Artwork by Anna Becker

Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve always been enthralled with teen romance novels. Ever since I was eleven and reading The Princess Diaries, the genre has been my guilty pleasure and main source of entertainment. So, one might expect that I have read a lot of this kind of novel. Never before, however, have I encountered one like How To Say Goodbye In Robot by Natalie Standiford.

The story starts with the protagonist, Bea. She’s moving from Ithica, New York to Baltimore, Maryland, but this is nothing new for her. She’s been moving nearly every year for her entire life because her father, a professor, is in a search for the perfect teaching job. She’ll be attending a little private school where everyone has known each other since kindergarten and knows she’ll stick out like a sore thumb. She is befriended almost instantly by Anne Sweeney, but who Bea is really interested in is Jonah.

Jonah is a social pariah referred to as “Ghost Boy” by his classmates because he is so distant from the rest of society; but he makes a connection with Bea. He notices her love of conspiracy theory radio stations, and invites her to listen to the station he likes the most. From the night after she first listens to that radio station, Bea and Jonah become very close friends. Bea dubs herself “Robot Girl” and separates herself from her peers to spend more time with Jonah. Unfortunately, the world around Bea and Jonah is falling apart; Bea’s mother appears to be losing her mental sanity, and Jonah reveals more of his tragic past and discovers a secret which greatly impacts both of their lives.

How To Say Goodbye in Robot does not have a happy ending, but it was the sort of story that I couldn’t tear my eyes away from. The story is so true to life and has real, relatable characters; not the sort with bland personalities that anyone could relate to. The writing is superb with a fantastic selection of verbiage, but nothing beyond the level of a high schooler. The story is multifarious and touches on several genres while being straightforward enough to not lose the reader. Although it really worked for the story, I had a bit of trouble with how depressing the end half of the book was. I kept hoping for it to get better, but my tissue supply just kept depleting. Overall, How To Say Goodbye in Robot was one of the best teen fiction books I’ve ever read. I’d suggest it to anyone who loves teen fiction but is sick of all the sappy love stories currently out there. The book can be found in TJ’s school library as well as many other libraries, bookstores and online stores.

Rating: ★★★★★

Artwork by Anna Becker

Enthralling, gritty, grotesque and beautiful, Geek Love is one of those books I just couldn’t tear my eyes away from. The story it tells is just as strange as the characters in the story.

The story follows the Binewskis, a family of traveling circus freaks. These circus freaks, however, are more special than most. Unlike other troupes of their kind, the Binewskis are an actual blood family. Before you jump to the “kissing cousins” conclusion, let me explain: Al Binewski- the father of the family- and Lil Binewski- the mother- set out on a series of experiments using fertility drugs and Lil’s womb to create the perfect freak show.

The first-born was Arty, the fish-boy, then Oly, the hunchback albino (also our narrator), then Elly and Iphy, the musically gifted Siamese twins and finally the mysterious Chick. The book alternates between stories of this family and their attempt to survive despite their malformations, and the story of Oly’s daughter, several years later.

In this second story, we find out that Oly has been living in the same rooming house as her daughter, Miranda, but Miranda does not know that Oly is her mother. Miranda has been living for her entire life on a trust fund from Oly, and now makes her living flaunting her small deformity (a tail). While there, Miranda meets a woman named Mary Lick, who offers her money to have the tail cut off. Oly won’t stand for this, and sets out to protect her daughter at any costs.

Dunn dangles a string of mysteries above the head of the reader, so that even if the writing weren’t amazing enough to hook the reader, their curiosity would be.

A large part of Geek Love’s appeal is its devotion to reality. No amount of sappiness goes unmatched with an equal amount of raw reality. A large part of the book is graphic, making this material unsuitable for children and the easily offended, but Dunn’s boldness in never backing away from touchy subjects adds to the appeal of the book. The writing style and unique story make shuddering through a few graphic pages not so bad.

As strangely as the book began – with the story of how Lil bit off the head of a chicken and drank its blood – I honestly wasn’t expecting the book’s dramatic conclusion (which I can’t reveal for fear of spoilers), even though the author led up to it very well. I noticed only at the end that the threads were all there from the very beginning.

Still, the book was very confusing before I got the hang of it. The identity of the narrator is not entirely clear until the middle of the second chapter, and the time period fluctuates in the strangest places. The author writes like one who truly knows her characters, but she throws the readers into their world without any preparation and seems to expect them to remember a character who was only briefly mentioned in a paragraph two chapters before.

Geek Love has the feel of a mystery novel, and is one I would read a second time. I highly suggest Geek Love to anyone who is tired of the humdrum love stories and romanticized detective mysteries that seem to line every library shelf, and to anyone who won’t let a little bit of freakishness get in the way of his or her enjoyment of spectacular literature.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Artwork by Rebecca Holt

When it comes to obsessions, I will be the first to admit I am a starry-eyed Harry Potter nerd and a rabid “Twiheart” foaming at the mouth. Despite that, it’s not Robert Pattinson’s chiseled bad-boy looks or Harry Potter’s vast magical world (and Snape), which excites me. It is, believe it or not, the books. Holding that 600 page textbook-like novel allows me to escape into the holy grail of teenage fantasy, where magic and mystery prevail alongside ‘vegetarian’ vampires and a twisted evil wizard who resembles a giant snake.

Film blockbusters such as Twilight and Harry Potter are perfect examples of Hollywood’s need to brand everything and market it for one-size-fits-all audiences, and along the way it is tarnishing the appeal of the original book series. Now more than ever, more teens have an apathetic attitude, and watching the movies over the books, finding it a tedious waste of time to wade through pages that the author slaved over and poured her entire heart and soul into.

Don’t get me wrong, Stephenie Meyer and J.K Rowling probably wouldn’t be rolling in dough if it wasn’t for the films’ publicity sky-rocketing them both to number one on the best sellers list for more than a month. But is it right to sacrifice artistic creativity over making money?

For example, there are a lot of things that could be said about the summer’s biggest blockbuster hit, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but only one word could describe my emotion in the theater when the screen turned black and a steady flow of music accompanied the credits.

Shock.

Aside from the fact that it turned into a grotesquely cheesy teenage romance movie fit only for the Twilight series, it cut out a beloved character’s funeral, missed imperative character development, and had a dilapidated plot.

The movie starts, like always, with Harry and his newly discovered raging hormones. No Dursleys this time around; the movie skips right to the meat of the plot, which is the introduction of Professor Horace Slughorn. Skipping on to Hogwarts, we witness the first evidence that the screenwriters and directors actually paid attention to the book; it is established that Draco Malfoy is up to no good. Onward to some witty dialogue, the words “love potion” being flung in every direction, something about a spider dying and, finally, back to Harry’s raging hormones. Then, at last, Harry accompanies Dumbledore to a mysterious cave, and he’s given mysterious instructions about a mysterious object.

At this point my jaw had already unhinged at the number of things they had changed, but I was stubbornly clinging to the hope that the final showdown at Hogwarts would redeem the entire movie.

I was wrong. There was no final show down.

As a fan of the books first and the movie second, I cringed every time they missed a vital piece of information or changed, well, anything. It is true that in the book the rocky relationship between Ron and Hermione along with Harry and Ginny’s awkward encounters happened in the most amusing bits to add light to a dark and gloomy book, but it was not the primary focus and it actually served a purpose.

Snape and Voldemort’s roles disappeared into the background in favor of witnessing an obsessed Lavender Brown doodle a heart for a very uncomfortable Ron Weasley. The chances the audience got to have a peek at Voldemort was through Dumbledore’s memories, which then awkwardly transitioned into talking about the horcruxes, and then it was right back to who snogged whom in the hidden staircase.

Meanwhile, half the people in the theater are left to wonder what a horcrux is and why it is so important. This isn’t the first instance where the Harry Potter producers have left out bits of information only people who bothered to read the books would know. For example, the third movie, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban introduced the Marauders without a hint of who they were and why they had such odd nicknames.

The Half-Blood Prince was supposed to be set up to explain exactly what was going to happen in Deathly Hollows. For instance, the importance of Harry learning about his archenemy’s past, the horcruxes, and really finding out exactly why Voldemort turned into a homicidal maniac – or more accurately the lengths he took to receive immortality.

This fall the Twilight sequel New Moon and the newly adapted Cirque Du Freak will be let loose in a theater near you. I feel a tiny prickle of foreboding. The first Twilight movie, like all the other book-to-movie franchises, started out better than expected. Aside from a horrible case of bad acting and adding an extra scene or two, the movie stayed true to its roots. Unfortunately, the trailer for Cirque du Freak I hesitantly watched left me skeptical and somewhat horrified of the final outcome. I’m sure of one thing, however; even though my morbid curiosity will surely lead me to watch my favorite series be slaughtered on-screen, I can always tell my friends, “The book was SO much better,” then vent by writing a very angry blog about Hollywood ruining the things I love.

Artwork by Anna Becker

The wait was finally over when Richelle Mead’s fourth installment of the hit series Vampire Academy “Blood Promise” hit bookstores August 25th. The third book left fans hanging with a surprise ending and drove readers crazy wanting to know what happens next.

This series is a little different from others, as it has supernatural characters who readers wouldn’t encounter in other books. The series includes characters that are “Moroi”, “Dhampir”, and “Strigoi”, Morioi’s are mortal vampires (a.k.a. the good ones), who master in one of the four elements: water, air, fire, or earth. Dhamirs are half human and half vampire and were trained to become guardians to protect Moroi from Strigoi. Strigoi are immortal vampires who only care about killing and nothing more.

The series begins with Vampire Academy, Frostbite, then Shadow Kiss, and follows the lives of Rose Hathaway and her best friend Lissa Dragomir. Lissa is a Moroi princess and the last in her family and must always be protected by the blood sucking Strigoi. Rose is her best friend and also her guardian who is sworn to protect her. Rose learns all her fighting skills by her older, sexy mentor, Dimitri Belikov. Throughout the series these two battle out the difficulties of love and their duties to protect the Dragomir princess.

Years before Lissa knew she had mastered spirit there was an accident where Lissa lost her whole family and almost lost Rose. Lissa brought her back to life and now they are forever bound together, or “shadow kissed”. Rose can see into Lissa’a mind and know what she is thinking, seeing and feeling. During the series, Lissa and Rose encounter another spirit user, Adrian Dashkov. As Lissa and Adrian teach each other the mechanics of a spirit user, he becomes a good friend to both Rose and Lissa.

Shadow Kiss ended with one of the biggest Strigoi attacks behind the iron bars of the academy. Lives were lost and some were taken hostage and turned into one of their own. One of the few lives that was changed was Dimitri, the love of Rose’s life. They both swore that they would rather be dead than turn into a Strigoi. Rose drops out of school and leaves her best friend behind to keep her promise to the man she loves most. Mead left readers shocked and anxious with lots of unanswered questions like will Rose find Dimitri and have the courage to kill the one she loves most and will Lissa fall apart and lose control without Rose by her side to protect her?

Blood Promise begins with Rose traveling through Russia in search for Dimitri’s home town. She surprisingly runs into an Alchemist who knows exactly the place she is looking for. As Rose gets into town she coincidently runs into Dimitri’s family and stays with them for awhile while she figures out what to do next. Rose seems to get attached to the Belikov family and she seems to forget the whole reason why she was there. I felt like Mead kept Rose staying with the Belikov’s longer then she really needed to be there. Eventually though Rose leaves and the story continues.

While Rose struggles with finding Dimitri, the bond between her and Lissa still holds strong, constantly giving Rose feedback about the goings on of the Dragomir princess’s life. Jealousy overwhelms Rose from Lissa’s new acquainted friend, Avery Lazar. Lissa also struggles with Rose’s departure and the dark emotions caused by spirit. Without her shadow kissed friend to protect her physically and emotionally, Lissa grows up and learns to take care of herself. I personally haven’t liked Lissa throughout the series; in my opinion Lissa is weak, fragile and, just plain annoying. She always expected Rose to fix the messes she made. In this book though with Rose gone she becomes a stronger person and she even learns to throw a punch or two.

As the book goes on, Rose leaves the Belikov family in favor of a group of rebellious Strigoi hunters to continue her search for her loved one. Her search finally ends when she encounters Dimtri in a large Russian town, which is known to have many Strigoi inhabitants. This is the most thrilling part of the book and will leave readers breathless and craving for more until the very end.

Richelle Mead leaves her fans loving every second of the series, including how she delivers so much thought into her characters. The chemistry between Rose and Dimitri is both frustrating and forbidden. Readers can almost feel the connection between the two of them. Rose’s sassy attitude brings amusement to Mead’s fans.

Mead is an invigorating author. She does not disappoint readers with this long awaited book. Blood Promise is a thrilling roller coaster, containing unexpected events and keeps readers on their toes until they reach the end.

Readers who fell in love with Rose, Lissa, and Dimitri, won’t want to miss the much-anticipated fourth book of the Vampire Academy series.

    Twilight stars the book’s protagonist and narrator Bella Swan, who is an accident-prone teenager who happens to fall in love with a handsome vampire named Edward Cullen. Bella is then introduced to Edward’s coven, a group of equally beautiful and perfect vampires who have sworn to drink animal blood. Three novels later, Edward and Bella are engaged and readers are once again left with mountains of unanswered questions.

    Breaking Dawn answers any and all questions, especially the, “Is Bella finally being turned into a vampire?” question. This time around, readers aren’t left hanging but, like the previous three, must wade through pages full of Bella swooning over Edward while waiting for the plot to develop.

    Myer delivered what could be considered the most bizarre plot line. She quickly gets Bella and Edward’s wedding over with. Then, in true soap opera fashion, Jacob (the werewolf in love with Bella) shows up. Myer writes the awkward encounters between the vampires and werewolves (they’re sworn enemies) with ease, and one could almost feel the tension with every snide comment shared by both parties.

    There are few eyebrow raising antics, but Myer is careful to only hint on what exactly happens when two newlyweds are left alone on an island during their honeymoon.

    For the next half of the book it is imperative readers develop a sense of humor. Bella becomes pregnant, with a vampire baby, and it’s sucking the life out of her.

    It gets weirder.

    The pure and innocent teen-aged girl starts drinking blood in an effort to please her infant. Then, after a grotesque birth that would put anyone off having a baby with a vampire, Bella’s life is in danger and the only way to save her is to turn her into, you guessed it, a vampire.

    Long-term fans of the book will either hate it or love it. Myer still retains her purity and dry sense of humor that is always present in the Twilight series. Unfortunately, Breaking Dawn is a far cry from Twilight, the original masterpiece that started it all, but the book remains a page turner because of Myer’s impeccable skill of keeping the plot interesting, no matter how bizarre.

    If one is looking or a novel in which anything that can happen – will happen, in the strangest possible way, and in the most random fashion, then one must read Breaking Dawn.
 

There are dozens of classic novels that fall under the category of “must-read” science fiction. Throughout this year, I will examine why a handful of these particular works are absolutely essential additions to everyone’s reading list, even those who do not consider themselves science fiction fans.

"Then I looked at its top sheet, and there was the name – A CLOCKWORK ORANGE – and I said: ‘That’s a fair gloopy title. Who ever heard of a clockwork orange?’"
-Jack, A Clockwork Orange

     Using a slang he created, Anthony Burgess fashioned a masterpiece of science fiction that explores the human condition in a completely unique way: he called it A Clockwork Orange.
     The plot of A Clockwork Orange is one that, at first glance, makes the casual reader grimace: a group of friends led by the main character, Alex, run amok through a futuristic British city wreaking havoc. However, the short description is deceiving. At its core, A Clockwork Orange explores the very foundation of human beings, their need for commitment, free will, and the evil that is inherent in government. The novel follows the story of Alex, a resident and troublemaker of this semi-futuristic society, and his group of friends as they gallivant around, causing immense amounts of damage. Alex is a mere 15 years old but is the vicious leader of a gang of criminals which, throughout the novel, perform various unsavory deeds (including, but not limited to: theft, bribery, and especially violence of every kind).
     Alex is not, however, unlikeable. As narrator, we experience everything through the eyes of Alex and we find him to be at once childishly enjoyable. He immediately seems to be robotic in his need for violence but, as we get to know him, he becomes someone who represents the vileness in all humans. Alex, along with other aspects of the novel, is used to impart the underlying theme: that though humans are vile and depraved, they should never be robbed of freedom and a sense of self-determination. The government’s deprival of Alex’s ability to make moral choices all at once becomes a more inhuman crime than anything Alex and his gang ever committed. In this, the book becomes a massive adage for choice. Burgess himself states, “The freedom to choose is the big human attribute,” and no matter what crime Alex or his compatriots commit, they do not deserve to be robbed of the most basic human trait: the ability to make conscious decisions.
     The government and the necessity of commitment are also large themes in A Clockwork Orange. Burgess was a staunch promoter of choice, and saw that in many ways the government opposed this freedom of choice. Therefore, in this novel, the government is portrayed as inherently evil, the “opposers of choice” so to speak. Alex’s stint in prison, reminiscent of Orwell’s 1984, allows the audience to sympathize with Alex, though he has committed unspeakable acts of horror. The government does not tolerate dissent and, again like 1984, will stop at nothing to ensure its survival.
     Alex, a middle-class citizen of this society, is one of the few who truly commits to his actions, and Burgess uses this to explore the theme of commitment. Though the terrible things that he has done cause him great suffering, Alex is made the protagonist because he committed himself to something. Burgess saw the middle class as torpid and used the extreme example of Alex to show this. Alex is able to do virtually whatever he wishes because of the inability of anyone to stop him, except the government.
     A major way that the reader comes to be entranced by Alex is his slang, nasdat. Invented by Burgess, Alex intersperses it (a mixture of mostly Russian and Cockney English) to draw in the reader. At first, one is repulsed by the use of words such as carman (pocket), chasso (guard), and gloopy (stupid), because they are almost undecipherable. However, after time, the reader becomes fluent in nasdat and gains a sense of camaraderie with Alex, sympathizing with his cause.
     Overall, the novel explores the idea of the duality in all things: good versus evil, commitment versus non-commitment, man versus government, and in a way that leaves the reader with heavy thoughts of a wonderful story. Although A Clockwork Orange represents a daunting challenge for beginners in the sci-fi genre, and is a piece heavy with violence, it is well worth it to experience the vision of Anthony Burgess.

by Sinjin Jones

Predating science fiction writing by centuries, the fable genre is literature that has long been adored by millions. It has since evolved into modern fantasy fiction, a niche that appeals especially to teens. The popularity has become somewhat of a phenomenon among academicians, and much of today’s published literature falls within this genre. This series will examine why and, for those interested in fantasy, recommend further reading.

     The J.R.R. Tolkien classic Lord of the Rings has gained a massive amount of popularity, spawning a corresponding series of movies, action figures, and a fan base that rivals any other. The unequivocal response to this novel shows that there is something about it that people like. So, what is it?

     Lord of the Rings follows the journey of Frodo Baggins and his friends (Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, Legolas, Aragon, Gimli and others) on their quest to destroy the ancient Ring, a source of great power and great evil, and thereby save Middle Earth from destruction by the evil force Sauron and his minion Saruman, leader of the Order of Wizards. This epic tale pursues the Fellowship of the Ring (Frodo and his friends) as they confront the unlikely task of saving the world.

     Tolkien utilizes the classic form of fantasy novels with precision and skill. His series includes a defined source of evil, The Ring, along with it’s mystical “hand”, The Ringwraiths. With the force of The Ring, Tolkien shows his overwhelming belief about evil: that it is both something independent and something that resides in the hearts of everyone. Using this idea, the novels grasp that part of every human brain that wants the “good guys” to win. The Shire, the place where Frodo and many of his compatriots live, is the Eden of Middle Earth, with its inhabitants being threatened by both the evil outside and the evil within. And there is a portion of every human that wishes for the human spirit to triumph over its darker side.

     A strong theme in the novels is the distinction between reality and appearance; a theme that has appeared in many literary novels from Shakespeare to C.S. Lewis. And, like Lewis, Tolkien was heavily influenced by his Catholic theology to create the themes in his novels. Religious themes, such as the battle between light and dark and corruption of the soul are very prevalent in The Lord of the Rings. Gandalf notes that, though he is a wizard and great in appearance, it is actually the small ring possessed by hobbit Bilbo Baggins that is the key to saving Middle Earth from Sauron. The Necromancer Sauron was, interestingly, based upon Gilles de Retz, aid of Joan of Arc and convicted murderer and rapist, as he is portrayed in The Black Douglas, by S.R. Crockett. This adds to the idea that reality is not always as it seems.

    The passing of ages is another such theme that serves to develop the plot. This theme is a product of Homer, Sophocles, and Celtic history that Tolkien experienced through his life. The series takes place at the end of the Third Age after which the Age of Men is to begin. In this theme, the Elves represent the transition. They must physically leave Middle Earth in order to pass on and they are ready to accept this. They recognize that nothing can last forever. However, with the humans – the inheritors of Middle Earth – transition is much more difficult and they fight it. Our world is much the same; we as humans are creatures of habit and resist change at all costs.

     One could argue that the themes and metaphors serve to keep readers interested by providing depth of plot and ideas for one to grasp and ponder while perusing the pages. Honestly speaking though, the principle reason for most readers is merely the magnificent, moving, and skillful plot that Tolkien weaves into the world of Middle Earth. It is no easy task to create a story that spans three novels and manages to retain it’s fan-base to the conclusion. Lord of the Rings has manifested itself as a phenomenon second in popularity only to Harry Potter himself. An easier foray into the fantasy realm would be C.S. Lewis’ classic series, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Jungle Book, or the illustrious Harry Potter series but those that are interested in an epic novel of the fantasy genre need look no further than here. And, for those who are new to the genre, this would be a great starting point.

Each week a different member of the Living and Arts staff will present a new review of anything ranging from the latest chart topping blockbusters to obscure potato chip flavors; always insightful and always through an honest perspective, the WRR gives a critical picture into today’s content rich world.

Articles of War
    One Book/One Denver, the citywide project to bring together readers around a hand-selected book by the mayor, is a great idea. Imagine, once the program begins to ascend in popularity, turning towards friendly looking people on the bus or while waiting for the elevator and asking “So what did you think of Articles of War”? Too bad these people will reply with only an exasperated sigh and return to leafing through their thesaurus for more interesting words. Or is that just me?

    Nick Arvin’s Articles of War follows the story of a young eighteen-year-old farm boy from the Midwest who goes off to join the army during World War II. The book takes us through the paces as he trudges along France waiting for deployment, making fleeting contact with a woman, and the brutal war itself, all while riding on the emotional rollercoaster of the soldier. The entire work is only a meager 178 pages long, but in this case brevity is a positive thing. And while the entire book isn’t necessarily bad, in some instances maybe even brilliant, some poor writing examples and rigid, sometimes even stagnant pacing place it on either a pedestal to be worshipped by some or on a skewer to be roasted by others.

“Arvin is … capable of sentences that stop you cold” – Newsweek

    I found this book to be boring. Newsweek hit a bull’s-eye with this quote taken from the acclaim section in the front of AOW, because I did stop cold. Not from a strong emotional reaction though, but from sheer dullness from the slow plot. The criticism hits nothing harder than the main character himself, George Tilson. Worthy of note is his nickname, Heck, for his absolute denial to swear, but that is unfortunately where his persona stops being interesting and he reverts back to being a boring and grey-haired nobody from Iowa.

    Although there could be the argument that that is the whole point to Heck – an average Joe, an every-man, an unremarkable and forgettable nobody being put through a horrific ordeal – it’s just that a lukewarm character makes for a lukewarm book, and Heck might as well have been an emotional cactus on wheels for all he, himself, did for the story. One such example would be during the battle scenes; while action and excitement surround the kid in the form of whizzing bullets and crashing rockets, we get the screen filled with lengthy explanations of his most obvious emotion: fear.

    The plot itself could have done with a rewrite. While the actual war scenes are intense, vivid, and immersive; like playing Call of Duty or watching Band of Brothers on paper, it was the camp settings that just dragged on. These had to do with Heck just lounging around waiting to be sent to the battlefield, which could take weeks or more. These parts are slow and sigh inducing, transforming the page-turning almost into a liability, but luckily Arvin usually decides to throw in some plot twists occasionally, sparing readers from simply dropping the book. By the end, satisfaction runs low and leaves readers clinging to whatever piece of new information that they are given.

    Articles of War is not bad, really. It may take the book a while to get into its pace and by the time that happens the ending is in clear-view, but it still holds tremendous power in its pages and comes highly recommended not just from me but also a few other, and slightly more respected, sources such as The Denver Post, The Rocky Mountain News, The New York Times, and of course the Big Cheese himself, Mayor John Hickenlooper.

    The ending ultimately was a complete masterpiece and really saved the entire book. The situation presented was not only a wave of irony that – for lack of finding a better term – was completely awesome, but the tie-in with the authentic historical figure Private Slovik was simply a touch of genius on Arvin’s behalf and deserves nothing but the highest praise.

    To say the least, Articles of War may have only been 50 pages longer than The Adventures of Captain Underpants, but the book has the adequate ability to say a bit more than the spine can hold, and for that Arvin becomes one of the most celebrated authors ever to live in, or even glance at a map of, Denver, Colorado. Or at least by some peoples’ standards.
 

There are dozens of classic novels that fall under the category of “must-read” science fiction. Throughout this year, I will examine why a handful of these particular works are absolutely essential additions to everyone’s reading list, even those who do not consider themselves science fiction fans.

"That is the secret of happiness and virtue — liking what you’ve got to do. All conditioning aims at that: making people like their inescapable social destiny."
~The Director, Brave New World

     With its imaginative use of metaphors and common sci-fi themes, Brave New World stands apart from most modern science fiction because of its keen ability to remain almost comical while exploring the serious issues of humanity.
     The novel follows the story of Bernard Marx, an inhabitant of a future society in which babies are created in Hatcheries and the world’s problems are solved by a miracle drug known as Soma. Bernard is often looked down upon because he isn’t as promiscuous as society would like him to be – it is frowned upon to be with one woman for any extended length of time. He has always felt different and he is granted the opportunity to view the "savage" culture (basically the Native American cultures of America who have been left out of this “perfect” society) when he goes on vacation with a co-worker, Lenina. He meets a young Savage named John and feels that John is a kindred spirit. Soon, however, Bernard begins to see him as an opportunity to gain respect and standing in the community. John is somewhat of a novelty for the citizens, being a “savage” from the outside, and he is also the son of a high-ranking official in the government. Therefore he becomes an object of power for Bernard.
     The most interesting aspect of this novel, besides the story, comes with examination of the world in which Bernard resides. Promiscuity is encouraged and becoming intimate with any one person is highly frowned upon. Huxley has fashioned a world where, contrary to novels like 1984, passion is not used as a system of control; it is nonexistent. If ever a citizen has an issue, rather than becoming angry, stressed, or depressed, they douse the flames with Soma – a pharmaceutical drug that has been created to control the masses. “A gramme in time saves nine,” states Lenina, showing how catch phrases have been invented to remind citizens how to act. The leaders of the world have realized that intimidation and fear only go so far because they eventually create resentment; therefore, they have resorted to genetic engineering, subconscious mind control techniques, and mind-altering drugs.
     In the world that Huxley has created, no longer are people allowed to birth their own children; rather, all newborns are hatched through a process of engineering majesty modeled after Henry Ford’s (the culture’s God) assembly line. In this manner, a caste system of sorts is created as only those hatched as Alphas can do the intelligent jobs, while those hatched as Beta, Gamma, Delta, or Epsilon are mentally inferior by birth and may only do work fitting their class. This idea is heavily entwined with our world and seems almost an exaggerated version of the prejudice our everyday culture experiences. The Alphas see themselves as intellectually superior to all lower classes and therefore show malice toward them.
     A big theme in Brave New World is the question: what is happiness? The leaders of this society believe that they have granted humanity complete happiness in exchange for freedom. The truth of the matter is that the citizens of the society live colorless, grey lives of ignorance – hence the most prominent color in the novel is grey. The only bright colored person in the novel, John the Savage, has realized that happiness is not ignorance. In fact, he embodies the idea that happiness is merely the knowledge of self-worth – that which Alphas and Epsilons alike fail to acquire. He knows himself as an individual and not as a member of the collective. True happiness comes from freedom, not slavery.
     In our modern world, we tend to equate acceptance with happiness, but here Huxley explores the truth that oftentimes being happy means being the outsider. Throughout the novel, Bernard suffers constantly because he is looked down upon for being different. He neither fits in his society nor at the Savage Reservation. While visiting, he sees true happiness in the Savage and envies it. Bernard exemplifies the struggle to find freedom in a world of slavery. He is in constant pain and Huxley uses this to suggest that one cannot have true freedom without pain and suffering. The citizens live lives of serene ignorance but, in reality, they are not happy; they are soul-less and empty. Only when Bernard realizes this can he be truly happy.
     The magnificence of this novel comes with the knowledge that, while reading through this story laden with intricate and arguably dark themes, the writing is smooth and almost comical in presentation. The book retains a very light mood and remains entertaining until the final word upon the final page. For those who are interested in a supremely entertaining novel that contrasts darker dystopian books like 1984 or even for those looking for a science fiction novel that will challenge their intellect, look no further than Brave New World.
 

by Sinjin Jones

There are dozens of classic novels that fall under the category of “must-read” science fiction. Throughout this year, I will examine why a handful of these particular works are absolutely essential additions to everyone’s reading list, even those who do not consider themselves science fiction fans.

"Religion and law among our masses must be one and the same…"
-Duke Leto, Dune

    Dune, by Frank Herbert, is a novel that strikes chords with science fiction fans all over the world because of its intricate plot, its mirroring of modern society, and the entertainment derived from reading it. Spawning a successful movie, miniseries, and a collection of sequels, this novel will live on in the vaults of literature for years to come.

    The story begins eight thousand years in the future. Humanity has sprung forth into the universe and has colonized many planets. Duke Leto, of the house of Atreides on planet Caladan, readies to take his new post as governor of a desert planet called Arrakis. It is a planet known for its abundant sources of melange, an extremely popular drug known as "spice". The Duke’s son, Paul, is beginning to learn of a great power that resides within him, inherited from his mother, Jessica. Despite constant warnings that this new post is merely a plot by the Harkonnens to take down the Duke and impress the Emperor, the Duke’s rivals, he opts in favor of the melange and moves his family to the planet. When it is revealed that the worries of his men were correct and a close friend betrays him, the world of Arrakis becomes a place of war, growth, hatred, and love. Through political intrigue and inner growth the plot follows the son, Paul, on his journey to understand himself, his power, and the world around him.

    A major theme that arises from Dune is that of religion and how it relates to power. Through the Bene Gesserit, a mystical order possessing great religious knowledge of the past and how to use it to protect its members, along with the Fremen, the indigenous inhabitants of Arrakis and their unity under Dr. Kynes (Freman leader and planetary ecologist), religion comes to represent a source of solace and power. As the Fremen see Paul as a prophet, he asserts his religious power over them to gain his own ends. This level of complexity in the themes of Dune provides, for the casual reader, intricacy that increases the plot’s immersive nature and, for the comprehensive reader, it provides a facet of humanity mirrored in art.

    Writing for purpose is a recurring theme in important literature, and Dune follows this trend. The spice-like hallucinogen, melange, is found in limited supply upon the planet of Arrakis. It is the main purpose Duke Leto is so vehement about taking up the post, though it may be a trap. During the period that Dune was written, the 1960s, experimentation with hallucinogenic drugs was becoming popular. Herbert experiments with the notion of drugs as being gateways to true sight. Melange is a major source of Paul’s growing power as a seer. However, melange is addictive in large quantities, and Paul needs an increasing amount to support his habit or he cannot survive. Writers like Aldous Huxley (Brave New World, The Doors of Perception) have investigated the effect of drugs on perception, but Herbert explores it in a more positive light: as a useful source of power rather than merely a  recreational substance. Drugs, in this sense, are a metaphor for oil in our modern society. Those who control the oil control the world; similarly, those who control the melange control the universe in Dune.

    The writing style of Frank Herbert is one that mesmerizes: "He found that he no longer could hate the Bene Gesserit or the Emperor or even the Harkonnens. They were all caught up in the need of their race to renew its scattered inheritance, to cross and mingle and infuse their bloodlines in a great new pooling of genes. And the race knew only one sure way for this—the ancient way . . . jihad. (Dune).” Straying from the complicated and outright neo-political messages of George Orwell, Herbert takes a passive approach, with plot and significance playing equal roles center stage. The ease of reading makes this novel a much more approachable archway through which to enter the land of science fiction.

    Dune is a magnificent choice if one wishes to delve into the realm of science fiction but is hesitant due to the genre’s complexity. Though it is a long novel, enjoying every page is virtually inevitable, and its themes provide interesting insights into our own world.