Book Review: Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Wenzheng Yu
President Lincoln by Matthew Albanese
Pride and Prejudice by Matthew Albanese
AMC’s The Walking Dead season finale: Beside the Dying Fire by Matthew Albanese
Video Game Awards by Christian Donnell
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Book Review: Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
By Wenzheng Yu
Recently, I read a book titled TheImmortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, which details the discovery of immortality in cells of an African American woman named Henrietta Lacks and the impact this discovery had on her family, the scientific community, and the world. It is a fascinating book that deserves to be enjoyed by everyone.
One aspect of the book that I found shocking was that it exposed the ethics of medical research back in the 1900s. Before the 1970s, no informed consent was necessary from the patients for doctors to use the patients’ cells to research. In the case of the HeLa cells, no one in Henrietta Lacks’ family found out that the cells of Henrietta were the center of intense research for some twenty years. They just assumed that the cells were only extracted for routine testing. When the family members eventually uncovered the usefulness and uniqueness of Henrietta’s cells, they felt cheated as they did not gain any of the profits from the researcher’s work. The fact that the HeLa cells were taken without the family members’ permission caused quite a bit of controversy and emotional stress within the family. The reader is compelled to sympathize with the family’s distress upon discovering the story behind the HeLa cells.
Moreover, it was interesting to realize that a string of DNA at the end of each chromosome known as a telomere limits the number of times the cell can divide by shortening each time the cell does so. With the HeLa cells, an enzyme telomerase rebuilds the telomeres; therefore, the cells can divide indefinitely. This was central to the immortality of the HeLa cells. It is amazing how this scientific breakthrough changed the face of the medicine and enabled researchers to make enormous progress in their cancer research. With that in mind, I recommend everyone to read TheImmortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and experience the beauty and drama of scientific discovery as well as its remarkable impact on mankind.
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President Lincoln
By Matthew Albanese
Published in 2010, Seth Grahame-Smith’s fictionalized biography of 16th President Abraham Lincoln is a wonderful novel. Seth wonderfully bridges the historical aspects of Lincoln’s life and mends them to fit into his reality where vampires walk amongst humans. Oh by the way, in the novel most vampires have become tolerant of exposure to the sun, so they do indeed walk among us, a nice break from the regular vampire tales, but also used in another vampire series…although this tale is FAR better and sophisticated than Twilight will ever be. Sorry team Jacob and team Edward, but team Abe will school the both of you. Abe’s mother is given a large amount of vampire blood, because his father Thomas Lincoln could not repay a debt he owed to a vampire. In his rage and fury young Abe lures the vampire back to his father’s home and kills him with a homemade steak. His father, all the while, is clearly nervous of the consequences of killing the vampire, to which responds “…Then we shall kill them as well”.
This novel also is the FIRST one that I have read that made me feel nauseated – I am a bit embarrassed to say. There is a scene in particular which describes the murder of Abe’s grandfather at the hands of a vampire that gave me sickening visions, I am unsure if it was the writing of Seth that caused that reaction, or purely my own mind making images far worse than they appear. It is probably me but I digress. Abe leaves his home to find more vampires to kill and is almost himself killed by one until saved by a “good” vampire named Henry. Henry nurses Lincoln back to health and gives him background information on vampires and tells him about the good vampires and the evil vampires. After gaining each other’s trust, Henry gives Abe the names of evil vampire, whom he hunts down and kills. I won’t go into the remainder of the novel for I feel that to give any more of the story away would ruin the experience for any potential readers.
Honest Abe’s secret life as a vampire hunter is an interesting and well written novel, and out of a possible 10 points I must give it a score of 8. I highly recommend this novel: Anyone who enjoys a good read will certainly enjoy Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter ________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Pride and Prejudice
By Matthew Albanese
Another novel by author Seth Grahame-Smith that features the undead and blends it with classics from the past (in this case Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice), P&P&Z contains all the characters from Austen’s novel, but gives their backgrounds slight twists to meet the Zombie apocalypse that has been plaguing the United Kingdom for the past years. For example: All of the Bennett girls have been trained in martial arts by Shaolin monks in China; Mr. Darcy is a part- time nobleman and part-time zombie slayer, with either a musket or sword. While the background has changed, the characters still deal with the issues that Austen had created; it’s just mixed in with Dawn of the Dead. By the way, if anyone from HBO is reading this, if you’d like to regain some pride after letting The Walking Dead out of your grasp, you could always turn this into a miniseries. Think The Tudors meets the Walking Dead.
Grahame-Smith does a wonderful job of taking Jane Austen’s novel and making it more entertaining, and (forgive me English teachers of the world)readable. I know Austen’s novel is a classic of English literature. It has never appealed to me. Although it may appear childish at times, the addition of something like Zombies, or vampires, or aliens to something classical can be seen as an affront, I see it as adapting it for a new audience. There are thousands of people who love zombie tales, and most of them have probably never read or even heard of Pride and Prejudice. But they should! And thanks to Smith, they have that ability.
Author’s note: I have enjoyed both of the novels I have quickly reviewed. And other people have as well, and this summer, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter’s film adaptation is to be released under the guidance of director Timur Bekmambetov who is known for Wanted, 9, Apollo 18 and Darkest Hour. But that isn’t what got me excited. What got my blood pumping into this was that it is being produced by Tim Burton. P&P&Z is also rumored to be in production, with early reports of Natalie Portman in a starring role, but she has since left the project and it appears to be in limbo.
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AMC’s The Walking Dead season finale: Beside the Dying Fire
(Warning, there are spoilers ahead!)
By Matthew Albanese
The season finale begins, ironically at the first episode of series. The same helicopter that Rick Grimes saw when he entered Atlanta was spotted by a large crowd of zombies, and they all shamble their way after it. Their trek out of Atlanta gathers more walkers, eventually numbering in the hundreds as they make their way through the woods, and then there’s a gunshot. The gunshot causes the walkers to change direction and begin walking their way over to Rick and Carl. It should also be noted that it was Carl’s killing the recently reanimated Shane that attracted these roaming corpses.
Hundreds of zombies descend upon Hershel’s farm. The group comes up with a brave, but foolish plan of getting in their cars and circling around the zombies, killing as many as they can to protect the farm. They do rack up an impressive number of kills, I would say around 70 – with 20 of those belonging to Hershel who stands defiantly in front of his home, wielding a shotgun that he only reloads twice. During that last time we see a walker coming from behind Hershel, only to have its brain blasted out by Rick. Rick and Carl had run into the barn to trap the zombies inside, and proceeded to light the walkers and the barn on fire. Jimmy, another survivor, brings over Dale’s RV to help Carl and Rick escape the burning barn. Sadly, Jimmy is surrounded and the walkers break down the door and swarm him. Rick passes the bloodstained windshield and sees it is too late for Jimmy. Lori leads the other women out of the house, after temporarily giving up her search for Carl. (Oh! yeah Carl snuck out of the house to go looking for his dad and Shane. Darn kids.) Sadly, Patricia, while running with Beth, is subdued by a walker who rips into her neck, and attracts more who devour her alive.
Andrea jumps out of the vehicle to try and save Carol. She does so but is surprised by a walker. She shoots it but it lands on top of her. Carol runs away and the others must leave as the truck is getting swarmed. Daryl saves Carol on his motorcycle, and Maggie and Glen escape in Shane’s SUV. Hershel looks back at his home, which he declared “he would die at” in utter sadness. His whole life is gone up in smoke, literally. The barn is fully engulfed in flames and collapses as walkers continue to walk across his land in pursuit. Scott Wilson’s acting in that scene alone is truly moving; the audience can feel his pain. Let’s not forget, his wife, step son, close friend, friend’s wife, and daughter’s boyfriend have all died in the last few weeks – the last two in the span of an hour, and now his childhood home and livelihood are gone forever.
Eventually the group reunites on the highway they were stuck on in the beginning of the season, only this time they are weaker. They continue on their way to finding shelter and eventually make camp. While there, Daryl announces that Randall died and reanimated as a walker, but he had no bites. Rick declares to the group “We’re all infected” and tells them that Doctor Jenner, at the CDC had whispered that into his ear before the building exploded. However, he explains that he didn’t believe him. (After all Jenner was a little crazy.) Having witnessed Shane come back after dying of a stabbing, and now hearing about Randall, Rick now accepts that Jenner was right. The others are mad at Rick for keeping it a secret, but Rick leaves them to think for a few moments, then he explains to Lori how he killed Shane, saying he gave him no choice, and that in the end “He wanted him dead”. Meanwhile, Andrea is running through the Georgia woods, walkers in pursuit, and running low on ammo. When all seems lost, the walker’s head is removed and we see a hooded woman, wielding a katana, and holding two armless, jawless walkers on chains. It is Meshawn, a long awaited fan favorite from the graphic novels.
Back at the camp, Rick and the group begin talking, some becoming scared about being out in the middle of the woods. Rick has had enough, he tells the group that he didn’t want to be in charge, he never asked for it. They all just looked to him for leadership. “I killed my best friend for you people” he says to them and they look on in horror. “Maybe you people are better off without me,” Rick continues, encouraging them to leave: “I say there’s a place for us, but maybe it’s another pipe dream.” The others stare back in stunned silence. When nobody speaks up Rick issues his final warning; “If you’re staying, this isn’t a democracy any more.” And so Rick’s dictatorship, or as we fans now call it the “Ricktatorship,” begins. The camera then peels back and the show’s theme plays, this time with more intensity and reveals a structure in the distance, high walls, watchtowers. It is a prison – the prison from the graphic novels for which the fans have been waiting .
After thoughts: Well, first of all, this was a great episode to end an even greater season. All the people who complained about a lack of walkers can shut up now. There were literally hundreds of extras in this episode. Also, the acting was awesome, as usual. It also answers questions that I personally had in Season One. For example, the helicopter that Rick saw, they were quick to never bring it up again, but there indeed was a helicopter flying around Atlanta. Is it military or somebody else? We don’t know yet and we’re going to have to watch Season Three in October. Season Two was great, it took its own path, which included killing off some characters. Shane was not one of the surprising deaths. He was supposed to die a while ago, according to the graphic novels, and he was a bad guy. So no tears for Shane. We had Sofia, and Dale, two beloved members of the group. Sofia is still alive, and Dale died much later than when fans would of liked. Dale was sadly killed off for political reasons. Jeffery DeMunn is a long-time friend of former show runner, Frank Darabont, who was fired before Season Two aired. DeMunn was not happy about this, so he and Jon Bernthal( Shane ) were definitely going to die in this season. Of course it’s sad to see them go, but both their deaths propel the show foreword and bring the promise of new characters from the comics being introduced. I happily look forward to Season Three, for two reasons: the Governor! ( evil comic book character, great backstory) and the Prison! (one of the best moments so far in the comic book ). So, let’s hope everything goes well when production begins in May, and come this October we can all tune in to AMC for another great season of The Walking Dead.
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Video Game Awards
By Christian Donnell
The Video Game Awards on December 10, 2011 made a lot of good choices for nominees, but some runners up didn’t get enough credit. The Game of the Year winner was The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. I wouldn’t know if it deserved it because I’ve never played it, but I’ve heard it is an excellent game. Skyrim must be the best if it is better than Uncharted 3, Portal 2, Arkham City, and Skyward Sword. Skyrim also went on to win the Best RPG award, beating Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Dark Souls, and Dragon Age II.
Portal 2 was talked about a lot last year and I see why. The game deserved the nomination for Game of the Year but wasn’t good enough to win. The game is excellent, with online co-op and an extensive story mode. The game greatly challenged many with its 3D mind-bending challenges. Portal 2 was nominated for thirteen awards and won five, including Best PC and Best Multiplayer game (beating Battlefield 3 in both categories and beating Modern Warfare 3 in the multiplayer category).
Best Motion and Best Wii game went to The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. For the Wii game category, it didn’t have much competition, only running against Epic Mickey, Kirby: Return to Dreamland, and Lost in Shadow. It was obvious that it would win the category. For the Best Motion category, it had some decent competition, including Child of Eden, Dance Central 2, and The Gunstringer.
Best PS3 Game went to Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. Nominees for the category included inFamous 2, Killzone 3, andLittleBig Planet 2. I believe Arkham City should have been in the running for the category. Best Xbox Game was awarded to Batman: Arkham City. Other nominees were Portal 2, Gears of War 3, and Forza Motorsport 4. Nominees were satisfactory for the Xbox category.
Other winners included Bastion with Best Song in a Game, Best Downloadable Game, and Best Original Score. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 only won Best Shooter, but I’m sure that fans are satisfied that it beat Battlefield 3. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception won the Best PS3 and Best Graphics awards. Batman: Arkham City was the winner in Best Xbox, Best Adapted, Best Action-Adventure, and Character of the Year: The Joker, winning against Wheatley from Portal 2, Marcus Fenix from Gears of War 3, and Nathan Drake from Uncharted 3. Trailer of the Year went to Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, beating Deus Ex, Hitman, Arkham City, Dark Souls, Dead Island, Prey 2, Tomb Raider, Uncharted 3, and even Skyrim. Sadly, Trailer of the Year was the only award that Assassin’s Creed won. Best Handheld/Mobile Game went to Super Mario 3D Land.
Trailers for new games were shown at the awards as well. One of the most anticipated trailers, I believe, is the one for Metal Gear Rising. Other trailers included Hitman: Absolution, Mass Effect 3, Diablo III, Halo 4, and The Last Guardian. I, personally, can’t wait for Metal Gear Rising, which is, I believe, being released either this year or next year. If you disagree with any of the choices for nominees or winners, don’t blame me, I didn’t make the choices; I’m just telling you the choices that others made.
| Winners | Other Nominees | |
| Game of the Year | The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | Batman: ArkhamCity, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Portal 2, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception |
| Character of the Year | The Joker – Batman: ArkhamCity | Nathan Drake – Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, Marcus Fenix – Gears of War 3, Wheatley – Portal 2 |
| Studio of the Year | Bethesda Game Studios | Naughty Dog, Rock Steady, Valve |
| Trailer of the Year | Assassin’s Creed: Revelations | Batman: ArkhamCity, Dark Souls, DeadIsland, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Hitman: Absolution, Prey 2, Tomb Raider, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception |
| Best Xbox 360 Game | Batman: ArkhamCity | Forza Motorsport 4, Gears of War 3, Portal 2 |
| Best PS3 Game | Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception | inFamous 2, Killzone 3, LittleBig Planet 2 |
| Best Wii Game | The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword | Epic Mickey, Kirby: Return to Dreamland, Lost in Shadow |
| Best PC Game | Portal 2 | Battlefield 3, Minecraft, The Witcher 2 |
| Best Handheld/Mobile Game | Super Mario 3D Land | Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, Infinity Blade, Jetpack Joyride |
| Best Shooter | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 | Battlefield 3, Gears of War 3, Rage |
| Best Action-Adventure Game | Batman: ArkhamCity | Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception |
| Best RPG | The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | Dark Souls, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Dragon Age II |
| Best Multiplayer Game | Portal 2 | Battlefield 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Gears of War 3 |
| Best Individual Sport Game | Fight Night Champion | Tiger Woods PGA Golf Tour 12: The Masters, Top Spin 4, Virtua Tennis 4 |
| Best Team Sport Game | NBA 2K12 | FIFA 12, NHL 12, MLB ’11: The Show |
| Best Driving Game | Forza Motorsport 4 | Dirt 3, Driver: San Francisco, Need for Speed: The Run |
| Best Fighting Game | Mortal Kombat | The King of Fighters XIII, Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, WWE All Stars |
| Best Motion Game | The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword | Child of Eden, Dance Central 2, The Gunstringer |
| Best Independent Game | Minecraft | Bastion, Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP, The Binding of Isaac |
| Best Adapted Game | Batman: ArkhamCity | Back to the Future: The Game, Captain America: Super Soldier, Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars |
| Best Song in a Game | “Build That Wall” – Bastion | “Exile Vilify” – Portal 2, “I’m Not Calling You a Liar” – Dragon Age II, “Setting Sail, Coming Home” – Bastion, “Want You Gone” – Portal 2 |
| Best Original Score | Bastion | Batman: ArkhamCity, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Portal 2 |
| Best Graphics | Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception | Batman: Arkham City, LA Noire, Rage |
| Best Performance by a Human Male | Stephen Merchant as Wheatley – Portal 2 | J.K. Simmons as Cave Johnson – Portal 2, Mark Hamill as The Joker -Batman: ArkhamCity, Nolan North as Nathan Drake – Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception |
| Best Performance by a Human Female | Ellen McLain as GLaDOS – Portal 2 | Claudia Black as Chloe Frazer – Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, Emily Rose as Elena Fisher – Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, Tara Strong as Harley Quinn – Batman: ArkhamCity |
| Best Downloadable Game | Bastion | Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, Stacking, Trenched |
| Best DLC | Peer Review – Portal 2 | Old World Blues – Fallout: New Vegas, Arrival – Mass Effect 2, Freddy Krueger – Mortal Kombat |
| NFL Blitz Cover | Ray Rice | Roddy White, Patrick Willis |
| Most Anticipated Game | Mass Effect 3 | Bioshock Infinite, Diablo III, Halo 4, The Last Guardian |
