Title Recommendations based on CK Dexter Haven
Lord of the Flies continues to ignite passionate debate with its startling, brutal portrait of human nature. William Golding's compelling story about a group of very ordinary boys marooned on a coral island has been labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, and even a vision of the apocalypse. But above all, it has earned its place as one of the indisputable classics of the twentieth century for readers of any age.
Set in the underwater dystopia of Rapture in the '60's, Bioshock is a first-person shooter with the premise of arming and genetically modifying yourself in order to survive against the maddened anomalies of the city: Splicers, Big Daddies and Little Sisters. Featuring a philosophical narrative, Bioshock takes place during a civil war and questions the player's morality in order to determine the outcome.
Tetris is an electronic game where players arranged puzzle pieces in real time by having them fall faster and faster from the top of the screen.
Along with his Captain James T. Kirk and the rest of his crew, Mr. Spock is in the midst of a five-year mission exploring the final frontier and "boldly going where no man has gone before." Spock's Vulcan heritage leads him to suppress his emotions and let logic lead his life. This is especially helpful in his role as advisor to Captain Kirk, who has a tendency to dive into situations without thinking them through.
Kingdom Hearts is based on various Disney stories, referred to in-game as "Worlds". For example, the World based on Disney's Alice in Wonderland features appearances by Alice, the White Rabbit, and the Queen of Hearts. Interacting with these characters forms part of gameplay, while combating the games enemies, the "Heartless" forms the other. Successful completion of a World is accomplished by defeating a key foe, which is either the primary villain from the Disney story, a unique Heartless of particular strength, or a combination thereof.
Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2D, side-scrolling platformer, whose gameplay centers around Sonic's ability to run at high speed through levels incorporating springs, slopes, high falls, and loop-the-loops. The levels contain hazards in the form of robots ("badniks" in the Western game manuals) in which Dr. Robotnik has trapped animals. The player must avoid rows of sharp spikes, falling into bottomless pits, being crushed by moving walls or platforms, and drowning (which can be avoided by breathing air bubbles periodically released from vents). Sonic's main attack is his spin, where he curls into a ball and rotates rapidly (damaging enemies and some obstacles). This can be performed by jumping in the air or rolling on the ground.
Frodo Baggins knows that they are seeking him and the Ring he bears—the Ring of Power that will enable evil Sauron to destroy all that is good in Middle-earth. Now it is up to Frodo and his faithful servant, Sam, with a small band of companions, to carry the Ring to the one place it can be destroyed: Mount Doom, in the very center of Sauron's realm. Thus begins J.R.R. Tolkien's classic The Lord of the Rings.
Agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. oversees he secretive government agency handles peacekeeping, intelligence gathering, and the "gifted" humans that keep popping up in a world where Iron Man, Thor, and The Hulk are household names. No matter how exotic the locale, most often they were never really there—not officially, anyway.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail loosely follows the legend of King Arthur. Arthur along with his squire, Patsy, recruits his Knights of the Round Table, including Sir Bedevere the Wise, Sir Lancelot the Brave, Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As-Sir-Lancelot and Sir Galahad the Pure. On the way Arthur battles the Black Knight who, despite having had all his limbs chopped off, insists he can still fight. They reach Camelot, but Arthur decides not to enter, as "it is a silly place".
Richard Castle is a mystery novel writer. He got famous and rich for his character Derrick Storm, but after killing off Derrick, Castle has no idea what to do next. Luckily (for him, anyway), he's brought in as a consultant for the NYPD when they discover a series of murders that are seemingly based on his novels. Working that one case with Detective Kate Beckett cures his writer's block entirely, giving him a new spark of inspiration.
Framed in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an amoral warden. During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by the other inmates—including an older prisoner named Red—for his integrity and unquenchable sense of hope.
Gameplay in Fallout centers around the game world, visiting locations and interacting with the local inhabitants. Occasionally, inhabitants will be immersed in dilemmas which the player may choose to solve in order to acquire karma and experience points. Fallout deviates from most role-playing video games in that it often allows for the player to complete tasks in multiple ways, often choosing solutions that are unconventional or even contrary to the original task, in which case the player may still be rewarded. The player's actions may ultimately dictate the ending of the game, or what future story or gameplay opportunities are available.
The essentially bankrupt Charlie Kelly spends most of his time drinking with "The Gang," his group of friends: Frank, Dennis, Dee, and Mac. They are all co-owners of Paddy's Pub, a scummy Philadelphia bar. It's not a very successful business, but at least it's a place for them to hang out and drink for free. Frank, who is old enough to be everyone's father, knows how to plan a good con and often takes the lead role in planning hustles to help them get by financially.
Firefly is set onboard of Malcolm Reynolds's space ship the Serenity, with Hoban "Wash" Washburn and his wife Zoe and six other crew members. The Serenity is a smuggling ship that drifts through the galaxy looking for the jobs that other people can't or won't do. Mal and his crew live a dangerous lifestyle, and it requires laser focus and the expertise of a pilot like Wash to keep them alive.
Victor Hugo's tale of injustice, heroism, and love follows the fortunes of Jean Valjean, an escaped convict determined to put his criminal past behind him, and has been a perennial favorite since it first appeared over 150 years ago. This exciting new translation with Jillian Tamaki's brilliant cover art will be a gift both to readers who have already fallen for its timeless story and to new readers discovering it for the first time.
