Matrix Warrior: Being The One: An Unofficial Guide by Jake Horsley

advertise.

	EUROPE'S MOST VISITED SF/F WEB SITE

Matrix Warrior: Being The One: An Unofficial Guide by Jake Horsley
pub: Gollancz. 232 page hardback. Price: Ł 6.99 (UK). ISBN: 0-575-07527-9

check out website: www.orionbooks.co.uk and www.divinevirus.com

‘The Matrix’ film was the hottest Science Fiction film to hit the screens in 1999. The onset of the Millennium looming, it gave people a new viewpoint of what life was all about. The two sequels, out this year, have renamed 2003 the Year of The Matrix.

Matrix Warrior: Being The One: An Unofficial Guide With this in mind the tidal wave of books analysing ‘The Matrix’ philosophy is hardly surprising but not really an original idea. David Icke has his ‘Children Of The Matrix’ out at the moment and Jake Horsley's ‘Matrix Warrior’ will certainly not be the last to hit the book shelves.

Jake Horsley has written two books on violence in cinema, made into a single volume back in 2000. However, in ‘Matrix Warrior’, his author info says he is unpublished. The front of the cover proclaims 'Jake Horsley seems to arrive from out of nowhere, yet here he is!', unfortunately he seems to have arrived before and not been noticed.

The book basically goes through symbolic scenes within ‘The Matrix’ film and then analyses them full-frontal so it would seem. The fact is that this book cannot be described as anything ... I mean it isn't interesting to the likes of people who loved the film because I am one of them and this book ruins the film. I had to watch it several times to get the sour taste of Horsley's ego trip out of my psyche. He repeats himself so many times that you want to shake him and say change the record.

He constantly contradicts what he has said previously and he never really examines all the violence in the movie. I have researched this and it could be because he analysed that in his ‘Blood Poets’ books (the two volumes I mentioned earlier): 'already done that don't need to do it again' type of attitude. There is a true sense that the author is actually using his own text and reflection of his text to self-help himself which just makes the book look like a self-help book for the unenlightened.

There are other nasty habits throughout the book, quotes from people he never bothers to acknowledge such as Crowley's Witchcraft book 'The Witches Bible'. At the beginning, he actually thanks the cast and crew for their performances and bringing us ‘The Matrix’, then in the text bashes the Wachowskis for being Gatekeepers and not allowing more people to unplug.

Horsley starts to live in a fantasy world towards the end of the book and his credibility goes down the pan along with his knowledge of mysticism and the gutsy combining of philosophies. His pretentious use of language puts the cherry on the top of the cake for me, exegesis does not clearly tell you his intention behind the book.

What I think really disappoints me is that all this book tries to do is piggyback off the success of the film. It doesn't even try to be good, the diagrams are very simple and uninspired...they're circles! The philosophy of ‘The Matrix’ is apparent in the film, mixing Eastern philosophies with this idea that we are in some kind of game/alternative reality (‘Red Dwarf’s ‘Better Than Life’ did the same).

Jake Horsley tries to examine this idea and how we should prepare ourselves for unplugging. The inescapable truth of the matter is that the Dalai Lama has already told us the way. If you're looking for enlightenment, read one of his books. I guarantee you'll get much more from it and it won't ruin your enjoyment of one of the best Science Fiction films of recent years.

So basically this is a soggy trout of a book that no one should read. No doubt people will buy this because of the title and because of the success of the films. If you really want to know the philosophies behind the making of ‘The Matrix’ and its kin, go to the horse’s mouth and buy ‘The Art Of The Matrix’ by the Wachowski Brothers.

Jake Horsley has used a fine philosophically packed film to mask his own misunderstandings of the world at large. For goodness sake, don't read this book for pleasure. It is about as pleasurable as sticking a sharpened pencil into your thigh, no mistake!

Donna Jones

FREE SF MAGAZINE
Sign up for the Crowsnest SF e-magazine - full of funny reports and gossip. Be the first to find out about hot science fiction happenings & news!

more on the magazine...

CHAT ABOUT THIS STORY

NEWS ARCHIVE