A Birthday for the Aeons -- Happy Birthday HPL

Today is the 120th anniversary of H.P. Lovecraft's birth. I will leave the proper eulogizing to those I believe have a better and deeper understanding of the writer and his works, or those who are continuing his legacy through the production of quality games and books.

Strangely, all of these individuals have yet to post an annual honorific blog post -- but I am eagerly awaiting their thoughts. In the meantime, we can all settle -- and it isn't really settling -- for Kenneth Hite's Tour De Lovecraft, starting with his introduction.

[Blogging Northwest Smith] "Yvala"

In C.L. Moore's tale "Yvala," readers are quickly immersed in the traditional themes of a Northwest Smith tale. Beauty is dangerous, nature can be deadly, mythological creatures are re-imagined, and there are vampiric creatures that feed on more than blood.

As the story begins, Smith and his companion Yarol are in desperate circumstances. (Are they ever not in desperate circumstance?) The severity of their desperation is conveyed to the reader in a few wonderfully evocative sentences.

Moore first signal's the pair's plight by describing Smith's appearance.

It was evident at a glance that Smith had fallen upon evil days. One might have guessed by the shabbiness of his clothing that his pockets were empty, the charge in his ray-gun low.

She follows this up with a brilliant first line of dialogue from Smith's companion Yarol.

"Another half-hour and we eat."

If delivered in normal circumstances the above quotation might be a throw away line. But when a character has "fallen upon evil days," a comment regarding the close proximity of the next meal makes the reader wonder just how many half-hours have passed since the pair last shared a good meal.

Moore isn't understating things when she writes that Smith had fallen upon evil days. Things have become so bad that he and Yarol are considering taking a job with the sinister Willard slaving operation. The fact that Smith is about to take employment with slavers is "evil" enough, but Moore makes it readily apparent that the Willards are the vilest of the vile when it comes to the slave trade. During the conversation of the pending job Moore makes passing references to "Black Thirst" and the Minga maids that once brought a high price on the slave market.

To state that "Yvala" is a counter story to "Black Thirst" would be an understatement, the two stories deal with beauty and hunger from directly opposite ends of the narrative spectrum. In "Black Thirst," we were introduced to the Alendar -- a creature that sustained its life by "feeding" on beauty as if it were a tangible thing. The essence of beauty was the Alendar's food and the Alendar's buffet/harem held women so beautiful that they could drive a man mad.

And a tale of beauty that had driven men mad is what has prompted the Willards to seek a man of Smith's talents. The Willards have come across two stories of men crashing onto a jungle moon of Jupiter. In both of these stories the men escaped the planet, but were driven mad during their time as a castaway. According to the tales, they were driven mad by women so beautiful that looking upon them could shatter a man's sanity. The Willards think that such a prize would provide a grand price on the slave market and wish to "acquire" a specimen, but they don't want to risk their own pirates in the process. So they approach Smith and Yarol.

As the tale progresses, Moore reminds us of the mythological tales of the Siren and the Lorelei who had songs that could drive sailors mad. She also takes time to remind readers of the great beauties of antiquity Helen, Circe, and Helen -- and of the price paid by those who found them beautiful. In these reminders, Moore is giving hints about the particular mythical re-imagining she will be offering to readers. Shambleau presented us with Moore's version of the Gorgon Medusa. Black Thirst gave us a version of Dracula, that most famous of vampires. What was it that drove the space-farers mad? Was it Siren or Witch? We will only discover the answer to that on the journey.

The fact that Smith and Yarol have no ship of their own with which to explore the jungle moon of Jupiter is another sign of how desperate their circumstances are. Smith is often quoted as being the template for Han Solo, but here he lacks even the simplest of transportation. I have found that Smith is more akin to Indiana Jones myself, and not merely due to the similarity of name. Both Smith and Jones have an insatiable curiosity, and both constantly find themselves in horrible situations in ancient ruins with only their trusty side-arm and their wits to aid them.

When the Willard ship lands on the jungle moon, we are informed that this is a particular kind of jungle moon -- one that bears a carnivorous jungle. Before the rocket ship's doors open, numerous plants snap at the ship in search of a fleshy meal. One is reminded of the Warhammer 40k Death World Catachan. Like in "Scarlet Dream," the planet itself -- or at least the plant life -- feeds on the blood of animals. The danger of the wild jungle is vast, and the danger of the unbridled natural world is once more expressed. For modern man, the natural world is something to be tamed. For early man, and for the explorer, the natural world is rife with danger. Moore conveys that danger in entertaining detail:

They were submerged in jungle. Great serpentine branches and vines like cables looped downward in broken lengths from the shattered trees which had given way at their entrance. It was an animate jungle, full of hungry, reaching things that sprang in one wild, prolific tangle from the rich mud. Raw-colored flowers, yards across, turned sucking mouths blindly against the glass here and there, trickles of green juice slavering down the clear surface from their insensate hunger.

"Raw-colored flowers..." What an evocative description. It conveys both the deep red color of the plant and its carnivorous nature.

One quickly wonders how our intrepid heroes will be able to venture into the jungle in pursuit of the madness inducing beauties the tales promised the moon was home to, but then Yarol sees an ancient road -- paved and unmolested by the living jungle. If the reader's "this is creepy" instincts weren't set off by the carnivorous jungle, they certainly are by the road that denies and defies that same jungle. What force or technology could provide a road that is unassailable by the deep growth? This is especially disconcerting as there is no apparent reason for the lack of encroachment. The road bears no "defenses" against the wild, it is merely a road.

It is upon this road that Smith and Yarol first meet Yvala, or rather reflections of Yvala. Each sees their personal vision of what they believe constitutes absolute beauty, and each is addressed in their native tongue by these beautiful reflections. These reflections lead Smith to their original, the true Yvala -- a creature mind-shatteringly beautiful that feeds on the very adoration that its beauty engenders. Yvala is a vampire of adoration and she feeds on the humanity within the souls of those who admire her.

One wonders how Yvala "the Destroyer" and the Alendar would compliment one another, but that is a tale never told.

Typical of a Moore tale, there is an underlying criticism of the praise of "mere" physical beauty. In prior tales, love based on physical beauty alone was depicted as less than actual love. Here pure physical beauty is shown to be a vampiric thing in itself. Where "Black Thirst" could be described as a tale that demonstrates the parasitic and predatory quality of lust directed at beautiful women, this tale demonstrates that beautiful women who use their beauty as a weapon can also victimize others. The adoration of mere beauty is something that destroys our humanity and makes us into mere animals. It's a powerful allegory, and one that fits well in the mythological cycle that Moore is creating for her readers.

I am so tempted to tell you what legendary creature Moore has re-imagined for this tale, and how/whether Smith and Yarol escape the clutches of Yvala, but that would spoil the fun.

What I will say is that I think that Homer would approve and that the re-imagining is my favorite to date. The image of a creature that destroys the souls of those who adore it lingers with me still.

Previous Blogging Northwest Smith Entries:

7) [Blogging Northwest Smith] "Cold Gray God"
6) [Blogging Northwest Smith] "Nymph of Darkness"
5) [Blogging Northwest Smith] "Julhi"
4) [Blogging Northwest Smith] "Dust of the Gods"
3) Blogging Northwest Smith: "Scarlet Dream"
2) Blogging Northwest Smith: "Black Thirst"
1) Blogging Northwest Smith: "Shambleau"

Mike Mearls Unboxes the New Ravenloft Board Game

Wizards of the Coast's Ravenloft themed board game was initially slated to be released on August 17th, but the game has been pushed back to the end of the month. I personally blame bureaucrats in customs who are likely arguing whether the product needs to pay some obscure tariff or not.

While we await the release of the product, Mike Mearls has been kind enough to show us some of what is in store for us when we are eventually able to buy the game. I have to say that my first impression is that this game will compare favorably with classics like Heroquest and Descent, but we shall see.

Continuing the Conversation -- New "Blogging Pulp Stories" Page Added

I will be resuming my [Blogging Northwest Smith] series of posts next week with the story "Yvala." I have very much enjoyed reading the stories and writing my thoughts about them, but work, school, and two and a half year old twin daughters have interrupted the process.

In honor of my renewed intent to fulfill the social contract I entered with you last year, I have added a page to this blog entitled "Blogging Pulp Stories." On this page, you will find a listing of all the Northwest entries. As time permits, I will add other stories to the list as well. After Northwest will likely come Jirel of Joiry -- might as well read more Moore as she has a wonderful voice. This will likely be followed by a foray into "lost" DeCamp. I recently purchased a copy of a UK issue of Unknown Worlds that contains the Sprague DeCamp story "Solomon's Stone," and I am itching to read it. In his book Fantasy Roleplaying Games John Eric Holmes mentioned the story as a "proto" rpg tale, and I have longed to read it since Holmes' mention.

One of the reasons I am looking forward to re-igniting this series is because of the tremendous influence these tales have had on the gaming hobby and on popular culture in general.

Film Review : Ip Man (2008) -- Ip Man Delivers

Image Copyright Mandarin Films Ltd.

Three of the best Hong Kong martial arts films ever made depict stories of kung fu masters defending Chinese honor during a time of Japanese military occupation. Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury -- called The Chinese Connection in the United States -- is one of the films that helped secure Bruce Lee as a legitimate action star. Jet Li's Fist of Legend improved upon Lee's classic and proved that Jet Li was a martial artist who didn't operate in anyone's shadow. Li's Fearless took the tale back a generation into what is essentially the prequel story to Fist of Fury and Fist of Legend and created a powerful narrative of struggle against tyranny and the power of patriotism.

All of these films are classics in the genre. The story they present is a simple one. The Japanese have invaded the Chinese mainland and are oppressing the people of China. In order to further humiliate the Chinese people, the Japanese forces seek to prove that the Japanese Fist (Karate) is superior to the Chinese Fist (Kung Fu). They hope that doing so will break the spirit of the Chinese people.

Fist of Legend and Fist of Fury both begin with a student of the Jingwu school of martial arts returning home to find that his sifu has been murdered by the Japanese during one of these "honor duels." To make matters worse, the Japanese poisoned the sifu in order to guarantee the win. The student -- filled with the arrogance of his extraordinary skill and the power of his righteous indignation -- enters the Japanese enclave and gives them a quick "lesson" in the Chinese Fist. Things escalate from there.

In Fist of Fury, the Japanese are presented in a stereotypical and demeaning manner. Li's version tones down some of the racism and has Japanese characters who aren't mere two-dimensional villains. The Li version adds a cross-cultural romantic subplot that is one of the many improvements that film adds to the Lee version. Fearless, as a patriotic piece, represents other cultures in a more stereotypical light than Fist of Legend, but in a less offensive manner than Fist of Fury. Fearless, taking place before the action of the two "Fist" films, sets the tone of honor and national pride that makes the two "sequels" narratively possible.

All of these films feature a compelling drama and phenomenal displays of martial arts. Li's fights in Fist of Legend are some of the most compelling martial arts duels to date in film. Li's final battle rivals the end fights in Meals on Wheels and Drunken Master II. Watching the duels it becomes clear that the audience is watching more than a choreographed fight, they are watching Art. The aesthetics of the action are breathtaking. The brave use of wide shots during the action accentuate the beauty in a way that American films have yet to match -- primarily due to American cinema's over reliance on the close up during fight scenes. A static wide angle filming masters is a thing of beauty that shaky close angle shots will never match.

As great as these films are, they all lack one key dramatic component. None of the Li/Lee tales of Japanese oppression truly illustrate how devastating the occupation was to the Chinese people. This is where Donnie Yen's Ip Man takes the established formula of the Fist of genre and pulls it out of the "action film" ghetto and into high drama. Prior to Ip Man, I would have argued that Fist of Legend comes close with its romantic sub-plot, but after Ip Man there is truly no comparison when it comes to moving pathos.

Ip Man tells the tale of Yip Man a humble master of Wing Chun. Ip Man isn't filled with righteous indignation and he is completely lacking in arrogance. He is the antithesis, in many ways, of the able Chinese fighters in the Fist stories. He is a kind family man who is merely seeking to provide for his family and to live an honest life. But he is also a man who can only witness so much injustice before he must step forward to protect his community. When push comes to shove, it isn't the "honor of the Chinese Fist" for which Ip Man fights, it is for the honor of those who have been oppressed.

Donnie Yen's performance as Yip Man is deep and touching. When one watches a martial arts film one expects action, but one doesn't often expect to be given genuine pathos. Yen's substantial martial arts talents deliver on the action end, but his acting chops are proven as well. Yen manipulates the audiences heartstrings as ably as any actor in an "independent tragedy." The film, and Yen, are almost somber in their presentation. This is a film about resisting tyranny, and not a film about revenge. As such, the film gains an emotional power that would otherwise be lacking.

The film, like Fearless, is a highly patriotic film -- presenting the virtue of Chinese society against the tyranny of Japanese society. Like Fist of Legend it portrays a more complex Japanese occupier, though it does portray some negative stereotypes in its depiction of the Japanese political character. Ip Man also displays a more complex Chinese citizen than the past films in the genre. Ip Man's Chinese citizens act like the oppressed, taking actions that undermine the Chinese people and make things easier for the occupying Japanese. Bandits steal from hard working Chinese families instead of fighting the Japanese. Translators hand over Kung Fu masters, though the master's may end up shot if they are too successful against the Japanese, out of fear of punishment and a need to support family. There are no simple quislings in the story, but the oppressed act in ways that make the job of the oppressor easier.

It all makes for one of the most emotionally powerful martial arts films ever made. The action in the film is amazing -- as I have come to expect from Donnie Yen films -- but there is something special about this film that has nothing to do with the action and everything to do with the performance and direction.

A GenCon Debrief -- Dark Sun, Ravenloft, Gamma World, Ennies, and Fantasy Flight

Tonight on Geekerati Radio (8pm Pacific) we'll be discussing Christian's recent trip to GenCon. He avoided Con Crud, but he didn't avoid fatigue. It was Christian's first visit since the con moved to Indianapolis, and it was a wonderful experience. Join Christian and Shawna tonight for the discussion. Feel free to call us at (646) 478-5041 during the show and join in on the conversation.

You Can Take Our Money, But You'll Never Take Our DS's!!

Elizabeth Young, over at Forces of Geek, has a post that contains this video showing how gamers will let you harass them and take their money, but don't even think about taking their Nintendo DS's.

Then comes the smack down!