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Kubrick's Game
Shawn Hagan, a college film student obsessed with legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, discovers hidden clues in his movies which lead him on a harrowing quest toward a mysterious treasure that Kubrick left behind. Endangered by sinister groups on the same quest, Shawn has no choice but to claim the prize first because in the wrong hands … "It has the power to change the course of history."
363 pages, Paperback
First published September 26, 2016
106 people are currently reading
566 people want to read
About the author
Derek Taylor Kent
23 books25 followersDerek Taylor Kent is an author, screenwriter, performer and director based in Los Angeles. Best known for his children's books, his best-selling, award-winning books are treasured in hundreds of thousands of homes across the world. He and his wife, author Sheri Fink (pictured to the left), are the founders of Whimsical World, an empowering children’s brand that publishes books and produces whimsical merchandise, inspiring entertainment, and magical experiences for children of all ages.
His newest middle-grade novel (ages 7-12), PRINCIPAL MIKEY, was released May 2018 and became a #1 best-seller on Amazon. See cover to the left! It tells the story of a 10-year-old kid who becomes principal of his school, and things don't go anything close to expected.
HIs newest picture book, DOGGY CLAUS/PERRO NOEL comes out November 13, 2018. Following in the footsteps his best-selling and tremendously popular bilingual picture book, EL PERRO CON SOMBRERO, Doggy Claus/Perro Noel tells the tale of Jingle (Santa's dog) who decides to take off on Santa's sleigh to deliver presents to all the dogs in the world, only to discover there's something dogs want even more than presents on Christmas.
His first novel for an adult audience, KUBRICK'S GAME, was released through Evolved Publishing and quickly became an international bestseller and was one of the best-reviewed books of the year. It won the Reader's Favorite Award for Best Fiction Audiobook of 2017 (narrated by Jonathan Frakes and Yvette Nicole Brown) and won Best Film/TV book of the year from the National Independent Book Awards.
His award-winning book series SCARY SCHOOL (written under pen-name Derek the Ghost) was published by HarperCollins and is one of the most popular book series for middle-readers ages 7 to 12. There are currently four books in this beloved series and remains a best-selling title.
His latest picture book, COUNTING SEA LIFE WITH THE LITTLE SEAHORSE, was co-written with his wife, #1 best-selling author,Sheri Fink, and released in September 2017. It's a hilarious underwater adventure that teaches kids ages 0-5 about the incredible variety of life in the ocean by while searching for hidden numbers.
His bi-lingual picture book EL PERRO CON SOMBRERO came out August 18, 2015 through Holt/Macmillan. It is the #1 best-selling bilingual picture book of the past several years and its popularity continues to grow.
Other books include the award-winning educational picture book SIMON AND THE SOLAR SYSTEM and the magical adventure RUDY AND THE BEAST: MY HOMEWORK ATE MY DOG!, both available now.
His newest middle-grade novel (ages 7-12), PRINCIPAL MIKEY, was released May 2018 and became a #1 best-seller on Amazon. See cover to the left! It tells the story of a 10-year-old kid who becomes principal of his school, and things don't go anything close to expected.
HIs newest picture book, DOGGY CLAUS/PERRO NOEL comes out November 13, 2018. Following in the footsteps his best-selling and tremendously popular bilingual picture book, EL PERRO CON SOMBRERO, Doggy Claus/Perro Noel tells the tale of Jingle (Santa's dog) who decides to take off on Santa's sleigh to deliver presents to all the dogs in the world, only to discover there's something dogs want even more than presents on Christmas.
His first novel for an adult audience, KUBRICK'S GAME, was released through Evolved Publishing and quickly became an international bestseller and was one of the best-reviewed books of the year. It won the Reader's Favorite Award for Best Fiction Audiobook of 2017 (narrated by Jonathan Frakes and Yvette Nicole Brown) and won Best Film/TV book of the year from the National Independent Book Awards.
His award-winning book series SCARY SCHOOL (written under pen-name Derek the Ghost) was published by HarperCollins and is one of the most popular book series for middle-readers ages 7 to 12. There are currently four books in this beloved series and remains a best-selling title.
His latest picture book, COUNTING SEA LIFE WITH THE LITTLE SEAHORSE, was co-written with his wife, #1 best-selling author,Sheri Fink, and released in September 2017. It's a hilarious underwater adventure that teaches kids ages 0-5 about the incredible variety of life in the ocean by while searching for hidden numbers.
His bi-lingual picture book EL PERRO CON SOMBRERO came out August 18, 2015 through Holt/Macmillan. It is the #1 best-selling bilingual picture book of the past several years and its popularity continues to grow.
Other books include the award-winning educational picture book SIMON AND THE SOLAR SYSTEM and the magical adventure RUDY AND THE BEAST: MY HOMEWORK ATE MY DOG!, both available now.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
February 7, 2017
Kubrick’s Game is exactly what it sounds like. An adventure/quest based on the films and life of Stanley Kubrick. I mean how cool does that sound? When I was approached to read this novel, I instantly accepted. It was marketed to me as perfect for those who loved Ready Player One, and that I did. Kubrick’s Game was fast-paced and full of adventure, and perfect for those who are fans of Kubrick and his work.
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What I Liked
The quest. I love a good adventure story. Even more so, I love a good puzzle adventure story. Sure, it’s not the most unique idea with existing stories like Ready Player One, National Treasure and The Da Vinci Code, but one thing that’s for sure is that these types of stories are always entertaining. This was no different for Kubrick’s game as I was on the edge of my seat the entire time the characters were trying to solve the puzzle.
The details. Derek Taylor Kent did his research when writing this book. Holy cow. The amount of Kubrick trivia within this novel was mind-blowing. There were so many things that I had no idea about and it really just made me want to watch even more of Kubrick’s films. I must admit, I’ve only seen A Clockwork Orange…I know *shame shame shame*, but after reading this book I absolutely need to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut + all of the others…like ASAP. Kubrick’s Game touches on all of Kubrick’s movies thoroughly and each one of them plays a huge part in uncovering the truth behind the puzzle.
The subject matter. Stanley Kubrick and his work has always been fascinating to me. As mentioned, I’ve only seen A Clockwork Orange, but it remains to be one of my favourite films (and books) of all time. When this book was pitched to me as Ready Player One, only it revolves around Stanley Kubrick, I knew I needed to read it.
The cameos. I absolutely LOVED that Malcolm McDowell, a.k.a. Alex DeLarge from A Clockwork Orange, made a cameo in this novel. To have an actor that played on my favourite characters in one of my favourite films that happens to be the only Kubrick film I’ve seen made me feel so happy! I actually had the opportunity to meet Malcolm McDowell at a convention recently and visualizing him in this novel was fantastic! We also come across the one and only Steven Spielberg. It was cool to see people that exist in real life depicted in a fictional setting.
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What I Didn’t Like
The characters. For the most part they were pretty bland. Shawn had an interesting dynamic going for him as a character with Asperger’s, but I don’t think this idea was explored enough. Rather than becoming someone unique, he ended up feeling a lot like characters that already exist such as Sheldon Cooper or Spock/Data. There was a good amount of diverse characters, I will say that…but none of them really stood out to me as memorable or unique.
It was a little anti-climactic. After all the characters went through, the ultimate prize felt like a bit of a let down. I understand that, in theory, Kubrick would have wanted the students to receive the prize that they did, but I was kind of hoping for something a little more earth-shattering considering the lengths that these students went through to reach the conclusion of the puzzle.
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Overall, Kubrick’s Game delivered exactly what was promised: A Ready Player One-like puzzle solving adventure that revolves around the life and films of Stanley Kubrick. I had a lot of fun reading this one and I highly recommend checking it out!
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Initial post reading thoughts:
I initially started reading this book back in September of last year. While Kubrick's Game had an intriguing premise and I really did want to finish it, my head just wasn't in it. I didn't want to end up giving it a low star rating just because I wasn't in the right mood for it. I FINALLY decided to get back into it a few days ago and I am so glad that I waited to read it! This time I was totally in the mood and I really ended up enjoying it a lot.
Kubrick's Game was an endless adventure that was reminiscent of Ready Player One, only completely centred around the work of Stanley Kubrick. I want to call myself a fan of Kubrick, but in all honesty I've only ever seen A Clockwork Orange...mind you, it is one of my favourite movies of all time. I have wanted to watch the rest of Kubrick's films for quite a while and this book has only made me need to watch them even sooner!
December 29, 2016
40% done- The main character reminds me of Sheldon from "Big Bang Theory."
Aaaaand Complete. I kinda lost some steam 2/3rds of the way through. This book was both entertaining and frustrating at the same time.
While the premise is not entirely new, that didn't bother me at first, but as I read, I was oddly disappointed that not only did it not add anything new, it seemed to fall prey to many tropes, where parts of the book just seemed telegraphed.
The charcters were serviceable, but the main character consistently reminded me of Sheldon, enough to take me out of the book at times.
All that said, the book is clearly a labor of love, and that shows through. I think it helps to have at least a passing familiarity with most of Kubricks work, otherwise much of this might be a bit obtuse to the casual reader.
And.. Confession- While I'm not a true afficianado (Lynch is more my style), I have seen all of Kubricks films more than once, and have delved into film-crit of his work, and even taken classes on his work. And I'm not sure if that knowledge helped or hindered my reading. (As I said, passing familiarity is probably good, but deep knowledge? Not so sure.)
Sorry if this review seems a bit muddled, but I'm having trouble formulating a coherent review of this.... Plus I'm reduced to typing on my phone, so I apologize for the excessive typos (even for me.)
Aaaaand Complete. I kinda lost some steam 2/3rds of the way through. This book was both entertaining and frustrating at the same time.
While the premise is not entirely new, that didn't bother me at first, but as I read, I was oddly disappointed that not only did it not add anything new, it seemed to fall prey to many tropes, where parts of the book just seemed telegraphed.
The charcters were serviceable, but the main character consistently reminded me of Sheldon, enough to take me out of the book at times.
All that said, the book is clearly a labor of love, and that shows through. I think it helps to have at least a passing familiarity with most of Kubricks work, otherwise much of this might be a bit obtuse to the casual reader.
And.. Confession- While I'm not a true afficianado (Lynch is more my style), I have seen all of Kubricks films more than once, and have delved into film-crit of his work, and even taken classes on his work. And I'm not sure if that knowledge helped or hindered my reading. (As I said, passing familiarity is probably good, but deep knowledge? Not so sure.)
Sorry if this review seems a bit muddled, but I'm having trouble formulating a coherent review of this.... Plus I'm reduced to typing on my phone, so I apologize for the excessive typos (even for me.)
February 10, 2017
Two thoughts stood out as I finished this exceptional new story from Derek Taylor Kent and a Evolved Publishing:
1) That has to be the smartest mystery story I've ever experienced.
2) Am I really considering that Kubrick's Game was BETTER than Ready Player One by Ernest Cline?
It's been two days since I finished, and I've yet to discredit either of those lofty claims. First off, the story centers on some geeky film students, one who had a form of autism, and has become an unrecognized expert on all things Stanley Kubrick. His best friend is studying to be a director after his acting career stagnated and left him with a cheesy catch phrase as his legacy. Both characters are fun and very likable.
Their story begins with an invitation to solve a scavenger hunt engineered by Kubrick before his death fifteen years ago. I wasn't sure what to think coming into this book with only a minimal grasp on Kubrick's biography and films. I'm glad to say that Kent wrote a mystery that was both highly knowledgeable of Kubrick's work, creating an intricate puzzle that is both brilliantly woven and accessible to readers who know or don't know anything about Kubrick. Seriously, this puzzle is amazing in how it kept me guessing and how the pieces tied together in ways that made me question how in the world Lent had fit them together so perfectly. This perfect match of seemingly abstract and unrelated pieces to the puzzle enhances the chance that Kubrick really created this game.
I'm tempted to go on, but I won't spoil anything. Needless to say, I'm excited to read more, and I can't wait to not only rewatch Kubrick's movies,but also check out Derek's website where he has an additional real life The Game.
I listened to the audiobook, which has top notch narrators. Not too many audiobooks have the narrators faces on the cover, having become famous for their television or movies. Listening to this book, it felt like I was being treated by actors at the top of their craft. I had a few small critiques of the audio production. There was a bad habit of the main narrator fading out between spoken dialogue. I wish the producer would have leveled out the volume a little better in those places, as well as a brief part in chapter 54 when there is an obvious break in the text. I tried to sync my kindle version to see how much I missed, but couldn't...I don't think it was much.
In searching my kindle version I found that they have images of the movies in the text, which would have been awesome to see as I read. Whichever format you use, this needs to be on your reading list. Evolved Publishing shows once again how they put out some of the most solid and enjoyable stories you can find.
1) That has to be the smartest mystery story I've ever experienced.
2) Am I really considering that Kubrick's Game was BETTER than Ready Player One by Ernest Cline?
It's been two days since I finished, and I've yet to discredit either of those lofty claims. First off, the story centers on some geeky film students, one who had a form of autism, and has become an unrecognized expert on all things Stanley Kubrick. His best friend is studying to be a director after his acting career stagnated and left him with a cheesy catch phrase as his legacy. Both characters are fun and very likable.
Their story begins with an invitation to solve a scavenger hunt engineered by Kubrick before his death fifteen years ago. I wasn't sure what to think coming into this book with only a minimal grasp on Kubrick's biography and films. I'm glad to say that Kent wrote a mystery that was both highly knowledgeable of Kubrick's work, creating an intricate puzzle that is both brilliantly woven and accessible to readers who know or don't know anything about Kubrick. Seriously, this puzzle is amazing in how it kept me guessing and how the pieces tied together in ways that made me question how in the world Lent had fit them together so perfectly. This perfect match of seemingly abstract and unrelated pieces to the puzzle enhances the chance that Kubrick really created this game.
I'm tempted to go on, but I won't spoil anything. Needless to say, I'm excited to read more, and I can't wait to not only rewatch Kubrick's movies,but also check out Derek's website where he has an additional real life The Game.
I listened to the audiobook, which has top notch narrators. Not too many audiobooks have the narrators faces on the cover, having become famous for their television or movies. Listening to this book, it felt like I was being treated by actors at the top of their craft. I had a few small critiques of the audio production. There was a bad habit of the main narrator fading out between spoken dialogue. I wish the producer would have leveled out the volume a little better in those places, as well as a brief part in chapter 54 when there is an obvious break in the text. I tried to sync my kindle version to see how much I missed, but couldn't...I don't think it was much.
In searching my kindle version I found that they have images of the movies in the text, which would have been awesome to see as I read. Whichever format you use, this needs to be on your reading list. Evolved Publishing shows once again how they put out some of the most solid and enjoyable stories you can find.
January 23, 2017
Antonio Mascaro, professor at the UCLA School of Film and Television, receives a package that contains a reproduction of a famous Kubrick photo originally posted on the cover of Look Magazine. On the back of the photo are the words, “Follow me to Q’s identity.” Mascaro calls on Shawn Hagan, an introverted, perhaps borderline autistic student expert on film director Stanley Kubrick for help in deciphering the message. Shawn, in turn, enlists the aid of two of his friends at UCLA. Intrigued, Wilson Devereux, a former child movie star and Samira “Sami” Singh, a graduate film student eagerly agree to help Shawn solve the puzzle. So begins a story and treasure hunt that will keep you guessing and turning the pages as fast as possible.
Despite differences in premise, characters and writing style, a comparison of “Kubrick’s Game” to the Robert Langdon series of puzzling suspense thrillers by Dan Brown are inevitable and appropriate. Still, I entered this book with some trepidation as I’ve little to no knowledge of Kubrick—neither his biography nor his films. Although I’ve seen several Kubrick directed and produced movies, I couldn’t give you any details about them other than title and premise. The good news is that my fears were unsubstantiated due to the author’s writing style. Taylor Kent writes with authority, great wordsmithing, and characterization. He is adept at showing the story so that even a reader with zero knowledge of Stanley Kubrick or his films can follow and enjoy the tale. Verisimilitude is a major piece of novel writing I appreciate above all else. To me, it is the most important facet in enabling readers to suspend disbelief. If realism, regardless of the story genre and content cannot be won... the entire story is lost. Every scene, every act, every character written in “Kubrick’s Game” is founded on a bedrock of verisimilitude and Derek Taylor Kent has joined the small number of authors I call favorites.
Despite differences in premise, characters and writing style, a comparison of “Kubrick’s Game” to the Robert Langdon series of puzzling suspense thrillers by Dan Brown are inevitable and appropriate. Still, I entered this book with some trepidation as I’ve little to no knowledge of Kubrick—neither his biography nor his films. Although I’ve seen several Kubrick directed and produced movies, I couldn’t give you any details about them other than title and premise. The good news is that my fears were unsubstantiated due to the author’s writing style. Taylor Kent writes with authority, great wordsmithing, and characterization. He is adept at showing the story so that even a reader with zero knowledge of Stanley Kubrick or his films can follow and enjoy the tale. Verisimilitude is a major piece of novel writing I appreciate above all else. To me, it is the most important facet in enabling readers to suspend disbelief. If realism, regardless of the story genre and content cannot be won... the entire story is lost. Every scene, every act, every character written in “Kubrick’s Game” is founded on a bedrock of verisimilitude and Derek Taylor Kent has joined the small number of authors I call favorites.
February 3, 2017
Fantastic Adventure
I have been drawn to many different types of novels over the years, but when I find one like Kubrick's Game I am in heaven! The puzzles, the plot twist, the characters all are so compelling. This a story I can read over and over. I can't wait to hear what my friends think.
I have been drawn to many different types of novels over the years, but when I find one like Kubrick's Game I am in heaven! The puzzles, the plot twist, the characters all are so compelling. This a story I can read over and over. I can't wait to hear what my friends think.
January 10, 2017
Rarely have I bothered to review books in the past, but this deserves a moment of reflection. I just waded through a few hundred pages of utterly inane bullshit, which is unfortunate because this is both the first book of 2017 I finished, and because it was reviewed by io9 as 'the Da Vinci Code but with movies.' This is not the case. The Da Vinci Code is certainly not a high-class or even high-quality novel, but it is at least an intriguing, decently written, fluffy little thriller that I personally love for being as cheesily outlandish as it is. The Da Vinci Code has heart. This book does not.
To be brief, because this doesn't deserve much more of my time: the characters are flat, unlikable, cliche, and boring. The main character is clearly a self-insert hero type who ended up being the least likable person in the entire novel. The dialogue is cringe-worthy no matter the subject, and there's no flow to the writing at all. The romance is somehow both incredibly laughable (because it is so unbelievable) and tedious. The only two women of any note (beyond incredibly brief side characters) are, of course, tied directly to the romance, and there are multiple instances of casual misogyny - of the type that makes most women roll their eyes and sigh. This book was definitely written by a man, if you know what I mean, and the whole effect is made worse by the lack of style, form, or seemingly effort.
While there's a little intrigue in the plot, I ended finishing the book just to see where the hell the author was going. I only finished because I was waiting for how it all tied together - the ending was, by the way, incredibly unsatisfying and rather boring - and also because the writing was so overwhelmingly juvenile I could afford to skim the majority of the book quickly, especially since I'd seen 'Room 237' on an offhand whim a few years ago. Maybe the book was so boring to me because I don't have a perpetual hard-on for Kubrick, but even a Kubrick stan would be yawning during any scenes meant to be "tense". Theoretically, this is a thriller. In practice, this novel is simply very, very poorly written and a huge disappointment.
I don't want to take away from the initial vision of the book - there's a reason I downloaded it for $2 on kindle. The premise has potential and it's clear the author put time in to making the connections and coming up with the puzzle. He's apparently made a real-life treasure hunt of sorts, and I would like to completely divorce my review of this novel from that effort, because it's probably a decent puzzle. The novel itself, however, is not worth the four hours it took me to read it, the $2 I spent on it, or even the ten minutes it took to write this review. If you're interested in Kubrick or movies or secret-society thrillers, I recommend watching a few conspiracy videos or Kubrick analyses on youtube. Don't waste your time here.
To be brief, because this doesn't deserve much more of my time: the characters are flat, unlikable, cliche, and boring. The main character is clearly a self-insert hero type who ended up being the least likable person in the entire novel. The dialogue is cringe-worthy no matter the subject, and there's no flow to the writing at all. The romance is somehow both incredibly laughable (because it is so unbelievable) and tedious. The only two women of any note (beyond incredibly brief side characters) are, of course, tied directly to the romance, and there are multiple instances of casual misogyny - of the type that makes most women roll their eyes and sigh. This book was definitely written by a man, if you know what I mean, and the whole effect is made worse by the lack of style, form, or seemingly effort.
While there's a little intrigue in the plot, I ended finishing the book just to see where the hell the author was going. I only finished because I was waiting for how it all tied together - the ending was, by the way, incredibly unsatisfying and rather boring - and also because the writing was so overwhelmingly juvenile I could afford to skim the majority of the book quickly, especially since I'd seen 'Room 237' on an offhand whim a few years ago. Maybe the book was so boring to me because I don't have a perpetual hard-on for Kubrick, but even a Kubrick stan would be yawning during any scenes meant to be "tense". Theoretically, this is a thriller. In practice, this novel is simply very, very poorly written and a huge disappointment.
I don't want to take away from the initial vision of the book - there's a reason I downloaded it for $2 on kindle. The premise has potential and it's clear the author put time in to making the connections and coming up with the puzzle. He's apparently made a real-life treasure hunt of sorts, and I would like to completely divorce my review of this novel from that effort, because it's probably a decent puzzle. The novel itself, however, is not worth the four hours it took me to read it, the $2 I spent on it, or even the ten minutes it took to write this review. If you're interested in Kubrick or movies or secret-society thrillers, I recommend watching a few conspiracy videos or Kubrick analyses on youtube. Don't waste your time here.
September 29, 2017
I hesitated to read Kubrick's Game for quite a while. I consider Stanley Kubrick the greatest director to ever live (it's honestly not even close) and I wasn't sure how enjoyable it would be to have his work be given the DaVinci Code treatment. The end result is a novel that's better than I expected in some places and much, much dumber in others.
Before I get into breaking it down, let me say that I do hope more people read this. It'll appeal to the same crowd that ate up Ready Player One (though, admittedly, it's not as well written) but instead of just people to OD on 80's nostalgia, it will hopefully encourage people to check out Kubrick. I'm all for that and hope that proves to be the case.
I'm going to evaluate this novel in a few different ways: Derek Taylor Kent's knowledge of Kubrick, his analysis and understanding of the films, and the story itself. Starting with the first one, the factual portions of the novel are really well done. Kent knows his stuff. While there were a few places he got some minor details wrong, there were plenty of others where I picked up details I didn't know.
His understanding of the films is also very good but here there are a few more holes. It's pretty disappointing how dismissively Barry Lyndon is treated in the novel. He trots out the position that Kubrick's heart wasn't in it because he'd had to abandon Napoleon. That's absolute nonsense. Whatever coldness - real or perceived - is in Barry Lyndon isn't a result of Kubrick not being into it. It's one of the most meticulously designed films of all time and ranks among Kubrick's best. It's also pretty bizarre how much Kent reads into AI in the novel. Some of this is for the sake of the plot, but the whole AI portion should have been left to the wayside. That's a Speilberg film and offers almost no real insight into Kubrick's career. There are a few more knitpicks I have along those lines but on the whole, the novel gets a passing grade in this category.
And then there's the plot. For the first 2/3 or so it plays out as a low-rent Ready Player One. The characters are bland beyond belief but it gets the job done. It's a passable vehicle for the Kubrick stuff. Then we hit the last 1/3 of the novel and the dream subplot is introduced. I won't go into more detail so as to avoid spoilers, but this part of the novel is so abjectly stupid it's almost beyond belief. It also takes the fun out of the novel. For the first 2/3 Kubrick fans can play along with most of the clues. There were some I figured out before the characters did. All that flies out the window when we hit the dream sequence. It's unbelievably stupid. You have to wonder what editor fell asleep on the job and let that one past.
All that to say, it's a mixed bag. If you're not a Kubrick fan, I hope you read it and that it sparks an interest in Kubrick's films. If you are a Kubrick fan, you'll probably have some fun but lower your expectations dramatically for the actual plot
Before I get into breaking it down, let me say that I do hope more people read this. It'll appeal to the same crowd that ate up Ready Player One (though, admittedly, it's not as well written) but instead of just people to OD on 80's nostalgia, it will hopefully encourage people to check out Kubrick. I'm all for that and hope that proves to be the case.
I'm going to evaluate this novel in a few different ways: Derek Taylor Kent's knowledge of Kubrick, his analysis and understanding of the films, and the story itself. Starting with the first one, the factual portions of the novel are really well done. Kent knows his stuff. While there were a few places he got some minor details wrong, there were plenty of others where I picked up details I didn't know.
His understanding of the films is also very good but here there are a few more holes. It's pretty disappointing how dismissively Barry Lyndon is treated in the novel. He trots out the position that Kubrick's heart wasn't in it because he'd had to abandon Napoleon. That's absolute nonsense. Whatever coldness - real or perceived - is in Barry Lyndon isn't a result of Kubrick not being into it. It's one of the most meticulously designed films of all time and ranks among Kubrick's best. It's also pretty bizarre how much Kent reads into AI in the novel. Some of this is for the sake of the plot, but the whole AI portion should have been left to the wayside. That's a Speilberg film and offers almost no real insight into Kubrick's career. There are a few more knitpicks I have along those lines but on the whole, the novel gets a passing grade in this category.
And then there's the plot. For the first 2/3 or so it plays out as a low-rent Ready Player One. The characters are bland beyond belief but it gets the job done. It's a passable vehicle for the Kubrick stuff. Then we hit the last 1/3 of the novel and the dream subplot is introduced. I won't go into more detail so as to avoid spoilers, but this part of the novel is so abjectly stupid it's almost beyond belief. It also takes the fun out of the novel. For the first 2/3 Kubrick fans can play along with most of the clues. There were some I figured out before the characters did. All that flies out the window when we hit the dream sequence. It's unbelievably stupid. You have to wonder what editor fell asleep on the job and let that one past.
All that to say, it's a mixed bag. If you're not a Kubrick fan, I hope you read it and that it sparks an interest in Kubrick's films. If you are a Kubrick fan, you'll probably have some fun but lower your expectations dramatically for the actual plot
February 16, 2022
Have you ever finished reading a great book that you enjoyed so much you have to tell everyone about it? The problem is you don’t know where to start. It was a problem I faced after reading Ready Player One, and it’s the problem I am facing after finishing Kubrick’s Game. Coincidentally Kubrick’s Game has been compared to Ready Player One, and rightfully so. It’s another puzzle-adventure novel whose clues and characters will keep you turning the pages.
Kubrick’s Game is about a brilliant UCLA film student named Shawn who receives a very unusual package. The contents will take him on a quest to solve a puzzle left behind by the late Stanley Kubrick. The answers he seeks are buried in the legendary filmmakers movies and his life. A prize awaits the first person that completes the game; a prize that will “change the course of history”. Shawn’s task isn’t going to be easy, there are other nefarious groups also on the quest and trying to stop him.
I am a huge movie nerd and I love a great movie so I appreciate Stanley Kubrick’s films. Granted I haven’t seen all of them, but just a couple chapters into this book and I was ready for a marathon! Many times I thought about popping in 2001 or The Shining just to see the clues for myself. Throughout the whole book I was trying to anticipate how it will end and what the prize will be. Just when you are convinced that you know what is going on the author throws in a twist as clever as Stanley Kubrick himself, and your mind is blown. A part of me was waiting for the cliche reward at the end but instead, it’s perfect. It’s a prize worthy of the puzzle and the man that created it.
I had the privilege to read Kubrick’s Game before the publish date (on September 26th) and it’s definitely comparable to Ready Player One and other great puzzle books like The Da Vinci Code. The author uses a perfect balance of fiction and non-fiction similar to writers like Dan Brown. He collaborated with the founders of The Fantastic Race to create the film-based scavenger hunt. By the end, Kubrick’s Game easily claims a spot in my top 5. If you love movies, and especially if you love Stanley Kubrick’s films, then this book is a must read!
Kubrick’s Game is about a brilliant UCLA film student named Shawn who receives a very unusual package. The contents will take him on a quest to solve a puzzle left behind by the late Stanley Kubrick. The answers he seeks are buried in the legendary filmmakers movies and his life. A prize awaits the first person that completes the game; a prize that will “change the course of history”. Shawn’s task isn’t going to be easy, there are other nefarious groups also on the quest and trying to stop him.
I am a huge movie nerd and I love a great movie so I appreciate Stanley Kubrick’s films. Granted I haven’t seen all of them, but just a couple chapters into this book and I was ready for a marathon! Many times I thought about popping in 2001 or The Shining just to see the clues for myself. Throughout the whole book I was trying to anticipate how it will end and what the prize will be. Just when you are convinced that you know what is going on the author throws in a twist as clever as Stanley Kubrick himself, and your mind is blown. A part of me was waiting for the cliche reward at the end but instead, it’s perfect. It’s a prize worthy of the puzzle and the man that created it.
I had the privilege to read Kubrick’s Game before the publish date (on September 26th) and it’s definitely comparable to Ready Player One and other great puzzle books like The Da Vinci Code. The author uses a perfect balance of fiction and non-fiction similar to writers like Dan Brown. He collaborated with the founders of The Fantastic Race to create the film-based scavenger hunt. By the end, Kubrick’s Game easily claims a spot in my top 5. If you love movies, and especially if you love Stanley Kubrick’s films, then this book is a must read!
December 4, 2017
Really enjoyed this book. It was fun and kept me guessing as to what was going on. If you enjoyed Night Film, I would recommend picking this one up for a quicker and lighter read.
November 12, 2020
Rarely does a book combine multiple interests for me the way Derek Taylor Kent’s Kubrick’s Game does.
Kubrick’s Game takes the joy of reading and mixes it with my love of movies, puzzle quests and of course, Stanley Kubrick! I’ve always enjoyed unraveling the hidden meanings in The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut, and 2001: A Space Odyssey (along with Kubrick’s other works). This book opened a whole new level of hidden meanings to me! It mixed the fun I remember from The Three Investigators in The Mystery of the Dead Man’s Riddle with the adult thrills of The DaVinci Code. The story moves quickly and is hard to put down. I think this one would technically fall in the Young Adult category, but I must still have a little fun left in me at 49 because I haven’t had this much fun in a book in a while. Pick up a copy and enjoy! Oh, one last thing! Even after the book ends you might be swept up in a new adventure, if you have a keen eye and know where to look! Happy reading, and good luck!
Kubrick’s Game takes the joy of reading and mixes it with my love of movies, puzzle quests and of course, Stanley Kubrick! I’ve always enjoyed unraveling the hidden meanings in The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut, and 2001: A Space Odyssey (along with Kubrick’s other works). This book opened a whole new level of hidden meanings to me! It mixed the fun I remember from The Three Investigators in The Mystery of the Dead Man’s Riddle with the adult thrills of The DaVinci Code. The story moves quickly and is hard to put down. I think this one would technically fall in the Young Adult category, but I must still have a little fun left in me at 49 because I haven’t had this much fun in a book in a while. Pick up a copy and enjoy! Oh, one last thing! Even after the book ends you might be swept up in a new adventure, if you have a keen eye and know where to look! Happy reading, and good luck!
September 19, 2016
I enjoyed this book. An adventure with puzzles to solve. The clues and the characters kept me involved. I did not want to put the book down until I finished it. I won this book through goodreads.
February 28, 2018
This is a puzzle thriller in the same vein as The DaVinci Code. If you're a Kubrick fan this book is a lot of fun. It goes into some fascinating details about Kubrick's movies and about how there are repeating themes between the movies that form this puzzle. It's pretty fascinating just from the Kubrick film analysis alone but the action plot around it makes it really fun.
March 19, 2018
Good, not great...was not surprised at all that the author focuses on YA and younger audiences.
January 10, 2017
Shawn Hagan is a film student that receives an invitation to participate in a puzzle that could change the course of history left behind by the famous director Stanley Kubrick. Shawn is not the only one participating, several nefarious people are also participating. It’s up to Shawn to get to the prize first.
I admit that I was watched a couple of Kubrick’s movies and was curious about the story. All I can say is WOW!! First of all, I liked Shawn. He was a great person and does have autism, but it is written in such a way that it is more of an explanation for some of his difficulties instead of making you feel sorry for him. I love he challenges as you follow Shawn on his quest. You can tell that there was lots of research put into this book. I also how you think you might know where this is going and then a twist leaves you off kilter.
But I think the best part of the book was the desire to go back and watch all of Stanley Kubrick’s films. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the story. But now I want to watch the movies again to see what I missed.
This is a great action adventure story revolving around movies. It will appeal to book and movie lovers alike.
I received Kubrick’s Game from Candid Book Reviews for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
I admit that I was watched a couple of Kubrick’s movies and was curious about the story. All I can say is WOW!! First of all, I liked Shawn. He was a great person and does have autism, but it is written in such a way that it is more of an explanation for some of his difficulties instead of making you feel sorry for him. I love he challenges as you follow Shawn on his quest. You can tell that there was lots of research put into this book. I also how you think you might know where this is going and then a twist leaves you off kilter.
But I think the best part of the book was the desire to go back and watch all of Stanley Kubrick’s films. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the story. But now I want to watch the movies again to see what I missed.
This is a great action adventure story revolving around movies. It will appeal to book and movie lovers alike.
I received Kubrick’s Game from Candid Book Reviews for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
May 1, 2019
What if Dan Brown rewrote Flicker as a YA novel? Simple, brisk language and a fast plot makes it ideal for bright, film-mad tweens. Older readers may struggle with some of the narrative leaps and implausibilities. Bonus points for having a neuro-atypical protagonist, negative points for him being a bit of an incel creeper (lessons are learned, though). I'd have genuinely loved it when I was 12; add another star if you're around that age.
September 25, 2016
Original review at http://wp.me/p4Wvzn-1S5
The Kubrick Game was a book I can truthfully say I knew nothing about when Luke (Co-host/webmaster of this very site) sent it to me after he was initially given the book after talking to the author. Luke thought I'd like this book considering I'm a huge fan of films and filmmaking.
So with some concern I opened the file to read this review copy of the book and then my head exploded!
Not in a horror movie style but with the knowledge that someone finally got 'us'. Who I refer to is film students (yep straight after school I ventured into the world of film school and filmmaking). Film students aren't always very well represented in any form of media really. We are generally labelled with the 'too artsy' or 'too nerdy' crowd. Which may be right for some of us but there are also some that just have a burning desire to tell stories via this wonderful medium of film where we fit really isn’t the important part but the love of film is what connects us. It is this aching feeling that up until now hasn't been dealt with much.
This book perfectly displays all facets of the world with such authentic delight that the love of filmmaking and Kubrick is clear with each word. Now I must confess that when it comes to my personal 'heroes of cinema' Kubrick isn't at the top. What can I say I'm a Lucas/Spielberg fanatic but that being said all film buffs know the legends and truths surrounding Kubrick and his amazing contribution to cinema. The man was a legend and his influence is still felt today.
So when going into reading this novel I was a little worried I'd be lost but Derek Taylor Kent has given the reader more than enough information on even the most minuscule detail of Kubrick’s life and films that you will never feel lost but more likely intrigued to find out more. The main characters are each filled with complexity and importantly a sense of reality that you can't help but love them and want them to succeed even when things get dark and their choices may not be exactly the way you might have assumed at the beginning but feel natural given what we know about each of the characters.
The main character of Shawn is wonderful and watching him navigate the complexities of life while living with autism is so fresh and exciting to read that I hope other writers can one day do justice to people with these kinds of issues as well as presented here. There isn't a pandering to the subject of autism nor is there any time that it feels like the author is attempting to make a statement. Shawn has autism and that's that.
How refreshing!
The book is a puzzle like the title suggests but it is one that feels so intricately conceived that thinking the master of control that was Kubrick could very well have come up with this kind of thing doesn't feel that farfetched. As a director who was obviously enamoured with details so too does this book that has his name in the title feel authenticity detailed and the research that must have been undertaken to get all the details right should be commended.
So when going into reading this novel I was a little worried I'd be lost but Derek Taylor Kent has given the reader more than enough information on even the most minuscule detail of Kubrick’s life and films that you will never feel lost but more likely intrigued to find out more. The main characters are each filled with complexity and importantly a sense of reality that you can't help but love them and want them to succeed even when things get dark and their choices may not be exactly the way you might have assumed at the beginning but feel natural given what we know about each of the characters.
The main character of Shawn is wonderful and watching him navigate the complexities of life while living with autism is so fresh and exciting to read that I hope other writers can one day do justice to people with these kinds of issues as well as presented here. There isn't a pandering to the subject of autism nor is there any time that it feels like the author is attempting to make a statement. Shawn has autism and that's that.
How refreshing!
The book is a puzzle like the title suggests but it is one that feels so intricately conceived that thinking the master of control that was Kubrick could very well have come up with this kind of thing doesn't feel that farfetched. As a director who was obviously enamoured with details so too does this book that has his name in the title feel authenticity detailed and the research that must have been undertaken to get all the details right should be commended.
The Kubrick Game was a book I can truthfully say I knew nothing about when Luke (Co-host/webmaster of this very site) sent it to me after he was initially given the book after talking to the author. Luke thought I'd like this book considering I'm a huge fan of films and filmmaking.
So with some concern I opened the file to read this review copy of the book and then my head exploded!
Not in a horror movie style but with the knowledge that someone finally got 'us'. Who I refer to is film students (yep straight after school I ventured into the world of film school and filmmaking). Film students aren't always very well represented in any form of media really. We are generally labelled with the 'too artsy' or 'too nerdy' crowd. Which may be right for some of us but there are also some that just have a burning desire to tell stories via this wonderful medium of film where we fit really isn’t the important part but the love of film is what connects us. It is this aching feeling that up until now hasn't been dealt with much.
This book perfectly displays all facets of the world with such authentic delight that the love of filmmaking and Kubrick is clear with each word. Now I must confess that when it comes to my personal 'heroes of cinema' Kubrick isn't at the top. What can I say I'm a Lucas/Spielberg fanatic but that being said all film buffs know the legends and truths surrounding Kubrick and his amazing contribution to cinema. The man was a legend and his influence is still felt today.
So when going into reading this novel I was a little worried I'd be lost but Derek Taylor Kent has given the reader more than enough information on even the most minuscule detail of Kubrick’s life and films that you will never feel lost but more likely intrigued to find out more. The main characters are each filled with complexity and importantly a sense of reality that you can't help but love them and want them to succeed even when things get dark and their choices may not be exactly the way you might have assumed at the beginning but feel natural given what we know about each of the characters.
The main character of Shawn is wonderful and watching him navigate the complexities of life while living with autism is so fresh and exciting to read that I hope other writers can one day do justice to people with these kinds of issues as well as presented here. There isn't a pandering to the subject of autism nor is there any time that it feels like the author is attempting to make a statement. Shawn has autism and that's that.
How refreshing!
The book is a puzzle like the title suggests but it is one that feels so intricately conceived that thinking the master of control that was Kubrick could very well have come up with this kind of thing doesn't feel that farfetched. As a director who was obviously enamoured with details so too does this book that has his name in the title feel authenticity detailed and the research that must have been undertaken to get all the details right should be commended.
So when going into reading this novel I was a little worried I'd be lost but Derek Taylor Kent has given the reader more than enough information on even the most minuscule detail of Kubrick’s life and films that you will never feel lost but more likely intrigued to find out more. The main characters are each filled with complexity and importantly a sense of reality that you can't help but love them and want them to succeed even when things get dark and their choices may not be exactly the way you might have assumed at the beginning but feel natural given what we know about each of the characters.
The main character of Shawn is wonderful and watching him navigate the complexities of life while living with autism is so fresh and exciting to read that I hope other writers can one day do justice to people with these kinds of issues as well as presented here. There isn't a pandering to the subject of autism nor is there any time that it feels like the author is attempting to make a statement. Shawn has autism and that's that.
How refreshing!
The book is a puzzle like the title suggests but it is one that feels so intricately conceived that thinking the master of control that was Kubrick could very well have come up with this kind of thing doesn't feel that farfetched. As a director who was obviously enamoured with details so too does this book that has his name in the title feel authenticity detailed and the research that must have been undertaken to get all the details right should be commended.
January 13, 2017
Kubrick's Game is a thrilling adventure. Packed with symbolism, conspiracy theories, adventure, romance and more. I have only seen one Kubrick film and this book makes me want to watch them all! The author, Derek Taylor Kent has an incredible imagination. He builds an in depth story with interesting characters. His use of historical facts, films, and fiction meld together to form an entertaining mystery story readers are sure to enjoy!
March 8, 2017
A fun read that blends Kubrick mythology with a young adult style adventure. Film students jet around the world to uncover a mystery left behind by the famous director. Reminded me of a more grown up version of a Three Investigators story (like Stuttering Parrot).
December 5, 2017
This book is amazing. I was captured by the characters instantly and found their development throughout the book believe able more than most writing manages for me in a dozen books.
I also believed that the story could be plausible if you are interested in the movies and obsessed like some of the people in the book. I love that you get drawn in and kept in for an interesting ride.
The only issue I did have was that some of the photos where hard to follow but they are not completely needed to understand the book and characters.
I also believed that the story could be plausible if you are interested in the movies and obsessed like some of the people in the book. I love that you get drawn in and kept in for an interesting ride.
The only issue I did have was that some of the photos where hard to follow but they are not completely needed to understand the book and characters.
April 1, 2017
Kubrick’s Game is a story in the same vein as The Da Vinci Code. It’s fast paced, full of puzzles and exceedingly well done in its execution.
I’ll be honest and say I fall asleep during Kubrick films. I can watch exceedingly long movies with no problem..but put in a Kubrick film and I’m out after the first 20 minutes. So I was hesitant going into this because I knew my appreciation for the puzzle solving would be automatically lessened due to my somewhat unwilling ignorance on the films themselves. However, I found that I had no issue what so ever following along and enjoy the ride! The puzzles are so engrained in the media they pull from that it makes you want to pop in the movies and start hunting yourself. The sheer amount of Kubrick trivia in this novel is just amazing, I went from knowing next to nothing about the main to knowing parts of his process and habits during filming. In fact, it sort of keyed me in on details I missed in my viewings of the films and made me appreciate them a bit more.
The main character, Shawn, provided a perspective that I have never read anything from nor was I was expecting. Shawn has Aspergers. I can’t speak to the authenticity of the voice itself, however, I really appreciated the viewpoint as he navigates his problems with social interactions, maintaining relationships, and learning more about himself.
The audiobook itself is narrator by Johnathan Franken and Yvette Nicole Brown. Franken, or Riker from Star Trek, provides the main narration for the book and Brown provides the voice of Desiree. It’s an odd style for an audio but as it is explained in the beginning this takes on a sort of radio show type feel to it and gives the book a bit of it’s own style. While I really did enjoy both Franken and Brown’s reading I will say that at points the quality dips a bit. The volume will randomly drop down in areas, so there was a lot of playing with the volume controls.
Overall I think this is a must for movie fans and for those who love a thrilling ride filled with riddles and danger
I’ll be honest and say I fall asleep during Kubrick films. I can watch exceedingly long movies with no problem..but put in a Kubrick film and I’m out after the first 20 minutes. So I was hesitant going into this because I knew my appreciation for the puzzle solving would be automatically lessened due to my somewhat unwilling ignorance on the films themselves. However, I found that I had no issue what so ever following along and enjoy the ride! The puzzles are so engrained in the media they pull from that it makes you want to pop in the movies and start hunting yourself. The sheer amount of Kubrick trivia in this novel is just amazing, I went from knowing next to nothing about the main to knowing parts of his process and habits during filming. In fact, it sort of keyed me in on details I missed in my viewings of the films and made me appreciate them a bit more.
The main character, Shawn, provided a perspective that I have never read anything from nor was I was expecting. Shawn has Aspergers. I can’t speak to the authenticity of the voice itself, however, I really appreciated the viewpoint as he navigates his problems with social interactions, maintaining relationships, and learning more about himself.
The audiobook itself is narrator by Johnathan Franken and Yvette Nicole Brown. Franken, or Riker from Star Trek, provides the main narration for the book and Brown provides the voice of Desiree. It’s an odd style for an audio but as it is explained in the beginning this takes on a sort of radio show type feel to it and gives the book a bit of it’s own style. While I really did enjoy both Franken and Brown’s reading I will say that at points the quality dips a bit. The volume will randomly drop down in areas, so there was a lot of playing with the volume controls.
Overall I think this is a must for movie fans and for those who love a thrilling ride filled with riddles and danger
December 10, 2016
I went into this book not having any clue what I would be reading. However I am very glad I got to review it because this was so amazing. It was like a giant puzzle.. it kept me guessing on what was going to happen next and who was going to do what. I have never read da vinci's code but was told it was sort of like that. I can't tell you if that's true or not but if so I need to read that as well. Derek's writing was so amazing it was vivid.. It showed you this world.. it showed you what was happening and at the same time showed you nothing. I loved it and I'm so glad I got to review it
May 10, 2017
I think I’ll start by saying that this is a goofy book. There’s nothing wrong with goofy at all, but the way this book presents itself in contrast with the subject matter provided is just strange. With that said, this was a fun and light romp that ultimately hit a lot of my interest points, resulting in a really enjoyable read.
The story follows a college film student obsessed with Stanley Kubrick. He probably knows more than his professors do on the subject, and is quickly brought in on a “game” created by the director himself. The game involves a bit of a worldwide scavenger hunt, involves some of the great theories of Kubrick’s work, and threatens to uncover some interesting secrets that people in the know might never actually want out.
In terms of a straight fiction tale, as I said – kind of goofy. But when you approach the book as sort of a fun ARG simulation where an author can freely explore a few interests s/he has all at once, it makes a lot more sense. To approach this with that in mind made for a quick and breezy read that, as reveal after reveal occurred, kept me smiling throughout.
This will win no awards, but if you like crazy conspiracies or are a Kubrick nerd, there’s a lot here to enjoy.
The story follows a college film student obsessed with Stanley Kubrick. He probably knows more than his professors do on the subject, and is quickly brought in on a “game” created by the director himself. The game involves a bit of a worldwide scavenger hunt, involves some of the great theories of Kubrick’s work, and threatens to uncover some interesting secrets that people in the know might never actually want out.
In terms of a straight fiction tale, as I said – kind of goofy. But when you approach the book as sort of a fun ARG simulation where an author can freely explore a few interests s/he has all at once, it makes a lot more sense. To approach this with that in mind made for a quick and breezy read that, as reveal after reveal occurred, kept me smiling throughout.
This will win no awards, but if you like crazy conspiracies or are a Kubrick nerd, there’s a lot here to enjoy.
December 23, 2016
I honestly felt like I was in a Nicolas Cage movie National Treasure. There is no other way to explain it. I loved this book. I'm no film buff or anything but it instantly reminded why I liked puzzle movies, mysteries, or just solving games in general.
You have your typical nerd whose name is Shawn. He is given a clue to figure out what the next clue is to the Kubrick's message is. What can it be? Well as you get further and further into the world of Kubrick's Game who find out they are not the only team or in general players. Not to mention thugs and other unsavory people are after them to get ahead of them. Who to trust and who to tell becomes the name of the game. Will they ever find out what the answer is to Kubrick's question?
You have your typical nerd whose name is Shawn. He is given a clue to figure out what the next clue is to the Kubrick's message is. What can it be? Well as you get further and further into the world of Kubrick's Game who find out they are not the only team or in general players. Not to mention thugs and other unsavory people are after them to get ahead of them. Who to trust and who to tell becomes the name of the game. Will they ever find out what the answer is to Kubrick's question?
June 8, 2017
I liked the story, it definitely had a DaVinci Code feel to it. I had the audiobook version, and I have to be honest, the production of the audiobook wasn't that good. The audio levels were not consistent, Jonathan Frakes at times forgot which voice he was supposed to be using for one of the characters, ( he would drop the characters accent at times), and they had a second narrator ( a woman) just for one character, which didn't seem to make sense to me at all. I do love audiobooks where they have multiple narrators, but they just didn't use the talents of the two narrators correctly... That being said, I still liked the story, and would recommend it to my friends
June 5, 2018
I liked this more than I thought I would
I have never been a big Stanley Kubrick fan. I bought this book because of the puzzle. That drew me into the book and I ended up really enjoying the book. Good characters, good premise. Well written. Recommended. I may even watch 2001 again.
I have never been a big Stanley Kubrick fan. I bought this book because of the puzzle. That drew me into the book and I ended up really enjoying the book. Good characters, good premise. Well written. Recommended. I may even watch 2001 again.
August 19, 2019
A twisting narrative propelled by memorable characters and mysterious set of clues engineered by Stanley Kubrick himself. Kubrick fans, movie lovers, and mystery and conspiracy followers will all be drawn to this fast moving and ultimately satisfying book. Bravo, Derek Taylor Kent! Now to see if the author's game is still open so I can attempt to continue the experience...
January 24, 2017
A nicely paced story about the puzzles hidden in Kubrick's work. Entertaining, not too challenging. I loved it!
July 14, 2018
That was a goddamn good book!! Gripping with every page, and believable! Makes every fan of Kubrick want to re-watch his movies over and over again!
April 20, 2019
Kubrick’s Game to Ready Player One is like Robopocalypse to World War Z.
XD
XD
November 21, 2017
On the very day that I sat down to write this review of “Kubrick’s Game” by Derek Taylor Kent, a Fox News article flashed across the news feed on my internet browser with the headline, “Apollo Moon Landing Was Faked, Conspiracy Theorists Claim with New Photo.” I thought that was a felicitous coincidence, since this book addresses the theory that the brilliant director Stanley Kubrick surreptitiously filmed Neil Armstrong’s famous “one small step for man” in an Arizona studio. I suppose that it is testimony to Kubrick’s genius that he should occupy a central role in an enduring conspiracy theory. Nobody ever accused Sam Peckinpah of faking the moon landing.
Although long since dead, Stanley Kubrick is the most fascinating character in Kent’s entertaining, fast-paced novel. With the simultaneous receipt of a posthumous package from Kubrick, several competing teams form to solve the quirky, complex puzzles contained therein, hoping for a payoff that will “change the course of human history.” No hyperbole there.
The home team is led by Shawn Hagan, a massively geeky UCLA film student with functional autism, who is as knowledgeable of film lore as he is clueless in social niceties. Competing against them is another cadre of film students from rival USC, and also a nefarious gang of evil-doers. Throughout the novel, Shawn is challenged as much to manage his relationships with his teammates, whom he knows that he needs to solve the mystery, as he is to decipher the clues. This dynamic allows for impressive character growth.
Following the clues takes some truly convoluted leaps of logic. Each and every one of Kubrick’s films is deconstructed to the nth degree. Consider the following passage, as just one example. Sean is speaking:
“It’s becoming clear that when Kubrick referenced a previous film, he was likely doing it for an important reason, not just to be cute. Following the previous patterns, the serum number 114 shot in ‘Clockwork Orange’ now appears to be our newest doubling marker, like the two paintings of ‘Lolita’ and the dual chessboard of ‘2001.’ Kubrick was telling us that CRM-114 must be investigated. The only problem is, I just watched ‘Eyes Wide Shut,’ and there is not a single reference to CRM-114 anywhere that I can see. So we have to figure out what Kubrick meant by ‘HAL will solve CRM-114 for seven, thirteen, and nine.’ I know this may sound crazy, but I think HAL from 2001 is supposed to help us find where CRM-114 is in ‘Eyes Wide Shut.’”
You got that, right?
It is fun to follow Shawn’s logic, even if sometimes strains one's credulity. Nevertheless, the arcane bits of film folklore would be empty if not for Kent’s vivid and likable characters, offset by equally scurrilous villains. As an added bonus, Malcolm McDowell and Stephen Spielberg make cameo appearances. In the end, you will likely be inspired to go back and rent DVDs of Kubrick’s entire opus… or at least to watch ‘The Shining’ once more.
Although long since dead, Stanley Kubrick is the most fascinating character in Kent’s entertaining, fast-paced novel. With the simultaneous receipt of a posthumous package from Kubrick, several competing teams form to solve the quirky, complex puzzles contained therein, hoping for a payoff that will “change the course of human history.” No hyperbole there.
The home team is led by Shawn Hagan, a massively geeky UCLA film student with functional autism, who is as knowledgeable of film lore as he is clueless in social niceties. Competing against them is another cadre of film students from rival USC, and also a nefarious gang of evil-doers. Throughout the novel, Shawn is challenged as much to manage his relationships with his teammates, whom he knows that he needs to solve the mystery, as he is to decipher the clues. This dynamic allows for impressive character growth.
Following the clues takes some truly convoluted leaps of logic. Each and every one of Kubrick’s films is deconstructed to the nth degree. Consider the following passage, as just one example. Sean is speaking:
“It’s becoming clear that when Kubrick referenced a previous film, he was likely doing it for an important reason, not just to be cute. Following the previous patterns, the serum number 114 shot in ‘Clockwork Orange’ now appears to be our newest doubling marker, like the two paintings of ‘Lolita’ and the dual chessboard of ‘2001.’ Kubrick was telling us that CRM-114 must be investigated. The only problem is, I just watched ‘Eyes Wide Shut,’ and there is not a single reference to CRM-114 anywhere that I can see. So we have to figure out what Kubrick meant by ‘HAL will solve CRM-114 for seven, thirteen, and nine.’ I know this may sound crazy, but I think HAL from 2001 is supposed to help us find where CRM-114 is in ‘Eyes Wide Shut.’”
You got that, right?
It is fun to follow Shawn’s logic, even if sometimes strains one's credulity. Nevertheless, the arcane bits of film folklore would be empty if not for Kent’s vivid and likable characters, offset by equally scurrilous villains. As an added bonus, Malcolm McDowell and Stephen Spielberg make cameo appearances. In the end, you will likely be inspired to go back and rent DVDs of Kubrick’s entire opus… or at least to watch ‘The Shining’ once more.
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