spideylibrarian

The Dark Allure of the Two-Sentence Horror Story

So, the month of October is finally upon us, and for those of you who follow me on Twitter, you know I was pondering the possibility of writing a two-sentence horror story for every day of the month, up to and including Halloween. So, now that the month has started and I’m already a story behind, I’ll have to do two of them today.

As previous posts have indicated, I’m something of an enthusiast when it comes to the creepy, the macabre, and the spooky. It started with scary stories as a kid, and continued with horror movies and some games, both of the video and the board varieties. Today, the trend goes strong with more online, social media equivalents like creepypastas and certain Youtube channels that talk about them.

Another one of those scary iterations is the two-sentence horror story. The two-sentence story seems to be a relatively new phenomenon in general–there are other kinds, like comedy, romance, and two-sentence stories for kids. They seem to mostly be an exercise in condensing a writer’s storytelling abilities into a brief, hopefully powerful and effective storytelling experience that leaves an impression with the reader.

Nowhere has this phenomenon flourished more than with two-sentence horror stories.

Seriously, it’s a form that’s completely dominated by the horror genre. A Google search for “two sentence story” will contain links to at least 80% horror content, and while sites and pages for other types of two sentence stories do exist, there seems to be a particular allure that horror fans find in it. It makes a certain amount of sense: the power of horror can be efficiently, effectively conveyed in a short form like the two-sentence story because our imaginations can so brilliantly fill in the blanks that are left after the story is finished.

There are pages galore that will contain lists and lists of the best, most effective, and bone-chilling two-sentence horror stories you can find on the web. Their existence means two things for me as I embark on this month-long exercise in the macabre. First, two-sentence horror stories are really popular, and will probably continue to be for some time. Second, it’s going to be hard to tell a good, memorable, original two-sentence horror story that isn’t either very similar, or just hasn’t already been done by another creepy, imaginative writer.

In any case, this is yet another of my writing goals for the rest of this year, since I was unable to accomplish one of them in a timely fashion (didn’t participate in 24-hour comic day over the weekend). Hopefully, as I accomplish each of these little micro-goals in a day-in, day-out fashion, I’ll get better at doing them, as well as get better at getting into the habit of doing them.

Have a fun, spook-filled October, and enjoy these tasty little tidbits of horror and creep factors that I come up with. They’ll each have their own posts, and perhaps at the end of the month I’ll compile them all into one long, October 2016-esque style post. But for now, they’ll have to be enjoyed individually.

Happy reading!

Disclaimer: the two two-sentence stories pictured here in this post are not my own, and are from another list page. Hopefully my own future stories will be just as effective and unsettling.

The Rogue Triumphant: Self Care vs Self Indulgence

Self Improvement

The rogues I tend to envision myself as in any RPG-style situation are usually more thief-bard-scout hybrids than the more cutthroat assassin-types that seem to be so popular in games like World of Warcraft and Assassin’s Creed. Don’t get me wrong, I see the use for those kinds of rogues, but they just don’t hold any kind of appeal for me personally. I’m not the kind of person who will casually decide to end someone’s life in any situation, even a fictitious one, though I will readily pick someone’s pockets if I feel they’re a jerk who deserves to get taken down a peg.

Rogues are often considered a cowardly lot, the kinds of people who take the easy way out, who would rather backstab than fight hand to hand in a fair fight, and who would just as soon avoid a fight altogether if they can still make off with the prize. It’s the whole “easy way out” aspect to the rogue persona that probably dominates the one who collides with my inner paladin so regularly. You saw in my previous post how the rogue tried to influence me to keep a library item when I shouldn’t have done so. He wasn’t advocating that I directly harm anyone–I don’t think I could keep the counsel or company of anyone who did, real or otherwise–just that I benefit myself for a little while longer, and flout those silly rules for a bit. That’s all.

And the thing is, I often wonder if the rogue has been the guiding light for the larger part of my adult life so far. He’s been pretty damn persuasive over the years, in quite a few ways:

He’s convinced me to sleep in rather than get up early and eat breakfast before I begin my regular days;
He’s persuaded me to continue to eat foods and indulge in habits that have likely been detrimental to my health over time; and
He’s even gotten me to back out of commitments I’d previously made (to go across town and hang out with a friend or friends), even if I hadn’t originally wanted to do them, simply by reminding me how little I’d enjoy myself if I followed through.

It’s been easy for me to listen to the rogue, because for the most part I’ve had little fallout from taking his advice. I’m graced with a thin-wiry build that hasn’t really changed (much) over the years, despite what I may choose to eat; I’ve never felt significantly bad when I skipped breakfast; and my friends have always been understanding when I’ve asked to bail on them once in a while. I’ve been able to glide through a lot of these things, and the rogue has blithely enabled this. Hell, he even tried to get me not to write this post just now, suggesting I just play video games to unwind.

The thing is, time has passed, and that tends to make fools of us all.

My numbers from my doctor have steadily worsened over the years. I’ve noticed I’m nowhere near as firm as I used to be, and I’ve even gained a little weight, even if my overall frame hasn’t changed. I’m hovering at alarming numbers for cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar levels, and was recently diagnosed as being pre-diabetic. And I’ve come to realize that when I don’t see my friends for long enough, those relationships can wither away and die.

Never fear. I’ve taken steps to correct these things, but it’s a daily struggle. The rogue continues to hold sway, suggesting I occasionally take the day off from my exercise regiment, or to maybe nibble on that delicious looking donut just this once. Nowadays I can resist him and do, but sometimes I still succumb to his clarion call.

Because at the end of the day, the rogue isn’t a bad persona. He bends or ignores the rules because sometimes, the rules are stupid. And what he’s advocating for is for me to enjoy life to the fullest extent possible, which I’m sure is a thing we as people can always get behind. Sometimes the rogue has gotten me to ignore the rules about print card procedures at the library, and just print a page (or three) for free for an individual who just needs the print, now, so they can get to a job interview on time. Sometimes my paladin-esque instincts have gotten in the way of this, and sometimes I want to kick myself for it. That’s where the rogue’s strengths shine.

He is noble, in his own way. Which is why, even if his influence is waning these days, he’ll never fully go away. He understands life, and living, and the people who do it way more than the paladin who believes in rules, and service to a higher purpose. That’s why they’ll both always be here.

And that’s why, at least once in a while, the rogue will get the win.

When the Paladin Wins Out: A Library Tale

Books, Movies, Self Improvement

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have a paladin and a rogue vying for influence over my actions. Sometimes paladin wins out, sometimes the rogue does.

This story is one in which my inner paladin demonstrates why being the goody-goody sometimes works out for the better.

In spending time with one of my friends a few months ago, we ended up talking about Frank Abagnale, Jr., who is the basis for Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in the movie Catch Me If You Can. I had neither seen the movie nor read the autobiographical book after which it was named, but Mr. Abagnale’s life was so fascinating that I soon ended up seeing the movie after that conversation (it’s GREAT! If you haven’t seen it yet, do so). I knew I had to read the biography next.

I’m a librarian by profession, so I had easy access to the means to acquire it. I put a hold on the book, got it a few days later, and started reading. It was a fascinating book, but as many of you know, life often gets in the way of your leisure reading time. I was only about 100 pages into the book when it came due, so I went to renew it–and found that another library customer already had a hold on it.

Now, when a customer has a hold on a book or other library item you have checked out, that means you need to return it by the date it was due when you checked it out. You can’t renew or extend the due date on that item, as you’ve had the length of the loan period–usually 2 or 3 weeks–to read, watch, or listen to the item in question. If you don’t return the item by its due date, you are penalized with a daily fine. Many library customers are familiar with all of this.

Since I was a library employee, though, I had a privilege that our other customers didn’t. I wasn’t fined for items that were overdue (at least not at first–you could be charged for the replacement of the item if it wasn’t returned by a certain point). It was at this point where the rogue and the paladin started to pull me in different directions.

The rogue whispered in my ear to finish Catch Me If You Can. I could have kept the book, which I was really enjoying and really did want to read. I could delay for however long it took me to read the book, which wouldn’t have been that long, right? What harm could really come of it?

But the paladin had words for me, too. Words of honor, and integrity, and the idea that library rules existed for a reason. Would not I be undermining the system by which our taxpayers are supposed to be guaranteed free, equitable access to library items if I selfishly kept them when I shouldn’t? How could I call myself a good librarian if I didn’t support it?

The paladin won out that day. As a library manager, it was up to me to set a good example for my co-workers and not abuse my privileges. Besides which, I’d seen cases of staff abuse of their privileges that had resulted in people losing their jobs and/or being disciplined because of it. I didn’t want to go down that path, or even start to.

So, with a heavy heart, I played by the rules, checked in the book that was due, and put it in transit to the next customer, forlornly wondering if I would be able to continue reading Catch Me If You Can anytime soon.

As it turned out, it was very soon.

Not five minutes later, I was at the desk, and looking for items to shelve. A customer came in, returned some items and left before I could issue them a receipt. Imagine my delighted surprise when I got to the audiobook they’d returned, which happened to be the book I had been reading, Catch Me If You Can. And, as a bonus, it had no existing holds on it.

I didn’t actually let out a whoop and jump for joy, but I did do a small arm pump and grin big as I checked the audiobook out. I actually really enjoy audiobooks, and spent enough time in my car that I would easily finish this one within two week. I decided to start listening to it from the beginning, and ended up loving the whole thing.

And I could swear the paladin was smiling down at me, and at the rogue, who was rolling his eyes dismissively. His words to both, “You see? Even when you can’t always see it, there is always a way to do right and still be victorious.”

Touché, Mr. Paladin. Touché.

Rogue vs Paladin: Two Sides of My Nature, Perpetually Struggling

Self Improvement

Everyone has that struggle within them: the better part of their natures versus the more selfish, baser part. Some of us see it in black and white terms: good against evil, the angel on your shoulder versus the devil. It all boils down to our choices, and asks the same basic questions of all of us: what kind of person am I, when it comes down to it? Am I a noble, self-sacrificing soul, or am I self-absorbed and out for only myself?

I take a somewhat less conventional–and infinitely more geeky–approach to this question. For me, it comes down to the struggle between two D&D archetypes that seem to encompass my personality and mindsets pretty well: the paladin vs. the rogue. Tending towards the side of angels, we have the paladin, the lawful good, the person who plays by the rules, works tirelessly for the good of others, and who will sacrifice when it comes down to it. A little less angelic, there is the rogue, the chaotic neutral. The rogue is more self-serving, greedy, and at times downright lazy or cowardly.

They are both archetypes I identify with.

The attraction for this dichotomy, for me, is the imperfection inherent in the assumed natures of the characters. Sure, paladin’s can be noble and holy and selfless, but they’ve also been highly destructive and myopic in their vows to “serve a higher cause.” Likewise, while rogues are presumably less noble and more selfish, they’re also often portrayed as being more grounded in human nature than paladins, and often able to sympathize with others in closer ways. We all know the trope of the jerk with a heart of gold. More often than not, that jerk tends to fit the rogue archetype (Han Solo, anyone? Mal Reynolds? Strider, aka Aragorn?).

I’ve often been called to task by others for my tendency to both know and follow the rules, or at least my perception of them. For the most part, for example, I don’t lie on insurance forms; I report bank errors that occur in my favor; and I don’t exploit flaws or bugs in video games, especially if I feel they give an unfair advantage over others. My rigidity on these things has often been met with mild annoyance, or amusement, and at one time I was referred to as being “lawful good” on certain matters such as this. I therefore tend to think of this as the paladin portion of my persona.

On the other hand, I’ve committed the occasional selfish action, usually if I feel it doesn’t really hurt anyone and that doing the nobler thing would be far outweighed by the sheer inconvenience, pain, or potential harm I would have to endure. I’ve been lazy when meaning to be productive; I’ve strayed from or flat-out ignored diets and/or exercising; and I’ve occasionally ignored whimpering pets clawing at my door so I could sleep a little bit longer. This hedonistic, rationalizing rascal is the rogue portion of my persona and temperament.

These two characters battle for control of my actions all the time, and each side scores victories to varying degrees regularly. And again, while one may seem better, or higher than the other, it’s actually a lot more complicated that you might initially think. Often times, I’ll roll up a happy-go-lucky rogue when I’m playing Dungeons & Dragons or some similar type of roleplaying game (tabletop OR video), but often my play style ends up being that of the goody-two-greaves paladin.

I’ll go more into how they influence me and how I view them later, but for now, I like to think it’s these two archetypes that exist on my shoulder rather than the angel and the devil.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Three Seasons In

Fan Culture, Television

As the fourth season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. officially kicks off tonight, I figure it’s timely for me to give voice to the things I love–and don’t really love so much–about this show. It has the distinction of being the only broadcast television show I follow faithfully, and its status as a Marvel Cinematic Universe property may have more than a little to do with that. Everything else I watch is usually either Netflix (hello Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and soon Luke Cage!), some other streaming service, after the fact, or some blend of the three.

So why is it that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. gets this extra effort from me? Is it that I’m an MCU junkie, who just doesn’t care what it is, as long as it has the Marvel IP attached to it? Do I strive for interconnectivity between the movies and the shows, despite how little of it we actually see? Have I actually grown attached to some of these characters and storylines, many of whom are not born from the comics?

If you couldn’t already tell, the answer is a little bit of all three.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. got off to a bumpy, if charming start, banking on the likability of its characters as much as Phil Coulson’s “connection” to the films. People tuned out after a couple of episodes, and the main complaint at the time seemed to be its lack of utilizing flashy, powered characters from the comics that weren’t being used in the films. I remember seeing more than a few commenters upset that Mike Peterson didn’t turn out to be Luke Cage during the first episode, for instance.

While I understand the desire for this from comic book fans, I don’t consider it a very legitimate criticism, as S.H.I.E.L.D. has always been a spy organization first and foremost. The premise of this television show was therefore primarily a spy drama. How non-powered people handle life in this reality should be, and I feel has been, a primary thread of exploration in this series, even when the show doesn’t always acknowledge it.

I will admit, during this initial stretch of episodes is when the show seemed to be at its weakest. The pacing was sometimes slow, and there seemed an over-reliance on why Coulson was still alive, and was dragged on longer than it needed to be. Still, the group dynamic between the characters, from orphaned protagonist Skye to stoic badass Melinda May to the bantering British duo of Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons, made for a fun enough ensemble that I cared enough to keep following their evolution as a group and a team.

Then, those of us who did stick around learned something important about season 1: it was, by necessity, hamstrung on what it could explore in relation to the movie studio to which it was connected. Even so, there were glimpses and flashes of what the show could be in some of the earlier episodes, such as “Eye Spy.” When Captain America: Winter Soldier blew the lid off the first season, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. became a lot stronger and more action-packed in its storytelling, and I would argue has maintained a compelling narrative ever since.

The end of season 1 brought about some revelations, as these kinds of shows tend to do, and we got to explore them in the second season. Skye, we find out, is (and has always been intended to be) Daisy Johnson, a character from the comics known as Quake. Her origin has been changed from a mutant (mutants don’t exist in the MCU due to Fox having the film rights to them) to an Inhuman, and her Inhuman origins are explored. Several new characters and arcs are introduced, including one of my personal favorites, Mack, who proves both instrumental in helping Fitz adapt to his new condition, and a member of a splinter S.H.I.E.L.D. group that nearly takes Coulson’s group down.

Some of the elements in this season could have been handled better. More showing instead of telling, for instance, about the Inhumans, their history, and their abilities. Coulson’s need to draw alien symbols also could have benefited from a stronger explanation that wasn’t dragged out for as long as it was. And don’t get me started on how they handled Fitz’s injury and eventual recovery from season 1. It was entirely too quick and clean, and ultimately should have been one of the few things that took significantly longer than it ended up taking.

On the other hand, there are plenty of strengths to this season. Daisy (not Skye anymore!) meets and ultimately has conflicts with both of her parents, leading to a final showdown that is both heartbreaking and memorable. Bobbi Morse (Mockingbird!) is introduced, and is wonderfully played by Adrianne Palicki, as is Nick Blood’s character Lance Hunter. Mack and the “other, real S.H.I.E.L.D.” storyline was also memorable, particularly as well as actor Henry Simmons played his scenes. And the Inhumans situation is brought to a head at the end of the season, setting up a good portion of the themes in season 3.

Season 3 had more good points than not so good, in my opinion, but its exploration of the history of Hydra and its link to the Inhumans (and the Kree) was front and center here. We finally get to see the traitor, Grant Ward, die (twice!), and the fifth episode, “4,722 Hours,” stands out as quite possibly my favorite episode of the entire show so far. Coulson starts working with a legitimate arm of the U.S. government, and eventually begins a romance with its head, Rosalind Price. Her sudden and cruel death was one of the moments I disliked most about the season, as they’d done a good job of making her likable, and Coulson’s reaction to it had all the classic signs of Women In Refrigerators that we see in comics so often.

Ward’s “evolution” into the character Maveth made for a legitimately world-ending threat, pressing S.H.I.E.L.D. to its limits as they finally broke out the Secret Warriors. Several excellent Inhuman characters comprised this team, including Joey Gutierrez, who can melt metals, and Elena Rodriguez, a speedster. When that threat is finally taken care of, Hydra seems to finally be obliterated, and the focus of the show may seem to finally shift from Inhumans to… Ghost Rider?

As we head into season 4, I’m as excited to see Robbie Reyes’s Ghost Rider as a number of people are upset that it’s not Johnny Blaze’s motorcycle-riding demon. I think their use of a newer character with less history to “stick to” opens up a lot of narrative possibilities that could make for great storytelling. I’ve not read any of his comics, yet, but I’ve heard good things about it, and have been pleased with the glimpses of the character we’ve seen thus far.

I’m hoping I’ll be hooked enough on him to start looking for his comics. I’m hoping this season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., with its new time slot, proves to be its strongest yet. If it goes darker, as I believe it will, I think we’ll have another strong base from which to improve an already good show.

If you haven’t watched Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.–or even if you watched it at first and dropped off soon after–give it a watch this season. I’m more convinced than ever this show is going to be a great (ghost) ride! (no apologies for the pun!)

The One-Sided Nature of Marvel Studios’ “It’s All Connected”

Movies, Television

Anyone who knows me can tell you that I’m a big fan of the MCU that Marvel Studios started back in 2008 with Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. I love the interconnected nature of the movies, and how they reinforced the notion that these were characters whose actions would affect the plots and developments of others that came along. It was a brilliant way to conceptualize and bring together a movie franchise, and it was so uniquely a Marvel opportunity, that I knew their film The Avengers was going to be a huge hit, even as far back as Iron Man, when it was only being hinted at.

With the ever-present phrase “It’s all connected” a seeming mantra of the entire universe, it seemed a no-brainer that there would be plenty of connections, however tenuous, between the films and the shows that emerged on ABC and Netflix. And as far as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been concerned, they’ve made plenty of references to the films to show they’re connected, from having some of their stars (Thor‘s Jamie Alexander, The Avengers‘ Cobie Smulders and Samuel L. Jackson, and Captain America: The First Avenger‘s Haley Atwell jump quickest to mind) appear on the show, to having episodes and plot arcs made in direct response to the events of the films. Netflix shows Daredevil and Jessica Jones have made small, oblique, blink-and-you’ll-miss-them references to the films, but thus far have mostly kept to themselves in terms of really connecting to anything else.

Where there has been the least amount of connection in terms of acknowledging properties outside its own wheelhouse, however, has been with the films. And that is a major, ongoing source of disappointment for me.

Now, I realize that making movies is way different from making television shows, and I know it’s unlikely, and maybe even impossible, to really work the characters, plots, and developments of television into a film in any substantial or meaningful way. Movies are planned out years in advance, whereas television can turn on a proportional dime as needed. I get it–we probably won’t see any television characters in the films anytime soon, if ever.

But I think it’s criminal at this point that the word “Inhuman,” as used in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., has yet to even be uttered on screen in any of the MCU films. I find the studio’s indefinite suspension of the previously planned Inhumans movie to be off-putting and disingenuous in light of it’s mantra.

As best I can tell, the only reference I’ve seen from the films to anything not originated in the films has been the Theta Protocol, which even then involves the Helicarrier that was first seen in The Avengers. Even then, also, I’m not sure the name itself is even mentioned in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

In any case, my point in all of this is that, as the originating medium of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the films should be doing more to cross connect to the other content that’s out there. And again, I realize we may not ever see Daisy Johnson or Mike Peterson or Melinda May, or even (though I really hope I’m wrong here) Matt Murdock or Jessica Jones or Luke Cage in the films.

I still think, however, that including a throwaway line about the Inhumans emergence or the chaos going down in Hell’s Kitchen would be something manageable.

Come on, Marvel Studios. Would it really be that hard for you to do that little?

Tony’s Lists: Things I Finally Got Around to Trying That Made Me Think, “What Took Me So Long?!”

Fan Culture, List

Between the hectic hum-drum that tends to run most of our lives, people are often very careful about what they decide to check out on a friend’s recommendation. The time we get is, at least to our own viewpoints, sparse, and therefore precious. I’ve had books, shows, video games, and all manner of other consumables recommended to me by my friends that I’d ignored at the time–sometimes for years–before finally giving them a try. Sometimes, they were worth the time investment, and other times, not so much.

Then there are those things that I finally got around to watching, reading, playing, and so forth, and came away going, “Oh my god! This is awesome! WHY the hell did I wait so long to get into this?!” The following list represents a small sampling of media that I:

had recommended to me by a friend;
put off actually checking out for a significant chunk of time (at least a few months); and
was wowed by it, to the point of kicking myself for not checking it out when my friends made their recommendations.

For extra fun, I’m listing the names of my friends (first names only) who made these recommendations in the first place, so they can say, “Told you so!” if and when they read this.

Here goes:

Doctor Who (Colin) — I was not prepared for how much I loved this show. I came on board right as Matt Smith became the Eleventh Doctor, and I was hooked from the get-go! I not only watched everything I could of Eleven’s adventures, but also Nine, Ten, and some of the older movies (I believe The Three Doctors was the first I watched). Admittedly, it gets a bit too wacky and inconsistent for me sometimes, and while I’m not currently following it, I’m sure I’ll love it when I come back around to the Time Lord’s adventures.

Firefly (Rebecca) — In a way, Firefly was one of the saddest things I ever watched, as it showed me firsthand that just because a show is good–and I mean, really good–that doesn’t mean it’ll get to run as long as it deserves. Still, the episodes in that one season were amazing, as was the follow-up movie Serenity. I count myself as a Browncoat, and still live in perpetual, irrational hope that the series will get continued on screen.

Harry Potter (Shaun) — Oh, Harry Potter. How I misjudged you. I was working retail at a bookstore when I first encountered these books, and their sheer popularity irked me. I even accompanied my friend Shaun to a midnight release of Goblet of Fire (the book, not the movie), and couldn’t understand what the big deal was. I finally decided to give the first book a try. It had ONE CHAPTER to capture my interest, or I would put it down and denigrate the series all I wanted. Needless to say, it won me over hard, and I can’t imagine my fandom card without it.

Batman: Arkham Asylum (Alex) — Talk about an experience I denied myself for far too long! This game, as well as its sequels Arkham City, Arkham Origins, and Arkham Knight, were as close as I’ve ever experienced to actually BEING Batman in a video game. The stories were well told and dazzlingly produced, and the voice casting was top-notch. I finally finished Arkham Asylum just before Arkham City came out, and you can bet I’ve been at the midnight releases of all the other games since.

Heroes (Ed) — I was told by more than one person that they couldn’t believe I, of all people, wasn’t watching Heroes when it first came out a decade or so ago. It did seem right up my alley, as I am massively into comic books and superheroes, but at the time I just wasn’t watching television much. When I finally was exposed to the first few episodes by my girlfriend at the time, I was instantly hooked! Of course, we broke up before I could get more than a few episodes in, and I haven’t watched since, but you can bet I’ll come back around to it eventually.

The Dresden Files (Krystal) — Mr. Potter is not the only magic-user named Harry that makes this list. This one’s got a special place in my heart, because technically, I didn’t “put this one off” at all. I was told how good they were, and then put a hold on an audiobook version through my library. And I checked it out when the hold came through–A YEAR LATER. But I loved it, and now I’m eagerly awaiting the other books on audio so I can see what I’ve been missing for the last 15 years!

What are some surprise recommendations that you put off for far too long? I know I can’t be the only one who’s eating crow for not taking my friends seriously…

Remembering Cowboy (2003-2016)

Loss, Pets

I was going to write a post today about how relatively little blogging I seem to getting accomplished, even though I’m writing at a better clip than I have in some time, but I just found out this morning that one of our cats passed away, so that little trip down Obvious Lane is going to have to wait.

Cowboy was not a cat with whom I got along with at first. That’s rare, as I’m generally a love-all-cats kind of person. He always seemed to have it in for one of my other cats, Sirius, who like him, was a black cat, but she was smaller and less social than the other animals in the house. Often I would hear Sirius’s shrill yowl from across the house, and I would come onto the scene to find Sirius hissing and growling at Cowboy, who would tower over her.

As time went on, I eventually got to the point where I stopped trying to protect Sirius from Cowboy and told her to get over her antisocial instincts. This gave me the chance to get to know Cowboy on his own terms, and I’m glad for it.

Cowboy was one of the most chill cats I had ever gotten to know. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself–and for the most part, did–but he was also very affectionate. Whenever I would return home, be it from work, or errands, or whatever the last couple of years, he would always be on the porch, and almost always come out silently and affectionately demand pets and rubs from the human in the car. It got to the point where I would most refer to him as Cowbs, or even The Snuggle Beast, as he was a pretty big guy and would let you pet him for hours if you wanted.

A couple days ago, Cowboy seemed to be missing. He hadn’t shown up for the morning feeding like our other cats, and until that evening, no one had seen him. I was told about it, and was watching for him as I was on my way home. I just happened to see an animal crossing the street (yay glowing animal eyes in headlights), and as I got closer, recognized it to be Cowboy. I called out to him, and he responded, but he seemed very lethargic. He walked under my car (in the middle of the road, the screwball) and laid there for a few minutes, until a friend who was with me coaxed him out, and we brought him home.

From that point on, I was worried about him. He was not responding as he normally did to petting, he wasn’t eating much, and not moving around. I knew that this was not good.

We resolved to take him to the vet this morning, but unfortunately he beat us to the punch, and passed on before we were up.

I suspect of course that he knew this was coming, as I’ve had cats that have done the running away to be alone when dying thing, but I’m glad I happened along to find him before he could do that. I’m glad he was able to spend his remaining hours with his family, surrounded by people who loved him and offered him food, water, snuggles, and affection, even if he may not have been enthusiastic for them in his condition. And I’m glad I got over my own initial impressions of him as a bully cat and came to know him as the Snuggle Beast. That is how I will remember him.

Goodbye Cowbs, you wonderful Snuggle Beast. You will be missed.

Star Wars Legends: the Ganner

Books, Comic Books

I still lament Disney’s decision to relegate the Extended Universe of Star Wars novels, comics, and video games to a non-cannon “legends” status, meaning that, at least according to the property’s new owners, it didn’t really happen. There has been so much amazing content from that era, starting with the memorable and compelling Heir to the Empire novels by Timothy Zahn, that it seems a waste to just say that all those wonderful stories never happened. Grand Admiral Thrawn, Mara Jade, Corran Horn, Kyle Katarn and Dash Rendar… those great characters may never have actually existed, though it’s possible some of them may be salvaged in the Disney NWO for Star Wars.

I wasn’t terribly into the New Jedi Order series of novels. I’d been reading the books a long time at that point, and had developed a kind of weariness with continuing the journey. After reading the first book, Vector Prime, I decided not to continue reading after enduring the heroic, but untimely death of a major character, Chewbacca. I kept tabs on the developments of that series, but didn’t read any further than Wikipedia (as well as Wookieepedia) in order to see what had been going on.

Now, I’ll admit, I was tempted several times to start reading again. The synopses of the plots and action alone were compelling and inviting to me. From Corran Horn’s duel with a Yuuzhan Vong over the fate of a planet, to the Jedi strike team’s disaster at Myrkr (resulting in Anakin Solo’s death), there were a lot of stories that clearly had stark impacts on the cast of characters, and the universe of Star Wars itself. I held firm, but I researched extensively the stories that really held my interest.

Perhaps the most epic, heroic, and downright legendary one was the final fate of Ganner Rhysode.

Ganner Rhysode was a Jedi character, who had been among the first students in Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Academy on Yavin IV. He was a promising Jedi, but was also vain, obsessed with his looks, and a bit too “swashbuckling” and concerned with playing the hero to actually work on being a hero. All that changed on a mission with Corran Horn, where Ganner received a prominent facial scar, which he left as a reminder to be more humble and not overestimate his own abilities. It was a good development for the character.

Later, Ganner finds Jacen Solo undercover on Coruscant, and apparently helping the Yuuzhan Vong. Captured and tormented by the Vong and Jacen, he eventually comes to learn that Jacen has been working to get close to the World Brain controlling the mass terraforming of Coruscant. When Jacen goes to commune with the World Brain, Ganner comes to terms with his desire to be a hero, and elects to stay behind in the Well of the World Brain to hold off the Yuuzhan Vong warriors who are pursuing to stop them. He knows it is a sacrifice that will cost him his life.

What unfolds is one of the most jaw-dropping displays of heroism I’ve read about in Star Wars.

Led by Nom Anor, a prominent Yuuzhan Vong leader, thousands of warriors come to the Well, ready to cut Ganner down. Nom Anor attempts to reason with Ganner, who refuses to yield and allow them to pass. But Ganner will not yield.

“You are only one man!” Nom Anor tells him.

“I am only one Jedi,” Ganner replies. That line still gives me shivers.

Ganner goes on to claim the threshold for himself, and that any Yuuzhan Vong who wants to pass will only die if they try. “Bring on your thousands, one at a time or all in a rush. I don’t give a daman. None shall pass!” he claims, and the fight begins.

At first the Vong warriors attempt to take turns facing him in one-on-one combat, honorably. But Ganner takes them all down, one by one. They start moving in on him in groups, hoping to overpower and wear him down, but Ganner manages to take all of them out as well. He sustains minor scratches and wounds from some of the Vongs’ poisoned weapons, but due to his connection to the Force, Ganner has essentially become one with the Force and is able to shrug the damage off to continue fighting–and winning.

The groups got larger. Ganner Rhysode kept winning, piling the bodies of his fallen foes to make barriers for the newcomers. And eventually, Ganner defeated all of his opponents. At that point, the Vong unleashed a tank beast on him, and Ganner used the Force to bring the entire Senate dome down on them and himself, sacrificing himself to guarantee Jacen access to the World Brain, which allowed him to influence the organism’s worldshaping of Coruscant. It also allowed Jacen, who would be important to ending the war later, to escape.

The display of tenacity and martial prowess displayed by Ganner by thousands of Yuuzhan Vong eventually earned him a place among their gods. A legend developed around the fight, in which “the Ganner” is an invincible Jedi giant who guards the Gate to the Lands of the Dead with his ever-burning blade of light, making sure the dead do not return to trouble the living. There are words engraved on the stone of the Gate, reading: “NONE SHALL PASS”

When your enemies are so impressed by you that they place you in their mythology, then you’ve definitely done something right.

I can’t help but be floored by this story. Even just the summary and scant dialog I’ve read make me shake my head in wonder. Writer Matthew Stover must have an amazing imagination, as well as a strong liking of the character, to give him such a strong send-off. Even Chewbacca, whose heroic sacrifice was forever seared into my memory, wasn’t given so epic a death scene. No one else in Star Wars has received that kind of treatment, and it was something that really stood out to me.

There’s no word as to whether we’ll get to see Ganner Rhysode in the new Disney versions of Star Wars, but I hope we’ll see some iteration of his legend in the movies at some point, as it’s truly a tale worthy of film.

Gameless on My Smartphone: the Follow-up

Self Improvement, Video Games

Well, today’s the day.

It’s been a full month since I’ve had my smartphone replaced after it mysteriously bricked on me, at which time I decided not to load any of the mobile game apps I’d been pretty religiously playing until that time. And I’ve been strong the entire month: not a single gaming app was loaded onto my phone. Not a single mobile game was played on it. Now, I can go back to playing Pokemon GO, Marvel Avengers Academy and other such time (and money) sinks on to my phone after proving to myself that I don’t really need them in order to go about my life, relieve stress, or keep me occupied in my down time.

And the thing is, I actually may not do that.

I’m simply not inclined to go back to gaming on my phone, or at least nowhere near to the degree that I was previously into it. In the last month, I’ve changed jobs; worked more on being productive–creatively, domestically, and personally; read more, in various formats; and enjoyed a lot less need to recharge my phone’s batteries or eyeball my data usage. It’s been nice, and I think the past few weeks have made me a little bit better for it.

Now, anyone who knows me and how much I love video games may find this to be a little bit of a shock, but I should probably point out that there are a number of factors that helped me reach this decision.

First and foremost, don’t think I’ve given up gaming completely. I’ve played plenty of video games over Steam and on my PS4 over the last month, and that’s probably not going to change. But not having the games immediately accessible in the palm of my hand has probably led to me making better decisions about how to spend my free time, such as deciding to listen to a podcast or undertake a Spanish lesson while I’m on the go. Audiobooks have also been great–I listen to them a lot while I’m either walking or driving. Restricting where I can access video games hasn’t cut down on my love for them; it’s just made me smarter about when and where I play them.

Heck, I technically haven’t even given up mobile games completely. Marvel Puzzle Quest is available on Steam–though I think most people play it on their phones or tablets–and that’s exactly where I’ve been playing it for the last month. I may also reinstall Pokemon GO, since that’s a unique and fun experience, but even there I’m only somewhat inclined to do so. But there are other games that have probably lost me for good as a result of this exercise, and for good reason.

Marvel Avengers Academy: resource management with college-age iterations of the Avengers? Great concept! Initially, this game was a lot of fun, but it quickly became weighed down by the endless string of events that quickly became obvious money grabs. Now it’s ever more clear that the purpose of this game is to put out new characters to charge you big bucks to acquire, and on top of that demand the lion’s share of your time to farm the others. This one was on the way out before I left, and now I’m just done.
Marvel Future Fight: yes, I love my Marvel games. For a while, this one was perfect. An action game with RPG elements and a beat-em-up style featuring Marvel characters was about as close as we’d get to a sequel to the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance series of games for some time. And it held up for a while–it certainly gave its players more bang for their investment buck than Avengers Academy–but eventually got to feeling repetitive and pointless. Then they started sticking characters behind pay walls, and… that was that. Being away from it hasn’t made me miss it any more at this point.
Cards and Castles: oh, wow, a NON-MARVEL game?! Yes, I actually can play those–just watch me play the Batman Arkham series. This looked amusing, and tugged at my love for old trading card games, so I gave it a shot. It wasn’t bad, and the game play was fun, so it was in my rotation when I lost my phone. But like the Marvel games listed here, time has just shown that there’s not quite enough here to make me want to come back to it. Maybe I’ll give it a shot on Steam.

I could list any other number of games on here, but I think the common thread between why I’m not continuing with them, beneath all the other very good reasons, is time. I just don’t have the time to continue playing these games in a way that makes it worthwhile to me, especially when there’s other activities I could be filling that time with: exercise, creative pursuits, being with loved ones. Since where we place our money and our time says where we place our priorities, the last month has shown me that this change is one that will only benefit me going forward.

I want my priorities to be my writing and my loved ones. And so, there it is. No more games on my phone.

Except maybe Pokemon GO. Occasionally.