For someone who enjoys a great story, is there anything better than a narrative that engages you from the very start? Imagine a world so rich you can almost smell the scents in the air, a delivery so clever it forces you to think in a way you never thought you would. I’m Ryan J. Hodge, author, and I’d like to talk to you about…Video Games.
Yes, Video Games. Those series of ‘bloops’ and blinking lights that –at least a while ago- society had seemed to convince itself had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. In this article series, I’m going to discuss how Donkey Kong, Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty and even Candy Crush can change the way we tell stories forever.
What video games teach us about subverting a protagonist
In a conventional story, a protagonist is not just the main character in the story; he is our window into the universe the artist has created. Whatever his raison d’être in the story may be, it is ours to see him through to the end. For the story to move on without him is to beg the question why he was the protagonist at all. So it is with video games as well. Usually, when the game begins with a realized protagonist; it will end with that very same protagonist. It’s a position that the audience members (and even authors) often take for granted…and will often fail to realize how vulnerable a position it is.
Well…Sean Bean knows how vulnerable it is.
‘Raising the stakes’ is a near-ubiquitous narrative device when telling a story. Usually it means that something about the status quo has changed for the protagonist to make his task that much more urgent/vital. In a classic ‘Three-Act’ structure, the stakes will continue to rise until the protagonist reaches the ‘lowest point’ (i.e.: the period where ‘all seems lost’). It is at this point that the audience is meant to sympathize with their hero the most and wishes to see him overcome the final opposing obstacle. In terms of gameplay, this might be translated into a sudden spike in difficulty where valuable equipment, companions, or powers have been taken away from the player.
However, even if he may die, the hero must always overcome his obstacles, right? According to the ‘monomyth’ theory detailed in Joseph Campbell’sThe Hero with a Thousand Faces(1949); of course he will! Campbell himself summarized the monomyth thusly:“Aheroventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.”(The Hero with a Thousand Faces, 2nded.,1968)
This is what I believed as the second Act of one of my favorite games,Chrono Trigger, drew to a close. After having spent hours besting horrors from across space and time, surely a hastily sprung trap from some just-introduced villain would simply be a bump in the road. At any second, we were going to figure a way out of this.
Any second now…
But we didn’t. My character was blasted to atoms, and rather than a ‘Game Over’ screen; the story simply continued.
Never know they come from her, round his ankles, hanging on dear life across the room screaming in glee. Short squat, long lean between them they made complete. One.
The Clinical Pharmacy Clerkship in OOUTH, Sagamu runs for some 6 weeks and allows associate Pharmacists to receive clinical training and garner experience in clinical settings, to hone their skills, especially in the area of drug therapy, and to experience first-hand Pharmacy as a profession (of humanitarianism) in contrast to Pharmacy as a course of study.
Like many things scholarly, it is compulsory– and necessarily so. Yet, several occurrences make this experience worthwhile despite the compulsion: the dizziness from standing for so long during the rounds, seeing Consultants gb’ara le (unnecessarily rebuke) registrars and medical students, witnessing patients take offence to the frequency of students’ examinations while smiles yet light up the faces of recuperating patients, and particularly the vast knowledge available for grabs during rounds.
One fateful morning found me in Paediatrics, again on rounds. This time, the memorable moment was not the gb’ara-le of the Consultant or the stupefied look on the (helpless) recipient, it was the sight of three infants with Cerebral Palsy (CP). And after the Consultant in charge had questioned each mother and examined each child, it was glaring that the ignorance, poverty and poor practices of the mothers disabled these bundles of joy. I remember asking the soul beside me in hushed tones, “Should we not give birth?”
Prior to this memorable encounter, People Living with Disabilities (PLWD) were a much unknown existence to me, save the occasional encounters in motor parks where they have become a norm, begging for alms from all who cross their path. Yet, whenever I was that one in their path, I rarely gave out money for security reasons. Yes, that is so convenient. And, no, I ain’t that bad. I give them money once in a while, usually to get them off my back but sometimes out of pity as well.
Now, as irksome as that may sound, I am pleased to tell you that that account (and attitude) accurately depicts the prevailing acceptance of PLWDs: definitely below average! Ok, when was the last time you gave out of your heart, un-begrudgingly, to a person with disability? Hmm… I thought as much. Did you not rather scowl, or even swear? I have not bothered to ask about the hiss since that one is a given! Yet they need us to survive.
In recent times, our society has become more chaotic, yet more predictable, especially if you understand the basics: we have become a society of impunity and impoverishment, immunity and immutability, and yet of constant change.
In recent times, for even time has changed, the gods of our land have finally ordained impunity for the froth, and impoverishment for the dregs, since we are beer, a fermented society that we have become. So that the cabals continue to haul protuberant tummies off us, alcoholic hepatomegaly immune to the hard times that the common man faces, while the poor, as the Lord had said, continue to be amongst us…
In recent times, it starts like this…
The nomination form for Presidential aspirations is nearly thirty million naira, and you usually don’t get chosen the first time. So you must have romanced the government for quite a while. From contractor to Ward Councillor to House of Assembly to Local Government Chairman to House of Reps to Senate to Governor. Then you must be re-elected, by hook or by crook, deservedly or not, and whoever stands in your way must fall, physically or metaphysically. You must have saved up over the years, in money, in goodwill, in friends, and in crimes. And something changes in you: you are never quite the same.
You must have worked hard over the years, plotted, schemed. You must have lied, confabulated, signed unholy deals, and been to scary places. Maybe even (be rumoured to have) decapitated a few neonates. All so you must be invincible, immutable, immortal. Your word must be law, your image must be flawless, and whoever dares to call you controversial must be detained, in this world or the next; you are the upgrade of impunity: Mbunity. And if you are lucky, Baba nominates you for VP and orchestrates your Presidency.
When we left the earth
we left ourselves
a dark matter of our existence.
That dark matter exists
does not preclude me
from destroying myself
because if we are universes upon universes
what will explain eternity?
Will I be
this imploding shell forever
consuming myself?
Let’s pick up speed
and make a dash towards eternity
towards the ultimate boundary
the eternal mark.
You exude an obscure virility
that doesn’t quite capture me
but I will measure the immeasurable
as we scuffle and scuff the dark
wearing its edges away to gray.
Empty space foams with energy
enough power to blow away the stars
like leaves in a wind storm
nothing could live there
but nothing and nothing equals something.
“Of course, I remember you.”
What is worse?
I am always amazed
anyone even remembers me
I don’t even remember me.
Who needs more than one universe?
I miss the idea of the Big Bang
ripping our order asunder
I miss me
an unassailable closed circle.
The cost of space persists
even when you have removed yourself
from the equation.
Explode my memories
ignited by infinite perceptions
it only matters what others think of me.
I am only a universe of leaves wavering
before an intense storm to be shredded
I was swirling and upended even then
a perpetual nonentity.
I cannot live here
for there may be no secret within
no deep meaning
the vacuum is just that
empty, I am only
who you tell me I am.
For how do you chart
the astronomy of the invisible?
Andrea DeAngelis is at times a poet, writer, shutterbug and musician living in New York City. Her writing has recently appeared in Tin House, Angle and Poppy Road Review. (www.andreadeangelis.com) Andrea also sings and plays guitar in the indie rock band MAKAR (www.makarmusic.com)
Derrick Randall’s A Soldier’s Thoughts is a collection of Mr. Randall’s deepest thoughts put into poems and words of encouragement of his faith. I recommend this book for the wonderful collection of poems that will help you to look deep inside yourself and your faith. Buy it today and I am sure you will enjoy it as much as I did.
Derrick Randall’s poetry collection is available on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Soldiers-Thoughts-Derrick-L-Randall-ebook/dp/B00L4IA5XE/
Zoe Zorka’s Turn Our Eyes Away is a novel about how bullying affects the lives of people from childhood to adulthood. It shows how children are not the only ones who bully. A lot of times the child victim of a bully can turn into an even meaner bully when they become adults themselves. Olivia Mizra kept an electronic journal of her day to day life and also told how she was bullied as a child. Olivia is a writer for a paper and lives with her fiance Ashley, an airline pilot. Ashley bullies and verbally abuses Olivia and Olivia puts up with it. She becomes friends with the very people who used to bully her so badly in school. Now she is one of the bullies. Tiffany, is an overweight, depressed single mother. The man she is with verbally abuses her. When he walks out, Tiffany starts taking care of herself and becomes an airline stewardess. She starts having an affair with the pilot Ashley. She becomes pregnant, and is sure that Ashley will marry her. However Ashley definitely is not going to leave Olivia. Buy this book today and find out what happens with Olivia, Tiffany, Ashley and all the others. This book is a page turner and will keep you on the edge of your seat!!!
This book is available on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Turn-Our-Eyes-Away-Zorka/dp/0692258396/
Jordan Acker’s The Shadowsis a scifi novel that takes place the the 40th century. It will keep the reader on the edge of their seat page after page after page. Before the destruction of the earth by the sun, people were sent to live in the Illumenal Galaxy where there are planets that can sustain life. The planet of Balithe however, did not like the idea of the humans from earth coming to live in their galaxy. An terrifying assassin known as Red Blaze is sent to Helios to kill the King. Helios is considered one of the richest planets in the galaxy. Buy this book today and enter the world of fascinating creatures and humans that are about to embark on a war to save their planet. I highly recommend The Shadows and I believe it would make a great movie or television series!! Happy reading!!!
This book is available on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Jordan-Acker/dp/147872269X/
Louis Villalba’s The Stranger’s Enigma is a very fascinating novel about the concept of living in our dreams. Dr. Daniel Brandon is a neurologist who has a marriage that is falling apart and is being sued by a patient who seems to just want to make money through the lawsuit. For distraction, Daniel decides to wake after each of his dreams so that he can write down and analyze what he dreamed. In his dreams he meets a man named Sonie, who seems to be controlling their experiences. Both Sonie and Daniel apply Freudian analysis to the dreams. Sonie seems to be a free spirited man and has sex with anyone and everyone he chooses and does whatever he wants to do. Sonie then introduces Daniel to Julie. Dr. Brandon falls deeply in love with her. The only problem is – Julie lives in his dreams. Read The Stranger’s Enigma today and find out how Dr. Brandon plans to go to Julie and be with her forever. I highly recommend this book. Happy Reading!!
This book is available on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Strangers-Enigma-Louis-Villalba/dp/1495396754/
Patty Lesser’s Locker Roomsis about Alida, who is bipolar and lives in an apartment by herself. She goes to the mini mart to buy her cigarettes and lottery ticket. One day when she goes to have her lottery ticket checked, the machine plays a little tune, indicating she has won something. She looks at the slip of paper and has won ten million dollars! She walks over to her parents and arranges a ride to go pick up her winnings. After it is deposited in the bank, she sees the house down the street from her parents is for sale. This house is her dream home, she has loved it since she was a child. She decides to purchase the home and asks Mrs. Michael what the plaque means in front of the home. She is told that if she has not figured it out after she moves in, it will be explained to her. When she moves in and while she is cleaning the huge fireplace, she discovers it opens to two tunnels. She goes inside and follows the tunnel on the left and discovers two rooms
filled with lockers. She goes inside the room and yells “hello,” and is very surprised when she gets an answer.
The lockers are filled with the souls of people captured by a demon named Shad. She is to free the souls and take them to their graves so they can go home to Heaven. She meets Shad and he tells her that she will be his. He is unsuccessful at killing her, however, he does kill her parents and imprisons them. She rescues them and they go to Heaven where they will spend eternity. She and Oliver, a soul from 1917 fall in love and have a relationship. He stays with her for awhile. Buy the Locker Rooms and find out what Alida needs to do to rid the world of Shad and release all of the souls imprisoned. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it. Happy Reading!!
Locker Rooms is available on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Locker-Rooms-Patty-Lesser/dp/1491713364/
Andrea Carr’s Family Tree the Novel: Family Tree is about the life of a dysfunctional family. Angel was the fifth child born in a family of eight children. While she is in jail for driving with a suspended license, her sister Lady commits suicide by hanging herself from a tree in her mother’s backyard. The story goes through all the lives of the family as told by Angel. Angel reflects and examines her own life while she is in jail. Family Tree The Novel: Family Tree is a deep and thought provoking novel, and I am sure you will enjoy it. I recommend this book very much. Happy reading!
Family Tree the Novel: Family Tree is available on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Novel-Andrea-Carr-ebook/dp/B00IWGL5GW/
