literature
Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.
Book Review: "Moses Ascending" by Sam Selvon
Sam Selvon's works is always pretty great and the first book I ever read by him was "The Lonely Londoners" when I was in my first year of my undergraduate degree. But truthfully, his books dropped off my radar until now when I discovered this number - "Moses Ascending". Here's the story without spoilers: a Black-British man is a landlord and goes to meet his tenants who are also Black and British. What he finds there is not just a normal tenancy, this is not "Tenants of Moonbloom" sh- instead, this is a microcosm for a revolution. Power politics, freedom speeches, gatherings, migrants and Black Panthers gather in the rooms that this landlord owns and each and every one of them has a plan to break the narrative against them.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Geeks
Racist, Tyrant, Terrorist, Revolutionary.
‘Adult’ content is not a new phenomenon in Young Adult literature. It can be argued to have started in the last of Robert Heinlein’s juvenile novels Starship Troopers. The novel follows the archetypal coming of age format, but is largely a philosophical novel that explores the concept of citizenship and what it means to be a citizen. A backdrop of social issues is increasingly prevalent in YA literature, however, the treatment of the reader is what truly varies. Some approach this backdrop frankly; in The Ask and The Answer, Patrick Ness makes the themes of genocide and terrorism explicit while posing the question, “What is the difference between a terrorist and a revolutionary?” Koushun Takami’s Battle Royale, while also being incredibly graphic, tackles rape, child sexual abuse, prostitution, social inequality, and the pitfalls of totalitarianism bluntly. In her conversation with Hiroki, Mitsuko expands upon, “I just decided to take instead of being taken” by explaining to him, with disturbing lack of affect, that her “one thing” motivating this was when, at nine years-old, she was raped by three adults. Meanwhile, The Lions of Little Rock and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian feel introductory in comparison. While Ness and Takami address this ‘adult’ content frankly; Levine and Alexie take a more lighthearted approach with both novels ending rather happily for the protagonists.
By Hayley Moses5 years ago in Geeks
Cassie and Her Bad Boy Alpha
Hello everyone before we get started with the story I would like to introduce the characters to you so you aren't shocked when they pop up in the story. These are the main characters that will make prominent appearances in the story. There will be others as well but they only appear once or twice so I will not list them below. I want to thank you for reading my story and please leave any comments as to how I can make them better ~ Caitlyn
By Caitlyn Marie Thies5 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Ruined Map" by Kōbō Abe
In comparison to the other Kōbō Abe books I have read, “The Ruined Map” may be a great concept, but I feel like it is not as well written as the others. With putting “The Box Man” at the most probable top and next coming “Secret Rendezvous”, this book is going to come at a safe third because of the fact that I did not feel the same sense of existential unpredictability and socially motivated self closure that I got from the other novels. This novel was more or less an original storyline of noir/criminal nature closer to the novels written by Haruki Murakami than the books he had written previously. However, the book still identifies with his two previous books in the sense that it is written is a style that can confound the reader quite a bit when reading it for the first time.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Cancer Journals" by Audre Lorde
Written when she was diagnosed with cancer and her first operation to remove her right breast. As Audre Lorde comes to terms with her new body experience, she tries to rationalise and reason the ways in which she can learn to live again whilst also reasoning with death. There was something about this book which was not only personal but deeply moving and introspective. Audre Lorde goes into herself and from looking within, she sees that one day she will die and although she doesn't know whether it will yet, she thinks that this may be a thing that can kill her. It is through this understanding and reasoning of death that she comes closer to herself and some of her best and deepest philosophical writings in all of her career.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Geeks
Chapter 1 - Cynosure
Chapter 1 - Hex 1 Eva told me not to cry when the other kids beat me down. She told me boys will be boys and a piddly fight would make me stronger. She told me not to worry when she found me staring in from the outside, peering perhaps at a mean boy or a pretty girl. She told me that the affections of children would not hurt me. She was right. They couldn’t hurt me then and still can’t to this day because around them I do not feel. I am a freak of nature, born of two bloods into no family but the street and dirt beneath. I am utterly alone, as everyone discovers sooner or later, and this understanding feeds me strength to do not what I must, but as I please. When I came into this world, I believe that I emerged from the gateway of death. Every day I seek that gateway, peering through the ever-waning cover of fear and keeping the ever-present gate at arm's length. Perhaps I will die tomorrow. Perhaps I will travel the Centrum. But I will not die an old man. Only those with one hand on the gate can truly feel. And I long to feel alive.
By Quinn Rocklinone5 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Box Man" by Kōbō Abe
I am going to be shivering about this haunting, spooky and chilling tale for a long while after I have written this review. I cannot imagine this actually happening in real life but I think that the "Box" seems to be a metaphor for covering yourself with a protective layer of thick skin against social ridicule. It is a brilliant metaphor and ends up becoming the central narrative for people who spy on others, people who are suicidal and even people who want to contemplate life and death without the talk and judgement of others. To me, life in a box does not actually sound that bad. You don't have to talk to anyone if you don't want to and you are entirely in your own space. You don't pay rent, you don't pay for heating and water - you just buy when you need. Of course, I can see several downsides to this and in reality, it would not work. But it serves as a pretty good metaphor for the incredible amounts of social isolation suffered by the protagonist and what this leads to as his own identity starts to fall and crumble before him.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Geeks
Tails From The Void
Victor stood in the battle line his body threating to collapse in fear. This would be his baptism by fire as were. He is a simple farmer with three young children his youngest being only three. His wife Gods bless her works just as hard as he and is all the brains in their marriage. Men and woman both are drafted in times of war, but in the case where married partners are concerned only one is required to enlist if they have children. Sense Victor has a strong back but not much brain he was the obvious choice.
By Nathan Cleve Durham5 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Magician of Lublin" by Isaac Bashevis Singer
As you can tell, I have gotten back into reading Isaac Bashevis Singer lately and honestly, I am really enjoying myself. His books are very deep and mystical with powerful, engaging and very human storylines. This one in particular is about a magician named Yasha who lives his life in 'sin' [as some characters reflect]. He has a wife, but he is unfaithful. He has a grounding, but he seeks fame and fortune. He has these deep philosophical interjections about who he will be when he dies and there are these large descriptions of the sun, moon and stars that almost belittle Yasha in the bigger, everlasting space of the universe. Yasha is a flawed man yes, but he is also hopeful, passionate and he performs magic ironically in his personal life by deceiving others he cares about. You may grow to like the character, but you do not respect him. You may grow to understand the character, but you will never figure him out. Yasha, by the end of the book, is still a mystery and an enigma. He is a puzzle and yet, his narrative has already been solved.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Geeks
The American Dream
A Propagandized Society Influenced by Industrial Capitalism Miller’s play “Death of a Salesman” has the reputation of the Great American Play of the 20th century. Miller goes into depth about a family so concerned with achieving the American Dream that it leads to their downfall. The American Dream is the idea that any American regardless of their socioeconomic status is given the equal opportunity to rise in social status and achieve wealth. This dream helped in raising morale until the economic downfall during the early 1900’s. Using the correlation between this dream and the influence of the Great depression Miller’s play effectively describes the effects capitalism has had on the economic factors, and lifestyles of American’s controlled by a propagandized society for greed and money. Miller has a strong influence based opinion on socialism and how the Great Depression had a drastic effect on the lifestyle of many American’s.
By Mary ODonnell5 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Trouble With Being Born" by E.M Cioran
I read this whole book in one night and honestly, it was one of the best books I have read this year. It really requires you to think about every single word because of its deep and philosophical stance on the fact that we should not be concerned about death but actually hate the fact that we were ever born. The book is formatted in various small bites of information and so, it makes it easier to read.
By Annie Kapur5 years ago in Geeks
