Remedy Book Club | The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag
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- Опубликовано: 5 июл 2024
- Good day everyone!
Today's Video: Remedy Book Club | The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag
Remedy stories have a certain vibe to them. Some have called it Lynchian, New Weird, Lovecraftian, etc. It is hard to put our finger on it exactly but we know when something reminds us of it.
There are lots of stories out there with a similar vibe. Some old. Some new. Most of which some of us have either never seen or they are so obscure that they are nearly forgotten to time.
Enter the Remedy Book Club! As an excuse to introduce new books, films, or games to both myself and the community we have started a little pet project on Patreon. Together we do a read through or have a Movie Night with the community and discuss the stories. After, I will be creating a full video to break down the narrative. More specifically how it relates to the Remedy Connected Universe and maybe spark some ideas.
Today's inclusion is the Robert Heinlein Novella, The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag. It involves a pair of private detectives investigating an individual with no memory of his daily life. But they quickly fall into a conspiracy involving entities from a mirror dimension and learn the nature of reality itself.
As always, free discussion is encouraged in the comments! If there are any recommendations for this project please feel free to let me know.
If you enjoy and would like to support either support the channel or join in on the Book Club in advance, come check out the Gaming University Patreon!
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0:00 Book Club Intro
0:47 Story Recap Part 1
3:11 What is Real?
3:29 Mirrors are more fun than television
4:48 Creation of the Universe
6:29 The Board
7:43 The Nature of Reality
10:18 A New World
11:37 Alan Wake Discussion
12:54 End Screen
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#RemedyBookClub #alanwake2 #GamingUniversity #fordcrueller, #unpleasantprofessionofjonathanhoag 
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If anyone was wondering, "pentimento" literally means "regret" in Italian
Well isn't that interesting. Nice little fact. Thanks!
"Let me paint you a picture, try mirroring my thoughts as we go along."
I swear, one of these days that flamingo is going to find this channel, and he's going to DMCA you for all you're worth, Dean.
I swear if the Flamingo gets a AMCD on my channel I'm out lmao
YES YES YES YES YESSSS................. I HAVE BEEN DYING FOR REMEDY LIKE BOOKS
Hope I can uncover some gems for y'all!
@@GamingUniversityUoG Please! i have been looking for these weird books all over since i played Control and Alan Wake
Also check out House on the Borderlands. It gave me some serious Control vibes, like a very old AWE
I find it fascinating how there's room for interpretation even in this relatively simple story.
It seems like you read the board to think they were the "Cruel Ones" in their story, and Hoag to be one of the chained "Sons of the Bird". I took it the opposite way. The board were Sons of the Bird, chained in their mirror dimension, trying to break free. Then the art critics came, recommended the Bird be removed, and then there had never been a Bird, and they started expunging the Sons wherever they found them. The Sons contextualized this within their belief system, thinking the Bird had created these Cruel Ones to exterminate all the Sons, and that's why they were so afraid of Hoag. They thought they had him deceived, and the Randalls were threatening to destroy the cover.
I think my interpretation into the generations came down to Stoles referring to them as the weak and stupid. Referring to the Randall's.
I'd personally like to see House of Leaves included in this book club series, it was really interesting to make connections between the book and the kinds of stuff Sam Lake writes about in the RCU (not to mention that it was featured in his book collection too, so a definite influence on Sam's world). The changing architecture, the seemingly paradoxical nature of events (IE, House of Leaves being present in both the Navidson and Johnny narratives, despite the fact that only Johnny should have possession of it), the unreliable narrator, and all the stuff beneath the surface that it seems very few have yet to crack. Hell, I think it would be cool if you, Max, Hidden, and all the other RCU-tubers got together and explored it. I want to hear what opinions and discoveries you all would find.
I have read House of Leaves and yeah there is a lot of inspiration coming from it. Not just from the plot of the Ash Tree Lane house but also little things like the author's sister being featured in Alan Wake. POE.
@@GamingUniversityUoG I was mindblown due to all these connections and after buying House of Leaves (and Whalestoe Letters) I bought the Haunted LP. Damn you Alan Wake 2, the art just keeps pouring into my house.
Good luck summarizing it though.
I second this.
I got one! I haven't seen this mentioned yet - The Lathe of Heaven by Ursala K. LeGuin. It is a novella about a man who can change reality through his dreams. He seeks therapy under duress, and once his therapist finds out the main character is telling the truth, he sets out on a plan to make the world a better place through the dreams. This goes about as well as you'd expect, with every night being a new draft of the world and it somehow keeps getting worse.
EDIT: It also takes place in Oregon.
Lethe of Heaven is already on my short list for this! My dad loves the film based upon the book. So I plan to go through both.
I’m making my way through house of leaves and I’ve never been so moved before, gonna add this one to the reading list for when I’m finished!
Good luck on House or Leaves! It is a beast of a book. One of these days I'll be adding it to this Book Club and do a full video on it acting as inspiration for parts of the Remedy setting.
Fringe - with the late Lance Reddick - may be a good one to look at. It's a full TV series but it a good mix of procedural and overarching, and one of the few "success" stories when people were trying to copy Lost's success.
I absolutely love Fringe. Watched it like 5 times start to finish.
@GamingUniversityUoG I didn't (I was in college then and my dad impressed very hard on me he would be disappointed if I knew who the president was when I came back over breaks... okay not that serious but you get my drift) but the rest of my family did and they still miss it.
Great idea.
I literally discovered "House of Leaves" and the Jeff Vandermeer trilogy just because Remedy used them as inspiration for Control.
Now that I'm finally spoiler free I can watch this series and discover new book suggestions
I think this is a great idea. I'm periodically searching for Remedy-like books, movies, shows, etc.
And after watchign the first few minutes, glad and sad to say I won't be watching the rest of this video for a while! I'm going to check out this book first - thanks for the recommendation!
Absolutely! Enjoy the short story. Really quick, read.
MMO The Secret World had a similar concept. There were traces of previous Ages hidden throughout our world, and eventually, it's revealed that previous ages didn't happen before but beneath the current reality. The artifacts we find are like junk data left over from when those realities were "written over"
Just got through recommending that..Secret World Legends does the same thing. I think that is mentioned in regards to the lore about the Ages, particularly found in Egypt, given that mission where our character finds the Third Age jump pad, powers it up, and takes a ride up to the Teeth of the Wind in Egypt in the Scorched Desert. It could also possibly be linked to us finding the artifact Excalibur when Loki/Beaumont tried to take it. However, in terms of realities creating things, the Filth can be doing that as well seeing as how it is trying to devour or rewrite reality into its primordial chaotic hive mind. Likewise, anima, the stuff that powers our character, could be doing the same thing to us as well, just by Gaia's grace.
This format is such a great idea. I'm so excited to see what you have planned for the future.
I have a few things already planned for it. Hope you all enjoy!
I love It, keep It up. Amazing series 🔥❤
I've read Stephen King's Duma Key just few months before AWII and I was amazed how these stories are echoing in ideas and some plot details.
I love finding similar pieces of literature.
Ooh I'll have to check this out!
It's a short Novella so it is a quick read
Hey love the idea. I'm writing one.
Not sure if you saw it but Sam Lake literally tweeted out a book list that inspired Alan Wake.
Oh I saw! I going to reread House of Leaves to include in this series.
I have always wondered this! Besides twin peak an fringe i dont know many like control dope my man!
I'm sure we will find tons of hidden gems. And fringe is flippin awesome!
I would like to recommend a book series by Blake Crouch, called Wayward Pines. I am at book two now and it has a lot in common with Twin Peaks and Dark.
Of course the X files are great too for the FBI vibe. Needs no introduction.
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski is one of my favourite books ever, it has elements from Control, like shifting buildings.
I loved Summer of Night by Dan Simmons, it's small town horror like Bright Falls or Derry.
My last recommendation is the works of H.P Lovecraft, because of obvious reasons.
Love the concept of this video.
Greetings from Germany!
Thanks for all the recommendations. I'm working on Twin Peaks with my sister right now. Grew up on X files and Millennium.
Summer of Night is one of my all time favorite books! I just recently found out it has a sequel which is in my to-read pile waiting for its turn. 📚
@@GamingUniversityUoG Millennium was great, too. I loved Outer Limits just as much. Did you watch that? It's a lot like Night Springs and Twilight Zone.
@@lumivalkea Yeah, I own both books in one. Still have to read it, though. Now I have to catch up with the video. I love Heinlein, but never read any of his short stories. In terms of RH I can recommend a lot of his novels, but I only know the german titles.
Yeah I watched Outer Limits, Twilight Zone, and One Step Beyond growing up. Still have some of the DVDs from the old black and white series.
It's always interesting the amount of Italian words that were borrowed in the world of Art and Creation.
Thank you for the video!
Interesting story!
I imagine it is because a lot of the art scene, specifically painting, seems to have come from Italy.
Books from Stephen King would be interesting since Sam Lake used his name/books to be one of Alan Wake’s main inspirations for his stories!
I know that Misery plays a huge role for the plot of the first game.
@@GamingUniversityUoGoh nice. I forgot one but wasn’t there a book by King thata Main Character wrote in character of his own creation and decided to kill him off similar to how Alan killed off Alex Casey in the Sudden Stop or did it come from Misery?
Yep that's Misery. Paul Sheldon had a romance novel series he got tired of writing and killed off the main character. The lady who kidnapped him loved the series and basically tortured him to force him to bring the character back.
How could I forget "In the Mouth of Madness"! It's about fiction becoming reality, fiction becoming religion.
Oh no. This is how I get killed by pneumatic tubes being fired at my head.
Lmao
Really cool new series! I thought the start might lean into Severance, but of course it’s Eldritch.
I haven't seen Severance but I have heard of it. Yeah I can see the similarities in the hook.
I'd highly recommend the visual novel Higurashi no naku koro ni, though it's far too long for a book club thing like this. It deals with time loops and multiple universes in a way that I absolutely love. The animes are okay but they're like snacks compared to the meal that is the visual novel.
I also just finished Chaos;Head NoAH and its themes on the nature of reality and delusions are ones I found surprisingly relevant to the RCU. The rest of the series is also probably similar in that regard, but I haven't gotten to it yet.
I do suggest looking up trigger warnings for those if anyone is interested and wants to avoid certain subject matter.
And something else which isn't really media but I'd love to see a discussion on Plato's Allegory of the Cave in relation to the RCU!
The Southern Shore series is my first thought. There are even interviews with devs saying it was a big inspiration for Control.
I would recomend some Jorge Luis Borges stories, the short story(20pages) by Jorge Luis Borges, the Aleph, Borges insert himself in a fictional story where the woman he loved died, so he visit her relatives during the years the day of her death to keep in touch and make it easier on them, the cousin of the woman started to write poetry for a contest and ask borges for advice, one the cousin calls him for help as the landlord wants to demolish the house were he lives and he would lost the Aleph, a point in space where you can see all the points in the universe without overlaping or confusion.
Of course this story would feel familiar to Initiation in some regards, but also a little bit with TwinPeaks.
Also The Other by Borges, it has dreaming, dopplegangers or time travel.
Circular Ruins, dreaming, time travel and self fullfilling prophecy.
It is actually kind of interesting considering I just picked up the collected Fictions of Jorge Luis Borges for a completely unrelated reason before seeing your comment. Just came in the mail yesterday. I just finished the Library of Babel because it pertains to something else I'm working. Synchronicity is a weird thing lol.
It’s funny that he walks into a “board” room, almost like Deathridge & Co is the board for Control and Mr Door seems like he is the Bird. And the PIs are Beth and Sean Ashmores character from Quantum Break, who I’m also starting to think is Dylan. Johnathan Hoag is Alan Wake. This book is the outline for the RCU’s telling of Ragnorak.
I love this, please make more!
Already recorded episode 2 of this
Great video and story! It would be awesome if you covered the meanings behind Twin Peaks in as much as the RCU, I've never been able to find detailed videos about this.
That is the goal! I'm doing my first time watch of Twin Peaks with my sister since she is a TP expert. Names her animals after characters and renovated one of her rooms to look like The Red Room haha.
This is the kind club I like to see. I’ll read this and come back. I actually bought House of Leaves recently too, but haven’t started it yet. My suggestion for your consideration is Maya Deren’s 1943 short film ‘Meshes of the Afternoon.’ It’s a silent, cyclical dream sequence which David Lynch credits as one of his biggest influences. Keep up the great work. 👍
Ooh that sounds awesome. Enjoy House of Leaves! It I'd a crazy story
Amazing series!! Love It, keep It up❤
This sounds like a great book. I found the audio version on Amazon. Definitely going to give this a listen.
Time to buy this book and read it!
It's a novella so it is a really quick read. Enjoy!
Just finished reading the book and now im back to finish watching your summary, man this was such a good recommendation. i would highly recommend The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, it features a writer and weird shit starts happening.
Thanks for the recommendation! Yeah I love this little novella. Short and to the point. I'd love to see this get made into a film some day
This is so cooool. I watched two movies that gave me low key remedy vibes they are: "resolution" and "The Endless". U can tell they r low budget but it is really nice and intriguing to watch. It would be awesome if u recommend some movies in Ur videos too🔥❤️
Currently writing the next episode of this series which will be a movie. As of right now I have two books and two films set up for this.
I highly reccomend The Lost Room mini series, it feels like it could have been Control's prequel with all the object with powers and the motel. Btw it has 2 versions - 3 and 5 epsiodes and the only difference is the lenghth of the episodes otherwise it's exactly the same.
It is obviously an SCP Foundation prequel which is a Control prequel. But show itself is pretty weak, it brings up interesting ideas but doesn't give answers or even an proper ending for the story.
I've seen the first episode of Lost Room but never went back to it. I can fully see some inspiration there for Control and the Oceanview
This may be another game, but it is an MMORPG, a free horror one at that. It is Secret World Legends. The first zones of the game (Kingsmouth, The Savage Coast, and Blue Mountain) would pretty much be Bright Falls, if not for the zombies, Draugr, Ak'ab, and wendigos about. Added to this, its own version of Dark Place is the Dreaming Prison where the Old Ones/Dreamers lie asleep. However, reality is being devoured by their excreta, the Filth, and slowly transforming the place into a hive mind. It is mainly these first three areas of the game, but there is the pervasiveness of it in the other areas as well.
Mummies coming to life animated by the Filth, for example, seeing as how the Filth is psycho/oneirokinetic...it can literally bring what is in people's heads as legends, tales, and stories to life as in the case of the Draugr and Deep Ones in Maine, mummies and the plagues in Egypt, ogres/trolls in Romania, the namahage and kyonshi in Japan, and the kishi/demon hyenas in South Africa. It is up to the heroes, the Bees, to fight against reality being devoured and to protect civilians from this threat that threatens to devour and digest the universe.
Can’t wait to watch your next party GU, I purchased this book right away and did not regret it!
Thank man I appreciate this keep going
Absolutely! Already brainstorming another and gave the Patreon the next book to read.
The indie sci-fi movie "Synchronicity" would be a great addition for Quantum Break.
The netflix series Dark is a prime candidate for this series
I have heard! Yeah I'm working on twin Peaks with my sis at the moment. She is huge TP fan. After that Dark will probably be on the list.
I might have a recommendation (and I hope I didn't miss someone mention it) but the book The Magus by John Fowles which was also a movie in the 1960s. It's a postmodern mystery and also deals with themes of reality and identity.
I guess this is more a suggestiong becasue of pieces and not the whole, but Dark City might be worth looking into.
It's a good movie, too, worth the watch, but some aspects overlap with the ideas brought up in this video.
I saw Dark City a long time ago. I remember I enjoyed it but don't remember much about it sadly. Worth a rewatch
So I finished the novella and I loved the weird Noir feeling of it. It felt really like Adress Unknown. All the mirror stuff. And the theme of being an art critic reminds me of Alan Wake.
I recommend Stephen King's Bag of Bones and the other books that take place near Dark Score Lake. Bag of Bones is about a writer coming to a lake house near the lake for a vacation after his wife dies ... feels familiar?
There is also the obvious recommendation. House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski which I am currently reading.
I'd love to discuss the book and similar stories with you. Is there any chance for that? I know a lot of material for your book club. Great video idea! I'm an amateur writer from Germany who loves writing and reading stuff that goes in the direction of Remedy.
Absolutely! I love the Noir feel to it. I have read House of Leaves already but I plan to read it again soon to prepare a script for this series.
If you have discord I have a community set up where you can message me. Also on Twitter. Let me know what works for you. I'd love to talk to a writer. I have dabbled in my own fiction before but have a hard time getting anything substantially pieced together.
@@GamingUniversityUoG I don't have Twitter or Discord, but since you have a community on Discord I would join in gladly. I would also love to talk to a fellow Remedy fan! I will try to message you on Discord later today, so we can talk about what you want to discuss next on your book club! I'm excited! Have a nice day, at least in Germany it's day.
Edit: I never used Discord, how do I find you?
Edit: So I managed to send you a message on Discord but it says you just recieve messages from communities or friends. I have no experience with discord.
Twin peaks
Already watching that one with my Sister at the moment. We are trading off episodes between TP and Alan Wake.
Thanks for this video! The moment I started AW2 I was thinking about finding such book. Do you happed to know any book that could be an Alex Casey novel IRL? Not just a hardboiled detective story, but smth really close to what we see in echoes? Or something that resembles Initiation / Return?
I have lots of little things that echo the Remedy style. Working on them little by little. For Alex Casey specifically, I'm not sure.
As I’m editing my first novel , this channel has become such a perfect tool to work with, thanks for your hard work dean !
Ps: of course there is much in common in my work with the rcu
Oh very cool! Sounds fun. If you'd like I'd love to check out your novel once its published. I'm always looking for new mind bending stories.
more please
Next one is already in the works for writing it and Patreon has the next book as of yesterday for this little club.
I don’t know if you’d take recommendations for this series, but if you do, I’ll submit the video game ‘Call of the Sea’. Amazing Lovecraft-inspired puzzle game.
100% take recommendations for this. Kind of want to help fill the time between Remedy games with similar types of stories
Reminds me of JAGS Wonderland
john mirra looks like young sam lol
Same actor haha
Its an obvious one but house of leaves
I'm going to be rereading that one with my writers hat on. It is a trippy book and clear how it mixes well with Remedy. A big I influence for sure. Sam's acknowledged as much.
Hey, how about game Oxenfree ,there are a lot of similarities between Alan Wake and Control at the same time.
Poor man caught the Case of Unexist. Don't try to be the One who who isn't Real.
At least the dude gets to check out other realities on occasion. But damn I want to say. "That's rough buddy."
So, interpreting other works of weird fiction through the lens of Remedy is valid, but be careful. I fear you will try a little too hard to make strong connections where at best there are only weak ones (i.e. themes in common but no direct influence.)
I 100% understand there is no influence here. It is more taking the opportunity to introduce Remedy fans to things they may also enjoy.
That being said some things are direct influences like House of Leaves and some Stephen king or Lovecraft.
Oh are you finally going to watch yein peaks, dean?
I'm watching it now yes! My sister is a huge Twin Peaks fanatic so I mad her a deal. I watch an episode with her and she plays an episode of Alan Wake. Everyone wins lol
When are you doing Mark Z Danielewski.
I'm probably going to want to read it a second time to prepare. Currently working on another book but I have 2 films as well that will be part of the series.
@@GamingUniversityUoG you also have to listen to the Haunted album by Poe, she's in both Alan Wake games. There's also The Whalestoe Letters is worth going through, for extra clues.
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