Self-styled as his “accidental” novel, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is Neil Gaiman’s latest adult-oriented book since the highly acclaimed American Gods. It opens with a nameless man returning to his childhood town for the funeral of a nameless corpse. Afterwards, as one is wont to do when faced with blatant demonstrations of mortality, the narrator goes for a walk. He eventually reaches a farm, behind which is a pond he once knew was an ocean.

This prologue lays the foundation for the novel’s themes: childhood versus adulthood, memory, innocence and its loss, even death. The development of these themes is the best aspect of the story. The young protagonist struggles against a world he cannot yet understand. These struggles take the forms of a parent’s rage, an evil babysitter and hungry creatures with all-consuming mouths. Nudging the protagonist’s childish perspective of events into the bitten apple of maturity is the novel’s backbone.

None of the main characters are bland, but the Hempstock women steal the spotlight. A representation of the tri-goddess maiden-mother-crone, the Hempstocks provide warmth the novel desperately needs. Ocean frequently plays with the thin line of becoming outright dark, and the Hempstocks are the only characters which combat the encroaching horror. .

The plot is simple and reminiscent of a fairytale; it is no stretch to see how Ocean began as a short story that eventually elongated into a novel. The focus is not on what but on how; not on what is happening but on how is it changing the protagonist. This develops an uninteresting protagonist, who spends most of the novel being a passenger and not a driver. But a few times events seem to occur for the sake of creating issues for the protagonist to overcome, or watch others overcome for him.

The writing itself varies. Because of the intimate nature of the novel, Gaiman himself called it his most personal work, and so it is appropriate that the writing is a little rough around the edges. If this tone were consistent, it might be a strength. Amidst this roughness, however, are beautiful passages, and the last few chapters of the novel are better written than the  sections. This makes the novel feel unpolished. Honestly, I have yet to decide if that adds or subtracts to the work.

The juxtaposition of childhood and adulthood are the emotional core of the novel. Ocean wants to remind adults what it was like to have to look up at the world, what it was like to stand in front of a mirror and stare into innocent eyes. The argument made is that these eyes do not fade, but suffer a change into something hard like pearls. There are no adults, not really. Just taller children.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a literary magic act. Smoke covers the real magic, mirrors reflect the audience’s wide-eyes. Don’t trust your eyes. Least of all your memory. Occasionally a curtain falls, the wand is a painted stick. It is not perfect. But it does what every good magic trick should: it creates a feeling of wonder. And makes it possible to believe that maybe, just maybe, a pond can be an ocean.

A baby squirms in a harness attached to a white mage mother, who is holding hands with a black mage father. Lightning and Terra pose for pictures in the lobby. Plush chocobos dangle for sale and action figures line the table. As an intern said, “This isn’t the usual crowd the orchestra gets.” This scene, rote for video game conventions, unfolded as patrons awaited the beginning of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s rendition of Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy.

The show is on an international tour with stops at Argentina, China and France. This second international tour of Distant Worlds was prompted by Final Fantasy’s 25th anniversary, and many songs were given new arrangements. Distant Worlds is a multi-media concert; while the orchestra performs a piece, a giant screen shows cutscenes from the matching game. This plays heavily on emotion and nostalgia for the fans.

Arnie Roth, a long-time conductor of video game and Final Fantasy concerts, helmed the show. Clearly as excited to be conducting as the audience was to be listening, Roth explained the selection of some pieces and shared a few behind-the-scenes anecdotes. While any Final Fantasy fan would hope that a conductor for Distant Worlds is familiar, if not entrenched, in the lore of the games, this is not necessarily a given. Roth proved that not only is he knowledgeable about the series, he may be as much a fan as the audience members who stood to applaud after every single song. He encouraged the audience to sing along, insisted the show start with the famous victory tune and added energy to the show.

The one performer singled out was the singer Susan Calloway, who came on stage for the vocals of select songs. A powerful singer, Calloway proved capable of delivering some demanding vocals. The only fault was the double-edged sword of her powerful voice. On the albums, the songs can be mixed so her voice and the orchestra are heard. Live, Calloway sometimes overpowers the orchestra.

And the orchestra was beautiful. The instruments were pitch perfect and the musicians seemed to be enjoying themselves. The new arrangements are amazing and the only way to listen to “One-Winged Angel” is feeling the strings vibrated in your chest. The show includes the highlights of Final Fantasy’s rich oeuvre of songs: “Zanarkand,” “Aerith’s Theme,” “Terra’s Theme” all get their due.

The only other complaint was the lack of a chorus. Roth encouraged the audience to provide the vocals, but audience participation is always a mixed-bag. But that absence was only an issue for “One-Winged Angel,” which was the encore number, so it was not a prevalent issue. Distant Worlds is an excellent concert that further demonstrates video games are a composite work of art. The music of Final Fantasy has always been a trademark of the franchise, and Distant Worlds is a celebration of the great works of its composers. Fans of Final Fantasy owe it to themselves to hear their favorite songs played by a live orchestra.

Since its founding, Tech has been a predominately science-based institute of learning, and today it is known as one of the leading engineering colleges in the world. But this focus on science and engineering has not stifled creativity in the liberal arts. In fact, there are two professors who would claim the opposite. The Technique recently discussed with these professors how working at Tech and having a background in engineering and sciences informed their creative endeavors.

Dr. Cressler is an Electrical and Computer Engineer professor. His first novel, Emeralds of the Alhambra, will be released June 15. There will be a signing at the Georgia Tech Barnes and Noble on June 25 at 6:30 pm.

Can you briefly explain what your novel is about?

Emeralds is set in the resplendent Alhambra Palace, in Granada, Spain, during the Castilian Civil War (1367-1369), a time when, remarkably, Muslims took up their swords to fight alongside Christians. The story centers on the relationship between William Chandon, a wounded Christian knight brought to Granada, and the Sufi Muslim princess, Layla al-Khatib.

How long have you been working on this novel?

I started in the fall of 2009 on Emeralds, and spent almost nine months on background research before laying pen to paper. The credenza in my office at home where I write is lined with over ten feet of references on all things al-Andalus which I digested… I finished the book in September of 2012.

Why make this story into a trilogy?

[This is] a remarkable period of cultural and intellectual enlightenment smack in the middle of the European “Dark Ages.” This period is also the pinnacle of convivencia (coexistence), the time when Muslims, Jews and Christians lived together in harmony. I also tell the story of how it all began to unravel. So Anthems of al-Andalus is not a trilogy in the traditional sense, with one book following the next chronologically…There will, however, be a linkage between all three books, so don’t despair!

How does Emeralds of the Alhambra, a historical novel set in 14th century Spain, relate to contemporary America?

As all would agree, our modern world is stained with the blood of religious conflict and fanaticism, and yet we managed to forget that for hundreds of years in medieval Spain, Christians, Muslims and Jews found a way to live together in relative peace, sharing languages and customs, whispering words of love across religious boundaries, embracing a level of mutual acceptance and respect unimaginable today…Our world aches for a future graced with tolerance and peace.

Is your work relevant to the students and staff at Tech?

YES! Emeralds is relevant to everyone, young or old, male or female, people of all cultures, people of all religions. Sound bold? Well, I think 99.9% of people would agree that a more peaceful planet would be an excellent thing. While the triggers for human conflict is inevitably complicated, one thing is certain – religious conflict is inked all over the historical record, and since 9/11 especially, religious conflict has been at the forefront of this conversation. Emeralds…speaks to two fundamental ideas: 1) peaceful coexistence is demonstrably possible between religions, and 2) Love has the power to transform the human heart and thereby cross cultural and religious boundaries in many beautiful ways. These are the BIG themes that most interest me.

“Emeralds is relevant to everyone, young or old, male or female, people of all cultures, people of all religions. Sound bold?”

How has your experience in a scientific field shaped your creative work?

I am very much a detail person, so the facts and figures and dates and people of history have always been easy for me to manage. History is my second love. This is an epic story, so being able to balance multiple intricate plot threads with a large cast of characters was important. I think my scientific background and sensibilities helped me in my description of the magical art and architecture of the Alhambra Palace.

Dr. Ludovice is a Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering professor. He wrote his stand-up act “Feel the Power of the Dork Side” and will be performing it June 5-9 at the 2013 Atlanta Fringe Festival.

How long have you been doing stand-up?

I started doing stand-up in January 2004, when I went to a comedy open mic at the Funny Farm Comedy Club in Roswell, GA. I later worked there as an occasional opener, and then did some feature and headliner work on the road in the southeast.

Do you find science to be an untapped topic for comedy?

It is not a mainstream topic, but it is hardly untapped. I joined a large number of Georgia Tech personnel at the U.S.A. Science & Engineering Festival in Washington DC in spring of 2012, and did four humorous presentations on science and engineering including topics such as statistics, chemical engineering, polymer science and the role of humor in the classroom.

Why do you think science is largely unused as a topic for stand-up?

While it is not unused, its use is certainly limited. The reason for its lack of popularity is a double-edged sword. People find science complicated and un-interesting so it is not a good topic for jokes. The best topic for jokes is one that everyone can relate to. Ironically, the very reason most people can’t relate to science…is that we have done little to popularize it. Once we popularize it, many scientists get angry because they see this as dumbing it down.

“For me, no science or engineering topic is off limits. I do jokes about differential equations, eigenvectors, polymer science and statistical mechanics.”

What are some of the scientific concepts you use in your show?

For me, no science or engineering topic is off limits. I do jokes about differential equations, eigenvectors, polymer science and statistical mechanics. However, I do vary the approach depending on the audience…For audiences at Georgia Tech and MIT I actually analyze some real data on pet preferences to explain “Dog People” vs. “Cat People”. While I may not go into that level of detail for a general audience, I always explain how eharmony.com uses this mathematical technique to match you with your perfect mate. It results in some funny jokes about how the nerd you would never date in H.S. is now in charge of your love-life.

Is your work relevant to the students and staff at Tech?

Yes, I think the Georgia Tech community enjoys someone who pokes a bit of fun at fellow nerds and life on a college campus. The staff likes when I make jokes about parking, and I use some of my jokes to keep my students awake during 8am classes. My nearly decade of work in comedy has taught me that comedians are smarter than most people think, and nerds are funnier than most people think.

How has your experience in a scientific field shaped your creative work?

It has only helped by providing material and perspective for my creative work. Additionally, my creative work has shown me how humor can be used as creative energy to produce innovative technical solutions…By using humorous situations, I believe we can improve technical education at Georgia Tech…In addition to making the excercise a bit lighter, it also makes [students] less afraid of drawing conclusions from the analysis. Students are often afraid their conclusion will be criticized by the instructor, who they see as an expert in the field. However, they don’t see the instructor as an expert on a separate set of humorous data, and this makes them less afraid of making a conclusion.

DramaTech is about to perform their first full play of 2013, after the quake. The show was adapted to the stage by Frank Galati from a collection of short stories by Haruki Murakami. The play will run Feb. 22-23, Feb. 27-28, and March 1-2; all shows are at 8 p.m.. The Technique recently had the chance to discuss the upcoming show with its director, Melissa Foulger.

What is your background in theater?

I started doing theatre on the hearth of my grandparents’ fireplace at the age of three. From then on, I was hooked. I did my first acting performance in a play in third grade. I was a witch in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. From there, I did theatre throughout high school and then received a BA in Theatre at The George Washington University and an MFA from The University of Memphis. I’ve worked professionally as a stage manager and director both in Washington, DC, Memphis and Atlanta. I currently direct plays around the Atlanta area at professional theatres such as Actor’s Express and the Aurora Theatre in addition to my responsibilities as Artistic Director at DramaTech. I also teach many of the theatre classes through the School of Literature, Media and Communication.

Why choose the play after the quake?

“This play takes an already theatrical novelist and short story author and heightens that even further.”

I have always loved the writing of Haruki Murakami. This play takes an already theatrical novelist and short story author and heightens that even further through the handiwork of Frank Galati, who is known for this narrative style of theatre. I shared this work with Rebecca Rouse who is a Ph.D. candidate in Digital Media and is working specifically with ways to integrate new technology on stage. We decided together that this would be a great show in which to try some new technology.

Because the original work, from which the play is adapted, is by noted Japanese author Haruki Murakami and is set in Japan, were there any cultural boundaries you had to hurtle?

Our biggest issues were trying to make sure we were following Japanese customs and pronouncing the Japanese words right. While these are mostly names and locations, we believe we are as close as we can get.

What is special or different about this production of the play?

This production has two elements of new technology. The first is a suit lined with electroluminescent wire that turns on and off when a certain actor changes between the character of Narrator and Frog. The second is a responsive projection of an expressive line that is controlled by the character of Junpei. Much like a digital puppet, the line comes to life to personify the tension in the story of “Superfrog saves Tokyo.” This is the first time that DramaTech has had the opportunity to work with this kind of technology in a production and it is very exciting for us.

“I am very excited about the use of technology in the production.”

What are you most excited about with this production?

I am very excited about the use of technology in the production, but, more importantly, I am excited to present another quality performance for the Tech community. In addition, we’ve put together a symposium called Performing Technology which will focus on some of the ways cutting edge technology is being used in performance. That event is on February 28 at 2p.m. at DramaTech and brings together researchers from across campus working in this area.

Anything else you would like to add?

DramaTech has a great remainder to its season. We hope everyone will come to our production of after the quake and that they then come back to see our musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying in April and The 39 Steps in July.

Brian K. Vaughan returned to comics early last year to start a brand new series at Image Comics entitled Saga, with all artistic duties falling to Fiona Staples. The premise is fairly simple: a Romeo & Juliet plot mixed with war, magic and science fiction. A planet and its moon are at war with each other. Marko, a man from the moon and whose race is proficient with magic, and Alana, a woman from the planet and whose race wields advanced technology, fall in love while he is being held prisoner. In the first issue, taking place after they run off together, their baby is born. Both of their governments want their romance and child to remain secret, namely by killing them. So the story is this family of three attempting to survive war, bounty hunters, ghosts, robots and whatever Vaughan decides to throw at them.

The premise is fairly simple: a Romeo & Juliet plot mixed with war, magic and science fiction.

Saga, Volume One collects issues one through six, which is the first complete arc of what promises to be an epic, universe-spanning story worthy of its title. The newborn baby narrates the events from an unspecified time in the future, meaning it is safe to assume that the baby makes it. The fate of everyone else, on the other hand, is entirely unclear, and Vaughan’s track record bodes ill for his characters. The baby’s narration floats caption-free around the panels like a playful spirit bouncing on stage as the actors perform. The narration is never in the way and often interacts with the panels like an artistic element, being used in novel ways such as connecting characters together or wrapping around a planet hanging in space.

Each character is lovingly crafted. It is impressive how alive and human they feel considering only one, a bounty hunter, looks like a normal human being. Speaking of, the character designs are fantastic; Staples consistently creates simple yet powerful looks for all the cast. Not all of them are amazing, but the majority is. And then there are those like The Stalk, who might be perfect.

Part of the allure of Saga is that Staples has planned to create every aspect of the art on every issue, however long that may be. Environments, body language, facial expressions- she nails them all. She takes Vaughan’s scripts and spins gold from them.

And those scripts are not drivel either; through them, Vaughan proves once again that he is one of the best writers in the industry. Some of his past works like Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina and his stint on Runaways are a few of the best stories in comic books, but Saga is arguably his best to date. The dialogue flows and is distinctive with each character, the myriad plots parallel and contrast with each other and it is easy to connect on some level with every character, including the ones attempting to kill the central figures. It is a crazy story filled with things weird and strange that cause every page to deliver fresh surprises. But at its heart this is simply a tale of a family struggling to survive. One page will depict a quiet moment between a first time mother and father bonding over their mutual love for their newborn child, and in the next, a giant turtle will be taking down spaceships by shooting it with eye lasers.

A word of caution is necessary regarding the mature content. Saga does not refrain from violence, sex, drugs, or gore. The first issue alone depicts the baby’s birth on a table, two robots having sex and guts flying everywhere. And issue four involves a planet called Sextillion. Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like: an entire planet that is a brothel. But nothing is crass or done for shock value. Instead, these harsher elements are key to creating tension. This is not a kind universe, and terrible people, who are willing to do whatever is necessary for their own personal gains, call it home.

The best aspect of Saga is that it has no clear end in sight.

The first volume closes with a minor twist that succinctly sets the stage for the following arc. At only ten dollars, Saga, Volume One is a must-buy for those who have even a passing interest in comics. A highly imaginative new series, Saga is beautiful both visually and thematically. A tale of family set amidst a war that stretches across the universe, it manages to retain an emotional grounding to an epic scope.

The best aspect of Saga, however, is that it has no clear end in sight. This story can continue for as long as Vaughan feels it remains relevant. He has reportedly already written the last page of the last issue, so fans are eager to see the story build to that point. Hopefully, that point will not come for a long time.