BOOK REVIEWS
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Ragnarok & Roll, by Dr. Donald
Blake.
In the unlikely event that anyone might forget, the
first thing that the cover art of Ragnarok & Roll reminds the
reader is that Dr. Blake is better known as his superheroic alter ego, the
Norse god of thunder, Thor.
Since his spiritual awakening of mythical
proportions, Blake has all but abandoned his “civilian identity.” In
his daily routine, which typically consists of leading protestors on
anti-globalization marches anywhere the WTO, IMF, World Bank, or G8 meet
to discuss business, he goes by “Thor.” He only uses his former name
on book covers, hoping that books authored by “Dr. Donald Blake” will
be taken seriously and not lumped in with those of New Age gurus and
channelers, which his critics often compare him to disparagingly.
Ragnarok & Roll is a radical departure
from the self-help books that put Blake at the top of the bestseller
lists, though the author describes it as “the ultimate self-help book, a
guide to lasting freedom.” |
Ragnarok, which Blake translates as “the fate of the
gods,” is the apocalyptic rebirth of the world, the beginning of a new life
that comes after the death and decay of the present age.
“I see the Earth rise from the deep,” writes Blake,
quoting an ancient Norse prophetess, “green again with growing things.”
On a recent book tour, Blake had this to say about new
beginnings: “When I first made a name for myself as Thor, SHIELD approached me
to join their team of Ultimates. They wanted my help in protecting civilization.
Apparently it has never occurred to them to question whether or not civilization
is worth
saving.”
Obviously, the thunder god of old is not impressed with the
contemporary society of modern man, which he views as inherently
self-destructive. He does not, however, believe that we are now in the “End
Times,” as so many Christian fundamentalists claim, or that we are headed for
the biblical Armageddon.
On the contrary, Blake explains that Ragnarok is
not the end of the world, because the world is inherently cyclical and has no
end. Rather, it is the cataclysmic stage of seasonal change, like the winter
that comes before the fresh beginning of spring. Ragnarok & Roll is a
clarion call for us to embrace that change.
“We should celebrate Ragnarok,” writes Blake, “to
show that we embrace change and the creative forces of chaos, and to acknowledge
the earth-shattering upheavals that result from attempts to suppress change. It
is a joyous celebration of freedom and creativity in which we courageously face
what the future holds head-on. It is a conscious choice of revelry over fear and
worry.”
| Ragnarok represents an opportunity for growth, development,
and change. It is not a disaster, but a normal stage of the universal cycle, a
catalyst to terminate our stagnation as a society. There is a return to the
natural order, too long ignored by the humorless, cowardly control freaks that
seek to bind reality in a straitjacket of security and conformity.
Thor’s philosophy of life is alternately hedonistic, Nietzschean, and
wantonly adventurous, a combination he summarizes in the maxim, “Bring
it on!” His laid-back writing style is a nice change from the
self-aggrandizing pronouncements common to the texts of other gods I could
mention (how many deities quote Tyler Durden? “I say we evolve, and let
the chips fall where they may”) – and his goal of individual
empowerment stands in stark contrast to the slavish devotion required by
so many religions. |
|
"Sometimes," writes Dr. Blake,
"you just have to throw your hammer in the trunk and drive out into
the desert for a vision quest. And bringing beer never hurts."
|
“It’s time the human race stopped searching
for validation through subservience and seized control of its own destiny. To
reach the next stage you must each tap into your own divine spark, as I have,
and be as a god. Your path leads ever upward and outward once you cast off your
stifling belief systems, archaic superstitions, and social control mechanisms.
You must take responsibility for your lives and for reaching your true potential
in order to take your rightful place among the stars.”
Thor,
the god whose thunderbolts caused primitive man to cower in fear, insists that
for the next stage of evolution to be completed, we must learn to stand upright.
We can no longer live our lives as children, looking to external institutions to
tell us what to do, but must seek inward for the strength and resolve to mature
into adulthood. The time has come to cut the apron strings—to government, to religion, to
authority—and grow up.
Ragnarok on, dude!
Book
Review by E.C.
Mundi
Also new this week:
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Ultimate Kama Sutra: The Art of Sexual Ecstasy
for the Genetically Gifted by Hank & Janet Pym.
Super powers and mutant abilities have perks well beyond crime-fighting
and world-saving, and the Doctors Pym explore them in depth in this
exhaustive volume.
Drawing on their own experimentation and candid interviews with other
super couples such as Reed & Sue Richards (a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic &
Invisible Woman), the Vision & Scarlet Witch, and Cloak & Dagger,
the Pyms have created a guidebook for other superhumans wanting to be more
sexually adventurous.
“An active and satisfying sexual relationship is an integral part of
living a full and rewarding life,” explains Dr. Janet Pym. “Super
powers serve a higher purpose than thrashing monsters and supervillains.
They can be used pleasurably, to express one’s deepest feelings and
desires.” |
| The book is fully illustrated with explicit diagrams (see
examples at right and below) depicting positions and techniques, but
of course these will all have to be adapted to the unique abilities of the
individuals involved.
There is also a section of the book devoted to helping men and women
who are genetically enhanced overcome difficulties in having sexual
relations with a partner who is physically normal. It includes tips from
couples Bruce Banner & Betty Ross and Ben Grimm & Alicia Masters,
and suggestions on what to avoid, both humorous and horrifying, from celebrities
like Jennifer "She-Hulk" Walters and Luke Cage. |
|
|
|
“A favorite game of ours is Hide & Seek,” says Dr. Reed Richards.
“My wife likes to get naked and turn invisible, while I lie in bed and use
my…stretching powers…to find her.”
Attempting to leave no stone unturned, the Pyms also
interviewed Rogue for a chapter on the art of self-pleasuring, a section
that is useful to anyone whose mutation makes them unable to risk human
(or inhuman) contact.
Canadian superhero Northstar chimes in as well with tried
and true methods of using your powers to the fullest while cruising gay
bars.
Other
sections include advice on how to have your spandex or leather costume cut
and fitted for maximum sexual attraction, and how to avoid mutant strains of
STDs.
“We wanted to dispel the popular image of
superheroes as uptight prudes,” writes Dr. Hank Pym in the introduction.
If that was indeed the Pyms’ goal, then the Ultimate Kama Sutra
is an unqualified success.
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| With blow-by-blow accounts of mutant orgies in the co-ed
dorms of Professor Xavier's School... partner-swapping parties at the
Wakandan Embassy... getting into the 200-mile-high club aboard the SHAFT
orbital headquarters... there are no signs of inhibitions here.
All things considered, this book has something for everyone,
whether you're a superhero trying to inject some romance into your
marriage, a mutant just trying to get laid, or a voyeur who wants a
graphic peek into the sex lives of the intimate Ultimates.
Book
Review by Rick Jones |
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