I read "I Live With You" by Carol Emshwiller. I felt that this was one the most horrifying short stories.I thought the lack of resolution at the end was creepy. Basically, the story is about a being that lives with a human and tries to make life better.The narrator pretty much creeps on the life of a female girl. It's weird because the female girl does not even recognize its existence.
My first assumption of this "being" was that it was a ghost; however this "thing" does human things like eating. It's creepier knowing that it is a human thing that was using the female person's house stuff. The female noticed and felt like something was living with her. The story ends with the narrator never being revealed. I think this really makes the story a lot more spookier.
This was such an interesting short story and I felt that it was well written. I can see how it's considered to be a diverse position science fiction. In some ways, I feel like this could be considered sci-fi. With the unidentified being, you could argue that it was an alien, especially since the narrator/being is never fully identified.
For this week, I read "And I Awoke And Found Me Here On The Cold Hill's Side" by James Tiptree Jr. I did not expect the reading to be so positive. The story was like a warning about what happens when the human race meets aliens. The story talks about how people just wants find and impregnate the stranger. People who hold different beliefs than the norm are the ones who've continually been persecuted by man. Although, I do think that the engineer forgot about how much man likes conquering other people too. But, I feel like within the story, at the time and place where this is all happening, something else changed: the fact that man could no longer conquer. The aliens, all of the different species that were mentioned and even the ones that weren't mentioned, all have the upper hand on us humans in the story.
I believe that this short story is a cautionary tale. Just looking back at all the different kinds of people we use to and even continue to still persecute today, it all makes sense that we want to conquer and reproduce with those that are different from us. However, if those who are different from us hold even more power then humans, such as having better and more advanced technology as well as not being able to reproduce with humans, it will be disastrous for us. They'll hold the power, they'll call the shots. That's why I think if we ever come into contact with beings from another planet, we need to control ourselves and really work with them to form a peaceful universe.
I had watched Serenity a while ago and I really enjoyed it. The characters were perfectly developed an each were unique. They served well as foils to each other. The serious Simon is contrasted with the vivacious and playful Jane. The bold hardened leader Malcolm contrasted with timid young River. The movie, in its attempt to conclude the series, was overall very fast paced and exciting. I didn’t find myself bored in the middle of an exposition. They dove straight into the action and let the audience contextually figure out what was happening. The most intriguing aspect of the film was the world they created. After a great war on earth, only the two super powers, china and the US survived. The two super powers left their influence on society’s culture. Everything, from language to the environment is a robust fusion of the eastern and western culture. Little things like using Chinese words for the harshest curse words make the setting feel much more believable
Ocean at the End of the Lane felt especially fresh and new from Gaiman's American Gods. I loved the fact that the novel felt completely full and fleshed out even though it was a quick read, and I was able to read it all in one night. For me, it was hard to tell if this was a children's tale or more in the adult realm like American Gods. Perhaps that made it kind of better somehow that you have this adult-narrator telling a rather scary tale of what happened to him as a child. Another interesting thing is how many interesting little thoughts Gaiman is able to weave into the narrative, it's almost like a stream of consciousness or at least as if you were having him sit next to you and read you a bedtime story. It was almost impossible not to hear Gaiman's voice as I read this story, it felt so much as if he were reading it to me. The book was extremely personal but I think something we can all relate to - childhood ostracism, loneliness, "evil" babysitters. There is also something that feels greatly nostalgic about this novel, and I guess I'm not quite sure if this was the way in which Gaiman tells it or just the overall themes themselves. I suppose that's part of the mystery that makes books like this and The Graveyard book so powerful, that they are almost a subgenre in themselves. I think as we become adults it is hard for us to look back at childhood in the same way that Gaiman is able to communicate, but then it becomes so obvious how these memories are almost universal. For me, it was easy to get caught up in the world that Gaiman creates, but then it was also hard to put it down and move on with reality.
Harry Potter is a probably the most popular fiction movie of my generation. I have read the Harry Potter and the Sorcecer's Stones in elementary School and absolutely loved it. It was really fun to read it again this week because you notice so much you never did. When I first read it, I just read it as it is. Just story after a story. Rereading it now, I notice so much depth in characters and symbolisms.
One of the biggest element that struck me was the Mirror of Erised. The mirror reveals the character's deepest desire. It really reflects the characteristics of the person looking into the mirror. I felt that "desire" plays a big motif throughout the novel. The sorcerer's stone is another element symbolizing desire for power and strength. Greed is portrayed in Lord Voldemort which backs him evil.
Rereading the novel, I developed a new favorite towards Hagrid. I think its great how he is this huge man with the sweetest heart. He is clumsy, yet loving. There is a great contrast in Hagrid. His love for weird creatures and animals are so hilarious because it is evident that everyone else is freaked out about it, yet he has a great care and love for creepy creatures.
For this week's reading I read the Hobbit. I really enjoyed this reading a lot. I have never read any of Tolkein's novel or watched any of his film. I love the creativity of the characters in the Hobbit. Tolkein really focuses on describing all of the characters in great depth.
My favorite part about the book is when the Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarves went to Beom's house. The dwarves were entering the home two at a time because there were so many of them and they did not want to upset Beom. There were so many dwarves that every minute they were knocking on the door and would enter without listening to Beom. I looked up this scene on youtube and I felt that the movie captured this scene very well. It was very comedic. I love how everyone seem to make themselves at home regardless of Beom's reaction. They created a huge feast and just started eating all his food. It is funny because they are so polite and sweet, yet they are being very intrusive.
My favorite part of the Hobbit movie is when golem is looking for the ring and he is freaking out. I felt that the acting of golem was really well done. It really shows the important of the ring and the characteristic of what the ring makes you. Golem seems delusional about the ring.
Holkein's Hobbit is about the hero's journey. It encounters problems and there is a huge character development from the beginning of the novel to the end. It seems like a simple story line, but there is so much depth in how the characters are challenged. The challenges really reveals personalities.
For this weeks blog, I read "Aunt Mariah" by Diana Wynee Jones. Jones does not reveal that Aunt Mariah is a witch until way later in novel. The book contains a lot of magical elements. My favorite part of the novel was when Mig found out that Aunt Maria had turned Chris into a wolf. There was a great deal of intensity in this part. I like how Jones writes a lot of the emotions of the character because it really made me sympathize with the characters.
I thought the way Diana Wynee Jones characterized witches was very unique. Aunt Maria's characteristic is seemingly sweet, but mean and harsh at times. In one of the part, she makes other people close her corset for her. Also, she makes people cook for her. She is spoiled.
The first time she uses magic is when she turns Chris into a wolf. She was upset that he was being rude to her.
I feel that the witches in this story does take on the stereotypical aspect of a witch in being that it cast spells. But also, it changes the American idea of a witch being an ugly green mole-faced lady. She is just a normal lady that does not really use magic to do everything. Most of the time she is talking to people and making people do things for her by words. She doesn't fly in a broom or anything. She is mean, but not a stereotypical malicious evil witch.
I read "I Live With You" by Carol Emshwiller. I felt that this was one the most horrifying short stories.I thought the lack of resolution at the end was creepy. Basically, the story is about a being that lives with a human and tries to make life better.The narrator pretty much creeps on the life of a female girl. It's weird because the female girl does not even recognize its existence. 
