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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated The King of ZING in Tabletop Games
Feb 27, 2021
Board game design these days has taken quite an innovative turn – with the creation of new mechanics, combination of game styles, and unique themes being introduced. It seems that everywhere you look, there is something new! That doesn’t mean we have to give up on the classic mechanics and gameplay styles, though, and thats where The King of Zing comes into play.
The King of Zing is a card game of take-that and hand management in which players are trying to be the first to reach 100 points. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, throw some Specialty cards into the mix that allow opponents to manipulate your turn strategy, and even occasionally place their own tokens on your board, and you’ve got quite a strategic conundrum!
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, as there are just too many. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup for a game of The King of Zing, first place the board in the center of the table. Shuffle the deck of cards, dealing 5 to each player, and give players the 25 tokens in their chosen color. (Note: This prototype did not include tokens, so I improvised and borrowed some from another game. The final tokens will not look like the ones pictured below!). Place the remaining cards on the Deck space of the board, creating a draw deck, and flip over the top card to the Discard space. Choose a starting player, and the game is ready to begin!
Throughout the game, you will be drawing or playing cards. At the start of your turn, you will either draw the top card of the Draw deck, or take the top card of the Discard pile into your hand. If the card you drew matches your chosen color, you may immediately play it to your Grave (personal discard pile) and place one of your tokens onto your player board on the corresponding number, thus ending your turn. Otherwise, once you draw a card, you can do the following: select a card from your hand to go in the communal Discard pile, play a Specialty card, place a card from your hand face-up or face-down onto any player’s open Hold space, or play the face-down card from your own Hold space. **Important note** If there is ever a face-up card in your Hold at the start of your turn, you must play it and your turn ends. (This could be a strategic way to encumber opponents!). Play continues in this fashion until a player has collected 4 tokens in a row on their player board. Points are then scored (based on the number of tokens you played), and then the game resets – a series of games is played until one player reaches 100 points and is declared the ultimate winner!
The first thing I want to touch on is the rulebook for The King of Zing. As far as rulebooks go, it is not my favorite. There are some areas of ambiguity that left me confused, and it definitely took several read-throughs and a couple of false-starts at playing to figure out exactly how the gameplay flows. Being a prototype copy of the game, I imagine that editing/rewriting of the rulebook is something that will happen before final production.
Next, the overall gameplay. The different elements are reminiscent of other classic games – getting 4 tokens in a row a la Connect 4, the use of Specialty cards (Reverse, Skip, etc.) a la UNO. In their respective games, these mechanics work well, but how do they work together in The King of Zing? For the most part, I would say they work relatively well together. The mechanics compliment each other and feel logical in play. Probably the most unique aspect of Zing for me is the Hold space for each player. The ability to play cards to Hold spaces, either your own or of an opponent, gives you the opportunity to either plan a strategy/turn in advance, or potentially hinder an opponent. Playing a card face-up to a Hold guarantees that it will be played on the next turn, so not only are you planning ahead, but also broadcasting your move to your opponents. Conversely, a card played face-down could be resolved in any future turn, and can be a battle of risk/reward when played by opponents. A card played to my Hold face-down could just be a useless card for me, causing me to waste a turn to resolve it. BUT, what if an opponent gives you a card you actually need face-down – you don’t know that it is useful, but are you willing to risk a wasted turn to find out? The Hold space adds a new twist to the game that elevates the gameplay.
Components. Zing consists of a board and a big stack of cards. The board is nice and sturdy, the play areas clearly marked. The cards are colorful and thick, and the art is mostly minimal. The Specialty cards have a short description of their use printed on the card, but a more in-depth explanation can be found in the rulebook. As I stated above, this copy did not have any player tokens, so I cannot comment on how those will look in final production. All in all, a decent production quality.
All in all, The King of Zing feels like a take on an old classic. The gameplay incorporates several tried-and-true mechanics, and the flow of the game is pretty straightforward. The rulebook even suggests some gameplay variations, so The King of Zing can be played with gamers as young as 4 years old. Ultimately, the rulebook needs an overhaul, but the skeleton of the game seems to hold up. If you’re looking for something that brings back some nostalgia for older games, try The King of Zing.
The King of Zing is a card game of take-that and hand management in which players are trying to be the first to reach 100 points. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, throw some Specialty cards into the mix that allow opponents to manipulate your turn strategy, and even occasionally place their own tokens on your board, and you’ve got quite a strategic conundrum!
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game, as there are just too many. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup for a game of The King of Zing, first place the board in the center of the table. Shuffle the deck of cards, dealing 5 to each player, and give players the 25 tokens in their chosen color. (Note: This prototype did not include tokens, so I improvised and borrowed some from another game. The final tokens will not look like the ones pictured below!). Place the remaining cards on the Deck space of the board, creating a draw deck, and flip over the top card to the Discard space. Choose a starting player, and the game is ready to begin!
Throughout the game, you will be drawing or playing cards. At the start of your turn, you will either draw the top card of the Draw deck, or take the top card of the Discard pile into your hand. If the card you drew matches your chosen color, you may immediately play it to your Grave (personal discard pile) and place one of your tokens onto your player board on the corresponding number, thus ending your turn. Otherwise, once you draw a card, you can do the following: select a card from your hand to go in the communal Discard pile, play a Specialty card, place a card from your hand face-up or face-down onto any player’s open Hold space, or play the face-down card from your own Hold space. **Important note** If there is ever a face-up card in your Hold at the start of your turn, you must play it and your turn ends. (This could be a strategic way to encumber opponents!). Play continues in this fashion until a player has collected 4 tokens in a row on their player board. Points are then scored (based on the number of tokens you played), and then the game resets – a series of games is played until one player reaches 100 points and is declared the ultimate winner!
The first thing I want to touch on is the rulebook for The King of Zing. As far as rulebooks go, it is not my favorite. There are some areas of ambiguity that left me confused, and it definitely took several read-throughs and a couple of false-starts at playing to figure out exactly how the gameplay flows. Being a prototype copy of the game, I imagine that editing/rewriting of the rulebook is something that will happen before final production.
Next, the overall gameplay. The different elements are reminiscent of other classic games – getting 4 tokens in a row a la Connect 4, the use of Specialty cards (Reverse, Skip, etc.) a la UNO. In their respective games, these mechanics work well, but how do they work together in The King of Zing? For the most part, I would say they work relatively well together. The mechanics compliment each other and feel logical in play. Probably the most unique aspect of Zing for me is the Hold space for each player. The ability to play cards to Hold spaces, either your own or of an opponent, gives you the opportunity to either plan a strategy/turn in advance, or potentially hinder an opponent. Playing a card face-up to a Hold guarantees that it will be played on the next turn, so not only are you planning ahead, but also broadcasting your move to your opponents. Conversely, a card played face-down could be resolved in any future turn, and can be a battle of risk/reward when played by opponents. A card played to my Hold face-down could just be a useless card for me, causing me to waste a turn to resolve it. BUT, what if an opponent gives you a card you actually need face-down – you don’t know that it is useful, but are you willing to risk a wasted turn to find out? The Hold space adds a new twist to the game that elevates the gameplay.
Components. Zing consists of a board and a big stack of cards. The board is nice and sturdy, the play areas clearly marked. The cards are colorful and thick, and the art is mostly minimal. The Specialty cards have a short description of their use printed on the card, but a more in-depth explanation can be found in the rulebook. As I stated above, this copy did not have any player tokens, so I cannot comment on how those will look in final production. All in all, a decent production quality.
All in all, The King of Zing feels like a take on an old classic. The gameplay incorporates several tried-and-true mechanics, and the flow of the game is pretty straightforward. The rulebook even suggests some gameplay variations, so The King of Zing can be played with gamers as young as 4 years old. Ultimately, the rulebook needs an overhaul, but the skeleton of the game seems to hold up. If you’re looking for something that brings back some nostalgia for older games, try The King of Zing.
5 Minute Movie Guy (379 KP) rated The Big Sick (2017) in Movies
Jul 4, 2019
Propelled by its near perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, I went cold turkey into The Big Sick, without so much as seeing a trailer. Although it took a worrisome amount of time, I did eventually warm up to the film and ultimately I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. The Big Sick is a movie that’s unflatteringly honest at times, and it’s a bit light in both of the romance and comedy departments, but it’s a well-rounded true story that makes up for its any of its shortcomings with a big heart.
The Big Sick tells the unique, real-life love story of how Kumail Nanjiani, played by himself in the film, met the love of his life, Emily. The film begins with Kumail working as a struggling stand-up comic. After a performance one night, he meets Emily at a bar and takes her back to his place. The two of them gradually begin dating, but Kumail keeps it a secret from his strict Pakistani parents, who expect him to abide by his culture’s custom of arranged marriages. When Emily’s health unexpectedly takes a dangerous and mysterious turn, Kumail must confront his family, as well as meet Emily’s family, to confess his true feelings of love.
Allow me to begin by addressing the fact that I spent a good half of The Big Sick feeling entirely ambivalent about it. While it seemed well made, I didn’t feel particularly entertained nor engaged by it. Slowly but surely, however, the movie began to win me over, thanks primarily to the help of Ray Romano and Holly Hunter, who co-star as Emily’s parents. By the end, I appreciated and enjoyed the film, and I feel as though I would probably like it even more with a second viewing.
The movie rubbed me the wrong way early on with its not-so-romantic romance that culminated from a one-night-stand. I found the relationship of Kumail and Emily to be somewhat dull, and I was perplexed by how unfavorably it depicts both characters. Though considering the screenplay was actually written by both of them, I suppose there’s something noble and courageous to be said about their honesty. This is not a typical romanticized love story. It has two decent but flawed characters, who I felt indifferent towards at the outset but learned to care about over the course of the film.
Kumail is quite enjoyable as the lead star and I suspect this will be a breakout role for him. He has a good sense of humor and really showcases it in a couple of hysterical scenes. My favorite being a late night visit to a restaurant drive-thru, which is one of the flat-out funniest moments I’ve seen in theaters all year. I also really loved both Romano and Hunter. They’re both complex and comical characters struggling with their own strained marriage, while hesitantly getting to know Kumail and coming to terms with their daughter’s grave illness. Certainly not the best circumstances to be meeting your girlfriend’s parents, and even worse considering they knew that Kumail and Emily had broken up shortly beforehand.
Hunter’s character is volatile and highly defensive of her daughter, yet she’s still wholly identifiable as a loving and concerned parent. I think she gives the strongest performance in the film. Ray Romano is also a pleasant addition, and his character ironically tries to be the voice of reason and balance, even as his own life is crumbling beneath him. I also liked Kumail’s parents, played by Anupam Kher and Zenobia Shroff. Kumail’s mother is amusing in her never-ending pursuit of potential female suitors to marry her son. However, having grown up with western values, Kumail’s own beliefs serve as a stark contrast to those of his strict and traditional family.
The way in which The Big Sick depicts the differences in American and Pakistani culture is what I think really helps to set it apart. It tackles these contrasts with both comedy and sincerity, while also drawing attention to the subtle and the not-so-subtle racism that’s often prevalent in the misunderstanding of other cultures. It’s an honest and respectful film that should be approached as open-mindedly as possible. Those of you willing to give this one a chance may find that it to be well worth your while.
(This review was originally posted at 5mmg.com on 9.5.17.)
The Big Sick tells the unique, real-life love story of how Kumail Nanjiani, played by himself in the film, met the love of his life, Emily. The film begins with Kumail working as a struggling stand-up comic. After a performance one night, he meets Emily at a bar and takes her back to his place. The two of them gradually begin dating, but Kumail keeps it a secret from his strict Pakistani parents, who expect him to abide by his culture’s custom of arranged marriages. When Emily’s health unexpectedly takes a dangerous and mysterious turn, Kumail must confront his family, as well as meet Emily’s family, to confess his true feelings of love.
Allow me to begin by addressing the fact that I spent a good half of The Big Sick feeling entirely ambivalent about it. While it seemed well made, I didn’t feel particularly entertained nor engaged by it. Slowly but surely, however, the movie began to win me over, thanks primarily to the help of Ray Romano and Holly Hunter, who co-star as Emily’s parents. By the end, I appreciated and enjoyed the film, and I feel as though I would probably like it even more with a second viewing.
The movie rubbed me the wrong way early on with its not-so-romantic romance that culminated from a one-night-stand. I found the relationship of Kumail and Emily to be somewhat dull, and I was perplexed by how unfavorably it depicts both characters. Though considering the screenplay was actually written by both of them, I suppose there’s something noble and courageous to be said about their honesty. This is not a typical romanticized love story. It has two decent but flawed characters, who I felt indifferent towards at the outset but learned to care about over the course of the film.
Kumail is quite enjoyable as the lead star and I suspect this will be a breakout role for him. He has a good sense of humor and really showcases it in a couple of hysterical scenes. My favorite being a late night visit to a restaurant drive-thru, which is one of the flat-out funniest moments I’ve seen in theaters all year. I also really loved both Romano and Hunter. They’re both complex and comical characters struggling with their own strained marriage, while hesitantly getting to know Kumail and coming to terms with their daughter’s grave illness. Certainly not the best circumstances to be meeting your girlfriend’s parents, and even worse considering they knew that Kumail and Emily had broken up shortly beforehand.
Hunter’s character is volatile and highly defensive of her daughter, yet she’s still wholly identifiable as a loving and concerned parent. I think she gives the strongest performance in the film. Ray Romano is also a pleasant addition, and his character ironically tries to be the voice of reason and balance, even as his own life is crumbling beneath him. I also liked Kumail’s parents, played by Anupam Kher and Zenobia Shroff. Kumail’s mother is amusing in her never-ending pursuit of potential female suitors to marry her son. However, having grown up with western values, Kumail’s own beliefs serve as a stark contrast to those of his strict and traditional family.
The way in which The Big Sick depicts the differences in American and Pakistani culture is what I think really helps to set it apart. It tackles these contrasts with both comedy and sincerity, while also drawing attention to the subtle and the not-so-subtle racism that’s often prevalent in the misunderstanding of other cultures. It’s an honest and respectful film that should be approached as open-mindedly as possible. Those of you willing to give this one a chance may find that it to be well worth your while.
(This review was originally posted at 5mmg.com on 9.5.17.)
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Survivor's Guide to Family Happiness in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Nina Popkin's mother has recently passed away and she's also freshly divorced. Adopted as a child, her mother's death rekindles Nina's desire to search for her birth mother. She's always felt as she's never belonged anywhere, searching strangers' faces and eyes for her potential birth mother. Amazingly, Nina manages to find her biological sister, Lindy, whom she actually knew as a kid from her neighborhood. But Lindy, who is obsessed with creating a perfect house and life, isn't too thrilled about her wayward sister bursting into her life. Lindy has three kids, a busy salon to run, and a lot of (hidden) anxiety to deal with. But Nina is force to be reckoned with and she's determined to bring Lindy on her journey to find their mother. But will this journey finally bring Nina the sense of peace and belonging she's always desired?
Dawson's novel is told from the varying points of view of its main women: Nina, Lindy, and their biological mother. It's a humorous--and sometimes heartbreaking--look at family and the different forms it can take. Dawson has created a cast of characters who seem incredibly real. She captures the little details just right, from family life with kids, to Nina's romantic woes. Nina is a trip: you can't help but love her and her relentless optimism. Even when the novel drags a bit in the middle, when you feel like Nina and the plot need a bit of a push, it recovers through its humor and Nina's personality. Perhaps the only part I found slightly weird was that Nina and Lindy's childhood neighborhood was so full of adopted children that they grew up knowing each other (though not knowing they were sisters), but perhaps that was truly par for the course for the era... who knows.
In the end, I really enjoyed this novel. It combines several other supporting characters, including the children of Nina's boyfriend, into a great read. At times it's truly laugh out loud funny, even if it gets a bit preposterous. But it's also heartfelt and touching and a lovely look at the bonds of family.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 10/25/2016.
Dawson's novel is told from the varying points of view of its main women: Nina, Lindy, and their biological mother. It's a humorous--and sometimes heartbreaking--look at family and the different forms it can take. Dawson has created a cast of characters who seem incredibly real. She captures the little details just right, from family life with kids, to Nina's romantic woes. Nina is a trip: you can't help but love her and her relentless optimism. Even when the novel drags a bit in the middle, when you feel like Nina and the plot need a bit of a push, it recovers through its humor and Nina's personality. Perhaps the only part I found slightly weird was that Nina and Lindy's childhood neighborhood was so full of adopted children that they grew up knowing each other (though not knowing they were sisters), but perhaps that was truly par for the course for the era... who knows.
In the end, I really enjoyed this novel. It combines several other supporting characters, including the children of Nina's boyfriend, into a great read. At times it's truly laugh out loud funny, even if it gets a bit preposterous. But it's also heartfelt and touching and a lovely look at the bonds of family.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 10/25/2016.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Don't You Cry in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Quinn and Esther are roommates trying to get by in Chicago. When Esther disappears without a trace, Quinn is confused and worried. It's not like her friend to just vanish. As Quinn starts looking into things more, she finds some disturbing papers and items among Esther's things. Quinn begins to wonder: how much did she really know her roommate? Was she really the sweet, kind person she thought her to be? Meanwhile, in a Michigan town on the outskirts of Chicago, Alex is working his life away while his high school friends live theirs miles away. Saddled by caring for his alcoholic father, Alex feels trapped by his job washing dishes in this small town. However, his life becomes more interesting when a lovely young woman appears in town and catches his attention. Alex watches her and names her Pearl, due to the bracelet she wears on her wrist. As Quinn becomes increasingly worried about Esther, Alex simultaneously gets drawn more into Pearl's web.
Kubica's novel catches your attention right away, but for me, it really picks up about halfway through. The second half is a thrilling roller coaster ride full of suspense and plot twists. It keeps you guessing and surprised. The beginning dragged a bit; I found Quinn frustrating and was irritated by her lack of initiative in finding Esther. Why doesn't she call Esther's cell phone immediately? Or look at the whiteboard the roommates share that details their comings and goings? Combined with some of that, her jump to conclusions about Esther's personality seem a bit implausible.
However, the second half really does make up for a lot. Alex and Pearl's story is pretty mesmerizing, as it weaves in a ghost story from his small town, passed on through the townsfolk. By alternating between Alex and Quinn's point of view, Kubica does an excellent job of constructing her story, while still drawing out the twists and turns. I kept thinking I'd figured out parts of the plot, only to be surprised or proved wrong. The last half of the book will keep you up reading, desperately wanting to find out what happened to Esther. Overall, 3.5 stars.
I received an ARC of this book from Edelweiss (thank you!); it is available everywhere on 5/17.
Kubica's novel catches your attention right away, but for me, it really picks up about halfway through. The second half is a thrilling roller coaster ride full of suspense and plot twists. It keeps you guessing and surprised. The beginning dragged a bit; I found Quinn frustrating and was irritated by her lack of initiative in finding Esther. Why doesn't she call Esther's cell phone immediately? Or look at the whiteboard the roommates share that details their comings and goings? Combined with some of that, her jump to conclusions about Esther's personality seem a bit implausible.
However, the second half really does make up for a lot. Alex and Pearl's story is pretty mesmerizing, as it weaves in a ghost story from his small town, passed on through the townsfolk. By alternating between Alex and Quinn's point of view, Kubica does an excellent job of constructing her story, while still drawing out the twists and turns. I kept thinking I'd figured out parts of the plot, only to be surprised or proved wrong. The last half of the book will keep you up reading, desperately wanting to find out what happened to Esther. Overall, 3.5 stars.
I received an ARC of this book from Edelweiss (thank you!); it is available everywhere on 5/17.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
The U.S.-Mexico border been a hum for human and drug trafficking, but when the cartels begin trafficking terrorist across the border the Pentagon decides enough is enough. It is time to try a different tactic. That is when agent Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) is brought in. Graver has been around the border before but also has been successful in the Middle East. He is brought in to start a war between the cartels. Graver knows that they only way to fight the cartels is to fight dirty. He knows what has worked before and he knows it will work here. He plans a daring daytime kidnapping of Isabel Reyes (Isabela Moner). She is the youngest daughter of the head of the Reyes Cartel, which Graver found out was responsible for helping certain terrorist get across the border. These particular terrorist eventually blew up a store in Kansas City. Graver flies to Columbia and enlists the help of a sicario, or assassin, Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) and together they set out to execute the kidnapping and kick of a war of cartels. But as they soon find out even the best laid plans can go wrong south of the border.
The follow up to the critically acclaimed 2015 film Sicario, this movie is an intense action thriller. The cast is good but Del Toro is outstanding. This character really suits him. Italian director Stefano Sollima (Suburra) does a great job taking over for Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Arrival). The story is really well done. Writer Taylor Sheridan (Sicario, Hell or High Water, Wind River) really put together a film that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The pace was good and the sound really added to the intense mood. I thought it flowed well with the first film, having the same writer helps, and it is a credit to Sollima. There were a few parts that went a little far in believability but overall it felt realistic.
Overall, the film was fast paced and as I mentioned before intense. There are a few twists and turns that keep you guess as to how it will all end. The movie earns it R rating with violence and a decent amount of blood. I enjoyed the first film and my expectations were high for this film. The story is similar enough that you feel like it connects to the first film but it stands on its own.
The follow up to the critically acclaimed 2015 film Sicario, this movie is an intense action thriller. The cast is good but Del Toro is outstanding. This character really suits him. Italian director Stefano Sollima (Suburra) does a great job taking over for Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Arrival). The story is really well done. Writer Taylor Sheridan (Sicario, Hell or High Water, Wind River) really put together a film that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The pace was good and the sound really added to the intense mood. I thought it flowed well with the first film, having the same writer helps, and it is a credit to Sollima. There were a few parts that went a little far in believability but overall it felt realistic.
Overall, the film was fast paced and as I mentioned before intense. There are a few twists and turns that keep you guess as to how it will all end. The movie earns it R rating with violence and a decent amount of blood. I enjoyed the first film and my expectations were high for this film. The story is similar enough that you feel like it connects to the first film but it stands on its own.
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Tenet (2020) in Movies
Sep 18, 2020
Contains spoilers, click to show
Tenet has a good premise, a CIA agent is recruited to help find the source of a number of objects that have been 'Inverted', meaning that they run in the opposite direction of time. Unfortunately the film feels like Christopher Nolan (the writer) took James Bond, Men in Black (without the aliens) and the Red Dwarf Episode Backwards (without the comedy), put them all in a bag, gave it a shake and tipped the contents out.
That's not to say that Tenet is a bad film it's just, well that's the thing, I'm not entirely sure what the problem is. There are some films where some scenes feel off until something is revealed later on (I found this with the meat locker scene at the beginning of Bloodshot) and Tenet is one of these, which is the point, the film is about time travel/manipulation and so you are only given some of the information first time around, but I think Tenet gets too jumpy.
Tenet starts with a good old action scene then slows right down as the Protagonist (he has no name) tries to find out information, this part drags a little. The it begins to get Timey Wimey. There is a fight scene where the choreography seems a bit off and then the story begins to pick up pace.
There are action scenes that are, at least in part, backwards and, to be honest I think Red Dwarf pulled it off better. The rules of the inversion don't always seem to make sense but, to it's credit, when trying to explain some of the science they do say that they don't know and that things happen.
You have to keep your eyes open, much like a certain Red Dwarf episode consequence sometimes precedes action so, sometimes there is a clue to what is going to happen. But there are also time loops and some loops have other loops and things happen that you have to wait for a character to explain.
There are also things that happen in the first scene that are only hinted at so there is a set up for some sequels.
So, over all, we have Bond'esq ode to a Red Dwarf episode that is mostly entertaining, predictable in places and slow in others. Is it worth a watch? Yes but don't expect a big budget time travel sci-Fi extravaganza.
That's not to say that Tenet is a bad film it's just, well that's the thing, I'm not entirely sure what the problem is. There are some films where some scenes feel off until something is revealed later on (I found this with the meat locker scene at the beginning of Bloodshot) and Tenet is one of these, which is the point, the film is about time travel/manipulation and so you are only given some of the information first time around, but I think Tenet gets too jumpy.
Tenet starts with a good old action scene then slows right down as the Protagonist (he has no name) tries to find out information, this part drags a little. The it begins to get Timey Wimey. There is a fight scene where the choreography seems a bit off and then the story begins to pick up pace.
There are action scenes that are, at least in part, backwards and, to be honest I think Red Dwarf pulled it off better. The rules of the inversion don't always seem to make sense but, to it's credit, when trying to explain some of the science they do say that they don't know and that things happen.
You have to keep your eyes open, much like a certain Red Dwarf episode consequence sometimes precedes action so, sometimes there is a clue to what is going to happen. But there are also time loops and some loops have other loops and things happen that you have to wait for a character to explain.
There are also things that happen in the first scene that are only hinted at so there is a set up for some sequels.
So, over all, we have Bond'esq ode to a Red Dwarf episode that is mostly entertaining, predictable in places and slow in others. Is it worth a watch? Yes but don't expect a big budget time travel sci-Fi extravaganza.
Jordan Binkerd (567 KP) rated The Long Earth in Books
Aug 13, 2019
Note: this review is transposted from my personal review blog, and so was originally written several years ago. I figured if I reposted it here, someone might actually read it….
I’m a huge fan of Terry Pratchett’s work, in case you hadn’t noticed. I’m slowly working my way through his Discworld novels and Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Predictions of Agnes Nutter, Witch, cowritten with Neil Gaiman, is among my favorite books of all time.* So when I discovered The Long Earth at my local library, I was ecstatic. I’d heard good things about Stephen Baxter, but never actually read any of his material. What I found was one of the best novels I have read in a very long time.
The premise here is that there are infinite worlds parallel to ours, spread out across the vast “contingency tree” of possible Earths, and in all of the Long Earth only one iteration has developed Human life–ours. Throughout our history there have always been a few with the natural ability to “step” between worlds at will, and still others who did so unintentionally and disappeared forever, but the world at large was unaware of this phenomenon until a reclusive scientist posted the blueprint for a “stepper” device on the internet and promptly disappeared from his apartment. Suddenly, the whole of the Long Earth is opened up to humanity. Suddenly, there is no shortage of land or resources. Economies are hard hit, jobs are lost, and once again humanity’s pioneer spirit is stirred to go out into the frontier and try to make their way….
Joshua Valiente is a so-called “natural stepper,” but he is probably unique among humanity. In the stress of childbirth, his mother stepped out of her world and into a parallel forest before slipping back without him. She managed to get back and recover him pretty quickly, but nevertheless young Joshua spent the first ten minutes or so of his life completely alone in his universe. As a result, he is uniquely attuned to the Long Earth. He can step between worlds without nausea, and is keenly sensitive to the number of people around, growing intensely uncomfortable the more crowded things get. Now, fifteen years after the world learned of the Long Earth, he spends most of his time exploring where no man has gone before. Lobsang, on the other hand, is a keenly intelligent AI, who may or may not be the latest reincarnation of a Tibetan motorcycle repairman. In collaboration with the shadowy Black Corporation, Lobsang has conceived a plan to test just how far the Long Earth goes. And he wants Joshua to go with him….the resulting journey is as much an exploration of what may have been as it is a geographical one, with most worlds mirroring our own, but a few display the effects of a cosmic “toss of a coin” going the other way–for example, there’s one where the Earth was completely destroyed by an asteroid strike sometime in the distant past.
Put quite plainly, this was the best thing I’ve read in a very long time. Very original, and to my (admittedly limited) understanding very faithful to the relevant science without losing quality of narrative or character. Pratchett’s humor and sardonic narrative voice shines through quite often in the interpersonal or introspective moments as well as those detailing more plot driven points–those scenes that would, in a film, become some form of montage showing that time is passing and this is what’s happening in the meantime. As I mentioned, I’ve never read Baxter before, so it’s harder to pick out his voice from their collaboration.
Infodumping has become something of a cardinal sin in the science fiction world, but sometimes you just have to throw some information at the reader so that he doesn’t get lost. I felt that The Long Earth handled that very well. We get our first glimpse at the long earth in montage mode, a series of vignettes that don’t make sense on their own, people popping in and out of worlds without understanding themselves what is going on. This is followed by the main story, twenty years after the discovery of the Long Earth, in which the bare bones are presented via a TV interview a character is half-watching while he waits. These bare bones of the conceptual basis of the book are then fleshed out in more detail as Joshua and Lobsang and introduced and get to know each other, discussing the various theories regarding the Long Earth at length in an effort to better understand it themselves. This is interspersed with flashbacks, sometimes Joshua recalling his experiences, sometimes Lobsang telling stories of other people based on his research into early encounters with the Long Earth. In this way Pratchett and Baxter manage to convey how humanity as a whole is dealing, not just Joshua and Lobsang. If I have one complaint with this it is not always clear why or how we are being told this–you don’t discover until the end of the chapter that Lobsang is telling this to Joshua instead of the authors just throwing in a tangential bit with no direct connection. And it is all connected–every revelation, every character you visit and then abandon early in the book will come back and have significance later on.
This is perhaps not the easiest read–you do have to engage it to understand it properly–but neither is it an incomprehensible enigma. As long as you pay attention you should be fine.
CONTENT: Some R-rated language, but not nearly what you could find elsewhere. Some violence, some grisly aftermath of violence. Sexual references, but nothing explicit.
*I’m frankly a little surprised I don’t have a review of that one up here, I must have reread it last just before I started doing this. I’ll have to fix that in the near future….
Original post: https://jordanbinkerd.wordpress.com/2013/09/18/review-the-long-earth-by-terry-pratchett-stephen-baxter/
I’m a huge fan of Terry Pratchett’s work, in case you hadn’t noticed. I’m slowly working my way through his Discworld novels and Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Predictions of Agnes Nutter, Witch, cowritten with Neil Gaiman, is among my favorite books of all time.* So when I discovered The Long Earth at my local library, I was ecstatic. I’d heard good things about Stephen Baxter, but never actually read any of his material. What I found was one of the best novels I have read in a very long time.
The premise here is that there are infinite worlds parallel to ours, spread out across the vast “contingency tree” of possible Earths, and in all of the Long Earth only one iteration has developed Human life–ours. Throughout our history there have always been a few with the natural ability to “step” between worlds at will, and still others who did so unintentionally and disappeared forever, but the world at large was unaware of this phenomenon until a reclusive scientist posted the blueprint for a “stepper” device on the internet and promptly disappeared from his apartment. Suddenly, the whole of the Long Earth is opened up to humanity. Suddenly, there is no shortage of land or resources. Economies are hard hit, jobs are lost, and once again humanity’s pioneer spirit is stirred to go out into the frontier and try to make their way….
Joshua Valiente is a so-called “natural stepper,” but he is probably unique among humanity. In the stress of childbirth, his mother stepped out of her world and into a parallel forest before slipping back without him. She managed to get back and recover him pretty quickly, but nevertheless young Joshua spent the first ten minutes or so of his life completely alone in his universe. As a result, he is uniquely attuned to the Long Earth. He can step between worlds without nausea, and is keenly sensitive to the number of people around, growing intensely uncomfortable the more crowded things get. Now, fifteen years after the world learned of the Long Earth, he spends most of his time exploring where no man has gone before. Lobsang, on the other hand, is a keenly intelligent AI, who may or may not be the latest reincarnation of a Tibetan motorcycle repairman. In collaboration with the shadowy Black Corporation, Lobsang has conceived a plan to test just how far the Long Earth goes. And he wants Joshua to go with him….the resulting journey is as much an exploration of what may have been as it is a geographical one, with most worlds mirroring our own, but a few display the effects of a cosmic “toss of a coin” going the other way–for example, there’s one where the Earth was completely destroyed by an asteroid strike sometime in the distant past.
Put quite plainly, this was the best thing I’ve read in a very long time. Very original, and to my (admittedly limited) understanding very faithful to the relevant science without losing quality of narrative or character. Pratchett’s humor and sardonic narrative voice shines through quite often in the interpersonal or introspective moments as well as those detailing more plot driven points–those scenes that would, in a film, become some form of montage showing that time is passing and this is what’s happening in the meantime. As I mentioned, I’ve never read Baxter before, so it’s harder to pick out his voice from their collaboration.
Infodumping has become something of a cardinal sin in the science fiction world, but sometimes you just have to throw some information at the reader so that he doesn’t get lost. I felt that The Long Earth handled that very well. We get our first glimpse at the long earth in montage mode, a series of vignettes that don’t make sense on their own, people popping in and out of worlds without understanding themselves what is going on. This is followed by the main story, twenty years after the discovery of the Long Earth, in which the bare bones are presented via a TV interview a character is half-watching while he waits. These bare bones of the conceptual basis of the book are then fleshed out in more detail as Joshua and Lobsang and introduced and get to know each other, discussing the various theories regarding the Long Earth at length in an effort to better understand it themselves. This is interspersed with flashbacks, sometimes Joshua recalling his experiences, sometimes Lobsang telling stories of other people based on his research into early encounters with the Long Earth. In this way Pratchett and Baxter manage to convey how humanity as a whole is dealing, not just Joshua and Lobsang. If I have one complaint with this it is not always clear why or how we are being told this–you don’t discover until the end of the chapter that Lobsang is telling this to Joshua instead of the authors just throwing in a tangential bit with no direct connection. And it is all connected–every revelation, every character you visit and then abandon early in the book will come back and have significance later on.
This is perhaps not the easiest read–you do have to engage it to understand it properly–but neither is it an incomprehensible enigma. As long as you pay attention you should be fine.
CONTENT: Some R-rated language, but not nearly what you could find elsewhere. Some violence, some grisly aftermath of violence. Sexual references, but nothing explicit.
*I’m frankly a little surprised I don’t have a review of that one up here, I must have reread it last just before I started doing this. I’ll have to fix that in the near future….
Original post: https://jordanbinkerd.wordpress.com/2013/09/18/review-the-long-earth-by-terry-pratchett-stephen-baxter/
DjVu Reader
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DjVu Reader is an application that allows you to browse through DjVu of documents of any size (in...
This was a powerful quick read that I couldn’t put down.
It was interesting that a book has been written about a video going viral on the internet that the person who’s in it is mortified and ashamed about and didn’t post it herself. It follows the fall out with her family and her own struggles to come to terms with what has happened whilst waiting it out abroad before returning home to Scotland.
Su-Jin was adopted from Korea by a family in Scotland, who then found out that they were pregnant after years of trying not long after. We find out that Su-Jin struggled to find her place a lot of the time and wished that she wasn’t different to her family, and tried to make her parents proud by following all of the rules set out for her.
It is definitely thought provoking, the topics dealt with are racism, revenge porn and the most relevant at the moment is spiking drinks. It points out exactly how easy it is to accept a drink from a stranger in a bar, even when you know you shouldn’t, and the implications it can have.
It was sometimes quite predictable and sometimes a bit confusing with the timelines jumping in some chapters without it being explained or obvious.
A very interesting read about something that could happen to any of us at any point.
It was interesting that a book has been written about a video going viral on the internet that the person who’s in it is mortified and ashamed about and didn’t post it herself. It follows the fall out with her family and her own struggles to come to terms with what has happened whilst waiting it out abroad before returning home to Scotland.
Su-Jin was adopted from Korea by a family in Scotland, who then found out that they were pregnant after years of trying not long after. We find out that Su-Jin struggled to find her place a lot of the time and wished that she wasn’t different to her family, and tried to make her parents proud by following all of the rules set out for her.
It is definitely thought provoking, the topics dealt with are racism, revenge porn and the most relevant at the moment is spiking drinks. It points out exactly how easy it is to accept a drink from a stranger in a bar, even when you know you shouldn’t, and the implications it can have.
It was sometimes quite predictable and sometimes a bit confusing with the timelines jumping in some chapters without it being explained or obvious.
A very interesting read about something that could happen to any of us at any point.