Outlander

    Yet again, I'm here with a cinematic tie-in to my literary adventures. This time it's Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon. I read it some time ago and initially wasn't planning to write about it, but after a conversation with a certain someone, I felt the need to share.

    Best described as a historical fiction work crossed with time travel, it starts in post-WWII Scotland, where Frank and Claire Randall are taking a well-deserved break after their service in the war, as an intelligence officer and combat nurse, respectively. Scotland is an amazing place (my second-favorite country at the moment, in fact) and one of the reasons for that is the history and mythology that permeates through its air and soil. And so, while gathering plants near one of these points where historical markers crop up in the modern world, Claire falls back through time about two hundred years. Right into a Scotland on the verge of rebellion, soon to take part in the Bonny Prince Charlie uprising. 

   The beauty of the Scotland and castles clashes with the fierce harshness of the Highlands in the mid-eighteenth century. And through out it all Claire, an Englishwoman with mid-twentieth century sensibilities tries to navigate the cultural differences. She's an alien in that strange world... One might even call her an outlander...

    Starting with the book - it's a well-written, albeit hefty book, and the audio narration is also pretty good if you prefer that format. I have no complaints that I can think of right now. Good world building, amazing character descriptions, and all the characters act in reasonable ways - I never felt like there were uncharacteristic actions that ran counter to their motivations. Furthermore, strong character development was paired with great plot development. In other words - I liked it. As for the show - great casting and an impressive dedication to book accuracy. It's one of the closest adaptations that I've seen in a while.

    Overall, Outlander has a great story, great characters, and is an interesting idea. I liked it, and strongly endorse it for those who like similar works, like Game of Thrones. Actually, it's as if Game of Thrones was moved from a magical setting to a historical one. Interesting.

The Good Place

    Stories about genuine human connection seem to be my bread and butter of late. There's something about seeing the way that others perceive friendship, morality, and loyalty that's been making me particularly introspective. Making me question my own actions, behaviors, and even unwitting reactions. There's an unadulterated truth in the split second reaction to people and events that, when further considered, reveals a lot of truths about me. It can be tough to face my own shortcomings. Lord knows I have plenty. But I've spent the last couple years making a conscious effort to improve myself, both in thought and in action, where it comes to my metaphorical contact patch with society.

    It is against this backdrop that I watched The Good Place (available on Netflix at the time of writing). The premise is simple: our main character, Eleanor Shellstrop is dead. She awakes in the afterlife with no recollection of her own death (which can be done to spare the recently deceased from unpleasant memories) and meets another main protagonist, Michael, the architect of the neighborhood. He's the one who designed that small corner of the afterlife, making him responsible for the well-being and enjoyment of the residents. We also get to meet the other main characters - Janet, an omnipotent butler-like figure who is able to provide anything to the residents, and others, such as Chidi, who, in life, was a professor of moral philosophy and Tahani, a rich British heiress. Right off the bat, this is a rather... diverse... backstory to group. 

    Essentially, the primary focus lies in their interactions and what they perceive as morality, or "doing the right thing". Of course, the varied personal histories lead to rather differing opinions on the notion. Personal biases have a habit of influencing our actions, and this show does a great job of building this up. They even manage to tie in actual great philosophers from Nietzsche and Kant to Aristotle and Plato. And somehow it doesn't go down like a tedious lecture on morality. Now, this is far from an action-packed thriller. Rather, it focuses on building the parasocial relationship between viewers and the main cast, encouraging a projection of oneself into the situations. Best part? They do so with humor and levity without losing the gravity of serious topics. And it comes in bite-sized chunks lasting 20-30 ish minutes each, making for easy bedtime viewing. I'm usually pretty good at finding some downside to mention. But I don't think I can come up with anything off the top of my head. In other words, give it a shot, you'll probably enjoy it.

   

Red Rising

    What happens when you cross Lord of the Flies, Game of Thrones, and Star Wars? Well, you get Red Rising by Pierce Brown. The real question is, why did it take so long for me to read it? I only came across it earlier this year, even though it was published back in 2014. And while there are plenty of books that get published without my noticing them, this one won the "Winner for Best Debut Goodreads Author" for that year. So it was critically acclaimed at the time. And it checks every possible category that I could like. Sword play among knights? Check. Advanced societies colonizing the Solar System on giant space faring frigates? Also check. Social commentary about power dynamics within an unequal society and the struggle for power and relevance? Massive check. Historical references to the Roman Empire and their pantheon of gods? Yet another check mark.

    This is a captivating tale of a struggle for justice in the face of oppression, one love, terror, and perseverance, and the bonds that we make. Family, loyalty and friendship make up the base for a story of survival. It is a thriller that's nearly impossible to put down. 

    There is a simple elegance to the language - very accessible, yet detailed to an incredible degree. Both the world and characters came to life for me. From Sevro to Mustang to the main character, Darrow, there is a real human hidden in the words, one that springs from the author's pen and into my mind. Without a doubt, this is some of the strongest world-building that I have seen recently. I'd rank it up there with the greats. Perhaps the greatest world-building in science fiction that I've ever seen. 

    And most impressively, Brown manages to create such vivid worlds and people without smashing the reader over the head with blocks of exposition text. It is organically woven into the narrative, masterfully implementing the show, don't tell, approach to writing. 

    Yes, there are flaws to it. It's written for a slightly younger teen audience, so I'm sure that it would have been possible to add more complexity to it. But don't let the YA designation stop you. It is definitely a worthwhile book for an exciting, yet moralistic, look at society through the lens of space faring feudal lords and their subjects.