Movies

Enjoyed Ready Player One? Here’s Four Retro Books You’ll Love

May 11, 2018 By Rachel Stedman

Have you seen Ready Player One?

In case you’ve not watched it, nor read the book, here’s a quick summary: 16-year-old poverty-stricken Wade Watts is searching for a prize hidden inside the Oasis, the world’s online forum/trading place/gaming place/school venue. It’s where most people spend their days, hidden behind virtual headsets.

The year is 2040; the Oasis’s reclusive developer, James Halliday, has just died, leaving his fortune and control of the Oasis to the person who can find the three keys that unlock the prize, or ‘easter egg’, hidden within the Oasis. But an evil corporation is also seeking the egg. Can Wade save the Oasis (and the world) before it’s too late?

The story takes place in both the virtual and the real, and through the story Wade meets the fetching Art3mis (pronounced Artemis, how clever), faces his fears, learns about friendship and loyalty.

Watching the movie felt weirdly familiar, partly because the story references the 80s like they were the coolest time ever, and partly because I’ve read a heck of a lot of books similar to RP1.

There ain’t nothing like Spielberg for storytelling, plus you gotta love the meta-ness of Spielberg making a nostalgia-fest of the 80s when he was responsible for much of its pop-culture. And of course, the special effects are great. There’s a few logistical/plot hole questions but hey, it’s a movie, right?

However, the book troubles me. Ready Player One was a best seller, but I have no idea why. I thought it was slow, badly written and full of formulaic tropes. But the thing that annoyed me the most was that there are way, way better books around, but they’re not as famous, and so have gradually dwindled into undeserved obscurity.

If you loved Ready Player One – great! I’m glad it worked for you. Not every book speaks to every reader; that’s cool.

But if you enjoyed RP1, then you’re in luck, because the world is full of books that are EVEN BETTER. Try these stories below. They’re all science fiction, dealing with the intersection between the virtual the real (also known as cyberpunk) but I think they’re more innovative, creative and way more entertaining.

Are you ready?

Only You Can Save Mankind – Terry Pratchett

Johnny Maxwell has a new video game – defeat the alien ScreeWee. But if the ScreeWee refuse to fight? Worse, what if they surrender? Then the aliens disappear from the game, only to begin invading his dreams. With the help of another player (handle “Sigourney”), Johnny must save the world, save the ScreeWee and work out what is real, and what is not.

The story is hilarious; my personal favourite is Johnny’s friend Wobbler, who creates a game called “Journey to Alpha Centauri” which has to be played in real time, thus taking 3000 years to complete.

Johnny and his friends star in two later novels: Johnny and the Dead and Johnny and the Bomb. In all three stories, Pratchett deals with real-life issues, but always with his trademark humor.

The Johnny stories were some of Pratchett’s favourite works, but they never sold as well as his Disc World series.

I’ve really enjoyed exploring them again with my kids; although the tech references are dated, the ideas are still interesting, and Pratchett’s characters are vivid and exciting. Tip: get the audiobooks. They’re a lot of fun for car journeys, especially the voices of the ScreeWee. Appropriate for ages 9 and up.

Find Only You Can Save Mankind on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2rx1GF9

Body of Glass – Marge Piercy. (Also published as He, She and It).

Published in 1991, Body of Glass was one of the first novels to explore characters shifting between the physical to the virtual worlds, and was awarded the Arthur C Clarke Award in 1993.

Shira, an expert in cyber socialization, works for Y-S, a multi. She lives under a glass dome, safe from the environmental pollution that’s killed much of North America. But when her ex-husband wins custody of her son, she decides its time to return to her home town Tikva, and begins working on a new project: the cyborg Yod. As she learns to live without her son, she realises that Tikva is under attack, and Yod is to be its defender.

The book cuts between the past and the present, and deals with gender identity, sexualisation and race. It’s scarily prescient, with topics like: what is a cyborg? Where does humanity begin and end?

The sex scenes are reasonably descriptive, so I wouldn’t recommend this for early YAs but it’s suitable for late teens, and definitely recommended for girls – its unusual to see women cast in starring roles in sci-fi. It’s set in a Jewish community, and I totally enjoyed the opportunity to read and learn about this culture.

Piercy also wrote Woman on the Edge of Time, an unnervingly accurate novel about the future.

Find He, She and It on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2rx1shh

Neuromancer – William Gibson

Neuromancer won the Nebula Award, the Philip K Dick Award and the Hugo Award in 1984. Case, a washed up computer hacker, is hired to conduct a hit on a powerful artificial intelligence. He’s assisted by razor girl Molly Millions, an augmented street samurai with mirror-eyes. Together they discover why Case has been hired, and the identity of who it was who hired him. The story ends with the world changing, as a new AI is born.

Neuromancer birthed the terms ‘Matrix’, ‘hacker’, ‘cyberspace’, and is at least partially credited with having spawned the internet as we know it. Gibson himself says this isn’t true; that he saw the trends emerging and ran with them. Whatever the truth to the tale, there’s no doubt that Neuromancer both reflected and shaped reality.

Although the book isn’t as good as, I think, Gibson’s more recent works, it’s still an amazing, sometimes puzzling read. It’s suitable for older readers, especially teens who love tech. The language is dense and sometimes hard to follow, so better for competent readers.

Incidentally, if you like the concept of Neuromancer but find the actual story too complex, try Burning Chrome, Gibson’s first story collection, published in 1981. It’s a little easier to read, but still has Molly Millions, dancing in black leather with her silver-mirror eyes.

Find Neuromancer on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2rzx7ym

Snow Crash – Neal Stephenson

Stephenson works part-time for Amazon-owner Jeff Bezos, as his ‘chief futurist’, so he’s uniquely placed to both dream and implement the future.

Snow Crash, released in 1992, is one of his earlier works. It’s a racy, exciting ride with a page-turning, complex plot and intriguing characters.

Our hero is Hiro Protagonist, a part-time pizza delivery boy for the Mafia, part-time builder of the Metaverse, an emerging cyberspace landscape. Hiro is rescued from pizza-delivery death by Y. T., a young skateboard Kourier. Y.T. (“don’t call me ‘Whitey’, I’m Y.T.”) and Hiro embark on a quest to find the creator of Snow Death, a computer virus that threatens to destroy the Metaverse, before it infects the real world.

Snow Crash does contain some info dumps, in the form of the Librarian (oh, how Ready Player One), but the actual story is so exciting that its easy to forgive this small sin. It’s a great read for smart older teens and adults.

I heard that Snow Crash is being made into a TV series by Amazon (of course)! If so, it will be amazing. Oh, and if you enjoyed Snow Crash, you’re in luck, because Stephenson is a prolific writer of very fat books, so you’ll be happily occupied for weeks!

Find Snow Crash on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2rzYLvd

Adore Old-Fashioned Romance? Here’s 7 Tales You’ll Love.

July 21, 2017 By Rachel Stedman

Do You Adore Old-Fashioned Romance?

Do you love secondhand stores, especially those that sell silver and hand-embroidered linen? You know the kind: staffed by an old lady and her dog; the rooms smell faintly of talcum powder and every item is labelled with a hand-written price tag?

If you’re like me, you love these places because they remind you of old-fashioned romance novels. Novels that feature independently minded women, gorgeous dresses and all-conquering love.

So … because it’s a wet day and I’m feeling nostalgic, I thought I’d share a list of my favourite romantic couples with you.

Hope you enjoy!

Top Fictional Romances

1. Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blyth.

Who can forget the wonderful Anne-with-an-e Shirley from Anne of Green Gables, and the foolish boy who called her ‘carrots’? At first she hates Gilbert Blyth, but as she grows into adulthood she learns he was only seeking her attention.

One of the things I most loved about the Anne of Green Gables series was how the books continued after marriage.

This isn’t just a kiss-and-happily ever after romance; this is a long-term relationship!

I’ve not watched the Netflix TV series yet, but I loved the 80s TV version. Here’s a clip.

2. Laura Ingalls and Almanzo Wilder

Okay, so this isn’t fictional; in the Little House in the Big Woods series Laura really did marry her Almanzo. But the way the stories are crafted reads like fiction. There’s the build-up, the tensions and finally the happily-ever-after resolution.

I think this was deliberate. Wilder’s earliest foray into writing was in writing non-fiction; she later crafted the Little House series into fiction, possibly to help it sell.

Like Anne and Gilbert, the series continue past the wedding, and because it’s based on real-life we know that Laura and Almanzo remained together until his death at age 92. Oh, how romantic!

3. Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester

I have mixed feelings about this romance. After all, in Jane Eyre Rochester keeps his first wife locked up! How could anyone love such a man? But despite my modern ideals I can’t help seeing him through Jane’s eyes, and she is totally besotted.

The main reason that this is romance number 3 is the ending: ‘Dear reader, I married him.’ What a perfect, perfect ending!

4. Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy

Mr Darcy’s name is actually Fitzwilliam, but he’s only ever known as ‘Mr.’ in Pride and Prejudice.

Why do I love this romance? Partly (if I’m being honest) is because of Colin Firth’s starring role in the BBC TV series!

But the other great thing about this novel is how Mr Darcy changes.

When Pride and Prejudice begins he is too proud to invite Elizabeth dance (even though he acknowledges her as “tolerable”), and his first proposal is absolutely terrible! But by the end of the narrative he admits his mistakes. So in Pride and Prejudice, the heroine rescues the hero.

5. Hero Wantage and Antony (Lord) Sheringham

Friday’s Child, by Georgette Heyer, is one of my fave period romances.

I mentioned Heyer in my last blog post. She wrote over twenty regency romances, and this is one of the best.

Friday’s Child is about Hero, who faces a future as a governess and her neighbour, Viscount Sheringham, who is in desperate need of a wife. Their runaway marriage creates chaos for their families and friends, but in saving his young bride, the erratic Antony finally learns maturity.

This is a hilarious book, because all the characters are just so stupid! It’s a perfect rainy day read.

6. Gwendolin Fairfax and John Ernest Worthing

The Importance of Being Earnest isn’t a novel; it’s a play, but who cares? This is Oscar Wilde at his funniest. Although Gwendolin and John are gorgeously earnest in their nature, I have a sneaking love for Algernon Moncrieff, Cecily Cardew, and of course, Lady Bracknell.

JACK: Gwendolen, it is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all his life he has been speaking nothing but the truth. Can you forgive me?
GWENDOLEN: I can. For I feel that you are sure to change.

If you get a chance, do watch the Rupert Everett/Colin Firth version (Colin Firth seems to be a common thread of this post). I’ve posted a clip here, just to whet your appetite.

7. Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler

Despite not being a happily-ever-after, Gone With the Wind is the archetype of character romance. The passion between the main characters is so intense that it’s easy to overlook the ‘frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn,’ ending.

I love how Scarlett transforms from society belle to independent woman. I love Rhett’s air of danger. But mostly I adore the setting; this book takes the reader into another world. Gone With the Wind is one of those addictive reads that are almost impossible to put down.

And for this particular story, even though the movie is a classic and the costumes are amazing, I prefer the book.

What do you prefer? Book or movie? And which romances do you love?

Love Fairytales? Here’s 5 Enchanting Movies To Try

August 19, 2016 By Rachel Stedman

The Enchantment of Fairytales —

I love fairytales.

The Brother’s Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, Arabian Nights — fairytales are charming, exciting, heart-breaking and funny. Fairytales come from all nations, and we call them folktales, and we think they’re all made-up because, well, they’re fantasy.

But are they really?

The reasons fairytales retain their appeal is precisely because, although they’re fiction, they contain things we can all relate to. Like Cinderella, we’ve experienced people being mean to us, saying “you’re ugly”, “you’re worthless.” And like the Little Mermaid, we’ve had a helpless crush on someone who really just…is not interested.

But in fairytales (unlike real life) also contain a happy ever after. In fairytales, good always triumphs. And, as an added bonus, for some reason, fairytales seem to have beautiful dresses, handsome Princes and True Love.

And because of this, fairytales make for fabulous movies and amazing TV. Here’s my top 5.

Hope you enjoy these clips!

5 Fabulous On-Screen Fairytales.

5. EverAfter

Watch the clip to the end!

4. Shrek

Who doesn’t love this great movie? And the sequels that somehow were just as good as the first! My favourite line: ‘Some of you may die, but that is a price I am willing to pay…’

3. Enchanted

The Happy Working Song is the best! ‘Even though you’re vermin…’ I have no idea how Amy Adams managed to sing this song with a straight face.

2. Whale Rider

This is a retelling of a Maori myth, and is an absolutely stunning movie. Its based on the book Whale Rider, by Witi Ihimaera. No actual whales were harmed in the making of this movie.

1. Beauty and the Beast – the animated version

The animation in this film is amazing, but really I love the characters, especially the French candlestick and Chip the cup (what a great name!)

Bonus! – An Extra Movie

And as an added little bonus, who could forget the amazingly sublime…The Princess Bride.

Okay, so it’s not really based on any actual fairytale, but it has a Princess, a Romantic Hero and, most importantly — the Best Movie Sword Fight Ever.

5 Books That Were Better as the Movie

June 20, 2016 By Rachel Stedman

Can a Movie be Better Than the Book?

Usually there’s no contest between the book and the movie, but this list suggests that sometimes, just sometimes, the movie might actually be better…

In order of Movie Greatness, here’s my list of 5 movies that were better than the book. Yes, really. Some are new, some are classics and some may surprise you.

Sit back, grab some popcorn and enjoy!

5 Books and 5 Great Movies

5. The Birds

While the basis of this short story by du Maurier was similar to the book – birds start attacking humans – unlike the movie, the book is set in the UK and (spoiler alert!) does not end happily. It’s a long short story and not particularly scary, or (I think) that riveting, unlike some of her other works, which really are page-turners.

The movie is way better – even today, when it seems pretty dated, especially this obvious green screen – because Hitchcock develops the tension amazingly effectively, much more so than du Maurier. After reading The Birds, I wondered why he decided to even use it for the movie, although I’m glad he did.

4. Howard’s End

The movie was an Academy Award-winning Merchant Ivory production, starring Emma Thompson, Anthony Hopkins and Helena Bonham-Carter. Like its more famous cousin, A Room with A View, Howard’s End is an adaptation of an EM Forster novel, and deals with class and relationships in Edwardian England. Personally, I find this production not as amazing as Room (it doesn’t have the incredible music score) but the great actors alone make it worth watching.

Unfortunately, the book is not as entertaining as the movie. It grinds on and on and is, frankly, dull. (Unlike A Room With a View, which is just as much fun as the movie). And when reading the book you can’t even become distracted by the gorgeous costumes.

3. The Hunger Games

I loved the book; really fast-paced, page-turning with epic battle scenes. However…I liked the movie more. Why? Because of the styling. The gorgeous sets of the Capitol, the Louis XIV vibe to the costumes, the colours – so cool. Plus, the movie has Jennifer Lawrence!

2. A Scanner Darkly

A Scanner Darkly, like Minority Report and Blade Runner, is based on stories by Philip K Dick. Unlike the other movies, Scanner sticks fairly closely to the book’s narrative about a totalitarian police state and an undercover cop. Scanner is a grim read, full psychosis, drug dealing and a bleak future-view. The book is slow going in places and, although it’s got some interesting elements – like the main character’s coat, made up of images of people – I didn’t find it the easiest read.

The movie isn’t the easiest to watch, either, and it does help if you’ve read the book. But there are three things the movie has that the book doesn’t. These are: Keanu Reeves; a tighter script; and AMAZING rendering. If you’re into weird-but-interesting movie productions, A Scanner Darkly is a must-watch.

1. Howl’s Moving Castle

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones is a great read; the story of Sophie Hatter and Howl, the wizard without a heart. BUT, although the book is good, the movie by Hayao Miyasaki is gorgeous! The beautiful anime alone makes it worth watching, but Billy Crystal as Calcifer the Fire Demon is fantastic. (Apparently Diana Wynne Jones wasn’t overly impressed by the movie, but I think she was way too picky. If someone wanted to set one of my books into a landscape as wonderful as this film, I’d be delighted!)

Bonus Runner-Up:

Death on the Nile

If you like period dramas and murder mysteries, this is definitely a must-see. The book, by Agatha Christie, is a good read. Christie’s husband was an Egyptologist, and she spent a great deal of time on and about the Nile, so who better to write about a group of affluent tourists on a Nile river boat? Confusion abounds when one is murdered. Fortunately, the world-famous detective, Hercule Poirot is among the guests.

I’m not entirely sure this movie is better than the book (which is why it’s a runner-up). But it has four things that just might make it superior:

The sets – the movie was shot on location in Egyptian, so the scenes in the ancient temples feels just wonderful.
The cast is an all-star roundup of the seventies movie industry: Peter Ustinov as Poirot, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, David Niven, Maggie Smith.
The costumes – they won an Oscar.
The movie is way less racist than the book.

This trailer is so dated its retro! Don’t you just love the music…

Note: if you enjoyed A Death on the Nile, try Murder on the Orient Express.

Conclusion

Usually there’s no contest between the book and the movie, but this list suggests that sometimes it’s possible to expand on a good story, and make it even better.