Dungeons and Dragons

I bought this show for a dollar on a whim, thinking it would be the worst thing I've ever seen. It was however shockingly close to par in terms of 80's cartoon goodness.

The premiss of the show is that six kids go on a Dungeons and Dragons ride at an amusement park and get magically transported to the dungeons and dragons world. When they get there they are in immediate danger, facing a huge five-headed dragon, and then the evil villain of the series, Venger. Then this little man (the dungeon master) appears out of no where and gives them all magical items that grant them special powers. The items all coincide with types of characters are in the dungeons and dragons game, so there is a ranger, acrobat, cavalier, thief, barbarian, and magician. In each episode,  the dungeon master gives the gang a hint, telling them which way they should go to get home. They meet a lot of people on the way and each character is explored a bit.

It's not an amazing show by any means, but I have to say, it's a lot better than I thought it would be. And it might not be the best show of it's era, but I would watch it if it was on tv.

Dragonflight by Anne McCaffery

Dragonflight is the first in a long series of books taking place in McCaffery's land of Pern, a land of dragons and dragon riders. What's interesting about this book is that it's actually a science fiction, not a fantasy. One would think what with the dragons and all that this would be a fantasy story, but alas, the dragons are just a facade for the underlying science fiction plot.

Pern is a land inhabited by humans. Unfortunately, a planet close to Pern gives off deadly spores every couple of years called 'Thread' and these spores fall down onto Pern and destroy everything they come into contact with. Some humans have learned to tame and form a psychic bond with dragons, these people are called dragon riders. It is the dragon riders and their dragons who battle the thread attacks and keep Pern safe from the threat. There have not been any signs of thread for hundreds of years however, and dragon riders have become an anachronism.

The story begins with two prominent dragon riders searching Holds, or different settlements, for young women. A queen egg has been laid and a new Weyrwoman, the female leader of the dragons, must be found to bong with the new queen dragon. They eventually find a young woman pretending to be an old drudge named Lessa, and after dealing the fascist invader controlling their land, the pair take Lessa to their Weyr, the place dragons and dragon riders live. She of course impresses the new dragon queen and so the story begins.

The author paints Lessa as a strong sort of heroine, but in my opinion she spent more time whining and being loudly indignant, which may be considered strength to some, than actually displaying any real strength of character. Her relationship with F'lar, her love interest, was more like that of a defiant child and her disciplinarian. I know this is aimed at teens and they're supposed to be all angsty and everything, but why does romance have to be about a woman defying a man's power over her? There were some other misogynistic messages in the book besides the romance roles which were also somewhat tedious to read through. Then again this was published in the late 60's and that might have been a more popular topic at the time and more widely accepted, or even revolutionary. Remember, this is a science fiction after all. F'lar also displays an exaggerated machismo that almost seems too pig headed to be taken seriously at times. His relationship with Lessa is borderline abusive, which can sometimes be mistaken for romance in romance books directed towards women for some reason. Maybe because of the adrenaline rush caused by the fear that that could happen to you. I really don't know. But there is a lot of yelling and shaking on his part whenever he deals with Lessa as he tried to subdue her. Just something to watch out for.

*Spoiler* If you have yet to read the book don't read this because it will lessen the experience for you. I do have an issue with the time travel aspect of the plot. I like the idea and it was an ingenious plot twist... but the way the author went about incorporating it into the plot doesn't really make sense. Lessa goes back in time to ensure that certain events take place and that just doesn't sit right with me. The idea of traveling back in time goes as follows; a person travels to a point in time that has already occurred. Pretty simple on the surface. The problem in mcCaffery's case is that the past in her story is based on the fact that Lessa discovered that she was supposed to go back in time and change things. So there is no original history that Lessa goes back to change. She gives herself clues in the past that tell her she has to go back in time, which the people there follow because she tells them about the future. The idea of her going back in time might be able to work out... except that the reason she decides to go back isn't because of an organic idea she had based on her evaluating the present and deciding that to save the present she must go back, she comes to the decision to go back in time because of a clue she leaves herself. Even this would be alright if an original, untouched-by-time-travel history is presented, but there isn't one. Despite this flaw I did enjoy the idea, and if it was worked out a bit better it would have been really cool. It was good regardless, but I enjoyed it less because it was illogical. *Spoiler*

Aside from the characters, the plot was actually really well done. It was fast paced, but the author took the time to set up a nice flow. It is definitely a page turner. If you are a fan of fantasy or of dragon lore you will probably enjoy the world McCaffery has created here. It is filled with McCaffery's own lore, which is quite interesting. And if you are a sci fi fan, well there's some time travel in there as well as a bit of outer-worldly threat. Despite it's faults I suggest you pick up this book and give it a go. Aside from the fact that it's a decent read, it's been around long enough to have influenced a lot of today's fantasy/ sci fi writers. Though a bit dry at times, it's a quick read worth the time invested.

The Pagemaster (1994)

For me this is one of those films that every time it's suggested as a film to view I don't initially want to watch because I think it will be cheesy but then end up enjoying a lot.

The story is about a very cautious young boy who is afraid of just about everything he comes in contact with. His father, who wants both to spend some time with his son and help him get over his fear, is building him a tree house. His dad sends him out to buy more nails for said tree house, but Richard (the boy) gets caught in the middle of a rain storm on the way and runs into the nearest building for shelter, and this building happens to be a library. When he enters the library he is bombarded by a very passionate librarian who is more than willing to help him find any number of stories, but Richard is just looking for a telephone and goes on his way to find it. As he is walking through the stacks he comes across a huge mural on the ceiling of a rotunda. As he's admiring this mural the paint starts to melt off the ceiling and drop onto the floor, turning everything it touches into a cartoon. Richard of course runs away and this paint chases him until both he and the entire library have been turned into a cartoon. He meets up with three books, Adventure, Fantasy, and Horror, and with their help, face three challenges (found within some classic books from each genre) as they make their way to the exit sign.

This plot of this movie sounds so cheesy, like one of those direct to film movies designed to make a quick buck, but instead it's one of those hidden gems that encourage imagination and self- confidence. Christopher Lloyd plays the librarian as well as The Pagemaster, and I think he was one of the best actors for the job. He speaks with a mixture of both a hushed and an explosive passion that could make you see the magic in a wet dish towel and draws you in so completely to the plot. It inspires both reading and imagination and  is a fast paced adventure, to be enjoyed by young and old.

The Enchanted Forest Chronicle: Boxed Set by Patricia C. Wrede

This is about a princess who's captured by a dragon, and then chooses to stay with the dragon rather than wait to get rescued by a prince. In fact when a prince comes to rescue her in the first book she turns him away, all of them. The series follows the pattern of a typical 'princess story' and the princess is put in a bunch of stereotypical princess situations, but then she defies the stereotype and takes charge of her own life and makes things happen for herself. Basically she beats up her own bad guys, with her brain. there are boys in the series, but she isn't waiting for them to save the day, she takes them along for the ride. The dragon who kidnapped her ends up being one of her good friends.
 
It's a fun series I really enjoyed in elementary school, but it an appropriate read for anyone interested in the plot (as are all stories... age ranges close your mind). A light fun read, I recommend.