Version Zero (World War Z)

My copy of the Max Brooks novel/oral history remains collecting dusts on the shelf but before this year ends I know I will finish it for some good reasons. First, because the movie fits well for an audience who also loved sci fi-medical thrillers highly popularized by the late Michael Crichton in the 90's and second, the childishness factor of an urban horror is left out in the surgical bin. Watching this movie felt like watching the hybrid of Outbreak, Constant Gardener, and little doses of Bourne Supremacy.

This is history, version zero. The story of Gerry Lane, a former UN worker who discovered mankind's first defense against the virus. The war between man and the undead has just begun.

Genre: Sci Fi, Medical Thriller
Rating: 8 vials of vaccines out of 10 

Super Jood (Man of Steel 2013)

No Lex Luthor? Check.
No Kryptonite? Check.
No classic Superman Theme by John Williams? Check.
Jesus Christ - Kal El / Savior - Superman allusion? Check.

And there's one scene I cannot forget.
It's Jonathan Kent signaling Clark to let him go from the wrath of tornado. 
He's like saying: "Do not use your powers, son. Not yet."
And the rest, are loads of collateral damages. Lots and lots of them.
In a not-so-linear but connect-the-dot narrative.


Genre: Superhero, Action, Sci Fi
Rating: 8 out of 10


  

Looking Back 6: Prehistoric Philippines

Last year as a commemoration of Philippine Independence I enjoyed the Looking Back 1 by Ambeth Ocampo. After finishing today I find this 6th book of the series equally enjoyable and insightful as a closer look into the Philippine history.

So what are the nuggets I learned from this book?

• "History" as an academic term refers to the "written" records and documents, as compared to the term "Prehistory" that refers mostly to the artifacts, and relics predating the advent of the printed words (and symbols/ numbers).

• The idea of a land-centered "territory" usually bounded by water is purely Hispanic and American. Our ancestor's idea of "territory" does not exclude bodies of water (i.e. rivers, lakes) but rather include them and even put them as an integral and central part of the territory because they serve as the main medium of travel. In contrast to "roads," our ancestors highly used "rivers" to transport from one "barangay" to another. Of course, they don't use carriages nor animals in those days yet, but boats.

• The Merlion symbol of Manila's official coat-of-arms predates the Lion symbol branding of Singapore by centuries.

• The Boxer Codex does not just showcase the detailed tattoo art of the Visayan Pintados but also the recurring local superstitions in the period of the Spanish Philippines.

• Our earliest written record discovered so far is not a song nor a poem, but a receipt for payment of debt. It's the Laguna Copperplate Inscription of 900 A.D.

• There are lots of Filipino artifacts scattered in museums around the world but we are thankful at least, they were able to protect them. The Philippine National Museum--the home of local artifacts and documents were destroyed from the Battle of Manila in 1945.

Manunggul Jar

source

Agusan Gold

source

Genre: Philippine History
Rating: 4 sturdy lantakas out of 5

ENDER'S GAME by Orson Scott Card

This is one of those rare books that scored both the Hugo and Nebula Award for best novel in a single year and judging the readers' ongoing response from an online poll, it remains the most popular Sci Fi novel in the last century.

The Introduction part by OSC really sets the tone for me to look for that greatness that this novel promises to deliver and I would have completely agreed with it and should have given a five star rating if I was reading this novel as a young adult. But reading it as an adult, I would have chosen a different novel.

Make no mistake about it, it's a good book by Orson Scott Card, much better than his Seventh Son (Book 1 of the Alvin Maker historical fantasy series) which I enjoyed loosely in the past. Maybe my expectations are high and I'm tired of reading another alien race-or alien 'bugs' that are too becoming common and cliched as Robert Heinlein's bugs in Starship Troopers. Even the major plot twist here is not hard to imagine and anticipate but I prefer to focus both on the things I like and the things I dislike to make this review more useful.

First, I like the idea of using a weapon that is NOT nuclear. Nuclear weapon is a cliche. Second, even if Andrew "Ender" Wiggin sometimes whined like Holden Caulfield, when authority dictates to do an immediate action, he's there. Ender did kick some a$$. The Battle School as a military institution for children is just the way as it should be. Interferences and manipulations in world politics by Demosthenes and Locke is quite interesting. The science of space travel here is at least, reasonable and the training school without gravity is just apt for maneouvering in 3D space.

Now, final addition to the earlier stated downsides, I expected a love interest for Ender. If there's a source of aggression (Peter), there must also be a source of affection. Of course, Valentine loves Ender and vice versa, but they are siblings. Harry Potter had Cho Chang before Ginny Weasley. Han Solo had Princess Leia. Maybe there was a clue somewhere and I saw it, but I just don't want to believe it for the lack of 'light' or rather, details.

Despite the mixed reaction, the book as a whole passes the threshold and I do look forward to the sequel Speaker for the Dead given the author's story in writing it. I even look forward to the film adaptation before the year 2013 ends because my idol who played Han Solo, Blade Runner, and the President of the United States will be playing the role of Graff. And even if  issues surround OSC on his beliefs and ideals, I still respect him as a person and as a human being. This culture of hate will never end if you just hate the hater.

Memorable line:
"Don't start apologizing for them, Ender. Just because they didn't know they were killing human beings doesn't mean they weren't killing human beings." -Mazer Rackham



Genre: Sci Fi
Rating: 3.5 rays of Dr. Device

Lutong Mamoy!* (Pugad Baboy is in the News again)

Ages ago, it used to be part of my routine to read Pugad Baboy strips via the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) online and last Tuesday I saw this and found it very critical from the author's point but still, I appreciate the joke and I do not blame him.

Once again, I don't see anything as condemning with the joke. It may be insensitive, but not something new as blatantly scandalous. It's part of a sad truth that we all know exists since time immemorial. Because first, I see it as a classic PMJR style of criticism (spelled as S-a-t-i-r-e) about his fellow Filipinos. That cynical style made him a household name for both his followers and critics. Second, PMJR is depicting here a very unique character giving her part in a story arc. That character is representing the LGBT community's standpoint but the author uses it everyday with the same magnitude as portraying characters like your common government employees, teachers, students, traditional politicians, cult fanatics, vegetarian activists, hippie junkies, et al. In short, they are all part of a diversity that made Pugad Baboy comic strips a mirror of our society---the Philippine Society.

Only this morning when I visited the Inquirer site I saw an article about the PDI apologizing to the negative feedback, leading to temporary suspension of Pol Medina Jr. This one I think, is a near-sighted move by PDI because first of all, the publication of this strip is also an editor's job and giving the bulk of penalty to PMJR is exactly unfair to the author.

Public admittance of one's fault and sanctioning penalty to another is I think a very partial judgment on PDI's side.


*A Filipino's reaction after sensing that something smells fishy.

Related Links:
Komikero
PMJR's FB page
Copy of Letter to PDI
Petition for a Change