Mad Panda

Gen. G - OBC OFFICIAL REVIEW: S.R. Gurney’s Beyond Absolute is a compilation of 46 creative writing ficlets in 6 sections. Each ficlet is only about a page long, with an accompanying picture of nature at the bottom to help stimulate the reader’s mind. In addition, each ficlet ends with a Latin phrase relevant to the topic discussed. There is also an English translation of the Latin phrases included at the back of the book. These ficlets cover a wide range of topics, from the various processes of nature, to love, to the physical world, and to psychological state of mind. However, all of these ficlets have a single theme in common: what is beyond absolute? Put simply, Gurney’s ficlets, for the most part, focus on the inner workings of the mind in between moments of time. For example, I particularly enjoyed “Advocacy or Superiority”, where the narrator’s consciousness is focused on the various scenes around him, such as the little girl crossing the road, rather than on what the narrator is doing. I found this fascinating, as this helped me, personally, to learn to be more aware of the things that happen around me. Moreover, Gurney possesses a good command of language, which allows the reader to fully experience the feelings that he is trying to get across, and this in turn helps to create the optimal atmosphere for the reader’s full immersion. However, the fact that most pieces in Beyond Absolute focus on the same theme acts as a double-edged sword – reading the ficlets one after another gets repetitive after a while due to the same theme being utilised over and over again, only with a few changes. More importantly, although the theme of the book is “beyond absolute”, I do think that Gurney’s inclusion of a short paragraph of his definition(s) of absolute would help much in way of clarification, as his notions of absolute change from ficlet to ficlet. Additionally, the inserted photos and Latin phrases, for me personally, were more jarring rather than an effective tool for the reader’s immersion. Photos of nature are, by nature, rather ambiguous; therefore, when coupled with the ficlet, it does generate a sense of confusion, a feeling of “What am I supposed to feel?” Then again, this could be the author’s aim when including said photos. Also, as the ficlets are generally only a page long, the reader has to constantly flip to the back to look for the English translation of the phrase. It would be easier if the English translation was included on the same page. There are also a couple of grammar and punctuation errors present, but they were minor ones, which did not detract much from the reading flow. The formatting of the novel could also be done in a more professional manner; for example, fonts in the book should be standardised. Therefore, I rate S.R. Gurney’s Beyond Absolute 2 out of 4 stars due to said reasons given above. I would recommend this to people who are interested in exploring the notions of time, psychology, and the inner workings of the mind.

LINA MUELLER OBC REVIEW: 4/4 Anchor by S. R. Gurney is categorized as Sci-Fi/Fantasy, but I don't think that's accurate. "Psychological Fiction" seems to be more appropriate. According to the author, his objective is "to explore the cosmetic cognitions of persona." That's what I call an ambitious goal. How did the author organize the book? Gurney created a simplified structure in which the days of the week are chapters (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday). Evo, Zuri, Enzo, and Dr. Jacques Duboix are the four main characters. The book addresses several topics ranging from homosexuality, sexual addiction, artificial needs, unhappiness at work to even some issues that make the reader question the absurdity of human existence. Gurney hit the nail on the head with his description of inner thoughts and conflicts that may not be resolvable. It is funny how the reader has (at the same time) the impression that the world is very complicated, but that it could be much easier if people exercised empathy. Or if everyone accepted that humanity is imperfect and that there is nothing wrong with that. Dr. Jacques Duboix dialogues are pure gold and my favorite part of the book. People generally have the impression that a "doctor" is someone who holds the absolute truth. The reality is that he is a person like any other, with doubts and failures. The loss of his beloved has left indelible marks, and he is presented as someone who struggles to overcome daily events like any other. Take a look at this passage: Jacques, you are no longer a hero or a villain, or anywhere between within this scale. To consider yourself human is irresponsible. You are the animation of an inanimate tool. You have disguised your humanhood with this lavish apartment of trinkets and memories and dreams, but you are a simple tool, that humans use like a drug to fix themselves from their pain and their uniqueness. They drift to you like a lofting plastic bag, with nothing but fate carrying their sails. I want to help you understand that you are nothing but a program, a code of ethics that you tell yourself, so people can swallow the pill of unreality, and drift back into their imperfect lives, with the idea that they are changed, and that they are new and fixed. When in reality they were fixed already, and that is the reason why you will always be stuck in time, the fragment of yesterday that still lingers like the leaves of autumn in winter." What a brilliant paragraph full of wisdom. On the downside, some passages are too complicated. There are many long hard-to-read sentences, metaphors, and wordy passages. That's a matter of personal taste because I found the author's writing style, poetic and beautiful. Many people will find the book challenging to read, though. "Stylistically absurd to reflect the inaccuracies of typical conversations and memories," Anchor is simultaneously a work of art and an in-depth psychological analysis of the yearnings and fear of individuals in the contemporary world. All in all, Anchor deserves four out of four stars. The book is deep, smart, and thought-provoking. Unfortunately, I'm sure that only a small percentage of the readers will recognize the quality of this gem. While I can understand why other guys would give this book a lower score (complex reading text), that would be unfair. Since I only found four grammatical errors, it's beyond doubt that Anchor is professionally edited. I recommend this to anyone above fourteen who loves psychological stuff. Besides, there is light sexual content in that's why it is inappropriate for anyone younger than 14.