Category: High Castle

Review: PKD’s Unfinished Sequel to TMITHC

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PKD's Unfinished Sequel

I finally had a chance to read the two mysterious chapters of a scrubbed sequel to PKD’s The Man in the High Castle. I finished them a few days weeks ago, but their mark has yet to fade from the recesses of my mind. While I understand why he never finished it, I wish there was more. 

The chapters were accompanied by an essay and a fictional blurb about Hawthorn Abendsen.

Table of Contents

Naziism and The High Castle (1964) is an eye opener into the mind of PKD. He asks pointed questions about human nature and discusses Nationalism—no one is immune from falling into it. The essay reminds me of a quote ages ago when Season 2 of High Castle had just aired:

I think we have is to humanize Nazis. If you indulge the fantasy that they were not human, then nothing is learned. This is human beings that did this. It is only humans that are capable of inhumanity.

Rufus Sewell on portraying his character, John Smith (2016). 

Reading it (and the subsequent chapters) made certain aspects of the show much more clear to me. I wish I could properly put into words how it has effected me, but I can’t seem to figure it out. 

The chapters are well worth a read to anyone who is interested and is a fan of TMITHC.

Mild Spoilers Ahead!

Unlike the novel, which focuses on the Pacific States and Neutral Zone, the chapters follow Hermann Göring and Rudolph Wegener (Rudy!). 

Göring’s chapter introduces us to the Die Nebenwelt. He is skeptical of it, disinclined to believe anything—anything can be forged, right? It was interesting to follow it from his perspective, as vile as it may be. He’s not the obsessed psychopath Himmler was in the show; they (and he) took a more cautious approach to everything.  

Rudy’s chapter involves him being taken to Heydrich who sort of strong-arms him to get close to Die Nebenwelt and spy for him (I have no doubt in my mind that the scene where Heydrich sends him to assassinate Hitler came from this chapter). 

As I said before, I wish there were more!

5/5 Stars

2021 Grasshopper Awards

Posted on by in Grasshopper Nation, High Castle

Hello everyone! I know it’s been about six months since I’ve posted here, and I am going to blame it on the prolonged-neverending-braintomush-pandemic because…well, it’s true! But this post isn’t about me ranting into the void; it’s about the annual grasshopper awards! Grab your popcorn and get ready for my favorites of 2021; I’ve added a few categories!

2021 Grasshopper Awards
2021 Grasshopper Awards

Best Discovery of 2021

This goes to a YouTuber I stumbled across who has provided me hours of vivid storytelling. He’s my go-to Thing In The Background As I Draw. If you like the strange, dark & mysterious, MrBallen has you covered. 

Thank you for keeping me company while I sketch, draw, and paint, MrBallen! 

Best Discovery of 2021: MrBallen YouTube Channel
Best Discovery of 2021: MrBallen YouTube Channel

Best Show of 2021

This award goes to my favorite show that aired this year (we all know what my all-time favorite is!). 

The Expanse. 

Admiral Suaveterre from The Expanse
Chrisjen_Avasarala
Bobbie Draper: The Expanse
MCRN Donnager: The Expanse

Season 5 (and now 6) keeps me on the edge of my seat, and if you follow me on various platforms–or have seen me in real life–chances are you know of a certain, growing obsession of the Mars variety. I love everything about this show except for the fact that we get fewer episodes this final season. I’ve talked about The Expanse before, so without further adieu, thank you to the cast & crew for hours of entertainment and sparking my imagination! 

BestShow of 2021: The Expanse
BestShow of 2021: The Expanse

Best Movie of 2021

This one goes to 1917 (with a huge thanks to Delta over the summer, lol! I take full advantage of catching up on films when I fly). This one did not disappoint. It is a thrilling ride from the moment it starts. The way it was filmed–a continuous shot–is part of what makes this movie so gripping. If you are a history buff or have an interest in WWI, 1917 is a must see. 

Best Movie of 2021: 1917
Best Movie of 2021: 1917

Best Wardrobe Find of 2021

As I mentioned earlier, The Expanse awakened a certain, dusty red obsession in me. I found this shirt when looking for something else, and I had to by it. I mean look at it. It captures everything badass about Mars and how much I want to go there. 

Summer 2021 in my Martian shirt
Martian Society TShirt
Everyday Astronaut's fun moon sample style packaging

Thank you to Everyday Astronaut for the hard work you do to bring us your live streams and videos. I’ve worn this shirt more times than I can count. 

Best Wardrobe Find 2021: Everyday Astronaut
Best Wardrobe Find 2021: Everyday Astronaut

Best Vintage Find of 2021

I’ll give you a moment to guess. It feels like eons since I bought the winner of this award, but it was, indeed, in 2021. 

Purses from the set of Man in the High Castle
Purses from the set of Man in the High Castle
Purses from the set of Man in the High Castle
Purses from the set of Man in the High Castle

…Time’s up! This one goes to the beautiful purses from the set of Man in the High Castle I got early in the year. 

Best Vintage Find of 2021: High Castle Purses
Best Vintage Find of 2021: High Castle Purses

Best of the Best 2021

This is for everyone who kept me company, laughed with me, or made me smile—both in person and online.

Thank you for making the pandemic a bit easier to handle. 

Best of the Best in 2021: You!
Best of the Best in 2021: You!

*There is no Best Book category this year as I have yet to finish reading any of the multitude of books I started.

Join the Resistance!

Posted on by in Grasshopper Nation, High Castle

It is finally here, and I am thrilled to own one of the Man in the High Castle promo packages from 2017 at long last!

Resistance Radio Promo from 2017
Resistance Radio Promo: Inside the paper record player

I remember when everyone was posting their photos of it on Twitter, and though I knew there was a 0% chance that I’d be surprised by one in the mail, I still checked every single day in hopes of mysteriously finding one inside my mailbox. In my, oh so fan, defense, they had my mailing address already. I won a signed promo poster for Season 2.

I’ve mentioned how much I wanted one before (and let’s just say how much = A. LOT. A hell of a lot.), and I still cannot believe I was able to get my hands on one. Yes, I really have longed for one over the past four years. 

I’m still blown away by the creativity behind it. It was such a clever way to slip Resistance Radio inside a fictitious GNR songbook, immersing you into the world of Philip K. Dick. It honestly feels like a traveler from their universe brought it to ours!

Let’s dive into the closeups
  • Record sleeve: On the surface it looks like it’s GNR propaganda…
  • Back of the record sleeve
  • Promo Package Record: Side A
    The Resistance slipped something inside!
  • Promo Package Record: Side B
    Yes, this is a real, playable 45.
  • The paper record player and needle
  • Back of the paper record player
  • Resistance Radio Promo from 2017
    Resistance Radio Promo: Inside the paper record player

Mine did not come with the fold-able leaflet with the convention details on it or the original box (you’ll see photos of them in the link below). I haven’t used the paper record player (I am terrified of damaging the record with the needle, ha ha!). I am looking at used record players as I write this.

As I poked around the Internet, reminiscing, I stumbled about on great blog post by Christy Dena. She gives a full (and detailed!) account of receiving hers, trying to play the record, and finding references to Resistance Radio in season 2. 

Welcome to 2021!

Posted on by in High Castle, News

I updated the look of a few things and hid some Easter eggs in Club High Castle for everyone 😉 Expect more Easter eggs and things in the future! http://blog.mlcartthings.me/ #HighCastle
– Originally tweeted by Ms. Luna (@MishiWan) on January 1, 2021.

Let’s dive right in, shall we? My one goal for 2020 was to start writing again, and considering I could barely force a sentence out between 2018 and 2019, mission accomplished. It took me a few months to write more than just a few words, but I did it! Next step is to actually finish a novel. 

2021 goals

Drawing – 2020 put a damper on my art. Ask me one year ago today how I thought 2020 would go, and COVID-19 was not it. I made 90 posts on Instagram (which means roughly 90 pieces of art) compared to over 200 in 2019. It’s time to change that.

I have some awesome ideas for this year! Grasshoppers, keep your eyes peeled because I have AN EPIC HIGH CASTLE project in the works. 

Work Out – Hear me out! Don’t roll your eyes just yet! I’ll have you know that this is the first time I’ve ever listed this as a goal. I’m not going to kid myself with this one because there is a slim chance I’ll do it, but I want to at least try. Little did I realize that I got 90% of my physical activity done at work …and I type this as I feel like I’m coming down with a cold (physical activity is the last thing I want to do right now). 

WWII French Resistance –  I’ve wanted to get into reenacting for some time, and a friend on Instagram suggested I do the French resistance. This idea is PERFECT for me. It leaves a lot of room for creativity and ingenuity, and besides, I might do a few in a certain, alt world 😉

Homemade armband! More to come.

Finish Alice (or Metropolis) – Now that I’ve finally been able to crack open my creative mind again, I want to finish something. However, writing a story in recent years has become a trip through a proverbial minefield, lest someone rake you through the coals for an excerpt taken out of context (that was part of my problem in 2018 and 2019). You can write all the disclaimers in the world, but it can still happen (and why do we even have to write them now? It used to be a given: Bad things happen in fiction, and we know the author obviously doesn’t support them.). As long as I put that out of my mind, the creativity will flow.

2020 Grasshopper Awards

Posted on by in Grasshopper Nation, News

I decided to do something fun to celebrate the end of the year. Despite the train wreck that has been 2020, there were a few good things to come out of it, and so I wanted to host my own award show–blog post! 

I will add more categories in 2021. If there is a category you’d like to see, let me know! This is the first of hopefully many.

Welcome to the Inaugural Grasshopper Awards!

Best Discovery – Awarded to a show, blog, podcast, or other media that I came upon and enjoyed.

Best Book – Awarded to my favorite read of the year.

Best Vintage Find – Because of High Castle, I am a huge fan of things from the 40s and 50s. This award goes out to my favorite vintage find of the year.

Best Wardrobe Find – Awarded to a company or person that exceeded expectations, including being budget friendly.

Best Discovery

I am forever grateful to @Mr_Picard on Twitter for spreading the word about this one. The moment I saw that these two gents were dedicated to talking about WWII through film (they just wrapped up 1939!), I was hooked.  

Best Discovery of 2020 goes out to Dan and Simon from FOXHOLE COMPANION! 

Thank you for hours of entertainment! Here’s to 20201!

Best Book

There are a lot of angles to consider for this category. Books are highly subjective, and I didn’t read as much as I do in normal years. I am an avid fan of picking up books at airports. You find some gems hidden among the key chains, snacks, and toiletries. I picked up one airport book days before this started, yes, days. I have yet to crack that one open. Shame on me, I know. Here’s to reading it in 2021!

I decided to give this award to the book I’ve read multiple times this year (I mean, that in itself tells you how much I liked it!). It is not an airport gem, but one I pre-ordered two days before its release in the spur of the moment. I am glad I gave in to my rashness, for the winner of Best Book is The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Thank you, Suzanne Collins! This book got me through this insane year. 

Best Vintage Find

I have a tiny collection of antiques I’ve acquired since being captivated by the best show ever made. I’ll give you one guess as to which show that is ;).

I discovered a new way to acquire beautiful things. I am decades late to the Ebay party, but here I am. Through it, I’ve snagged some amazing props from High Castle that I will forever cherish. If you follow me on Instagram and Twitter, you know all about Club High Castle.

The winner of Best Vintage Find technically isn’t vintage, but I’m counting it regardless. Props count. And choosing a winner was difficult, but in the end, I chose The Man In the High Castle: SDCC promo Premiere Ticket.

  • High Castle SDCC Front
  • High Castle SDCC Back

I got it for a great price (I could not pass it up), and I continue to be captivated by it. It really makes one feel like they are about to enter another world. I love the creative lengths the promo team went to make it look vintage. 

Best Wardrobe Find

This goes out to a talented shop on Esty. They make custom vintage style dresses in a multitude of colors and styles. I ordered one this year, and they found the exact color I wanted, not to mention that their pricing is great for the quality, custom fitted dress you get in return!

Best Wardrobe Find goes to heartmycloset!

Pictures don’t do it justice

That’s a wrap! Thank you for joining me! Remember, If you want to see a new category for next year, please let me know!