Reading Assignments

Fan Fiction:
I found that I enjoyed the fan fiction more when the original story didn't have a concrete ending. It is probably because I already have the ending set in my head and it's hard to move away from that. Also, because the ending is so vague and leaves the audience still questioning, the author doesn't have to force a transition into their own story. When I started searching for different fan fiction stories, I didn't' know what I was supposed to be looking for. I did, however, get the hang of it when I realized that you just don't want to read some stories, and others you get sucked into pretty easily. Of all the fan fictions that I read, I enjoyed "The Truman Show Continued: Immediately - 2005," "Osgood I Just Don't Swing That Way!" and "
If I were to write a piece of fan fiction myself, I would write one from The Prestige. It would start from the middle of the movie when Alfred Borden first introduces his magic trick and will continue to tell his side of the story. It would include his plan of cutting off his partner's fingers in order to have a double for the show as well as the love affair with Olivia and his wife, Sarah. Alfred would then be the one questioning how Robert performs the same trick, and discovering the numerous amounts of dead Roberts underneath the stage. A moral battle instead of a competition will then rise between the two men. A battle that Robert failed to acknowledge. Readers would be interested in my fan fiction because the movie does answer a lot of the lingering questions, but at the same time only tells the story from one point of view. You spend the whole movie thinking that you know who the righteous man is, but finish it questioning good and bad, right and wrong. It's surprising to what extent people go to in the name of competition and obsession. This movie would appeal to a number of people because it was generally a good movie but inconclusive. You don't get the full range of emotions involved in Alfred's life, and his fight to keep things in control. He sacrificed many things in order to show Robert up, and we see the consequences of those decisions, but miss the journey.

Creators:
This article was really interesting. Most people are interested in Disney. Just the thought of it brings back memories of childhood, and every year millions of people young AND old visit Disneyland, hoping to relive their days. This article, however, brings a new light onto Disney. I wasn't aware of how much of Disney's ideas were copied and or tweaked from an original. Even the infamous Mickey Mouse wasn't the genius of Walt Disney to begin with. Similar to this, the Japanese comics, doujinshi, are illegal modifications of the same comic, characters, illustrations, and all. The interesting part about these doujinshi comics is that there are so many of them in circulation and yet nothing is being done to crack down on illegal practice. They are being sold at every magazine store, and almost every person is reading them, yet no one is getting reprimanded for having them.

Pirates:
The whole idea of piracy is based on the fact that the American people as a whole are money grubbers. Everyone wants to get paid for every little thing they do. There are even websites that give you money to take surveys. People want to get the maximum amount of money for the least amount of effort. So when creators actually do work, they want to get paid for it. They want to make sure that they receive everything that they deserve. That in itself is understandable. When you start off, you don't care as much if people pay you; you just want your piece of work out there for the public to view and/or listen to.

A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace:
The interesting part of this declaration is that there are basically no rules other than the Golden Rule. He says that this way of life may be better than the one in the real world, but I'm skeptical. However distraught real life may be, every civilization needs some sense of higher order. It would be nice if we could survive as a country or world based on treating others as you would like to be treated, but things happen; not all people are good, and when someone does something that isn't welcome, there needs to be a way to determine what is right and what is wrong. The Golden Rule, however righteous it may be, still has its flaws.