Author: Kyle A. Massa (Page 25 of 28)

A Review of Neil Gaiman’s “Stardust”

June 30, 2014 /

Image courtesy chasingtheturtle.files.wordpress.com.

One of the best things about summer is getting reacquainted with some of your favorite authors. I am doing that and doing it proudly this summer, starting with my good buddy Neil Gaiman (yes, we’ve met, no big deal).

All kidding aside, I am a huge fan of Gaiman’s work. He’s witty, charming, an excellent creator of character, and, perhaps most important of all, he is one of the most accessible authors I’ve ever read; each of his works offers something for everyone. I could go on and on about any of his books, but today I’d like to tell you about his 1998 novel Stardust.

Set in the 19th century English village of Wall, Stardust concerns a young man named Tristran Thorn and his adventures into the world of Faerie. The novel playfully utilizes familiar fairy-tale tropes, such as the lover’s rash promise. In Stardust, this promise becomes the impetus for our hero’s quest; after promising to retrieve a fallen star for his one true love, Tristran sets off for adventure and fortune.

As always, I love the world Gaiman sets up here. This one is a bit different from his other novels, which usually feature a real-world setting with fantasy elements. The world of Stardust, however, is pure fairy-tale. We’ve got witches, unicorns, princes, kingdoms, flying ships––all the good stuff. It’s quite imaginative, and Gaiman manages to pack a great deal of content into only 250 pages or so. He also juggles numerous characters in those few pages, yet manages to make them all feel relevant to the plot.

Those characters include, among others, a nameless witch with a thing for sharp knives, and seven squabbling brothers (four dead, three still alive) who gleefully off each other for their father’s throne. These seven are my favorites, especially the youngest, Septimus. He’s so evil in such a casual way that you can’t help but like him. Tristran Thorn is another great character, despite being “ordinary as cheese-crumbs.” His evolution into a hero is all the more satisfying when you consider where he started.

I really enjoyed reading this novel, though I must say, I did not care for the ending. Without spoiling anything, I felt there was a complete tonal shift in the last twenty pages, leaving us with an awfully depressing conclusion. I mean it. I was really bummed out. I’ve got nothing against unhappy endings, but after such a whimsical, lighthearted ride, I didn’t expect to get off feeling so sad.

…

Neil Gaiman does it again with Stardust, a unique, thoroughly entertaining ode to the fairy tale.

Rating: 8/10

The Winds of Winter: A Fan’s Attempt at Accurate Guesswork

June 16, 2014 /

Image courtesy beyondhollywood.com.

After last night’s explosive season finale of HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” I’m in a real Song of Ice and Fire mood. To date, I don’t think any TV show or book series has ever inspired as much conjecture and speculation as these–and why not? Every second they’re onscreen or on the page, these characters are in serious danger of getting whacked.

I, of course, love to speculate as much as anybody, but I confess that it’s not much fun to guess what’s going to happen on the show when you’ve read all the books. Miraculously, every time I guess what will happen next on the show, I’m correct!

So instead, I’ve elected to make guesses about the novels–like in this here blog, for instance. These are my predictions for the sixth installment of A Song of Ice and Fire.

I know that this blog might be premature. Hell, this blog most certainly is premature, but that’s alright. George R.R. Martin’s latest masterwork will be upon us sometime within the next three years or so (hopefully), and I, as always, am a huge fan of speculation.

So let’s speculate.

SPOILER ALERT–IF YOU HAVEN’T READ BOOKS 4 AND 5 YET, YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO READ THIS.

Anybody left?

You’ve read 4 and 5?

Okay, awesome. Let’s continue…

You clearly know a lot about A Song of Ice and Fire, so you know there are a lot of characters. Therefore, I’m going to do what Mr. Martin did in his fourth and fifth volumes–I’m going to separate the POV characters from A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons into two separate blogs. The latter will be available at a later date, the former…right now.

Let’s start in King’s Landing, with Cersei. After the ordeal she suffered at the hands of the Faith, it appears she might be broken. I doubt it. With Kevan Lannister dead, she’s going to pick up right where she left off–ruining the kingdom. In fact, Varys essentially says as much when he kills Kevan; Cersei will botch the whole project, paving the way for Aegon Targaryen to take the Iron Throne. That’s right–I predict a Targaryen will finally rule Westeros, just not Daenerys. More on her later…

In Oldtown, Sam Tarly is becoming a maester. Logistically, this process has to go pretty fast. The Others are coming soon, and Sam might hold the secret to defeating them. Sam also makes friends with Pate, who we of course know isn’t really Pate. A lot of readers have matched the description of the Alchemist to Jaquen H’agar’s new face at the end of A Clash of Kings, and it seems that this mysterious alchemist has now taken the face of the ill-fated pig-boy. I never made that connection until somebody pointed it out on a message board, but I think it’s accurate. For some reason, H’agar wants a master key to the citadel. Could it have something to do with fighting the Others? Or maybe a weapon to defeat dragons? I don’t even have a guess here.

But speaking of the Citadel, what the heck is Marwyn doing? He tells Sam that he’s going across the sea to meet Daenerys Targaryen, but it’s not really clear why. Does he want to destroy her dragons? Does he want them for himself? Based on the general greediness of Martin’s characters, and on the fact that dragons are in vogue in Westeros, my money’s on the latter.

In the Riverlands, the whole thing with Brienne and Jaime is getting a little too dicey for me. Brienne’s apparent plan is to lure Jaime into the woods so that Catelyn, a.k.a. Lady Stoneheart, can kill him. Please, Mr. Martin, I beg you…don’t kill Jaime Lannister! The guy’s my favorite character!

Before you get mad, hear me out. Jaime has done some terrible things–but I like him precisely because he’s done terrible things. He’s really just misunderstood, and he actually turns into a pretty good guy in A Storm of Swords and the following volumes. The incest thing is pretty inexcusable, I agree. But hey, nobody’s perfect! Fortunately for Mr. Lannister, Martin usually likes to suggest one thing, then do something totally different. Therefore, if he’s suggesting that Jaime is being lured to his death, perhaps that means that Jaime might live to bang his sister another day. (Sorry, I had to throw a joke in there somewhere).

Next, I definitely think Sansa is going to become heir of both the Eyrie and Winterfell. Littlefinger has been playing his cards well, and he and Sansa are set up to take both castles. In Feast, Baelish hints that if Robert Arryn were to die, Harrold Hardyng would become the new Lord of the Eyrie. And if Sansa marries Hardyng, she’s got both castles. My prediction is that Littlefinger will toss Robert Arryn out the Moon Door (much to every readers’ delight), then marry Hardyng and Sansa. Not sure what happens after that, though. Maybe Harrold and Sansa’s first move is to take back Winterfell from Roose Bolton?

Now to the Greyjoys. I think Euron Crow’s-Eye could be a big contender for King. This guy is all about forbidden magic and dragon horns and other creepy shit–I think he might use some of that magic to take the throne. However, there’s still the matter of Aegon Targaryen, who seems to have a lot of support and a pretty sweet army behind him. I predict a meeting in King’s Landing between these two, a second epic battle over the city, and Aegon emerging as the victor.

Euron’s brother Victarion is a different story, though. I think that he’s going to smash Daenerys’s foes with the Iron Fleet, then perhaps join forces with her. I used to guess that Dany would marry him to acquire his fleet (Westerosi marriages are so materialistic!), but with her frolicking in the Dothraki Sea, that’s going to be tough. My best guess is that he’ll form some kind of alliance with old man Selmy.

In regards to Dorne, I think Arienne is definitely going to marry Aegon. The Dornish tried to arrange a marriage with the Targaryens twice before and failed both times, so this seems like a logical third try. This time it’s going to work, and Aegon will have even more support for his cause.

Lots going on, lots to guess about. What do you think is going to happen? Feel free to comment with your thoughts, fears, and craziest conspiracy theories. Let’s hope that the book comes out soon, so we can see how bad my predictions turn out to be.

I wish you luck in all your speculating endeavors!

Wishbone Ash: The Best Band You’ve Never Heard Of

June 6, 2014 /

Image courtesy sam-musiclovers.blogspot.com.

Don’t ask me why, but I’ve recently developed the strange habit of logging into YouTube and searching for obscure rock bands from the 60’s and 70’s–the weirder the name, the better. Some of the best I’ve discovered so far include “Gandalf,” “Lucifer’s Friend,” and “Bulbous Creation” (what the hell a bulbous creation is, I have no idea). Okay, I admit, some of these sound really weird. But, as they say, don’t judge a book by its cover. In fact, it seems to me that even the bands that never made it in the 60’s are still better than most of the acts around today. But that’s just my opinion…

One of the better groups I found with this method is a four-piece by the name of “Wishbone Ash.” Two random nouns smushed together to make a band name? Sounds good to me.

A British rock band founded in 1970, Wishbone Ash originated as a power trio named “Tanglewood.” Their lineup featured Martin Turner on bass, Steve Upton on drums,  and Martin’s brother Glenn Turner on guitar. After Glenn quit, manager Miles Copeland III put out an ad for a replacement guitarist. Instead of one, they found two: Andy Powell and Ted Turner. After extensive auditioning, the band decided to keep both. As members of Wishbone Ash, Powell and Turner became a seminal twin-lead guitar pair, pioneering the style made famous by such bands as Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Thin Lizzy.

I chose 1972’s Argus to be my introduction to the band, partly because it’s their most commercially successful album and partly because it’s the only complete album of theirs on YouTube.

Forty-five minutes later, I was blown away. These guys absolutely rock.

Right from the opening track, I got a sense of a professional, tight group. The nine minute rock odyssey “Time Was” starts things off with some soft acoustic picking. Then we get some surprisingly tender vocal harmonies from Martin and Ted Turner (no relation there, by the way). Just when you wonder where the electric guitars are, both blast in and take things to a new level. It’s a solid track, and it showcases the band’s versatility.

Next comes the sombre “Sometime World,” followed by the cheery “Blowin’ Free.” This was a concert favorite of the band, and for good reason–the bouncy riff is instantly recognizable, and it gets stuck in your head.

I consider the next track to be a high point of the album: the seven-minute epic “The King Will Come.” Andy Powell’s guitar tone during the intro sounds almost like pipes, and Upton’s marching snare matches the feel nicely. After about a minute, the song explodes into a killer riff by Ted Turner. Equally impressive solos from both guitarists fill the song out. After listening to most of their catalogue, I remain convinced that “The King Will Come” is Ash’s best.

Afterward comes the reserved “Leaf and Stream;” a nice song, but probably the weakest track on the album when compared to the others. “Warrior” features even more impressive guitar work (notice a pattern here?), but the song that solidifies Powell and Turner as true guitar legends is the closing track, entitled “Throw Down the Sword.”

Priest and Maiden might have made the twin-lead style famous, but I argue that Wishbone Ash did it better than anyone. The solo at the end of this song proves it. For the final two minutes, we’re taken on a musical journey by two outstanding guitarists. It’s amazing how the solos entwine, then diverge, then rejoin one another, almost like threads of silk woven into one. The combination of emotive phrasing and impressive fretwork is what makes this dual-solo really shine. But if you truly want to get a sense of just how good it is, you’ll have to listen to it yourself.

Argus vaulted Wishbone Ash into my upper echelon of all-time favorite artists with just one listen. The band produced some other strong efforts throughout its career (check out Pilgrimage, There’s the Rub, and New England), but, in my opinion, none of them quite matched the brilliance of this album.

So do yourself a favor. Buy Argus and take a listen. You won’t regret it.

“The Name of the Wind” Review

September 22, 2013 /

Image courtesy www.rantingdragon.com.

Right now is a great time to be be a fantasy fan.

More and more, the genre is moving away from Tolkien cloning and beyond to brave new horizons. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss is a great example of this movement.

The Name of the Wind is the story of Kvothe, a man so legendary that his reputation has become larger than his own life. Over three days, Kvothe recounts the stories of his travels to a man named Chronicler (each book in the trilogy is one day of the tale).

The narrative style alone sets this one aside from a lot of other books in the genre. I can’t remember ever reading a fantasy book quite like it. It makes you forget that you’re reading a story and makes you think that you’re listening to a story; one half is first-person narration from Kvothe’s point of view, and the other is third person omniscient narration in Kvothe’s inn.

The world is vaguely reminiscent of Harry Potter, with an academy that teaches magical arts, among other disciplines. That isn’t to say that The Name of the Wind is targeted only to a young adult audience, however. It isn’t quite as grim as some modern fantasy, say A Song of Ice and Fire, but it’s certainly not for kids. There are sexual references, there is occasional cursing, and there’s a melancholy, regretful undertone to the whole thing. This one lands somewhere between a young adult audience and a strictly adult audience, I think.

Kvothe is a well-drawn and likable protagonist, full of wit and resourcefulness. It’s interesting to see the contrast between his young self and older self; the latter is sombre and defeated, while the former is lively and daring. Furthermore, the character is brought to life not only by his accomplishments, but also by his shortcomings. He’s undeniably cool, but he’s also undeniably arrogant. Rothfuss doesn’t make the same mistake that many fantasy authors do when writing their central hero; Kvothe is flawed, and therefore human.

Unfortunately, Kvothe’s realism makes some of the supporting cast appear dull in comparison––namely, Denna. When I read her, I felt like I’d read her a hundred times before. She’s so beautiful that everyone wants her, and as a result she’s become bored by everyone’s attention. It’s already been done. I really hope she develops more as the series progresses, because as of now she basically has one trait: she’s really freakin’ hot.

Speaking of the rest of the series, some really interesting questions have been posed by this first volume. What are these demons infesting the countryside, where are they coming from, and what does Kvothe have to do with them? Who are the Chandrian? What will Elodin mentor Kvothe? Will Kvothe and Denna ever meet again in the present timeline?

The sequel is already out, titled The Wise Man’s Fear, and the final entry in the trilogy is currently in the works. They’re next on my list.

…

The Name of the Wind is an excellent setup to a very promising trilogy. The narrative style, main character, and world work nicely to create one of the best modern fantasy books out there.

Rating: 9/10

“Pet Sematary” Review

September 15, 2013 /

Image courtesy toomuchhorrorfiction.blogspot.com

What is the most frightening book Stephen King has ever written?

According to the man himself, it’s Pet Sematary. I picked it up for exactly this reason,  having never seen the movie and having only the foggiest idea of the plot. I wouldn’t say it’s King’s scariest work, not compared to the short story Children of the Corn, for instance. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good read, and that definitely doesn’t mean that it’s not scary.

Pet Sematary starts innocently enough with a family named the Creeds moving into a new house in Ludlow, Maine. They’re a typical suburban family, with a father (Louis), mother (Rachel), daughter (Ellie), son (Gage), and cat (Winston Churchill, better known as Church). The Creeds’ house is located right beside a busy highway, but they don’t think much of it. Louis quickly becomes friends with old gentleman neighbor Jud Crandal, who’s lived in Ludlow for all his life. Just when everything seems to be going well, Church is run over by a truck on the highway. Jud offers to help Louis bury the cat in the Pet Sematary behind the Creeds’ house, and then the impossible happens––Church returns, alive and well…or so it seems.

Pet Sematary is undoubtedly frightening. It starts out slowly, builds well, and ends in a disturbing, terrible, shocking coda. King creates a story that is not only horrifying, but deeply tragic. When Gage dies, I found myself close to tears. You want things to be alright in the end. You want Gage to come back and be fine. But that never happens, and it makes the book all the more heartbreaking.

The pacing is admittedly slow toward the beginning. I know I had a hard time getting into it at first, but patience pays off with this book. The deliberate pace helps to make the rest of the story even more shocking, and the mundanity of the first half provides a strong counterpoint to the supernatural elements of the second half. It’s sad to see such an ordinary, likable family destroyed so utterly. But of course, it wouldn’t be much of a book without that.

The best (and scariest) part of Pet Sematary is what is left unexplained. I’m talking about the Wendigo, and the nature of the Sematary itself. Louis sees some giant creature roaming the woods, but we don’t know if this is the thing that rules the burial ground, or if it’s the thing that comes back instead of Gage, or something else entirely. It’s this ambiguity that truly makes the book spooky. King doesn’t give us too much. He gives us just enough.

…

Pet Sematary is a creepy, atmospheric tale about the consequences of death. While it does drag at times, the slow pacing is mostly an asset rather than a detriment.

Rating: 9/10

P.S.: I just watched the movie…the book is better.

“Wizard’s First Rule” Review

September 1, 2013 /
Image courtesy sot.wikia.com

Image courtesy sot.wikia.com

When most people think of multi-volume fantasy epics, they invariably think of the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. Without a doubt, it’s one of the most popular and enduring series in the genre, spawning twelve novels and a short-lived live-action television series. Wizard’s First Rule is the original entry in the series, so I thought I’d give it a shot to see what all the fuss is about.

After four months of tedious on-and-off reading, I stillI don’t understand the fascination with this series. The writing isn’t particularly impressive, and neither is the world or the characters or the themes or really anything else in it. I felt like I was reading a patchwork of fantasy. Richard is a stereotypical male hero; Kahlan is halfway decent compared to others, but ultimately uninteresting; Zed is exactly what you think of when you think of a wizard. There’s nothing very original about this book, nothing to differentiate it from everything that’s come before.

Let’s start with the rules of the world––there are way, way, way too many. Everyone is bound by magical law to do one thing or another, and it seems like more and more rules are added to the list with each passing chapter. To illustrate my point, there are probably around five to ten campfire conversations where everyone sits around and chats. But instead of telling scary stories boy-scout style, they all try to explain to the reader how things work in the Midlands. They usually go something like this:

…

ZEDD: So Richard, you’re the Seeker, which essentially means that you walk around with a big sword looking for truth.

RICHARD: Looking for truth? What does that mean?

ZEDD: I don’t know. And no one’s going to explain it. There are like twenty more books left for readers to figure out what the hell’s going on.

RICHARD: But––

ZEDD: Moving on. There are these boxes, right? And this dude named Darken Rahl wants them because if you open all three before winter, you get, like, limitless power and you can open up the underworld and stuff.

RICHARD: Who made the boxes? And why does this guy want to open the underworld?

ZEDD: Don’t worry about it. Point is, you need to kill this guy because he killed your father…well, the guy you think is your father. Spoiler: it turns out Darken’s your daddy.

RICHARD: Hey, wasn’t that already the major plot twist in Star Wars?

ZEDD: Uhh…

…

Okay, I admit it, this isn’t really what their campfire chats are like. They’re a lot longer, and there are far fewer logical questions being asked. The world is based on rules that seem to change depending on the situation the writer finds his characters in.

For example, at the end of the novel, when everything seems lost, Kahlan goes into this sacred rage called the Con-Dar, setting up Rahl’s downfall. It isn’t explained or even alluded to until the very end of the book, and as a result it comes out of nowhere and seems incredibly convenient. Talk about deus ex machina.

As I said earlier, for a series that’s supposedly character driven, the characters of Wizard’s First Rule are anything but compelling. They feel mechanical rather than organic, acting because they’re told to and not because they choose to. They don’t have very much agency, and as a result become monotonous, if not downright boring. And to make matters worse, many of them are noticeably derivative.

The best example of this problem is Samuel. Let me describe him to you, and you tell me who he sounds like. Samuel is a wretched, tortured little man who runs around on his arms and legs like a dog. He used to be a normal being, but he was twisted by the magic of an ancient artifact and is now hopelessly bound to it. His purpose in the story is to illustrate what will happen to the protagonist if he should fail in his quest.

Sound familiar? That’s right folks. Samuel is Gollum.

The only halfway unique or interesting character in the whole book is Denna, a torturer hired by Darken Rahl to break Richard. Though at first she appears to be merciless and cruel, she and Richard develop an unlikely bond of love. Just when she begins to get really interesting, guess what happens? Richard has to kill her.

The best thing I can say for Wizard’s First Rule is that I could finish it. It’s just interesting enough that you want to know what happens, but the payoff is just like the first 600 pages: completely derivative. I was really hoping that Darken Rahl wouldn’t turn out to be Richard’s father. I really was. Having the antagonist be the protagonist’s father became instant cliche when they did it in Star Wars…so why do it again?

…

Wizard’s First Rule might be somewhat engaging to someone who’s never read a fantasy novel before. But if you’re at all familiar with the genre, you’ll recognize every character, every theme, and every plot twist.

Rating: 3/10

Game of Thrones Season 3 Premiere

April 2, 2013 /
Image Courtesy the1tvjunkie.com

Image Courtesy the1tvjunkie.com

Winter is here!

Just watched the Season 3 premiere of HBO’s Game of Thrones. This season will be based on A Storm of Swords, the third book in George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series. SoS is by far my favorite of the five books out now, so I’m hoping that this will also be my favorite season. And yet, the premiere was just…underwhelming.

Disclaimer: I was watching this with friends who’ve never seen the show before, and so trying to explain the plot while still watching. I might’ve missed some things.

We began with a nice little zombie sighting, followed by the introduction of the much talked about Mance Rayder. Though I had early reservations about the casting choice, veteran Irish actor Cirian Hinds seems to be a good fit for the character. His scene with Jon Snow and Tormund Giantsbane was one of my favorites from the book, and they nailed it.

But from there, it just didn’t seem to go anywhere. Tyrion’s scenes were especially disappointing. Even his entrance lacked the bad-assery of last season’s. I get that he was almost killed by his sister and had everything taken away and all, but come on! This is Tyrion Lannister we’re talking about. Where were all the snarky witticisms?

Davos survived, but I was personally more excited to see Sallador Sahn again. The actor who plays him is excellent. Then we see Robb and Catelyn doing whatever they do – I’m pretty much over them. Dany’s story really takes off in this part of the series, though not quite yet. There was a pretty nasty nipple-cutting scene – never though I’d say that – and she was joined by Barristan Selmy, who was always one of my favorites. All cool, but all on the dry side.

Sadly, there wasn’t enough time to fit in Arya, The Hound, Jaime, or Brienne. Overall, there was just a lot of exposition and not much else. But it’s early yet, with nine more episodes to go.

Let the game begin!

Colin Kaepernick and the Phenomenon of the Mobile Quarterback

February 9, 2013 /

Let’s go back to the start of the 2012 NFL season. If you had to choose who would be the starting quarterback for the NFC in the Superbowl, who would you have chosen?

If you knew something about football, you probably would’ve guessed someone like Aaron Rodgers. You might’ve said Matt Ryan or Tony Romo, maybe even Eli Manning for a second year in a row. If you had said Alex Smith, you would’ve been close.

If you had said Colin Kaepernick, you’d be omniscient.

Kaepernick basically came out of nowhere to lead the 49ers to the Superbowl, and in large part he did it with his legs. His success marks the beginning of a new era in the NFL: the era of the mobile quarterback.

The NCAA has seen its share of mobile quarterbacks. Of the three Heisman finalists this year, two were quarterbacks with more than 1,000 rush yards. But the NFL has never been a running quarterback league, with the exception of a handful of special cases, such as Michael Vick.

The difference between the mobile quarterback and the pocket passer is obvious; while the pocket passer may have the superior arm, the mobile quarterback has a second dimension to his game. If everyone is covered downfield, a Colin Kaepernick type player can run for the first down. Compare that to a Tom Brady, who is indeed a far better passer, but really can’t do much if everyone’s covered. Furthermore, the mobile quarterback can roll out of the pocket to buy time for receivers to get open.

I’d trace the seeds of the mobile quarterback phenomenon back to April 28th, 2011. More specifically, this was the day the Carolina Panthers took Cam Newton number one in the draft. Newton was the Heisman winner in his senior year at Auburn, racking up running back type rush numbers (1473 yards and 20 touchdowns). Rushing was and still is a big part of Newton’s game, and his mobility helped him to win the 2011 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. The 2012 Award went to Robert Griffin III, who ran for 815 yards and added 7 touchdowns. Clearly, it seems that the league is moving in a different direction.

The conversion to mobile quarterbacks only continued with this past season. On November 19th, 2012, Niner’s starter Alex Smith was ruled unable to play with a concussion. Coach Jim Harbaugh selected an unknown rookie named Colin Kaepernick to start. Kaepernick had already replaced Smith in the previous week against the Rams, putting up decent numbers, but only managing to earn a tie. Against the Bears, however, he put on a clinic; 16 for 23, 243 yards, 2 touchdowns, no interceptions.

After the game, Harbaugh expressed interest in the possibility of starting Kaepernik again, even if Smith was healthy. “Usually tend to go with the guy who’s got the hot hand, and we’ve got two quarterbacks that have got a hot hand.”

Sure enough, Kaepernick started again the following week against the Saints, despite Alex Smith being cleared to play. He led the 49ers to another win, going 16 of 25 for 231 yards with one touchdown and one pick, also adding a touchdown on the ground. It was assumed that Coach Harbaugh went with Kaepernick because he could throw the ball downfield, and also because of his explosive mobility.

Kaepernick’s ability to run was proven yet again in the playoffs against the Packers, when he set the NFL postseason record in rush yards by a quarterback, a stunning 181 yards with two touchdowns. In the Superbowl, Karpernick added 62 more yards on the ground, along with the longest touchdown run by a quarterback in Superbowl history, a 15 yard score.

But Kaepernick and Newton aren’t alone. There’s the aforementioned Robert Griffin III from Washington, and fellow rookie Russell Wilson from Seattle, who had 489 yards on the ground. In fact, among the top five quarterbacks in quarterback rating this year, two were mobile quarterbacks with more than 450 rush yards.

So the question is, why now? Why are we seeing so many quarterbacks who are more mobile than ever before?

For one, I think it has to do with a recent influx of college coaches to the NFL. Many teams are hiring coaches from huge programs, such as Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco, Pete Caroll in Seattle, and even more recently Chip Kelly in Philadelphia. These coaches are bringing college style offenses with them, and the mobile quarterback thrives in the college system. Guys like Kaepernick might’ve once been dismissed in a pro-style offense. In the college style, they are embraced.

Also, I think that the success of Michael Vick in 2010 really opened the door for mobile quarterbacks. After returning from a two year, highly publicized jail term for dogfighting, Vick became the starter for the Eagles in 2010 and never looked back. He put up career highs in completion percentage (62.6%), touchdown passes (21), and quarterback rating (100.2), all the while showing the league that mobile quarterbacks can be successful. Cam Newton followed the year after, then Kaepernik, Wilson, and Griffin, and the phenomenon began.

Will the rest of the NFL catch on to the trend? Remember, the AFC’s representative in the Superbowl was Joe Flacco, and he’s anything but fast. Most of the league is still composed of pocket passers. Furthermore, this isn’t the first time that running quarterbacks have been all the rage in the league.

A few years ago, the Wildcat offense was sweeping the NFL, and many mobile quarterbacks appeared seemingly just for the package; players like West Virginia’s Pat White, Missouri’s Brad Smith, and even Florida’s Tim Tebow. The package seemed to work well enough for the Dolphins in 2008, and Tim Tebow had a very impressive run with the Broncos in 2011. But since then, this batch of mobile quarterbacks seems to have dwindled. White hasn’t been in pro football since 2010, Smith only occasionally gets playing time at quarterback, and Tebow gets even less. Even the once prolific Michael Vick seems to be at the end of his career, largely due to injury.

I think the key difference between these old mobile quarterbacks and the new ones is the balance between throwing and passing ability. The old mobile quarterbacks were all speed. For example, Michael Vick was never great at passing, having a lifetime quarterback rating of just 80.6. But Vick excelled because he could run, setting the single season record for QB rush yards at 1039. Tebow and White were the same; mostly running ability, but little passing ability. And in the case of Vick, all that running led to big hits outside of the pocket, making him a huge injury risk.

The new mobile quarterbacks augment their passing game with their running game rather than relying on it. It’s like a delicate recipe; a little running ability mixed with good passing is better than a little passing and good running. And if the legs aren’t the primary weapon, the player is less likely to be injured.

League wide, support seems to be mixed on the running quarterback. Aaron Rodgers, starting quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, was recently asked what he thought of the new “pistol” offense that many mobile quarterbacks run out of. Rodgers said: “I think the league is cyclical. Things have come back around that have been used 20, 30 years ago. But this, too, I think, will pass. Some of the pistol, read-option stuff will eventually pass.” However, in that same interview, Rodgers went on to say, “The athletic quarterback, I don’t think, is going to pass at all.”

Will the mobile quarterback survive? Only time will tell. Personally, I think that the mobile quarterback is indeed here to stay. Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson are just rookies, and Colin Kaepernick and Cam Newton are just second year players. The incoming talents of Kansas State’s Colin Klein and Texas Tech’s freshman sensation Johnny Manziel will only add to the already growing number. In a few short years, the mobile quarterback may very well be what all the teams are looking for on draft day.

Gangster Squad Review

January 26, 2013 /
Image courtesy oldfocals.com

Image courtesy oldfocals.com

What can I say? I’m a sucker for gangster movies.

Some people may tell you that Gangster Squad is all style and no substance, that is has a lackluster script, and that it doesn’t really add anything to the genre.

Ok, yeah, that’s all kind of true. But is it entertaining? Absolutely.

I thought that the style was very cool. Clearly they were going for the film noir/Warner Bros.’ gangster atheistic, and they nailed it. The script, the performances, costumes, music, sets, all of them created a gritty, moody affair. There were solid performances as well, particularly from Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, and Mireille Enos.

No, this movie isn’t going to de-define the genre, it isn’t an in depth character study, and it isn’t going to win any awards. Gangster Squad is a gangster movie, and doesn’t try to be anything else.

…

If you’re expecting an Oscar-winning drama out of Gangster Squad, expect to be disappointed. If you’re expecting a fun movie that doesn’t require a lot of thought, then expect to be entertained.

Rating: 7/10

“Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” Review

January 19, 2013 /

What makes a human a human? What separates us from nature, from artifice, even from each other? Are some non-human entities just as human as we are?

These are all very compelling questions, all posed by author Philip K. Dick in his novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Serving as the inspiration for Ridley Scott’s 1982 blockbuster Bladerunner, Dick’s book follows Rick Deckard, a San Franciso bounty hunter working to eliminate a new model of android, one that is more humanlike than any previous.

Besides Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, this was really my first endevour into the world of science fiction. I must say, it was quite an introduction.

First thing I’d like to say; this book is one the most thought provoking novels I’ve ever read. It’s more than a science-fiction story. It’s an examination of what it means to be human, to be a living being with thoughts (and perhaps more importantly) feelings. It’s about the beliefs that survive and the beliefs that are destroyed in the midst of change.

The themes and ideas explored in this book are excellent. As alluded to before, this one really makes the reader think. It challenges you to put yourself in Rick’s situation and wonder about what you yourself would do. Perhaps the same thing, perhaps something different. Only you (the reader) can decide.

My main criticism of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is its length. At only two hundred and ten pages, it’s not very long at all, and reads more like a novella than a novel. I would’ve liked to see just a little more, maybe a few other viewpoints, just to see the world from a few more angles. The rules are certainly established, but I feel that they could be fleshed out even more.

I also feel that the character J.R. Isidore is underused. He is quite compelling, and yet he has very little effect on the plot and really doesn’t get all that much attention. Isidore is a symbol of the destruction caused by “World War Terminus,” and yet he’s barely in the book at all. A small detail, really, but nonetheless, one that deserves attention.

…

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is an excellent piece of science fiction. A fascinating premise combined with interesting themes make for an excellent read.

Rating: 9/10

« Older posts Newer posts »

Disclosure: Some links on this site may be affiliate links. This means I earn a commission on sales made through those links, while you pay no additional cost.

© 2025 Kyle A. Massa

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑