Ha, I really want to play it again. Not sure if it'll hold up or if I'm really ready for the time commitment, but it was one of those Very Important Games for me when I was younger.
No doubt. You may have heard this story before, but there was one formative Christmas for me where I had to choose between Xenogears and Grandia. I chose Grandia, and I fully believe that choice played a large role in shaping the person I’ve come to be.
Oh man, you hate Neuromancer and love The Matrix? Well... nobody's perfect. :(
(Actually, it's a pretty good flick, but gosh, it is literally a film about how cool it is to go down Internet rabbit holes, get radicalized, and then shoot up office buildings while dressed like a Columbine kid, lol. The "redpill" morons were not misinterpreting this movie, is what I'm saying. Doesn't mean the film's bad! I just don't love that people have decided it's some intellectual masterwork instead of a fun but kind of awkwardly macho action flick)
Ha, well, I'd say the red pilled reading is just as accurate as the trans reading or the utopian reading.
But I also don't think it's something worth thinking too hard about if you're not fifteen. To me, it's all about the choreography. I don't think it'd necessarily more macho than Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Hero, though.
Oh yeah, it's a movie chiefly worth watching for that sick, sick cinematography and a couple really iconic scenes. When I say macho I'm referring to that all-leather, KMFDM-ablare aesthetic - it's just so joylessly edgy, imo.
On the trans reading, it's sort of funny - I've heard people suggest Neo is a "trans icon," but I think the character who most strongly reads as trans is Joe Pantoliano's weasel guy! (Mostly off the back of his speech about the steak.) That said character is a traitorous moron whose ideology leads him to transgress into a space where he shouldn't be and kill people seems... awkward. But no one ever said the Wachowskis were smart or intellectually coherent, haha.
2. What do you think of Snow Crash? Does it fit into the cyberpunk genre?
3. Slightly off-topic (but drawing on your manga/anime expertise), what do you think of the Netflix show "One Piece"? I really liked it, and it seems popular among manga fans.
1. I haven't! But I also am very much a TTRPG novice.
2. Snow Crash is definitely cyberpunk and includes one of the all time best jokes: 1-800-THE-COPS.
3. Haven't seen the Netflix adaptation, but I also haven't read the manga or seen much of the anime, so I wouldn't even really be able to judge whether it's a good adaptation. I'm thinking about watching it, though, because it looks like a good time! I've actually read very little manga (or western comics, for that matter) so I'm far from an expert.
Watch One Piece! It surprised me; I wasn't expecting a ton. It was just innocent fun, mainly.
1-800-THE-COPS is also sort of coming true. Stephenson had a very good forward-viewing lens through which he saw a lot of these changes when they were nascent. Smart dude!
If I may offer one recommendation to you: go for "The Diamond Age." It was my first exposure to Stephenson, and it led me directly to Snow Crash. SO GOOD.
That's about as good a summary of Xenogears as I've ever seen.
Ha, I really want to play it again. Not sure if it'll hold up or if I'm really ready for the time commitment, but it was one of those Very Important Games for me when I was younger.
No doubt. You may have heard this story before, but there was one formative Christmas for me where I had to choose between Xenogears and Grandia. I chose Grandia, and I fully believe that choice played a large role in shaping the person I’ve come to be.
Oh man, you hate Neuromancer and love The Matrix? Well... nobody's perfect. :(
(Actually, it's a pretty good flick, but gosh, it is literally a film about how cool it is to go down Internet rabbit holes, get radicalized, and then shoot up office buildings while dressed like a Columbine kid, lol. The "redpill" morons were not misinterpreting this movie, is what I'm saying. Doesn't mean the film's bad! I just don't love that people have decided it's some intellectual masterwork instead of a fun but kind of awkwardly macho action flick)
Ha, well, I'd say the red pilled reading is just as accurate as the trans reading or the utopian reading.
But I also don't think it's something worth thinking too hard about if you're not fifteen. To me, it's all about the choreography. I don't think it'd necessarily more macho than Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Hero, though.
Oh yeah, it's a movie chiefly worth watching for that sick, sick cinematography and a couple really iconic scenes. When I say macho I'm referring to that all-leather, KMFDM-ablare aesthetic - it's just so joylessly edgy, imo.
On the trans reading, it's sort of funny - I've heard people suggest Neo is a "trans icon," but I think the character who most strongly reads as trans is Joe Pantoliano's weasel guy! (Mostly off the back of his speech about the steak.) That said character is a traitorous moron whose ideology leads him to transgress into a space where he shouldn't be and kill people seems... awkward. But no one ever said the Wachowskis were smart or intellectually coherent, haha.
This is a great list! I have a couple of follow ups:
1. Ever play the game Cyberspace? I haven't heard a lot of folks saying they played this one, but I sure did: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberspace_(role-playing_game)
2. What do you think of Snow Crash? Does it fit into the cyberpunk genre?
3. Slightly off-topic (but drawing on your manga/anime expertise), what do you think of the Netflix show "One Piece"? I really liked it, and it seems popular among manga fans.
Thanks!
1. I haven't! But I also am very much a TTRPG novice.
2. Snow Crash is definitely cyberpunk and includes one of the all time best jokes: 1-800-THE-COPS.
3. Haven't seen the Netflix adaptation, but I also haven't read the manga or seen much of the anime, so I wouldn't even really be able to judge whether it's a good adaptation. I'm thinking about watching it, though, because it looks like a good time! I've actually read very little manga (or western comics, for that matter) so I'm far from an expert.
Watch One Piece! It surprised me; I wasn't expecting a ton. It was just innocent fun, mainly.
1-800-THE-COPS is also sort of coming true. Stephenson had a very good forward-viewing lens through which he saw a lot of these changes when they were nascent. Smart dude!
Nice! I'll check it out.
And, yeah, Stephenson had a solid eye for this, surprisingly. I've never read anything else by him, though I've always meant to.
If I may offer one recommendation to you: go for "The Diamond Age." It was my first exposure to Stephenson, and it led me directly to Snow Crash. SO GOOD.
That's always been the one that interests me most!
Nice! Yes, the first Matrix was and will always be incredible. I'd say that it was such a well filmed/told story that it made the sequels unnecessary.
Ooh this is fun. I think I might like Continuum.
It's great! My wife loved it as well