Bloodchild (+ 2 pts)

1. What is your reaction to the text you just read?: It was definitely an interesting read. At first, I felt super frustrated because I could not understand anything that I was going on. I wanted so badly to understand what they were and what kind of world they lived in. It wasn't until way later that I finally understood that there were two different species involved, one that was "alien-like" and one that was human. It definitely was uncomfortable to read at times but it gave me "Planet of the Apes" vibes with the idea that the aliens were the superior race and using humans. Humans are considered to be animals designed to host their children. It was all a very weird but interesting concept. I would have liked the story more if they explained a lot more at the beginning. I wanted to know more and it was frustrating trying to figure it out and understand all of it myself.

2. What connections did you make with the story? Discuss what elements of the story with which you were able to connect? At first, I thought this story was mostly going to be about staying young forever the the pros and cons of wanting to live a long life. I thought there were going to be more messages about youth and distributing that youth to those who need it the most. It ended up being more about sacrifice and being brave. I felt like the main character was obviously scared and he knew it was wrong that the aliens were using them as "hosts". He finally stands up for himself in a way and asks questions, even after being in a scary situation where he saw a man "give birth". In fear, he requests that his sister be probed instead, but then at the thought of it, he takes it back and says "take me instead". It shows the sacrifice that he is willing to take.

3. What changes would you make to adapt this story into another medium? What medium would you choose; what changes would you make? I think this story would definitely make for an interesting movie, although it would freak me out. There are a ton of interesting alien movies, but this story dives into the idea of male pregnancy which is a very interesting concept. It might actually be better as a horror-sci fi movie. I would want to see more background on how these creatures came to live with the humans and more back story on all of the characters involved.

4. Are there elements of this work that you would consider afto-futurist? I think so. In this case, one race dominates over the other and is the "superior" race. They also cage the humans and they are used for their own benefit. I think a lot of these ideas could be related to the ideas of afto-futurism.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Distance to the Moon (+ 1 pts)

This story was actually, in my opinion, very poetic in the way that it was written. I really enjoyed the world that was painted for me by this author. It's clear that he has an incredibly interesting and beautiful imagination. I felt like the imagery was incredibly dreamy and magical as I read. I love the idea that one has to sail out to sea and jump up to the moon to collect it's milk. There is a love story involved here as well, or should I say a love triangle with the characters. The main character is in love with a woman who is the wife to another, but she also is in love with someone else. They all try to show their love for the other person in some way. The only thing that I did not like about this story was the character's names. Other than that, I thought this short story was a magical little journey that I enjoyed reading.
Read more

A Wild Sheep Chase (+6 points)

 This book was not at all what I expected it to be. When I first began reading, I thought it was going to be about the death of the main character's ex girlfriend. I expected it to be about a haunting with her past. It felt that way at first, until it was something entirely different. The main character is actually nameless and is a little bit depressing. He is getting a divorce from his wife and has a pretty "bland" life. I didn't feel any emotional attachment to the main character, which is usually my favorite part about stories. I think that is why the character remains nameless, so the reader does not have that connection to them. It definitely made reading this story a bit harder for me. What is interesting about that is when I read Annihilation it was a similar situation with a nameless main character, but I still somehow felt more connected to that one. As the story went on I still felt very confused. I was waiting for what made this book considered a "hor
Read more

Annihilation (+6 points)

 This week for the topic of "The New Weird" I read Annihilation. When I first started the book, I was honestly a bit confused. I felt myself trying to understand the characters and who they were, because I am so use to doing so when I read a book. I didn't understand why they were not telling me their names or their backstories. I was lost at first and it made me feel a bit uninterested. I'm a sucker for characters and I wanted to like  the characters, but there was that disconnect there that made me feel a bit unsure. As I continued to read though, I became more intrigued. I think what make this story so unique and interesting is because there is that disconnect and the fact that you don't know what's going on. There is so much "unknown" to this world they are searching. That is honestly what makes the novel scary. It is scary to not have any information and wander into a dark abyss full of endless possibilities. They do not know what truly lies in
Read more