From one bookworm to another, this column will be underscoring and outlining various literary genres, authors, and recent reads and can serve as an introduction for those unfamiliar with these works, as a refresher for long-time aficionados, and maybe as an inspiration for readers to share their own suggested topics. Do you have a topic that you would like covered in this column?  Feel free to contact me for an interview and a feature in an upcoming column.

Who

This week, we focus on well-known short story collections from notable US authors.

Some examples of influential short story writers include Jhumpa Lahiri, Ray Bradbury, Raymond Carver, James Badwin, Richard Yates, Ted Chiang, Shirley Jackson, and Ottessa Moshfegh.

What

Some examples of notable works include Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri, The October Country by Ray Bradbury, Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? by Raymond Carver, Eleven Kinds of Loneliness by Richard Yates, and Exhalation by Ted Chiang.

Other well-known short story collections include The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson, Homesick for Another World by Ottessa Moshfegh, Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri, and Going to Meet the Man: Stories by James Baldwin.

Where

Many of these works take place throughout the United States, throughout the world, in countries such as India, as well as throughout outer space.

When

These works were published in the 20th and 21st-centuries.

Why

The works may be of interest to AU students who would like to read a series of shorter texts on a variety of topics and themes, including grief, loneliness, love, family conflict, as well as gender, race, and class.

These works also cut across a variety of genres including literary fiction and genre fiction (science fiction and horror).

How

AU’s wide range of diverse courses make it easy to study this topic in depth. Courses related to the short story are available in a variety of disciplines, including those that may fit into your Degree Works. (Always check with an AU counsellor to see if these particular courses fulfill your personal graduation requirements!)

AU students interested in learning more about this topic may enroll in ENGL 344: American Literature I, a senior-level, three-credit course, which “introduces students to American literature, its history and development, and its rich variety of forms and techniques.”  (Please note that this course requires ENGL 211: Prose Forms and ENGL 212: Poetry and Plays as prerequisites.)

Students may also be interested in the follow up ENGL 345: American Literature II, a senior-level, three-credit course, which “follows the introduction to American literature begun in ENGL 344. ENGL 345 continues the exploration of the history and development of American literature and its rich variety of forms and techniques.”  (As above, this course requires ENGL 211: Prose Forms and ENGL 212: Poetry and Plays as prerequisites.)  Happy reading!

An Image of Lucius Via Fantasy Records

In anticipation of their self-titled fourth studio album releasing in May, Lucius has begun releasing singles to promote sales and pre-saves. Three of the eleven tracks off the new album have been released, including “Stranger Danger”, “Old Tape”, and, most recently, “Gold Rush”, which was released on February 5.

The first single released was the fifth track of the album “Stranger Danger” which came out in November of 2023. Evidently this album has been quite a while in the making considering this is over a year ago today. This single also features Taylor Goldsmith on piano and electric guitar. Goldsmith is most recognizable from the band Dawes as the lead singer, guitarist, and as one of the primary songwriters. This song has an ethereal and dreamy feeling with soft lyrics and unique synth instrumental elements. The gentle vocals discuss the changes in the world as human culture loses touch with nature and the true meaning of compassion. It comments on the damage human nature enacts on the planet and each other, posing the question of “now what?” It provokes thought about human behavior, asking: now that so much damage has been done, how can it be reversed?  Towards the 2:35 minute mark of the song the beat changes to a quicker paced and frantic beat as the lyricism changes to focus on the topic of going through the motions of life while numb, turning a blind eye to the harm being done. These lyrics continue to be repeated, getting more hectic and frantic as the beat escalates further. The visualizer to this song perfectly accompanies these themes in a unique and interesting way. It first presents a painted image of a tiger as its stripes melt off into a dark puddle which consumes the screen as the rhythm of the song changes. This illustrates the idea of shutting out the issues and choosing to stay in the dark as the pink lyrics flash across the screen. At the end of the song, a pair of yellow eyes open and stand out in the dark, symbolizing the awareness of these issues through the opening of one’s eyes. This single was overall a very strong and well-presented release, it is absolutely worth experiencing the accompanying visualizer when taking in the song for the first time.

Stranger Danger Cover Art Via Lucius’ Spotify

“Old Tape” was the second single having been released in August 2024 alongside a music video. This track followed a similar path as “Stranger Danger” with a cheery and dreamy instrumental accompanied by airy yet powerful vocals. The lyrics are about an “old tape playing” in their head, in reference to old memories being brought up by some sort of trigger. This is especially prevalent through the lyrics, “and once in a while you turn up the dial to an old tape playing in my head” referring to someone jogging these memories. Overall, the song was well composed, the vocals nicely flowed with the instrumentals and the tone of the song. The instrumentals are quick paced and heavily layered but are not overbearing by any means. The accompanying music video was an interesting experience. When it comes to music videos there are often two kinds; a music video that represents the thematics of the lyrics in a visual way and those that are just simply present for a watching experience. In this case, the music video for “Old Tape” fell into the latter category. It was a wonderfully absurd video, featuring the beloved actor and comedian, Fred Armison, who danced while traversing through a series of rooms and doors. The only possible meaning that can be gleaned from the video may be from the repetition of rooms which could represent the constant return and replaying of these memories. Apart from this, the video is a fun adventure which is worth watching even if it does not specifically further the listening experience.

A Still of Fred Armison from the “Old Tape” Music Video on Youtube

The most recent single “Gold Rush” has a unique energy. The single is reminiscent of the 70’s with a joyful and energetic melody. The instrumental features a strong bass guitar with quick paced drums. The beat has a similar character to many popular songs by Arctic Monkeys or Hozier but the lighter vocals take the song in a different direction than these bands. The vocal rhythm through the verses is repetitive but features enough variance to not lose interest. The quicker paced and more catchy chorus rhythm provides a nice break from the recurring verse. The lyrics themselves are where the song truly falls short. While the beginning of the song feels interesting and attention grabbing, the lyrics have far too much repetition to continually capture a listener’s attention. A repetitive vocal rhythm can be an effective song element, but when paired with repetitive lyricism it becomes overbearing. The lyric “I’ll never leave” is repeated more times than a new lyric is featured, frequently being placed in random areas throughout the song. This would be a good way to tie the song together should it fit in these places. In this case, however, it stands out and often does not make sense with the context and flow of the other lyrics. One example of this is in the later verse where the lyrics state “Till the end, right from the start, Act your age, stay young at heart, I’ll never leave, I’ll never leave”. The recurring “I’ll never leave” phrase feels thrown in and forced into place as opposed to complementing the flow and story of the lyrics. It is unfortunate the lyrics fall flat since this is a well composed and put together single otherwise.

Album Cover for Lucius Via Fantasy Records

Overall, these were three fairly well produced singles. “Gold Rush” felt like it was the weakest of the three, feeling more hastily written while “Stranger Danger” and “Old Tape” felt like they were of a much higher quality production. Lucius will be going on an American tour in May of this year following the album release and tickets can be purchased through their website. Pre-sale for the tickets began February 11 and general sale will begin today, February 14.  The self-titled Album “Lucius” can be pre-saved or pre-ordered on vinyl form through a variety of platforms.

We social animals come together for a variety of reasons; often, if not always, it is due to words spoken by a catalyst person or group of people. Indeed, with a minor tweak (and perhaps a twerk-heavy Dubstep remix) Dylan’s classic lyric could in 2025 go “Come gather round people and put down your phones…”  And then a paradox emerges: how did the social tool of a cell phone become synonymous with a sense of being adrift in an isolated life? Even an old grandfather clock ticks and tocks with more visceral power than a steady stream of Tik-Tok videos, the likes of which lull to sleep even the most fervid of imaginations. How did the tool of digital technology come so widely to be seen as a set of shackles, a harness of creativity and connection alike?

Herein lies a paradox: we’re social animals, but not all socialization is created equal.  One sphere, that of online video gaming, at first blush seems immune to this blanket anomie.  Gamers, presumably, are having a field day with the whole planet as possible participants in their adventures.  In recent decades even the most shy or buttoned-down young people found expressive prowess in the realm of video games.

Silence in the Halls of Gaming

A stark lifeless reality seems to have descended on, of all places, the nacho-fuelled realm of online gaming: the internet presently is awash in articles like that of L. Winkie discussing a “lack of conviviality in multiplayer lobbies, and most of them bear titles that gesture toward an elemental wound in the culture.”

Such realms of honor and duty abound in online gaming—team play populated by knights, gremlins, ogres, special ops, and flight simulators.  Fictionalized realms that translate the performative nature of human interactions from the mundane to the magical. For some, the truest way of experiencing social solidarity occurs in these simulacra.  While the body is stationary the mind conquers vast vistas along with comrades of the same ilk. Some even say that the gaming realm is uniquely situated to open the most reticent of introverts to a realm of healthy human contact and conversation. “I think [games like World of Warcraft] can affect one’s willingness to open up to someone. You don’t have to deal with the layer of bodies. You don’t have to worry about the physical barrier. All of that is stripped away when you’re speaking through a video game,” Although mediated by a gaming console or computer, people of any age or earthly ability share a game, with rules, and converse socially—it’s about as sci fi a setup as anyone would have imagined a half century ago. Yet, when games are played in silence it’s almost akin to merely playing with oneself.

Be it Backgammon or Fortnite, this paradoxical empirical reality has emerged in the online gaming sphere: silence holds sway. While game forests are still full of druid avatars and prowling gremlins the in-game chat, that glue of social good times ranging from hippie prayer circles to fraternity reunion gatherings, has fallen by the wayside. All that’s left is the game itself, played in taciturn silence. “The complex social contract, the acquaintances waiting to be forged into brotherhood—is nowhere to be found. The chat box that used to chirp with shitposts, gossip, and hyperlocal banter is conspicuously barren. If you do partner up with someone for an adventure, words are rarely exchanged. When the final boss is toppled, everyone leaves the group and dissolves into the ether.”

Studies and anecdotes conclude, then, that people are literally just there to play the game, not to interact in any meaningful human manner. The result seems a bit like automated checkout kiosks or AI chatbots suggesting improved dish-doing methods. Instead of being replaced by mindless automaton robots, have we just become more like computers? To be fair, since time immemorial, people have played games. Mahjong and backgammon boards date back millennia, for instance. Beginning in the 1970s computers entered the fray.  A tennis-like game called Pong somewhat swept the nation and, since then, concentric circles of youths have learned to wile away their free time drafted into the intense and competitive world of sports—gaming, in other words. While in any gaming effort the great majority of their effort goes into conquering this or that villain or achieving one of a myriad of preordained missions, it’s in that extra non-competitive percentile of awareness that parents and onlookers tended to notice that the raw humanity of daily discourse would seep in. Pets, bills, girlfriends or boyfriends, current events, or any matter of external cultural concerns were grist for the mill.  With the rise of the internet that become part of the mic-d up gaming chat system. And yet now, apparently, the woodland of non-productive gaming discussion has gone eerily quiet, maybe too quiet. It’s a bit akin to a woodland that falls silent while a stealthy cougar patrols through, its thoughtful mincing footfalls barely making an impression on the mossy forest floor. What is stalking and silencing gamers who once heckled and hazed one another in a manner most jocular – what has brought on this muteness?

It’s a question, alas, not yet to be answered. The one certainty we have is, as reported in Slate Magazine, gamers are not chatting much anymore. My brother offered a suggestion that as a great majority of online gamers have, er, aged out of teenage tomfoolery and into the sometimes-sordid but oft-serious realm of adulthood and parenthood, such men have grown into a life for which their pubescent jocularity lacks a vocabulary. While holding a digital rifle or golf club is as simple as swinging for the fences, the feeling of nuzzling an infant in swaddling clothes or holding a marriage together with twine is ever-so much more difficult to explain in the brief intervals between setting up a perfect putt or ducking for cover in the face of enemy fire. Another opinion would be that amidst the din of irrational toxicity about all manner of current events and political machinations the requisite sense of openness and understanding foundational to discourse in any social setting has eroded such that gamers collectively think “why bother” when it comes to opening their mouth about that which is relevant to the task at hand. No industrial sweatshop boss could expect more!

Yet, so long as we at AU remember to try and enlist in courses that we prefer, we at least will be able to converse gladly about what we are studying!

Reference

Winkie, L. (2024). ‘Silent But Deadly’. Slate. Retrieved from https://slate.com/culture/2024/12/video-games-world-warcraft-multiplayer-call-duty-halo.html

You and your companion hesitate on the threshold. But you’ve both traveled such a distance to get here, to this dangerous building in a disreputable quarter of a dying city on the edge of a lost continent. So, what the hell? You both pick your way up the ruined, ancient steps and push through the revolving doors.

The man at the ticket booth reminds you of an actor you can’t quite place. Maybe from some sad silent movie you once saw, or a David Lynch film. He reminds you, also, of that smarmy waiter at the crap Italian joint where you had your heart broken the summer before you dropped out of university. You got wasted that night on pills and cheap chianti. After that, for years, every time you ate antipasto it tasted a little like vomit and ashes in your mouth. Without asking, the attendant slides two tickets through the aperture. When you fumble for your credit card, he tells you not to worry, you’ll pay later.

Inside the lobby, cramped and dim, there’s music playing through tinny speakers: “Killing Me Softly” and a muzak cover of something you half-remember (by Morrisey maybe?), all breathy vocals and synthesizer strings.

The gallery itself, once you finally get there down the seemingly endless hallway lined with closed doors and ominous portraits, is disorienting in the extreme – labyrinthine, with no clear layout or discernable organization. The floor plan in the pamphlet that came with the tickets seems to have been contrived by a madman or imbecile, or else it’s a depiction of some other building altogether.

Nor are the exhibits at all what you had expected. All the walls are covered in nothing but rows and rows of flyblown mirrors inside cheap looking junk shop frames. As you move about, standing before each looking glass, you’re appalled to see they are mirrors of the distorting funhouse kind. Some of them make you look leering and gargantuan, others make you look tiny and mean. Or sexy, or melancholic, or sinister, or angry, or reckless, or confused. In some of them, your companion – standing right beside you – is reflected upside down, or separated from you by vast stretches of black space, or is semi-transparent, or not there at all. In a few, there are whole other people you don’t recognize looking back at you, with different dreams and different eyes. When you hold your hand up to the glass, one of the strangers does the same. It’s hard to interpret the meaning of this gesture.

This place is seriously beginning to creep you out. Certainly a far cry from the “whimsical and romantic” outing the literature had described. It doesn’t help that there is apparently nobody else around you, even though you can hear the indistinct sounds of many voices drifting in from other rooms, around corners, down hallways, on the other sides of walls.

You exit, of course, through the gift shop. There are displays of glow-the-the-dark plastic saints, lucky cats, evil eyes, novelty handcuffs trimmed with pink faux fur.

The revolving doors spit you out, weighed down with shopping bags, onto the rush hour sidewalk. It’s only when you’re already halfway home, fighting through the anonymous press of humanity all around you, that it even occurs to you to wonder whatever happened to that companion of yours, or (come to think of it) if there had really ever been one at all.

Besides the panoply of course material on offer, ranging from creative writing to interpersonal psychology to personalized course syllabii constructed in unison betwixt oneself and one’s tutor, the pedagogical outcome of the program is uniquely individual. Students learn to see that, even amidst the most hallowed ivy-draped canvas, full of pomp and circumstance and folks who graduate to become apparent Masters of the Universe, a great divide exists between differing academic disciplines. These varied approaches, often termed silos, tend to be in either open or taciturn conflict with each other’s worldviews.

Now silos, for those of less agrarian origins, are generally filled with materials that, over time, ferment and become useful fodder for animals. It’s called silage, logically enough. Occasionally, as happened in my elder’s living memory in BC’s Fraser Valley of my childhood, a silo’s inner zymology creates so much heat and a vacuum as air is inhaled and exhaled by yeasts and bacteria, that the silo will literally explode. While comedians make hay about all the hot air emanating from politicians in far away capitals, the organic truth of the silo reveals that whenever a lot of one thing is stuffed into a sufficiently enclosed canister, a roiling inner turmoil can explode out into the world. Maybe this helps to explain all the unbecoming freakout sessions one finds online in the social media sphere—folks always seem to be emotionally outraged in a manner not conducive to critical thought or devil’s advocate inquiry.

This extends to disputes in academia, too, such as the way the realm of psychology obsessively focuses on notions of individuation, treating the interior life of the mind as though we each are characters in a Jane Austen novel. By contrast, sociology takes the birds eye view of society, by and large, seeing it as an immense mechanistic realm where much of our life is forged out of our background and beginnings such that our apparent conscious agency appears as an afterthought. And then there’s the hard sciences, in the popular imagination especially, where much of who we is best understood through an algorithm of genetics and chemistry, rather than the meanings we make and create through our conscious effort. In the end as learners we’re left to sort through the jumble of certainties (often plied by social media influencers in a manner that would surely induce a blush to the cheeks of even the cheapest 1920s snake oil salesman or travelling preacher). To pick through the randomness and refuse of facts and events and make some use of it might be the ultimate academic skill we strive to attain – like dung beetles of academia, if you will.

But it can’t all  be work, and, just as creatures of the wild relish their tasks, if for no reason as they know nothing else, each in its nature knows to rest and recuperate. As humans this means, in part, learning to not take ourselves so very seriously.

In our more expansive moments we know that our lives are not only limited in duration but our minds are limited by the ways by which we define and acquire truth. It helps to stop what we’re doing and take stock. Even in mid-sentence, in mid-lecture, in the middle of what would be a raptly-attentive classroom discussion for a brick and mortar pupil, we can lie down and take a nap like a newborn. This moment of instant change involves a sudden appreciation of those mindlessly mindful moments of pondering where, like lion cubs bellied up to the colostrum bar, our soulful eyes rise to the horizon and we ponder the meaning of life and our place within it. These dazed and dawdling interjections to our studies can remind us to not take ourselves or our discipline so very seriously, the better to apply that most priceless of life skill to our studies: the acquisition of true perspective, true context, toward our lives in the real world.

The 20^th Century author Henry Miller, in the midst of a deepening horror at the vacuity of the Hollywood script-writing industry, wrote to a friend “when I do nothing I find I like it immensely. One can do nothing here because the surroundings themselves are sufficient.” California’s beauty, akin to much of our wonderful country of Canada, reminded Miller that the core starting point of his life’s struggle, his desire to express in words the horror of his urban life, had relieved him of that which had driven him forward. Like a dung beetle placed in a huge terrarium with enough fecal matter to keep him satiated for the rest of his days, Miller was able to look out on the world and find bemusement at the passing realm. And if, through the views we discover in our studies, we, too, lean to wonder about the meaning of myriad aspects of the society we see and our place within the cultural constellation, our distance education will surely have proven its worth.

Animals, like ideas and beliefs and trends, all come and go with the days and the seasons. But in the end, wherever we go there we are. And to separate ourselves from excrescence of cultural upsets and live-streaming verbal diarrhea, might be the highest outcome of higher education. With the acquisition of a distant-yet-knowing view of the societal morass in our midst we might also, metaphorically like the singer Lou Reed, learn to look askance at:

“all the Jim-Jims in this town
And all the politicians making crazy sounds
And everybody putting everybody else down”

When we separate ourselves from our ideas that may be where we most realize the variety of ways to get our proverbial dung ball where its going – the better to find our academic purpose.

References
Kroen, G.C. (2013). ‘Dung Beetles Navigate By the Milky Way’. Science. Retrieved from https://www.science.org/content/article/dung-beetles-navigate-milky-way
Miller, H. In Hoyle, A. (2014). The Unknown Henry Miller. New York: Arcade.
Reed, L. (1967). ‘Heroin’. Lyrics on Demand. Retrieved from https://www.lyricsondemand.com/lou_reed/heroin

From one bookworm to another, this column will be underscoring and outlining various literary genres, authors, and recent reads and can serve as an introduction for those unfamiliar with these works, as a refresher for long-time aficionados, and maybe as an inspiration for readers to share their own suggested topics. Do you have a topic that you would like covered in this column?  Feel free to contact me for an interview and a feature in an upcoming column.

Who

This week, we focus on famed English science fiction writer, Arthur C. Clarke.

Clarke was born on December 16, 1917, in Minehead, Somerset, England and died on March 19, 2008, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where he had lived since 1956.

Although Clarke was a prolific writer of hard science fiction (novels and short stories) and non-fiction (scientific and technical works), he is best remembered for the multiple Oscar-winning film script (directed by notable US director Stanley Kubrick) and influential novel 2001: A Space Odyssey.

(Hard science fiction is defined as a subgenre within science fiction that focuses on “hard” sciences, such as physics, mathematics, and astronomy, as opposed to soft science fiction, which is concerned with “soft” sciences, such as politics, anthropology, and sociology, among others.)

During his lifetime, Clarke received numerous Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards, which honour the best writing in science fiction.

What

Some examples of Clarke’s notable works include the Space Odyssey series (2001: A Space Odyssey, 2010: Odyssey Two, 2061: Odyssey Three, and 3001: The Final Odyssey), the Rama series (Rendezvous with Rama, Rama II, The Garden of Rama, and Rama Revealed), and Childhood’s End.

Other influential works include The City and The Stars, The Fountains of Paradise, A Fall of Moondust, and The Sands of Mars.

Where

Most of Clarke’s works take place throughout the solar system, including Earth, Mars, and the Moon.

When

The majority of Clarke’s works were published in the 20th century.

Why

Clarke’s fiction and non-fiction may be of interest to AU students who enjoy the hard sciences, such as physics, astrophysics, and mathematics, as the works often focus on a great deal of scientific detail. However, these works may be of interest to AU students who enjoy soft sciences as well, including psychology, sociology, and political science.

In addition, these works may appeal to AU students who would like a brief introduction to what is known as the Golden Age of Science Fiction (from the late 1930s to late 1940s). Other notable authors from this period include Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein.

How

AU’s wide range of diverse courses make it easy to study this topic in depth. Courses related to the works of Arthur C. Clarke are available in a variety of disciplines, including those that may fit into your Degree Works. (Always check with an AU counsellor to see if these particular courses fulfill your personal graduation requirements!)

AU students interested in learning more about this topic may enroll in PHYS 204: Physics for Scientists and Engineers I, a junior-level, three-credit course, which is “an introductory calculus-based physics course recommended for science, engineering, and pre-med students.”  (Please note that this course requires MATH 260: Calculus for Social Sciences and Economics or MATH 265: Introduction to Calculus I ( as prerequisites.

In addition, students may also be interested in ENGL 387: Writing Speculative Fiction, a senior-level, three-credit course, which “develops speculative fiction (SF) writing skills through a combination of strategic study and writing activity.”  (Please note that this course requires ENGL 381: Creative Writing in Prose and course coordinator approval. as prerequisites.)  Happy reading!

An Image of the “Nod” Single Cover Via Loma VistaRise Against is best known for their iconic early 2000s songs that emulated much of the punk and rock scene of the time. Alongside bands like Seether, My Chemical Romance, and Green Day, Rise Against has a distinct and recognizable heavy sound with sharp guitars and an energetic drumbeat. After three years of touring without new releases, Rise Against released a new single, “Nod”, on January 23. For many reasons this song seems to have fallen short of previous releases despite the band’s legendary status.

The most notable difference between their previous releases and this single is the vocal mixing. While their older songs used a crisp and gritty styling with very few vocal effects, “Nod” relied heavily on an almost grainy-sounding mixing technique. This caused the lyrics to feel drowned out, making it much more difficult to understand, drastically contrasting the clarity and the ease of listening of previous songs.

An Image of Rise Against Via Loma Vista

It is a shame that the lyrics are so drowned out since, upon studying them, they read beautifully.  However, due to the mixing, it is nearly impossible to attain a glint of the meaning solely by listening to the track. The first verse lyrics are a very strong opening stating, “And tell me, where does the time really go?/Tell me, what is this moment we’re all waiting for?/In a wasteland so barren/A dead zone where nothing can grow”. These lyrics cinematically set a great scene for the overall tone of the song: feeling hopeless in an oppressive and run-down world. This perfectly sets up the second verse, with one of the strongest lyrics from this verse furthering the understanding of this world—the main subject of the song declaring it feels as though people are “Standing in water that’s been rising before I was born”.

This harkens back to the idea of people living in an oppressive world that has continued to degrade and sink over time, forcing them to give in to the maltreatment that started long before they were born. The most repeated lyric throughout the chorus states “If you’re hearing what I’m saying/Just nod if you understand me”. In this lonely and stifled world, the people of this story are attempting to connect, hoping to find someone who nods along with them and agrees with their sentiments. Searching for a deeper understanding and connection to act as a light in the darkness of this world. While this is an extremely powerful message and great storytelling through lyricism, this call to action does not feel as though these lyrics can truly be appreciated due to the vocal mixing issues. Had these issues not been as prominent, these lyrics could have made for an exceptionally moving and well-written piece.

In terms of the instrumentals, this single also fell short of the mark. The guitars and drums felt more like they were battling for dominance than harmonizing and working together. This leads the overall beat of the song to feel mashed up and jumbled. To me, the drums felt too slow and the guitar felt too fast and excessively harsh for the overall feeling of the song. While their older songs are notably fast-paced as well, the instrumental pacing all lined up in such a way that the melody and notes of the song were easy to follow. This often caused a song to get stuck in a listener’s head, leading them to revisit this song more frequently than one lacking this quality. In the case of “Nod”, the melody was almost indistinguishable from the mind-melting disarrayed state of the notes.

Cover for the Nowhere Generation II EP via Spotify

In early June 2022, Rise Against published an EP, titled Nowhere Generation II, which managed to perfectly maintain the band’s original charm and quality of their early 2000s releases. The first track on the album, “The Answer”, exemplifies the sort of song “Nod” could have been had the composition been more carefully written and reviewed. “The Answer” has a quick and heavy instrumental, similar to the aim of their newest single. Within “The Answer”, the way the notes line up harmonizes to allow the listener to hear the song as a whole, rather than in layered musical fragments. The vocals are clear, crisp, and powerful; allowing for the message of the song to be heard loud and clear.

It was unfortunate to see that this single did not follow in its path, attaining the opposite of this desired effect. While music does modernize and change with trends, I feel their older style would have been quite on-trend. Not only is this sound what they are most notable for, but it is also making a big resurgence in mainstream media. One example of this resurgence is “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC. First released in January 2000, this song saw a massive incline in listening trends due to the newest Deadpool movie. In more similar genres to Rise Against, bands like Evanescence, Fall Out Boy, and Jimmy Eat World have also gained public viewership throughout television media and on TikTok. Had this song featured a closer styling to their original early 2000s sound, it likely would have gained more traction and viewership.

The music video for “Nod” left lots to be desired as well: primarily featuring a rolling cluster of marbles. These marbles are likely meant to represent the unification of people fighting for a cause and all moving as one, but this topic is not built upon or furthered making the video a fairly plain watch. Had these marbles made a bigger statement, this could have acted as a powerfully unique storytelling tool. One example of this might be having these marbles knock down a building representing the overcoming of the oppression that was discussed throughout the lyrics. Instead, these marbles traverse different terrains and systems in rows. At the end of the video, they all land in a pit shaped like the band’s logo allowing the intrigue and tension that was built to fall flat.

A Still from the “Nod” Music Video Via Rise Against on YouTube

Overall, it was a disappointing track following Rise Against’s previous excellent EP release. I believe several areas could be improved to better appeal to more listeners and enhance the listening experience. Rise Against has recently announced many tours across the world and will be accompanying Papa Roach on the Rise of the Roach tour. However, it does not seem as though there are any Canadian tour dates currently planned. Rise Against tends to perform a blend of their past and more current songs at most of their shows, but there is no formally released set list to date. Tickets for this tour can be purchased through the band’s website and “Nod” is currently available to be streamed on most music platforms.

Poster for the American Leg of the Rise of the Roach Tour Via Papa Roach on Facebook

An Image of Vundabar Via Loma Vista RecordingsVundabar is an indie rock band best known for their top track, “Alien Blues,” which currently has over 600 million streams on Spotify. Renowned for its unique sound, Vundabar began publishing music in 2013 with its first album, Antics. In March 2025, the band will release its seventh album, Surgery and Pleasure. Having already released three tracks as singles, this album will feature eleven songs in total.

The first track the band released in June 2024 was “I Got Cracked”. Vundabar is well known for producing music with an airy and upbeat tone, and this song is no exception in maintaining this unique soundscape. The guitars and drums are fast paced but creatively form a powerful energy that pervades throughout the song. The lyrics are about going through tough times and growing stronger as a result. The band previously shared how this song is based on life events that occurred during one of their tours: in a short period, the lead singer Brandon Hagen left a long-term relationship, broke his arm, and lost his father. These, happening all at once, became a whirlwind of issues that Brandon and the band needed to work through while still performing and traveling. The influence of these events is evident through the lyrics “And I broke my heart, and I broke my arm, and I spread some ashes,” which is sung repeatedly throughout the chorus of the song. The lyrics go on to state “I got cracked so I can’t get broke no more,” seemingly implying that after all the difficulties causing cracks, a prevailing toughness and strength was built, preventing further “breaks” or emotional hardship in the future. This song is very well composed, and, as the first single released, it is a great song that sticks to the loved and unique indie sound Vundabar has developed. The lead singer has described this album as a newer, more grown-up version of the band’s sound. This song acts as a great gateway into this new sound by demonstrating what was previously the signature sound of Vundabar to set up the transition into this evolution.

A still from the “I Got Cracked” Music Video Via YouTube

“Life is a Movie” was the second released single which came out in October 2024. A very different release for Vundabar, it exemplifies the new, more mature sound the band mentioned. While “I Got Cracked” sticks to the band’s typical indie rock sound, “Life is a Movie” branches out in a newer and unique take on the indie genre. The contrast between these two songs acts as a real-time demonstration of the past and the future of the band evolving through musical styles. The guitar is much slower in tempo and heavier sounding. Similarly, the drums follow a more spaced-out and powerful beat. While these instrumental differences are noticeable, the vocals are where the true difference in sound stands. Most of Vundabar’s vocals are performed in a dragged-out and relaxed way that almost feels careless, while these lyrics are performed in a spoken-word tone with a punch of strength. The lyrics of the song touch on the concept of wishing life was simple, like a movie, despite not being as straightforward to understand. Some of the pre-chorus lyrics state “Here comes thе punchline, here comes the grace, here comes the part where we go off our face, here comes the lesson, here comes the light, here comes the beacon in the night”. These lyrics emphasize how in movies there is often a predictable chain of events. At the end of the film’s rising action, there is commonly some sort of light, lesson, or grace that frees the hero of the story from their predominant struggle. In life, however, there are not always these saving forces to aid someone in their time of need. Life would be much simpler if these same plot-driven forces were there to jump in during dire situations, but it just is not reality. “Life is a Movie” does a great job of conveying this theme, and the spoken-word style of vocals matches the song’s tone perfectly. Overall, it was interesting to see a different style of song from Vundabar. Hopefully some of the strength of this fresh sound will continue to prevail throughout the rest of the album release.

Vundabar’s “Life is a Movie” cover art Via Spotify

The final single released to date just came out on January 16. “Spades” keeps up the quick-paced and energetic feeling that the band typically releases with stuttery and quick guitar. It meshes with some of the newer sound elements of the band’s evolution but does not fully exclude their previous signature sound in the same way as “Life is a Movie”. Since the theme of the song revolves around paranoia, an anxious and jittery beat perfectly encompasses this mood. While the primary motivation of this song is harder to discern using the few frequently repeated lyrics there are, the song seems to focus on the experience of being in the public eye. The primary chorus lyrics that are repeated frequently state “I’m watching you watching me” likely referring to the feeling of being in the public eye with fans. Another lyric that stood out prominently was “Everybody’s asking but nobody knows the question”. These lyrics are likely commenting on how the masses tend to blindly follow and repeat what they hear in the media sphere without questioning the reasoning behind the information. This song did not feel like it had the same strength and intrigue as the other two singles, however, it is still a well-executed song that matches the mood set by the previous single releases.

Vundabar Tour Poster Via the Posters Artist, Virtualflesh, on Instagram

The three released tracks off of the Surgery and Pleasure album can be streamed today on most music platforms. The complete album releasing March 7, 2025, can be pre-saved and pre-purchased on various sites. Merchandise can also be pre-ordered including vinyl, CDs, and clothing. One real standout piece of merchandise available is a forest green tee shirt with a motif stating “Vlive, Vlaugh, Vlove, Vundabar” which is a clever and comedic play on the commonly joked about “Live, Laugh, Love” quote. The band is currently on tour with several American venues and one Canadian stop in Vancouver on March 26 of this year. All dates and ticket sales can be found on Vundabar’s website.

From one bookworm to another, this column will be underscoring and outlining various literary genres, authors, and recent reads and can serve as an introduction for those unfamiliar with these works, as a refresher for long-time aficionados, and maybe as an inspiration for readers to share their own suggested topics. Do you have a topic that you would like covered in this column?  Feel free to contact me for an interview and a feature in an upcoming column.

Who

Inspired by last week’s column on the craft of writing in general, this week we focus specifically on writing science fiction (SF).

Examples of authors who have written about the craft of science fiction writing include Ursula Le Guin, Ray Bradbury, and Orson Scott Card.

In addition, many more authors and editors have contributed to understanding the conventions, storylines, and tropes of this genre.

What

Notable books detailing the craft of science fiction writing include How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy by Orson Scott Card, Steering the Craft: Exercises and Discussions on Story by Ursula Le Guin, and Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You by Ray Bradbury.

However, it is also important to read well-regarded anthologies, such as The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 1929-1964, edited by Robert Silverberg; popular science fiction magazines, such as Asimov’s Science Fiction and Analog Science Fiction and Fact; and consider science fiction awards, such as the Hugo Awards, and the Nebula Awards, and the Locus Awards; to fully understand the genre’s conventions.

Finally, it is crucial to read widely in hard science fiction (science fiction focused on the “hard sciences,” such as physics, astronomy, mathematics, etc.) and soft science fiction (science fiction focused on politics, psychology, sociology, anthropology, etc.). Of course, these sub-genres are much more complex than space in the column allows. Briefly, hard science fiction typically focuses more on realistic science, while soft science fiction is more concerned with character development and humanity.

Some examples of hard science fiction include the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov and 2001: The Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke.

Examples of soft science fiction include The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin and The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury.

Other authors include Robert A. Heinlein, Philip K. Dick, and Octavia Butler.

While science fiction in the English-speaking world has been dominated by authors from the United States and the United Kingdom, there are also vibrant science fiction communities throughout Latin America (consider La vía del futuro (The Way of the Future) by Bolivian author Edmundo Paz Soldán) and Eastern Europe (consider Solaris by Polish author Stanisław Lem).

Where

Many of these works focus on science fiction in the United States and in the United Kingdom, as well as Bolivia and Poland.

When

These works were published from the 20th to the 21st centuries.

Why

The works may be of interest to AU students who would like to start writing their own science fiction short stories or novels or who would like to hone their science fiction writing craft. These books, anthologies, and magazines may also be of interest to students who are not familiar with this genre and would like a brief summary of some notable works.

How

AU’s wide range of diverse courses make it easy to study this topic in depth. Courses related to the craft of science fiction writing are available in a variety of disciplines, including those that may fit into your Degree Works. (Always check with an AU counsellor to see if these particular courses fulfill your personal graduation requirements!)

AU students interested in learning more about this topic may enroll in ENGL 387: Writing Speculative Fiction, a senior, level, three-credit course, which “develops speculative fiction (SF) writing skills through a combination of strategic study and writing activity.”  (Please note that this course requires ENGL 381: Creative Writing in Prose and the permission of the course coordinator as prerequisites.)

Although it is listed as a prerequisite, students may simply be interested in ENGL 381: Creative Writing in Prose, a senior-level, three-credit course, which focuses on “your work and its development.”  (This course requires ENGL 211: Prose Forms, ENGL 212: Poetry and Plays, a grade of “B” in ENGL 353: Intermediate Composition, as well as the permission of the course coordinator as prerequisites.)

Students may also consider ASTR 310: Planetary Science, a senior-level, three-credit course, which focuses on “the physics of the Solar System.”  (This course requires ASTR 210: Introduction to Astronomy and Astrophysics, or several other options as prerequisites). Happy reading!

The young lions, neophyte Queens and Kings of the continent, wonder “what are those bugs gonna do with that and how do they know where they’re going?” After all, the massive spheres of sustenance are much larger than the insects can possibly see over. The answer to this simple query reveals much about the nature of knowledge and the differing ways in which we seek it. Dung beetles, it turns out, navigate not with their eyes on the literal prize, their destination, but by keeping an eye on the stars in the night sky above. These industrious gatherers of excrement navigate by triangulating their humble, earthly location with the shifting position of celestial objects far, far, away.

Perhaps lowly dung beetles are the best animal expression of Oscar Wilde’s famous line “each of us is in the gutter, but some of us are gazing at the stars.” To be sure, they express the to each its own version of common sense so often missing in culture, academia, and politics – a realm where the egoistic desire to be right, and to make others aware of ones’ righteousness, often gets in the way of that most innocent aspects of thought: raw curiosity.

Students, Stars to Be, Guided by our Chosen Stars

In a sense, we choose which stars to follow as students and thinkers. Our different evolving beliefs and academic objects of intrigue can lead us to forget that that ours is a solitary journey; no matter how much we share with our fellow humans our journey is as unique as the pattern of sand on the paw of a lion. Yet, as we grow and learn, our learned assertiveness can, basically, lead us to see others as dung beetles and be utterly befuddled by the seemingly nonsensical goings-on of their lives and minds, intellectually in the scholarly landscape and, more fundamentally, in the realm of life choices.

To each differing sustenance appeals, and this extends into the realm of philosophy. More comfortable terrain than the gossip-laden aforementioned life choices arena. As humans sharing a species ontology with billions of others, we all-too often assume that what we value most, what truths and methods by which we purvey our ideas and survey our realm, must apply to others of our ilk. If only the others would see things the way we do. Sigmund Freud noted wryly how the education of young people often amounts to finding a band of like-minded minions to this or that political posture: “a young man has to learn to suppress the over-weening self regard he acquires in the indulgent atmosphere surrounding his childhood, so that he may find his proper place in a society that is full of other persons making similar claims” .

Perhaps awareness that truth and education is about more than finding solidarity with others is what progressive pundit Julie Roginsky meant when she expressed empathy with parents who say, “Wait a second, I send my kids to college so they can learn, not so they can burn buildings and trash lawns.” At the lesser, but no less egregious, level an awful lot of our peers cling to social media certainties to express what ought to be a more thoughtful academic pose as relates to current events.

References
Freud, S. (1963). Character and Culture. New York: Collier Books.
Kroen, G.C. (2013). ‘Dung Beetles Navigate By the Milky Way’. Science. Retrieved from https://www.science.org/content/article/dung-beetles-navigate-milky-way
Roginksy, J. In Schorr, I. (Nov 2024). ‘Democrat Strategist on CNN Absolutely Lose it on Dems for not Knowing how to Talk to ‘Normal People’: ‘Not The Party of Common Sense’. Mediate. Retreved from https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/democratic-strategist-on-cnn-absolutely-loses-it-on-dems-for-not-knowing-how-to-talk-to-normal-people-not-the-party-of-common-sense/ar-AA1tH6GQ