Fairy Tale Spotlight: Naked Lunch [Book Review]

"Naked Lunch" is a novel (or rather antinovel) written by William S. Burroughs. It was published in 1959. It is a complete mess to read, but it's also not really that bad. I'll try and explain.

This is less of a story and more of a book written by a man absolutely blasted on opium. He's also a beatnik, so he was already kind of "out there" to begin with. There is no real story here. It's just a man who is writing what he wants, when he wants, and how he wants. If you go into it expecting a traditional structure, you will not find it. Go somewhere else.

But what is there is really very interesting, if you are willing to just relax a bit. There are thoughts and ideas sort of blasted at you from the author's pen. A lot of drug use. A lot of sex. A lot of extremely violent and gross stuff. Stuff I cannot even go into in this blog. This book has probably offended a lot of people, but at the same time, this book has been a soldier for free speech in both America and Europe. I guess that's the point. Maybe it's something else. I don't really know. The book reads like gibberish.

But that gibberish is often poetic and interesting in its presentation. Once you get past that you probably are not going to understand most anything you are reading, it becomes a lot easier to just... read it. And that's really all that's expected of you here. You are just supposed to read it and move on. Or don't read it. I don't think anyone will care if you do or don't. "Naked Lunch" just is what it is. It doesn't try to be anything it isn't. You are either going to like it or hate it.

Do I recommend it though? Well, see if you can't get ahold of one of the chapters. It doesn't matter which one. They can be read out of order. Read a few pages, and if you want more, go read the entire book. If not, move on--this book is not for you. It's really that simple, and I have nothing left to say on the matter.

This blog was written on August 14, 2024.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Project Eden [Video Game Review]

"Project Eden" is a video game developed by Core Design of "Tomb Raider" fame. It was released in 2001 on PC and PlayStation 2. I have actually attempted to play this game multiple times since it came out, but I only recently finished it. It's one of those games I would give up on over and over but still somehow obsess over it.

The game takes place in a world where civilization just kept building on top of itself, working its way up into the heavens. The world below would get forsaken and only the top level actually got policed. The people living in the many levels below were just people who wanted to get away from the laws of the top level. Now, you might see this as one of those stories where the oppressively rich people live on the top with the peasants down below, but no. It's nothing like that. Human civilization just moved upwards, and there doesn't seem to be anything bad about life there at all.

You play as four security forces that are trying to figure out what's going on in one of the facilities. Carter is the point man and the one with all your security clearance. Andre is a mechanic, and he can repair things. Minoko is a hacker girl. And then there is Amber who is a big strong battle robot. You have to go through the entire game playing all of these characters (one at a time) in order to solve each mission, which in a very big way is a puzzle unto itself.

There is combat too. As you go lower and lower into the forsaken cities down below, you will run into all sorts of enemies... and eventually some sort of mutants. You have to balance your puzzle solving with the combat. It isn't always an easy thing to do, but I did eventually get the hang of it. By this I mean that I just sent Amber ahead of everybody until I found something for the others to do. You don't have to play it this way, but it was the strategy that made me the most comfortable.

As you proceed down, down, deep into the most forsaken places of the past cities, the story that unfolds is quite interesting. I don't want to spoil it, but I really got into it. I wanted to know why all this was happening. It is one of the strangest stories I have ever encountered in video games. That said, the ending felt a bit rushed and... kind of silly. It wasn't awful. I got a chuckle out of it, but I think it could have been better.

I still really enjoyed the journey though. Everything about this game is interesting, and sometimes it's legitimately scary. Imagine coming out of an old run-down building, but instead of seeing sky, you just see darkness and other buildings going off as if into infinity above you. Exploring the lower levels in this game is so dark and atmospheric. And I actually do respect that they didn't make the topside to be all that corrupt. I felt like I was on a good team working for a respectable organization, just trying to solve a very complicated problem.

I do recommend "Project Eden," but I don't think it is for everybody. The reason I quit this game a few times I played it previously had to do with respawning enemies. This seems like something that might get on people's nerves. Just know that if you push forward past these moments, the enemies tend to stop respawning. It's annoying, but I think the experience of this game is worth the hassle. Give this one a try if you can find yourself a copy.

This blog was written on August 14, 2024.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: On the Downhill Side [Short Story Review]

"On the Downhill Side" is a short story written by Harlan Ellison. It was published in 1972. It is a ghost story.

But this isn't just any ghost story. It is a ghost story about ghosts... not people encountering ghosts. In fact, ghosts are the only characters in the story. There is also a unicorn. I'm not sure why... but there is a unicorn.

The story is about two ghosts, male and female, who are trying to mend mistakes of their past lives, which seem to be fairly ancient. They are meant for one another, but they can't seem to tie the knot. This is like a "last chance" scenario. They have to figure this out, or else someone needs to be sacrificed.

I won't spoil this one because the ending is actually kind of shocking and dramatic, but I will say that this one took me a while to even get into. It was written in such a sudden way... with there being a random unicorn in it and all... that I was already kind of bored of it by the time I got to the good parts. I basically finished it because I was going to do that anyhow.

The thing that makes this special is that it is a ghost-only story. That's cool. I haven't seen anything like that before. However I don't think I'll recommend it. He's written better stuff than this that were more fun to digest.

This blog was written on August 9, 2024.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Mefisto in Onyx [Novella Review]

"Mefisto in Onyx" is a science fiction novella written by Harlan Ellison. It was published in 1993. It is a good story but has some problems that I will try and cover in this review.

The story is about a black man who had the ability to jump into people's minds. He could instantly walk around in there and learn everything about them. He is asked by a friend to jump into the mind of a serial killer on death row to see if he is innocent or not. The reason he does this at all is because the girl he is doing it for is in love with the killer and thinks he may be falsely accused.

I don't want to spoil this one. If I go any further then the whole twist of it is revealed and that really ruins the story and makes it not worth the read. I do want to say that the narrative, which is in the first person, is very hard-edged and impactful. You really get to know this physic man for who he is, and the ultimate conclusion of this story is actually fairly fun and brilliant.

The problem with this story is a small one but it was enough to annoy me. There is one part where the main character dumps really hard on Christians. There was no real need for it. It did not help the story in any way. It was in very bad taste, and I really wish the author had not done it. This was neither a Christian or atheist story. It was a fantasy tale about ESP.

This sort of thing can make people dislike what would otherwise be a wonderful science fiction tale. And it is good. Genuinely good. Riveting even.

If you are capable of getting past the garbage attack on Christianity that happens in one paragraph then you'll enjoy yourself just fine. Otherwise, I should recommend some other story.

This blog was written on August 3, 2024.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: I Am Fish [Video Game Review]

"I Am Fish" is a video game developed by Bossa Studios. It was released in 2021 on a number of platforms. It is a physics-based action/puzzle game.

The ridiculous idea behind "I Am Fish" is very simple: four fish consume sentient bread which makes them sentient fish. They quickly become intelligent creatures that think and problem solve like human beings, but they are still fish. They also get separated, and the point of the game is to get all four fish back together in the ocean where they can be free.

As silly as the actual premise is, the story itself plays out something like a children's movie. Even the animation and the sets of this world look like it came from a Pixar or a DreamWorks movie. The fish cannot talk though, although they do squeak in a way that makes them sound like people.

Although the game does involve some puzzle solving sections, the bulk of the game has you trying to manipulate physics to your favor. Remember that you cannot last long outside of water, so in order to traverse your environment, you have to keep to areas where there is water. Sometimes this means rolling around in a fish bowl, a mason jar (I hated those), a mop bucket, and the occasional rolling trashcan. Even though the physics of this makes no sense, you can push these around from inside them. It's something you just have to accept and move on about.

There are four types of fish, and each of them has something that makes them special:

-The Goldfish does not have any powers, but he does have really shiny scales that act as a beacon for the other fish to eventually find him. Other than that, he's just a regular fish.

-The Flying Fish can glide through the air for a while before he dries out. He can actually cover a large distance while out of water, probably way more than the others. He is also the most difficult to control, in my opinion.

-The Puffer Fish can blow up like a balloon. If you do this while at the bottom of the water, he will fly up and out really quite high. He can also roll around on dry ground for a little bit and is very easy to control. I found him to be the easiest to play with.

-The Piranha is all about destruction and violence. He is way stronger than he should be. A normal mission with him is all about flooding homes by ripping into the water pipes. The idea is to fill the house full of water until he can escape through a window or something. His music was my favorite. It had a good beat and was full of mischief.

Once you get them all to the ocean, you have one final mission where you have to play all four of them at once. Along the way, there is this poor guy who keeps having a bad day, because, by random chance, he continuously has ban run-ins with each of these four fish. It's sort of an ongoing gag and very funny.

The game is extremely fun, but it is also very difficult. The maps are really not that big, but you may end up getting stuck in some parts trying to get your fish to jump just right or glide the way he's supposed to. It's one of those games where the premise is simple, but it is so hard to master. The ending, however, made the whole journey so worth it.

I absolutely recommend "I Am Fish." I'll go a step further. This game needs to be a movie. I really loved the premise and the whole adventure aspect of it. To see how far four sentient fish go to join together in the ocean made all the frustrating aspects of the game worth it. Just be prepared to fail a lot.

This blog was written on August 2, 2024.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Two Stories by Janet Kuypers [Short Story Reviews]

The two stories I am referring to in the title are "Christmas at the Old House" and "Driving to Champaign." They were both written by Janet Kuypers and published in 2012. By the way, Janet Kuypers is also the editor of "Down in the Dirt" magazine. These two stories came from issue 107 (June 2012). I did not really care for much in this issue at all, aside from a few exceptions and a story by my friend Donald C. White Jr.

The two final stories in the book were surprisingly off the dark themes of the magazine, and they were very enjoyable, I thought. Say what you will about Janet's choice in contributed works, she has one of the most enjoyable writing styles I have ever come across. I might even look up some more of her works in the future.

"Christmas at the Old House" is a very short little anecdotal story about being the youngest child at a family Christmas get-together. There's no real plot or intrigue to it. It was just a cute story about a little child not able to pronounce the the name of her new electronic toy properly. That was it... and I kinda loved it.

"Driving to Champaign" was a bit different and slightly more in line with the magazine's theme. It was the same person, although much older, sitting in the back of a car, while the driver was being a tad reckless. The author decides that she should write something down incase they end up dead. A lot of it is just rambling about musical choices and stuff, but then it slips into good life advice that made me smile.

The rambling nature of Janet Kuypers is relaxing and quaint. It made these stories very enjoyable, and I really do wish the best for her. Janet, if you are out there, I loved these two stories. Keep up the good work!

This blog was written on July 29, 2024.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Mario Polzetti [Short Story Review]

Oh, thank God. A story from "Down in the Dirt" magazine that's actually decent.

"Mario Polzetti" is a short detective story written by Rod Hamon. It was published in 2012.

It is a very quickly-paced detective story about a gangster boss named Mario Polzetti who allegedly shot his wife. The detective in charge of the case, Dabrowski, is trying to prove that he did it. Everything is boiler plate detective stereotypes here, but that isn't necessarily bad. Sometimes diving into stereotypical stuff can be charming and even relaxing.

The detective reminded me a little of Columbo. He was not perfect by any means. He even came across as nervous, biting his nails and all that. I liked him. Mario the boss was a little bit on the goofy side, but I still liked him. He was definitely not a good man.

I was rather surprised to see a detective story run so quickly from beginning to end. This is a story that will begin and end before you can even blink... so don't blink. It even had a solid conclusion which I won't be spoiling today.

I think this one is worth the read, and I recommend it. Good job! It's good to see that there are at least a few decent stories in this magazine. It's been a pain for me to read through. Sorry to all those stories I bashed, but I don't pull punches on this blog.

This blog was written on July 26, 2024.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: The History Teacher [Short Story Review]

[I spoil this story. If you don't want to know the ending, don't read this.]

"The History Teacher" is a short story written by John Ragusa. It was published in 2012. It's another story I found in the "Down in the Dirt" magazine. I was not actually going to review it originally, but there are some parallels to the story "Lady Killer" by Donald C. White Jr. Oh, and I don't like this one. I'm writing this to kind of show how similar ideas aren't always accepted equally.

The story is written in the first person by a history teacher. For two solid pages, he explains how much he loves American history and how he is so very good at teaching it. Seriously, that's two whole pages of self-aggrandizement. I was actually kind of curious where it was going. It was certainly very weird to have so much exposition about how good a person is at something.

The problem lies with the very last paragraph. The history teacher just suddenly drops that the reason he is so good at teaching history is because he is a vampire. So he is long lived and stuff. He's been there and all that. Sorry, but that's really lame. I know this author thought he had a good idea, and maybe it would have been a great story is better presented.

I can totally see how a history teacher who is a vampire would actually work as a story. That is an intriguing idea, but to just drop it at the end to wrap up the story... I just don't care. It's barely interesting. I'd much rather know more about him than to just leave it that way.

With "Lady Killer," the vampire twist had so much substance baked into it. Not only was the intended victim a vampire, she was a vampire that was hunting predators. In that case, the twist was shocking and desirable.

You shouldn't just write a whole story and then place a "Reason: vampire!" sticker right at the end of it. You gotta give me more, man! So for that reason, I just can't recommend this one. It was an eye-roller. Although I would suggest that the author re-write it to be longer and integrate the vampire aspect into it better. I think the concept is excellent. It just needs to be delivered in a more palatable way.

This blog was written on July 26, 2024.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Family Diary [Poem Review]

"Family Diary" is a poem written by Steven Pelcman. It was published in 2012. This is another thing I found in that "Down in the Dirt" magazine that I have not been enjoying. This, however, is one of the exceptions. I did like this one.

I don't normally like to review poetry. I usually don't have a reason to, as poetry tends to need to be read to get your own interpretation out of it. This poem was unusual because it was done as a diary. It told a story that isn't normally told in this kind of format.

It goes into the life of a farmer and father who works hard for a living. He reminded me of my granddad that I knew when I was a kid. He was sort of a quiet hard worker that was amusing to talk to from time to time. I guess that's why I related to it so quickly.

The poem's story does eventually get tragic, but it shows life's tragedies as things that can't always be avoided. Life also seems to go on, and we take the memories of the good and bad times with us. All true. This isn't what I had come to expect from stories in this magazine. Most of them just want to hammer you with tragedy and then leave you alone so you can properly hate life like the authors do.

This poem was written by a person who knew how to properly make peace with the hardships of life. I respect that, and I hope I will have the strength to do that when those things begin to happen to me. I do recommend this poem, although I'm not a fan of the magazine I found it in.

This blog was written on July 24, 2024.

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