BioShock is a high water mark of gaming, both in its mechanics and how they integrate into the storytelling; this makes it’s flaws all the more glaring and worthy of study. A bad mechanic that’s meant to be taken seriously can undermine the entire setting, making Suspension of Disbelief impossible.
Understanding this threat requires that one comprehend the differing natures between man and machine, a difference far more profound than the distinction between “wetware” and “hardware”. The reasoning processes are utterly dissimilar and incompatible; the former must dominate the latter, otherwise disaster will ensue. A man who is controlled by his machine is no man at all.
“…the classic icon of the 20th century was the American kiss. Look at the scenes from the end of the Second World War. Men and women had fire, moral passion, unbridled love for life and love for one another. It showed in the way they kissed each other.”
Yeah, that’s it over there on the sidebar. -> As I Walk These Broken Roads is a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel about a soldier and a mechanic teaming up to try and survive in a degenerated world; a world that’s stopped moving forward, a world where the old tech is allowed to rust away over the years. It explores the ideas of brotherhood, social evolution, epistemology, and the nature of violence. This book was my first foray into fictional writing, started some six-or-seven years ago. It saw its genesis on the Tucker Max Message Board, where I had my ass...
A recent Freelance project got me thinking on this topic. And since it’s the holiday season, let’s talk about something non-awful for a change. I’ve been a scion of Science Fiction since childhood, and during moments where I’m feeling particularly iniquitous I’m apt to say it’s the only genre left where there’s room to create Art; Clint Eastwood tapped the last of the Western stories waiting to be told, and I think Shakespeare pretty much covered everything else. But that’s just my own prejudice, and it’s not what I’m going to write about today. Instead I want to talk about...
A post-apocalyptic science fiction novel.
Read the reviews here;
Like it on Facebook;
Also available through the Amazon Lending Library.
Posters now available through
CafePress!
Feedly provides an up-to-date feed of new content from all the websites you follow, censorship free, with an easy sign-up through your email address. Add Stares at the World to your list, and you'll never miss an article.Leo M.J. Aurini
Professionally a Bachelor of History, a Bachelor of Geographic Information Systems, and a Canadian Forces Infantry Veteran.
I write science fiction, play the saxophone, study philosophy and psychology, have dabbled in film making, and am a faithful member of the Catholic Church. Politically speaking, I'm a Red Tory and a Monarchist; my views are often heterodox to the mainstream opinion.
I'm also a strong believer in wearing hats for any occasion.
Recent Comments