Tom's Two Cents : Zero K by Don DeLillo

Zero K, the latest novel by the greatly admired American author Don DeLillo, is a pre/post-apocalyptic take on the state of mankind sometime in the near future.  I'm not sufficiently up on the current evolution of cryogenics to comment on where we are at this time, and I suppose I really don't care, or I would have done some obligatory research before I wrote this article.  Freezing dying bodies for the distant future seems to me a subject for science fiction, but DeLillo treats the subject with such deadpan realism that one can hardly approach this work as such, and I'm not familiar with his other work, so I can't say whether this is a departure for him or not.  To be fair, the second half of the novel is concerned with another subject entirely, and I'm not sure at this point how I would connect the two.  Those of DeLillo's fans who are interested in how young men in America might be won over to terrorism will find that topic finely explored in the second half of the book.

As for the book as a whole, it's well written, graphically presented, and clinically cold.  One could say that for the entire book and its protagonist, the only son of an American billionaire (no, not Donald Trump), who has funded an immense cryogenics project called "The Convergence" somewhere in a vast underground bunker in Outer Mongolia.  The son, who narrates virtually the entire book, is torn between his admiration for his father's second wife, a prominent archaeologist, who is dying and will be frozen in expectation of a "return," and his disdain for his father's abandonment of his first wife, the man's mother, who virtually raised him as a single parent while her ex-husband was accumulating a vast fortune.  As for his feelings toward his own father, they are, to say the least, ambivalent.

This is a novel of profound ideas and notions about death and the human desire for an afterlife.  As such, it can seriously command our attention without necessarily engaging us as readers of fiction.  As with most novels of ideas, it teeters somewhat precariously between being fiction or non-fiction, because it lacks too much of the elements of the former, that is, narrative drive, character development and emotional tone.  Are fundamental ideas about the nature of human existence best suited to philosophy or epic poetry?  Or else the tragedies of Shakespeare?  I suspect I probably think so!

Chance's Corner: 10 Cloverfield Lane

Back in the mists of time (2008), producer J.J. Abrams took the horror sub-genre of low-budget found footage flicks and bolstered the concept with a big budget. The end product became the Godzilla-esque film called Cloverfield. The sub-genre of found footage is pretty divisive amongst film critics. Some say it has rejuvenated horror, while others think its pretty hokey. Whatever found footage really is, Cloverfield is still one of its crowning achievements.

Surprisingly, it's taken eight years for the sequel, 10 Cloverfield Lane, to be released - and boy, it just came out of nowhere! 10 Cloverfield Lane ditches the found footage concept and plays out like an actual movie in the confined depths of an underground bunker. Also, it really has absolutely nothing to do with the original film. I believe they are going for an anthology type set-up, but I'm not sure. All of these factors could have easily meant disaster, but it doesn't!

10 Cloverfield Lane opens with our leading lady, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, already running from something. It's not Godzilla or anything sinister. It's just life. Her escape is cut short, though, when she's run off the road by a truck. She awakens in a desolate place - a bunker - handcuffed and with a broken leg. She immediately jumps to the conclusion of abduction.  Then enters a grizzly John Goodman. He claims to have saved Mary's life, and he tells her stories of an attack above ground - and space worms. Mary doesn't buy what he's selling, and the suspicion continues to grow as the days and weeks pass by.

10 Cloverfield Lane is an incredibly suspenseful and claustrophobic thriller. You're not quite sure who or what to believe. I do know one thing, though. John Goodman is absolutely incredible. One minute you're suspicious of him - and afraid. Then, all of a sudden, you start to believe him and feel sorry for him. When the answers are brought to light, you're left to wonder who and what the true monster is.

My review sounds overly positive, doesn't it? Well, I haven't mentioned the ending of 10 Cloverfield Lane, yet. The ending really left a sour taste in my mouth. It undoes everything the first two acts of the film built. Everything just goes up in flames - literally. It's a shame. However, despite the disappointing ending, I'd still recommend anyone to watch 10 Cloverfield Lane, simply because everything else in the film is fantastic.

10 Cloverfield Lane is now available at the Franklin County Library!

Summer Reading Day 1

Yesterday we kicked off our 2016 Summer Reading program.  This year the theme is "Reading Olympics" and the kids heard books about the Olympics and about Sportsmanship.  133 kids attended the program over three sessions.  Tuesdays are going to be wild around here for the rest of the summer!

Poet's Perch : Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Do no go gentle into that good night, 

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage,rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,

Because their words had forked no lightning they

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright

Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,

And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight

Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on sad height,

Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Dylan Thomas

Chance's Corner: Zootopia Review

The days of the Golden Age of Disney animation have long since been over, and the effects of the Disney Renaissance are still deeply felt by those around from 1989-1999. It may be the end of an era (or two), but lately Walt Disney Animation Studios has been firing on all cylinders with hits such as Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, Big Hero 6, Frozen, and their biggest hit to date (that doesn't involve an incredibly annoying song) Zootopia.

Zootopia is a thriving city full of all sorts of animals - big and small, exotic and farm, predator and prey - all living together in certain sections that accommodate the climates in which they would live in the wild. Our heroine is Judy Hopps, the first rabbit to join the police force in Zootopia. She's spunky, full of energy, and ready to take on the world, even if the world isn't ready for it. Unfortunately, she'll have to take it through issuing parking citation fines, seeing as that she's only a meter maid. That is until she senses that treachery is afoot!

Emmitt Otterton has gone missing in Zootopia, and Judy Hopps is on the case! She tracks down the last "man" to see Emmitt alive, a sly fox named Nick Wilde. Against her better judgement, and against Nick's wishes, they set off together to uncover a growing conspiracy that could unravel the very fabric in which Zootopia was built.

The world of Zootopia is gorgeous to look at, and it's fascinating to see how other animals coexist with one another. The story is well-written. It's very funny and cute, a children's buddy cop movie, but there's a much deeper message lingering in Zootopia - a message on the ugliness of discrimination based on race, sex, etc. Sadly that's still a message we all need to learn!

Zootopia is now available at the Franklin County Library.

Julie's Journal : Tablet/Phone Games

Today, I thought I was share some of my favorite games for tablets and phones.  I have an ipad and iphone, but most of these games will work on Android based devices as well.

Clash of Clans is a war game.  The player builds a fortress complete with troops and defenses.  They then pit their troops against other players by both attacking other fortresses and defending their own.  The player can also join a clan and join forces with other players to wage war on other clans.  It's tempting to spend money to speed the development of your fortress, but not necessary for the enjoyment of the game.

The Smurf's Village is a building based game.  The Smurf's have been run out of their village by Gargamel and have to build a new one.  The player farms and builds improvements and homes for the smurf's.  The smurf's go on quests and eventually expand to an island, a mountain, and outer space,  Another building type game I enjoy is SimCity.

The Secret Society is an hidden object game.  There are several worlds to explore, all with different items to find.  The player also is able to unlock intriguing puzzles.  It has some challenging levels, and I tried to play it on my phone, but it was impossible to see.  It definitely needs a bigger screen.  Another hidden object game to try is Criminal Case.  Be aware that there is some language in Criminal Case, though.  

Bonza, Red Herring, and 7 Little Words are all good word games.  I like Bonza.  You are given a clue and several word fragments and have to piece them together into a crossword puzzle.  

I asked Charly, our new summer helper, what some of her favorite games were.  She gave me list of three.  Slither.io, 100 Balls, and Piano Tiles.  She told me she takes Piano Tiles very seriously! Chance likes Crossy Road, a Frogger type game.  (There's a Disney version, too.)  Lisa likes Dots, a game to see how many dots of one color the player can connect within a time limit.  

Tablet games can be a fun distraction, especially during down time, like waiting at the doctor's office. They can get addictive though, so be careful!

Summer 2016 : Bubble Day!

We kicked off our summer activities with Bubble Day this morning.  We were afraid the rain was going to run us indoors, but fortunately it held off.  About 100 people enjoyed blowing bubbles with us on the square this morning.

Our next event is June 13th at Mt. Vernon Music!  Hope to see you there!