Sidney Blaylock Jr.'s Blog, page 16
June 17, 2020
Interesting Games from the Playstation 5 Reveal Event
Before it fades from my memory, I wanted to circle back to the Playstation 5 Reveal Event as there were several games that I’m interested in that I’d like to see more of because of their interesting nature. There were some really cool games, both new and legacy that I was interested in from the reveal event, so I wanted to talk about them briefly here.
Gran Turismo 7
I’m a massive Gran Turismo fan! I’ve owned every numbered version of the game from the very first Gran Turismo game on the original Playstation system. The original game was one where both my uncle and I put massive amounts of time playing it and we both loved the realistic simulation of the game. It was the first game where I personally saw developers get a “real world” thing working in the game (the replication of way wheels spin/rotate when viewed through a TV camera at high speeds). Gran Turismo 7 looks amazing and the graphical fidelity looks amazing (and the stream was only 1080p resolution and 30 frames per second; the game hopefully will do 4K/60 fps, which should look amazing). This one that I’m looking forward to when it releases.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
The new Ratchet and Clank game really piqued my interest. I didn’t actually get into the series until the 3rd game (and liked it so much that I went back and bought the first two games), but once I was in, I’ve been a player of the this series from the beginning. I played both PS3 games, Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction and Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time, liking them both so much that I earned the Platinum Trophy for A Crack in Time (and if I remember, Tools released before the Trophy system had been implemented). Needless to say, this one already had my attention. Add to the fact that this game is basically a showcase for the technologies in the PS5 with its dimension-hopping mechanics and crazy weapons.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
So, I like shooting and combat games as much as the next gamer, but I also like adventure games where the main character goes on a quest in order to save/discover/whatever the plot requires, so when I saw this one, I was really interested. After seeing the gameplay loop, the art style, and after learning that this is made by a smaller team (featuring two brothers, no less), I’m really intrigued by this game and if it releases at launch, I will probably try to pick this up with the console. I love the main protagonist, the art, the visuals, the sound, and the cute “minion-like” characters that the player gets to control all look like one that I will really enjoy!
Honorable Mentions
There are a couple of games that I wanted to just mention that I find interesting, but I need to see more of them before making a determination.
Project Athia: So, like me, Square Enix puts the word “Project” in front of projects they aren’t ready to title. The graphics behind this one look very good, but it looks like it is in the beginning stages of development. I’ll definitely follow the development of this game.
Returnal: Housemarque is a studio that produces high quality arcade games who are moving away from arcade games into more cinematic games, and this game looks interesting.
Pragmata: A very strong sci-fi concept that appears to be both a bit strange and very good-looking. This one isn’t due until 2022, so it is pretty far away, so like Project Athia, I’ll be following this one as well.
Well, that’s all for today–have a good day!
Sidney
Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:
Read Skin Deep for Free at Aurora WolfRead Childe Roland for Free at Electric Spec
Purchase HawkeMoon on Amazon.com (Paperback) or eBookPurchase Dragonhawk on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase WarLight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Ship of Shadows on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Faerie Knight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or Kindle
Currently Working On (6/2020):
The Independent (Sci-Fi Short-Story)–
Editing: Revision 1“Project Arizona” (Weird Western Story)
Drafting: First DraftShip of Shadows Graphic Novel
Finished: Script, Issue #1
Next: Script, Issue #2
June 16, 2020
Dream Geographies–The First Dream
A few weeks ago, I was invited to participate in a new collaborative arts project called Dream Geographies. It was an intersection of narrative, poetry, and visual art based around the imagery and iconography of dreams and the dreamscape. Around finals week, I submitted a dream to the project. A poet and an artist then remixed my dream and interpreted it through their mediums, and I’m proud to announce that the project is up and live for those who might want to check it out.
https://www.dreamgeographies.org/r1d9
My Dream
I won’t go into elaborate detail about the dream–I’ll just try to paint the broad strokes. Basically, it was an “underwater” dream, but strangely, I wasn’t the protagonist. Two brothers were under the sea, fighting. The sea was turbulent, reflecting their conflict. However, they came to an accord and the sea returned to its normal, placid nature.
While I don’t remember what the conflict was about, I do remember that the resolution was achieved with each one divvying up their responsibilities in a fair and equitable manner and that is what promoted the peace between them.
While the project doesn’t display the actual narrative of the dream (which is why I gave a short introduction of it above), it does feature my response to both Abby’s and Nick’s work and what I think it all means, so I won’t go too deep below–just general impressions.
The Artist
Unfortunately, I’ve not had the chance to meet the artist who contributed her artwork for this project. Abby Hirsch Reish is the artist and she lives in Murfreesboro, TN. She finds inspiration for her artwork the children she works with, from pop culture, world travel, and other unexpected places (according to her bio).
I really like Abby’s artwork in that it encapsulates the whimsy of the dreamscape. It is the ocean environment with all its wild contradictions and life as seen through the eyes of a child. The blue used in the piece is visually striking and the way the sea-life is depicted shows the turbulent nature of the two brothers’ conflict. As I said in my reaction, Abby’s piece really grounds the dream.
The Poet
Nick Bush, while being an Associate Professor at Motlow Sate College, is also a person that I know. We’ve attended several classes together at MTSU over the past 3 years. He has an interest in stand-up comedy, but he is also a keen scholar and a storyteller in his own right as he’s picked the “creative” option for a project in one of our classes where I took the traditional option.
What I didn’t know was how good a poet he was–his poem was sublime, far better than what I could have done for this particular dreamscape as I no longer practice my own poetical voice (I tend to lean heavily towards narrative these days). I really like the way he described the conflict and resolution for the two brothers. As I said in the reaction, he gives voice to the two brothers and we can see them as characters.
The Soul
Both Abby and Nick helped to create the soul of the dreamscape. They turned a simple narrative from me into something imaginative and amazing. I’m glad that I had a chance to collaborate with the two of them, and that I got a chance to participate in this wonderful project. It was fun!
Sidney
Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:
Read Skin Deep for Free at Aurora WolfRead Childe Roland for Free at Electric Spec
Purchase HawkeMoon on Amazon.com (Paperback) or eBookPurchase Dragonhawk on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase WarLight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Ship of Shadows on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Faerie Knight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or Kindle
Currently Working On (6/2020):
The Independent (Sci-Fi Short-Story)–
Editing: Revision 1“Project Arizona” (Weird Western Story)
Drafting: First DraftShip of Shadows Graphic Novel
Finished: Script, Issue #1
Next: Script, Issue #2
June 12, 2020
Gaming Log: Playstation 5 Reveal Event
So, I’ve missed so many days that I don’t remember which “Log” that I’m on (and I’m too lazy to go back and look at it). However, since Sony did there Playstation 5 Reveal Event yesterday, I decided to give my reactions to the event along with several high profile games.
You can find the event in its entirety here, if you haven’t seen it yet (it is over 1 hour long, so you’ve been warned):
Source: Playstation YouTube Channel
The Look of the Console
The design is in the heading image above and I REALLY like it! The “black box” design is great, but everyone screams “diversity” in games (“we want to see ‘new’ IPs), so how hypocritical is it to ask every console look the same/have the same basic designs. So, I’m going to keep the focus mostly on the Playstation, but I have to a moment to address the XBox design as they are essentially the same. They have a flat, rectangle box (like a cable box) for their previous generation, and their “next gen” system is the same, except that it is like a “mini-tower” computer. Not that’s boring and uninventive, and yet, that’s not what gets called out–no, only Sony’s tech talk gets called out (go figure).
Back to Sony’s design–it matches the controller, which I liked, and it has a very distinctive design. It almost is a very Apple-like design before they went to the “slate” gray design. I like that it comes in a disc and all digital version. I personally will go with the disc version. I love physical media, and while I’ve bought more digital content recently (through sales on the PSN store), I still MUCH prefer physical media. Even though console can be put on its side, but they display it with a “stand.” For this particular console, I will probably spend the extra money for a stand and display it upright.
Spider-Man Miles Morales
Source: Playstation YouTube Channel
So, I wanted to briefly touch on this one as it directly relates to me. I own Spider-Man for the PS4, but I haven’t gotten very far with it as I had to stop playing it (and many other PS4 games) as I worked on my classwork and part-time job a couple of years ago.
I really liked what got to play and I intend to finish the game once I finish the game I’m currently playing. I enjoyed the trailer, but it was a bit of a spoiler as I now know what happens to Miles Morales’ father based on the trailer. Still, I’m looking forward to getting a chance to play this one and if they nail Miles’ unique movements and move-set, then I think this game will be an absolute winner for me.
Horizon Zero Dawn: Forbidden West
Source: Playstation YouTube Channel
So, this was the ending trailer and the real showstopper from the Reveal event. Unfortunately, I couldn’t watch it as I’m currently playing Horizon Zero Dawn (1st game) as we speak (yes, I know it is a 2017 game, but remember, I only have limited time so I find myself behind, especially on the Sony exclusives as they are so long and massive. I’m only on level 24 for my character and I think there’s a trophy for getting to level 50 (I think). I’m at 55 hours into the game already and I probably still have at least 30-50 more hours (I think) of content (only “half” the map has been revealed yet), and I’ve not yet touched any of the expansion content. I love Sony’s exclusives, but when you put them aside to play other games, it gets hard to stay current.
The very first part of the trailer was actually a spoiler for me as it tells how long it has been since the world fell, something I haven’t yet learned in the 1st game. I hurried and killed the volume and only glanced at it randomly when it played. Once I finish the 1st game, I’ll go back and look at it completely. I wanted to include it in this short round up as it was the showstopper of the reveal event and the one that most interests me (I just got to get through the 1st game now!).
I have other games that I’m interested in from the reveal event, but I’ll save them for a blog topic next week as this one is running long. Have a good weekend everyone!
Sidney
Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:
Read Skin Deep for Free at Aurora WolfRead Childe Roland for Free at Electric Spec
Purchase HawkeMoon on Amazon.com (Paperback) or eBookPurchase Dragonhawk on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase WarLight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Ship of Shadows on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Faerie Knight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or Kindle
Currently Working On (6/2020):
The Independent (Sci-Fi Short-Story)–
Editing: Revision 1“Project Arizona” (Weird Western Story)
Drafting: First DraftShip of Shadows Graphic Novel
Finished: Script, Issue #1
Next: Script, Issue #2
June 11, 2020
New Pulp Sub-Genre
I just submitted an entry to a new directory that will be coming out that lists creators (writers, artists, editors, reviews, and publishers) of New Pulp stories. I didn’t really know that I was one until I published in Storyhack, but after researching more into this fairly new sub-genre, I think that many of my stories have, at least at their core, a New Pulp aesthetic that I may try to emphasize more.
So, What is New Pulp?
Great question that–to be honest, I had to do some digging on the web to really figure it out myself. I guess the easiest way to define it would be to give you a definition of “Old” Pulp and then tell how “New” Pulp is different.
Basically, these are the stories from the 1930s – 1950s that you hear so much about. These are sci-fi and adventure stories that cared far more for the flavor and zest of the story than actual realism or verisimilitude. These are the stories in which rocket-ships have fins, aliens live on Mars without vacuum suits, and hidden civilizations hide under the earth or in deep forests. Pulp was no so much interested in the “real world” effects of science, so long as the authors could use their imaginations and create stories that illustrated conflict.
New Pulp are stories that take the same action and adventure element, but which do not necessarily throw away realism or verisimilitude to achieve that adventure aesthetic. These are stories that have the adventure/action element at their core. Essentially, this is the “Action Movie” genre for fiction.
This is What I Like To Read
One of the reasons that I’m not as invested in Sci-Fi and Fantasy (in fiction) as much as I used to be is that the concept of a “hero” has pretty been dumped and the new concept is either “morally ambiguous” (aka “gray” characters) which basically just means the protagonist is either a “badass” that does things for his/her own self-interest (Pitch Black) or “mean people doing mean things to each other (Game of Thrones) or the idea of “literary” sci-fi (which is “character-driven”) which means little-to-no action. It’s all about the dialogue and the internal conflict.
I love characters and characterization, but I love characters doing something meaningful. That’s the type of fiction I like to read and write: characters who are engaged in an action or problem and seeing how that character will succeed or fail based on his/her personality traits or flaws. What happens when you’re an “ace” pilot, but the ship you’re piloting is a piece of junk? How do you survive on an alien world with just an umbrella when it’s raining lava, but you’ve seen Fred Astaire’s Singing in the Rain since you were two years old and know it by heart? New Pulp (or at least what I understand it to be) comes closest to this, and while I won’t always be writing/publishing in the New Pulp sub-genre, I can tell you that the aesthetic will always be there–I want my stories to be fun, adventurous, and exciting, which are (as I understand it) the very hallmarks of the New Pulp sub-genre.
Now, when I write, am I thinking about writing a “New Pulp” story? No, I’m thinking about writing a Science Fiction story or a Fantasy story, but I do so with a lot of action, and knowing about the New Pulp sub-genre gives me more places and opportunities to market my work. Hopefully, there will be fewer rejections than from tradition/literary markets who (by and large) don’t give a flip about the things that I like about the Sci-Fi and Fantasy genres, rich characterization AND really cool plot/action.
How Can I Find Out More About New Pulp?
Well here are a couple of websites that can help you out:
https://thepulp.net/the-hunt/new-pulp/
https://www.writermag.com/get-published/the-publishing-industry/pulp-fiction/
Also, here is a good publisher of Pulp/New Pulp (and full disclosure: the place where I sent my entry to be included in a directory of New Pulp creators that I mentioned in my introduction.)
Airship 27: http://www.airship27.com/
Well, that’s all I have time for today. Sorry this post is late, but between work and watching the Playstation 5 Reveal event, I’m behind in getting this one out. See you the next blog post.
Sidney
Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:
Read Skin Deep for Free at Aurora WolfRead Childe Roland for Free at Electric Spec
Purchase HawkeMoon on Amazon.com (Paperback) or eBookPurchase Dragonhawk on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase WarLight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Ship of Shadows on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Faerie Knight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or Kindle
Currently Working On (6/2020):
The Independent (Sci-Fi Short-Story)–
Editing: Revision 1“Project Arizona” (Weird Western Story)
Drafting: First DraftShip of Shadows Graphic Novel
Finished: Script, Issue #1
Next: Script, Issue #2
June 10, 2020
“Project Arizona”: The Research
I don’t want to jinx it, but I’m closing in on finishing the First Draft of “Project Arizona,” my Weird Western (Fantasy Western) story. I thought I’d just quickly highlight a few of the websites that I came across while doing research for this project. This by no means an exhaustive list, but I found out several interesting things and found several unique websites while doing the research.
There Were Black Cowboys
Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/lesser-known-history-african-american-cowboys-180962144/
Here’s something they don’t teach you in traditional American History classes: not only were there black cowboys in the time of the Old West, but they were fairly prevalent. According to the article, 1 out of every 4 cowboys in the Wild West was black. A side note here: that means, Hollywood, that every Western movie made in the 1950s and 1960s (the heyday of the cowboy movie) that had 4 or more cowboys featured should have had at least 1 black actor. Did that happen, Hollywood? No, it didn’t, you say? Well, just some food for thought, Hollywood.
I digress, however. I wanted an African American female protagonist for “Project Arizona,” but I wasn’t sure if African Americans were even a part of the Old West outside of the “Buffalo Soldiers,” but with this source, I was able to find out that not only were they a part of the Old West, but racism was blunted due to the nature of the West being a dangerous place and cowboys (of all colors) had to depend on each other to survive and couldn’t afford to let racism get in the way of survival.
Black Cowboys Existed into Modern Times
AZCentral Website: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-history/2019/03/17/black-cowboys-were-common-old-west/3180296002/
True West: History of the Western Frontier: https://truewestmagazine.com/the-racial-frontier/
Here’s where I found some more information about black cowboys and how the change from the Old West into “modern society” affected them. This site talks about how Hollywood changed the depiction of the Old West from what it was to how it is perceived in America today. More importantly, for my story, this is where it showed modern interpretations of African Americans (in the 1960s and 1970s) competing in contests such as roping and riding. While there’s not a lot of that in my story (well, none at the moment), it did give me a good sense of how African Americans could contribute in an Old West Setting.
The True West website gave me some good context for where the black cowboy tradition began and also some ideas for period specific clothing and gear for my story.
Wild West Prisons
True West: History of the Western Frontier: https://truewestmagazine.com/old-west-prisons-were-no-place-for-sissies/
A significant portion of the story takes place in an Old West prison (not a jail like you see in traditional western movies), so I needed to find out what prisons looked like in the Old West looked like and how they operated. I like this site from True West because it has the rules that one prison operated under. While I didn’t actually need to use these rules for this story, it gave me the “flavor” of the prison setting, and who knows, maybe on the next iteration of the story, I might need those rules. I’ve already done a little research into Civil War prisons due to an interest from the way they were depicted in another movie–The Outlaw Josie Wales? Glory? I can’t remember exactly–but the point is, I knew there were prisons earlier than the Old West, but I didn’t know how they changed.
Well, that’s all I have for today. Just wanted to highlight some of my research as I’m slowly wrapping up the first draft of “Project Arizona.” Expect to hear more about it in the coming weeks as I finish it up.
Sidney
Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:
Read Skin Deep for Free at Aurora WolfRead Childe Roland for Free at Electric Spec
Purchase HawkeMoon on Amazon.com (Paperback) or eBookPurchase Dragonhawk on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase WarLight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Ship of Shadows on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Faerie Knight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or Kindle
Currently Working On (6/2020):
The Independent (Sci-Fi Short-Story)–
Editing: Revision 1“Project Arizona” (Weird Western Story)
Drafting: First DraftShip of Shadows Graphic Novel
Finished: Script, Issue #1
Next: Script, Issue #2
June 9, 2020
Movie Mini-Review: Jurassic World: The Fallen World
Over Memorial Day weekend, I watched this movie as I missed it during the original theatrical release. My mother and stepfather loved–they loved it better than the first Jurassic World movie. While I also liked it, I found that I didn’t like it as much as the original movie.
A Tale of Two Movies
I think one of the reasons why I didn’t like it as much as my parents is that the movie actually seems to be two different stories broken into two discrete parts. The first part of the movie is a more traditional Jurassic Park type movie, where the protagonists go to an exotic island, interact with dinosaurs, and do their best to survive. Jurassic Park, in my opinion, is at its best when it is operating at this level. I think that I really enjoyed this first part of the movie.
However, there is a second part of the movie where they move the dinosaurs back to the mainland. It makes up a significant chunk of the 3rd act of the film, and while I understand the reason (plot-wise) for why they did it this way, I really think that it lost some intangible magic of the movie when it did so. They did interact with dinosaurs better in this movie than in Jurassic Park: The Lost World, but still, the modern setting, while having several good set pieces in this section, just loses something when it isn’t an isolated story.
The Problem with Dr. Henry Wu & Owen Grady
So, this includes a slight spoiler that you might want to skip if you want to go into movie completely “fresh.”
Skip in 3, 2, 1 . . .
SKIP
Okay, if you’re still here, then you don’t care about spoilers or have seen the movie. So here goes: the characterization of Dr. Henry Wu is a problem here. Now, I really like the actor B. D. Wong, and I’m glad he’s in the movie, but the way in which his character is articulated in this movie is a problem. His character has morphed into a villain and I just can’t see his character making that change. As articulated in the original movie, Henry Wu is a very smart, very interested researcher that has, over time, morphed into a Dennis Nedry type character (greedy and amoral) that I just can’t believe and it always brings me out of the movie when it is called for by the script.
In addition, Owen Grady as a protagonist to me is just a blank slate. Unlike Grant, Ellie, or Ian Malcolm from the first movie (Jurassic Park), I don’t get a sense of personality from this character. He doesn’t really stand out for me and is just another generic “hero,” which (I can’t believe I’m calling out) just isn’t very interesting in this case. There are so many wonderful characters in the first movie, and the characters in the sequels and rebooted franchise always seem to take a backseat to the dinosaurs. The first movie had its focus squarely on the humans, but here the characters seem “flat” in a way–their arc isn’t nearly as pronounced as Jurassic Park.
Overall Grade: B (85)
This isn’t a bad movie–it just doesn’t (in my opinion) achieve the same heights as its originator movie of Jurassic Park. While the 2nd half of the movie isn’t nearly as strong as the first, it is still a good, action-packed movie, that still has characterization issues that keep me at a distance. It is a fun movie that just doesn’t hit in all areas for me. The action is strong, the setting is hit or miss, but the characterization seems a bit weak (bland/generic) for my tastes.
Sidney
Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:
Read Skin Deep for Free at Aurora WolfRead Childe Roland for Free at Electric Spec
Purchase HawkeMoon on Amazon.com (Paperback) or eBookPurchase Dragonhawk on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase WarLight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Ship of Shadows on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Faerie Knight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or Kindle
Currently Working On (6/2020):
The Independent (Sci-Fi Short-Story)–
Editing: Revision 1“Project Arizona” (Weird Western Story)
Drafting: First DraftShip of Shadows Graphic Novel
Finished: Script, Issue #1
Next: Script, Issue #2
June 5, 2020
Reflecting on the Color of My Skin
So, like Marques (whose tech channel on YouTube is one I subscribe to), I found myself struggling on what to say or do about the recent events surrounding race in America this past week. I originally made the decision that I would say nothing, and keep my voice out of it for saying the wrong thing, like Mr. Drew Brees, who I will discuss in a moment below. I faced some of the same concerns as Marques Brownlee, except for me, these issues appeared in the education and fandom (science fiction/fantasy) arenas rather than tech and sports for him. In case you’re not aware, there are very few writers of color in the traditional epic fantasy/sci-fi categories and there are many more now than when I started getting invested in the late 1970s, early 1980s of my childhood.
For full disclosure, for those who don’t know, although I’ve never made it any secret, I am an African American man living in the Southern area of the United States. I’ve not posted pictures of myself here because I really love words and I’d like for my words in this blog to define me as a writer and I want my words to capture my hopes, dreams, aspirations, goals, and yes, failures as a writer (when I started this blog) and now, as a scholar (as I am so close to completing attaining my goal of a PhD).
A Black Man in America
It is complicated to be an African American in America. Period. Full stop. Whether you are an African American man or woman, there are certain issues that you have to navigate in American society. For African American men, a common refrain is the unfair application of police power and the criminal justice system around them.
For me, reading is THE thing that I do. I was known as a student who would get lost in a book if you let him and was often engaged in other tasks in the classroom to “socialize” me. I had awesome parents who took me to the library every month and I checked out the maximum limit of books at the time (and there was nothing wrong with that in their eyes–they encouraged it!). So, combine my love of books with my grandmother’s edict that I “stay home” and not “go out” with my friends, kept me safe from “getting into trouble” and running afoul of the police/criminal justice system.
So, I know my situation is unique. I know there are Black men (& women) who have had unfair interactions with police/criminal justice system because of their race where I’ve had very little (mine have mostly been racially motivated in a one-to-one setting when I worked with the public, either as a library assistant or when I worked as a bookseller).
Looking at it Through Both Sets of Eyes: The Power of Empathy
Undisputed: Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless
I mentioned that one of the reasons that I stayed silent is that I did not want to say the wrong thing–which is what I felt Drew Brees did by his comments about the dispute over the controversy of the flag. While Brees apologized, his initial lack of regard for African Americans was something that is highly problematic. See Brees’s statement highlights a lack of empathy that someone in authority should have–yes, his two grandfathers’ served, but my uncle (African American) and my grandfather (African American) also served (both are buried in the Chattanooga National Cemetery), and while they taught me to respect the flag (my grandfather hung it outside the house every July 4th until old age kept him from continuing the tradition), but both my uncle and my grandfather were quick to tell me the ways in which this country hasn’t always kept its promise to be fair and just to all citizens.
In the few instances where I’ve had interactions with the police, they’ve all been mostly positive. I even had a member of law enforcement (or at least that’s how he presented himself in my class) in the very first college class I ever taught. I read, with empathy, the papers that he wrote, one of which is still seared into my mind, where he describes trying to protect and do good with a public that, at worst, hates him, and, at best, calls him a “necessary evil” (his words; not mine), trying to understand the pain he felt doing a job that he was despised for doing. Yet, while he might be a good officer, the officer who was seen kneeling on George Floyd’s neck, and the other officers who didn’t make an effort to get him to let up, have forced me (and others like me) to say, “This isn’t right. No one, of any color or creed, should be subjected to that type of treatment. No human being should treat another human being that way.” That’s why I posted the response by Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless from their show Undisputed. Both recognize and articulate that Drew Brees (even after the apology) only sees, and wants other people to see only one side of this complex issue–and that’s disappointing.
What Can I Do?
Grace Randolph
And this is the part where I can only say what I can do–and one of the reasons why I linked Marques Brownlee’s video. He gives some good suggestions if you want to “get involved.” For me, I think I can do 2 things:
ACADEMIC: I should be focusing on my dissertation. Unless my committee makes sweeping changes to my prospectus, I will be discussing Black Panther and the ways in which it succeeds in having a useful and productive conversation about race (in the conventions of film) as well as the rhetorical implications of Afrofuturism to make a difference in race relations. These are critical conversations going forward–more important than ever given the current state of America at the moment.
CREATIVE WRITING: Grace Randolph, a YouTuber I subscribe to, echoes a call that I’ve heard more than once: there needs to be more stories that tell stories featuring diverse characters. She also argues that there should be more diverse roles available. I should be focusing on working on my creative writing in order to craft stories in my favorite genres of fantasy and sci-fi for diverse characters. One of my friends from the library once told me that my story Childe Roland, featuring an African American male protagonist (you can find it for free in the links below), should be a graphic novel. I have yet to get around to that–I need to stop procrastinating and just continue to work to write and publish works with diverse characters with hope that one day these may find there ways into the right people who can help make them them into things that can be seen, and more importantly, experienced . Until we can understand each other, things will likely never change.
In conclusion, I hope this was a respectful and considered discussion of the (very) complex issues that are happening now. The one thing I want to be is part of the solution to this problem, and not part of the problem, unlike Mr. Brees, who despite his long list of football accomplishments, seems to have forgotten that he and his are not the only Americans to have ever lived (and served) in this country. However, this image captured by Sarah Grace Taylor of the Chattanooga Police Department is an excellent start to showing how a little empathy goes a long way.
[image error]Photo: Sarah Grace Taylor. Image Source: Chattanooga Times Freepress https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2020/jun/01/chattanooga-police-take-knee-protesters/524333/
Sidney
Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:
Read Skin Deep for Free at Aurora WolfRead Childe Roland for Free at Electric Spec
Purchase HawkeMoon on Amazon.com (Paperback) or eBookPurchase Dragonhawk on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase WarLight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Ship of Shadows on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Faerie Knight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or Kindle
The Independent (Sci-Fi Short-Story)–
Editing DraftShip of Shadows Graphic Novel
Finished: Script, Issue #1
Next: Script, Issue #2“Project Arizona” (Weird Western Story)
Finished: Rough Draft (Idea phase)
Next: First Draft (Plot phase)
May 27, 2020
Pushback Against Liar’s Year 2020
Today I want to “push back” against a couple of assumptions in a YouTube video. I want to be as respectful as possible as I feel that there’s too much negativity out there, especially when one person disagrees with another.
Liar’s Year 2020
So, the YouTuber in question is Jim Stirling and the video I want to push back against is his latest Jimquisition episode: Liar’s Year 2020. A little context: Jim is a video game’s journalist who started his own YouTube channel. While he does discuss video games, he takes it upon himself to point out various corporate shenanigans and duplicitous schemes within the larger corporate paradigm, but most specifically inside of the world of video games. As noted above, while don’t agree with him on some of his points (this obviously being one of them), I do watch his videos as he is one of the few voices that actually discusses the excesses of corporations–although I wish it could be done in a less strident way.
However, in this video, he rails against several game companies for not showing gameplay footage at their “gameplay” reveals or showing footage that is “aspirational” of what next generation will look like in the future. He takes Sony, Epic Games (Unreal Engine), Ubisoft, and Gearbox (among others) to task for their propensity in a new console generation to exaggerate, stretch the truth, and outright lie about the capabilities of the new machines. While he isn’t necessarily wrong, I do feel that he 1) overstates the case and 2) ignores the changes at least one company has made (Sony) to address his concerns.
Gameplay = Gameplay
Let’s start with that second one first, as it is the impetus for me writing this blog entry. Sony takes it on the chin (yet again) in this video. For as much as Sony is discussed, you would think that it was them, and not Microsoft (the true guilty party) who held a “Gameplay event” with trailers that barely showed any gameplay (or only stylized, non-representative gameplay). Sony, however, had the misfortune of releasing a Killzone video that was unrepresentative of actual gameplay in the early 2000s.
The reason I feel this is so wrong is that Sony has spent an entire console generation making up for that previous mistake. I’ve linked an entire 18 minute gameplay trailer for their upcoming game releasing this year: Ghost of Tshushima. It even included (what appears to be) HUD elements.
Now this isn’t the first game that Sony has done this for. Most of its major titles this generation have gotten this treatment: Infamous: Second Son, Horizon Zero Dawn, Spider-Man, The Last of Us, Part II, Until Dawn, God of War, The Last Guardian, The Order 1886 and even Killzone Shadowfall got “gameplay trailers” that showed actual gameplay. Below is a video of young woman skeptically wondering if the Horizon Zero Dawn “gameplay” trailer was actually “true” and being absolutely thrilled when she realized it was:
Sony has spent an entire “console generation” trying to win back the trust of gamers when presenting games to the public. While most Sony games are presented without UI/HUD, for the vast majority of their games, the game you see in the “gameplay demonstration” is the game you end up playing.
All Microsoft has to do is utter the words 12 terraflops and Gamepass and gamers (not necessarily Jim, but the gaming community in general) and Microsoft is forgiven for trying enact one of the most restrictive consoles policies and launches in the history of video games.
Overstating the Case
The other problem I have (in this instance) is that Jim “cherry-picks” his examples. For instance, nowhere does Jim discuss the original C. D. Projeckt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 48 minute gameplay demo in which the developers take pains to point out how much is in flux. This is the nature of game development in general. The exact arguments he levels against Sony, Epic, Unreal Engine 5, and Ubisoft are the very same arguments used by the developers of Cyberpunk 2020 to illustrate that they were still iterating on the design.
No where does he mention that this gameplay demonstration was presented in the same light as the gameplay demonstrations that he is objecting to, but Cyberpunk 2077’s gameplay wasn’t in Liar’s Year 2020, but 2018. This video has over 19 million hits and is insanely popular–but in the first 5 minutes of the video, the developers hedge the features and look of the demo, not once, but twice.
The start of a new console generation does allow developers, marketers, and executives to perhaps stretch the truth, but that’s not necessarily all on them–that’s also on us. One of the mantras should always be: check the reviews! Too many people buy games sight unseen based on the marketing materials.
Who Do You Trust?
In conclusion, I guess I really wanted to push back that the console generation switch means that “lies” are the only thing that is a part of the experience. When you have a console maker spend several years trying to make up for a mistake and show “gameplay” and when have another console maker not show “gameplay” at a “Gameplay Reveal Event,” it calls into question the credibility of the argument.
Whenever Sony does show its line-up, I have a fairly high confidence that what I’ll be seeing is what I’ll be playing. While I know that the Unreal 5 “tech demo” was just that, a proof of concept of what is possible on the hardware, it isn’t the prerendered trailers that we’ve been shown in the past and it represents what is possible at this time. Yes, much of it could be marketing hype. However, given the track record of Mark Cerney, chief architect of the Playstation 4 and Playstation 5, and the fact that games like Horizon Zero Dawn, The Last of Us (Parts I and II), Spider-Man, and God of War actually looked like and played as their gameplay demonstrations showed, I’m willing to give them more credibility versus an actor who is put in a game and is brought out on-stage to try to sell a game (Ubisoft & Microsoft, I’m looking at you). It is highly possible that the Unreal Engine 5 will not be able to do what it is promising, but based on Sony’s recent track record (especially in light of Microsoft’s), I’m willing to take that bet.
Sidney
Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:
Read Skin Deep for Free at Aurora WolfRead Childe Roland for Free at Electric Spec
Purchase HawkeMoon on Amazon.com (Paperback) or eBookPurchase Dragonhawk on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase WarLight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Ship of Shadows on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Faerie Knight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or Kindle
The Independent (Sci-Fi Short-Story)–
Editing DraftShip of Shadows Graphic Novel
Finished: Script, Issue #1
Next: Script, Issue #2“Project Arizona” (Weird Western Story)
Finished: Rough Draft (Idea phase)
Next: First Draft (Plot phase)
May 26, 2020
Don’t Be Creepy, Google
Over the weekend, my mother and I were discussing my apartment where I go to school. I was telling her that I thought it was okay, but she wasn’t so sure. I assured her that I would go up to check as soon as possible, but she was also worried about that eventuality because the Murfreesboro/Nashville area is one of the hardest hit areas in the state with virus (at least initially). Somehow the discussion turned to insurance, and I went to look something up on Google to show her. I noticed the first couple of results were ads for an insurance company I’d never heard of before, Lemonade–yes, I promise you it is an insurance company and not a drink maker–but scrolled down to my results to find a site that had the information that I was looking for to show her. Imagine my surprise and consternation when, later that night, while looking at videos on YouTube (owned by whom? That’s right: Google), 15 second ads for Lemonade insurance began popping up before my videos. All through the day, I was “served” ads for various home and auto insurance companies, even though all I wanted was “information,” and not looking to purchase a product or service.
Scary, right?
Sketchy, Google, Very Sketchy
Now, I try not to curse, but I’m going to use a term that is in wide circulation these days as euphemistically as possible: Google, selling ads to consumers is one thing, but selling ads to information seekers is “sketchy AF.” I’m a writer, and if I search for “famous mass murderers” for research purposes for a story or an academic paper, is Google going start serving me ads for local “hitmen” in the area? Yes, I’m being reductive here, but I’m trying to illustrate a point. How does Google know that what I’m searching for have any correlation to what I’m looking to purchase?
The answer is: they don’t. They rely on their almighty algorithm to guess at my intentions. I know what I’m going to purchase when, and I don’t need Google, or any other company, selling ads to try to influence my purchasing decisions.
Yes, I know all this could be avoided by searching when I’m NOT signed into Gmail on browser, but I’m trying to 1) winnow down the absolute deluge of email that has come about recently and 2) I’m moving to a new email address and need to have them both up as I switch email accounts over. Now I’m going to have to go and find the settings that controls Google’s Ads and pretty much turn everything off. See, Google, we trust you “not to be evil” and you betray that trust. This is why it is so hard to ever give corporations the benefit of the doubt–you betray the trust over and over again because you become either a monopoly or part of an oligopoly and take out all the competition to necessary services.
Alternate Browsers/Alternate Search Engines
After turning off my ad preferences, the next step that I intend to take is to start using other browsers outside of Chrome. Now obviously, since I use a Chromebook as my main computing device–at least, for now, as I finish up by graduate work, a lot of searches will still go through Google. However, there are other lesser known search engines out there (although most have gone thanks to Google’s stranglehold on the market). A quick search (on Google) shows that its service handles over 91% of the world’s searches.
There’s a reason why America had such strong Anti-Trust laws in the past, but over the past 100-125 years (as of this writing), there has been a slow, but concerted to effort to weaken these laws (this movement accelerated in the 1960s and 1970s) until we are where we are today. I can “turn off” the controls provided to me by Google (and I’ll see what effect that has), but I don’t have a true competitor to Google if I want to find information on the web effectively. Companies move to limit choice–through acquisitions or market share–and then the consumer has a limited number of options should they want to take their business elsewhere. Companies “lock in” consumers rather than competing on price/service–look at the web search engine market, or even the cell phone industry.
My point is that we always hear that competition is great for the consumer as if forces companies to compete with one another on prices, services, etc. to win customers. However, Google doesn’t compete for me–instead, it entangles me in a web of other companies vying for my (limited) amount of funds in order to entice me into purchasing (consuming) things based on what it’s algorithm perceives that I “need”/”want” whether that assumption is valid or not.
Hey Google, how about letting me make the choice on where and how to spend my time and money and not your algorithm, okay?
Sidney
Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:
Read Skin Deep for Free at Aurora WolfRead Childe Roland for Free at Electric Spec
Purchase HawkeMoon on Amazon.com (Paperback) or eBookPurchase Dragonhawk on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase WarLight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Ship of Shadows on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Faerie Knight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or Kindle
The Independent (Sci-Fi Short-Story)–
Editing DraftShip of Shadows Graphic Novel
Finished: Script, Issue #1
Next: Script, Issue #2“Project Arizona” (Weird Western Story)
Finished: Rough Draft (Idea phase)
Next: First Draft (Plot phase)
May 25, 2020
Movie Monday Mini Review: Appleseed Alpha
Unfortunately, there’s no easy way on a keyboard to find the “Alpha” symbol, but that is the true name of this CG anime movie, but for now, “alpha” will do. Appleseed was created by Shirow Masamune (written this way in the movie credits although I know him as Masamune Shirow from the english language adaptation of his work from Dark Horse comics back in the 80s). Appleseed follows Deunan and her cybernetic boyfriend Briareos in a post-apocalyptic, war-ravaged Earth. (Minor spoiler to skip for those vested in the universe and want to go into the movie totally “blind”): Appleseed Alpha serves as a “prequel” to the story of the manga, as a couple of major characters from manga are there, but the characters and places that are integral to the manga are simply hinted at and not shown in this movie. This story could be a theoretical “just before” story which happens just before the story in the manga kicks off (although, by its ending, there could theoretically b other stories told after this one before the manga story’s timeline begins).
Appleseed Fan
I’m a fan of Appleseed, if you can’t tell. I was lucky, as a child, to find 5 or 6 issues of the Dark Horse run of the series. Mechs and Mecha (human pilots in humanoid robots and power armor) appeals to my type of action sci-fi, and one thing that Appleseed does well is Mechs/Mecha. While Briareos was cool, if odd looking, and Deunan was capable, if sometimes a little to moody, it was the mechs (or rather mecha) that drew me in. Mechs (in my definition) are large vehicles that a pilot sits in and “pilot.” Mecha, on the other hand, are (mostly) human sized power armor. Shirow Masamune is a “master” at depicting mecha and mecha designs, and while the combat scenes are sometimes chaotic, seeing an “Iron Man“-like suit in action was something new and different at the time for me. While I never got the complete set, I did splurge a few years back and got the complete story when they re-released the original manga version with its original Japanese right-to-left format.
Prefer the Manga Still
It’s been long enough that I don’t remember the other movie versions of Appleseed that I’ve seen. However, I do remember that I’m pretty sure that I liked them better than this one. While I liked the movie overall, there were some odd design choices that really hampered my overall enjoyment of the movie. For one, while Briareos looks like himself in all his cyborg, four eyes, two ear “stalks” glory, something about Deunan looks off. I can’t tell if it is the short hair (or the hairstyle itself), the facial structure, or the way she’s animated, but every time she was on-screen, I couldn’t help thinking, “that’s not Deunan.” The same is true with her characterization. In the manga, Deunan is stubborn, almost to the point of obstinance. Here, there’s a place where she just gives up out of nowhere and Briareos has to talk her out of this despondency. Another thing that was off for me was the character of “Two Horns“. While I respect the actor (who is black) and don’t want to denigrate his work as he is very proud of the role: https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/tomball/news/article/Tomball-man-lands-major-role-in-upcoming-CGI-9678246.php), it does bother me that the “criminal” character (even if he ultimately has a “heart of gold”) is played by someone of color. This is why I think Afrofuturism is so important as I would love to see this actor play a noir detective, or fleet admiral, or futuristic cab driver, or a myriad of other roles rather than the criminal/sports star that seems to pass for roles for people of color in sci-fi movies.
Overall Score: 78-79 (C+)
This is one that I was predisposed to like because I like the source material. While understand the desire not to tell the same story over again from the manga, as they done that several times already with the previous animated film, this film felt far less “epic” in scope because of the choice. This movie didn’t have the complexity of the other movies and comes across as being, to turn a phrase, Appleseed “lite.” Add to that the odd looking CG models for some of the characters, Deunan, especially, and the choice to keep putting actors of color in stereotypical roles (admittedly, not unique to this movie, unfortunately), and it just created too many problems to overcome for me to fully enjoy the narrative. I hate to admit it, but I was checking the time remaining on this film far more than I usually do for films that I watch (and this is from someone who is a fan of the source material). That just about says it all.
Sidney
Please consider supporting these fine small press publishers where my work has appeared:
Read Skin Deep for Free at Aurora WolfRead Childe Roland for Free at Electric Spec
Purchase HawkeMoon on Amazon.com (Paperback) or eBookPurchase Dragonhawk on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase WarLight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Ship of Shadows on Amazon.com (Paperback) or KindlePurchase Faerie Knight on Amazon.com (Paperback) or Kindle
The Independent (Sci-Fi Short-Story)–
Editing DraftShip of Shadows Graphic Novel
Finished: Script, Issue #1
Next: Script, Issue #2“Project Arizona” (Weird Western Story)
Finished: Rough Draft (Idea phase)
Next: First Draft (Plot phase)
