Post 3: Book 1 Project

Book 1 Project
By Seth Gerus

 For this project, the goal was to extend a fan's ability to interact with the novel, which in my case is Inferno by Dan Brown. To extend the experience Inferno offers, I propose making a video game based off of it. With so many people now playing games on consoles or their phones, I think a well designed game or app based on a bestselling story would sell quickly and produce lots of profit for the producer. Also, the fans would love to be able to play out scenes from the book and explore the book's settings in Florence, Venice, and Istanbul.

 The idea for making a game comes from many different scenes in the book. First off, Inferno has many scenes with action . One such quote can be found in Inferno when the main character, "Langdon pictured the spike-haired woman coldly killing Dr. Marconi ... the soldiers firing on them ... the Italian military police gathering at Porta Romana ... and now a surveillance drone tracking them through the Boboli gardens. He fell silent, rubbing his tired eyes as he considered his options" (Brown 144). This quote shows the action that can be placed in numerous parts of the Inferno game. Second, Inferno has lots of suspense. It's about a symbologist named Robert Langdon, who has appeared in 3 other novels by Dan Brown, trying to stop a virus created by a scientist who thinks that human overpopulation will destroy humanity. The scientist thinks that by "thinning the heard" humanity will survive, even though this will kill billions of people. As you can see, this book is very suspenseful. In the book, his  doctor, Sienna, says "You only said it once, buy I'm positive I understood." 'What did I say?" Sienna glanced up toward the drone and then back at  Langdon. "You said 'I hold the key to finding it ... if I fail, then all is death.'" Langdon could only stare" (Brown 115). Finally, Inferno has many different plot twists. In a well-made video game, there is always a plot twist or a complication to throw the player off. An example of a plot twist can be found when Langdon, who was recently given amnesia when a bullet narrowly missed his skull, is watching a security film to see who stole the death mask of Italian poet Dante Alighieri. However, things change when Langdon "... watched himself on the video as his gloved hand reached out and found the edge of the cabinet door ... and then, ever so gently, pulled back until the antique hinge shifted and the door swung slowly open ... exposing the Dante death mask" (Brown 178). This shows that the book using suspense can enhance the game.


 Overall, I think that this idea will help the fans of Inferno have a longer experience with the book by letting them play through it's scenes. Also, the game will bring Inferno attention because people will want to read the book that the game is based off of. Also, the author may be able to add to the story through downloadable-content to keep the story going even longer. With all that Inferno offers as a book, I think it would make a great video game.

Post 2 What is a Book?

2nd Blog Post: What is a Book?
By Seth Gerus

What is a book? I believe a book is a window, or portal, into whatever the book covers or discusses. When you read a book, its almost like you are seeing deeper the world of the story. If you read a Harry Potter book for example, you can see into J.K. Rowling's world of wizards and magic hidden from regular people. As with any other theme or genre, the book allows you to peer deeper into the setting and theme of the story you read.

While some disagree on whether a book is demerited on whether it is an e-reader or a "normal" book, I think it doesn't matter. As Joe Meno states, "the idea of the book is more important than the actual form it takes- the message, the content being more vital than the medium...". I can agree with him that no matter what form a book takes, it's still a window, allowing you to see into the world of what it covers and that a medium isn't as important as some make it out to be.

Personally, I don't dislike either form of book. The regular book certainly has advantages, like being able to freely annotate and having the feeling of a physical book. But the e-reader is also a fine choice for reading. It allows you to read whenever, read as many books as you please ( as long as
 you have internet connection and money) , and read at night without straining your eyes. As some proclaim that books will soon be phased out by e-readers, I think there will always be a certain demand for the physical book and it's feel.

Post 1 Why I read

 Best Book Post 1
By Seth Gerus
 I read for several different reasons. One is that it has always been kind of an escape for me. With books, I can have a window into a world where I don't constantly have the distractions of school, football, and other monotonous tasks. Instead, I can look into a futuristic dystopia or life in an ancient kingdom.

The second reason I read is that I can picture it very easily, almost like a "TV in my head" as a friend once exclaimed. Going back to my first point, this can provide a kind of escape that can be interesting, suspenseful, or even funny. It all depends on the job the author has done.