Suggest More, please? You guys know me way better than I do, and I think this is a good idea.

[mostlikely2]

(To a 23yo college student who asked.)

What's actually hard to believe is that I still don't have a good answer. I figured once I got all my books onto the bookshelves and properly sorted, I would easily be able to make the list. Seven years later and I just bought bookshelves this weekend, so... This is off the top of my head. These are the things

Comments

[beatcamel]

the movie v for vendetta?

THE MOVIE V FOR VENDETTA?!??!?!?

WHAT?!?!

WHAT?!!

[mostlikely2]

I don't live in Britain in the 80s and as far as I remember I never did. I live on Earth, now, and that movie rocks way harder than the comic, as far as my life goes. I mean, I loved the comic when I was a fetus, and I still love it like I love things from fetus times, but that movie is about now. I could lay it out scene by scene why, but you'd just get bored because it's really personal shit.

Suffice to say that Alan Moore would NEVER have thought to contrast Evie's awakening in water with V's awakening in fire, which speaks to our political system and the way we are evolving WAY better than it ever could apply to Thatcher's UK.

[beatcamel]

I don't know. I kind of agree with Alan Moore's take about the comic being about anarchy vs. fascism while the movie is about american neo-liberalism vs. american neo-conservatism.

I also kind of feel the same way I feel about the film A Scanner Darkly, it's like, look, if you want to make your government conspiracy paranoia film, make it, but leave A Scanner Darkly alone, same with V, if you want to make your dystopian, fascist future movie, go ahead and make it, but leave v alone, no reason to rape the comic to make your film, just make your own thing.

[mostlikely2]

On the other hand, I love comics for opposite reasons than movies. I love comics because serial hits of images + words, as above, go straight to your brain like nothing else. I love movies because they're one beautiful thing, hopefully, contained in a single 2-hour experience.

No matter how many times I watch V For Vendetta the movie, V For Vendetta the comic remains on my bookshelf as it has for the last fifteen years, completely unraped.

In this case, I prefer the movie, for personal reasons. Reading the comic is something I do to read a comic. I don't really see the connection.

[nationofsheep]

Hard to believe that David Foster Wallace is dead.

[mostlikely2]

Easy to believe, hard to take.

[stabby_lyd]

EXACTLY.

[spectralbovine]

Don't know if you saw my post on Wicked.

I am bookmarking this post! I've read some of the stuff you mention and heard of others, but some is completely unfamiliar to me.

[mostlikely2]

Double-length reply, thanks for the length. I wish I read LJ more regularly, that was a good read.

[spectralbovine]

Glad you liked it! Have some more good reads.

Samurai Jack!

[pollyqua]

Comics + Mythology = Samurai Jack. I think you would like this a lot. I mean, a lot a lot. Really. It's probably the best thing that's ever been on TV, and I'm including "Hill Street Blues" and "Buffy" in that evaluation.

Also, for those of us who frivolled our college years away in the math department, can you recommend a primer for Greek & Roman mythology?

Thank you for being you!

Re: Samurai Jack!

[mostlikely2]

I loved what little SJ I saw, but good eye.

Primer? Well, Edith Hamilton is the go-to for collecting and transcribing various myths, but I think Joseph Campbell probably gives a more current-feeling overview. I grew up with various storybooks and whatnot so I don't have one source to give, but I think a single Campbell book and a strong Wikipedia habit would fill in better blanks than anybody else.

[kaffy_r]

Thanks. This is much needed nutrition.