Nothing happened this month. Nothing. Halloween? Fall? No, it’s Dune season.

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This month’s playlist:

Shoplifters

While I am currently snorting long lines of spice melange, I need to highlight Shoplifters.

Parasite springs to mind, though it is a poor comparison. Different genres. They both weigh how their respective cultures treat the poor.

I was fortunate to watch Shoplifters with a native speaker of Japanese who illuminated the subtleties of expression where the subtitles fell short. A tale laced with comedy, warmth, and unavoidable heartbreak.

Come, live with this precious family a moment.

Several Short Sentences About Writing

I avoid nonfiction. I disparage the category by calling its entirety “self-help.” The reality is I just prefer imagination. It follows that I should have never picked up this book.

This highlights the magic of libraries. By chance, I saw a recommendation on Twitter. On a whim, I borrowed a nonfiction book for free. And now I’m consuming pages chock full of literal revelation.

I am enjoying a “self-help” book.

It’s affecting my writing.

Thank you, Library.

Takeshi and Hiroshi

Short and light on gameplay, yet a charming exploration of what a game can be. The majority of our time spent with Takeshi and Hiroshi is watching whimsical stop-motion animated cutscenes. Takeshi is an aspiring game developer and his younger brother, Hiroshi, is his biggest fan. But Hiroshi takes sick and ends up in the hospital. Takeshi visits his little brother with playable bits of his game to cheer up Hiroshi. Programing AI enemies out of his depth, Takeshi surreptitiously plays against his little brother.

Here, the clever gameplay enters. We take the role of the enemy AI. The goal is for Hiroshi to win, but also for him to feel adequately challenged. The gameplay seems simple. This consists of choosing which and how many enemies Hiroshi’s avatar will face each round. Too easy and he gets bored. Overwhelming and he gets frustrated. Frankly, it’s brilliant. A perfect example of gameplay that is congruent with the narrative, and an experience that illustrates to the player the challenge of game design.

As I said, Takeshi and Hiroshi is short. But it is a delicious, unique, bite-sized experience.

Brand New Cherry Flavor

Netflix series do not have a good track record. The service releases a flood of mediocrity so I’m loath to invest in any unknown series. But I heard/read some cryptic recommendations for Brand New Cherry Flavor and decided to roll the dice.

The show won’t win any awards. But it is interesting, and funny, and weird, and creepy, and more than a little gross. It commits things to screen that leave me slack-jawed. Finally, something with unique taste!

Chihei Hatakeyama

I rarely listen to music. When I do, I’m looking for something without lyrics that will lull me into a writing flow. Chihei Hatakeyama fits the bill. Atmospheric, ambient, chill vibes.

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This month I saw a weird sun.