Oh, Darwin

How much is too much?

A friend of mine told me that I read alot, like crazy much, which, well yeah, I guess I do. I read for pleasure, to escape the stresses of the everyday world (I manage a Cafe), to live vicariously through someone else and maybe, just maybe, to see the world from a different angle.

And that angle, right now, is dystopitarian (which probably isn't even a real word). Dystopia, however, is a real word and this is what Wikipedia has to say about it:

Dystopia is a vision, of an often futuristic society, which has developed into a negative version of Utopia. A Dystopia is often characterized by an authoritarian or totalitarian form of government. It often features different kinds of repressive social control systems, a lack or total absence of individual freedoms and expressions and a state of constant warfare or violence.

I think one of the reasons why I like those books, along with post-Apocalyptic ones, is to see how the world would function or change in the aftermath of a cataclysmic event. In Ariel, for example, the Change itself was the introduction of magic and the end of technology.

These events really show the determination of our species to survive on a whole, to adapt to new circumstances and to conquer what we don't understand. It also brings out our more basic, animalistic tendencies. As a Biology major, I have a special place in my heart for natural selection and these books just prove again and again the power of Darwin's ideology: survival of the fittest.

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games, written by Suzanne Collins, is book one in a series by the same name. This series centers on Katniss Everdeen, a 16 year old girl who supports her family with the game she hunts and the greens she forages for daily. Living in the Seam, a seedy part of District 12, she does what she can to protect her small family. Even if it means taking her sister's place in the Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games is a fight-to-the-death amongst the tributes (ages 12 to 18) on a televised program. A macabre combination of Running Man and Lottery, but with all the flash and pomp of a beauty pageant, the tributes are paraded in the Capitol, show off their talents before a panel of judges in private and then interviewed live on tv. By doing so, the tributes attempt to gain sponsorship by showing the crowd that they will win; sponsors will then return the favour by sending gifts into the arena (which is a closed, controlled environment) to help the tribute survive.

Katniss, along with Peeta (her fellow District 12 tribute), are told to act like a couple in love and Katniss keeps this strategy in mind throughout the game. During the games a new rule is announced: if tributes from the same District are the last two standing, both will live. This rule allows Katniss to open up to Peeta and she plays up the love angle knowing that her affection will gain them gifts from sponsors. Unfortunately, this is not an act for Peeta and when they win, Katniss is worried for her life if they don't keep it up. Peeta finds out on the train ride home and this is where the book ends.

This book was very morbid but very captivating. The book is set in a futuristic North America, where the Hunger Games were a means of putting an end to a rebellion. By creating the games, and forcing the people to watch it, the Capitol showed their citizens that rebellion was useless: afterall, weren't their children chosen at random for a duel that only ever yielded one survivor?

Katniss proves herself to be a strong (if clueless when it comes to boys) female lead. She's capable and has the drive to succeed - which is why her sister & mother were still alive - and why she was able to win. She also had a level head - another reason why she was able to win. I think these are traits that are important to be featured in female lead characters since most are portrayed as fluffy.

Overall, I really liked this book: after hearing my coworker rave about it, I moved it to the top of my "to read" list and the second book "Catching Fire" will be next. Unfortunately for me, the third and final book, Mockingjay, won't be out until August. However, I've already pre-ordered it so I'm good to go.

Ariel

"Ariel" by Steven R. Boyett
Web: http://www.steveboy.com/

**** CONTAINS SPOILERS ****

Summary:

"Ariel" takes place in a post-apocalyptic time where technology no longer exists. At 4:30 pm, five years ago, the power went out and made way for magic.

Peter Garey is a loner looking out for himself when he stumbles across a small, injured unicorn. After fixing her up, he names her Ariel (after a painting of a unicorn in the public library) and they become friends. One year later, Ariel is healed and helping him out of jams.

Unfortunately, in Atlanta they meet up with more trouble than they can handle. As such, one of their new friends, Russ, introduces them to Malachi Lee, a samurai who understands the supernatural. After a stand-off at Malachi's house that leaves a swarm of dead bodies, Malachi heads to New York to confront a necromancer in hopes that this will save Ariel's life.

After Malachi insists they head in the opposite direction, Pete and Ariel follow Malachi to New York. Along they way, they meet George (a young man whose father has insisted that he slay a dragon as a rite of passage to manhood - they succeed and he goes home), as well as Shaughnassy, a young woman who has dreamed of magic but ironically cannot touch it as she is "impure" (read: not a virgin).

Once in New York, Ariel is captured and Pete has to fight his way out of the Empire State Building in order to find help to free her. He meets up again with Shaughnassy (who escaped when Pete and Ariel were captured), Malachi and a community of freedom fighters. They come up with a scheme to storm the Empire State Building, kill the necromancer (and for Pete, free Ariel) and live happily ever after. Their plan succeeds.

Ariel runs off after being freed, and Pete follows her obsessively, with Shaughnassy keeping him company. In a moment of weakness and need, Pete finally succumbs and they have sex, thus preventing him from ever having contact with Ariel ever again.

*****

As a story, I really liked it. As a post-apocalytic novel written in the past, there are a lot of references to shows/times/places that I was able to catch. Were I even older, I would have understood more of it. Pity.

However, the reason behind the Change was never explored and my curiousity on this subject has not been satisfied. I did love Ariel's description of the physics behind a dragon's fire; about how the supernatural have to obey the natural laws of physics.

The ending, while it didn't end happily ever after, had to happen the way it did. I think the only way that the story could have ended with both Pete and Ariel being together would have been if one of them changed forms (ie: Ariel became human). Loyalty to Ariel prevented Pete from ever having a relationship with a woman, so Shaughnassy was, unfortunately, the person selected to play this role. (However, it was nice to read a story where the guy didn't sleep with every woman who threw herself at him).