Oryx and Crake

Post Apocalyptic Stories are Usually the Most scary for me personally. There is something about them that feels like they could potentially happen. Stories like these that have a small chance of possibility always catch my interest. The way humans treat earth at the rate that we do makes post apocalyptic stories have more fear within the reader. The story had many scenarios that seemed within reach. Genetic Engineering was another very realistic theme to me.
It felt like a real creationist story. A new humanity has been created on an earth already populated with plants and animals and nature is rebuilding itself. The characters felt easy enough to understand. The Crakers were very human like creatures. They seemed like they just want to understand their world and not just exist within it. They constantly ask Questions of their origin and Snowman struggles to explain it to them and seems to go with a simple answer. They didnt have the capability to truly understand the answer.
From what I interpreted None of the characters in Oryx and Crake are really evil. Atwood suggests that humanity may be doomed by our own greed, lust and ignorance. I am very curious about the sequal "The Year of the flood"because The ending has you on edge.

Bloodchild

What!? This story was very hard to understand, The setting?, The characters?, The race?, Why there was guns?, How many limbs they had? It was all over the place. I could not figure out what gender the narrator of the story was supposed to be and it made the story a lot more confusing than it already was. Many parts were very unsettling for me. The way that these species recreated themselves was described in such grotesque detail. Using humans as hosts for their parasitic eggs was hard to read. I really question what message or thought Butler was trying to get across to her readers. The story makes me question our own race and the way we deal with relationships, birth, preserving our species, the way we ourselves are hosts to many things. The setting was very vague. My mind had to fill in many blanks because of the lack of world building in Butlers writing. I only understood that it was on some sort of preserve. Even for a short story much was left unexplained. It did not necessarily leave me wanting more either. Later into the story more and more was revealed but still not enough for me to fully create a solid visual of the characters and environment.

Anansi Boys

Anasi Boys was an imaginative story like nothing I had read before. Gaiman’s story concept is relatable but wasn’t my personal choice of novel. Gaiman was able to relate to his readers by touching upon everyday matters most people encounter: annoying relatives, lame jobs, and difficult love lives. His main character, Anansi is a West African spider god. Within Gaiman’s novel is the protagonist, Fat Charlie, Anansi’s son. The novel is centered around Charlie’s struggle with his father’s past and discovery of the brother he was unaware he had. The humor Gaiman adds into his story gave me the ability to continue reading without losing interest entirely. Gaiman’s characters were a craft all in themselves, although I did not personally enjoy the fact that the main character was required to talk to a spider in order to communicate with his brother. This seemed a little too farfetched for me, personally. Overall, I feel Gaiman’s intention with this novel was to relate to everyday readers through common ground. Having his main character Charlie embarrassed by his father, gives readers a sense of understanding and ability to relate. I personally would not be embarrassed by my father’s fatal heart attack after flirting with girls, but do understand Gaiman’s projection of embarrassment through the way Charlie’s father passed.

A Wild Sheep Chase

Very strange read. J-horror seems to have a different formula than American Horror. It wasn't over the top with gore and explicit violence but it had its suspenseful moments and build ups. Even though it was written over seas the writing felt very western and familiar. Like many stories It is common that the main character is just doing his job and minding his own business until he/she is faced with a problem or challenge (the unlikely hero). This stays true in Murakami's writing. The main character (young Advertising Executive) is swept from Tokyo to the lonely snow covered mountains of northern Japan . While in his search for this mythological sheep he also confronts the demons in himself. It was in no way cliche at all, It just had tones of familiarity. I wasn't entirely connected with the characters mostly because of the weird ear thing. Also because the main character is described as a Japanese yuppie. Overall it was well paced and suspenseful. I like how Murakaimi described some of the most mundane and uninteresting situations in such detail. It added alot to the story. Very bizarre but interesting.

The Golden Compass

Philip Pullman‘s novel, The Golden Compass, left me with a nostalgic feeling. The overall fanciful mood of the book made it an enjoyable read and reminded me of my interest in fantasy as a child. The use of dæmons reminded me of childhood imagination and having imaginary friends. Lyra, the main character, quests in search of her missing friend, Roger, and her uncle Lord Asrielr. Lyra is able to gather a better understand of the world around her with help from her dæmon, Pantalaimon, a shape shifting animal form of herself. After finishing the novel, my only complaint would be the religious influence. Overall, I enjoyed the novel and would recommend it.