Margaret Atwood's “Oryx and Crake” gives us a taste of what the future may become. Our world may reduce itself to that form of chaos and extremities. The world she creates consists of self serving bio-tech companies that uses genetic engineering to manipulate animals and diseases to their whims. Whether they specialize in curing the incurable diseases, make extra organs for transplants, find the scientific way to create the fountain of youth to make their clients live forever, or simply produce meat at the minimum costs and maximum output, they disregard the turmoil their products create, sealing themselves off from the riots, diseases, and fear around them.
Snowman, supposedly the last person on Earth, watching over the “Crakers,” he constantly keeps his mind in his past fading memories of normal life, when he referred to himself by the name Jimmy. In the book, Snowman goes through the earliest memories of Jimmy's childhood to the end of humanity. Throughout his life Jimmy amounted to nothing special compared to how he grew up, both his parents held high positions as bio-tech scientists, the mother seemed to loose her sanity, but smart never-the-less. The schools he went to nurtured geniuses like Crake, who go on to bigger and better things, yet Jimmy barely makes it into a college even with the help of his father's connections. The only thing really special about Jimmy is that he survived the end of humanity, with the help of Crake, and now, as Snowman, simply watches his friend's creations, barely surviving without any help. Also he didn't try to stop the end of humanity, even though he had the resources to save everyone.
According to Snowman's memories, Crake was special ever since he showed up at Jimmy's school. His mother liked him out of all the 'friends' he brought home, his grades were among the best. Crake always had to win or figure out the game. He hated humanity, thinks every human simply has “monkey brains.” Well, with his monkey brain he brought something new to humanity, an old concept.
In fact Oryc helps Crake with this concept, even though she didn't know about it. Oryx allows Jimmy to make her out to whoever he wanted her to be, Jimmy continuously probed her with questions about her past, never sure if she just humored him and made up stories or actually told him what happened to her and who she is. Hew presence was scattered throughout the book, at first she appeared as a child among children on a pornography site, later she, or at least Crake and Jimmy convinced themselves the same person appeared in a garage with other girl's like her, owned by a man who bought them from overseas. Then Crake found her through “student services” and offered her a job. Even when she worked for Crake she traveled, never completely there. She seemed to be another illusion in the book.
When Jimmy is cast out of illusion, as Snowman his reality is plagued with worrying about the Crakers, mutant animals, finding food, and avoiding diseases; he worries about the sun due to global warming, the melting of the glaciers already raised the sea level destroying cities. Now the sun just burns Snowman's skin to a crisp. We also have to worry about global warming, linking the book with current concerns and amplifying them, making them the worst possible outcome.

Bloodchild by Octavia Butler

I love how the author explores her fear of parasites eating her from the inside out. Through the writing she expresses that fear so well in a truly disturbing manner. Making it impossible not to live with the parasite for the human family.
It's crazy that they grow up with these giant parasite like centipede beings, that practically raise them
What relationship does his mother have with this alien? Why is the alien the only form of safety available to them?
The way she integrated parts of the society without it having to be explained, but is demonstrated through peoples characteristics and just things that happen without insulting the intelligence of the reader. Like in those video games where the character is thrown into a society and every aspect of the game has to be explained by whoever specializes in whatever area. Like the blacksmith explains how to use swords, and so on. That never happens in the short story. Only the events are explained, and these events are all influenced by the society she has created between these human pets and parasites. Everything has a purpose, and can be easily understood, or misunderstood in the story.
The entire concept of pregnancy was flipped on its head as it was in Mary Shelly's work, Frankenstein. Where the birth giver is, again, male. Instead of a conventional birth it had been misconstrued and twisted, making it revolting and almost impossible to bear. First of all a man is implanted and gives birth rather than the female. And the birth is always a cesarean, or the impregnated man gets ripped apart from the inside, by the children inside. Just like a parasite or a baby, if it grows too much. At the same time, the protagonist confronts the same issues a high school pregnant girl would feel, doubt and insecurity about her partner, this feeling called love, which is actually them bonded together until he has the babies, I assume the creature will bring up the children after that. If the parasite does not perform the procedure it is even more painful, scaring, and deadly making the bond even stronger and more necessary.

Snow Crash

Sci fi is an escape to the future, and is somewhat inspiring because this is what the world could be, want it that way, or want to change it. It shows the possibilities, and exciting adventure in a technology driven world. While cyber punk is also set in the future like Sci fi, it is a dystopicly anarchistic view of what will happen, which is seen as pessimistic and usually the internet or Metaverse is used as a means to escape reality and corrupted order that needs rebelling against. But in Snow Crash, this escape is now tainted by a drug/virus that effects the person in the Metaverse and real life, so nowhere is safe.

Everything is more abstract in the Metaverse, and depends on programing, and skills, and money in some cases. People have the option to change their appearance however they please, as long as they know how or have the money to do it. It is used for dates, business, and what not. Snow Crash the virus drug, starts out with the lowest forms of the Metaverse offered to people as any e-mail virus we would get today is advertised. But it goes even deeper than a simple virus, goddesses and ancient cultures are dragged into the mix of this futuristic virtual reality.

I could never have imagined an epic pizza delivery service, 30 minutes or else for the delivery boy. That is crazy. And that every employ is a part of the mafia, which happens to be openly advertised and accepted. Society is now even more messed up by being open to franchising. Highways are competing for customers, and couriers attach themselves to cars. Society has become more of a consumer, and bombarded with advertisements.

Through the 30 minute guarantee of the Pizza Mafia, Hiro Protagonist gets kicked out of his job in the Mafia Pizza delivery service called CosaNostra Pizza run by Uncle Enzo. The scene was so intense and I feel over emphasized because it's a stupid pizza, but that is the beauty of the scene, making everyday boring life into a survival of the fittest sort of deal. There is this whole method that requires the deliverer to follow to get the pizza there on time.

Babel 17

In the book Babel 17, Delaney explored the connections between people through the limitations and expression of language. Through Rydra Wong's perspective and insight we get a glimpse of the problems with communication right from the beginning of the novel. And continues to explore it throughout with the pursuing of decoding the perfect language where every word described the exact feeling.

I really enjoyed the concepts that Delaney explored in the novel such as the relationships needed to create a functional ship, which is more involved than pushing a few buttons. The captain, Brass, needs to be strong and interacts with the ship and space physically as if in a wrestling match. I also like how the navigators have an unusual relationship where it involves three people, Calli, Ron, and Twa to be intimate despite the literal language barrier, because Twa does not speak English. It explores the feelings and dependency and conflicts of a threesome, which needs sharing and understanding, and is not a societal norm.

I didn't quite understand the concept of the “discorporate” Eyes, Ears, and Nose of the ship. It was explained that what they do is too much for a living human to handle so they need to be dead, and this death seems to be just another state of being, that can still interact with the living world (the crew) and the ship. But not directly. Which reminds me of a somewhat ancestral and spiritual connection that has to be deeper than words. They are never really described and mentioned only when necessary, but they do hold an important part in the story which is keeping Wong aware of the ship, and informing her at the dinner if there is something wrong. Which everything goes wrong and the ship gets taken over by the perfect assassin.

The novel is considered cyberpunk, which consists of implants, body modification (the captains), blurred line between man and machine (the perfect assassin), it has Wong a strong woman and the main character. which I really appreciated because there are rarely strong independent women as main characters. I wish there were more authors that would create a strong believable female protagonist, that is not necessarily idealized or too aggressive. That women could relate to as well.

Equal Rights

I now understand the computer game I used to play as a child! I never realized it was based off of a book, all I knew was that it was a game my parents had, and it had to do with a lot of talking and tricks, and the main character is a magician that is easily scared. It was so hard to play because the language of the game was German, I can speak it, I just can't read it as well as I would like. Oh and a treasure chest that eats things follows him around like a dog.

I find the narrative very interesting, and obviously connected to the plot of the story. It focuses on events that progress the story, and I have not noticed anything veering too far off from what is going on. I love the author's humor and tone, it is light throughout the book. As if from a child's point of view, putting me in that mindset of ignorance and continuous happening curiosities. He pushes the obvious and gives it a slight twist like when Granny was arguing with the little girl it said something along the lines of: it is obvious she is going to give up, it is most likely it will happen by the end of this paragraph. Then the paragraph ends, and she says she gives up.

Everything always seems to relate back to sex, but is only mentioned in the introduction. Sex, isolation, and the differences of male and female. The world itself seems childish and whimsical, everything is alive and consciously interacts with other species. Not to mention that the world is flat and placed on top of elephants and a giant turtle. Which is the most primitive view of how the world works, the being flat part. The world simply ends at a point, and it all seems to be a joke to some god, and is accepted as normal with the people.

"How did you get here, little girl?" she said, in a voice that
suggested gingerbread cottages and the slamming of big stove doors.
Favorite line ever.

Gormenghast

The Hobit, and Gormenghast's main characters are both unconventional and give a new take on the fantasy world. In The Hobit, it is a past middle aged tiny creature with hairy feet, who is past the point of seeking out an adventure to find themselves, nevertheless it happens to him. The Hero's Quests never come to the willing, because it means there is something that needs to change. In Gormenghast the story revolves around the main character, which is the actual castle, and what goes on inside it. Following the ancient castle's going ons and development of the people living inside, which affect the castle itself.

Gormenghast starts out with Titus being born, the heir to the house of Groan. Born in what seems to be a deserted city, with stragglers left. But nevertheless it is one giant structure that keeps growing and dying. Since Titus is just a baby, the story does not focus as much on him, but more on the other inhabitants of the castle. The inhabitants of the castle have daily lives that are filled with rituals. It dominates their lives. It causes them to be self sufficient and perpetual.

I have never really been interested in the Hobit, and Gormenghast didn't quite captivate me from the start. I was more interested in Titus' development than anything else. In the Hobit I could never relate to the protagonist. But it is definitely a different take on fantasy stories. Causing people to rethink this formula of the Hero's Quest, which usually happens to youths that are in need of development.

There are usually so many details put into fantasy stories, it never keeps my attention long. But, since these stories create different worlds, it is necessary to describe these worlds in detail, which end up being a reflection of our own. It is necessary for these fantasies to exist, which are usually seen as an escape, but in reality are based off of our reality. Putting it into this context, the fantasy worlds will live inside the readers and bring a little bit of the purpose of the world into reality through the reader.

Anansi Boys

I love how Neil Gaimen turns all our expectations on our heads by using unknown gods, and not making the race of the main characters clear. He explores what is important and what is not, pushing the book to its boundaries, causing us to question the conventions and ideas of normality we place on ourselves. He also accomplishes this by wrapping it in stories within stories within stories. Causing the novel to develop, and the protagonist who was at first the teller of a story, and became the singer and liver of his own story through hardships and trials where he is faced by an enemy or obstacle.

“Fat Charlie” is a middle aged man about to marry, not the typical fantasy novel protagonist. But he has child dispositions where he acts immature enough and innocent enough to invoke the cycle of development and finding oneself. His problem is, is that he resides in his father's shadow, automatically ashamed of him, and habitually apologizes for his embarrassment to the people his father interacts with. He goes through ordeals that eventual lead him to find himself as his own person, despite everything that has happened to him.

The book and every story either directly or indirectly revolves around Mr. Nancy, from the very beginning. It starts out from Fat Charlie's perspective describing his father, and his death. Fat Charlie's life is heavily influenced at first by his dad, which is where the story begins. We are told about Anansi's past, and even a few stories. These stories, explained in the book, have Anansi in two different forms a human and a spider, it all depends on how the story is told. At one point it explains how Anansi stole stories from Tiger. And now Anansi is in another form, dead, gone, not present but heavily influential in the story nevertheless. Making the entire story his own, which transfers to his son who finds himself in the story.