The Immersive Power of Fiction

There’s this tweet I quite like from Mike Rosenthal that reads: “What if your fiance said ‘smell ya later’ and then got his nose shot off in the War? I’m crying now, I hate the immersive power of fiction”

I thought of it often while watching YouTube personality Markiplier play a very simple game for an hour and, despite really simplistic graphics and a hard-to-swallow high concept, find himself completely absorbed in a game where he’s trapped in a cell and asked to simply stay happy and play video games.

The meta-narrative of also being in a room, alone, trying to be happy and play video games might have got to him. There are several points in the video where, in the embedded video Mark shoots of himself while he plays, you can see real emotion as the isolation of the game draws him in and forces a very human reaction, despite the limitations of the medium.

It’s a pretty amazing thing to watch. Be ready to see the immersive power of fiction.

Published
Categorized as Webloggery

Happy Anniversary: THE SPIRIT LEFT ME

spirit_left_me_cover_only

One year ago, I released a short e-book featuring amusements, monsters… ghosts… like it says on the cover. A cover I thought looked delightfully retro when I designed it, looking like a library book that had lost its dust jacket, but in hindsight the design does not sell the wonders within at all. You can’t even see the high-resolution book texture behind the faux-stamped yellow text when it’s shrunk down to thumbnail size.

Anyway. For the 1 year anniversary, I’m offering the book for free for the limited time period of “forever.” This is a savings of 0% off the original price.

Mostly, this is just a reminder to myself that I should have made progress on something new in the last year. What the heck have I been doing?

Monk’s Drop

monk's_drop

 

Visit scenic… Monk’s Drop!

Named for our first mayor, Enric Monk’s Drop, this beautiful city on a plain is home to:

  • The richest cow in the state!
  • A local salad made up of FOUR vegetables!
  • A seminary with an amazing tower that has never tempted a monk to suicide!
  • A penny museum!
  • Trees!
  • The Hall of Postcards!
  • Soothing rivers!
  • Lots of happy, happy monks!

For Your Consideration

hiking

 

Sometimes, Amanda and I like to take postcards and, inspired by the art, either draw or write something original on the back then send them off to friends. This is one of those.

For your consideration during your stay: HIKING! 

Good exercise, a chance to commune with nature, and only rarely would one expect to encounter a spectral male figure walking through the brush, unslowed and ethereal. I don’t know know why I’m mentioning it. But if you DO go hiking — and you should — and if you DO see a pale shadow, then please keep in mind that whatever mishap befell that lost soul, it would have predated the founding of our hotel & spa.

Learn to Swim

learntoswim

 

Sometimes, Amanda and I like to take postcards and, inspired by the art, either draw or write something original on the back then send them off to friends.

This one’s leaving soon for who-knows-where.

 

text:

“Learn to swim! To not swim is an insult to our new political allies, the mer-men, who have begun to invest heavily in our local economy, supporting small businesses and, to be frank, putting food on all of our tables. Look. You already float. Without doing anything, you float. So move your arms and legs a little. If you get drowned, it’s like littering in their city and you come off like a big jerk. Learn. To. Swim.”