Akira and it's Augmented Reality

 Akira is a graphic novel by Katsuhiro Otomo about a bike gang leader who tries to save his friend Tetsuo from a secret government project. But when he gains supernatural powers, it becomes more about stopping him then the government. The story takes place in a post nuclear Tokyo after the military dropped a bomb on the city 31 years ago due to experiments gone wrong. The setting is incredibly bleak, dirty and not very pretty but is still highly sophisticated in terms of technology and atmosphere. The main characters are in a bike gang but they don’t ride your typical motorcycles. Instead incredibly fast “Tron” like cycles that fit perfectly within their setting. This whole city is filled to the brim of small technological quirks like that which make the setting richer in detail and strong in growth. The reality also makes a big case for the narrative, the military is a major threat throughout the entire story and the size and scope of their weapons and artillery really makes them a force to be reckoned with. Especially in the later parts with the military base. The long hallways and giant size of the arena where Tetsuo is held creates a massive change from the tight streets of little Tokyo. It’s incredibly spacious and gives the feeling of separation from the rest of society.  It also makes our main heroes incredibly believable in terms of intelligence. All of them have this certain street smart attitude and with how expansive Neo Tokyo is and for how much they spend riding around on bikes, It’s very believable when they know exactly where they’re going and follow their instincts on dire situations. The world revolves around them yet they know how to get around the world making for an almost tour guide like view of narrative. Akira shines in a ton of cases but it’s setting is truly It’s proudest achievement. It takes what was already established in Blade Runner and makes it more believable through it’s bomb backstory and attention to detail within assumptions and character interactions. Let’s hope America doesn’t white wash this one anytime soon.

Babel 17 and language

This week I read the science fiction novel “Babel 17” by Samuel R. Delany. It’s about a language invented through a war in space to find traitors and expose them. Later discovered by a very intelligent telepath named Rydra Wong, who accidentally becomes an enemy through learning it. The whole story centers around the mass idea of language and how dangerous it can really be. An entire war could’ve been completely won over within the wrong use of words and the person who says them. It’s an interesting metaphor because almost every problem politically throughout history has been due to the wrong choice of words and the manner they’re said. The entire novel really focuses on being particulate on what to say and being incredibly clear. The “code” of Babel 17 is extensive and sometimes hard to follow but that’s definitely intentional and creates this mind game for the reader where you have to go back and read the sentence multiple times to truly get a grasp on what the purpose of it was.

  We live in the “Make America Great Again” era where words are as detrimental as ever. Constant ridicule has never been shy from political fields, Nixon’s “I am not a crook” speech will forever go down in history just due to bad word choice alone. However, with the internet now, something as silly as George Bush pronouncing “nuclear” a funny way can lead to someone as serious as our president to a complete laughing stock. This has started a very PC culture, people constantly watch what they say to avoid offending others and making fools of themselves, queue “Look at my African American over here”. We live in a time where language can go both ways, safe and smart or brash and to the point. Both are incredibly subjective but both can also be used against each other. Babel 17 deals with the impact words can have on a mass scale and how easy they can affect someone. At a time when we as a country are being led by someone who can’t get off their twitter, it seriously couldn’t be more relevant.

The martian and Sci fi

“The Martian is a novel by Andy Weir about an astronaut in 2035 named Mark Watney who is impaled by an antenna in space and is believed dead by NASA. Actually he’s been alive through planting potatoes through alternative means and when NASA realize he’s alive, it’s an all out battle to get him back to Earth safe and sound. What makes this story work as a modern sci fi story is its sense of realism along with fantastical elements that differentiate it from the world we live in today. 2035 is not that far off, especially from 2011 the time this book was released. By that time, most believe we would’ve probably found a way to get to Mars and back and that mindset is what makes all of this less out of the ordinary than the typical flying cars sinario. It follows a ton of elements from past sci fis, one being their detailed explanations for anything scientific. Getting Mark back was far from easy, from the progress of a “Slingshot” Trajectory to making deals with China to fund The entire thing. Things are Vetoed, 4 year missions are scheduled and trying to get in contact with him all become part of the equation and these details add to the realism and believability that this could happen. It’s a serious response to a serious problem, a man who has tons of information that could help out billions for research is in danger, what could possibly be more important? Weir must’ve done intense research on the matter along with overthinking every sinario that could’ve came from this, that’s what makes a good sci fi, the intelligence and devotion to the world and its inhabitants around it. Another thing it greatly follows is its language, this book was no easy read. It’s diction and mannerism of explaining things in incredibly intense and sometimes hard to get through. It’s best for immersiveness and part of the reason I thought the movie failed from it, Mark doesn’t sound like a high schooler just a professional astronaut. In conclusion this book borrows a lot but creates a ton from new ways of explanations and it’s themes, Great read!