Hitchhiker's Guide Book 1 (4 points)

               This book is basically the definition of sci-fi. It takes every element that you have read in a sci-fi book or seen in a sci-fi film. There are aliens, robots, space travel, evil aliens. The list goes on but it adds a twist to it. The book combines satire and sci-fi.

                Satires have become one of my favorite genres. I don’t know if there are too many satires that are made by people that don’t like the things they are making fun of. The creator of this story certainly likes sci-fi stories. You can’t really make a satire without knowing a lot about the subject you are making fun of.

                This story sounds so ridiculous but it really isn’t that far off from many sci-fi stories. Every one of these things can probably be found in some shape or form in another work. The great thing about this story is that it takes cliché sci-fi story tropes and turns them into something different.

                The story isn’t serious and never tries to take itself seriously. The entire world built is for people to enjoy, laugh and be reminded of the sci-fi stories they love.

                With all of this being said, some things in this story are completely original. The radio show began over half a century ago. The 1950s is when sci-fi films were becoming popular so the radio show certainly replicated those ideas. There were plenty of sci-fi novels made before the 1950s.

                Somehow this story feels new even though it began many years ago. There is truly an art to making a satire. You can’t just make a joke about something and move on. You really have to understand what it is that you are parodying.

                The story has a twist ending of sorts like many sci-fi stories do. It ends in a fun way even though there is a threat in the distance.

                For many years I have wanted to see the film and this book solidifies that idea. I’d also like to listen to the radio show and see how all of the adaptions differentiate.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Interview with the Vampire (6 points)

9/14/20 When I first heard the title of this book I was concerned. I mostly associate vampires with teen romantic drama films and TV series. The fact that the title is an interview...with a vampire makes it all the stranger. It sounds like a comedy but it is most certainly not.  This book has an interesting format. The title is in no way misleading because it is actually an interview with a vampire. The interview format of it is original but since it is not an interview with a human it is much more intriguing. Throughout the book, we learn about Louis’ past. We learn about how he became a vampire and his troublesome, centuries-long journey. He moves in and out of relationships, but some of his relationships (Lestat specifically) seem to always come back to haunt him. Parts of this book feel like your typical teen vampire story. There are some elements taken from Dracula and other iconic vampires but there are some aspects of the book that make it more modern and diverse. Th...
Read more

Frankenstein (6 points)

 Blog Post for 9-7-20 Class: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is the iconic story of Dr. Frankenstein’s reanimation of life. The story has been told around the world and the novel is not the only way the story has been told. The story was converted into a film adaption numerous times. Other films and books have taken inspiration from Frankenstein . The themes presented in the novel can be seen across countless pieces of literature and media. Many science fiction stories revolve around humans creating something that they end up disliking in some way. These themes are evident, whether it be a creature, monster, or robot story. The lifeforms created by the humans simply want to feel what humans feel but in many of these stories, the things created by the humans become the antagonists. The themes found in Frankenstein were important then and they are just as meaningful today. Although the story is very deep and complex, there is one very clear point made. The monster simply wants to be...
Read more