Objects in Space

Frak!

2006-11-20T04:28:42Z

Well, Dell says the motherboard on my laptop is deader than Darth Vader's DED wife. Naturally, this diagnosis was followed by a most unattractive proposition: it can be replaced for the low, low price of $499.00! With an expired warranty and no desire to pay twice that to buy a new laptop, what choice did I have?

Oh, and not to mention I was put on hold for forty minutes -- twice.

So here I am, typing my philosophy essay up in the library. The library isn't the absolute worst place to be in this cesspool of pretentiousness that is Queen's University, but it's certainly up there. Why does it make me angry to see people in sweatpants clutching cups of overpriced coffee, whiling away the hours on Facebook browsing their friend's roommate's friend's photographic documentation of public drunkeness? There is too much in that last sentence for my sleep-deprived and now medicated brain to comprehend at this hour.

Back to Berkeley...

What say you?

Yes, I am wasting time on livejournal at the moment. Yes, I had a cup of some beverage from the Common Ground this evening. But dammit Janet, it was Earl Grey tea, and I paid $1.18 for a large! (Yes, I called it a large. Caffeinated beverages come in small, medium, large, and sometimes extra-large. None of this "grande" nonsense, and certainly not an "all-nighter.")

Berkeley requires attention. I must go. At least I have a run to look forward to tomorrow.

Dammit Jim, I'm a Star Wars fan, not a Trekkie!

2006-11-14T17:29:01Z

I need to stop forgetting to cross-post these things. If you've come here from my blog on starwars.com, leave an anonymous comment. If not, leave a comment anyways, if you wish.

Good news: I am not alone at university in my love for science fiction! Indeed, my school has a science fiction club! I'm off to the meeting! Farewell to my lonely nights of blogging, reading old comics, and lurking on various forums!

Bad news: They're watching Star Trek.

Star Trek: the franchise that is, for some reason, hated and mocked by many a Star Wars fan. For a time, I simply went along with it. Of course, there had to be some fallacious reasoning on my part in there, as I was probably submitting to some sort of mob mentality present in the Star Wars fandom. Never mind that I had never actually bothered to watch anything Star Trek in my entire life. There was just something about Trekkies that I didn't like. Perhaps it was me blindly following the crowd on this matter. Perhaps it was a conclusion I reached myself after being exposed to numerous stereotypes. Or perhaps it was those jerks right behind me in the line at a convention who were convinced that standing an inch away from me and constantly bumping me when they talked with their hands while complaining about the wait (as if their situation was unique!) would get them inside to buy the exclusive Captain Kirk action figure faster. That was the problem with that particular convention. Some guys named William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy showed up, drawing in hoards of Trekkies. Apparently they were a big deal or something.

And then there is the constant frustration that comes with being mistaken for a Trekkie because I happen to like Star Wars. (copied shamelessly from my comment at anakinside1's blog.

Clueless individual: What's your favourite movie?
Me: Star Wars.
Clueless individual: Oh, so you're a Trekkie, right?
Me: No, Trekkies are Star Trek fans...
Clueless individual: Same difference.
Me: Actually...
Clueless individual: Live long and prosper! Did I do that right?
Me: *sigh*

Needless to say, I had some misgivings about watching the antithesis of all that I stood for, among the heathens, to boot! Would watching Star Trek undermine my until-then unconditional love for the Star Wars saga? Would hanging out with Trekkies be considered consorting with the enemy, resulting in my shunning and forced removal from the Star Wars fandom and the official site? Would I be assimilated by said Trekkies like the Borg to, well, whomever they assimilate, and walk out of the room discussing the technical specifications of the Enterprise in Klingon? Or, horrors of horrors, would I actually enjoy the show out of my own free will? Blasphemy, indeed!

So, after much deliberation, I decided to attend a night of Trekkies, popcorn, and confusion on my part. After all, friends are good to have, even if they conduct marriage ceremonies in a fictional alien language. And besides, Ronald D. Moore, the producer of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica (a show I absolutely love), used to work on Star Trek. Yes, I was stretching to justify my viewing of these shows, but really, how bad could it be?

Not bad at all, according to my verdict.

I made a set of observations consisting of broad generalizations from watching five episodes. I don't profess to be an expert on the subject by any stretch of the imagination. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if many of the points I make here are misinformed, over-generalizations, or flat-out wrong.

The episode we saw from the original series (Mirror, Mirror) was delightfully cheesy and surprisingly entertaining. I believe I would watch more episodes from the original series, solely for that reason. Sure, I didn't understand why everyone started laughing when McCoy said "I'm a doctor, not an engineer!" Nevertheless, it was fun to watch.

The biggest problem is the excessive amount of technobabble on the show. It seemed to be progressively more abundant as the episodes became more recent. Perhaps this is the reason why Star Trek is generally perceived as more "geeky" compared to Star Wars. I view technobabble as a necessary evil that is used to develop a futuristic science fiction setting. However, it should not be both the cause for and the solution to every problem that our heroes encounter.

Every episode of a show should not be reducible to:
Character #1: Oh no! The technobabble technobabble technobabble technobabble technobabble technobabble!
Character #2: We're doomed!
Character #3: Well, what if we technobabble technobabble technobabble technobabble technobabble technobabble technobabble technobabble technobabble technobabble technobabble technobabble?
Character #2: But surely that's impossible!
Character #3: * Does technobabble technobabble technobabble technobabble technobabble technobabble technobabble technobabble technobabble technobabble technobabble technobabble anyway. *
Character #2: We're saved!

Now, I'm certain that not every episode follows this formula, but Star Trek seemed to use it extensively as a plot device. In addition to making the show redundant, this diminishes much of the human element of storytelling. Human failures, in my opinion, are far more compelling than technological or mechanical failures. One could make the case that Star Wars also relies on a spiritual element (the force for special abilities and the will of the force as a determinant) and a technological element (a precise hit on the exhaust post leading to the main reactor to destroy the entire battlestation). However, these are not the main elements of the story that drive the plot. Star Wars is first a story of tragedy as a man loses everything through his personal faults and his choices, and later a mythological journey by his son to redeem him. It could have taken place with or without superweapons, lightsabers, or reconfiguring the dish array, for that matter.

Following that, conflict between crew members didn't seem to exist. Sure, Kirk didn't exactly see eye to eye with the evil bearded Spock from an alternate reality that he encountered in Mirror, Mirror, but that doesn't really count. I find this less believable than some of the bizarre time warps that take place in Star Trek. Seriously, are viewers really expected to believe that an entire crew can stay cooped up on a ship for five years and not have any conflicts beyond "I'm a doctor, not a mechanic!"? Han and Leia are constantly going at each other during A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. The folks living on Serenity aren't always one big happy family either. And the Battlestar Galactica is a giant flying powder keg of animosity, hostility, and dysfunctional relationships among humans ranging from normal to psychologically frakked.

It is extremely surprising that crew members on Star Trek never want to tear each other apart once and a while. Sure, they aren't cardboard cut-outs with no personality, but they always seem to get along. One glaring exception to this was Deep Space Nine (the episode I watched was Valiant, which was written by none other than Ronald D. Moore), where two characters (Jake Sisko and Ensign Nog) are brought aboard a ship crewed by the talented group of Starfleet cadets. While Jake recognizes the overconfidence of the crew, Nog idealizes them, awestruck by their abilities and by blinded by his excitement to be working with them. Arguments ensue, and Jake gets in trouble for his apparent pessimism. But for the most part (of the other four episodes I watched, anyway), the characters of Star Trek were altruistic, and the conflict lay in their reacting in a rational manner to whatever technology or their encounters with the unknown dealt them.

However, it wasn't all bad. As much as I prefer human conflict, the idea of venturing into the unknown is a good one. There is something about the opening narration that makes an excited grin appear on my face as I hear: "Space, the final frontier." Space exploration has fascinated me since I was young. In many ways, Star Trek appeals to all of our childhood dreams of climbing aboard a spaceship and venturing out to explore the infinite reaches of outer space. And it does so with youthful idealism, free from politics, corruption, and bickering. The characters are projections of some sort of human ideal; while they aren't perfect, they meet each challenge with courage and righteousness, never compromising their morals. Battlestar Galactica constantly poses the question, "is humanity worth saving?" In Star Trek, the answer is known all along as a definitive "yes." Star Trek offers a hopeful vision of a better future. This future is brought about not by advanced technology, but by those who had the resolve to make things better.

I do believe I've performed a reverse Ron Moore here, by constantly bringing up Battlestar Galactica while talking about Star Trek (Moore constantly talks about Star Trek in his Battlestar Galactica podcast commentaries). But they are both pertinent to the subject of science fiction television. I won't get going on the subject too much, since this is blog is already a decent length, but I will conclude by saying that I hope the Star Wars television show draws upon elements from both. There is much less exploration of the unknown in Star Wars, since the galaxy has been, for the most part, mapped out millennia ago. However, as an expanded universe fan, I have always been excited to see new worlds and species. The Dark Nest Trilogy was fascinating to me because the characters came face to face with fear itself by exploring the unknown. As for elements from Battlestar Galactica, I would love for the Star Wars television show to be dark, character-driven, and have story arcs longer than one episode (not to mention minimal technobabble!).

So there you have it, folks! It is possible to watch Star Trek and emerge with your love for Star Wars (not to mention your sanity) intact! As they say, don't knock it 'till you've tried it!

The completely unnecessary postscript: Wow, I leave for the weekend and suddenly this blog is topping the charts (yes, a first for me) and my inbox is bursting with comments. Thanks for the witty comments, the enlightenment on the finer points of Star Trek, and the insight into a franchise that used to baffle me (largely because I had never bothered to watch it). But seriously, I'm out of it for a while, and...ah, you know the rest.

Live long and prosper!

Hooray for Incentives!

2006-07-04T16:54:54Z

As some of you probably know, I work at a running store during the summer. Not only do I make money from this, but I also am able to buy shoes at employee discount. Which is nice, because I go through a lot of shoes.

I've been lucky in the past few months. New Balance held a contest for employees, where for every New Balance shoe you sold, you get a ballot that was put into a draw to win one of five pairs of shoes. My name got drawn, though I opted for a pair of cross country spikes instead, since my feet like none of the shoes that New Balance offers.

This month, Saucony is running a simple contest: sell ten pair of Saucony shoes, and get a free pair. This makes me happy. I run in Saucony shoes, and would very much like to have a free pair.

As of today, my count is at four pairs.

Six more to go...

On the Raggedy Edge

2006-07-04T16:46:10Z

This entry was to advertise and celebrate Serenity Day, which tool place on the twenty-third day of June, to honour and support the great (yet short-lived) television series Firefly, and its continuation on the big screen in the form of the movie Serenity. I posted it on my Star Wars blog as part of the Serenity Day effort to get the word out, but forgot to post it here. Well, here it is....

Firefly has a great amount of appeal to it. It's accessible to almost anyone, even those who aren't fans of science fiction. The Firefly universe (or "the 'verse," as those who are in-the-know would say), a blend of the past and the future, never feels foreign in the slightest to the viewer. Besides, Firefly is more about characters than outrageous special effects, epic space battles, and astounding visuals anyway. Having been informed of said television series by Star Wars fans, I found that I could identity with the characters and conflicts of Firefly both on a personal level and because it contained elements of the only science fiction that I knew and loved -- Star Wars.

Firefly has, in a nutshell, everything I loved about The Empire Strikes Back.

This is not to say that Firefly is simply a re-hash of one of the greatest movies of all time. On the contrary, it is refreshingly unique and unlike anything else on television or on the big screen.

Whereas Star Wars chronicles the exploits of the son of the Chosen One and a Princess with a prominent role in the Rebel Alliance, Firefly follows the lives of rather ordinary people. While Luke, Han, and Leia fight to restore freedom and democracy to the entire galaxy, Malcolm Reynolds, having been on the losing side of a war that is now long over, simply wants to travel the skies, free from the grip of the Alliance, taking jobs as they come. In the words of Joss Whedon, "this show isn't about the people who made history; it's about the people history stepped on." The crew of Serenity may not overthrow an empire or save the galaxy, but each character's struggle makes this show fascinating. They are always the underdogs, and their adventures are never epic; if they get paid at the end of the day to keep Serenity in the air, that's all that matters. Firefly is definitely not a futuristic piece of mythology, nor is it a textbook example of the hero's journey. Firefly breaks the typical science fiction and space opera mold by focusing on everyday people who were given the short end of the stick, and tried to make the best of it. In the immortal words of Jayne Cobb, "you took that end and you...well, you took it. And that's...well, I guess that's somethin'."

Despite these differences, Firefly contains the very same fundamental elements that made The Empire Strikes Back such an excellent movie.

From a military standpoint, the events of The Empire Strikes Back are relatively insignificant in the great scheme of galactic history. Call in the fleet junkies and the number-crunchers -- they'll agree. Did the rebels achieve any military victories over the Empire during this time? At the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back, viewers learn that the rebels have been driven off of Yavin IV, and are now hiding from the Empire in a base on Hoth. From this point until the credits roll, the rebels have done no obvious damage to the Imperial war machine. They have not wrested any planets from Imperial control, nor have they destroyed any superweapons. In the final moments of the movie, the Rebellion has simply regrouped, and they are in roughly the same situation as the one in which they began the movie. Likewise for the Empire. Sure, they managed to chase the rebels from Hoth, but the rebel fleet is largely intact, and Vader failed to capture both Luke and Leia. On a military and statistical level, the events of The Empire Strikes Back could be omitted completely from the history books.

Yet on a personal level and in terms of characterization, The Empire Strikes Back consists of the most important turning points in the entire saga. And, earth-shattering revelations aside, the second installment of the original trilogy contains brilliant and compelling character development.

Both the Millennium Falcon and Serenity provide fascinating settings for interaction between characters. Whether it's a YT-1300 or a Firefly-class transport, spending extended periods of time together aboard a spaceship brings out both the very best and the very worst in people. And the result can be anything from shipboard romances to ugly confrontations. Perhaps Mal best described this dynamic during his conversation with Simon in one of the first few scenes of Serenity: "So here is us, on the raggedy edge. Don't push me, and I won't push you." With tension between characters running high at times and nowhere else to go, relationships are tested and strained to their breaking points.

Han and Leia's storyline throughout the second act of The Empire Strikes Back deals with people and their reactions to being in dire circumstances and in constant danger. Cut off from the Rebel fleet, Han Solo desperately maneuvers the Falcon from one dangerous situation to another. At this point, Han and Leia aren't seeking to engage the Executor in an all-out space battle; their goal is escape and survival. They're taking on one challenge after another, each time narrowly escaping with their lives. And most importantly, they react to each situation like normal human beings. They aren't all-powerful superheroes who stay cool, calm, and collected every time they run into a dangerous situation. They get frightened, they make mistakes, they take it out on each other, and they fear for their own lives. These characters could easily be your next-door neighbours who managed to somehow stumble into a galaxy-wide conflict. The Empire Strikes Back succeeded in making a fantastical science fiction epic feel familiar by telling the stories of characters that the audience could relate to.

Firefly is compelling because the show centers on characters that we can relate to, as they face unique, yet familiar challenges. As Firefly creator Joss Whedon said, "It's about nine people looking into the blackness of space and seeing nine different things. That to me is what's interesting." The crew of Serenity is faced with the challenge of struggling to get by, either in the strict and Alliance-controlled core, or on the lawless outer rim planets. Though they live in a futuristic setting, they must cope with the same problems human beings have today, and they react to these problems in the same way that normal people would.

Like in our lives, nothing ever goes according to plan in Firefly. And each character has their own way of dealing with this. Some express their discontent with sarcasm, some get frustrated, but most of the time, like everyone here on earth, they simply make do and keep going. Captain Malcolm Reynolds is never completely sure of himself and sometimes does a bad job of faking it. And yet he doesn't let this hinder him, and everyone else along for the ride had better hope for the best.

Situations such as these are very compelling, simply because we have emotion invested in the characters and we have no idea how it's going to turn out in the end. Plot twists, surprises, and complications meet these characters at every turn. And whether the characters meet these challenges with lightsabers, blasters, and thermal detonators or primitive slugthrowers and their sharp wit, I'll keep watching either way.

If this is "selling out," take my wallet now!

2006-06-13T20:46:08Z

Seeing as I'm getting nowhere with my Firefly/Star Wars entry, I'll have to talk about the Less Than Jake CD, In With the Out Crowd.

To put it quite simply, I love it.

Is it "selling out?" Does it not sound like their old stuff from the glory days? Is there a lack of horns in every song? Perhaps. Does this make the CD a bunch of complete and utter crap? Of course not. Sure, it ain't Hello Rockview, or like something from their much older albums. But I consider In With the Out Crowd to be the next natural step in the progression of Less Than Jake's music. It follows Anthem and Borders & Boundaries, two albums that contained more catchy punk rock and punk/ska songs. And I'm not at all opposed to the band branching out and, god forbid, playing different music than they did ten years ago.

Every song on In With the Out Crowd is catchy and infectious. But most importantly, almost every song has become my personal anthem over the past day. Less Than Jake has this unique way of expressing everything that seems to be going on in my head that I can't put into words. The lyrics on this album are a perfect (although temporary) escape from frustrations with today's culture that celebrates mediocrity, and not to mention a remedy for most of the crap on the radio that we have to put up with.

Curse your sudden but inevitable Betrayal!

2006-05-20T03:22:44Z

Brace for the fangirl squee.

I went to the bookstore today with the intent of picking up a book that I had ordered last Sunday. I had also just received a bunch of birthday money, and decided to browse the sci-fi section. Or, more specifically, the Star Wars section.

That's when I saw it. Betrayal, slated for release on May 30th. Sitting on the shelf ELEVEN. FRAKKING. DAYS. EARLY. In all it's shockingly bad CG cover glory.*

So I bought it, of course. Yep, I snagged that sucker off the shelf before an employee would realize their mistake. And I could barely contain myself.

I want to read it. Never mind that I haven't read nine books of the NJO, or any of the Dark Nest trilogy. Never mind that I promised myself that at least I had to read Traitor before I read Betrayal. I suppose I could read the chronology to get up to speed, but I'm not sure if I want the NJO and Dark Nest totally spoiled. Oh what is a fangirl to do?

In other news, Battlestar Galactica is the best show on television. I've seen five episodes and I am absolutely convinced.

* I say this because A) it looks awful, and B) Jacen (pictured on the cover) is supposed to be thirty at the time of the book. He looks about fourteen on the cover.

The Oligatory Birthday Entry

2006-05-17T18:27:20Z

So today I turn nineteen. As of this day, I can legally get into bars or clubs to buy overpriced drinks and look like an idiot dancing! Hooray! I'm getting the feeling that everyone else in the world is a lot more excited about this than I am.

But what I'm actually excited about is the first season of Battlestar Galactica that I received! Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe this calls for a science fiction television marathon!

I also wrote a review of Star By Star, which was cross-posted to my starwars.com blog.

My original intention was to read the New Jedi Order, writing reviews as I worked my way through it. Of course, I wrote a review of Vector Prime and then abandoned this practice. And now I’m picking it up again with Star by Star. Oh well, maybe I’ll review those two books, and The Unifying Force down the road, and then fill in the gaps when I feel like it. Next, this review is divided into a non-spoiler section (the review part) and a spoiler section (the fangirl gushing part).

Star by Star starts off about two years into the Yuuzhan Vong war, and, as usual, things aren't going so well for the New Republic. The Yuuzhan Vong have engineered a deadly enemy for the Jedi -- the voxyn. Capable of hunting force sensitives, the voxyn is savage and lethal. Meanwhile, executor Nom Anor visits Leia Organa Solo with an ultimatum: she must reveal the location of the Jedi base, or millions of refugees will be killed. In an attempt to buy time for the refugees and destroy the voxyn, Anakin Solo decides to lead a mission deep into enemy territory, along with Jacen and Jaina Solo and several other Jedi. And as the Jedi strike team struggles to accomplish its vital yet ill-fated mission, more planets fall as the Yuuzhan Vong forces move towards their ultimate goal -- Coruscant.

I would like to start by noting the length of this book. Star by Star is five hundred and twenty-three pages long, or six hundred and five pages if you count Recovery, the e-book that was reprinted in my paperback edition. I salute this novel. If J. K. Rowling can sell me over seven hundred pages of intense wizarding action, Star Wars should too. And unlike a certain seven hundred and sixty-six page installment of Harry Potter, Star by Star was fast-paced and packed with action. Now that is getting my $10.99 (Canadian funds) worth!

The constant action of this novel is one of its main strengths. Denning juggles multiple plotlines and points of view, where at any given moment there is some form of battle, conflict, or disaster taking place. There is a constant sense of danger as Anakin and his fellow Jedi set out to destroy the voxyn and as the New Republic attempts to fend off the incoming invaders. The action wasn't described in excruciating detail, which kept the story moving at a fast-pace. Denning also managed to depict the action from the point of view of a large number of characters, each point of view fitting the scene and bringing to it an interesting perspective. Characters like Lando, Danni Quee, and Borsk Fey'lya not only got significant amounts of screen time, but part of the story was told from their perspective. This made the action interesting by constantly implicating a large number of characters that readers care about.

Denning's characterizations were excellent. Every previously existing expanded universe personality is in-character while being thrown into unfamiliar situations. Luke and Mara must adapt to their new role as parents as well as Jedi. Jacen Solo must contend with circumstance clashing with his ideals. This was particularly well done. I agree to a certain extent with many opinions I've read stating that Jacen's moral dilemmas became rather annoying as the series progressed. However, this story put Jacen into a situation where he was forced to act and follow Anakin's orders regardless of his misgivings; his ideals were compromised by the necessity of duty and the reality of war. Anakin remains the star of this book series, having matured since the beginning in the war. Though Anakin no longer holds the same views regarding use of the force, he is still possesses a fierce determination to do right for the Jedi and the New Republic, bravely volunteering to lead the dangerous mission to destroy the voxyn. Jaina also reacts to a certain event in a manner which sets up what promises to be an interesting character arc in future books. Less major characters like Tenel Ka, Zekk, and Tahiri Veila were also interesting and compelling. Han and Leia's relationship was wonderfully well-written (more about that in the spoiler section).

Although it is nice to see original expanded universe characters play important roles in this conflict, it is disappointing that Luke's character was underused in this book, and the entire New Jedi Order up until this point, for that matter. Luke has been a prominent character in most of the series, yet it seems as if he has done little of significance so far. None of his exploits have taken center stage in the series, as if Luke is merely just another part of the war effort. Luke's contributions have been important, but frankly, I expect better from the son of Anakin Skywalker and the most powerful Jedi in the order. Luke wielding two lightsabers in Dark Tide: Onslaught was a good start, but I think the time has come for Luke to lay down the law and show the Yuuzhan Vong who's boss in this galaxy.

My only other gripe is the following: Ben's attempted kidnapping would have been interesting, if the same thing hadn't happened to the Solo children countless times since their birth. But I suppose this is to be expected: now that Ben is the son of a major movie character, he will inevitably be the victim of many a kidnapping attempt! Get used to it kid; the Solos probably did eventually.

To conclude on a positive note, this novel conveys a message of hope in the face of calamity, tragedy, and despair. Star by Star begins as a dark and grim tale; yet the last hundred pages are absolutely inspiring. Every protagonist is dealt a painful blow in some way during this story: delusions are shattered, heroic stands end in failure or defeat, and again, characters learn that war has a terrible cost. The future is bleak for the New Republic, but like during the Galactic Civil War so many years ago, there is always hope. Regardless of how defeated the New Republic is, how terrible today is, and how grim tomorrow looks, there will always be people fighting.

Our heroes are the underdogs again, and I love it.

The Great Line of Spoiler Warnings!

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Now let us take a moment to shed a few fangirl tears for Anakin Solo.

I was very upset by the death of Anakin. He was probably my favourite character of the New Jedi Order. That being said, I can't think of a better way for him to go. The mission to Myrkr was doomed from the start, and Anakin's death, along with the deaths of many more of the strike team, was the price the Jedi paid for destroying the Voxyn cloning facility. It was suggested in previous novels that Anakin was destined for something greater. Anakin represents youth cut down in its prime. He died in complete harmony with the force, suggesting that Anakin achieved a deeper understanding and connection to the force, which could have made the difference in the war, had he lived longer. Despite being destined for greatness, Anakin was mortal. Anakin's death emphasizes the fact that everyone is vulnerable, and that every war has a cost.

To continue on the above point, the death of Anakin and the New Republic's defeat at Coruscant show the gravity of the situation facing the galaxy. No longer can the New Republic government and citizens simply look away or point fingers at others during this crisis. And for us, the readers, this novel has a great deal of shock value. Anakin Solo is dead. The Yuuzhan Vong have taken over the galactic capital. Two years ago, the characters of Star Wars lived in peace and comfort. Now, they face a threat that is greater than the Empire. They have been defeated, but are not yet vanquished. The Jedi are now the underdogs, yet they continue to fight. The New Jedi Order, despite being vastly different from and much darker than the original trilogy, has an original trilogy-like feel to it. That's why I put in a picture from A New Hope, by the way.

As mentioned previously, Denning does a brilliant job of writing Han and Leia's relationship. After Chewbacca's death, Han was overwhelmed by grief and isolated himself from his family. Han and Leia's marriage encountered problems as Han ventured throughout the galaxy in the Falcon, abandoning Leia and his children. Han and Leia reconciled after the battle at Duro, but unfortunately, tragedy struck again. Yet after Anakin's death comes one of the most touching and beautiful moments in the entire expanded universe, and for me, one of the most memorable of this entire book. Upon learning of Anakin's death, Han is angry, then devastated, but he realizes that he can't fall apart like he did after Chewbacca's death, and that he needs to be strong for Leia's sake. Han holds her and says, "I'm here, Princess. I'll always be here." Denning builds upon Han's character arc beautifully, as we see Han grow from his second brush with extreme grief.

Now, as a long-standing yet infuriating expanded universe character, I suppose Borsk Fey'lya deserves a mention. That's why he got the obscure reference in the title; it's a tribute of sorts to him. Apparently, Borsk is said to be quite the hero later. As with Anakin, Fey'lya's death was very fitting. He made a stand against the Yuuzhan Vong, and I actually started to root for the Bothan when he stood up to Nom Anor. Fey'lya finally stopped playing politics and started fighting a war, but it came far too late. And as the Yuuzhan Vong descended upon Coruscant, it appeared that Fey'lya had no other choice. But Fey'lya took the easy way out. He had his epiphany, but instead of living by it, taking responsibility, and leading the New Republic against its conquerors, he committed suicide in an attempt to take Tsavong Lah with him. It infuriates me, but I would expect nothing less from dear old Borsk. Here's to you, Borsk Fey'lya! But you're no martyr, buddy.

I've said that Vector Prime was my favourite Star Wars book, but we may have a new winner here.

Alright Politics 110, You're Off the Hook...

2006-05-15T02:43:29Z

Well, the marks are all in.

Great Works of Philosophy: 90
Intermediate French: 89
Intellectual Origins of the Contemporary West: 81
Modern World History: 85
Introduction to Politics & Government: 80
Ethics: 77

Average: 83.9

YAY Leslie keeps her scholarship and doesn't have to pay tuition next year!

Other thoughts:
- Wow, I must have seriously screwed up on my ethics exams. Considering how I got 94.5% on the first test...
- Once again, my modern world history mark completely baffles me. But this time, it's in a good way.
- How the hell did my mark go up in politics?

In other news, I ran 56.5 miles this week. Last week, I ran 55.5. Self Improvement (Version 2.0) is, as of now, a wonderful success! I love running.

The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage

2006-05-10T15:09:22Z

Reading Star By Star is, I must say, highly enjoyable but wholly upsetting. Seriously, it's turning me into an emotional basketcase. Is it bad that I'm getting this depressed because I know that a certain character is going to die in this book? I was crying last night as I was reading, not because the character had already died, but because he volunteered to go on the mission during which he will die. Me. Crying.

So in order to avoid reading the amazing yet depressing book, I wasted time making these icons!

That last one was Panic! at the Disco-inspired (which was inspired by Chuck Palahniuk). Oh Panic, why must I love thee so? You are my guilty pleasure.

jeenyus_girl @ 2006-05-05T17:22:00

2006-05-05T21:28:53Z

My marks are slowly trickling in on the abomination that is Qcard.

89% in French! Not bad for beginning my studying about an hour before the exam. Hopefully this shall make up for my less-than-stellar politics mark.

Also, I've been meaning to post an essay I wrote last year about the decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan during the Second World War. Since I have no idea if livejournal will like the footnotes and indents, I will simply post a link.

A True Man's Dilemma: The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb Against Japan

Theory of Obligation? What?

2006-04-30T01:56:36Z

I finished my last exam today. And well...it's done. I think that's the only positive here. Oh, and I had a very awkward but surprisingly pleasant chat with Rob on the way over to the track.

Why must I be so awkward?

The scores...

Philosophy exam: 1
Leslie: 0

Leslie's awkwardness around men: 1
Leslie: 0

I tried. I failed. Now to spend the summer reading Star Wars books, running twice a day, selling shoes, and blogging away!

In other news, certain people are conspiring to take me out on my 19th birthday. And make me dance. DOOM.

Farewell Political Studies 110, I knew ye far better than I would have liked!

2006-04-23T02:13:59Z

This is me giving the finger to Political Studies 110 at the moment. Indeed, screw you, politics! Don't I just sound like I was burdened with an overabundance of schooling? I think the exam went alright, but I'm absolutely sick of that class.

As I was telling smiledtoday earlier, today is Saturday, but it didn't feel like Saturday. I had an exam yesterday evening from 7-10 pm. I woke up at 7:30 this morning. And I wrote an exam from 2-5. A lousy weekend, indeed. So I will make tonight my Friday night laziness, and tomorrow will be my Saturday.

DID I JUST MAKE A SHRINE?

Apparently I did.

The books are in chronological order, by the way. That's why the hardcovers are randomly sticking out. The Lego X-Wing is blocking The Crystal Star. But that is of no concern to me. And if you look closely, you can see that I have read about five pages of Balance Point. I left three other New Jedi Order books at home too, so that's why it skips from Vector Prime to Jedi Eclipse. I really need to fill out my Clone Wars section!

EDIT: I just notice that Balance Point should be before the two Edge of Victory books. Oops. Maybe I will digitally fix it and call it the "Special Edition Re-released Shrine."

NJO (+ Dark Nest) pre-Legacy release marathon progress: 5/22
Exam progress: 3/5

Ten points if you caught the Firefly reference in this entry.

And now I read the ceremonial limerick of Killed Off Characters...

2006-04-22T05:07:17Z

OK, I've decided that if a book is titled Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse, that's a bit ridiculous. Anyway, I didn't feel like writing a review, so instead I wrote one in limerick form, which was twice as much work.

Full of SPOILERS and I don't care!

There once was a book named Jedi Eclipse
It had a battle in space with ships
And a superweapon too
(Yeah, that's nothing new ...)
But this book is not one to skip

The Yuuzhan Vong came to invade
And the Hutts said "let’s make a trade"
The Republic fought on
Droma rode shotgun with Han
As planets fell to the Vong crusade

The New Republic forces were outmatched
So a clever scheme was hatched
But it all went snap!
And they cried "it’s a trap!"
As the planet Fondor was scratched

Though the yammosk scenes were quite weird
And Han Solo sported a black beard
It was an intricate story
And in the end, no glory
It had one hell of a climax, I cheered!

Luke and Mara were barely around
But it didn’t bring the novel down
With the Solo kids
And the Jedi order on the skids
There was plenty of fun to be found

And now a tribute to dead characters...or maybe just one...

There once was a Jedi named Wurth Skidder
And though Leia begged him to reconsider
He met a yammosk
What the hell rhymes with yammosk?!?
And now he’s dead and Kyp Durron is bitter

But seriously,

Perhaps it was Wurth Skidder’s fate
To make that weird yammosk irate
Of Wurth’s death I read
And a tear was shed
For a Jedi we all love to hate

So what’s next for our Star Wars crew?
It looks like Balance Point is the next in cue!
But Emperor’s black bones! and damn!
I’ve got a politics exam!
So I’ve probably got work to do...

NJO (+ Dark Nest) pre-Legacy release on May 30th marathon progress: 5/22
Exam progress: 2/5

Another Family Vacation Gone Amuck

2006-04-20T03:40:41Z

As promised, in all its long, ranting, un-spoilerific glory...

What’s more controversial than the length of a Super Star Destroyer, hated nearly as much as Ewoks, and compared to a train wreck more often than Paris Hilton? Why, The New Jedi Order, of course! This nineteen-book (plus two e-books and one story in Star Wars Gamer) Star Wars series, set about twenty-five years after A New Hope, has been met by fans with mixed reviews. Speaking of reviews, I think I will write one about the first book of the series, Vector Prime!

Yeah, it's long, and it isn't behind a cut. So sue me.

Having read The New Essential Chronology and done a fair amount of browsing on various message boards, I knew many of the happenings of the period before reading this book. I think this may be good and bad. I have heard some comments about how The New Jedi Order is hard to get into because the first few books are confusing, yet I have a general idea of the direction in which everything is headed, and I am enjoying them. On the other hand, I have had some surprises of the series completely spoiled, some on purpose, and some by accident (thank you, official site FAQ).

Vector Prime, by R. A. Salvatore, kicks off The New Jedi Order book series, a Star Wars story arc that details the invasion of an extra-galactic species, the Yuuzhan Vong. The story begins by establishing that although the New Republic has made peace with the Imperial Remnant, there is unrest throughout the galaxy putting strains on the galactic government. Furthermore, there is conflict and a great difference of opinion within the Jedi Order over the role of the Jedi in the galaxy. When a scientific outpost discovers a comet-like mass headed towards the galaxy, all hell breaks loose. Yep, it ain’t no comet. The Yuuzhan Vong have come to take over the galaxy. And of course, it falls upon our heroes to fight the invaders.

I was happy to see the Solo children and other expanded universe characters at the forefront of this story. Jacen and Anakin Solo are both interesting characters, in conflict with each other over their role as Jedi and all the while never even entirely sure of themselves and their beliefs and opinions. Regardless, they are devoted to their duty to their family and the New Republic. We also meet Wurth Skidder, and an older Kyp Durron (a major character in The Jedi Academy Trilogy), two Jedi who have a very different idea of how the Jedi should counter this threat than that of Luke Skywalker. Kyp in particular is a great character; he is brash and arrogant, yet Salvatore manages to give him a sympathetic angle. In The Jedi Academy Trilogy, Kyp’s characterization was very weak, and many of his actions seemed too radical for the circumstances. In Vector Prime, Kyp may be a loose cannon, but his motives are easily understood, even though his methods are radically different from those of Luke or Jacen. I found myself rooting for him to survive, even though he was a character I loved to hate.

As for the movie characters, most of their characterizations were dead on. I could almost hear Leia lecturing Han in the original trilogy as she gave Wurth Skidder an earful for his “heroics.” And despite being a responsible family man, the Han we know and love is back. Salvatore pulls this off without having characters shamelessly quote their movie selves, something many Star Wars authors are guilty of. The real strength of Salvatore’s work in the novel lies in the character-driven conflicts of Vector Prime. Instead of simply throwing the characters of Star Wars into the middle of another crisis somewhere in the galaxy, Salvatore adds another dimension to the story through the characters’ interactions with one another, their perceptions of other characters, and their reactions to events. This may sound fairly basic, but these elements are either lacking or very weak not only in most Star Wars novels, but in a large number of science fiction stories. In Vector Prime, the major characters, whether they are movie characters or created by the expanded universe, must not only face this new threat to the galaxy, but also each other and themselves. In this sense, the characters of Vector Prime are very real and familiar. They act like normal human beings (most of them are human, anyway); they disagree, they unjustly blame others, they are frequently wrong, and they see their own weaknesses. And as a result, some of them lose hope, some become stronger, and some come into conflict with others, but most importantly, they change instead of remaining stagnant personalities. Salvatore does an excellent job of putting characters (mostly characters that aren’t his own) in compromising situations that shake them to their core. As a result, some among them emerge altered, but the change is logical, and readers are able to sympathize with the character along the way.

As for the villains, The New Jedi Order offers a departure from the typical Star Wars antagonists. The Yuuzhan Vong, a species from another galaxy, are very different than your average evil Imperial admiral or Remnant Moff on a power trip. They have different weapons and ships than anything readers have ever seen before. Their culture, although still something of a mystery, is completely antithetical to the New Republic and the order that they have built. These villains are ruthless, brutal, and downright scary. Needless to say, it won’t be an easy victory for our heroes.

Sadly, in constructing the plot of Vector Prime, Salvatore is guilty of something I like to call "the old family vacation standby," which, in this case, is also accompanied by "the old lament for our lost youth." This is overused in Star Wars stories (most recently in the Rogue Leader comic) to the point where it has become a tired plot device. The premise for the aforementioned plot device is the following: the major movie characters of Star Wars are getting old, as they reminisce about their glory days, they realize that they’ve done so much to save the galaxy, build a new government, and continuously save that government from the villain of the week, that they deserve a bit of a vacation. So they all head out to some planet, which in this case in on the outer rim, and surprise, all of the main characters manage to walk straight into the middle of an epic galactic conflict. It’s disappointing that Salvatore uses the formulaic and overused plot device. There has to be a more interesting way to get these characters involved in the action other than another family vacation gone amuck. Honestly, if I see any of this business in the upcoming Legacy series, I won’t be very happy. And the sad part is, during the Legacy series, the characters are probably old enough to actually do this (being sixty years old and all), but this plot device has been done so many times before that no one will want to see it.

Family vacations aside, this novel combines its many character arcs with the suspense and action of galactic warfare. As the Yuuzhan Vong enter the galaxy, observed by the scientists at an outpost on the edge of the galaxy, we feel the threat of an incoming force. Juxtaposed with glimpses into the plans of the enemy, this segment had a doomsday-like feel to it. The story is darker than much of what has been seen in Star Wars before, and for the first time since watching the original trilogy, I was worried that my beloved heroes of the Star Wars universe wouldn’t make it out alive.

Unfortunately, the battle scenes throughout this book were often tedious and redundant. Most of the action, especially the space battles, was very well done. However, some of the lightsaber fights were described in detail to the point where one’s eyes glaze over due to being sick of having to read about every movement someone makes while fending off an enemy. And it isn’t impossible to do; I think Michael Stackpole nailed it in the two Dark Tide books (the next two books in The New Jedi Order). The point is that it isn’t necessary to spend five pages describing a lightsaber duel that lasts about thirty seconds. Also, while most of the action was good, it was rather redundant in some places as certain characters basically go back to the same place to fight the same battle that took place only hours before.

In general, though, Vector Prime was a great start to The New Jedi Order. Yes, this book took a great number of risks, and not everyone will like them. But regardless, R. A. Salvatore has created the start of a new, original, and epic adventure in the galaxy far, far away. Vector Prime was an exciting read, and it left many threads hanging at the end. Not every mystery was solved, and the galaxy sure as hell ain’t safe anymore. But fear not! After all, our heroes have eighteen more books (or so) to sort out this mess. That’s provided that they all make it out alive.

I’ll try to express this in the most coherent and spoiler-free manner possible: I, for one, applaud the bold new direction in which Del Rey and the authors of The New Jedi Order have taken the expanded universe. The New Jedi Order, in my opinion, is not a train wreck, but a great triumph. Some may disagree with me, but I am very critical of the early post-Return of the Jedi novels, and see The New Jedi Order as a breath of fresh air. There are major changes in this book, and they are a welcome departure from the mediocrity that was the New Republic era. Finally, the expanded universe is a cohesive story, and not merely a set of separate and unrelated works of glorified fanfiction by authors with enough industry connections to get their work published. In this era, the heroes of the Star Wars movies are actually challenged. At last, they face real villains instead of the latest Imperial Remnant mop-up job, the latest superweapon, or yet another one of Luke’s students turned evil. Luke doesn’t have to be injured for an entire novel to be brought down to the level of his enemies. And most importantly, there is change in the galaxy far, far away. The Star Wars expanded universe is no longer a Saturday morning cartoon in which the characters defeat the villain of the week and proceed to return to their daily lives. People and worlds are changed by the events of the books, and they will never be the same again. Therefore, Vector Prime is the first expanded universe novel, in the true sense of the words. No longer are authors merely playing in George Lucas’ universe. They are truly expanding it. These aren’t the usual daily adventures of Luke, Han, and Leia, nor are they background stories to the films. The New Jedi Order is a series in which compelling characters and an extensive and fantastic universe must change. And like it or not, that’s great fiction.

R. A. Salvatore, I salute you!

In closing, I would like to note how my review turned into a rant about the Star Wars expanded universe. Also, if anyone reading this has actually read Vector Prime, you may notice that I neglected to mention a huge event that took place in this book. This was done in the interest of keeping this review spoiler-free, but I promise, there will be a rant about this in the future. And based on the previous few paragraphs, you can probably guess my stance on it.

Look sir, internet advertising!

2006-04-18T23:10:52Z

Dare I sell out for the promise of more userpics? Although I am tempted to say "long live capitalism!" and proceed to upload those crappy icons I made a week ago, I considered the following: do I really want to see ads pasted all over my half-decent-looking Objects in Space background? I think not. This journal will remain ad-free!

The previous statement was not a statement against capitalism. In fact, I am in support of capitalism and I believe there is not enough of it these days. I was merely trying to make my post more interesting.

Coming up tomorrow: A review of the controversial Vector Prime, the first installment of the New Jedi Order!

Wall-mounted keyboards -- it must be...THE FUTURE!

2006-04-07T04:53:32Z

Why must I always drink tea before I go to bed? I have a French oral exam tomorrow at 8:30, yet there's no chance I'll be able to sleep anytime soon. Maybe I should invest in some decaf tea.

I just watched two episodes of Mystery Science Theatre 3000. That is definitely one of the most amusing things I have ever seen. In case you don't know, it's basically a guy and two robots who watch really, really bad movies and make fun of them. Now, you may be thinking: "What? I can do that on my own in the comfort of my own home! All I need is a crappy movie and my formidable wit!"

Well, yes, I suppose you could. Heck, that's what my sister and I did while watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Except that we weren't funny (except maybe to ourselves...my mother just continually told us to stop talking), and our rate of laughter-inducing jokes per minute was far lower than that of this wonderful program.

One of the episodes I watched ("Space Mutiny") was quite amusing. Snarky comments and heckling aside, I attribute this to its blatent use of space battle scenes from the old Battlestar Galactica (there is absolutely no way that could be legal...). By the way, the new Battlestar Galactica is excellent. But more on that later. It is time to attempt to sleep.

Definitely not a Firefly entry...

2006-04-05T00:56:56Z

I think I had an existential crisis on Saturday, at approximately 4:00 pm. But since then, everything has been much better.

I'm listening to Bad Religion right now. I still love that band.

Today I did a 52-minute pool run. It wasn't half as bad as I expected it would be. If I've complained about it in the past little while, it's only because I was trying to be funny.

I was able to run for 37 minutes at practice today. The knee is getting better.

This week I have no assignments due, for the first time in over a month. I intend to enjoy it. I watched many episodes of Arrested Development with smiledtoday on Saturday evening, and yesterday I finished Vector Prime, a Star Wars novel that I actually liked. The review will be posted as soon as I get around to writing it.

I realized this evening that I'm managing to enjoy life more than I usually do. And by that I mean that I don't hate everyone that I meet and everything that happens to me.

I may not be smiling, but I think I'm happy.

Not Another Firefly Entry!

2006-04-01T04:09:00Z

Considering myself something of a Nathan Fillion fan (or should I say, FLAN!?!?), I read a few reviews of the movie Slither, which came to a theatre near you today. I noticed that many reviewers mention that Nathan Fillion has the movie Serenity to his credit. Way to go, reviewers! Good work! Now if you could only mention Firefly, everything would be wonderful.

In other news, it looks like Serenity will be offered by Amazon in a DVD bundle with The Chronicles of Riddick, which, in my opinion, is an excellent idea. So, if any of you ever had a burning desire to purchase The Chronicles of Riddick, but never did, head on over to Amazon, and pick up Serenity along with it. You'll like it, I promise.

Now, you may be asking, isn't this just another shameless Firefly promotion? No, of course not. Yet.

OK, now it is.

But I promise, the next entry will be about something else. Maybe.

Curse my -- ...oh forget it.

2006-03-28T01:59:45Z

I was able to run for twenty minutes today. It's a start. Of course, so desperate was I to get back to running that a few days ago, I foolishly made an offering to the running gods. I said, let's be reasonable here. If I can be running again by April 7th, I will run the infamous beer mile being held that very day.

Can I run four laps of the track and drink four beers*? Can I even drink four beers? Have I ever had four beers during the entire span of my life? The answer, of course, is no.

This is what happens when you don't run for extended periods of time. And by extended, I mean six days. You start suggesting crazy things. And then you get stuck doing them. So I guess I will be running a beer mile.

Stand back, folks. This is gonna be ugly.

In other news, today is Nathan Fillion's 35th birthday. Happy birthday, Captain Tightpants!

___________________________________________________________
*Kingston rules state that women must only drink three beers (ie. they don't drink on the first lap before they even start running), but beermile.com rules require women to chug with the men in order to be considered for rankings.

I Have Altered My Background. Pray I Do Not Alter It Any Further...

2006-03-27T04:53:13Z

So I was going to write some long, whining entry about running and my lack thereof over the past week. But it's late, I've got an essay to work on, and frankly, I'm just lazy. So, my reader, you are spared!

In case you hadn't noticed, I have changed my background, yet again. This time it's a Firefly-inspired one. I had just finished watching the episode "Objects in Space" and decided to make this one. In fact, I had started to watch Joss Whedon's commentary on the episode. He started going on about his existential crisis at age sixteen, and at that point I realized that I had only actually seen the episode once, and I couldn't remember everything that was going on during the show, never mind keep track of it while he's going all philosophical on me. So I left the commentary for another day and watched the show instead.

And then I made this picture.

And then I realized that it wasn't background-sized, it was livejournal background-sized.

That wouldn't be a problem, except that I have to put a column of text over half of the image!

So I proceeded to start all over again, shoved everything over to one side, and came up with this.

It ain't perfect. I still can't get that ball/planet to not have a white glow around it, but what can you do?

EDIT: Fixed now, thanks to irish0326.

Take My Love, Take My Land, Take Me Where I Cannot Stand…

2006-03-26T04:09:56Z

Note: For the short version, skip to the bottom.

___________________________________________________________

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the road less traveled by and they CANCELLED MY FRIKKIN' SHOW. I totally shoulda took the road that had all those people on it. Damn.
- Joss Whedon

Sorry Joss. Perhaps I cannot singlehandedly bring back the unjustly cancelled show, but at least I can do my part by harassing people to watch it.

What am I talking about, you ask?

Ah, so you are interested, says I.

I am, of course, talking about Firefly. Firefly was a television show that aired in 2002, achieving something of a cult following, before being cancelled after eleven episodes. Last fall, the movie Serenity came out, which is basically a follow-up to Firefly. Set five hundred years into the future, the setting mixes high technology of the core planets and spaceship travel with outer-rim planets that resemble the Old West.

Yes, you heard me right.

It’s a Western! With spaceships! And horses!

Just go with me on this for a minute, alright?

Trust me, Firefly is great. I might even go so far as to say that Firefly is better than any of the Star Wars prequels (yes, that includes Episode III), and maybe even Return of the Jedi. Blasphemy? No, I know exactly what I’m saying here.

Firefly is brilliant sci-fi, because none of it feels foreign. Instead of featuring massive spaceships from the massive fleets of massive empires in massive space battles with massive explosions, the plot centers on the people living on the fringes and struggling to get by in an unforgiving galaxy. While the all-powerful Alliance is in control, nine characters aboard a Firefly-class transport ship survive by taking jobs (legal or otherwise) on the nearly-lawless outer-rim planets. The crew may not take down an empire or save the galaxy, but each character’s struggle makes this show fascinating. They are always the underdogs, and their adventures are never epic; if they get paid at the end of the day so they can keep flying, that’s all that matters.

The personalities of Firefly, brought to life by a great cast, make this show entertaining and compelling. What do you get when you put a mercenary, a preacher, a space hooker, and a couple of fugitives together on a spaceship? Firefly, of course! Let’s start with the captain. Malcolm Reynolds, or Mal, is like Han Solo back before any Special Edition re-releases came out. By that I mean Mal always shoots first, and he isn’t about to join some damned fool idealistic crusade. He did once, fighting against Alliance control, but he was unfortunately on the losing side of the war, and is now a bitter and amoral man who wants nothing more than to be free aboard his ship, Serenity. Zoe, another war veteran, is a loyal second-in-command and always good to have around in a fight. Wash, the man who guides the chariot (ie. the pilot), and husband to Zoe, is a bit insecure, but his dry sense of humour never fails to entertain. Kaylee, the ships’s mechanic, is always cheerful and views the crew as her family. Then we have Jayne. He may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he has plenty of sharp knives (and guns) to get the job done, if the price is right. Inara, who rents one of the shuttles aboard Serenity, is a registered companion (she’s not really a whore, she’s like a courtesan). The whole situation gets complicated as Serenity takes on Simon and River Tam as passengers. River was a child prodigy who is now crazy thanks to an Alliance-run academy that her brother Simon, a brilliant doctor, gave up everything to rescue her from. Now the two are fugitives on the run from the Alliance. Rounding out the crew is Shepherd Book, the preacher with a mysterious past.

And best of all, this show has no shortage of funny quips and memorable one-liners! For example,

[Mal confronts an undercover Alliance agent.]
Mal: Now, I gotta know how close the Alliance is — exactly how much you told them before Wash scrambled your call. So. I've given Jayne here the job of finding out.
[Jayne pulls out a big knife.]
Jayne: He was non-specific as to how.
[Mal turns to speak quietly to Jayne.]
Mal: Now you only gotta scare him.
Jayne: Pain is scary…

And another:

[An alarm sounds.]
Zoë: Proximity alert. Must be coming up on something.
Wash: [alarmed] Oh my god! What can it be? We're all doomed! Who's FLYING this thing?! [deadpan] Oh right, that would be me. Uh, back to work.

Firefly also has this great theme song that always gets stuck in your head, but in a good way.

I’ve probably said enough and given away half the plot. Just kidding about the second part. Basically, if you haven’t picked up on my point already, I’m saying that you should watch Firefly.

I’ll be in my bunk.
___________________________________________________________

For those of you who didn’t feel like reading this whole blog, here we go in two words:

WATCH FIREFLY.

What, do you ask, is Firefly? See above.

Now everyone, sing with me!
Take my love, take my land, take me where I cannot stand…

Big Damn Comic Book Heroes

2006-03-25T01:26:06Z

Today's adventure was a noble quest to find the Serenity TPB. This set of three comics, collected in a trade paperback, serves as the lead-in to the movie Serenity. You see, Serenity was a sequel of sorts to Firefly, the little TV show that tried and failed, and then somehow got made into a movie. I suppose you could say that the comics bridge the gap between the television and the big screen.

So I took out the skateboard and headed over to the local Indigo book store. I managed to locate the graphic novel section (although I'm sure that graphic novels and TPBs are two different things, but we'll go with this for now). Unfortunately, Serenity was nowhere to be found. Then, it was off to the bus to embark on a journey to the Chapters. Of course, I managed to not notice the bus stop right in front of the Chapters until we had passed it, but thankfully the next stop wasn't very far away. I was even more thankful that Chapters had a much larger graphic novel section, and I was very pleased to have been able to pick up a copy of the TPB in question.

Now, what to say about the comic itself? The art was fantastic. It's always fun to see television characters in a comic book. My only complaint is that the artist who did one of the covers for the comic book made the wonderful Dr. Simon Tam look like a pale zombie on steroids. In the comic itself he looks fine. But that cover...

As for the story, it doesn't even compare to a typical episode of Firefly. But it does serve as a nice lead-in to the movie, and even a sub-par Firefly story is better than most stories out there.

On a totally unrelated note, the girls distance team needs to do an Earl Street Mile. When I'm all...not injured and such.

Curse my sudden but inevitable injury!

2006-03-21T06:20:56Z

I couldn't run today.

Well, I made it for about ten minutes until the pain in my knee became too much and I was forced to quit. I can't stand it. I should be doing ten miles today. I should get getting in at least fifty-five miles this week so I can go up to sixty next week. I should be building up again after last week when I could only run three times.

This is what happens when you go from running about fifty miles every week this season and then suddenly running sixty-seven miles the next week.

I hate the fact that it's completely a result of my stupidity.

I hate how it felt so wonderful. After running three or four miles in the morning, the evening runs were some of the best and most enjoyable I've ever had. And I couldn't stop. Whether it was an obsessive need to see myself racking up the miles day by day, or simply getting caught up in a good run, I didn't stop. And my legs never screamed in protest. I was never tired. I just went out the next day, craving more. Until my sudden but inevitable crash. And then last week I could barely run. So I rested. And today, the pain is even worse.

I carry one of my race numbers from this year around in my pocket at all times, except when I'm running. On the back of it I've written: "Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." These have been the words I have tried to live by with regards to running. And it's only now that I'm finding out what they really mean.

We May Experience Some Slight Turbulence and Then Explode...

2006-03-04T04:35:11Z

Alright, I promised I would update more often, so here we go. Three book reviews and one movie review. You don’t have to take my advice, because most likely you know that I’m weird, and therefore, I like weird things.

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency

Well, let it be said that the great Douglas Adams never ceases to thoroughly blow my mind. Though Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency doesn’t even compare to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, it was still very enjoyable. So if you are planning to read this, make sure you read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy first, since it is Douglas Adams’ best work.

Sadly, my attempt at a synopsis of this story probably would not do it justice and would most likely succeed in confusing you. Basically, it’s a very unconventional murder mystery. The mystery is developed in a bizarre fashion, as the reader sees seemingly random events unfold for no less than half of the book. These events slowly become woven together, and through revelations and a bit of Dirk Gently’s detective work, we realize their interconnectedness and the ramifications of each one. The story consists of tying everything together by the end, and or course, saving the world (at no extra charge).

The plot, strange as it is, is enjoyable. While the build-up of random events is paced rather slowly, staying with it until Dirk appears on the scene (which isn’t until about halfway through the book) will pay off, as the reader is smacked upside the head with the logic of how the events of the previous one hundred and twenty-five pages fit together.

Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency contains the usual myriad of eccentric characters found in Adams’ novels. As is usually the case with Adams, his characters are entertaining. And like Arthur Dent in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Richard MacDuff’s character, in the role of an average man who is thoroughly confused by the events unfolding around him, serves to ground the reader and provide a sympathetic angle amidst all of the bizarre personalities.

Best of all, this novel contains Douglas Adams’ subtle mockery of human beings and society that made The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy so enjoyable for me. It never ceases to amaze me how Adams is able to show perfectly normal people acting in a perfectly normal fashion, yet make their words or their actions look ridiculous to the point where I have to sit back and laugh at how silly people are.

O.W.L. Grade: E (Exceeds Expectations)

Star Wars Republic Commando: Hard Contact

Star Wars Republic Commando: Hard Contact was marketed as a video game tie-in, which is unfortunate. Karen Traviss’ novel is far better than most Star Wars novels (see below), and unlike many so-called “Clone Wars novels,” which for some reason deal with Jedi rather than being great military epics, Hard Contact is actually about the Clone Wars.

Republic Commando: Hard Contact follows the exploits of four clone commandos, together forming Omega Squad. On a mission in enemy territory, one member is separated from the rest of the squad, and meets a young Jedi, Etain, who is also stranded. Etain is not at all proficient, and even less confident with her skills. Despite these setbacks, Omega Squad must succeed in sabotaging a Separatist research facility to eliminate a great threat to the Grand Army of the Republic.

The strongest aspect of Hard Contact is its characterization. Karen Traviss is able to give the clones in this novel compelling and believable personalities, humanizing what we see in the Star Wars movies as faceless soldiers. The characters carry out their orders and act according to what they have been trained to do, and all the while we see their thoughts, their motivations, and their struggles. Along with this, moral questions emerge. The notion of cloned soldiers as expendable is challenged as each member of Omega Squad becomes a unique character that readers care about. Etain questions the fact that these men never had a childhood, and were bred solely to be sent into battle. The realities of war clash with the values that Etain has been taught as a Jedi, and especially her idealized perception of what a Jedi should be.

Seriously, think about this for a minute. We’re debating the ethics of cloning in a Star Wars novel, heck, a video game tie-in. That’s right, we don’t need to read Philosophy and Star Wars; we’ve got Republic Commando! Having read far too many Star Wars novels that are severely lacking in good characterization, and characters facing real dilemmas (no, the question of “hmmm...should I go to the dark side because I’m a confused and angsty student of Luke Skywalker?” does not qualify), this novel is incredibly refreshing.

The action is this novel is also very well done. And there are some great quips in there too. But it is the characterizations that make this story excellent. This is what Star Wars novels should be. It’s what every story should be, for that matter. We have compelling characters in a situation with the odds against them, and we see them struggle and change. Characters that we actually care about…what a concept!

O.W.L. Grade: E (Exceeds Expectations)

Star Wars: Children of the Jedi

Don’t read this. I didn’t. Well, I read about half of it, but it’s been sitting on my night side table for the past three months and the mere thought of picking it up hadn't even begun to speculate about the merest possibility of crossing my mind. (Ten points if you caught the reference there.)

What? This doesn’t count as a review? Oh no, the second sentence is a lie!

Alright, I’ll give this a quick review. Set in the post-Return of the Jedi era, Children of the Jedi has a plot (and I use that term loosely) that consists of the following: Han and Leia wander around on some planet looking for the long-lost children of the Jedi (get it? That’s where the title comes from!) while Luke wanders around some long-lost Imperial Dreadnaught (I smell yet another old Imperial superweapon that someone found lying around in the closet…oh wait, but this time it’s a ship, and that’s never been done before!), trying to fend off Gamorreans and crazed Jawas while incapacitated by his injured leg, which readers are informed of about once every page. This painful drivel drags on for at least half the book, at which point I stopped reading. But I heard that eventually Luke figures out that he must destroy the ship to save the galaxy (if only this one had an exhaust port that led to the main reactor!) and in doing so he falls in love with some Jedi spirit trapped inside a computer. You can draw your own conclusions.

O.W.L. Grade: D (Dreadful)

I think it’s time to retire this one to the bookshelf.

Serenity

OK, so I just realized that this is really long and I’m sick of writing. And even though I know you all just love long entries, I’ll have to leave this for another day.

I will say this though. Watch it. And if you’ve already seen it, buy it. Actually, you can see the first nine minutes online for free. Keep in mind though, the first nine minutes don’t show any scenes with the crew of Serenity, and the movie starts out a bit weird. Just watch it.

I’ll be in my bunk.

Oh no, this time the second sentence really is a lie!

A work in progress since July 16th, 2005

2006-02-20T06:37:19Z

I’ve been working on this on and off for quite a while now, so I have decided to just post it now. It will probably go through some edits in the future. Even the title is not finalized (I’ve simply called the word file “Snape” since I first started writing.)

Disclaimers:

1) Do not, I repeat, DO NOT read this if you have not yet read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. This contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the book. Remember when your friend told you that Vader was Luke’s father before you saw The Empire Strikes Back? Well, that’s sort of like what will happen if you ignore this warning and click the link anyway. Unless you don’t care. In that case, be my guest. Again, DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVE NOT YET READ HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE AND DO NOT WISH TO BE SPOILED. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

2) This is still a work in progress and is by no means complete, or edited, for that matter. Although, if I do have mistakes, feel free to point them out, just don’t be a jerk about it.

3) Furthermore, this doesn't quite have an end to it yet. In fact, I think I've just cut it off right in the middle of a thought. This will change (eventually).

4) This was written largely in response to the views expressed in the Mugglenet Podcast. It is my opinion that the hosts have what I call a “pro-Snape apologist bias.” So, in my own true fashion, I retreated to my computer in anger and pounded the keys for hours and hours in response.

5) I probably haven’t sufficiently explained the opposition’s point of view and argument. As such, I have included a link to one of the leading proponents of the “other” theory. While most fans do not subscribe to everything that is put forth on that website, it does contain an excellent argument for what I am trying to refute.

6) This baby clocks in at about 5,500 words. So make sure you have some spare time on your hands and sufficient interest if you plan to read.

7) Please see number one again. I can’t stress this enough, folks.

Everyone still with me? Let’s get to it!

Snape: Dumbledore’s Betrayer or Dumbledore’s Man?

Notes: This piece has been an ongoing project of mine since the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I have examined Snape’s statements and actions in order to determine his intentions. I hope to show that Snape killed Dumbledore and is now serving Voldemort, in an attempt to refute the theory that Snape was bound to an agreement with Dumbledore, and killed the headmaster in an act of loyalty. However, I do not want the conclusion from this analysis of Snape’s character to be that Snape is completely lost to evil. Snape does not act to serve Voldemort, but to serve himself.

Severus Snape: the man we all love to hate. Or, if you fancy Alan Rickman, the man you just plain love. But in light of recent events and developments, specifically in J.K. Rowling’s latest work of genius, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, many of us have grown to hate Snape even more. Yet at the same time, a second school of thought has emerged, viewing dear old Snivellus as a character to be pitied, not loathed. Yes, even after Professor Dumbledore’s untimely passing at the hand of the half-blood prince himself. This emerging opinion contends that Dumbledore, in fact, knew of his impending death, informed Harry of how Voldemort must be defeated, and in the end, begged Snape to end his life. While one camp insists that Snape is evil and killed Dumbledore because he is truly loyal to Voldemort, the other insists this act was merely a way of keeping up the charade while continuing to secretly work for the Order and against Dumbledore. Of course, there are plenty of ambiguous clues that could be interpreted in different ways with regards to our favourite potions master. But after several readings of book number six and hours upon hours of analysis, I have come to the conclusion that Snape betrayed Dumbledore. However, Snape is by no means evil and beyond redemption. Rather, Snape is loyal to no one, choosing the side that is likely to ensure his survival. Snape is currently acting in service to Voldemort, but his reasons for doing so are self-serving.

Old Habits Die Hard

As Harry pointed out in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Snape continually refers to Voldemort as “the Dark Lord,” a titled used almost exclusively by Death Eaters. Snape refuses to use Voldemort’s name, but does not call him “You-know-who” or “He-who-must-not-be-named.” This habit is most obvious in Order of the Phoenix, during Harry’s Occlumency lessons. Harry makes Snape’s use of these words obvious to the reader, by demanding: “Can you tell me something, sir? Why do you call Voldemort the Dark Lord? I’ve only heard Death Eaters call him that.”(OotP, 523.) Unfortunately, Snape’s response never comes, due to Sybil Trelawney’s convenient temper tantrum.

Snape even continues this habit in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Snape says: “The Dark Lord has used Inferi in the past…” (HBP, 169). Snape’s choice of words was made obvious to the audience for a reason. Calling Voldemort “the Dark Lord” indicates servitude and loyalty to a superior or a leader, as any follower of Voldemort or Death Eater would be expected to show. Snape’s continued use of this name suggests that he may still be a Death Eater loyal to Voldemort. Harry exposed this idea in order for the audience to question Snape’s role as Dumbledore’s informant, and foreshadowed the revelation of Snape as a Death Eater who ultimately betrays Dumbledore.

The Not-So-Golden Snitch

Small details dispersed throughout the Harry Potter series support the idea that Snape has always been loyal to Voldemort. When we first learn of Snape’s stint as a Death Eater during Dumbledore’s memory of Karkaroff giving names to the Ministry of Magic, Snape is immediately vouched for by none other than Dumbledore. But in what appears to be a desperate attempt to provide information to the Ministry and thus avoid jail time, Karkaroff shouts: “No! I assure you, Severus Snape is a Death Eater!” (GoF, 513). Surely Karkaroff’s accusation is dismissed by the mind as baseless and untrue; he is simply pointing the finger in order to save his own hide. But perhaps Karkaroff’s words hold more truth and significance than they appear to. If Snape was, in fact, loyal to Voldemort and playing the role of triple-agent, Karkaroff could likely have known of his continued allegiance to the Dark Lord, and therefore would be telling the truth to the courts.

“If You Don’t Believe Me, Ask Dumbledore!”

In the scene in the pensieve, Snape is protected only by Dumbledore’s word. Notice how Mr. Crouch does not vouch for Snape himself or even state that Snape is not a Death Eater. He simply explains that the courts have cleared Snape, and that Snape was vouched for by Dumbledore. Mr. Crouch himself does not leap to Snape’s defense; he waits for Dumbledore to do it. Indeed, these are all miniscule details and speculations, but consider how often important small and seemingly insignificant details have had a large impact on the story. Surely the fact that Fred and George shoved Montague into a vanishing cabinet in seemed unimportant until Malfoy used the very same cabinet to bring Death Eaters into Hogwarts a year later. Karkaroff and Mr. Crouch’s behaviour during the trial cast doubt on the accepted idea that Snape was truly reformed and loyal to Dumbledore.

Lupin’s reaction when questioned by Harry about Snape and the unbreakable vow is similar to Mr. Crouch’s, except more blunt in order to make the audience doubt Snape’s loyalty to Dumbledore. Lupin replies: “It isn’t our business to know. It’s Dumbledore’s business. Dumbledore trusts Severus, and that ought to be good enough for all of us.” (HBP, 311.) He further states: “It comes down to whether or not you trust Dumbledore’s judgment. I do; therefore, I trust Severus.” (HBP, 311.) Snape is only trusted by the Order because of Dumbledore’s word. While Dumbledore’s word does indeed hold great weight, keep in mind that the headmaster is only human, and does make mistakes and errors in judgment.

“If so powerful you are, why leave?”

Many readers have viewed Albus Dumbledore as an almost God-like figure in the wizarding community. When we are first introduced to his character, he is revealed as the only wizard Voldemort ever feared. While eccentric, he is the most brilliant and powerful wizard we meet at Hogwarts. Everyone at the school and in the wizarding world looks up to his wisdom (until Voldemort’s return, of course, but we, the readers all knew he was right). In any situation, Dumbledore has all the answers. Over five books, an image of the headmaster has been built up to suggest he cannot make mistakes. However, Dumbledore is not all-powerful, nor is he all-knowing. He has made his share of mistakes. Instead of teaching Occlumency to Harry, he had Snape instruct him, thus opening Harry’s mind even further to Voldemort. No doubt his greatest failure was his that his love for Harry and his care for Harry’s happiness rendered Dumbledore unable to tell the boy the truth about why Voldemort murdered his parents, and the burden he would have to bear. This ultimately resulted in the disastrous so-called rescue mission in the Ministry of Magic, and the death of Sirius Black. And still, despite his failures, Dumbledore holds a place in our minds as a great, wise wizard. He is J.K. Rowling’s Gandalf the Grey or Jedi Master Yoda, a powerful and wise character who answers every question asked on behalf of the audience, whose word carries great weight, whose judgment is always correct, and who does not make mistakes.

Such an image leads us to believe that, despite Dumbledore’s failures, he makes no mistakes or errors in judgment. Yet even Yoda’s vision was clouded by the dark side, and his arrogance led to his defeat by Darth Sidious, just as Dumbledore’s mistakes resulted in his tragic end. Dumbledore’s death was a product of his own serious error in judgment. Dumbledore saw the best in everyone, and willingly gave them his trust.

Voldemort: More trust issues than your ex-boyfriend.

Snape describes Voldemort as “the greatest wizard, the most accomplished Legilimens the world has ever seen…” (HBP, 31.), implying that Dumbledore is more easily fooled than the Dark Lord. Snape justifies his actions and answers Bellatrix’s plethora of questions at Spinner’s End by pointing out that Voldemort believes each and every answer that Snape has given him. Therefore, to question these answers is to question Voldemort’s judgment on this matter. The question, then, is: who would be easier to fool? Voldemort or Dumbledore? Each wizard believes Snape is spying on the other for him. One’s mind immediately leaps to Voldemort as the least trusting of the two. Voldemort demands absolute and undying loyalty to himself and his cause. In short, he is a dictator and tyrant. He will eliminate anything that opposes him, anything that stands in his way, and everyone that betrays him. His followers essentially pledge their life to him, and are bound to him by fear of punishment, should they desert him. Being branded with the Dark Mark is more than skin deep, it’s a never-ending servitude to carry out his every wish, and to pledge absolute loyalty to him. As Sirius said while he recounted the tale of dear old Regulus Black: “Well, you don’t just hand in your resignation to Voldemort. It’s a lifetime of service or death.” (OotP, 104.)

Dumbledore, by comparison, does not gain followers by threatening to kill their families, placing them under the Imperius curse, or demanding a pledge of life-long servitude. Dumbledore is not a tyrant. He is hoping to restore justice by overthrowing the dictator. Being a part of Dumbledore’s camp does not demand signing your name in blood and pledging your undying and unquestioning allegiance to the Order. Newcomers to the Order no doubt undergo some scrutiny, but not to the same extent as Voldemort. While Dumbledore would probably trust many in the Order, it is in Voldemort’s nature to trust no one. Voldemort views Death Eaters as his servants, and most likely places them under tight control, monitoring their actions, and eliminating those whose loyalties waver. Members of the Order are not Dumbledore’s servants, or even his army. They are his allies. I am by no means saying that the Order is a voluntary organization whose members drift in and out. But consider how Dumbledore dealt with Cornelius Fudge and the Ministry’s refusal to believe that Voldemort returned. Dumbledore surely could have used his power to force the Ministry to join him in the fight against evil. But he did not. Dumbledore continued to speak the truth, and realized that he could not count on the Ministry of Magic as an ally. Meanwhile, Voldemort seeks to control the Ministry by threatening or cursing Ministry employees to carry out his wishes.

Dumbledore is, by nature, more trusting of others. He has stated that he would trust Hagrid with his life (PS, 16). Hagrid is indeed an honest man with good intentions, who would never hurt another human being, but consider some of his actions and mistakes. Hagrid acted rashly when he first met Harry by turning Dudley into a pig. He later revealed the trick to getting past Fluffy towards the Philosopher’s Stone to a complete stranger that later turned out to be a servant of Voldemort. Dumbledore sees the good in everyone, and is often far too trusting of others. For this reason, Snape would be more likely to fool Dumbledore than Voldemort.

Furthermore, Dumbledore believes redemption is possible. Consider each scenario: Snape returns to Dumbledore and spins him a tale of remorse, asks for forgiveness, and pledges to work towards redemption. Dumbledore forgives Snape, seeing the good in him, and believes the lie. This is much more likely than the alternative: Snape returns to Voldemort after his rise, after Voldemort refers to Snape as “one who has left me forever…he will be killed of course…” (GoF, 565.) and claims he is still loyal to Voldemort after all these years. Not likely, in my opinion. The Dark Lord does not forgive, nor does he forget. If Voldemort distrusted Snape to the extent that he wanted him dead, he would watch Snape very closely. But if Snape never truly left the Death Eaters, this situation would not have transpired. Voldemort could have very well jumped to the conclusion that Snape was not loyal in light of his absence in the graveyard, but be reassured a few hours later by the fact that Snape had never left his post at Hogwarts and was still a member of the Order of the Phoenix, which had just regrouped. Dumbledore’s trust of Snape eventually led to his betrayal and murder.

“It ends on such a down note. I mean, that's what life is, a series of down endings.”

“And he knew, without knowing how he knew it, that the phoenix had gone, had left Hogwarts for good, just as Dumbledore had left Hogwarts, just as Dumbledore had left the school, had left the world…had left Harry.” (HBP, 589.)

At this point, when the Phoenix’s lament has ended, we witness the single, most tragic point in the entire Harry Potter series thus far. The Order and Harry Potter’s struggle against Voldemort has reached a brand new low point of despair. Though the death of Sirius at the end of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was considered by many to be the lowest point in the Harry Potter books, it is clear we have a new winner. The death of Albus Dumbledore is the most obvious and important reason why this is. This event provokes emotional reactions from both characters in the book and readers alike. Dumbledore is a parent-like figure to Harry and the students of Hogwarts. He is Harry mentor and instructor.

Furthermore, Dumbledore is, excluding Harry, Voldemort’s greatest foe. During Voldemort’s previous reign of terror he eliminated all who stood up to him. Except, as Hagrid points out: “One ‘o the only safe places was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore’s the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn’t dare try takin’ the school, not ‘jus then, anyway.” (PS, 45.) Even as Voldemort attempts to return in Harry’s first year, he makes sure Dumbledore is outside of the school before attempting to steal the Philosopher’s Stone. He later goes to the enormous trouble of removing Harry from Hogwarts in Harry’s fourth year in order to resurrect himself and attempt to kill Harry. As Hermione says: “everyone says Dumbledore’s the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of. With Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won’t touch you.” (PS, 190.)

Dumbledore was not only the protector of Hogwarts, but the guardian of the wizarding community. He is arguably the most powerful wizard of his time, his wisdom is sought after by the Ministry of Magic, he is at the head of the Order of the Phoenix, and is probably the most knowledgeable wizard on the subject of Lord Voldemort, and most importantly, how to fight and defeat him. As Hagrid tells Harry, “Great man, Dumbledore. S’long as we got him, I’m not too worried.” (GoF, 623.) With Dumbledore dead, the struggle against evil is now considerably more difficult. A powerful and wise wizard on the good side of the conflict, the protector of good and the defender of the wizarding world, has perished, along with a plethora of knowledge that could be used to defeat Voldemort. At this point, Harry is literally everyone’s last hope to save the wizarding world. True, Dumbledore was never meant to defeat Voldemort in the first place, as Harry was, but Dumbledore is the most visibly powerful man defending the wizarding world. With his demise, Voldemort has scored two blows against the Order and the magical community. Not only has Voldemort eliminated one of his most powerful enemies, he has also struck a nerve with the wizarding world, who felt safe because Dumbledore was on their side.

Snape’s betrayal of Dumbledore both adds to and reflects this low point for Harry. Dumbledore’s great stature in the wizarding world results in great sorrow because of his loss. The fact that he is killed at the hand of a man he trusted adds insult to injury. Not only is Dumbledore, a wise and powerful wizard, killed, he is wrong. First, Dumbledore underestimates Malfoy’s ability to complete his mission. After Malfoy’s first two disastrous and pathetic attempts to kill the headmaster, Dumbledore does not consider Malfoy a threat. He even confesses to Draco: “you have managed to introduce Death Eaters into my school which, I admit, I thought impossible.” (HBP, 547.) And yet, Malfoy succeeds in bringing the Death Eaters into Hogwarts. In fact, his plan goes off without a hitch until he comes to the point where he is required to kill Dumbledore. At this point, Dumbledore is caught off guard by Malfoy’s success, yet he does not show it, since he knows that Draco is not a killer. Next, Snape enters the scene, and we see Dumbledore’s mistake and error in judgment result in a horrible culmination of hate, revenge, and a disturbingly familiar flash of green light. Dumbledore, the man who we would assume could never fear death, is reduced to begging for his life. At this moment, Harry’s world has hit rock bottom. We see that Dumbledore has been hoodwinked and betrayed by Snape, and has finally “lost his grip.”

The next slap in the face is delivered as Harry examines the Horcrux. As it turns out, this Horcrux is not actually a Horcrux. Earlier in the book we discover that the already-daunting task of defeating Voldemort has been rendered four times more difficult by Voldemort’s act of placing fragments of his soul in material objects. Now a further blow is dealt with the revelation that the locket that Dumbledore removed (which initiated the sequence of events that led to his death) is a fake Horcrux. Indeed, Harry has a near-impossible task ahead of him. Even after Harry and Dumbledore’s dangerous expedition to the cave, they are no closer to defeating Voldemort, and Dumbledore is dead.

To accept both Dumbledore’s and Snape’s action at face value is logical in the context of the ending. While the readers are unsure of Snape’s intentions for the rest of the book after reading the second chapter, we finally get a slap in the face with the revelation that, after years of mysteries, confusion, and surprise twists, Snape is truly loyal to Voldemort. It was a night of surprises; not only is Snape revealed as the half-blood prince, he betrays and kills Dumbledore. As for the headmaster, throughout the series, Dumbledore has come to be revered as something of a God. However, in the moments before his death, this image is shattered as we discover that Dumbledore has made a serious error in judgment, and is reduced to begging for his life. Thus, two facts that the readers of Harry Potter have clung to are destroyed in an instant.

The death of Dumbledore as a result of his own error in judgment and the revelation of Snape as loyal to Voldemort are the two most important factors that contribute to the tragic, “down note” ending of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Although we can only speculate, J. K. Rowling’s intention with this ending is to create the lowest point in the Harry Potter series thus far. To vindicate Snape’s actions or to suggest that Dumbledore was omniscient to the extent that he could predict his own death diminishes this tragic moment in the series. To view Snape as evil, and Dumbledore as having made a fatal error, essentially, accepting their actions at face value is logical in the context of the final chapters of the novel. Therefore, it is logical has revealed himself as loyal to Voldemort, and is beyond redemption.

The call to action

It is this ending, emphasizing the face-value interpretation of Snape’s act of killing Dumbledore that inspires Harry’s call to action in the final pages of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. By the end of his sixth year at Hogwarts, Harry’s world has been turned upside down. He is without a mentor; Harry’s refusal to tell McGonagall where he and Dumbledore were demonstrates that Dumbledore’s role can never be filled again. Harry is alone; Ron and Hermione can perhaps aid Harry, but they cannot protect him as Dumbledore could. Harry stands alone as the last hope for the wizarding world with a daunting task ahead of him: “he simply knew that the task of discovering the truth about the real Horcrux had to be completed before he could move a little further along the dark and winding path stretching ahead of him, the path that he and Dumbledore had set upon together, and which he now knew he would have to journey alone.” (HBP, 592.) Although Harry’s situation appears futile, he realizes that although he is without a protector, he must face his task: “He could not let anybody else stand between him and Voldemort; he must abandon for ever the illusion he ought to have lost at the age of one: that the shelter of a parent’s arms meant nothing could hurt him. There was no waking from his nightmare, no comforting whisper in the dark that he was safe really, that it was all in his imagination: the last and greatest of his protectors had died and he was more alone than he had ever been before.” (HBP, 601.)

In short, Harry has grown up, and now stands alone against evil. For the first time, Harry is actively seeking out Voldemort in order to destroy him. In every single Harry Potter novel, Harry has either been sought out by Voldemort or their meetings have been the result of Harry’s stumbling upon circumstances that eventually led to a confrontation. In both Order of the Phoenix and Goblet of Fire, Harry encountered Voldemort, but only after he had been lured into a trap by the Dark Lord himself. In Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry arrived at the climax purely by chance – J.K. Rowling’s brilliant and intricate web of plots, sub-plots, and unsolved mysteries converged at the same moment to inadvertently put Harry in a confrontation with Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew (of course, the movie adaptation failed horribly at this, but we shall not speak of it.) In Chamber of Secrets, in an attempt to rescue Ginny, Harry was lured by a much younger Lord Voldemort into the Chamber of Secrets.

Only in Philosopher’s Stone did Harry basically rush headlong into a confrontation with Voldemort at the climax. Knowing that Snape (or so he thought) would attempt to steal the stone while Dumbledore had left the castle, Harry enters the room on the third floor corridor. First Harry vows to stop Snape from getting the stone, and later resolves to meet whatever is on the other side of Snape’s wall of black flames, despite that he is an only eleven-year-old wizard with barely any formal training and knowledge of how to defend himself against a dark wizard: “I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I’m no match for him really.” (PS, 208.) When asked by a worried Hermione what Harry would do if Voldemort is also on the other side, Harry replies: “Well – I was lucky once, wasn’t I? I might get lucky again.” (PS, 208.) At this early point in his life, Harry understands the power of his adversary, and in a brave yet naïve manner, confronts Voldemort in order to advert disaster for the wizarding world.

Despite this, Harry has not yet sought Voldemort’s destruction; he hoped prevent Voldemort’s return. In no book this far does Harry face his destiny: kill Voldemort or be killed. During every confrontation, Harry has been on the defensive – fighting to ensure his survival rather than Voldemort’s death. At the end of Half-Blood Prince, Harry is spurred to action by the death of Albus Dumbledore. Unlike in previous books, Harry will truly take on the role of Voldemort’s nemesis. He says to Ron and Hermione in the final pages of Half-Blood Prince: “I’ve got to track down the rest of the Horcruxes, haven’t I? That’s what he wanted me to do, that’s why he told me all about them. If Dumbledore was right – and I’m sure he was – there are still four more of them out there. I’ve got to find them and destroy them and then I’ve got to go after the seventh bit of Voldemort’s soul, the bit that’s still in his body, and I’m the one who’s going to kill him.” (HBP, 606.)

Harry will now face his destiny and save the wizarding world by going after, and killing Voldemort. And in book seven, it will be different. Harry is no longer the brash and young boy who went to find the Philosopher’s Stone, who dashed into the Chamber of Secrets and fell into Voldemort’s trap, and who recklessly departed for the Ministry of Magic in an attempt to save Sirius. He is now more mature; he is wise, he is aware of his duty. Although Harry does not legally come of age in the wizarding world until July 31st, Harry comes of age on the day of Dumbledore’s funeral. Harry is aware of the “dark and twisting path” he must take, and embarks upon it without hesitation, while still realizing the challenges he will face.

Prior to the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, many had predicted a final confrontation in book seven where Voldemort launches an attack on Hogwarts and Harry is forced to defeat Voldemort in self-defense. It is now clear that with will not be the scenario that ends the Harry Potter series. Harry will search for Voldemort, and ultimately, defeat him. It is because of Dumbledore’s death and Snape’s betrayal of Dumbledore that Harry is spurred to action.

In many ways, the ending of Half-Blood Prince parallels that of The Empire Strikes Back. Luke has been defeated by Vader, Han has been frozen in carbonite, and Luke has learned that Vader is his father. Yet by the end of the film, Luke knows the task set before him and the destiny he must face. The next time we see Luke in Return of the Jedi, he is older, wiser, more mature, and most importantly, no longer rushes forward into dangerous situations. Evidence of this can be seen in his cleverly orchestrated rescue of Han Solo. Luke recognizes his duty, and seeks out Vader. Just as Luke’s transformation takes place after his confrontation with Vader and the so-called “down ending,” Harry Potter is transformed as a result of Dumbledore’s betrayal and death. The ending of Half-Blood Prince is a tragic one, and causes many people to second-guess the events of the final chapters. However, Harry accepts each of these events at face value, and is then compelled to walk confidently down the “dark and twisting path.” Dumbledore’s death is Harry’s call to action. Would Harry’s reaction have been the same if he believed that Dumbledore was not dead, or that Snape had been ordered by Dumbledore to kill him?

Beyond redemption? (Or, it’s speculation time!)

Despite my insistence that Snape is not loyal to Dumbledore, I do not believe that he is beyond redemption. Snape indeed betrayed Dumbledore by taking the unbreakable vow and finally killing him, but he remains a conflicted character. Snape’s motivations boil down to selfishness. When Snape has the choice, he will do what is easy, rather than what is right, as Dumbledore himself would put it. A clear example of this behaviour is demonstrated as Bellatrix unleashes a barrage of questions to test Snape’s loyalty at Spinner’s End.

Why did Snape never attempt to find Voldemort after he vanished? Snape’s answer is interesting: he did not try to find Voldemort, because he believed he was dead. It is interesting how Snape skirts around the issue. He avoids defending his rather selfish actions by literally accusing Bellatrix’s actions as being useless in the long run. Snape personally attacks Bellatrix rather that answering the question. He avoids the fact that his actions did not exactly comply with Voldemort’s standards of loyalty by attacking the actions of Bellatrix. Bellatrix considers her actions after Voldemort’s fall to be those professing ultimate devotion, since she nearly destroyed others in an attempt to find Voldemort, and went to Azkaban for her crimes. Snape, on the other hand, took a more self-serving route: he lay low, deciding that his life would be more enjoyable if he refrained from openly committing atrocities and seeking out Voldemort unnecessarily. His behaviour suggests a self-preservation motive rather than loyalty to either good or evil.

I would speculate that Snape realized he was in over his head soon after he joined the Death Eaters, but did not leave, fearing reprisal by Voldemort. He continued to serve Voldemort, eventually acting as a spy. And when Voldemort disappeared, Snape was relieved to no longer be in his service. His role as Dumbledore’s spy served as an excellent reason to keep him out of Azkaban. At this point, if Snape could continue to act repentant and loyal to Dumbledore, he could avoid jail time. So Snape continued to work at Hogwarts, settling into a safer lifestyle

This also explains Snape’s actions during Harry’s time at Hogwarts. Believing Voldemort to be dead, Snape wished to stay in Dumbledore’s favour. It would certainly have been easy for Snape to kill Harry in his first four years at Hogwarts, but that was not Snape’s goal. Snape’s statement to Bellatrix could not be closer to the truth: “I had a comfortable job that I preferred to a stint in Azkaban. They were rounding up the Death Eaters, you know. Dumbledore’s protection kept me out of jail, it was most convenient and I used it.” (HBP, 33.) Snape remained in Dumbledore’s favour, going well out of his way to do so, precisely because it guaranteed him a comfortable life in wizarding society. Yet, when Snape learned of Voldemort’s return, he was aware that his life was in danger once more. But until then, Snape remained complacent, because he is not devoted to Voldemort’s cause, but to ensuring his own survival.

But with the return of Voldemort, Snape’s life was turned upside down once more. Not only would Voldemort expect him to return as a loyal servant, but Dumbledore, believing Snape to be a loyal spy, would send him back. Consider Snape’s reaction in Goblet of Fire when Dumbledore asks, “Severus, you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready … if you are prepared…” (GoF, 619.)

Snape simply replies, “I am,” but he “looked slightly paler than usual, and his cold, black eyes glittered strangely.” (GoF, 619.)

Snape feared returning to Voldemort, but realized that it is his only option to ensure his survival. If he did not return, Voldemort would surely be after his head. In addition, he would lose Dumbledore’s trust and protection by refusing to fulfill his duty, further decreasing his chances for survival. But if Snape returned to serve Voldemort, he could do so under the guise of working for Dumbledore as a spy. I would venture to guess that Snape fears Voldemort much more than he fears Dumbledore, but in returning to Voldemort, he is able to appease both men. It is worth noting that as Snape leaves, Dumbledore watches, “with a trace of apprehension in his face.” (GoF, 619) Could Dumbledore’s reaction foreshadow Snape’s eventual betrayal?

Snape acted as a triple agent for the next year, unsure himself about whose side he was on. But his reasons for doing so remained the same: he wanted to ensure his survival. Snape intended to play both sides, never being loyal to either. This way, though he was thrust into the middle of the conflict, he would not have any enemies. But inevitably, there would come a time when Snape’s charade would have to come to an end, and he would be forced to choose a side and renounce the other, or risk becoming an enemy of both factions. This moment came in the form of Voldemort’s request to have Dumbledore killed. At this point, Snape examined the situation, and decided that evil would be the winning side. Snape chose to carry out Voldemort’s orders by killing Dumbledore. That was why he did not hesitate to take the unbreakable vow with Narcissa. Voldemort had already informed Snape that if Malfoy should fail, Snape would become the de facto executioner. And Snape, forced to pick a side, chose well before Bellatrix and Narcissa’s visit to Spinner End. With the unbreakable vow, the deal was sealed, and there was no turning back. Snape had chosen evil, but out of self-interest, not out of duty in the service of the dark lord.