A New Kid on my Fandom Block: Neil Gaiman.

FIR RB# 2
Title: A New Kid on my Fandom Block: Neil Gaiman.
Book read: The Sandman vol. 1 Preludes and Nocturnes
Author: Neil Gaiman
Volume 1, Chapter 1
Name: Audreleine Tanya
Section: 203B
Subject: Foundations in reading

For as long as I lived, I never considered Neil Gaiman's works before to even tickle my taste for fiction. Even though he won an award for his works in The Sandman series, I wasn't into him so. Perhaps it was my ignorance that prevailed over me to not even lift a book or article about him as I somehow find him to be nerdy--physically and mentally (no offense, Neil Gaiman). But ever since reading the first chapter of the first volume, I was immediately a fan.
If you don't know who Neil Gaiman is, I'll tell a summary of who he is.

Neil Gaiman is an English author of numerous Sci-Fi and Fantasy novels and short stories, comics and other forms of fictional read. He once worked as a journalist, though it was just his way of getting connections to different writers and authors and getting recognized as a writer. He actually wrote a biography of the Duran Duran, his first book. When he finally made friends with Alan Moore--a DC comics artist--he eventually started working on writing for comic books in numerous DC titles, which would morph his idea of his trademark work, The Sandman. Up until now, he still works for the DC company, helping on writing new volumes of comics from other titles like The Swamp Thing, Marvelman and many more. He also made a children's book entitled Coraline, published in 2002 and adapted as a stop-motion film in the year 2009.

Now, we shine on The Sandman series.
The Sandman series is about Morpheus, the King of Dreams (also called the Sandman as well, but he goes on many names in the series), and his adventures as he tries to reestablish his Dream realm after being imprisoned for 70 years and also trying to find redemption in his past injustices.
So far on what I read (Chapter One), it tells the story of the Burgess family and their ritual in trying in vainly to bring Death (yes, Death!) to their realm. They wanted Death's powers--bringing people back to life, no more deaths, no more ends, you get the picture--and had planned to seal her inside a Glass Bubble to imprison Death and make her grant their vain wishes. Unfortunately, they got Death's little brother instead--Dream. Dream--Morpheus--knew he had been forced to be teleported to the Human's realm but couldn't do anything as he was trapped. For 70 years, Morpheus waited and spied on the lives of the Burgess family to plot his escape, but at the same time trouble seeps in to those who sleep as their usual unreal dreams became nightmares and they couldn't wake up. Without Morpheus in the Dream realm, Humanities' dreams become erratic and despondent, making them sleep more and wake less.
When the Head Burgess had finally died and a new one had been assigned to watch over the imprisoned Morpheus, Morpheus faked his death so that the ones who are watching over him would open the Glass cage to check on him, which was a mistake. Once they had opened the cage he immediately blew upon them Sand and fell asleep at once.
With Morpheus finally out, he hunted down the last remaining Burgess and cursed him to forever sleep in nightmares because he had to pay the price of imprisoning the Dream King...

Review of the Sandman vol. 1 Preludes and Nocturnes, Chapter 1
I have always been into Contemporary Dark Fantasy fictions, especially on books and on Japanese comics, or manga. I never really expressed great amazement on Western comics because of my stereotypical mindset that all, if not most, of the Western comic books would be all about Superheroes, which is getting a bit mediocre for me. Although there are films nowadays about superheroes, you have to admit, to those who aren't that geeky on Superhero comics would only find the appeal of the Superheroes because they're on film! And they're moving! In 3-D!
But that somehow changed my mind when I saw Neil Gaiman. I have already seen his Graphic Novels before on other bookstores, most notably on Power Books and Fully Booked, and never picked it up. Only when I saw it on the College Library's shelves that I became interested to see what's inside. Upon opening it, I wasn't that engrossed much on the artwork of the comic book, for although the artist did draw the characters facial features and the settings correctly, the coloring was on par with mediocrity. But being still interested as can be, I read the words on the vain and greedy Burgesses characters' speech bubbles as they plotted on how to get Death's powers, Dream's thought bubbles on how he perceives Humankind today and the steady objective monologue bubbles of the narrator and, voila! A fan is born! The appeal of the dark drama and the tragic characters of the first chapter are indescribable. Besides telling the story of the Dream King, minor Human characters set the darkness and the atmospheric gloom of the story, realistically telling the readers how evil can be trumped by something that is bigger that them.
In other words, I just can't wait to read the second chapter! Who knows what has happened to Morpheus?

A Virgin to Feminist books

FIR RB#1
Date (of revision): June 29, 2010
Title of Fiction read: The Virgin - a short story (from the book called Feminist readings of Philippine Fiction)
Author of read fiction: Kerima Polotan
Subject: Foundations in Reading

Note from the Blogger: I apologize for not following the instructions for this blog. I'll make sure every blog posted with an FIR will be for my subject in Foundations in Reading. Thanks for understanding. Again, I apologize.

About the fiction read.
The short story I read on June 18, a Friday, is one of Kerima POlotan's short stories entitled the Virgin. It was curiosity that led me to this fiction, actually, and after reading it, I actually found the story very heartwarming.
The short story revolves around a 34-year old single woman named Ms. Mijares, a head executive in a construction company, who is looking for new employees to help with building a project. In the story, though, a nameless unmarried man is looking for a job as a new carpenter in her company, and when she hired him, she couldn't shake off the feeling that he can see right through her harsh and indifferent exterior. When the nameless man is hired, he wasn't present in the construction, though, which went on for three days. Ms. Mijares, although appearing utterly disappointed and annoyed at the man, partly worries for him. When he finally shows up and explains his absence, it was because his son had died, even though he had stated before to her he isn't married at all. Ms. Mijares argued with him as she demanded why he had lied that he wasn't married and he had a son; but it turns out that the man isn't married to his son's mother, which affected Ms. Mijares, though she tells him to tell her his reasons for his absence the next time he isn't at work again and shows no remorse. Later that day, a heavy rain poured down the city and the jeep both Ms. Mijares and the man were riding had to stop because of the possibility of flood. Getting off the jeep and under the cover of the boarded store, the nameless man approaches her and apologizes that she thought he had lied to her, with no reply to Ms. Mijares. But deep inside her, she had accepted his apology. As the rain poured down heavier than usual, with the two of them just under the boarded store, Ms. Mijares finally turned to him. It is unknown what the two had finally did or told to each other, but Polotan's story implies that the nameless man might have finally changed the once-indifferent woman that is Ms. Mijares.

My insights
I just read a book today, and you know what? It's a Feminist book, yey! Well, actually I was being sarcastic there and the truth is I have never read a Feminist book before, let alone a short story about feminity! And you know what, Kerima Polotan, a feminist writer and a female herself (of course, you can't be a feminist writer if you're not a female, duh! Although there can be an exception to male feminists, if they're out there), has to be one the most fascinating writers to date, and I just read about her work/s in a short space of time of, let's say, three hours in my school library? Heheheh.
Well, one of the reasons why I don't read a Feminist book is because I expect it to be, well, feminist and/or girly! Don't get me wrong, but I guess I had never really considered on reading any Feminist novel before as my type of genre is more on adventure and mystery novels. But I don't hate this kind of genre. It's nice to know such women are empowering other women as well as educating men that equality and a non-discrimination world makes the world more peaceful and have that equal standing...
Anyway, I'm a bit off the subject matter right now. This post is for Kerima Polotan and her short story work entitled, 'The Virgin'. Kudos to you!

What makes an awesome fiction novel awesome?

What makes an awesome fiction novel awesome? Well, as how one of my recent new favorite authors, history-geek and action-thriller-mystery writer Matthew Reilly puts it, it's research.
Sounds boring! Even I get eye crusts when I open a historical book about how Napoleon Bonaparte conquered Antarctica...or something...(I have my facts wrong, right? Right.)
Well, to me, this is how I imagine him doing an awesome novel:

Matthew: "oh Honey? Are we still going to Hawaii for our Honeymoon? I was kinda thinking we should go to Egypt, see some dead mummies, try to pretend we're Anthropologists as we decipher Hieroglyphs, get lost in the Tomb of Tutankhamen and feel like we're in an Indiana Jones movie and survive deathly traps?"

(No reply)

Matthew: "Honey?"

(Matthew walks to the hallway and into another room, which is supposed to be the room for their baby. but when he sees a note that says, 'Went to Egypt to see dead mummies. Be back in a jiff if I survive a death trap in one of the tombs of Hatschepsut. Love you!' Matthew puts on a sour look.)

Matthew: "Oh, great..."

Note: The above stated story of how Matthew Reilly make his books, it is just a parody. really, matthew Reilly's books are awesome.
See my next post so I can prove it, or search it in Wiki or Google.
That's it for now. Peace out!

...

Matthew's wife: "Next stop: the lost city of Atlantis!"

Speaking in Riddles.

I had always had this knack of reading and solving riddles back in my old school. It's fun, especially since I could see the frustrated faces of some old friends putting on those mad looks when you can't solve a riddle, which then turns out that it had the simplest and cleverest answer/solution in the riddle.
There's many types of riddles, but the most awesome and complicated sort is the sort that doesn't even speak in rhymes or poems. A riddle can be a long statement (sometimes when it's really tricky, like you have to solve a detective case like which killed the victim, yaddi-yadda...), and believe me, that's the hardest sort of riddle ever.
But I'm exaggerating things. Let's see if you can solve some...in three seconds!

Ready!
Okay!

What walks in four in the morning, two in the noon and three at night?

3, 2, 1..

Still no answer?




Man...

Next!

I have many corners, have many heights,
I am solid and dark if there're no lights,
I live in the room, I am the room and contain spaces.
What am i?

3, 2, 1...


Ahem, ahem...


A wall...

Last one!

I talk, but I don't speak my mind,
I hear words, but not listen to other's thoughts,
When I wake, all see me,
When I sleep, all hear me,
Many heads are on my shoulders,
Many hands are at my feet,
The strongest steel cannot break my visage,
But the softest whisper can destroy my soul.
What am I?


3, 2, 1...


Okaaay...


Answer?

An actor/actress.



Well, that's it for me. I hope you now have a new found respect for Riddles! (Curse these complicated conundrums!)

A new Blog

I guess it's obvious why i'm posting this. This blog is for school but it's also going to be useful as I am about to record some things here that I should have posted in my other Blog here in Blogger.Com. A friend had also told me to use this blog to post my Fan-Fiction, but I'm posting them now on Facebook instead. You might be wondering why I use the Social Networking account's powers of being able to post things as everyone of my friends can see it simultaneously while playing a mafia game or two? Well, for one thing, it's easier for me to post it and it's readily accessible, unlike the Fan fiction website being a bit complicated. Anyway, i might post one or two fan fictions here...Anyway, the Fan Fictions are just some added conundrums, while some real records will be posted here! Anyway, God Bless and pray that this new blog will succeed!