of the earth's crust. These things that shouldn't be, whose mere presences are the precursors of madness, lie beneath a few feet of rock, or just around the next corner. Earth, to Lovecraft's mythos, is not the sole dominion of man, and the senses and knowledge of man is not sufficient to know our place in this world we thought we ruled. This is the true terror of what lies beneath the Antarctic ice.
Happy reading, all.
Friday, October 14, 2016
Top Five: Favorite Halloween Comedies
Not every movie that fits the Halloween season is a horror suited to keeping the viewer up at night, staring into the shadows for signs of creeping things. Sometimes, a movie comes out with the monsters, hauntings, and isolation of the best in horror, but with a tone of irreverence or jocularity that turns fear to laughter. If the darker offerings of the season are too much for you, or you're just looking for a brief reprieve in your Halloween viewing schedule, take a look at some of these. I will say, this list is subjective, and there are probably deserving movies that didn't do it for me, or that I haven't even seen. That said, let's get into the list. Entries will be hyperlinked to their imdb pages.
5. Ghostbusters (1984) [PG]
Ghostbusters is a classic 80s comedy. Usually, this is seen as another Bill Murray/Dan Akroyd vehicle in a long line of the same; but combined with the star power of Rick Moranis and Sigourney Weaver, this is a great line-up that would be known in film schools even if it had been terrible. Lucky for us, the film was not only an interesting conflation of established and up-and-coming stars of the decade; on top of it all, it was a good movie. It hit the sweet spot of a world that takes itself seriously, and characters that maintain an irreverent attitude that, nevertheless, never pulls back the curtain on what is, after all, a fairly absurd premise in worldbuilding. The central conceit of the film is a company that proves the existence of ghosts, and proceeds to market their services as one would market pest exterminators. Not only is it funny on the surface, but the symbolism in the film has led various comedy critiques to describe the movie as everything from a libertarian dream to a science-powered revolt against religion. Whatever your read on the film, the jokes hit soundly, and the premise maintains vast and ridiculous elements without risking losing the audience.
4. Little Shop of Horrors (1986) [PG-13]
Little Shop of Horrors is another film with Rick Moranis, and, while it's overshadowed in his filmography by such titles as Spaceballs and the Honey I Shrunk the Kids series, I consider it among his best performances. If this was before your time, imagine Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, but lampooning horror instead of super heroes. The songs have been parodied multiple times in Seth MacFarlane's work, and, again, this is a movie that picks a premise and sticks to it. This is a film of earnest and invested characters in a situation the audience can laugh at. There's a certain appeal to a film that trusts the audience to get the joke without constant fourth wall winks. The opposite has its place, but in a slew of movies that are either grim as gravel or lampshading so hard that the lighting crew goes on strike, its refreshing to reach into the past for a different way of getting the laughs.
3. Shaun of the Dead (2004) [R]
Shaun of the Dead is a fantastic comedy that mocks zombie movies and is generally regarded as the first in the Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy. These are Simon Pegg/Nick Frost vehicles and are Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End. Personally, I think Shaun of the Dead is the trilogy's high point, which is no slight on the others. The story is tight and full of fun easter eggs that the filmmakers are content to leave as easter eggs. Some movies go out of their way to show off their cleverness, but movies that let the neat touches stay subdued can add a lot of interest. This is especially true in the internet age, when there's no need for every viewer to get the joke. If one viewer picks up on it, the world will know soon enough. A warning, this is one of the harder "R"s I've seen. Deadpool and The Punisher come to mind as rougher, but the harsh language in this is pretty much constant. Go in forewarned, but if that's no worry to you, have fun.
2. Young Frankenstein (1974) [PG]
Young Frankenstein is a movie from the excellent and peerless Mel Brooks, and starring the irreplaceable Gene Wilder and Frankie Boyle. I'll admit, too, that I haven't seen Marty Feldman in much otherwise, but his performance as Igor helped make the movie what it is, and, before I go off in heaping praise on literally everyone involved, I'll just say that this film is not only wonderfully acted, but so well cast as to heap commendation on the casting director. The plot follows the grandson of Victor Frankenstein returning to his grandfather's research and brings the hijinks, humor, and heart that any fan of Mel Brooks would expect from his work. It holds a coherent plot a little more strongly than Blazing Saddles, and stands as one of the best in the filmography of most involved.
1. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010) [R]
. . . and, topping the list, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil is a masterpiece of believable trope subversion. The plot turns every expectation of the horror genre on its head without ever actually feeling like a parody. It reminds the viewer of Joss Whedon's famous quote: "Make it dark, make it grim, make it tough, but then, for the love of God, tell a joke." The characters face trauma, gore, and horror, and everyone on all sides acts in terrified self defense, and the entire thing becomes a comedy of errors with deadly stakes. The core concept is innocent friends who happen to look like the classic "inbred, hillbilly maniac" horror villain are the victims of misunderstanding upon misunderstanding. If you can handle some blood, and enjoy dark humor, this is, in my opinion, probably one of the ten best movies ever made. Treat yourself.
Happy viewing, all.
5. Ghostbusters (1984) [PG]
Ghostbusters is a classic 80s comedy. Usually, this is seen as another Bill Murray/Dan Akroyd vehicle in a long line of the same; but combined with the star power of Rick Moranis and Sigourney Weaver, this is a great line-up that would be known in film schools even if it had been terrible. Lucky for us, the film was not only an interesting conflation of established and up-and-coming stars of the decade; on top of it all, it was a good movie. It hit the sweet spot of a world that takes itself seriously, and characters that maintain an irreverent attitude that, nevertheless, never pulls back the curtain on what is, after all, a fairly absurd premise in worldbuilding. The central conceit of the film is a company that proves the existence of ghosts, and proceeds to market their services as one would market pest exterminators. Not only is it funny on the surface, but the symbolism in the film has led various comedy critiques to describe the movie as everything from a libertarian dream to a science-powered revolt against religion. Whatever your read on the film, the jokes hit soundly, and the premise maintains vast and ridiculous elements without risking losing the audience.
4. Little Shop of Horrors (1986) [PG-13]
Little Shop of Horrors is another film with Rick Moranis, and, while it's overshadowed in his filmography by such titles as Spaceballs and the Honey I Shrunk the Kids series, I consider it among his best performances. If this was before your time, imagine Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, but lampooning horror instead of super heroes. The songs have been parodied multiple times in Seth MacFarlane's work, and, again, this is a movie that picks a premise and sticks to it. This is a film of earnest and invested characters in a situation the audience can laugh at. There's a certain appeal to a film that trusts the audience to get the joke without constant fourth wall winks. The opposite has its place, but in a slew of movies that are either grim as gravel or lampshading so hard that the lighting crew goes on strike, its refreshing to reach into the past for a different way of getting the laughs.
3. Shaun of the Dead (2004) [R]
Shaun of the Dead is a fantastic comedy that mocks zombie movies and is generally regarded as the first in the Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy. These are Simon Pegg/Nick Frost vehicles and are Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End. Personally, I think Shaun of the Dead is the trilogy's high point, which is no slight on the others. The story is tight and full of fun easter eggs that the filmmakers are content to leave as easter eggs. Some movies go out of their way to show off their cleverness, but movies that let the neat touches stay subdued can add a lot of interest. This is especially true in the internet age, when there's no need for every viewer to get the joke. If one viewer picks up on it, the world will know soon enough. A warning, this is one of the harder "R"s I've seen. Deadpool and The Punisher come to mind as rougher, but the harsh language in this is pretty much constant. Go in forewarned, but if that's no worry to you, have fun.
2. Young Frankenstein (1974) [PG]
Young Frankenstein is a movie from the excellent and peerless Mel Brooks, and starring the irreplaceable Gene Wilder and Frankie Boyle. I'll admit, too, that I haven't seen Marty Feldman in much otherwise, but his performance as Igor helped make the movie what it is, and, before I go off in heaping praise on literally everyone involved, I'll just say that this film is not only wonderfully acted, but so well cast as to heap commendation on the casting director. The plot follows the grandson of Victor Frankenstein returning to his grandfather's research and brings the hijinks, humor, and heart that any fan of Mel Brooks would expect from his work. It holds a coherent plot a little more strongly than Blazing Saddles, and stands as one of the best in the filmography of most involved.
1. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010) [R]
. . . and, topping the list, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil is a masterpiece of believable trope subversion. The plot turns every expectation of the horror genre on its head without ever actually feeling like a parody. It reminds the viewer of Joss Whedon's famous quote: "Make it dark, make it grim, make it tough, but then, for the love of God, tell a joke." The characters face trauma, gore, and horror, and everyone on all sides acts in terrified self defense, and the entire thing becomes a comedy of errors with deadly stakes. The core concept is innocent friends who happen to look like the classic "inbred, hillbilly maniac" horror villain are the victims of misunderstanding upon misunderstanding. If you can handle some blood, and enjoy dark humor, this is, in my opinion, probably one of the ten best movies ever made. Treat yourself.
Happy viewing, all.
Monday, October 10, 2016
Book Review: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Frankenstein
Author: Mary Shelley
Publishing Date: 1818 (current revision published 1831)
Setting Genre: Realism, Set in Europe, Science Fiction
Narrative Genre: Horror, Slasher,
Themes: Mad Science, Man's Hubris
Subjective Length: 3-5 days
Overall 8/10. Not only a classic, but a fairly easy read as classics go. This work is seminal to the roots of science fiction and established tropes that would define the genre for over a century. The horror of mankind's own doing would inform science fiction in general and be a mainstay of robotic science fiction in particular until Asimov's famous three laws. In Shelley's work, we have a man arrogant enough to tread on forbidden ground in the name of curiosity and discovery; a theme to come to its fruition in the works of H.P. Lovecraft a century later. The notion of this type of self-important scientist would spread beyond its genre of birth, finding fertile ground as far afield as the character of Henry Higgins in Shaw's Pygmalion (later adapted as My Fair Lady). All this to say, Frankenstein is a work of pressing importance to the histories of both horror and science fiction.
Controversial Themes:
Incest: While, in the 1831 revision, Victor and Elizabeth were only adoptive siblings; they were cousins in the first publication, and continue to call each other "cousin" in the revised version. They were raised as siblings, and yet maintain a romantic relationship encouraged by the adults in their lives.
Enlightenment Philosophy: The creature espouses the enlightenment philosophy of Rousseau, claiming that he was made morally good, but was corrupted by interaction with humanity.
Body Horror: The creature, in each appearance, is described in vivid and disturbing terms. These are not typically highly descriptive terms, but rather, highly evocative ones.
**SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD**
The story begins with a framing device, in which we see a captain seeking to find hidden knowledge in the arctic. He finds a man nearly dead on the ice, and induces him to share his story. The man, Victor Frankenstein, complies, hoping to urge his new-found friend away from arrogance at seeking after things too grandiose for man.
He relates the details of his early life, introducing the characters of his adoptive sister, Elizabeth, and their childhood friend, Henry Clerval; and moves on to describe his archaic early education in medicine.
He then relates his going to university, and the negative reactions he finds in those who learn of his attachment to ancient writers of alchemical works. In the combination of his early and his formal schooling, he determines to pursue modern science with its practicalities without abandoning the heart of ancient alchemy, with all its lofty goals.
He finds, in two years study, the secret to restoring life to dead tissue. He here interrupts his own narrative to interact with the framing device and insist that he will not share this secret with the ship's captain. He assembles the grisly parts needed and brings his creation to life when, horrified by the squirming mass he sees, he flees his laboratory. When he must return to it later, he is relieved to find the creature gone.
Time passes, and while preparing to return home from the university, he learns that his youngest brother has been murdered. He returns and sees the form of the thing he made in the shadows, and knows that the thing he made was the killer. Nevertheless, he has no plausible evidence to offer to protect the family's maid, and she is tried and executed for the boy's death.
The creature then approaches its maker, and relates its life. It speaks of misty and not understood sensations until it came to rest in the woods. It then made its way to a small homestead where it watched the family that lived there. It was there that the creature learned of humanity, and learned language. After learning to read, it looked over the notes in the pocket of its stolen coat, and learned the details of its origin, and who made it. It spent its nights helping quietly with the family's chores, and then, finally, decided to introduce itself to the blind patriarch of the family while the others were out. It seems to succeed somewhat in inducing the old man to sympathy, but the return of the rest of the family, and their violent reactions to the creature's appearance force it back into the woods and into hiding.
Then, it turned on mankind. It came to Frankenstein's home village, and upon learning the boy was related to Frankenstein, the creature killed the boy, and as a spite on mankind in general, it framed the housekeeper for the death.
It then, in speaking to Victor, demanded a mate. It played on the doctor's sympathies and guilted its creator into not leaving it alone in the world. Victor, after much inner turmoil, went north to consult new research in biology and to re-establish the work he hated and had regretted since he first made the creature.
On seeing the creature in the window of his new lobarotary, Victor is struck with the potential for harm in his latest work, and destroys the female creature he'd been making. The creature, seeing this, goes off in a rage, killing Henry Clavel, who'd come along to see England.
Victor returns home, determined to kill the creature if he sees it again. He marries Elizabeth, and, on going out to try to face the creature, hears her scream. He returns to see her murdered on the bed. Emotionally broken, he set out on the creature's trail, tracking it to the arctic where he met with the ship that rescued him.
After relating this, Victor dies of exposure. The captain then finds the creature he'd only heard of in the story in the cabin with the body. It seeks one more time to justify its behavior before declaring that there is no purpose left to prolonged existence, and that, its enemy dead, it would go north to lie on a funeral pyre to die.
The story deals strongly with themes of parenthood. Victor is, on some level, motivated in his research by the death of his mother; and the creature ascribes its own depraved behavior to abandonment by Victor. The horror Victor feels at creating a female companion to the creature reaches its apex at realizing that if the two could procreate, his actions could condemn the human race to annihilation.
In another theme, the creature associates itself with the portrayal of Satan depicted in Milton's Paradise Lost: a foul being cast aside by its creator. The book opens with the quote: "Did I request Thee, Maker, from my clay // To mould me man, Did I solicit Thee // From darkness to promote me?" from the tenth section of Paradise Lost. The creature even asserts at one point: "Satan had his companions, fellow-devils, to admire and encourage him; but I am solitary and abhorred."
This book goes into not only dark areas of narrative, but into shadowy areas of morality. It leaves the reader wondering what mankind, as creators of this monster, owed to it. Can we say that its actions were unjustified, or even condemn them as disproportionate? Was this creature a form of man, sinful and claiming innocence; or was it some new species, unfallen until we acted the tempter towards it? Whatever the answers, this is a book that asks questions that can shape subtle shades of philosophy; and leave a reader changed for the experience. Happy reading, all.
Author: Mary Shelley
Publishing Date: 1818 (current revision published 1831)
Setting Genre: Realism, Set in Europe, Science Fiction
Narrative Genre: Horror, Slasher,
Themes: Mad Science, Man's Hubris
Subjective Length: 3-5 days
Overall 8/10. Not only a classic, but a fairly easy read as classics go. This work is seminal to the roots of science fiction and established tropes that would define the genre for over a century. The horror of mankind's own doing would inform science fiction in general and be a mainstay of robotic science fiction in particular until Asimov's famous three laws. In Shelley's work, we have a man arrogant enough to tread on forbidden ground in the name of curiosity and discovery; a theme to come to its fruition in the works of H.P. Lovecraft a century later. The notion of this type of self-important scientist would spread beyond its genre of birth, finding fertile ground as far afield as the character of Henry Higgins in Shaw's Pygmalion (later adapted as My Fair Lady). All this to say, Frankenstein is a work of pressing importance to the histories of both horror and science fiction.
Controversial Themes:
Incest: While, in the 1831 revision, Victor and Elizabeth were only adoptive siblings; they were cousins in the first publication, and continue to call each other "cousin" in the revised version. They were raised as siblings, and yet maintain a romantic relationship encouraged by the adults in their lives.
Enlightenment Philosophy: The creature espouses the enlightenment philosophy of Rousseau, claiming that he was made morally good, but was corrupted by interaction with humanity.
Body Horror: The creature, in each appearance, is described in vivid and disturbing terms. These are not typically highly descriptive terms, but rather, highly evocative ones.
**SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD**
The story begins with a framing device, in which we see a captain seeking to find hidden knowledge in the arctic. He finds a man nearly dead on the ice, and induces him to share his story. The man, Victor Frankenstein, complies, hoping to urge his new-found friend away from arrogance at seeking after things too grandiose for man.
He relates the details of his early life, introducing the characters of his adoptive sister, Elizabeth, and their childhood friend, Henry Clerval; and moves on to describe his archaic early education in medicine.
He then relates his going to university, and the negative reactions he finds in those who learn of his attachment to ancient writers of alchemical works. In the combination of his early and his formal schooling, he determines to pursue modern science with its practicalities without abandoning the heart of ancient alchemy, with all its lofty goals.
He finds, in two years study, the secret to restoring life to dead tissue. He here interrupts his own narrative to interact with the framing device and insist that he will not share this secret with the ship's captain. He assembles the grisly parts needed and brings his creation to life when, horrified by the squirming mass he sees, he flees his laboratory. When he must return to it later, he is relieved to find the creature gone.
Time passes, and while preparing to return home from the university, he learns that his youngest brother has been murdered. He returns and sees the form of the thing he made in the shadows, and knows that the thing he made was the killer. Nevertheless, he has no plausible evidence to offer to protect the family's maid, and she is tried and executed for the boy's death.
The creature then approaches its maker, and relates its life. It speaks of misty and not understood sensations until it came to rest in the woods. It then made its way to a small homestead where it watched the family that lived there. It was there that the creature learned of humanity, and learned language. After learning to read, it looked over the notes in the pocket of its stolen coat, and learned the details of its origin, and who made it. It spent its nights helping quietly with the family's chores, and then, finally, decided to introduce itself to the blind patriarch of the family while the others were out. It seems to succeed somewhat in inducing the old man to sympathy, but the return of the rest of the family, and their violent reactions to the creature's appearance force it back into the woods and into hiding.
Then, it turned on mankind. It came to Frankenstein's home village, and upon learning the boy was related to Frankenstein, the creature killed the boy, and as a spite on mankind in general, it framed the housekeeper for the death.
It then, in speaking to Victor, demanded a mate. It played on the doctor's sympathies and guilted its creator into not leaving it alone in the world. Victor, after much inner turmoil, went north to consult new research in biology and to re-establish the work he hated and had regretted since he first made the creature.
On seeing the creature in the window of his new lobarotary, Victor is struck with the potential for harm in his latest work, and destroys the female creature he'd been making. The creature, seeing this, goes off in a rage, killing Henry Clavel, who'd come along to see England.
Victor returns home, determined to kill the creature if he sees it again. He marries Elizabeth, and, on going out to try to face the creature, hears her scream. He returns to see her murdered on the bed. Emotionally broken, he set out on the creature's trail, tracking it to the arctic where he met with the ship that rescued him.
After relating this, Victor dies of exposure. The captain then finds the creature he'd only heard of in the story in the cabin with the body. It seeks one more time to justify its behavior before declaring that there is no purpose left to prolonged existence, and that, its enemy dead, it would go north to lie on a funeral pyre to die.
The story deals strongly with themes of parenthood. Victor is, on some level, motivated in his research by the death of his mother; and the creature ascribes its own depraved behavior to abandonment by Victor. The horror Victor feels at creating a female companion to the creature reaches its apex at realizing that if the two could procreate, his actions could condemn the human race to annihilation.
In another theme, the creature associates itself with the portrayal of Satan depicted in Milton's Paradise Lost: a foul being cast aside by its creator. The book opens with the quote: "Did I request Thee, Maker, from my clay // To mould me man, Did I solicit Thee // From darkness to promote me?" from the tenth section of Paradise Lost. The creature even asserts at one point: "Satan had his companions, fellow-devils, to admire and encourage him; but I am solitary and abhorred."
This book goes into not only dark areas of narrative, but into shadowy areas of morality. It leaves the reader wondering what mankind, as creators of this monster, owed to it. Can we say that its actions were unjustified, or even condemn them as disproportionate? Was this creature a form of man, sinful and claiming innocence; or was it some new species, unfallen until we acted the tempter towards it? Whatever the answers, this is a book that asks questions that can shape subtle shades of philosophy; and leave a reader changed for the experience. Happy reading, all.
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Book Review: Dracula by Bram Stoker
Dracula
-Author: Bram Stoker
-Publishing Date: 1897
-Setting Genre: Historical Fiction: Europe
-Narrative Genre: Horror, Epistlary
-Themes: Scientist of Mythology, Religious Faith, Seduction, the Other
Subjective Length: A week or so
Overall 7/10. This is a definitive classic of horror writing and establishes conventions still seen today. The expert in disregarded lore seen in the character of Van Helsing recurs in characters like Daniel Jackson of Stargate, the archaeologist who ascribes to the ancient aliens notion; or the heroes of Roger Zelazny's Amber novels, who interchange magic and science with impunity, utilizing whichever happens to work best with the physics of their current reality; and is subverted in works like "Ghostbusters" where the main characters face ancient beings without prolonged library trips to study ancient ritual, opting instead for the, less common, scientific firepower approach. The Vampire myth may predate this work, but it is Bram Stoker's most memorable work that kept this ancient piece of folklore alive into the modern horror genre.
Controversial Themes:
Sex: There is a strong metaphorical association between sex and the vampire's bite. This was explored more thoroughly in later works on the theme, however, the implication is there.This includes an attempted seduction wherein a vampiric trio of women seek to seduce one of the main characters in a scene existing somewhere on the edge of waking and dreaming.
Religion: The handling of religion in the piece could be problematic for several types of readers. Firstly, there is a strong Christian overtone, and the assertion that vampires are, as defined by scripture, a form of demon, banishable only by the trappings of faith in Jesus Christ. Secondly, the assertion of them as, in some vague capacity, demonic powers makes for the Christian reader the difficulty of seeing Christians made victims of demonic possession, if even in fiction.
Body Horror: Not so much controversial, as simply outside of some readers' comfort zones. The drinking of blood and the visceral effects of Vampiric infection are a milder version than what modern horror fans may be used to; however the elements of body horror remain; old fashioned as some of them may now seem.
**SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD**
The story takes place in the journal entries, and occasional letters of the human protagonists. The narrative opens with Jonathan Harker's journals of his attempts to act as real estate agent for the foreigner Count Dracula, of Transylvania. Harker has come out to Dracula's homeland to help him work through the purchase of land in England. Harker gradually becomes aware that his host is not human, and the dread of the unknown creeps into the narrative through multiple encounters of increasing horror.
We are then introduced to Mina Murray, Jonathan's fiance, as well as Lucy Westenra, who is proposed to three times in a single day. Their correspondence serves to establish several contributing characters to the story. John Seward, a psychiatrist, Quincy Morris, an American from Texas, and Arthur Holmwood, the man Lucy truly loves in return.
It is after this that the reader is presented with an account from a newspaper detailing accounts of a captain gone mad, which, nevertheless, smacks of the journals of Harker, and makes clear that Dracula has come to England.
Lucy is then lured out, and found sleepwalking on the cliffs with small punctures on her throat. She falls into an illness, and John Seward sends for aid from a fellow doctor named Abraham Van Helsing. He analyzes the causes of the illness, and begins to seek to remedy her illness; which consists in the need of constant blood transfusions to maintain life. He also adorns her room in flowering garlic.
Despite their efforts, Lucy dies, and stories begin to circulate of a woman abducting children in the parks of Hampstead. Van Helsing returns from his research and proves through an encounter with the dead woman that it is Lucy Westenra, returned from the dead as a demonic corpse, and leads her former suitors in a carefully timed assault to destroy the corpse's capacity for reanimation.
It is after this, that Mina and Jonathan join in the fight and begin a careful compilation of all notes relevant to the creature that has come for them. The group begins to track down and destroy the coffins of fouled soil brought over by the Count as sanctuaries. Then, Mina is attacked and infected with the same vampiric influence that killed Lucy.
In the final act, the Count is hunted down as he seeks to return to his castle in Transylvania. He is found within his final remaining coffin, being transported by day by his hired men. The protagonists assemble and destroy the corpse, finally ending the Count's ability to hold sway the minds of men.
The book has a bittersweet ending, and does a better job than some other works of ending with the victory of the heroes, yet acknowledging what was lost and who is mourned in the wake of horrific events. The characters survive, but are not unchanged by their trauma. It is, in the end, a triumph of the human species, and the most human reaction to all that has transpired, is to mourn and remember the lost along the way. It is at the end, then, that we see what was being fought for. That humanity would shake off the tyranny of the callous, and stand as fragile beings, unafraid of our vulnerability, and knowing that our capacity to mourn the dead will be what strengthens our resolve against more traditionally potent archetypes of strength and power. It is this hope, shining in the darkness, that has kept this work of dark and violent horror relevant to generations of fans.
Happy reading, all.
-Author: Bram Stoker
-Publishing Date: 1897
-Setting Genre: Historical Fiction: Europe
-Narrative Genre: Horror, Epistlary
-Themes: Scientist of Mythology, Religious Faith, Seduction, the Other
Subjective Length: A week or so
Overall 7/10. This is a definitive classic of horror writing and establishes conventions still seen today. The expert in disregarded lore seen in the character of Van Helsing recurs in characters like Daniel Jackson of Stargate, the archaeologist who ascribes to the ancient aliens notion; or the heroes of Roger Zelazny's Amber novels, who interchange magic and science with impunity, utilizing whichever happens to work best with the physics of their current reality; and is subverted in works like "Ghostbusters" where the main characters face ancient beings without prolonged library trips to study ancient ritual, opting instead for the, less common, scientific firepower approach. The Vampire myth may predate this work, but it is Bram Stoker's most memorable work that kept this ancient piece of folklore alive into the modern horror genre.
Controversial Themes:
Sex: There is a strong metaphorical association between sex and the vampire's bite. This was explored more thoroughly in later works on the theme, however, the implication is there.This includes an attempted seduction wherein a vampiric trio of women seek to seduce one of the main characters in a scene existing somewhere on the edge of waking and dreaming.
Religion: The handling of religion in the piece could be problematic for several types of readers. Firstly, there is a strong Christian overtone, and the assertion that vampires are, as defined by scripture, a form of demon, banishable only by the trappings of faith in Jesus Christ. Secondly, the assertion of them as, in some vague capacity, demonic powers makes for the Christian reader the difficulty of seeing Christians made victims of demonic possession, if even in fiction.
Body Horror: Not so much controversial, as simply outside of some readers' comfort zones. The drinking of blood and the visceral effects of Vampiric infection are a milder version than what modern horror fans may be used to; however the elements of body horror remain; old fashioned as some of them may now seem.
**SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD**
The story takes place in the journal entries, and occasional letters of the human protagonists. The narrative opens with Jonathan Harker's journals of his attempts to act as real estate agent for the foreigner Count Dracula, of Transylvania. Harker has come out to Dracula's homeland to help him work through the purchase of land in England. Harker gradually becomes aware that his host is not human, and the dread of the unknown creeps into the narrative through multiple encounters of increasing horror.
We are then introduced to Mina Murray, Jonathan's fiance, as well as Lucy Westenra, who is proposed to three times in a single day. Their correspondence serves to establish several contributing characters to the story. John Seward, a psychiatrist, Quincy Morris, an American from Texas, and Arthur Holmwood, the man Lucy truly loves in return.
It is after this that the reader is presented with an account from a newspaper detailing accounts of a captain gone mad, which, nevertheless, smacks of the journals of Harker, and makes clear that Dracula has come to England.
Lucy is then lured out, and found sleepwalking on the cliffs with small punctures on her throat. She falls into an illness, and John Seward sends for aid from a fellow doctor named Abraham Van Helsing. He analyzes the causes of the illness, and begins to seek to remedy her illness; which consists in the need of constant blood transfusions to maintain life. He also adorns her room in flowering garlic.
Despite their efforts, Lucy dies, and stories begin to circulate of a woman abducting children in the parks of Hampstead. Van Helsing returns from his research and proves through an encounter with the dead woman that it is Lucy Westenra, returned from the dead as a demonic corpse, and leads her former suitors in a carefully timed assault to destroy the corpse's capacity for reanimation.
It is after this, that Mina and Jonathan join in the fight and begin a careful compilation of all notes relevant to the creature that has come for them. The group begins to track down and destroy the coffins of fouled soil brought over by the Count as sanctuaries. Then, Mina is attacked and infected with the same vampiric influence that killed Lucy.
In the final act, the Count is hunted down as he seeks to return to his castle in Transylvania. He is found within his final remaining coffin, being transported by day by his hired men. The protagonists assemble and destroy the corpse, finally ending the Count's ability to hold sway the minds of men.
The book has a bittersweet ending, and does a better job than some other works of ending with the victory of the heroes, yet acknowledging what was lost and who is mourned in the wake of horrific events. The characters survive, but are not unchanged by their trauma. It is, in the end, a triumph of the human species, and the most human reaction to all that has transpired, is to mourn and remember the lost along the way. It is at the end, then, that we see what was being fought for. That humanity would shake off the tyranny of the callous, and stand as fragile beings, unafraid of our vulnerability, and knowing that our capacity to mourn the dead will be what strengthens our resolve against more traditionally potent archetypes of strength and power. It is this hope, shining in the darkness, that has kept this work of dark and violent horror relevant to generations of fans.
Happy reading, all.
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