Aliens to Apes

"The iconic Alien is to us what we are to apes:

small, pale, big-headed. and with unfathomable technology.

We even abduct them for medical experiments."

If alien abductions (of the medical experiment kind) are true, then this graphic I saw on fUSION Anomalog is pretty accurate. Humans would just be a relatively primitive species, being studied by a more technologically-advanced bipedal species.

I've had had vividly realistic dreams about encounters with alien spacecraft & extraterrestrial beings, and I wouldn't be surprised if many abduction reports are actually a terrifying combination of lucid dreams & sleep paralysis.

I also suspect that there is also a role to be played by the subconscious re-living the experience of birth. Many of the feelings of helplessness & terror associated with these encounters could be remnants of our feelings as a baby. Perhaps it is a resurfacing of memories of being brought out into the bright lights & clinical setting of a hospital room.

The classic 'grey alien' archetype seems to be like a future, hairless version of human beings- or perhaps it could be a genetically-related species that has evolved parallel to us, but in a divergent way to have major differences from us.

I wouldn't be surprised if our planet was like a zoo, for more advance beings to visit and observe. If such beings were able to exist in other dimensions, their appearance & function might even be beyond our current ability to comprehend.


It's absurd to think that there is no life anywhere else in the Universe. In fact, Life probably exists throughout the cosmos, in an endless array of shapes & sizes. Anyone wondering what other forms living things could take, just need to look at the variety on Earth to see the countless possibilities. 

It's conceivable that races from other star systems could have a similar anatomy to us humans. However, I think alien beings could be much more incomprehensible in form than a familiar humanoid shape. There's no reason why they'd have to so closely resemble us.

Whatever they are (if they're real), this is an awesomely realistic rendering of the gray alien by 3d artist Andrew Baker:

Classic Grey Alien 

by Andrew Baker

Game Review: "Resistance 2"

Alot of PS3 games I get to play are borrowed from my youngest brother. (He somehow finds time to play tons of video games, watch all kinds of movies, & see every single Philly sporting event.) Since he gets alot of good PS3 titles, it's like a free personal rental service for me.

Recently, I played twice through the sequel to "Resistance: Fall of Man". As a first-person shooter revolving around an alien invasion of Earth, "Resistance 2" was my kind of game.


You are a soldier who is fighting an invasion of creatures called The Chimera. Unfortunately you have been infected with a virus, turning you into the very monsters you are fighting. You have a great array of human & alien weapons to use throughout the game; various machine guns, sniper rifles, rocket launchers, energy rifles that can see & shoot through walls, and even a gun that fires circular saws that bounce around, slicing up any Chimera in your way.

The main individual antagonist of the story is another former soldier who was overtaken by the Chimera virus & morphed into a large tentacled creature named Daedalus. This floating freak Daedalus has somehow aquired the knowledge of the Chimera's origin & purpose.

Probably the best aspect of the game is the continuous feeling of overwhelming alien power you are up against. Throughout the many environments you encounter (the forest, a desert canyon, an abandoned 50's era town, Louisiana bayou, & being on a Chimera mothership) one feature is eerily ever-present. Most of the time, when you look up to the sky you are going to see a massive fleet of countless alien craft. It gives you the distinct impression of a truly overwhelming invasion taking place.

Unlike "Dead Space", where you are in outer space stuck on a ship w/ creatures creeping up on you in the dark corridors, Resistance 2 is mostly fought in open battlefields on Earth. The action is intense with hordes of Chimera footsoldiers continuously attacking you in the various locations they have overtaken. Then there are are the inevitable boss battles against insanely huge Chimera monstrosities- like The Leviathan that you have to fight from the top of a city high-rise building:

Overall this is a great game that is alot of fun. I haven't had a chance to play the co-op 2 player missions yet & I don't bother playing other people over the PS network, but the single player campaign was definitely worth playing through a couple times. It seems that despite the efforts of the player, your character ends up totally infected by the Chimera virus & Earth is somehow teleported to some strange location in space at the end of the game. I imagine this will be the setting for Resistance: 3. "This is just the beginning..."

It didn't knock my socks off like "Dead Space", but it is a title I recommend for anyone who likes the FPS variety of games. The amazing locations that are overrun with alien fleets, the wide variety of weapons & Chimera enemies, and the constant blood-pumping action are some of the great features of "Resistance 2".

• The Monkey Buddha's official rating: 8.0

'Alien' Footage on CNN

My brother sent me this clip of that stud Larry King interviewing a man who claims to have footage of an alien looking into his window.

Larry's interview is predictably ridiculous in itself, but I laughed out loud when I saw the 'footage' of the alien in night-vision. It's only a video recreation, but for a second I thought he was actually trying to pass that off as real. Besides looking fake as hell, back in the day I used to have the same exact alien puppet they use. I quickly saw it was a reenactment, but its still funny.

Along with Great White Sharks, if this were real it would probably be up there with top scary things to see.

"Larry King Live: Alien on Tape"

"Prometheus" Movie Review

Last night, I saw "Prometheus" in 3D. It is a prequel to the "Alien" movies and reveals a surprising origin to the Xenomorph aliens.

It was a visually astounding movie, in which the visual experience was greatly enhanced by the 3D effects. The scenes with holographic computer displays looked amazing every time. The sense of scale conveyed throughout the movie was meant to give the impression of tiny humans isolated on a vast alien moon far away from our home planet.

I've long been a fan of the art of H.R. Giger, whose 'biomechanical' aesthetic and creature designs were the inspiration for the original "Alien". Giger's influence was also apparant in this movie. There was an strong contrast between the brightly-lit ship of the title, the Prometheus, and the menacing Giger-esque ancient structures the crew found on their expedition.

Basically the story revolves around the highly-interconnected history between humans, the Xenomorphs, and a race of humanoid aliens, the Mala'kak (called 'The Engineers' in the movie). When you also add in the influence of the android David, the complex interactions between all of these beings in the movie makes the ideas of 'creator' & 'creation' irrelevant.

Although there is a connection with the Ancient Aliens theme that's popular right now, it is done in a way that is more profound than silly.

The story admittedly had a few plot points that were borderline ridiculous, even by sci-fi standards. However, the overall impact of the film allowed me to overlook these flaws and enjoy the though-provoking questions the movie raised.

The fictional Alien universe is a rich source of material & "Prometheus" made it much more interesting. This was a movie well worth watching, especially if you enjoy a mind-bending blend of science fiction & metaphysical speculation. One of my brothers saw it before me & said it produced more questions than answers. If done the right way, that can be the best kind of movie.

Alien Life Cycle by H.R. Giger

Game Review: Crysis 3

 

I played Crysis 2 about a year ago, but now realize that I never wrote a game review for it. Having finished Crysis 3 recently, I feel that this review can apply to either game.

Crysis is a first-person shooter (FPS), in which you are in control of a piece of wearable futuristic technology called a nanosuit.

The nanosuit enables the player to have innate abilites, such as heads-up display, super strength & greater jumping ability. The suit also has two enhanced functions that you can activate at any time - 'Cloak' & 'Armor'. You can either turn invisible for stealth tactics using Cloak, or fortify your nanosuit in the heat of battle with Armor. These are powerful features that seem vital once you get used to using them throughout the game. Unfortunately, my biggest pet peeve with the Crysis games is the synthetic voice that says "Cloak Engaged!" or "Maximum Armor!" every damn time you activate these functions. I don't know why it annoys me so bad, but it does, and actually took away from my enjoyment of the game.

Anyway, the game, overall, is fun to play. It takes place in a ruined New York City, after an alien invasion by a species called the Ceph. These creatures operate using a hive mind connection. They are controlled through a main intelligence, called the Alpha Ceph. They have millions of years of communal intelligence among them & have developed technologies that humans cannot even comprehend. It turns out that the Ceph invasion from Crysis 2 was just an advance force for an incursion from a much larger alien army. The massive Ceph swarm is preparing to come from the other side of the galaxy through an Einstein-Rosen bridge- a dimensional portal allowing instantaneous interstellar travel.

NYC is the epicenter of this larger invasion, but has already been destroyed from the events of the previous game. The city's ruins have become partially wilderness, covered in trees, plants, & water, which makes for an interesting setting. There are some stages that take place inside buildings or underground as you seek out the Alpha Ceph, but I felt that the literal urban jungle environments were the most fun to play through.

The controls & game mechanics are pretty straightforward for an FPS. There are a decent variety of guns & weapons, but I found myself mostly sticking to the same ones. The nanosuit powers, such as cloaking & armor, still make the combat more interesting, but I don't feel like Crysis 3 offered any substantial improvement from the second game. There wasn't too much in this one that really "WOW!-ed" me from a gameplay standpoint. Even the final battle against the Alpha Ceph felt like a fairly standard boss battle, even though it was an intense encounter.

The story is a good one, with the dual themes of man merging with technology & the possible consequences of encountering a hostile alien race. These two themes are integrated when it's discovered that alien technology used to make the nanosuit is allowing your character, Prophet, to become directly connected to the Ceph.

Despite the strong story elements, I never really felt immersed within the game, like I have with titles such as the Assassin's Creed series. I'm playing AC: Black Flag now & it's much more engaging on all levels than the Crysis games. For some reason, I find myself liking 3rd-person games, where you can see the character. Even Far Cry 3, though, (another FPS game) was much more immersive than Crysis. Maybe it'll be more fun if ever I go back and play some levels on a harder difficulty, but it's rare for me to go back & play games I've finished. My gaming time is limited, so I feel like I usually want to get right to the next title in the lineup.

All-in-all, Crysis 3 is not a bad game. I just don't think it was as engaging as it could have been. I can't pinpoint exactly why I felt a disconnect with the gameplay, but it definitely did not feel like it lived up to its potential. I'd recommend it if you like FPS-style games, just don't expect to be blown away by the experience.

• Official Monkey Buddha Rating: 7.5

"Alien Lab" by Paul Micarelli

I've added another image to my online album of 3D art.

3D Art by Paul Micarelli

This one shows an alien clone suspended within a vat, inside a futuristic lab. 

Is it aboard a spaceship? Is it on another planet? Is it deep underground, beneath a military base here on Earth?... It remains a mystery, like the alien enigma itself.

"Alien Lab"

by Paul Micarelli 

From 3D Art by Paul Micarelli

Movie Review: Arrival

My wife & I recently watch the movie "Arrival". It is a movie about the sudden appearance of enormous alien spacecraft around the world, and the effort to communicate with their inhabitants.  It was a very interesting exploration of the intellectual challenge such a scenario would present to the entire human race.

I don't watch a lot of movies, so going into it I have to know it's good & worth experiencing. My wife usually balks at my choices, because they're usually sci-fi or some kind of documentary, but she ends up admitting it was good!

The movie is based on a short story by Ted Chiang:

The Story of Your Life

We both enjoyed this movie & it spurred some great discussion on language and communication, which is already mysterious enough between human beings. Trying to exchange ideas or information with another species is absolutely mind-boggling... just really think about the idea of somehow recognizing brain patterns in another biological system- from a distance. Although the process of deciphering the alien language was simplified for movie purposes, it still provided real insight into the difficulties that would be involved.

"Arrival" imagines another aspect of a situation where alien life appears around the world. How would different nations and governments act when presented with this scenario, and how would they interact with other countries? You would hope that people would realize the existential importance of such an event, to come together as a species. However, the primitive monkey mind of human beings is still a powerful influence on our collective behavior, something the aliens in the movie realize and work around.

The key insight that's highlighted in the story is this- the type of language used by a living being is a defining factor in their mindset, and even the basis of conscious experience itself. The inverse is also true- the way a sentient being perceives the world will be reflected in the way they communicate.

In "Arrival", the alien heptapods are found to perceive time-space holistically, meaning they see time as a fourth dimensional space that can be perceived as a whole. This is reflected in their writing, consisting of dynamic, ink-blot circular forms. These round symbolic creations are layered multi-dimensionally with vast amounts of information and meaning.

Medium:
Arrival — Decoding the Universal Language of Time

I would recommend this movie to anyone interested in the mysteries of language, the likelihood of extraterrestrial life, and the nature of consciousness. As I mentioned, it created some deep discussion and really makes you think about these profound, universal issues. When a movie or any work of art can do that, it has succeeded.

Game Review: Mass Effect 3

I just finished Mass Effect 3, the final installment in what has become my one of my favorite video game series.

Here is my review for the first Mass Effect-

The Monkey Buddha Archives

Game Review: Mass Effect

I've also played Mass Effect 2, but didn't write a review for it. Most of the good things I had to say about the first game apply to the whole series. However, I've been so blown away by the Mass Effect games that I wanted to write my thoughts after finishing the trilogy.

This is a work of fiction that is on par with Star Wars, Star Trek, or any other great work of sci-fi. The virtual galaxy you can explore is full of unique planets, alien creatures, and ponderous questions which our entire species must face. I'll repeat them again, because I think they are so vital to consider:

• Is there other Life in the universe, sentient or otherwise?

• What happens when interplanetary species begin to contact each other?

• What is humanity's place in the cosmic order? What role does the individual play in this order?

• Is it possible for ANY form of intelligence, or even information, to survive the incomprehensibly vast cycles of cosmological time, on the scale of billions of years?

Mass Effect takes place in the future, after 2147 CE, when humanity has found alien devices & "Element Zero" in our solar system. These artifacts allow us to develop FTL (Faster Than Light) Travel. The subsequent discovery that Pluto's moon, Charon, is actually a "Mass Effect" Relay allows humanity to instantaneously travel to other Relays throughout the galaxy. A vibrant galactic civilization already exists, with a 45km-long space station, called The Citadel, acting as its capital. All advanced alien races are represented here, and after the events of the first two games, humanity has become a major force in galactic affairs.

Your character is Commander Shepard, and you can carry over your character's traits from previous games' save information. Humanity's high standing in the galaxy is, in part, due to the earlier actions of Shepard- most notably fending off an attack on The Citadel by a Reaper.

The Reapers are central to the Mass Effect series. Tens of thousands of these gigantic, conscious machine creatures come out of deep space every 50,000 years to "harvest" sentient organic life, for their genetic information. It is a mysterious cycle that has gone on for at least a billion years and was initiated by an "Intelligence" that's even older than the Reapers.

It turns out this seemingly destructive cycle is actually meant to preserve life, since any advanced biological species will eventually create synthetic Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) that inevitably wipes out all organic beings. The "Intelligence" sees this cyclical harvesting as a way to maintain order and allow new species to evolve. It is revealed that the Mass Effect Relays and the Citadel itself are actually part of an elaborate trap, developed by the Reapers to accelerate the harvesting process of sentient beings and make it more efficient.

In this game, the merciless Reapers have arrived, landing on the home planets of the advance species throughout the galaxy, including Earth. The game starts with an awesome sequence in Vancouver, Canada, where imposing Reapers, taller than skyscrapers, are completely annihilating the city. This is the threat you face from the very beginning, and gives a sense of enormity that such an existential threat would pose to us. In addition to the numerous & varied enemies throughout the game, you actually get to face down a few Reapers in different situations.

It is a rich story, that touches on many deep issues that the human race may one day have to consider. As literally out-of-this-world as this game is, I feel that it is a visionary & realistic depiction of what humanity may one day experience when we are able to travel among the stars...

The planets and alien races are fantastic, yet convincing. The number and uniqueness of the locations throughout the galaxy made it endlessly visually interesting. Although you can no longer land on & explore planets as side missions, I'm glad that the act of scanning planets for resources was made much less tedious than in ME2.

As far as the actual gameplay, there's a perfect balance of customization, role-playing elements, and intense combat. The RPG aspects of the game include dialog options, morality choices, and engaging characters. The combat is excellent, with the ability to use five weapons and a half-dozen powers. The weapon variety and the ability to freeze the action to switch weapons on the fly don't interfere with the intensity of the battles. 

I chose to be in an Adept class, so my character had biotic powers that were effective and fun to use, such as- • the ability to project a destructive warp field • launching a shockwave that throws enemies in the air • creating a mini black hole, a singularity, that holds enemies. The ability to also coordinate your teammates' powers with your own attacks makes the combat much more strategic.

Overall, I was engaged the whole time and couldn't wait to see what the next mission or story sequence would bring. Games like this are such monumental creations, and why I still play critically acclaimed titles such as this one. Even though I've played video games my whole life, I am still awestruck by the technical achievement as much as the game play. It's pretty common for me to just wander around an area, observing visual details and marveling at the artistry behind the level design.

One of the very few reasons I can't give it a 10 is because the game's ending left me unimpressed. I picked the ending where Shepard can take control of The Reapers, using technology developed by an ancient race. I thought there should have been a more cinematic finale, with more impact for the end of such an action-packed story.

Despite my slight disappointment with the ending, the rest of the game was so superb & awe-inspiring that it didn't diminish my overall view of a great game and a undeniably epic series.

• The Monkey Buddha's official rating: 9.75

Alien Communication

Deep Sea Basket Star

People are so excited at the prospect of being able to communicate with 'alien' beings.

I think it's silly to assume that we will be able to exchange information with other-worldy or other-dimensional life any better than we already do with bizarre Earth creatures such as jellyfish or lizards.

There is a chance that the reports of humanoid lifeforms, like the virtually cliché Greys or Reptilians, exist. There is an even better chance that other dynamic forms that we may interpret as "life" will be strange to the point of near incomprehensibility.

I saw this video linked in Posthuman Blues and thought that this could represent some mode of unfamiliar communication or other function which our minds cannot even associate with.

There's another Related Video of abstract eye candy that is pure computer-generated craziness. I wonder, "what if these weird visual forms were actually some kind of completely alien, unimagined intelligence trying to engage me?" I'd like to know how SETI or NASA or any agency on Earth would propose to interact with such beings...

The Evolution of Form



Biogenesis

"Alien Bionet" by Paul Micarelli

I have been processing my large archive of abstract imagery recently. I want to share them online and create prints for exhibits & sale. This is one of my favorite pieces of my abstract art.

This organic tangle of fluorescent strands reminded me of a biological structure or a colony of microorganisms from another world.

Abstract Art

by Paul Micarelli

 "Alien Bionet"
by Paul Micarelli

**Buy Prints & Products With This Design***

The Monkey Buddha Bazaar:
BUY "Alien Bionet"

"Venom" Movie Trailer

I just watched the official trailer for the "Venom" movie. I used to be an avid comic book collector when I was a kid, and Venom was one of my favorite characters.

During the Secret Wars series in the 1980's, Spider-Man acquired a black suit with special powers, like enhanced speed & strength, unlimited webbing, and being able to shape-shift into any clothing. It also just looked awesome. However, it turned out that the "suit" was actually alive, a symbiotic alien life form that had merged with Peter Parker.

He tries to separate from the symbiote, using sonic waves that disrupt the alien. The alien then finds Eddie Brock, a down & out reporter who is ready to commit suicide. The symbiote bonds with Brock, and takes on his aggressive and violent personality. The merged pair becomes the terrifying creature known as Venom, one of Spider-Man's most powerful enemies and a great villain character.

Anyway, the Venom character has been done in movies before, in Spider-Man 3, but the full Venom appeared only briefly and was handled in a pretty lame way. With many years and more advanced CGI since then, this iteration of Venom looks pretty good, and hopefully the character gets more screen time.

Unfortunately, as is the situation with certain superhero movies, the involvement & ownership of these properties by different studios leads to results that do not do the characters or their stories justice. It appears that, because this is a Sony movie and not a Marvel production, Spider-Man will not be a part of this movie, which is idiotic. Venom's origin story IS Spider-Man, so to not include him would be like having a Joker movie with no Batman.

I'm pretty critical of movies in general, especially when it comes to characters that I am very familiar with & like. Sometimes, I wish I could be a consultant for these types of movies to tell everyone how things should be done. When I read other people's opinions online, most people complain about the same things I criticize. Perhaps one day there will be a proper movie with Spider-Man vs. Venom that is true to the original story. Until then, I won't bother seeing this in the theater, but may see it eventually if it seems to get good reviews.

H.R. Giger, RIP

 Alien Monster I

Today I learned that Swiss surrealist painter H.R. Giger has died.

Reuters:

 "Alien" artist, surrealist H.R. Giger dies aged 74

H.R. Giger was one of my favorite artists.
I've posted about him on this blog a few times, & I own several of his art books.

The Monkey Buddha Archives:

H.R. Giger

His unique "biomechanical" designs were used in the iconic, terrifying design of the Xenomorphs from the "Alien" movies. His art was also used to develop the awesome Darkseed computer games that I played as a teenager. The painting "Meister und Margeritha" was featured on the Danzig album, "How the Gods Kill".

He blended organic & mechanical elements into twisted, unsettling images that were compelling and rich in surreal detail.

Much of his art was monotone, but very intricate in design. The themes in his paintings were often otherworldly and nightmarish, with strong sexual overtones.

Here's a comprehensive gallery of his compelling artwork, with some of my favorites below:

 Dark Art — Hans Rüdi Giger

 "Hieroglyphics"

Biomechanical Landscape No. 312

ELP II (Brain Salad Surgery)

CBArt- Alien Botanical Ape

Last weekend I was at a local art festival and came across an artist with a lot of nice work, called CBArt. There were especially unique paintings that I called "Alien Botanicals" because they looked like plant life from another world.

One in particular had an ape looking out from the alien plants, so I told the artist I'd share it here on The Monkey Buddha:

Game Review: Dead Space 3

 I played the first 2 installments of this series & reviewed the original Dead Space. These games are 3rd person shooters with a sci-fi horror survival theme.

The first Dead Space blew me away with the sense of fear and dread it instilled, as you tried to survive onslaughts of Necromorphs in creepy abandoned space stations & ships. The second one wasn't as good, but Dead Space 3 brought back alot of the impact I felt in the original.

Although there were excellent sequences in space & zero gravity, much of the story takes place on the ice planet Tau Volantis. This is the planet of origin for the alien "markers" that featured in the series. These markers are covered in strange glyphs and have been found scattered throughout the galaxy. They drive people mad, turning them into marker-worshiping zealots, & also revive dead bodies into the zombie-like Necromorphs. 

Although the frozen setting, with abandoned human settlements & research areas, makes for an effectively claustrophobic environment for Necromorphs to jump out at you, I preferred the settings that took place in outer space. However, there was a sufficient variety in the environments that I never felt that the scenery was visually boring.

The game's strongest point is it's core feature- the survival horror aspect of the gameplay that continuously keeps you on the edge of your seat & ready to scream out expletives. Even when I knew the hideous, relentless creatures were coming, I still freaked out with anticipation at the inevitable vicious attacks. Most of the time, the Necromorphs would unexpectedly come from all angles as I would frantically try to use whatever weapons I had on hand to simply survive the encounter.

While I'm talking about the weapons, I'll mention the creative weapon crafting system in the game. Throughout the campaign, you collect various components such as frames, the actual weapons components, and attachments to customize your weapons in an endless variety of combinations. For example, you can have a gun that fires electrified bolas, with a secondary buzzsaw attached ...or you can have a shotgun, with a secondary rocket launcher. There are many possibilities, which gives you alot of freedom in coming up with weapons that you think will be most effective against the creatures. The only downside is that I found myself spending too much time tinkering with the weapons & having trouble deciding which ones to use.

There were a few select weapons that I used frequently, since the waves of Necromorphs could be so furious & overwhelming that I needed firepower that I knew could take them out quickly. There were only brief moments where I felt that I could relax & there were not going to be any monsters popping out at me.

Besides the unpredictable appearance of the enemies, the mood was mostly set by the visual effect of the environments & the unnerving sounds coming from dark corners or unseen places. Dark areas with flickering lights and strange screeches coming from nearby areas where enough to keep me on edge throughout the game. My only complaint about the sound was that there was too much background music. In the original game, the anxiety was enhanced by the silence of your surroundings, except for your breathing and unsettling ambient noises. I feel like having dramatic soundtracks in certain areas was unnecessary & didn't have the same effect as an uneasy quiet.

 The actual story, following the protagonist Isaac Clarke & the alien markers, was pretty interesting. It raises many questions, for example- Do we really want to have contact with otherworldly intelligences? What if they are hostile, or simply want to use human beings as food or pawns to manipulate for its own ends? What is so special about the individual consciousness versus a hive-mind, devoid of beings with a sense of self? Even if we discovered it, would humans know how to use & interpret alien knowledge or technology? What is love, and does it mean anything outside the people who experience it? Yes, there is a love story & human emotions involved...

Overall, I enjoyed Dead Space 3 & definitely recommend it, if you'd like a games that provides continual adrenaline rushes, due to the fear of being destroyed by undead space creatures.

• The Monkey Buddha's official rating: 7.5

The Droid Emperor (+ Criticism of the New Trilogy)

The Droid Emperor

by Jean Paul aka Ivanuss

I saw this cool concept for a Star Wars character on r/ImaginaryJedi and it got me thinking...

How awesome would a story line in the new movies have been where the main antagonist was an A.I. like this- who could somehow wield the Force, or simulate it? What kind of interesting dynamics could have been explored if there was a dichotomy established between cybernetic intelligence vs. organic life?

In the artist's page for this rendering, he talks about this being from an alternate timeline, where the Separatist Droid Army prevails and eventually leads to artificial intelligence that can manipulate The Force:

"Some alternate history path lead to the early death of Darth Sidious (possibly at the hands of Mace Windu) before the infamous order 66. Then the separatist suddenly came with a new AI development in superior tactical droids. But something didn't went as plan. And then the AI took over and began the systematically eradication of all organic life in the galaxy. In response the fallen Republic built a response, another type of new AI that could replicate "the force" in synthetic ways. Like manipulation of gravity, magnetism, anti-matter, photon particles, etc."

How would a human (or any other sentient, biological species) address the threat coming from a computerized or robotic being that had a cold, calculating decision to destroy all life? Perhaps it isn't even a single being. Maybe there is a hive mind or collective intelligence in which the droid is just a vehicle for a digital cloud consciousness.

There are so many mind-bending possibilities, and to some extent some ideas have already been explored in other media, such as Marvel's Ultron storylines, Mass Effect games and many others. The complex relationship between human & machine is always a very relevant topic. So why didn't Star Wars go this route in the new trilogy?

I've been waiting to write this post, & thinking about level to which this single illustration intrigued me. So, to be honest, it made me realize just how un-creative the new trilogy has been when you really consider it. This is coming from a lifelong Star Wars fan, who credits these movies with heavily influencing my outlooks & perspectives on many aspects of life. I've written reviews for both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, and I truly enjoyed them for what they are. However, they have serious flaws and the stories are pretty unimaginative after seeing how they are unfolding so far.

For instance, instead of something compelling like The Droid Emperor, we got Supreme Leader Snoke, whose enigmatic potential was literally cut down unceremoniously by his apprentice Kylo Ren in Episode 8. As I explained before, I understand the attempt to have a contrast between Snoke & Luke's worldly exits, but it seems like there was so much left hanging or completely untouched there. When I got my first glimpses of him in the gold robes, I thought there would be some study of him as the conniving ultra-capitalist or social elitist, with opulent gold or decorative surroundings. It would have been a great contrast to Luke's simple hermetic existence.

Nope, we got him sitting in The Emperor's Throne Room 2.0, with the exact same techno-bland "Imperial" color scheme (with some more red). Again, I understand echoing aspects of the movies or creating rhythmic patterns in visuals or storytelling, but it doesn't seem like any real conceptual risks were taken. Before Episode 7 & the first look at Snoke's hologram, I remember seeing concepts for him that looked like a snake-like alien. That would have been so much more terrifying and compelling than a disfigured old humanoid:

Which also reminds me of the overall lack of cool aliens in these movies, either new or from existing species. As someone said in a comment thread- There is a casino planet... but no Hutts are around? The crazy, yet familiar aliens are one of the main factors that define Star Wars. They were mostly absent from The Last Jedi. This, and the lack of interesting locations, led to Episode 8 feeling shallow and not very rich in world building. 

In addition to a more alien Snoke or a robotic villain, what if they drew from the Legends material & had an extra-galactic alien threat like the Yuuzhan Vong that invaded the Republic? ...Nah! Lets just have The Galactic Empire 2.0... I mean, The First Order, somehow running the galaxy again despite being comically inept. Then the Republic reverts back into the Rebellion & we're back where we started in A New Hope. Again, this is all simply a lack of imagination.

Probably the best part of The Last Jedi was the revelation of Luke's Force projection power & transcendence into the equivalent of a light body. Unfortunately, there was way less focus on Force training (both light & dark) than I had hoped. There is so much metaphysical depth to be examined, but it seems like The Last Jedi sacrificed this potential for inane side plots and nonsensical space chases.

My final complaint is how Luke was handled. I didn't mind that he exiled himself to an island on a remote planet. The fact that it was the location of the first Jedi temple made it interesting. The absurd part is that Luke "cut himself off" from The Force while in exile. This is so dumb. How can you even do that? It's like saying, I cut myself off from the quantum field. Even worse, he proceeds to teach Rey about The Force. Why would he share that knowledge if he didn't want to be connected to it? It would have been much cooler to see Luke as a wise (but still hardened) old master who sought solitude to deepen his connection with the Force and achieve understanding- not act like it doesn't exist! On a more positive note, they did do the right thing by making him win by not actually fighting at all in the final battle, a very Taoist approach to his showdown with his nephew.

Ok, so those are my rants, inspired by the excellent & imaginative concept art at the top of the post. I still love the Star Wars movies and I'm hoping that the conclusion of the Trilogy of Trilogies in Episode 9 is satisfying. It should tie up loose ends and encompass the entire saga. It is a tall order based on what has been produced so far in the new series, but there are definitely ways to bring this epic story to a fitting ending. We'll see what Disney & Lucasfilm deliver...

Game Review: Mass Effect

 
Mass Effect is not just a deeply-engaging game...
It's not just a sci-fi masterpiece, either...

It is both those things... but most importantly, it's an eye-opening commentary on the fundamental questions of existence:

• Is there other Life in the universe, sentient or otherwise?
• What happens when interplanetary species begin to contact each other?
• What is humanity's place in the cosmic order?
• Is it possible for ANY form of intelligence, or information, to survive the incomprehensibly vast cycles of cosmological time, on the scale of billions of years?

I've always been a Star Wars fan & generally like science fiction stories. I believe they help map the future of humanity, while helping us understand our place in the larger scheme of things. Mass Effect deserves the many positive reviews it has received. It is an immersive exploration of these ideas, throughout the vast galaxy waiting for us once we become interstellar travelers.

Usually a game of this scope would take more than a month for me to play. Over the holidays I got to put in some marathon sessions, to finish it by the new year. I completed most of the side missions & explored alot of the game, so the total time was a little over 50 hours. Like many of the best video games, it was a better time investment as any engrossing book or TV series. The story raised issues & thoughts that will now be bouncing around in my brain permanently.

Mass Effect is a 3rd person role-playing (RPG) shooter. You create your own version of the main character, Commander Shepard, as a male or female. From the start, you want to pick a persona to guide the choices & interactions the character will make throughout the game. I decided to follow my own personality, as if it were really me in the role.

There is a morality 'scale' that gives you either 'Paragon' or 'Renegade' points, depending on how you react to situations. I decided to generally follow the Paragon path, since I'm not a negative person & I wanted to make decisions that felt natural. Although it is very cool to have this level of character interactivity, I unfortunately take forever to go through the dialog options. It's a bit of cheating, but I found myself looking up the consequences of different decisions online, so I could decide how I wanted the story to proceed. This greatly added to my overall time playing the game.

On a related note, the one complaint I have about the game is the very large amount of dialog. I was playing the game for a little bit over my brother's house while he was doing stuff. He'd walk through & it was early in the game, where you have to interact with alot of characters. He asked me "Is that all you do in this game is talk?!?" I know it is a role-playing game so it's kind of necessary, & I initiated non-essential conversations because there is alot of information in the story that can be learned. Luckily, as the game goes on there's more action & awesome battles to make up for the RPG parts...

The game takes place in the year 2183. Mankind has discovered ruins on Mars, from an ancient civilization. This lost race of beings, known as the Protheans, left ruins & technology all over the galaxy after their mysterious extinction 50,000 years ago. Other alien races have also found relics from the Protheans, that have led to their rapid technological advancement. Finding the remnants of this ancient culture has led to the discovery of faster-than-light travel by humans & other species, resulting in the formation of a galactic community. The center of galactic civilization is a massive space station, known as The Citadel:

Despite its hi-tech look, The Citadel is actually an ancient structure, also thought to have been originally built by the Protheans. Now, it is the home of millions of beings, from many different areas of the known galaxy.

Humanity is the most recent addition to the races on The Citadel & is still trying to prove itself as worthy of inclusion to the more elite aspects of galactic society, like membership on The Council. This is a ruling body that consists of members of several different races, overseeing galactic affairs.

Early on in the game, Commander Shepard's heroism results in the honor of being named the first human "Spectre"- an elite commando who is not bound by galactic military protocol. Shepard's mission is to track down another Spectre, named Saren, who has gone rogue and is conspiring with alien A.I. to overtake the galaxy.

Commander Shepard is given his own ship to carry out his quest- an advanced stealth frigate, The Normandy. This is the base of operations for Shepard & his crew. In the center of the ship, there is a Galaxy Map that is used to choose what star system The Normandy will visit, to carry out the latest missions.

You start out with an overview of the galaxy, then you can zoom in & out of the various levels: Galaxy <-> Star cluster <-> Star system <-> Planet.

This map gives you a good sense of the vastness of interstellar space. Here's video showing navigation between star systems:

In each system, there are several planets you can remotely scan for resources or artifacts. There is usually one planet in each star system that you can actually land on, to carry out a main mission or side quest.

These planets all have different environments, and makes you realize the potentially infinite diversity of worlds that exist throughout the cosmos. Some of the planets' environments are really stunning, where you can see large moons, unusual star formations, or falling meteors in the alien skies. These unique planetary maps really give you the sense of exploring extraterrestrial worlds.

You land on each planet inside a 6-wheeled rover, called the Mako. This vehicle has a cannon & missiles for combat, but most of the time you are driving over the strange landscapes of the worlds you are visiting. You can also get out of the Mako & go on foot with the 2 characters you pick for your squad. The map of each planet is fairly large, with plenty of area to explore for scattered hidden items. Driving over these large areas can get little tedious, despite the amazing environments. I started to wonder why Shepard & his team would be driving a relatively slow wheeled vehicle. Wouldn't they have anti-gravity technology, for some kind of flying scout ship??? This was my only other minor complaint about the game, but I still enjoyed exploring the many different planets in the Mako.

The game's 3rd person combat is very fun & action-packed. A great thing about this game is the effective system of upgrades to weapons and "biotic" powers- which allow you to do things like levitate enemies or create a 'singularity' that rips apart anything near it. Unlike some other games I've reviewed, you have alot of awesome abilities fairly early on. You pick 2 members from your team to join you for each mission, so you can combine teams with different combat or biotic power attributes.

As the game progresses, your character continues gaining even better gear & enhanced powers. I never felt like my character was lacking for proper enhancements. This makes the game much more fun, in my opinion, since you feel like you're properly leveled-up & ready to kick ass at all times.

There's also a major, mind-bending twist to the story that sets up the sequels.

*Some slight spoilers here-
As the story of the game continues, you find out that The Citadel & the Mass Relays allowing superluminal travel were NOT created by the Protheans. They merely found & utilized this technology, like the various races in the current galactic community.

The truth is that this network of space stations & relays, used by the galactic community, are actually a cosmic trap!

Every 50,000 years, a giant fleet of hybrid synthetic-organic sentient starships, called The Reapers, emerge out of the dark space at the edges of the galaxy. They destroy all advanced organic life, then retreat back into the void. Many millenia later, when another interstellar civilization develops, another activation signal is sent to them & the cycle of destruction begins again.

The Citadel is actually a giant portal that The Reapers use to pour through & immediately destroy the heart of galactic civilization! From there, they spread out & eradicate all intelligent life on the various star systems, taking centuries if needed. They turn organic beings into a genetic 'paste' that they incorporate into their own being, as a sort of evolution. The reasons for this cyclical genocide are still mysterious, but there is speculation that this grim process has been going on for millions of years, at least.

I look forward to playing the other Mass Effect games & experiencing more of this awe-inspiring series.

Mass Effect is a truly epic game, in the scope of it's storytelling & depth of game play. It is a sci-fi classic that serves as a virtual experience of mankind's destiny among the stars.

I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in space, sci-fi, or just an amazing story about the future of humanity.

• The Monkey Buddha's official rating: 9.25

E.T. is a Jedi

In "Star Wars: Episode II", there were representatives in the Galactic Senate that looked like the alien from "E.T."

 

This movie "easter egg," in connection with events in E.T., has led to the theory that the E.T. alien is actually a Jedi!

Buzzfeed:
This E.T. Theory Involving Star Wars 

Will Blow Your Mind

Here's the evidence:

click to enlarge

For the record, I vividly remember my parents taking me & my sister to see E.T. in the theater when we were little. I was around 5 yrs. old & my sister was 3. The movie scared the crap out of us & my sister was crying under her seat when E.T. popped up in the field for the first time.

Life is Strange

Thousands of Strange Creatures
Found Deep in Ocean

I've always thought that self-perpetuating life probably exists in other places throughout this relatively infinite Universe. However, I also think that beings from other world wouldn't necessarily physically look like us at all.

Sending messages to the stars or trying to communicate would suddenly seem ridiculous if alien life appeared & floated out of a spaceship looking like the sea cucumber in the photo above. We would be in no position to expect direct communication with abstractly weird beings from another world. What if they didn't deal with sound or light at all, but communicated & navigated using subtle manipulations of gravity fields? We wouldn't even know they were sentient without evident technology.

On the other hand, it's possible that space/time traveling aliens would be able understand us- like we are deciphering communication between bees & other animals. If there are alien beings advanced enough to be visiting us, they probably see Earth like a zoo & just use their 4-dimensional technology to pop in & out of our world like people drive a jeep through a safari.

UFO's aside, It's amazing to see all the new images of life that science and new technologies are discovering on all scales. This is a set of microscopic images that I saw on io9 that is crazy:

Algae Sex and Amoeba Smackdown
Best Microscopy Videos of the Year

The videos, like algae dividing, are almost surreal. These things are happening everywhere & at all times around us, but seem really strange because they exist on a scale beyond our immediate perception. Here is the full gallery from the Olympus Bioscapes contest:

Olympus BioScapes
2009 Winners Gallery

Unicellular Algae

Game Review: "Dead Space"

My old pal Phil recently let me borrow the game Dead Space & it seemed like a cool theme: a space-based 3rd person shooter.

We both grew up in the first video game generation, with my earliest childhood memories being simultaneous with the advent of the Atari 2600. I've been able to witness the state of the art progress from Asteroids to a highly-detailed, immersive virtual reality like Dead Space.

This particular game was new for me because I haven't played "survival horror" type games, & this one's a doozy. I don't really care for horror movies either- because usually they simply don't frighten me. Dead Space was by far a creepier & sometimes scarier experience than I've ever had watching a horror movie, though.

It actually blew me away how effectively the visuals & sound created a mood paranoid isolation that was almost overwhelming at times. The crazy thing's that it's not an abundance of common noise like gunfire or dialogue that's unnerving- it's the lack of constant noise that makes the creaks, scuttering of unseen creatures, & droning ambient sounds much more eerie. The most constant sound is the thuds of each step in your heavy suit, & your breathing- which becomes faster or more labored if you are running or hurt. When a zombie-like infected monster jumps out at you or appears from a hidden dark corner with a blood-curdling shriek, it was often startling enough to make me yell all kinds of profanities at the screen.

Even more intimidating are the parts where you enter zero-gravity or travel to the outside of the ship & there's no sound at all in the vacuum, beside your own breathing inside the suit. You can be walking & quickly turn to see a grotesque creature creeping up right behind you that you can't even hear coming.

This trailer below actually sums up the overall atmosphere of game perfectly, especially since the evil 'lullaby' can be sometimes heard in the distant background during the game:

Visually, the awe-inspiring graphics are at different times either stunning or horrific. At certain points it felt almost like I was there, taking in the serene view of outer space. Although there are alot of corridors & rooms because it's a ship, at certain points there are amazing vistas of cosmic scenery. When you are outside the ship or in front of large glass panels you can look out to see asteroid fields, planets, & stars. The great thing about many modern games is the ability to roam around the virtual world at will & check out the awesome artistic detail that goes into these game titles.


Basically, the story revolves around an infection that turns people into mutant space creatures of different kinds, called Necromorphs. This mass infection has something to do with a religious cult and a powerful alien artifact. The story is secondary to the unpredictable, yet inevitably sudden appearance of monsters continually trying to kill you. Although there are gigantic creatures you have to battle, the most disturbing are little infected babies with writhing tentacles growing out their backs.


To destroy the many creatures stalking you, you can use a number of different weapons, the main one being a plasma cutter that shears off limbs or heads. You also have the cool ability to use a type of telekinesis to move objects from a distance. Another attack option, if they're too close, is to just stomp on them until their body smashes apart. Even if you shoot of a limb or two, the Necromorphs will often continue to relentlessly crawl after you until you decimate them. Needless to say, it is a really gory game with blood & body parts splattering or floating around everywhere.

Spoiler Alert:

The game's dark, threatening mood puts you in constant survival mode & you're ready to blast anything that pops out at you. It turns out that the alien force is also psychically messing with your character's mind & perceptions, which adds a psychological twist to the story. I was reading about the development of the sequel "Dead Space 2" & there were actually complaints that this 1st game was TOO SCARY. This is coming from people who play games fighting off killer zombies and enemy hordes of all kinds.

I didn't expect this kind of terrifying intensity from a video game, so Dead Space is now definitely one I highly recommend... just not for the faint of heart.

• The Monkey Buddha's official rating: 8.5