present, appearing, or found everywhere
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tim, the residue of your penultimate post still resonates with me and continues to make noises in my head, but you already ranted about FE so now I have to catch up with you!
Anyway, I really liked what you had to say about FE and your devotion to it. I do take issue with something you said in the post before that, but first things first.
The fact that you care so much about the characters of FE above all else resonates with me not just because one of the differentiating factors of literature from escapist fiction is the fact that escapist fiction is primarily plot-focused, whereas literature is almost entirely Character-driven. I remember you telling me that John Green had trouble with plot but was great at character development, which is what makes him such a great writer. I'm not saying that plot isn't important (without it, we'd just be reading/watching/playing a psychological analysis), but without any real dynamic and rounded characters, the story falls flat and ultimately forgettable.
It's like looking at a picture of a mountain. Sure it's nice and pretty, but without any people in the picture, a history related to it, or a story to attach to it, it means nothing.
Anyway, so because of what you wrote, I felt compelled to explain my interest in Homestuck.
The format of Homestuck is interesting to say the least as it is presented in internet comic style, but every page link to the next frame/series of frames/animation (for special plot advancements) is preceded by a text command (eg. John: Look Out Window). The idea is to imitate the old-style text command games and give the reader a sense of being involved in the happenstances of the story, which is all written by the guy below.
There's so much self-insertion and fourth-wall breaking in the comic that it would make even post-modernist deconstructionists cringe. However, that's part of the fun of reading it, because the text commands and the plot-twists psyche you out and you never know what is really going to happen next.
However, what I really love about Homestuck is the characters, seen below:
The story revolves around these four kids who all play a game that leads to the destruction of Earth and their teleportation into the Incipisphere where they must be challenged by the constructs of the game to build their houses (which teleported with them) through the Seven Gates to reach Skaia, a crucible of unlimited potential. The Medium they enter is in the midst of a giant war between light and dark forces on the four planets they end up on and on Skaia itself.
Despite the numerous plot details of the game constructs, the politics of the two Kingdoms and the subplot of the Skaian exiles sent to Earth to repopulate it, the main focus is on the four kids and their development throughout the game.
It's kind of like The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe, but set in 2009 and with a dramatically secularized viewpoint. However, the story gets more complicated as the kids are trolled by a race of aliens who also played the game, but were thwarted at the last second by a rift in space which they blame the kids for.
The aliens, coincidentally, are a race of literal Trolls from a planet that was also decimated by the game and eventually repopulated by a group of exiles that tangentially assisted the trolls via secret underground computer labs planted by the game for that exact purpose.
The trolls become central to the plot and the complications of their relationships and interactions (with the kids as well as with one another) adds a fourfold layer to the story. I say fourfold for two reasons, one being the fact that there are 12 Trolls as opposed to 4 kids (Yes I know 12 ÷ 4 isn't 4, but just wait).
So the other thing about trolls is the fact that Troll romance works on Four Quadrants instead of just one. They are symbolized by a Heart (<3), a Diamond (<>), some Clubs (o8<) and a Spade (<3<). It's ridiculously complicated and it makes it very challenging as a reader to keep track of all the different relationships. Furthermore . . .
Actually, if you're really curious, just go here:
http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?game=delete&s=6&p=004395
Anyway, so the whole direction with the Troll characters adds more depth to both the original characters as well as the whole concept of young teens trying to relate to each other while engrossed in life or death situations. The real story of Homestuck is about the people (and trolls) and how they interact with one another, which the creator has stated many times is his intention all along.
So it's a story of love, loss, friendship, betrayal, aliens, exiles, space, time, and above all growing up. The story has been updated daily for the past year and a half and although the ark of the story has only taken up one day so far, it feels like the characters have aged by many years, maturing alongside the complexity of the world(s) they traverse.
That's why I think it's so brilliant, but as with anything created by humans, there are some downsides.
We've talked a little bit in the past about how the fans of something can really alter whether you want to be apart of it. For example, looking at the fans of Twilight gives me a good indication of the subject matter in the books and whether I should read them or not. But that's not always the case (just because a lot of cereal killers liked The Catcher in the Rye doesn't mean I shouldn't have read it).
With Homestuck, there's a great mix of fans, from the passive to the passionate. And because it's on the internet, the dynamic goes deep into both extremes. There's a lot of fans of Homestuck that are really great and I would like to meet someday. On the other hand, there's also a lot of people who take the story far too seriously and raise a huge stink any time the plot takes a turn they don't care for. There's also this, which I won't comment on:
I would also like to point out as a warning that Rule 34 is VERY much applicable for nearly every aspect of Homestuck. I say this to warn you NOT TO IMAGE SEARCH ANY OF THE THINGS I MENTIONED IN THIS BLOG. Please, just don't do it. The internet is a scary, disturbing, and unsettling place.
But all that aside, it's still a well-crafted story that I enjoy every page of. Its main intention is humour and there are times when I've laughed out loud reading it (much to the confusion of my dorm mates). I'm invested in the characters and can't wait to see where the story goes next.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So there you have it.
And I haven't forgotten what I mentioned at the beginning of this post. I'm super happy that we agree theologically about what I said in the last post and I just want to clarify that you may totally disagree with me here and I completely respect you for that, that's why I talk to you in the first place (plus I love you!).
But I just wanted to point out that I do believe that the truth of God and His Kingdom is very much Absolute. Not by scientific and by effect, human, understanding, but because His Kingdom is not just something we believe in, but it is a reality of the whole universe. I'm not poo-pooing any sort of scientific observation or the scientific method; I think it is absolutely essential that we do all that we can to have a clear, unbiased understanding of the universe around us. I still want to assert that God's power is by no means dependent upon our ability to worship Him or by our faith in Him. God doesn't need us to believe in Him, He is the master of the entire universe. Faith is only important to Him as it pertains to our understanding of Him.
And that's what I think you were trying to say: that our faith is not an absolute truth in terms of how we are able to define "absolute" (seeing as we can prove nothing of our faith with scientific or mathematical means). Yes, we need faith and belief, but we can never be 100% sure based on any empirical methods that we have at our disposal. But the reality of God is more real than anything we perceive by our extremely limited sensory perceptions. He is absolute. Our understanding of Him is not. He is ubiquitous and appears in all things; we just can't prove of validate that by our own fishbowl understanding.
So yes, you were right, I just wanted to clarify and qualify that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Glad to here your midterms went so well! I have one coming up and one after the break, with a bunch of presentations and papers thrown in there, so I'm going to be up to my ears in work this week. But I have next week off! B's Mom is coming to visit, so they're going to be staying over for a few days, but I plan to do some much needed visiting and hanging out throughout that week if you're available!
See you soon Tim,
-Clayton
Anyway, I really liked what you had to say about FE and your devotion to it. I do take issue with something you said in the post before that, but first things first.
The fact that you care so much about the characters of FE above all else resonates with me not just because one of the differentiating factors of literature from escapist fiction is the fact that escapist fiction is primarily plot-focused, whereas literature is almost entirely Character-driven. I remember you telling me that John Green had trouble with plot but was great at character development, which is what makes him such a great writer. I'm not saying that plot isn't important (without it, we'd just be reading/watching/playing a psychological analysis), but without any real dynamic and rounded characters, the story falls flat and ultimately forgettable.
It's like looking at a picture of a mountain. Sure it's nice and pretty, but without any people in the picture, a history related to it, or a story to attach to it, it means nothing.
Anyway, so because of what you wrote, I felt compelled to explain my interest in Homestuck.
The format of Homestuck is interesting to say the least as it is presented in internet comic style, but every page link to the next frame/series of frames/animation (for special plot advancements) is preceded by a text command (eg. John: Look Out Window). The idea is to imitate the old-style text command games and give the reader a sense of being involved in the happenstances of the story, which is all written by the guy below.
There's so much self-insertion and fourth-wall breaking in the comic that it would make even post-modernist deconstructionists cringe. However, that's part of the fun of reading it, because the text commands and the plot-twists psyche you out and you never know what is really going to happen next.
However, what I really love about Homestuck is the characters, seen below:
The story revolves around these four kids who all play a game that leads to the destruction of Earth and their teleportation into the Incipisphere where they must be challenged by the constructs of the game to build their houses (which teleported with them) through the Seven Gates to reach Skaia, a crucible of unlimited potential. The Medium they enter is in the midst of a giant war between light and dark forces on the four planets they end up on and on Skaia itself.
Despite the numerous plot details of the game constructs, the politics of the two Kingdoms and the subplot of the Skaian exiles sent to Earth to repopulate it, the main focus is on the four kids and their development throughout the game.
It's kind of like The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe, but set in 2009 and with a dramatically secularized viewpoint. However, the story gets more complicated as the kids are trolled by a race of aliens who also played the game, but were thwarted at the last second by a rift in space which they blame the kids for.
The aliens, coincidentally, are a race of literal Trolls from a planet that was also decimated by the game and eventually repopulated by a group of exiles that tangentially assisted the trolls via secret underground computer labs planted by the game for that exact purpose.
The trolls become central to the plot and the complications of their relationships and interactions (with the kids as well as with one another) adds a fourfold layer to the story. I say fourfold for two reasons, one being the fact that there are 12 Trolls as opposed to 4 kids (Yes I know 12 ÷ 4 isn't 4, but just wait).
So the other thing about trolls is the fact that Troll romance works on Four Quadrants instead of just one. They are symbolized by a Heart (<3), a Diamond (<>), some Clubs (o8<) and a Spade (<3<). It's ridiculously complicated and it makes it very challenging as a reader to keep track of all the different relationships. Furthermore . . .
Actually, if you're really curious, just go here:
http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?game=delete&s=6&p=004395
Anyway, so the whole direction with the Troll characters adds more depth to both the original characters as well as the whole concept of young teens trying to relate to each other while engrossed in life or death situations. The real story of Homestuck is about the people (and trolls) and how they interact with one another, which the creator has stated many times is his intention all along.
So it's a story of love, loss, friendship, betrayal, aliens, exiles, space, time, and above all growing up. The story has been updated daily for the past year and a half and although the ark of the story has only taken up one day so far, it feels like the characters have aged by many years, maturing alongside the complexity of the world(s) they traverse.
That's why I think it's so brilliant, but as with anything created by humans, there are some downsides.
We've talked a little bit in the past about how the fans of something can really alter whether you want to be apart of it. For example, looking at the fans of Twilight gives me a good indication of the subject matter in the books and whether I should read them or not. But that's not always the case (just because a lot of cereal killers liked The Catcher in the Rye doesn't mean I shouldn't have read it).
With Homestuck, there's a great mix of fans, from the passive to the passionate. And because it's on the internet, the dynamic goes deep into both extremes. There's a lot of fans of Homestuck that are really great and I would like to meet someday. On the other hand, there's also a lot of people who take the story far too seriously and raise a huge stink any time the plot takes a turn they don't care for. There's also this, which I won't comment on:
I would also like to point out as a warning that Rule 34 is VERY much applicable for nearly every aspect of Homestuck. I say this to warn you NOT TO IMAGE SEARCH ANY OF THE THINGS I MENTIONED IN THIS BLOG. Please, just don't do it. The internet is a scary, disturbing, and unsettling place.
But all that aside, it's still a well-crafted story that I enjoy every page of. Its main intention is humour and there are times when I've laughed out loud reading it (much to the confusion of my dorm mates). I'm invested in the characters and can't wait to see where the story goes next.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So there you have it.
And I haven't forgotten what I mentioned at the beginning of this post. I'm super happy that we agree theologically about what I said in the last post and I just want to clarify that you may totally disagree with me here and I completely respect you for that, that's why I talk to you in the first place (plus I love you!).
But I just wanted to point out that I do believe that the truth of God and His Kingdom is very much Absolute. Not by scientific and by effect, human, understanding, but because His Kingdom is not just something we believe in, but it is a reality of the whole universe. I'm not poo-pooing any sort of scientific observation or the scientific method; I think it is absolutely essential that we do all that we can to have a clear, unbiased understanding of the universe around us. I still want to assert that God's power is by no means dependent upon our ability to worship Him or by our faith in Him. God doesn't need us to believe in Him, He is the master of the entire universe. Faith is only important to Him as it pertains to our understanding of Him.
And that's what I think you were trying to say: that our faith is not an absolute truth in terms of how we are able to define "absolute" (seeing as we can prove nothing of our faith with scientific or mathematical means). Yes, we need faith and belief, but we can never be 100% sure based on any empirical methods that we have at our disposal. But the reality of God is more real than anything we perceive by our extremely limited sensory perceptions. He is absolute. Our understanding of Him is not. He is ubiquitous and appears in all things; we just can't prove of validate that by our own fishbowl understanding.
So yes, you were right, I just wanted to clarify and qualify that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Glad to here your midterms went so well! I have one coming up and one after the break, with a bunch of presentations and papers thrown in there, so I'm going to be up to my ears in work this week. But I have next week off! B's Mom is coming to visit, so they're going to be staying over for a few days, but I plan to do some much needed visiting and hanging out throughout that week if you're available!
See you soon Tim,
-Clayton
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