With Charlie Brooker’s newest television show Black Mirror being released on DVD on the 27th of February, I decided to take it upon myself to look back through his roots as a game journalist. While his earlier pieces did maintain the no holds barred style with which he is most associated, they did not quite catch Brooker at his most refined. While the prank calls and infamous Cruelty Zoo column depicting children disembowelling animals are ashamedly funny, reviewing that stage of his career may turn into a backhanded compliment for the older and more highbrow of readers; discerning this depiction of Charlie as being a rebel without a cause.

This is where I decided to pick up Dawn of the Dumb, a book that comprises of all of Charlie’s Guardian columns between late 2004 and early 2007. This is in a similar style to his earlier piece called Screen Burn and his later piece The Hell of it All. The whole concept of the book is to serve as a collected archive of old columns, each serving as a weekly summary of noteworthy television programs within that week. Charlie attempts to defuse the popularity surrounding each show by deconstructing the bad elements of what is admittedly shallow viewing.

The overarching mood of the columns is of a negative hue with rare praise of any of the better aspects of programming schedules, which seems slightly biased. However considering the cornucopia of flaky programming that is readily available on television, it’s hard not to validate Charlie’s cynicism.

While the intention of each column is purely for comical effect, Charlie’s insight into the cynical production process of television heightens some of his observations into satirical wit. Amongst some of his more purposely scathing comments, lies some underlining intellect and perceptiveness. Charlie seems to show a level of investment in his analysis as well as the boldness to delve into some very uncomfortable and ugly aspects of the mechanics of television itself.

One of his most notable criticisms would be of celebrities claiming a level of authority and eruditeness on a subject area quite out of their depth such as when Paul McKenna claimed he could cure a blind patient or Jamie Oliver’s campaign to nationally reduce the weight of children aroundBritain.

Though almost all of the articles are very well written there are a few pieces that feel slightly slapdash. For example the article  where he takes a sore throat and turns it into a diatribe on the existence of God, while still reasonably well-written, was obviously done to fill his article with a last minute piece. There also seems to be a high focus on reality television, rarely picking fictional programs as a point of criticism.

Despite a few shortcomings, Charlie Brooker critical observations on the current state of television, are fairly well informed and accurately dissects the current trends in a  very celebrity-centric culture.

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Being a dye in the wool cyberpunk fan, I thought of reviewing a piece of fiction that may potentially convert the many groups of naysayers turned off by technobabble. It is a bit of a sweeping statement to suggest that all novelised cyberpunk fiction are always very dense in concept, but quite often the narrative and wordplay, seems to get plunked rather frustratingly on the bench as oversights to make room for the ideas delivered.

While reading the first few chapters I was hoping Snow Crash would break the mould in terms of accessibility and for the first forty pages, this piece seemed like a decent gateway for onlookers to take an interest in cyberpunk. The action and narrative was smooth to begin with, and written in a manner that seemed engaging for different types of readers. However this positive  soon starts to  fall by the wayside.

Snow Crash is about a Hacker called Hiro Protagonist, a now prodigal hacker and programmer whose pizza delivery role gives him a semi-covert guide to indulge in other pursuits. Pursuits that consist of the virtual online world called the Metaverse, which allows him to associate with other hackers. However while meeting up his old acquaintance Juanita, he stumbles across a weird new virtual drug called Snow Crash that purports to affect the user outside of the Metaverse as well as in. Observing this drug affect a fellow hacker first hand, draws him into the underbelly of the Metaverse, and into a sinister plot that threatens not only the Metaverse but the real world existing outside it.

The concepts provide a surfeit of food for thought, how the plot proves to be bloated at times. You’ll be so hard-pressed to be  quite attentive, and  it might feel too tasking a book to overcome without a few breaks within several sittings, with perhaps most giving up entirely, searching for a lighter read. However if you’re willing to invest the time and brainpower to follow the narrative even in its clunker moments, then it is a rewarding read.

The cyberpunk verbiage is probably the biggest criticism of this novel, particularly with its author’s obsession to create coined terms and portmanteaus in order to give his hypothetical future more gravitas. This wouldn’t be a problem if a glossary of terms was available inside the novel, however there does not seem to be a readily available edition that contains such a glossary. Despite this casual readers will be able to understand the broader elements of what is occurring in the main story.

In summary, cyberpunk has a bad reputation for isolating casual readerships outside of an established fan base already esoteric and plugged in to the ideas, terminology and concepts, and unfortunately with Snow Crash this is no different. It’s still a very good addition to the genre and I would recommend it for those interested. However for the uninitiated; you might want to return to your box sets of The Matrix if you’re looking for cyberpunk that’s easy to digest.

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Sean Lock’s overlooked TV series adapted from his surreal late night radio show

 Becoming a victim to its own offbeat humour, 15 Storeys High is a rare take on comedy, with potential to grace comedic halls of fame, had an audience been present to hear its high notes. Left to linger in the graveyard slot of BBC 3 in early November of 2002, it’s delivery of understated wit and dryness was probably not a winning formula in the eyes of BBC’s commissioning department. Small internet fan bases and pedants have noted this show as one of the most underrated pieces of British television of all time, but does it deserve the due attention never received during its debut?.

The series is set in a suburban tower block outside ofLondon, where Vincent Clark leads a near-hermit lifestyle; a king of an ivory tower of solitude. While reluctantly placing a local advertisement for a flatmate, Vincent draws the short straw with Errol Spears, as a resort to pay the rent. We would feel sympathy for him, if Vince did not wallow in the rut of his own making. He adopts an outlandish view of life, which further isolates him from others.

The setting itself is rather quotidian and stark, whilst the camera work gives the series a “slice of life” feel to it. The series adopts a true to life style of cinematography, attempting to mirror the mundane elements of real life scenarios whilst still using occasional grainy filters and sparse editing techniques to emphasise the rather bleak setting.

Simple editing techniques accentuate and enliven situations that normally would be considered rather dull. This prosaic setting manages to reach the sublime, particularly in a manner of how such a mundane setting somehow manages elude and perplex Vincent quite often. This is particularly because of the insular lifestyle that Vincent adheres to; with a lack of social skills that entraps him in rather awkward situations.

An example of this is the Dead Swan episode where Vince is convicted for killing wildfowl, with an incriminating photograph of Vince holding a dead swan laughing. However, beyond the observed framework, He is actually disposing of an already dead swan he found in the park and is laughing because his ex-girlfriend is trying to fend off another swan. His only method of circumventing a prison sentence is to exploit an overlooked piece of legislation that gives the option of being put in the stocks instead.

While there are plenty of humorous moments, much of its delivery is subtle and while there are quite few moments of unrestrained humour, many of the more intelligent quips and jokes may go unnoticed and require observation and patience to appreciate. This underpins the comedic style of 15 Storeys High and is something that a casual viewer of sitcoms might not be engaged with.

While most sitcoms gain attention by bombarding it’s audience with gags, 15 Storeys High is a series that seems to keep purposely low-key and subtle, yet rewards patient viewers with some very rich and memorable content.

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There can be no refute by seasoned experts that The Visions of Escaflowne is a staple of anime fantasy since it’s 1996 release in Japan, and its global release four years later; Combining medieval duels with subplots of betrayal and romance and a well-chronicled storyline. However its first exposure to the west, was edited by Fox Kids’ syndicated run, aimed for younger audiences. A faithful adaptation would not be seen until DVD release by Beez Entertainment in 2006, serving as a pure incarnation of the Japanese format. Yet by then the expectations of the anime industry, with a preference for computer-drawn animation, caused the better qualities of Escaflowne to be overlooked.

The story unfolds through the perspective of Hitomi Kanzaki as she tries to make sense of a fate that feels ill-designed for her whilst confronting her feelings of love. Ostensibly an ordinary high school student, who discovers her talent for fortune telling, is more than just child’s play.

Only when her high school status quo becomes interrupted by a dimensional portal does her potential in clairvoyance manifest itself; Preventing the death of Van Fanel, prince of Fanelia, in mid-struggle against a dragon-like creature, both natives of a mysterious world from another dimension.

Any explanation into Hitomi’s premonitions is abruptly ended when the portal uproots her and Van, into Gaea, an anachronistic world similar to a medieval plane. What seems to be a peaceful world is threatened by schemes of swift and sweeping conquest by the Empire of Zaibach. A powerhouse in technology, set to exploit the ignorance of overlying nations, in order to divide and conquer.

While a romantic theme is enduring, it is kept neatly alongside Escaflowne’s main plot so the larger setting can flourish on screen. This includes an injected pastiche of styles from other anime titles, presented evenly, with dramatic pivotal points intercut with appropriately timed action sequences.

This also combines science fiction and fantasy in the form of Guymelefs (mechanised suits) as well as a mythology of its mystical origins, and a brief overview into Gaea’s inhabitants and history. This provides enough variety to give the world a sense of life and intrigue.

While a handful of characters do serve as comic relief, the main protagonists have depth in the manner of individual motives and secret dispositions. An aspect of storytelling that fantasy often struggles with, settling with protagonists having single-minded aspirations of heroism. This group dynamic can feel fabricated to cause Hitomi romantic hardship, however this does not stall plot progression and is interwoven efficiently into the main narrative.

While the romantic devices can feel convoluted, The Vision of Escaflowne is a solid show including well rounded characters and a consistent quality in narrative, set in a compelling setting. The plot is slightly simplistic but executed brilliantly and keeps pace while never sacrificing storytelling for entertaining elements. It still holds up as an entertaining show despite its age with an effective balance in storytelling rarely seen in modern fantasy anime titles.

Nathan Al-tai

Rating 4/5 stars.

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