Book Review: Ark Royal

First of All: So I've liked this page on Facebook which talks a lot about Fantasy and Sci-fi stuff.  Most of the time, they just post memes which only nerdy people would get, but occasionally, they'll recommend a book which they liked.  When they posted a short review about Ark Royal, by Christopher G. Nuttall, I got curious and decided to look into it further.  To be honest, it's actually really good.

Second of All: The Book!
Everything changed for the people of Earth once they discovered the gravimetric Tram lines that ran from star to star.  A brilliant scientist developed a device called the Puller drive, which would allow starships to travel these lines in a heartbeat, and thus humanity began its expansion into the stars.  Earth's various political powers have each claimed several inhabited worlds, and each of them have been building up military strength and developing new, more efficient ships for the better part of a century.

Captain Ted Smith, the commanding officer aboard an ancient British carrier named H.M.S. Ark Royal, knows that his command is more punishment than anything.  The decrepit old ship was one of the first battleships built, and now, at 70 years old, it's kept running by sheer determination and grit from its minimal crew.  Everyone in the British navy knows that Ark Royal is where they send the washouts and failed members of the Navy, and it's driven Captain Smith into alcoholism.

Everything changes one day when he's called to a meeting with the British Navy's highest officer, the First Space Lord, who gives him grave news.  Humanity has made first contact with an alien race, and the extraterrestrials aren't friendly.  All of mankind's forces are mustering in the first combined effort to defend human space in history, and the Ark Royal is needed.  With a new, ambitious first officer, Commander James Fitzwilliam, in tow, Captain Smith begins preparations to take his old carrier out into the battle with a vastly superior alien race.

Third of All: The Review!
Going into the book, I was a bit skeptical of how good it would be, since the cover seems to suggest self-publishing, or perhaps an inexperienced publisher.  But I was very pleasantly surprised when I got into the book.
Christopher Nuttall weaves a fantastically real-feeling universe, where tensions between nations run high and the stakes are always increasing.  He portrays the burdens of aristocracy, the weight of command, and the very real repercussions that war has among common citizenry, all with a very skilled and talented hand.  His characters felt real, with passions and history and strengths and weaknesses all of their own, and even the minor, unimportant characters had depth.

Also, the alien race he created was amazingly well-made.  Even though the reader never finds out much about them, the amount of detail he gives us about what their ships look like, their physical appearance, and other aspects (which I won't mention due to spoilers) all demonstrate that he's put a lot of thought into this alien species.

So well was his universe created that the dynamics of space travel and the nature of the ships in his world made for some very real-feeling situations in the book, where the characters' survival was always hanging just on the edge.  The space combat was very well executed, and felt real as well.

There were two things that didn't sit well with me, though.  First and foremost, there was some sexual content in the book.  It was set up by some real-feeling psychological issues, and the situation that resulted because of it was very realistic, but I was disappointed that such a great story had to include it.  Also, there were a few typos, and some times where phrases were repeated in pretty close succession, though this issue could very easily be fixed with a good copy edit.

Overall, I thought this was a great book, and I hope that he gets around to writing another.  Were it not for the above mentioned issues, Ark Royal would have got a near-perfect grade, but as it stands, I give it a Four and a Half out of Six Nerd Stars.

Movie Review: The LEGO Movie

First of All:   LEGOs.  An essential part of any awesome childhood.  Certainly a central and pivotal part of mine.  So naturally, when I saw that this movie was coming out, I kind of geeked out.  A lot.  And then, today, when my family asked if I wanted to come along and see it with them on opening weekend, I gave them a wholehearted and enthusiastic "Yes!"   And let me tell you, I wasn't disappointed at all.

Second of All: The movie!
The LEGO Movie follows Emmet Brickowski, a completely and entirely average LEGO minifigure who enjoys his all-too routine life as a construction worker.  One day after work, he stumbles across a mysterious girl minifigure named Wyldstyle, and then is thrust into an adventure that he never saw coming.

Now, as the Special proclaimed by prophecy, Emmet joins up with the Master Builders--an elite group of minifigures who can construct anything they imagine--and is forced to find something unique inside of himself to become the only hope of stopping the tyrannical Lord Business and his unstoppable superweapon: the Kragle.

Third of All: The review!
Mere words can't contain the amount of awesome that this movie bears.  Witty dialogue, family-friendly fun, action, comedy, popular culture and nerd culture references, romance, a touching and epic story, and even more incredible features are what make this movie one of the best I've seen in recent memory.  Though it is geared toward kids and teenagers, any child at heart will thoroughly enjoy this film.  Besides, it has a fantastic cast of great voice actors like Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson (heck yeah!) and Will Ferrell.

Another fantastic feature of the film is that everything--and I mean characters, scenery, lasers, special effects, and even the explosions--in the movie has been painstakingly constructed from LEGOs, which gives it an absolutely wonderful feel.

I did see the movie for the first time in 3D, and I would recommend that you watch it in 2D.  The large amount of action and fast-moving scenes get kind of blurry when seen through a pair of special 3D glasses, and I feel like I missed out on some of the finer details because of it.  

The LEGO Movie carries a wonderful message, an incredibly creative approach to the theme, and an ending which tugs at the heartstrings.  I wholeheartedly recommend this movie, and it is with no reservations that I give it a full Six out of Six Nerd Stars.

Book Review: Redshirts

First of All:  Alright, I'm going to come out and say this now: I'm not a biased sci-fi lover.  I love Star Trek just as much as I do Star Wars or Firefly or anything else.  That being said, since I really started watching Star Trek about a year ago, I've fallen in love with the speculative side of science fiction, and I was a bit sad when I realized that the J.J. Abrams reboot a few years back didn't have as much of that element as did the original incarnation.  For the record, I'd have to say that my favorite character in all of that universe is Captain Jean-Luc Picard, and his Galaxy class starship--the Enterprise-D-- will always be my favorite ship in all of Star Trek.
So when I stumbled across a review lauding the excellence of John Scalzi's Redshirts, and its take on the original Star Trek series (with William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy), I was too intrigued to pass it up. Also, for those who aren't familiar with the original Star Trek, the term "redshirt" refers to random personnel whose purpose on the show was to get killed to prove that whatever threat the main characters was facing was indeed real and dangerous.  Most episodes feature a random crew member getting offed in this way, leading to make the term "redshirt" synonymous with "expendable," or "dies a lot for no reason at all."

Second of All: The book follows a low-ranking crewman named Andrew Dahl, who has just graduated from the academy and has been assigned to his first posting on a starship, which happens to be the flagship of the entire Universal Union: the starship Intrepid.  He quickly makes several friends among the other low-ranking crew members, but begins to notice several strange occurrences around the ship.  It seems that whenever their ship is assigned a mission, it involves some kind of deadly alien force or experience.  Miraculously, the senior staff--such as the Captain, the Senior Science Officer, and a handful of others--always manage to survive.  Also, on every one of these missions, at least one low-ranking crewman will die.  As he investigates further, Dahl begins to uncover more and more secrets that hold the key to the fates of everyone he cares about.

Third of All: The review!
I thoroughly enjoyed Redshirts.  It was a fantastically creative take on the original series, and isn't content to just parody the old TV show; it takes the reader on a speculative journey that makes you question the nature of the universe.
The characters felt incredibly real to me, which is saying something.  Each person had value, had a back-story, personality traits, and very real reactions to the frankly horrific stuff that redshirts get put through.
The story itself was profound, gripping, and had action and tension spaced perfectly well throughout the story to make it real.  Not only that, but the rules that Scalzi sets up for the world he's created also work incredibly well.
There are a couple drawbacks to the book, in my opinion, though.  First and foremost, there's quite a bit of strong language in the book.  Like, a lot.  Understandable, considering the predicament that the characters go through, but still excessive.  Also, there are references to adult themes that some people may find offensive.
Also, if you're not a Star Trek fan, then you probably won't get most of the story, as the entire thing is a reference to the old TV series.
Aside from that, though, I found this book to be an incredibly good read.  Were it not for the aforementioned content, I'd have given it a near-perfect score, but as it stands, it gets a Four and a Half out of Six Nerd Stars.

Movie Review: Brick

First of All: Yes, I too find it incredibly ironic that I'm doing a review on a movie that shares my first name, but hey, it was good enough to warrant it, so here goes nothing.  My aforementioned awesome nerdist friend, the one who knows everything there is to know about awesome stuff, was having a Film Noir-themed movie night a few days ago, and this movie was first up on the list.

To those who don't know what that is, let me give you a brief introduction.  Noir is a genre of literature, art, and film (in movies, referred to specifically as Film Noir) that has its own array of tropes and defining features.  Works in this genre are almost always dark, gritty detective stories that boast a jaded, dogged private investigator who--more often than not--has lost someone important to them in the past, which could be through either death or separation.  These detectives usually wear suits and ties, and occasionally have long coats, fedoras and a cigarette in their mouth.  Also prominent in these kinds of stories is a femme fatale: a woman who is as mysterious as she is beautiful, who is usually tied up in whatever crime the P.I. is investigating.  It also usually features mob connections, dark alleyways, and rainy streets.  Noted stories in this genre include The Maltese Falcon and anything with Dick Tracy involved.

Second of All: The movie!
Brick, released in 2005, is a Film Noir that has been creatively adapted to a modern era by setting it in a high school, where all the participants are students and the cops are the Principal and Vice Principal.

The story follows Brendan in the role of detective, who gets a call from his ex-girlfriend Emily.  She sounds panicked as she talks about a mistake she made, and mentions something called "the bad brick".  Kicking off an investigation to help her, Brendan is plunged into the darker side of his school, uncovering more and more pieces of a lethal puzzle with danger around every turn.

Third of All: The review!
Brick is a fantastic movie.  It did a brilliant job of adapting Noir elements to the setting, as well as setting up a gripping detective story.  The actors, despite their youth, did a fantastic job, and the characters themselves felt very real with all of their strengths and flaws.

There was a small amount of strong language, though it only appeared in a couple of places; also, since it is a Noir film, there is some violence and reference to other subject material that might not sit well with more conservative audiences, and which is definitely not for kids.

Overall, I thought it was a remarkably well done movie, and if it weren't for some of the content, I would give it a much better score.  As it stands, I give it a Five out of Six Nerd Stars.

Book Review: The Rithmatist

First of All: You knew it was coming.  As huge a Brandon Sanderson fan as I am, it was only a matter of time before another one of his books showed up here.  I heard of this book from my awesome Grandma, who gave it such a stunning recommendation that I had to read it immediately, and honestly, I couldn't put it down.  Such was my fascination with this book that I was up until 3 A.M. on a school night, gripped by this stunning tale.  I'm probably giving away some of my review here, but the sheer amount of awesome in this book is going to bleed out onto the entirety of this post, so just go with it. Also, this book has some pretty heavy steampunk in it, and if you don't know what that means, then check out my description over on this other post here.

Second of All: The book!
Set in an alternate version of Earth, The Rithmatist takes place on the United Isles, which is basically the USA, except that it's made up of a bunch of islands in the shape of states that are all chilling where we know America to be in our world.  Other countries seem pretty much the same geographically, but have different names in some cases (i.e. Mexico is now the Azteca Empire or something).

In this alternate world, technology has evolved along the lines of clockwork, making everything run with gears and cogs.  Surprisingly, this technology has advanced enough to where functioning, semi-thinking robotic creatures are working all by clockwork. Fascinating stuff.  The biggest difference, however, is that much of society revolves around a magic-like power called Rithmancy, which enables certain individuals to manipulate energy with a very mathematical system of drawing chalk lines on the ground.  Based in geometry, this system uses several different kinds of lines: Lines of Warding, which create a protective circle around the Rithmatist; Lines of Forbiddance, which create tangible force fields; Lines of Vigor, used to attack other Rithmatists at a distance, and Lines of Making, which are used to create two-dimensional creatures named Chalklings, used to defend or attack.

The story follows Joel, a sixteen-year old boy whose passion for Rithmancy has led him to study everything he can get his hands on, despite the fact that he is unable to perform it himself.  After witnessing a Rithmatic duel where an upstart new professor claims the tenure of an aging Rithmatic scholar, Joel is embroiled in a startling series of events as more and more Rithmatists begin disappearing without a trace.

Third of All: The Review!
I'm going to say this once and for all: Brandon Sanderson is the King Midas of contemporary fantasy.  Everything he touches turns to gold.  This story was full to bursting with dynamic, powerful characters, intrigue, real-feeling society and politics, social tensions, and witty, clever dialogue.  As with all of his stories, Sanderson invents new and incredibly creative ways of doing "magic" that feel completely real.  The system of Rithmancy portrayed in the book follows its own rules amazingly, and is based on legitimate mathematical concepts which give it even more of a tangible effect.

The story is endearing, powerful, terrifying, and yet still incredible.  Plot twists and heart-stopping encounters punctuate the real-world struggles of a poor family and struggling scholars, mixing it with a supernatural detective story whose clues--scattered through the entire book--aren't recognized until the intense climax at the end.

The only thing I can see which might be a downside to this book is the spooky nature of the disappearances and the antagonist.  There was some pretty creepy stuff that happened toward the end, which didn't bother me as it worked well with the story's buildup.  For those who can't stand that kind of thing, however, it might be a bit of a problem.

Overall, this book was stunning and fantastic, with a fantastic story that keeps running until the very last page.  I give it a Six out of Six Nerd Stars.

Movie Review: Thor 2--The Dark World

First of All:  I'm not sure if I mentioned this earlier, but I'm a huge superhero fan.  The past few years have been rather enjoyable as we've been treated to all sorts of goodies like the Iron Man movies, Man of Steel, The Amazing Spider-Man, and so forth.  I'm extremely pleased that Hollywood has finally gotten around to making good superhero movies. Now for those more nerd-inclined among you, I don't claim to be an exclusive fan of either of the two massive comic book supergiants, Marvel or DC Comics.  I love them both.  I grew up watching Batman: The Animated Series (Kevin Conroy will always be my Batman) right alongside Spider-Man: The Animated Series.  The love of both sides of the comic industry titans runs deep in me, so don't expect me to pick a side.  If you would like to know who would win in a fight between heroes from either side, I am more than willing to provide an unbiased, objective estimation based on strengths and weaknesses.

That being said, I was very excited to watch Thor: The Dark World, as it starred not only the actors who earned my respect (Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston), but also featured Christopher Eccleston, who is one of my favorite actors from the British TV show Doctor Who.  Sitting down in the movie theater was like Candy Land.

Second of All: The Movie!
Thor: The Dark World picks up where The Avengers left off, with Thor and Loki back in Asgard, where the latter is tried for treason and attempted world domination, and then promptly thrown in jail for...well a really long time.  Thor, on the other hand, has been kept busy running around the 9 worlds, keeping the peace and restoring balance lost two years previously when (spoilers, if you haven't seen the first Thor) he smashed the Rainbow Bridge.

Back on Earth, Jane Foster is trying to cope with real life now that Thor has been gone for 2 years.  The only time he's visited earth was to find Loki and regain the Tesseract during The Avengers, where he did absolutely no checking up on his lady-love.  When a series of strange gravimetric disturbances draw her attention, she accidentally falls into a rift between worlds, where she stumbles upon an ancient weapon named the Aether, which has been buried since an ancient war between the Asgardians and an ancient race named the Dark Elves.

Triggering the weapon draws the attention of both the remaining Dark Elves and Asgard, spurring Thor to finally rush to the rescue and become embroiled in a conflict which will threaten not just his home, but all of existence.

Third of All: The review!
I found Thor: The Dark World incredibly enjoyable, both because of the story and the action scenes.  Its characters were dynamic, fleshed out, and did a great job of following the canon established in the comics.  Obviously, there had to be some tweaks to transform stories that take months or years to play out in the comics into a couple-hour-long movie, but I felt a real connection between the characters of the movie and their comic book counterparts.  Not only that, but even the less-important characters, such as Sif, Darcy, the intern, Malakith, and--to some extent--the common soldiers that act as cannon-fodder, had a depth to their characters that gave the movie a nice feel.

The movie did a great job of showing just how vulnerable even the "gods" of Asgard can be if pitted against those of equal mettle.  Asgardians perish left and right in open battle with the equally-technologically-advanced Dark Elves, and even big shots like Frigga, Loki, and even Thor himself get tossed around in a fight.  Also, it was an interesting thing to see how the Mighty Thor was just as vulnerable to grief as anyone else.

The story was relatively complex, so anyone who missed the first ten minutes of the show--or who is ignorant to the canon established in the comics--would be pretty lost as to what is happening.  Also, the movie does have a few quirks here and there, such as lacking explanation about several of the big plot twists near the end, as well as a few plot holes that could use mending.

Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, as well as the exciting after-credits reveal, which references one of the biggest events ever to rock Marvel's comic book universe in a sneaky way.  Fun things are sure to come.  I give this movie a Five out of Six Nerd Stars.

Let me know in the comments below what you thought about this blockbuster movie, and whether you agree or disagree with me!

Board Game Review: Scotland Yard--Hunting Mr. X

First of All: This post has been on the to-do list for a while, but with lots of other things occupying my time--not the least of which is preparing to enter a new semester of college--it took a while in coming.  I got this game for Christmas, and my family and I rushed to give it a shot that same day, and weren't let down at all. There's a reason the box boasts over 4,000,000 sales worldwide.

Second of All: The game!

The premise of the board game is that one player is the mysterious criminal Mr. X, who is on the run from the police for some unknown dastardly deed committed in London, and the remaining players are the detectives of Scotland Yard who are trying to hunt him down.  The only things that the detectives know about Mr. X's whereabouts are the methods of transportation that he uses, whether by Taxi, Bus, or Subway (Underground), and a few fleeting glimpses throughout the game where Mr. X is forced to surface on the board.  If a detective ever enters the same location as the criminal, the game is over, but if Mr. X can elude the detectives for long enough, he escapes!  The stage is set for the sleuthing race of the ages!

Third of All: The review!
After the first few turns of gameplay, my entire family came up with one unanimous decision: we had fallen head over heels for this game.  The player-versus-player dynamic pits a team of people against one other, who has quite a few advantages to help balance out the team ratio.  A pleasant intensity is present throughout the entire game as the players try to outwit each other.

I very much enjoyed playing both sides of the game, as Mr. X and later as a detective.  Each has its own advantages, disadvantages, and both are thoroughly enjoyable.  The only downside I found is that if you can only find three people to play with (the minimum amount), then Mr. X has an incredible advantage, which can frustrate some people.  Also, the high amount of thinking, reasoning, and deducting involved makes this a game that might not be as enjoyable for children.

Overall, I have to say that this is one of the greatest board games I've played to date.  I give it a Five and a Half out of Six Nerd Stars.