Pure in Life, Not in Word

Okay, it's personal quirk confession time.

I like things pure, my chocolate, my peanut butter, my girl scout shortbread.  I'm a rather bland-loving soul in many respects, I suppose.  Take pecans.  I love them, just not in my brownies.  Peanut butter is great for sandwiches, but don't get it on my Hershey bar.  I like my life a bit on the predictable side.  I'm comfortable with routine and shun the unexpected.  Not always, of course, but as a general rule.

Maybe that's why I love to be surprised when I read.  I like to guess how it's all going to play out and be completely wrong, yet still find the ending satisfying--as I did with Ender's Game.  But even then, I don't want my suspension-of-disbelief shattered.  Shaken is okay.  I cringe when cowboys fight aliens or spaceships land on worlds where magic rules.  It's like a brand new batter walking up to the plate with two strikes already on the board.  That's not to say it can't be done and done well, nor does it mean I discount it out of hand.  It just has to grab me right off the bat and make me believe.  I need to be so enraptured that I can accept the premise--and the sooner the better.

Did I watch Cowboys & Aliens?  Nope.  Didn't want to pay money for something starting off with two strikes against it.  John Carter?  The movie has the look of fantasy with all the elements of science fiction. Yeah, I plan to give that one a shot.  What's the difference?  Tough to say.  It doesn't help that Westerns are low on my list of likes.  Science fiction and fantasy are at the top of the list so maybe that's it.  I'll give them all a chance eventually, but not at theater prices.  (Another quirk: I'm cheap.)

Wrath of the Titans? Oh yeah, that's a go.  The Hobbit too.  It seems I'm more forgiving when my investment is a couple hours of watching rather than hours upon hours of reading.  However, it's the same for me with cross-overs within the same genre.  Alien vs. Predator?  Watched it, but was glad I didn't do so at the theater.  The premise and setup was okay, I guess.  I mean, there has to be some plausible way to get these two races together.  On Earth.  Without defenseless humans suspecting.  I guess it wasn't a total strike-out, but the bases were loaded with a full count.  The payoff pitch forced the run.  Nothing sailed out of the park.  (At least for me.)

Some people love cross-overs and write fan fiction simply because it doesn't happen enough to suit them.  Not me.  I don't want to see Luke Skywalker strolling along the bridge of the Enterprise.  I don't want to see Dr. Who or Flash Gordon addressing the Imperial Senate.  And I definitely don't want to see Emperor Palpatine lecturing Gandalf on the power of dark side, although that could make for a cute tongue-in-cheek comedy sketch.  Some things, in my opinion, should be kept pure.  Like my chocolate.

What about you?  Does Captain Kirk wooing Princess Leia tickle your fancy?  I'd love to know!

A Game of Thrones

Twas a month before April and all through my house,

Lay presents unopened, but not from my spouse.

To watch first or read, that's my decision,

I love my videos, but books yield precision.

Yes, it's true.  I've neither read nor watched these insanely popular tales penned by George R. R. Martin.  But this is about to change.

My brother, bless his heart, indulges my incessant blathering about all things medieval and fantasy.  Being the benevolent brother that he is, he even accompanied me to the theater for each new Lord of the Rings viewing.  I'm not sure whether he did so to watch the movie or to watch me enjoy it, but he went nonetheless.  And even he extols Martin's masterpiece that so many have come to love.  He's never read the books, but he does have HBO.

My daughter, beloved co-connoisseur of the genre, has bestowed upon me the box set containing: A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, and A Feast for Crows.  This act elevates her to favorite daughter status, of course.  (The fact that she's my only daughter is irrelevant.)

So, from whence cometh my dilemma, you ask?  Well, it cometh from that benevolent brother I mentioned.  It seems I'm to be the happy recipient of the complete first season as shown on HBO.  (Yes, I do have cable, but the piddly amount of time I spend in front of my very nice television in no way justifies the added monthly expense of premium channels.)  

Therefore, he has been elevated to favorite brother status.  (The fact that he's my only brother is also irrelevant, mind you.)

I believe I've decided to follow my usual pattern.  Read first.  Watch second.  Complain third.  I've done this with so many in the past, including, but in no way limited to: Lord of the Rings, Sword of Truth, Harry Potter, even Michael Chrichton's Timeline and the forthcoming The Hobbit.  Granted, this usually happens simply because the books far predate the movies or television series.  Had I not read them until the movies or series began I'd have faced the same perplexing anguish.

I imagine it all boils down to the detail provided by each.  A two hour movie has no hope of capturing the richness of the written word's narrative or preserving the many sub-plots within the book's cover.  And then there's the audience to consider.  A reader can savor a chapter, put the book aside for a while and dwell in a world the author helped him paint, then return later for another fix.  In theaters (and to a lesser degree, our homes) we're trapped.  The most innocuous activities serve to distract and detract.  Think: This popcorn does NOT have extra butter!  or  I can't even find the men's room in this place! 

In this instance, I believe I'll read A Game of Thrones first then watch HBO's season one and pick back up with A Clash of Kings.  I'm working under the assumption, of course, that season one is book one.  Do tell me if that assumption is incorrect and I'll adjust my plans accordingly.  In the meantime I'll sit back and enjoy some music.  It sounds like A Song of Ice and Fire.