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ClareR (5874 KP) rated Beautiful Shining People in Books

Aug 5, 2023

Beautiful Shining People

Michael Grothaus | 2023 | Dystopia, Mystery, Science Fiction/Fantasy

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

“”Beautiful, shining kami in the sky. All different. All unique. Just like us”…After that, whenever we went camping, I would always tell my parents I couldn’t wait until nightfall so I could see the beautiful shining people in the sky.”
I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this, but I quickly realised that I was loving what I was reading. I do like both speculative and science fiction, so I knew we’d be off to a good start.

This is so much more though. It’s about relationships, both with others and oneself. It’s about loneliness, feeling cut off from others and trying to make a connection.

Both John, a young American tech genius, and Neotnia, are loners. Neither of them want to be alone. John is trying to escape his past and his past self, and Neotnia wants to find her past. They’re both very caring, likeable characters, Neotnia in particular, especially in her interactions with the elderly residents of a home she volunteers at.

My particular favourite was the cafe owner and Neotnia’s guardian - Goeido. He has an interesting and sad past as a Sumo, and this is probably the reason why he is so protective towards Neotnia.

Some of the themes have their place in our society too. The rise of AI, tense relationships between superpowers, terrorist attacks, deep fakes, cyber attacks, fake news - all of these affect us today.

Tokyo as a setting was inspired. All of the AI and robots didn’t seem out of place. I mean, we expect them there, don’t we? Robots taking your order in a fast food restaurant and helping you with directions in the street seem not too far a reach of the imagination in Japan (you can probably tell I’ve never been there!).

The last chapter or so, was so powerful. It was sad and explained all of what had gone before. It was emotional, and the ending was perfect.

Many, many thanks to Orenda for sending me a copy as a part of their book club. I’m really glad I read it!

Kudos

JT (287 KP) rated The Book of Eli (2010) in Movies

Mar 10, 2020

The Book of Eli (2010)

2010 | Action, Sci-Fi

7.4

(24 Ratings)

Movie Rating

A solid effort from the Hughes Brothers as they take on a post apocalyptic style western. Denzel Washington plays Eli a lone traveler who is following a path with a destination only he knows about. In his possession a book, so valuable to the resurrection of the human race that he’ll stop at nothing to protect it.

A story based around religion is not always going to be for everyone but if anything the cast is a shining light in an otherwise scrappy film.

Gary Oldman plays the true archetypal villain, looking like a cowboy but sounding like a biblical reverend, he truly knows how to play the bad guy. Washington gives an equally decent performance but is some way off his best.

The cinematography is stunning and the desolate landscape depicts a true reflection of the aftermath of nuclear war. It’s grainy and gritty but needed to pack more of a punch. The brief action and fight scenes are well choreographed and the twist in tale at the end should be enough raise a few questions in the car park.