Hypertext wordplay by Naveen Srivatsav

2022

1 essay

2021

6 essays

· Reviews

Finding the fable in WW84: seeing through the lies of wetiko

I assert that WW1984 is trying to tell an interesting postmodern fable: namely that the wisdom required to know oneself deeply, and the discipline to face the truth and the courage to follow through with the consequences, are all elements of the heroic path.

· Reviews

Squid Game - putting a price on human dignity

Yet another Netflix viral sensation has landed - I'm talking about the Korean psychological-thriller series Squid Game. With funding and creative freedom from Netflix, Squid Game pushes the boundaries of the “Battle Royale” genre, with a steady-handed maturity at handling its core themes even if it doesn’t surprise its viewers with sheer novelty.

· Reviews

Sleeping Dogs - Hong Kong Gang Sim

I was pleasantly surprised at how good Sleeping Dogs really is. The quickest way to describe Sleeping Dogs is to say it’s a lot like Grand Theft Auto but set in Hong Kong, with a story about an undercover cop embedded in the local mafia. This description would be good enough for most gamers to figure out what to expect from the gameplay.

2020

1 essay

2019

1 essay

· Reviews

RYSE: Son of Rome - a fable for systems thinking

My review for RYSE in one sentence: come for the spectacle on the surface, stay a while to reveal the fable within. And what a strange surprising fable it is - a tale illustrating the necessity of systems thinking. How? Read on and find out.

2018

2 essays

· Reviews

The Good Neighbour

I recently watched a documentary called “Won’t You Be My Neighbour?”, whose subject is a certain Fred Rogers. What was surprising to me as a long-time fan of the man even though I’ve never seen the original programme myself, was the depth of the subject matter discussed in each episode and the philosophy that underpinned the core message.

· Reviews

Atlanta - looking blackness in the eye

Atlanta is a TV series which eschews the steady pace of a narrative arc for irreverent non sequitur explorations of various themes within the thematic context of being black in America.

2016

1 essay