literature
Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.
Review: 'The Trinity Six'
For those with an interest in espionage, the Cambridge Five remain well known. Five graduates of Trinity College Cambridge, the group infiltrated high levels positions inside the British government between the 1930s and 1950s and spied for the Soviet Union. They handed over names of agents, exposed entire operations, revealed details of the Enigma code-breaking effort, and helped to tip the Soviets off on efforts to build the atomic bomb. It took decades to expose all five but imagine, for a moment, that there was a sixth Cambridge spy. One who has managed to remain hidden but is now on the verge of being exposed. That is the premise of Charles Cumming's 2011 novel which sees the past coming back to haunt the present.
Matthew KresalPublished 7 years ago in GeeksWho is the Valonqar?
Spoilers ahead for both the books and the show! Game of Thrones is back in our lives once more. The first episode of Season 7 has graced our screens, and what an episode it was! From the North to the South, and the East to the West, we are more certain than ever that nobody is safe.
Charlotte WilliamsPublished 7 years ago in GeeksA Review of 'Clarissa' by Samuel Richardson
At around 1,431 pages, Clarissa or The History of a Young Lady beats out Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (826 pages), Bleak House by Charles Dickens (813 pages) and War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (955 pages) for the title of longest book I have ever read. Such a tome seems like an overwhelming task to get through but fortunately they are often divided up into a number of sections, each a mini book in themselves. How I got through War and Peace was that I would read a section and then take a break for a few week and repeat until the book was finished. I am going to do the same for Clarissa.
Rachel LeschPublished 7 years ago in GeeksCops, Mystics, and Steampunk
One is often told not to judge a book by its cover. Yet when it comes to The Precinct, however, that was precisely what caught my attention. Perhaps that it isn't surprising given it is a graphic novel and that it was the combination of its artwork of a late nineteenth-century policeman with a mechanical arm with a woman wearing a vaguely Victorian yet mystic outfit along with the book being given the subtitle “A Steampunk Adventure.” Intrigued and one library checking out later, the results were definitely fun, to say the least.
Matthew KresalPublished 7 years ago in GeeksA Book Review: Scorch Trials
Going into a new book is always an adventure (at least for me). I've gotten into the habit of reading three to four books at a time because one plot line can't hold my interest for long periods of time, which is fine. There's nothing wrong with the plot, I just enjoy a change of environment.
Hunting Lila Book Review
Hunting Lila, written by Sarah Alderson. Published by Simon and Schuster UK Ltd, a CBS company in 2011. This book is the most amazing book I have ever read! Well, at least one of the most amazing books I've read this year! Not only did it get me hooked on the characters it also had me turning page after page wanting to know what happened to Jack and Lila! What would happen with Alex? Suki? Demos?
Leigh HobbsPublished 7 years ago in GeeksMemories and Harry Potter
It was the year 1999 and hardly anybody (compared to now, at the very least) in Australia knew that there was such a thing as Harry Potter. I’d definitely never heard of the Harry Potter series in our somewhat small neck of the woods.
Rebecca SharrockPublished 7 years ago in GeeksAkira—How the World Fell in Love with an Incomplete Masterpiece
In 1988, the world was treated to the stunning marvel that is Akira. Critically acclaimed, and celebrated the world over, Akira has become a staple of cult cinema and anime. Based on the seminal Manga of the same name by Katsuhiro Otomo, and more commonly referred to as the stack of phone books most collectors of such material have in the top corner of their libraries. The film has garnered much respect for its visuals, style, and compelling story. It was revolutionary in its creation, even from a technical standpoint. Having all new colours created for the process of cell colourisation, particularly in the films numerous nighttime scenes, and its use of pre-recorded dialogue, something that while standard in the west, was and still is, consistently uncommon in the east.
Mikayla J. LairdPublished 7 years ago in GeeksWhy I Write Fan Fiction
I adore writing. Always have. But I really do get a kick out of writing Fan Fiction. And, yes, I've heard it all, that Fan Fiction isn't really writing, and that why don't I write original fiction. Well, the answer to that is that I
Kara HughesPublished 7 years ago in GeeksSaddest Deaths in the Harry Potter Series
J.K. Rowling, the literary genius behind the Harry Potter series has a talent for writing tragic death scenes. As any true Harry Potter fan knows, the series is full of sadness. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was an absolute bloodbath. I still get emotional when I think of how some of these characters passed away. You would think in a fantasy magical world there would be an easy way to prevent death or to bring people back to life, but there isn't. We all know how using Horcruxes worked out for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Rowling seems to have enjoyed making her readers cry because the deaths in the series are absolutely gut-wrenching. Here's a reminder of the most upsetting deaths in Harry Potter, in case you had forgotten what it was like to cry. WARNING: this post includes spoilers!
Madeline BasiricoPublished 7 years ago in GeeksThe Many Versions of Cinderella
I have always been fascinated by fairy tales. Like many other children, Disney cultivated a love of classic stories. When I got older, I became more curious in hearing the original fairy tales, before Disney changed them. I loved learning the differences between versions, and even versions from different cultures.
Amora JonesPublished 7 years ago in GeeksAmerican Cinema, Technology and Cyborg Embodiment
Wall-e (Benjamin A. Burtt) is an animation about a robot named Wall-e the last of his kind whose ‘directive’ is to clean the earth because it has become uninhabitable for humans. Wall-e has developed emotion over the years, which is shown by his collection of objects he likes, such as lighters, bulbs and videos of musicals. One day, a spaceship drops off another Robot; Eve (Elissa Knight) who Wall-e quickly falls in love with. Her ‘directive’ is to find life on earth, which she finds after Wall-e shows her his collection, as a plant is part of his collection. Eva holds the plant in a compartment and shuts down. Wall-e looks after her until eventually, she is collected by a spaceship. Wall-e chases it and holds onto the outside of the spaceship. They are taken to the mothership where all the humans have escaped to due to the global warming back on earth. All the humans have become obese and forgotten how to walk as they have been on the ship for 700 years. The plant goes missing as the autopilot has taken control of the ship as classified information is later revealed; the planet Earth is no longer safe. Also, a robot character Auto (MacInTalk) has actually been feeding the humans, human because after 700 years there would be nothing else on the ship to eat and there were no farms visible throughout the film. Nevertheless, the captain (Jeff Garlin) realises that Auto has been controlling the ship since the beginning and regains control. He returns everyone back to earth because he realises that life is sustainable again because the plant has survived. Wall-e and Eve find the plant and take it to the Holo-Detector chamber while the pilot fights off and switches off auto. They return to earth, start farming and rebuilding a society on their home planet.
Victoria-Louise SweetPublished 7 years ago in Geeks