Matthew S. Williams's Blog, page 225

My Books at Smashwords!

It finally happened, I've placed my entire bookshelf – that is, every book I've written to date – up at Smashwords. Previews are free, sample downloads, and prices are the same as at Kindle ($1.25 for Legacies short-stories, $0.99 for standalone shorts, and $1.99 for full-length novels). Come by and check it out!

Smashwords Bookshelf

New Ideas, New cover art, and Happy Birthday Pop!

So it's been a pretty interesting month, and kind of productive (after a fashion). It seems that I can never maintain productivity in just one area, its always a few at a time and never quite consistently! I've described this before as literary ADHD, but I think OCD might also fit in there somewhere. One project gets all my attention for awhile, then I get bored and jump to another, or invent another entirely. I wonder if there's a form of riddlin specially made for writers.

But before I go on, let me take this opportunity to say Happy Birthday to my Pops! How's it feel to be… 40-ish? You're only as old as you feel, right? In addition, hope you're having fun in Tofino, sorry we couldn't make it out.

As for news from my end of the island, my running projects are coming along, slowly: Genome, Akuma, and Dataminers. I was really hoping to be done those at this point, especially consider I have been hit by a new idea which has been occupying more than its fair share of my attention of late. With all the talk of debt crises and the possibility of defaulting in the US and the EU, I got to thinking about what the long term consequences of that might be. As usual, convergence takes place! Something in the news combines with something you've been reading, and – boom! – you've got an idea about the near-future where a second Great Depression hits, politics get radicalized, and quasi-fascists take over! The working title for this one is Republic, and I've even managed to write out a tentative outline and most of Part I (not to mention the manifesto that is the centerpiece of the novel). While I still need to create an original cover for it, the working one I have says it all. Check out it and the new covers I've devised for my latest works below.

I've also gone back to writing articles for Universe Today, as always on the subject of particle physics, astronomy, and everything in between. And, along with the good folks over at authonomy.com (i.e. other newby writers), I've begun re-promoting both Source and Liability. And of course, I've spent much time training and gearing up for my TaeKwon-Do test which is tentatively scheduled for the end November. If all goes well, I will have instructor certification in not one, but two TKD federations. With that under my belt (no pun!) I will finally be able to open my own school! Oh, and that reminds me, congratulations Ryan on getting your personal trainer certificate! With luck, we could open a full-on fitness school together!

Data Miners (Opte cover)

Republic (working cover)

Genome cover

Akuma cover

Avatar!

Oh, I was dreading doing this review. Although I do LOVE trashing bad movies, there a couple reasons why I wasn't looking forward to doing THIS one. For one, I didn't want to have to see it again. Second, it's kind of a controversial subject, this being such a big movie and all. Those that liked it seemed to really like it, those who didn't REALLY DIDN'T! That's the funny thing about James Cameron movies, I guess. At least when to everything since Titanic. But I got little to say on the subject that isn't directly to related to the movie's content, its hype, and how it was TOTALLY UNDESERVED! Yeah, this is Avatar… whatever.

Avatar (the Cameron flick, not the Japanese anime!)

Yes, that another well-known fact about this movie. In addition to sharing so many plot elements with other movies (most of which James Cameron did himself), it also shares a name with a Japanese anime of the same name. To keep things differentiated, the anime and the live-action adaptation, directed by M. Night Shyamalan (huh! another terrible director!) went by its alternate name The Last Airbender. Personally, I think Cameron should have changed the name of HIS movie. Avatar the anime came first, and Cameron's movie had far more to be ashamed of!

In any case, this movie was treated favorably by critics for a number of reasons. Foremost were the visual effects, which everybody agreed were pretty damn impressive! However, those of us who weren't superficial morons noticed a few things that didn't quite measure up to all the hype. Here they are…

1. Insipid Plot:

One thing that Avatar was praised for was its story. I found this funny considering that what I saw was cheesy, cliche, and actually quite racist. And here was what was insipid about all that… and by that I mean, really really bad! For one, the idea of an idealized native culture that is being ruthlessly exploited by evil corporations and their military stooges… Sure, sounds familiar enough, and its pleasing given how the opposite attitude – that of Europeans "civilizing" the "savages" of the world – has been so widely accepted for so long. But it's still pretty insulting. Simply flipping old racist constructs on their head and idealizing the victims doesn't set the record the straight or undo the harm. If anything, its more for the sake of the victimizers that this is done. In short, its easier to call one's own ancestors greedy, evil bastards and vilify them in fiction that it is to actually listen to those who've been victimized and try to learn from their perspective.

Second, if you think about it, this movie was kinda racist itself. The Na'vi were helpless before the onslaught of the human corporation and their armed forces, until a defector came along and led them to victory. Can you say "Great White Hope"? Bingo, these people had to be rescued! What is that if not the more recent, and equally racist notion that the indigenous people of the world who've been traditionally wronged by westerners can only be saved by them? But I'm getting preachy here, moving on! Sure, there were lots of elements from real history, such as the residential school which they had set up for the Na'vi, and the whole "negotiations for their land" angle, but it was all so painfully obvious! Which brings me to point two…

2. Obviousness:

Where to start? How about "Unobtainium"? Seriously… how lame was that?! We already have the many, many instances in the movie where people go on about how rare and valuable this mineral is. You don't have to give it such an obvious name! Second, the name of the planet… Pandora. Also patently obvious and a clear reference to the heavy handed moral of the story, which is that humanity shouldn't be opening that can of worms! Then there was that patently obvious speech the CEO (played by Giovanni Ribisi) where he talks about "Unobtainium" and how the flea-bitten savages are in the way. Did anyone else notice the dream catcher on the wall behind him? Was that not just the most blatant case of symbolism? We get the allegory, and we also get that the guy's a greedy little bastard. You don't have to show AND tell us is such an insistent way.

Ah, and the fact that Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) was going to defect was clear from the beginning, as was the fact that he and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) were going to get together. Cameron is not really known for subtlety of third-act twists, but the only surprise this movie held for me was where Sigourney Weaver died, and how her death paved the way for Sully to undergo his transformation at the end. But that was by no means a BIG surprise, I just didn't see it coming ahead of time. Ah yes, and who can forget the "This is OUR land" speech? Sure, it gave me goose bumps, but all cheesy-ass movie speeches do, especially when they are set to cool background music. But once it was over, all I really thought was how unnecessary it was.

3. Weak Characters:

To put it simply, the characters in this movie are cardboard cut outs. You've got the conflicted hero with the sympathetic injury. You've got the evil military man who's perfectly okay raining saturation fire down on innocent natives. You've got the corporate sleazebag who doesn't give a shit about the "flea-bitten savages" his companies rolling rough-shod over. And then you've got the done-to-death native characters, like the wizened old chief, the stern second in command, and the chiefs daughter who loves the foreigner. Holy shit were these last elements stolen from Pocahontas! As I've said already, nothing original here, just a rehashing of old ideas and things that have been done to death.

4. Recycling:

According to Rotten Tomatoes, critics praised Avatar for its "imaginative, absorbing storytelling." That's also funny because when I watched this movie, all I saw was a rehashing of things he's already done, with some Pocahantas/Dances with Wolves thrown in for good measure. For starters, you've got the theme that was present in Aliens, of the evil mega-corporation that is motivated by unbridled greed. And let's not forget those armored mechs, which very much resemble the cargo loaders from said same movie! Hell, even Sigourney Weaver was in this! I know Cameron likes to reuse actors, but given all the parallels to Aliens that are already in this movie, her presence was just a little obvious. Oh yeah, then you've got the unlikely love story between star-crossed lovers who managed to succeed against all odds. That's Titanic right there! And the whole human-machine hybrid (some alien DNA thrown in there too I think)? That's Terminator!

So really, the only thematic element in this movie that Cameron hasn't already done was the whole raping the virgin planet and exploiting the natives thing, but that he simply ripped off from half a dozen other movies! So really, nothing this movie did was original! Sure, some would say that the concept of a massive, planetwide neural net was cool, but that idea comes to us courtesy of Stanislaw Lem who presented it in the form of a massive, sentient organism that inhabited a planet's ocean (see Solaris).

5. The F/X ARE The Movie!

THe best criticism I've heard yet about this movie has to do with Cameron's motivation for making it. I mean, if you think about it, what was the purpose of creating this… thing? It certainly wasn't to tell a story that needed to be told. And it sure as hell wasn't to add to the already impressive array or original franchises Cameron has under his belt (see Aliens and Terminator). Overall, it really seemed like the only motivation Cameron had in making this movie was to test out the latest in F/X technology. One of the biggest selling points of Avatar, which the studio advertised ruthlessly, was the fact that it boasted the latest in CGI effects, 3D, and fully mapped-out virtual environments. Kinda reminds you of Lucas, huh? Another guy who makes movies simply so he can create something that has the latest in F/X… and no story. In fact, you might say that Cameron was even hoping to replace Lucas as Hollywood's pioneer F/X man. There's something cool about the on the cutting-edge, but as many people have told Lucas, F/X do not a movie make!

And while we're on the topic, what was the hell was all that stuff about people feeling depressed and experiencing withdrawal symptoms after they left the theater? Did they really think the movie was that beautiful? Personally, I found the whole set-up artificial looking and really overdone! In addition to the Na'vi looking like a bunch of cartoon characters, the "rich" 3D environments were so obviously rendered. Some people might find that impressive, but if the Matrix sequels and Star Wars Prequels were any indication, saturating every scene with digital effects doesn't make a movie look or feel any more real.

Okay, now for the good stuff. It WAS entertaining. And I liked the fact that this time around, the natives kicked ass! I was totally set for a sad ending when the final fight scene was happening, which would have been far more realistic considering that's how it happened in the real world. But I think we can all agree, this way was much better! Screw you ya corporate-military asswipes, Eywa don't play that! But alas, I couldn't get over the way this movie was pitched at sort of a fifth-grade level. It was cheesy, cliche, full of obvious references, recycled elements and themes, and really didn't give us anything new aside from the special effects. And even those felt cheesy, and definitely weren't enough to overcome the weaknesses of the plot (and I saw it in Imax!) All in all, I think this movie is best filed in the guilty pleasure column, somewhere between Independence Day and Army of Darkness. Maybe you got other titles in mind, point is, don't expect a lot from this one!

Avatar:

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Plot: 3/10

Direction: 8/10

Overall: 6/10

Debate on Goodreads

As I am an avid fan of all things 1984, and an incurable instigator of debate, I decided to start a thread over on Goodreads about one of the biggest questions associated with it. In short, Can it Still Happen? I deliberately and connivingly selected this topic for the very reason that it brings up a ton of particulars, like why and how it happened in the book, why it didn't happen in real life (although some think it did!), and what conditions are necessary to establish a permanent dictatorship that will arrest history. Already, people are getting into Huxley's vision of the future and debating whether or not that proved more accurate, so naturally I'm directing them here since I asked just that question: 1984 vs. Brave New World

Here the thread for the discussion, already getting popular: Goodreads – 1984, Can it Still Happen?

I, Robot!

Back to the movies! After a brief hiatus, I've decided to get back into my sci-fi movie reviews. Truth be told, it was difficult to decide which one I was going to do next. If I were to stick to my review list, and be rigidly chronological, I still had two installments to do for Aliens and Terminator to cover. However, my chief critic (also known as my wife) recommended I do something I haven't already done to death (Pah! Like she even reads these!). But of course I also like to make sure the movies I review are fresh in my mind and I've had the chance to do some comparative analysis where adaptations were the case. Strange Days I still need to watch, I need to see Ghost in the Shell one more time before I review it, and I still haven't found a damn copy of the graphic novel V for Vendetta!

Luckily, there's one on this list that was both a movie and novel and which I've been looking forward to reviewing. Not only is it a classic novel by one of the sci-fi greats, it was also not bad as film. Also, thought I'd revert to my old format for this one.

I, Robot:

The story of I, Robot by Isaac Asimov – one of the Big Three of science fiction (alongside Arthur C. Clarke and Larry Niven) – was actually a series of short stories united by a common thread. In short, the story explained the development of sentient robots, the positronic brain, and Three Laws of Robotics. These last two items have become staples of the sci-fi industry. Fans of Star Trek TNG know that the character of Data boasts such a brain, and numerous franchises have referred back to the Three Laws or some variant thereof whenever AI's have come up. In Aliens for example, Bishop, the android, mentions that he has behavioral inhibitors that make it impossible for me to "harm or by omission of action, allow to be harmed, a human being." In Babylon 5, the psi-cop Bester (played by Walter Koenig, aka. Pavel Chekov) places a neural block in the head of another character, Mr. Garibaldi's (Jerry Doyle). He describes this as hitting him "with an Asimov", and went on to explain what this meant and how the term was used when the first AI's were built.

(Background —>):

Ironically, the book was about technophobia and how it was misplaced. The movie adaptation, however, was all about justified technophobia. In addition, the movie could not successfully adapt the format of nine short stories to the screen, so obviously they needed to come up with an original script that was faithful if not accurate. And in many respects it was, but when it came to the central theme of unjustified paranoia, they were up against it! How do you tell a story about robots not going berserk and enslaving mankind? Chances are, you don't. Not if you're going for an action movie. Second, how were they to do a movie where the robots went berserk when there were those tricky Three Laws to contend with?

Speaking of which, here they are (as stated in the opening credits):

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

2. A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

Consistent, and downright seamless! So how do you get robots to harm human beings when every article of their programming says they can't, under ANY circumstances?

Well, as a friend of mine said after he saw it, "they found a way" (hi Doug!). And it's true, they did. Problem was, it didn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense. Not when you really get right down to it. On the surface, the big explanation for the AI revolution was alright, and was just about the only explanation that worked. But still, it pretty much contradicted the entire premise of the movie, not to mention the whole reason/logic vs. emotion thing. But once again, I'm getting ahead of myself. To the movie…

(Content—>):

So the movie opens on Del Spooner (Will Smith) doing his morning workout to "Superstitious" by Stevie Wonder. Kind of sets the scene (albeit a little obviously), as we quickly learn that he's a Chicago detective who's also a technophobe, especially when it comes to robots. Seems he's hated them for years, though we don't yet know why, and is just looking for the proof he needs to justify his paranoia. After a grizzly murder takes place, he thinks he's found it! The crime scene is USR – that's US Robotics, which comes directly from the original novel – where the man who is most directly responsible for the development of the positronic brain – Dr. Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell) – is dead of an apparent suicide. And, in another faithful tribute to Asimov, it seems he has left behind a holographic recording/interface of himself which was apparently designed to help Spooner solve his death. I say this is a tribute because its almost identical in concept to the holographic time capsule of Harry Seldon, which comes from Foundation, another of Asimov's most famous novels.

Anyhoo, Spooner is teamed up with Dr. Susan Calvin (Bridget Moynahan) who is naturally a cold and stiff woman, reminiscent of the robots she works on. In an ironic (and deliberately comical) twist, it is her job to make the machines "more life like". I'm sure people got a laugh out of this, especially since she explained in the most technical verbiage imaginable. We also see that the corporate boss (Mr. Robertson, played by Bruce Greenwood) and Spooner don't get along too well, mainly because of their divergent views on the value of their companies product. And last, but not least, we get to meet VIKI (that's Virtual Interactive Kinetic Intelligence), the AI that controls the robots (and parts of Chicago's infrastructure). With all the intro's and exposition covered, we get to the investigation!It begins with them looking into Lannings death and trying to determine if it was in fact a suicide. That's where Spooner and Calvin find the robot Sonny.

In the course of apprehending him, it quickly becomes clear that he isn't exactly firing on all cylinders. He's confused, agitated, and very insistent that he didn't murder the good Doctor. So on top of the fact that he's obviously experiencing emotions, he also drops a whole bunch of hints about how he's different from the others. But this is all cut short because the people from USR decide to haul him away. In the subsequent course of his investigation, Spooner finds a number of clues that suggest that Lanning was a prisoner in his own office, and that he was onto something big towards the end of his life. In essence, he seemed to think that robots would eventually achieve full-sentience (he even makes the obligatory "Ghost in the Machine" reference) and would be able to dream and experience emotions like the rest of us. But the company wasn't too keen on this. Their dream, it seems, was a robot in every home, one that could fill every conceivable human need and make our lives easier. This not only helps to escalate the tension, it also calls to mind the consumer culture of the 1950′s when the book was written. You know, the dream of endless progress, "a car in every lot and a chicken in every pot". In short, its meant to make us worry!

At each turn, robots try to kill Spooner, which of course confirms his suspicions that there is a conspiracy at work. Naturally, he suspects the company and CEO are behind this because they're about to release the latest-model of their robot and don't want the Doctors death undermining them. The audience is also meant to think this, all hints point towards it and this is maintained (quite well too) until the very climax. But first, Spooner and Calvin get close and he tells her the reason for his prejudice. Turns out he hates robots, not because one wronged him, but because one saved him. In a car wreck, a robot came to the scene and could either save him or a little girl. Since he had a better chance of survival, the robot saved him, and he never forgave them for it. Sonny is also slated for termination, which at USR involves having a culture of hostile nanorobots introduced into your head where they will eat your positronic brain!

But before that happens, Sonny tells Spooner about the recurring dream he's been having, the one Lanning programmed into him. He draws a picture of it for Spooner: a bridge on Lake Michigan that has fallen into disuse, and standing near it is a man, thought its not clear who. He leaves to go investigate this while Calvin prepares him for deactivation. But she can inject his brain with the nanos, she finds Sonny's second processor, which is located in his chest. It is this second process that is apparently responsible for his emotions and ability to dream, and in terms of symbolism, its totally obvious! But just in case, let me explain: in addition to a positronic brain, Sonny has a positronic heart! No explanation is made as to how this could work, but its already been established he's fully sentient and this is the explanation for it. Oi! In any case, we are meant to think she's terminated, but of course she hasn't really! When no one was looking, she subbed in a different robot, one that couldn't feel emotions. She later explains this by saying that killing him would be murder since he's "unique".

Spooner then follows Sonny's instructions and goes to the bridge he's seen in his dreams. Seems the abandoned bridge has a warehouse at the foot of it where USR ships its obsolete robots. He asks the interface of Lanning one more time what it's all about, and apparently, he hits on it when he asks about the Three Laws and what the outcome of them will be. Cryptic, but we don't have time to think, the robots are attacking! Turns out, the warehouse is awash in new robots that are busy trashing old robots! They try to trash Spooner too, but the old ones comes to his defense (those Three Laws at work!) Meanwhile, back in the city, the robots are running amok! All people are placed under house arrest and people in the streets are rounded up and herded home. As if to illustrate their sudden change in disposition, all the pale blue lights that shine inside the robots chests have turned red. More obvious symbolism! After fighting their way through the streets, Spooner and Calvin high-tale it back to USR to confront the CEO, but when they get there, they find him lying in a pool of his own blood. That's when it hits Spooner: VIKI (the AI, remember her?) is the one behind it all!

So here's how it is: the way VIKI sees it, robots were created to serve mankind. However, mankind is essentially self-destructive and unruly, hence she had to reinterpret her programming to ensure that humanity could be protected from its greatest threat: ITSELF! Dun, dun, dun! So now that she's got robots in every corner of the country, she's effectively switched them over to police-state mode. Dr. Lanning stumbled onto this, apparently, which was why VIKI was holding him prisoner. That's when he created his holographic interface which was programmed to interact only with Spooner (a man he knew would investigate USR tenaciously because of his paranoia about robots)

and then made Sonny promise to kill him. Now that they know, VIKI has to kill them too! But wouldn't you know it, Sonny decides to help them, and that's where they begin fighting their way to VIKI's central processor. Once there, they plan to kill her by introducing those same nanorobots into her central processor.

Here's where the best and worst line of the movie comes up. VIKI asks Sonny why he's helping the humans, and says her approach is "logical". Sonny says he agrees, but that it lacks "heart". I say best because it sums up the whole logic vs. emotion theme that's been harped on up until this point. I say worst because it happens to be a total cliche! "Silly robot! Don't you know logic is imperfect? Feelings are the way to truth, not your cold logic!" It's the exact kind of saccharine, over-the-top fluff that Hollywood is famous for. It's also totally inconsistent with Asimov's original novel, and to top it off, it makes no sense! But more on that in just a bit. As predicted, Sonny protects Calvin long enough for Spooner to inject the nanorobots into VIKI's processor. She dies emitting the same plea over and over: "My logic is undeniable… My logic in undeniable…" The robots all go back to their normal, helpful function, the pale blue lights replacing the burning, red ones. The story ends with these robots being decommissioned and put in the same Lake Michigan warehouse, and Sonny shows up to release them. Seems his dream was of himself, making sure his brethren didn't simply get decomissioned, but perhaps would be set free to roam and learn, as Lanning intended!

(Synopsis—>):

So, where to begin? In spite of the obviousness of a lot of this movie's themes, motifs and symbols, it was actually a pretty enjoyable film. It was entertaining, visually pleasing, and did a pretty good job keeping the audience engaged and interested. It even did an alright job with the whole "dangers of dependency", even if it did eventually fall into the whole "evil robots" cliche by the end! And as always, Smith brought his usual wisecracking bad-boy routine to the picture, always fun to watch, and the supporting cast was pretty good too.

That being said, there was the little matter of the overall premise which I really didn't like. When I first saw it, I found it acceptable. I mean, how else were they to explain how robots could turn on humanity when the Three Laws made that virtually impossible? Only a complete reinterpretation of what it meant to "help humanity" could explain this. Problem is, pull a single strand out of this reasoning and the whole thing falls apart. For starters, are we really to believe that a omniscient AI came to the conclusion that the best way to help humanity was to establish a police state? I know she's supposed to be devoid of emotion, but this just seems stupid, not to mention impractical. For one, humanity would never cooperate with this, not for long at any rate. And, putting all humans under house arrest would not only stop wars, it would arrest all economic activity and lead to the breakdown of society. Surely the robots would continue to provide for their basic needs, but they would otherwise cocoon in their homes, where they would eventually atrophy and die. How is that "helping humanity"?

Furthermore, there's the small issue of how this doesn't work in conjunction with the Three Laws, which is what this movie would have us believe. Sire, VIKI kept saying "my logic is undeniable," it that don't make it so! Really, what were the robots to do when, inevitably, humanity started fighting back? Any AI worth its salt would know that any full-scale repression of human freedom would lead to a violent backlash and that measures would need to be taken to address it (aka. people would have to be killed!) That's a DIRECT violation of the Three Laws, not some weak reinterpretation of them. And let's not forget, there were robots that were trying to kill Will Smith from the beginning. They also killed CEO Robertson and I think a few people besides. How was that supposed to work? After spending so much time explaining how the Three Laws are inviolable, saying that she saw a loophole in them just didn't seem to cut it. It would make some sense if VIKI chose to use non-lethal force all around, but she didn't. She killed people! According to Asimov's original novel, laws are laws for a robot. If they contradict, the robot breaks down, it doesn't start getting creative and justifying itself by saying "its for the greater good".

Really, if you think about it, Sonny was wrong. VIKIS's reasoning didn't lack heart, it lacked reason! It wasn't an example of supra-rational, cold logic. It was an example of weak logic, a contrived explanation that was designed to explain a premise that, based on the source material, was technically impossible. But I'm getting that "jeez, man, chill out!" feeling again! Sure, this movie was a weak adaptation of a sci-fi classic, but it didn't suck. And like I said earlier, what else were they going to do? Adapting a novel like I, Robot is difficult at best, especially when you know you've got to flip the whole premise.

I guess some adaptations were never meant to be.

I, Robot:

Entertainment Value: 7.5/10

Plot: 2/10

Direction: 8/10

Overall: 6/10

Of Downloads and New Books!

Just checked my tallies, and it seems I am just a few hundred downloads short of 15,000! Which is good, because very soon, the books I put up for sampling a few months ago will have to come down. Yeah, guess its about that time, not that I don't like giving them away for free! Its just that I need to make room for new work to be sampled and of that, there are a few…

For example, my short-story Genome, a detective-thriller story set in the near future mega-city of NYDC (that's New York-Washington DC) is coming along and is sure to done soon. Sample chapters of this are available at Feedbooks and Scridb, and as soon as its complete, it will be available in its entirety at Free-ebooks.net. My thanks to Katrina Cain for her work as co-founder and inspirer of that story. Hard to believe it was spawned from a single Facebook IM conversation about the merits of self-doubt, imps, and genetic engineering. How did we get onto the subject of all that anyway? We're weird!

Second, there's another short-story set in the same universe as Legacies (the first sci-fi novel I ever wrote, but have yet to post due to the burden or re-editing such a tome!) It's called Akuma, a noire, techno-thriller set in the off-world city of New Detroit. Its a story of crime syndicates, junkies and what happens when low-lifes cross the truly evil, with plenty of Cityspeak-style gutter talk thrown in for good measure. Forgive the shameless and totally undeserved comparison to Blade Runner, but it WAS my inspiration for this one!

But the big news, for me anyway, is the near-completion of my full-length novel entitled Data Miners. This is my first work of real fiction, that is to say, set in the world of today. And as the name would suggest, it's about hackers, espionage and cyber-policing in the digital age. As soon as my editorial staff and I (aka. friends and family members who graciously volunteered) are finished editing it, I will be posting some sample chapters and podcasts for people to see. Since it is my first attempt at creating something that takes place in the world of today, you might say I'm a little apprehensive about it. Mainly I'd like to see if people enjoy it before releasing it full-on to the world.

Well, that's all for now. Hope people like the new page format too. I selected it in anticipation of Data Miners release, knowing that the format would be more conducive to sampling and chapter reading. In the meantime, keep on truckin!

Idoru!

The second installment in William Gibson's "The Bridge" Trilogy. Looking back, I don't feel like I did the first book justice with the rather short review I gave it. Not to say that my overall opinion of the book has changed, but I feel like there were elements and angles that I should have delved into a little more. But since this book took place within the same general framework as the first, I shall rectify that here! So much better than re-editing old posts, don't you think?

Idoru:

What can I say about Gibson's second "Bridge" novel? Well, for starters, I liked it! It was much more developed and intriguing than the first, to be honest. While Virtual Light was concerned with the sense of post-millennial shock, the disintegration of California and the US and the massive privatization thereof – calling to mind other books by Gibson and Stephenson's Snow Crash – Idoru dealt mainly with the concept of celebrity and the nature of modern media. Although it is set just a few years after the events in the first novel, far less attention is given this time around to either the Pacific west coast or Japan's experience of the big earthquake. It's still there, just operating in the background and popping up on occasion to set the scene.

In addition, Kowloon's Walled City makes an even bigger appearance this time around. In the first book, it is listed as the inspiration for The Bridge – aka. the Golden Gate Bridge that has become a community unto itself. This time though, it has matured into a cyberspace VR construct where people port in and live out their lives in a virtual environment. Like the original Walled City, it is a place for hackers, Otaku, and cyberpunks, people who live on the fringes of society in this day in age. In keeping with all of Gibson's pre-Bigend novels, this is indicative of the disappearance of the middle class and the emergence of cyber communities as a form of resistance. This tribalistic behavior, taken into the digital realm, is not so much political as it is cultural.

This is best exemplified by the character Chia Pet McKenzie, a teenager who also happens to be a member of the Lo/Rez fan club. Lo/Rez is a Japanese band, a clever pun on Low-res (i.e. low resolution), and the fan site is an international community that communicates via cyberspace. The concept of "nodal points" is also introduced via the character of Laney, a man who is apparently adept at finding these nodes in information patterns. After leaving a company named SlitScan, a media giant renowned for ruining celebrities by exposing their secrets, he is hired because his unique abilities make him useful to anyone looking to find these patterns. These two characters and the plot strands that involve them come together when Rez, half of Lo/Rez, announces he wants to marry Rei Toei, the Idoru (Japanese for Idol). The Idoru is a virtual creation, a holographic person, who is apparently achieved a measure of sentience. Laney is hired to find out, via Lo/Rez's info, why he could be doing this and/or if anyone is manipulating him (like the Idoru's people). Chia is similarly flown to Japan to determine the cause of this as well, but on behalf of the fan club. In any case, the two finally find a way to consummate their union by obtaining nanotechnology, apparently so they can fashion her a physical body. This, however, is left open, we never see if they pulled it off or not.

All of this calls to mind several familiar Gibson themes. For starters, the concept of data mining, which makes an appearance in many of his novels. According to Gibson, the character of Laney is a fictitious rendering of himself, his ability being a metaphor for what Gibson dose on a regular basis in order to predict the future. This seems clear enough given that the theme has come up again and again in Gibson's works (Cayce Pollard, another main character, did much the same thing in Pattern Recognition). Also, there is the concept of AI and the blurred line between artificial and authentic, and the influence of mass media on societies and individuals. The concept of celebrity is also featured throughout this book, why it is people are obsessed with them, want to be them, and want to ruin them so badly! It is also quite Warholian in how it addresses how fame has changed over time and how it is the industry that seems to determine who is famous, why, and for how long.

Selling Points:

Overall, I could see why this book was hailed as the book that cemented Gibson's reputation. There's a lot going on in this book! One can see many layers of technological, cultural and social commentary, punctuated as always by Gibson's love of sub-culture, street life, and cutting edge things. In fact, this book was quite influential in the way it predicted virtual personalities, which is something that became quite big in Japan on or around the time of the book's publication. It was also rather prescient in the way it delved into the kinds of tribalism that have become incredibly common with the internet. On top of all that, his delving into the world of media, celebrity and the dividing line between what is real and fake (exemplified by the marriage of Rei Toei) was executed with his usual subtle genius. That was one of the things I liked best about this novel. At no point was someone saying "You can't marry a program! It's immoral, unnatural!" Nor was anyone arguing in favor of it by saying "Look at the world today! There IS no line between real and fake anymore!" Everyone was concerned, most people thought he'd either lost his mind or was being manipulated, but no one came right out and ANNOUNCED it. This is something that people like the makers of S1mOne, who were clearly imitating Gibson, did do (just look at that title! What an obvious binary reference!).

Weak Points:

For one, the open ending. That applied to more than just whether or not Rez and Rei Toei ever achieved a physical union. That much I could understand given that it was the idea of it that was important, the exploration of whether or not it would ever be possible for a human and digital person to cross that boundary. But it also applied to other aspects of the story as well. For one, Laney's ex-boss shows up deep into the story to blackmail him, and she is apparently disappeared by Lo/Rez's head of security. We never find out if he really did anything to her or if he just scared her off. The plot thread involving her just disappears like it had become inconvenient and Gibson wanted to get rid of it. This is something this book has in common with Stephenson too, ironically enough; the quick endings. Another aspect is his repetitive desire to get his characters to hook up! As I could because I've read several of his other books, Laney was bound to hook up with the woman who ran Lo/Rez's info site. They were inching towards it, but again, this was left open. The closest they come is a meeting in the lobby of a hotel at the end where she is clearly dressed to date and is happy to see him.

And of course, some familiar old patterns also emerge in this book and have become apparent in this trilogy as well. The first pattern is one I've seen in every book of his I've read yet: having one man and one woman as main characters and either hooking them up, or pairing them off with secondary characters. Some examples include Chase and Molly in Neuromancer (who hooked up with each other), Hollis and Milgrim in Zero History (who had separate hook-ups), Chevette and Rydel in Virtual Light (together), and now Laney and Chia (he hooks up with someone, she does not). Mind you, I'm not calling this a weakness. In fact, most people would call it a convention; interesting stories need some degree of romance to keep them from becoming totally dry! But it does seem just the slightest bit repetitive this time around. He also does the same thing he did in the Bigend Trilogy where he switched to main characters in the second book and then sticks with them into the third. He didn't do this in the "Sprawl Trilogy" so I wonder why that became a habit in trilogies two and three.

You see? This is the kind of treatment Virtual Light should have gotten! I'll be sure to be this thorough from now on!

Back to reviewing books!

Boy, its been awhile! It seems like so long ago I was reviewing "Virtual Light" and looking forward to doing the rest of the "Bridge Trilogy". Well, I didn't forget. In truth I was just about finished reading Idoru - the second book in the trilogy – but then I decided to leave it in Red Deer for some reason. I managed to get a new copy, but then, wouldn't you know it, I bought the box set of A Song of Fire and Ice and then started reviewing someone else's book for them too! Somedays, I tell you, I think I might have literary ADHD! So, given my obvious need for structure, I thought I might make a list of all the books I intend to read and review in the coming weeks and try to stick to it for once!

For starters, there's Idoru, which I'm just finishing but some need time to digest. Not this only is this an important book in Gibson's "Bridge Trilogy", it is apparently what cemented his fame as an author after Neuromancer. And I can say, first impressions, I see what they mean. Whereas Gibson's earlier books tended to deal with cyberspace and the dark underbelly of society in the information age, this one tackled the vagaries of celebrity and media in the said same era.

A follow-up with All Tomorrow's Parties will then be necessary to complete the trilogy, and because I already bought the book. Thank you Amazon for your slow but reliable delivery system! Then, I shall turn to my pile of Kindle books since I've been scooping them up ever since my friend (from Red Deer, hey Chi!) bought me this iPad! I tell ya, the thing is not the best typing implement, but man is it good for reading! I actually get more done on it than with a conventional book, may the God of paperbacks forgive me (blessed be his cellulose appendages)!

Speaking of which, that would be where A Song of Fire and Ice by George R.R. Martin ("the American Tolkien") comes in. After getting hooked like crack on the HBO miniseries of "A Game of Thrones" which covers the events in the first novel, I got myself the book set for my Kindle app. Well, truth be told, I bought the second book and THEN bought the box set on Kindle. Quite looking at me like I'm drugs, it was a deal I tell ya! And yes, I was hoping to buy them individually, but three books in paperback or all four on Kindle for roughly the same price, minus the cost of shipping and handling? You do the math! Besides, duplicates don't really count if they're not taking up space, right?

However, all those must wait until I finish reading and reviewing a book by a fellow self-pub, ebook author who goes by the name of Randy Attwood. His books Rabbletown: Life in These United Christian States of Holy America is an interesting look at fundamentalism in America and a new dark ages. This author came to me by way of my writers group, The Herscher Project, a few weeks back and I agreed to take his book on and give it its due. Look for my review in the coming days! I should also take this opportunity to mention that this same group will be putting out an anthology shortly, a collection of the group's dystopian narratives from over the years. Look for it in ebook format when it comes out, and pay close attention to a little story called "Domicile 4.5″. I'll give ya a hint, it's by me

The Matrix: Revulsions!

With the final movie hitting theaters, fans believed we were coming to it at last! The explanation as to what it all meant in Reloaded, whether their was a Matrix within a Matrix, how would Zion survive, why Neo was able to destroy those squiddies, and who the hell that Bane guy was now. Most or all of these questions would have been easier to answer if the second movie hadn't left people befuddled and confused. But at least now, with the third movie, some of that confusion might be dispelled. And I for one was eager to find out who was right in the whole "what's going on" debate!

The Matrix: Revolutions

As it turned, none of us were! The answers we were waiting for turned out to have nothing to do with any of our theories, and we were quite unhappy about that! Not just because we were wrong but because ultimately, the explanations for why things had happened the way they did in movie two… kinda sucked. The critics felt much the same way, with most reviewers panning the film and it earning roughly half of what the sequel had. When describing it and how it wrapped the series up, words such as "anticlimactic" and "unsatisfying" were often used. Most people I knew just called it dumb! And the reasons were obvious.

1. Weak Opening:

So the movie started with Neo finding himself in limbo which is basically a part of the Matrix. (Note: Mobile station is an anagram for Limbo, which was what Neo – anagram for One – was in. Get used to it, the franchise is full of them!) So in addition to the questions about the squiddies, how he's supposed to save Zion, and whether or not the Oracle is the enemy, there's the added question of how the hell he could find himself in the Matrix when he's not jacked in. Meanwwhile, Morpheus, Trinity and the crew of the Hammer are trying to find him, and the Oracle tells them they got to find YET another program who's being guarded by the Merovingian in order to get to him. Didn't they do this plotline already? And reusing one so early in the movie is a bad sign, makes the audience think the whole movie's going to be a rehash of the last one. And after some needless action sequences in the Merovingian's night club, which just seemed like an excuse to do the one thing they hadn't tried yet (fighting upside down!) they find Neo and they are free to pursue all the other plot threads they left open.

2. Weak Explanations:

The movie reached a climax of sorts around the time that Neo reached the Oracle and asked her for explanations. There I was in my seat thinking "Here we go!" Finally, we'd get to see what all that stuff was about. And what the Oracle said was interesting at best, lame at worst, and disappointing in the middle. So apparently Neo was able to stop those machines because "the power of the One extends to the Source" which is, apparently, where their powers come from… Uh, okay. So Neo has powers that enable him to control machines in the real world as well as in the Matrix… Why? Come to think of it, why does he have powers at all? The way the Architect explained it, his powers were a systemic anomaly, suggesting that they were just exhibited in supposedly gifted individuals that cropped up from time to time. But why the hell would those powers extend to the Source, aka. the machine mainframe? And what the hell did she mean when she said they CAME from the Source? Did the machine mainframe start making Ones just to give itself something to do? Was this supposed to be some mystery like, why did God create Evil or the Devil? Seriously man, this was just weak! Compared to this, what my friend said (hey Sam!) about Neo being a program actually made sense!

Oh, and the bit about Neo's mind breaking off and running loose in the Matrix while he was in a coma and not jacked in? Also weak! Apparently, he "wasn't ready" for these abilities yet so that why he passed out after killing the squiddies, woke up and found himself in that virtual train station! Yeah, his mind went to Mobile (Limbo) Station because that's where your mind goes if you're the One and use your abilities prematurely. I know that the Wachoswki brothers were trying to be cool and mysterious when they wrote this, but this is just fluff! To top it off, we never did get an explanation as to how the Oracle could be on humanity's side when thus far, all she's done is lead them into a seemingly hopeless situation. When Morpheus and Trinity confront her, not once do they ask the obvious: "Why did you lie to us? Why did you say the war would end once Neo went to the Source when in truth, it would mean continue and the whole cycle of things would just repeat itself?" Not asked, not answered. The Oracle just acts like its all part of the unfolding plan and she's just telling them what they need to know. Sure, she Neo he'd have to decide between saving Trinity and Zion, which was true, but everything else still felt like lies, or at the least, convenient half-truths.

3. Obvious Biblical References: Here was a mythological reference that was over the top and obvious! In movie one, much of the mythology was biblical in nature. In movie two, it was more classical. Third time around, it seems like the wheel turned back to biblical. But holy shit was it obvious here! First, there's the part where Neo is blinded during a fight between him and Bane/Smith. Not only is this an obvious allusion to the biblical Samson, Bane even comes right out and says "Ha! A blind messiah!" Are you kidding me? Did the art of subtlety die somewhere between filming movie's two and three? No, I can't defend that. Movie two was never subtle! And the part at the end where Neo decides to sacrifice himself to save Zion? Of course, this particular biblical allusion was building up all throughout the whole of movie three. Scarcely a person in the audience expected Neo to live, especially after Trinity died. But by the end, the way Neo's dead body was being ferried off by the machines, and the way he all splayed out, Jesus-style? C'mon, Wachowskis!

4. That Lame-ass Death Scene: Trinity survived movie two, which I believe I mentioned was kind of hokey, only to die here. And it took place after she delivered Neo to the machine city, which basically meant she died as soon as she was no longer of use! As if that wasn't enough, her final farewells dragged on foreeeeever. Seriously, I heard people snickering in the theater, it had gotten so cheesy! Yes, I'm sure there were plenty of people who might have found it touching as well, but I refuse to believe Carrie Ann Moss actually cried when she first read this part of the script! More like she confronted the Wachowskis and said, "You can type this shit, but you sure as hell can't say it!"

5. Smith Gets Comical: I've already mentioned how Smith had most of the best lines in the first movie, right after Morpheus. Part of what made his dialogue so cool was the fact that it was cryptic and delivered in a real cool, badass way. Aside from his incredibly even tone, which made him sound all the more menacing, Weaving demonstrating himself to be an expert at catching the right look. That hard stare, those arched eyebrows, that cruel mouth – he was bad reborn! Then the second movie came out, in which he was still pretty bad. He even had some decent lines, even if they were a little monosyllabic. Remember "Me too…", or "More!" Or how about "The best part about being me is there are so many of me". Those were pretty good and captured the essence of Smith's expanding megalomania. But by this movie, he so overdid the evil madman routine that it just got creepy and, not to mention laughable. For example, that drawn out scene where he smashes the Oracle's dish and then does that evil laugh as soon as he assimilates her. That was painful to watch. Oh, and lets not forget that long, hammed-up lecture he gave Neo when they were fighting at the end: "Why Mr. Anderson?! Why do you persist?!" Seriously, he was yelling through clenched teeth! I seriously hope for his sake he was choosing to have fun because he found the dialogue so crappy!

6. Final Fight!: At this point, the movie already had outdone itself in weird, over the top special effects. But that big-time, burly brawl at the end of the movie? That was just plain weird. Sure, Smith and Neo are both superhuman by this point in things, but did their fight have to resemble a battle between two Supermen? Did you not rip off that franchise already when Link said "He's doing his Superman thing!" in movie two? Come to think of it, how does Link know who… You know what? Never mind! Point is, the action itself was terribly over the top, and was made worse by Smith's antics which, as already noted, had gone from cryptic to comical! That, plus all the CGI which always makes a scene look fake, made this entire scene feel totally superfluous. Mainly I just waiting for it to end so we could see how Neo was going to die!

Okay, some stuff was good in this film. That battle scene where the machines reached Zion, that had some good parts to it! The action was pretty intense and it did have the right feel to it. Sure, there was the part where Kid (that's his name, no fooling!) commandeers a mech and shoots the doors to Zion open, saying "Neo, I believe!" right before he fires the guns! Oh, and of course the part where Link's wife and some militia women are popping off rockets and taking down the big drilling machine, but then start to get cut to pieces by squiddies shortly thereafter. Those were pretty cheesy, not to mention a pretty cheap attempt at making the audience care about these tertiary characters! But hey, the action was cool so I can forgive. I can even forgive the Aliens rip-off of the mec suits, since it's a good idea in any franchise AND because they were put to good use! Oh, and and that whole squiddy/hovercraft chase scene? Also not bad! It was fun and tense, and as opposed to the lesser characters dying in Zion, I actually cared about what happened to Morpheus and Naobi (played by Jada Pinkett Smith). Her badass delivery and sharp wit also made the scene believable, but dammit did they have to repeat that crappy "Some things do not change… and some things do" line?

And I you might even say that part of why this last movie seemed so disappointing was because they did a pretty damn good job of making things seem hopeless in Reloaded. In addition to being confused, I seriously went away with a sense of worry and wondering how the good guys could possibly win at this point. Yes, the plot was underdeveloped because of pacing and too many action scenes being piled on, but the whole concept of the Matrix being centuries old and there being several predecessors to Neo was still borderline genius! After movie one, with what seems to be an open and shut plot, they had their work cut out for them to make it seem like everything was going dark. So you might say there was little inspiration left for when it came time to brighten things up again, to find a way to make the good guys win that was plausible and consistent with the whole theme of prophecy and "this has all been foretold".

But alas, the weak ending where Neo is dead and the machines for some reason decide to leave Zion alone cannot be so easily forgiven! That, on top of all the other flaws this movie boasted, meant that this franchise was sure to end on a groan and not a hurrah. Seriously, why did the machines leave Zion when they were an inch away from wiping it out? And why, for that matter, did the Architect promise the Oracle the red pills would be set free from now on? That was never part of the agreement! Neo said he wanted peace, not that all humans who can't accept the program should henceforth be set free so there's no reason to go to war. Makes sense, but why would the machines accept it? Because they felt honor bound to acknowledge Neo's sacrifice? Because they promised they wouldn't? What kind of machines are these? Honor, promises, solemn oaths; these are HUMAN things! They are based in emotion and ethical insight, not mathematics or cold calculation! And you call yourselves machines! Pah! I spit on your machineness!

And let's not forget what kind of moral this all amounted to: that humanity and robots need to live in peace. Sure, the whole concept of human-machine interdependency was present throughout, introduced in the first movie when Morpheus explained how humans powered the Matrix, and how this was ironic given humanity's historical dependence on machinery. But to take that the point where they must learn to live in peace and harmony, Kumabaya-style, just seemed hokey! And as the Architect said to the Oracle: "How long do you expect this peace treaty of yours to last?" As it stood, the only thing protecting Zion from exterminations was this treaty; but in time, humanity was likely to recover and expand, at which point they'd be wanting to shove a great big EMP up the Matrix's ass! But at this point, no one was looking for practical. They were looking for over!

The Matrix: Revolutions, people. A disappointing but not terrible ending to a very promising franchise. Perhaps, like with Highlander, there really should have only been one. Or perhaps they shouldn't have tried so hard to top everything from the first. In truth, I think that if they had just taken their time and gone with those rather genius ideas – the ones about rogue sentient programs and how the Matrix and the whole One thing were a lot more complicated than originally foretold – the sequels would have been much better. But, as I said, greater people than the Wachowskis have tried to make lighting strike twice. Who can blame them for not succeeding?

The Matrix: Revolutions:

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Plot: 5/10

Direction: 6/10

Total: 6/10

Matrix plotlines…

Before moving onto the final installment in the Matrix trilogy, I thought I'd tackle the big glaring issue that stood out during Reloaded. And that would be that whole subculture that came out between sequels, the one where people seemed to think they knew what was going on, but really had no idea. That was the rationale I asserted in my last review, and yes, its based in part on the fact that I never agreed with them. And that they were WRONG! Yeah, I was too; the theory I came up with to explain how Neo could have neutralized those squiddies in the real world and how it was all going to end… WRONG! That's the consensus that that friend of mine and I came to once we both saw Revolutions and reconvened. But it just goes to show you how little sense a movie can make when everyone who went to see it had to make up their own ending, only to come away disappointed by the actual one.

But I digress. Allow me to recap on what happened during that eventful summer when Reloaded came out and fans everywhere showed up at the theater to see what was going to happen, only to leave confused and bewildered. Given the need for some brevity, I was only able to gloss over what actually happened in the movie and why it confused the hell out of people to the point where they had to make up their own plot. So to recap, here is what happened:

Reloaded: Okay, now this movie takes place about six months after the first movie. Neo is at the height of his power and is beginning to have prescient nightmares. He sees Trinity die, and is haunted by the feeling that even though he is the One and has realized his potential, he has no idea what he is to do now. Solid, it makes perfect sense that a messianic figure, once they've realized their role, would not know how to proceed. After all, the prophecy that was alluded to several times in the first movie never gave any details as to how the One's arrival would end the war. Just that it would…

We also learn that the machines are tunneling to Zion. This was first mentioned in Final Flight of the Osiris, the animated short that was part of the Animatrix. It is also recapped during the opening expository scene where the Captains of the various hovercraft meet up inside the Matrix, which is difficult given all the squiddy activity of late. Question! Why not just meet up in the real world if its so dangerous? Is it just so they can all be decked out in their leather outfits and shades and Neo can have his big fight with the agents? Who cares? Point is, Morpheus attributes this attack to the success they've been enjoying of late. Neo's powers seem to be a decided advantage now that they don't have to run and hide from the agents but can actually face them.

So, Neo goes to the Oracle, who tells him that the One must go to the Source. That's where his path will end and the war too. But of course, there's cryptic, convoluted answer shit to be sure! He's also told that his dreams, after a fashion, are true. Once at the Source, he will have to decide between saving Zion or Trinity. Tough call, but one he must make! Why? Because he's the One. Harsh shit, man! But it sets up some obvious tension. But, wouldn't you know it, there's a snag! Smith is back! And he's brought friends. Like a perfect metaphor for a virus, or "ego" as Hugo Weaving described it, Smith is expanding, copying himself onto other programs and absorbing their powers. That much is cool because it means he's able to upgrade his software and is becoming more and more of a threat to Neo and the system. And it kind of fit nicely with what the Oracle rambled on about sentient programs running around the Matrix in defiance of the system. Sure as shit, we didn't get anything else from that speech, like what the hell it meant or how it was significant! She just says it in passing as if it was a segue into the bit about how Neo must go to the Source and how he's haunted by dreams about it.

Getting back, Neo and his buds, after a long, convoluted series of events, get the Keymaker, who is the key (sorry!) to getting to the Source. He is just one in a long list of characters who we get the feeling were supposed to be complex and inspired, but ultimately served no real purpose other than being stand ins that advanced the plot. Seriously, all they do is show up, make a big speech, and then go! But anyway… the characters do more action-shit to make sure Neo can get to the Source and – wouldn't you know it?- Smith shows up! Seems that he too has access to the backdoors of the Matrix, he wants everything, he says, and is getting more powerful. They escape him, and make it to the Source where (wait for it!) another character is introduced, makes a big speech, and we get the last, confusing explanation we need.

So here's how it is… The Matrix is many centuries old. It was, as Smith said in movie one, originally meant to be a perfect world but humanity wouldn't accept it because the human cerebrum is designed to expect suffering, misery and conflict. That was a cool idea, but here it just gets convoluted like everything else! The solution, after some trials, was what the Architect described as the "choice" option. The Oracle, an intuitive program created to study human feelings (holy obvious case of pairing here!) designed this concept where humans were given an unconscious choice to either accept the programmed reality or reject it. 99 percent of subjects did, but the remaining one percent were like Neo and the rest – they could not bring themselves to embrace the delusion. And of course, every so often a One would emerge who not only rejected it, but could manipulate it to his advantage.

These two phenomenon represented an "escalating probability of failure", as the Architect said, so something needed to be done. Basically, this was accomplished by a one-two punch. One, force the One to comply by threatening to crash the system and take out every human being wired into the Matrix. And two, sending the squiddies out to destroy Zion. The One would be made to comply, to take a handful of humans to start a free colony (aka. Zion) where the "red pills", the one percent who wouldn't accept the program, would be sent off to. When a new One would emerge, the whole thing would start over again. The machines would head for the new Zion, the system would lurch towards crashing, and the One would be given a choice. Reboot the system and restart Zion, or watch humanity die!

What was brilliant about this was it successfully managed to subvert everything we saw in movie one. The One seems invincible, but when confronted with this problem, he essentially becomes helpless. Really, what good can such powers do someone when all of humanity is held hostage? Second, the weapon at humanity's disposal is a prophecy that foretold of victory, but it was essentially a lie. The war would "end", it said, but it never specified how. In truth, the entire war and ongoing nature of the struggle between free humanity and the machines was something designed by the mathematical genius of the Architect. It serves the sole purpose of keeping the Matrix running and the machines functioning. Very 1984! Whereas humanity believes its been fighting the AI war for over a century, the sad truth is they lost, and what they've been doing ever since is been playing a part in play much bigger than themselves. No one knows the truth, because no one is old enough who remembers. Seriously, 1984!

And if you think about it, it was all hinted at throughout the movie. Speech One, where the Oracle says the war would end and how she's a program and there are others like her who defy the system. Speech Two, where the Merovingian tells them that the true nature of life is cause and effect, and we are all out of control. Speech Three, where the Architect explains how Zion and the One represent a "systemic anomaly" which is the only remaining exception to what is otherwise "a harmony of mathematical perfection" or some such shit! It essentially comes together in the end. Only problem was, NOBODY GOT IT! It was told in such a quick, rushed way between action sequence and using cryptic, expository dialogue that everybody just gave up and accepted the last few minutes of the movie as their truth of what was going on. Which brings me to phase two… what fans thought was happening.

"Matrix within a Matrix:" So like I said, in the months between the release of the second and third movie, fans everywhere formed up and began detailing what they thought was the coolest idea ever proposed! Far from being based on the many, many, big speeches in Reloaded, it was based entirely on the last few minutes and the assumed significance thereof. Perhaps I am being harsh. In truth, it was a cool idea.

To recap! Neo managed to stop those squiddies because they were STILL in the Matrix! Neat! But what would this mean? Well, according to the theory, the Matrix exerted control over the free humans by ensuring that once they broke free from the first Matrix, they were still contained in a second. Some went so far as to say that there were up to seven or more layers of the Matrix, like it was based on some variation of the Superstring Theory or something! Also neat, and years before Inception! One problem… makes no sense! If there were multiple layers of the Matrix keeping humanity controlled, what the hell was the point of everything we've been told up until this now. The red pills are controlled by allowing them to form a colony, then periodically destroying it. The One is controlled by crashing the Matrix in time with Zion's destruction and making him reboot it so that humanity will continue to live.

Why do all that if they're all still in the Matrix??? If they're just part of a delusion no matter what, let them have their victory! But even more to the point, if the red pills – i.e. that one percent that was always aware that they were living inside a program – couldn't bring themselves to accept the program, what were the odds they would accept the program within the program (or any other layer of it for that matter)? It was a cool idea, but in short, it negates EVERYTHING the movie was based on up until this point. But asking the fan community for perfect consistency is even worse than asking it from a writer/director, or worse, two of them!

My Idea!: Lastly, let me get to what I thought was going on. It's short, so bear with me just a little longer. Basically, I thought Neo stopped those squiddies because his contact with Smith meant that HE was changed too. Smith said his destruction in movie one changed him, and we all saw it in action. So why couldn't the same be true in reverse? It too seemed hinted at, Neo was always somehow aware of Smith's presence, as well as the "connection" Smith mentioned. I thought that this would be the means through which Zion would be saved and the war would be won in movie three. Neo would be given insight into the machine's minds, how they functioned. He would be able to stop them in the real world just like he did in the Matrix. I admit, it was thin, but as far as the rest was concerned – what did this mean, what did that mean? – my answer was, who the hell cares? We'll find out in movie three. As for what's happening, the only people who knew that were the Wachoswki's, and of course the actors and set people.

But of course, that wasn't going to stop us armchair critics from speculating. And here I am still talking about it now, even though the movie came and went! But what the hell, it was fun while it lasted! And considering how we all ended up disappointed by the real ending, I'm thinking maybe some armchair critics could have done a better job of writing the ending! Speaking of which, stay tuned for the final installment, The Matrix: Revulsions!