Some of the books, movies and games I’ve read, seen and played are listed here. Some of them have notes attached (the <details>) and some of those have posts associated with them (the :link:).
While I’ve not yet read Andy Weir’s book yet, I love this film! The story has this mix of tragedy and loneliness; and the act of overcoming those obstacles via friendship. I felt the flashbacks were especially good for pacing. And the character design of Rocky and the technology of the Eridians felt really interesting and tactile. I did feel that Rocky might have been infantilised and the story of their crew glossed over a little bit; but again I haven’t gotten around to reading the book yet.
The cinematography was brilliant. There was this sense of warmth and nostalgia to so many of the shots. The colour grading was very well done, and the use of practical effects for a bunch of the film really help make it feel more ‘tactile’ and in combination with the cinematography choices it helps limit bits of disbelief from things like weird lighting, etc. – I also always enjoy the inclusion of some realistic spacecraft movement.
A puzzle game that relies on the player’s exploration of a weird solar system around them. The progress in this game feels well earned as you knit together the story of the relics you find and the atmosphere is brilliant.
A self-described side-quel occurring during the events of Blindsight. Certainly a welcome addition to the world described by that earlier work.
I love the aspects of transhumanism it explores from the viewpoint of a baseline human, however I feel like the story lies a lot closer to home than Blindsight but only takes a bit of time to expand the state of Earth.
Breathes life into a pivot point for English history. There’s what feels like a perfect balance of historicity and character to the players that are here in the life of Thomas Cromwell.
This book feels generous to Cromwell by showing the reader his mind and (probable) upbringing. Whereas I read this after watching A Man for All Seasons, which features Cromwell in a particularly villainous role against Thomas More.
A very interesting spin on the alien first contact trope, with a point of view from a character who might have more in common with the aliens than baseline humanity.
I absolutely love the ideas of consciousness and self-awareness that the book puts forward. Those coupled with the highly intelligent nature of the aliens the crew encounter make for a truly alien and truly inscrutable species.
Genuinely one of my favourite movies ever. Jim Carrey plays a brilliant dramatic role different from the comedies he’s better known for. The visualisation of memory and it’s transformation and loss is so well done and overall the story is melancholic, haunting, nostalgic and hopeful. Jon Brion scores the movie so well, with several standalone tracks that I still listen to often.
An impressive novel, even moreso given the era it was written in. I’m also eager to compare it to modern reinterpretations.