MxOS Exclusive Interview: Stephen Faller

by Stratics - The Massively Multiplayer Network

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Stephen Faller is the author of Beyond The Matrix: Revolutions and Revelations, and a sometimes English teacher. He has attended Davidson College, and then attended Duke Divinity School and Princeton Theological Seminary, as well as studying literature at Wolfson College of Cambridge and writing at Duke University. His book is an examination of all three movies, and he often references such diverse sources as Socrates, Descartes, Kierkegaard, Freud, Orwell, Huxley, and Spielberg. Ian "PhroG" Taylor recently discussed the book, which we are proud to offer in our contest section as a prize, and Faller's thoughts on The Matrix franchise as a whole.

Before I get started, we'd like to thank you for taking the time to talk with us about your book and your thoughts on The Matrix trilogy of films.

You’re welcome. It’s always fun to connect with more Matrix fans, so I’m grateful for this opportunity.

What was it that drew you towards writing a book about The Matrix films?

I was actually trying to write a book about freedom -- about our struggles to be free individually and as a society. But I felt like I had to do it without referring to the Matrix. This became harder and harder to do. So I approached my publisher about the possibility of a book on the whole trilogy, and they were excited.

Which of the films is your favorite, and why?

I think each film offers something different. I think the first one is the most perfect, from a technical point of view. It has the tightest dialogue and it is the most pure philosophically. The second has some of the best actions scenes. The third one feels the most epic. I can say that the first one had the greatest impact on me, but seeing the third one was the most fun because I got to go in to New York for an advanced screening for a movie review I was also doing.

Tell us a little bit about your book, and the interpretations of the films therein.

Well, I really struggled to write a book that helped the reader move beyond the Matrix. And everything in my book moves to that question. How does Morpheus’ wisdom apply to our world -- the world of the moviegoer? Some of my readers have been annoyed that I didn’t try to create a Matrix encyclopedia. But that was never my point. I wanted to help the reader understand and explore the questions of the movies outside the movie theater and in our own “real world.” At the same time, I really tried to honor the films and the fans who bought my book, so I never stray very far from the movies and I made sure that I didn’t exploit the books for my own themes and philosophical agendas.

I do, however, offer some more interpretive and analytical essays on my website. It is at http://beyondthematrix.stephen-faller.com.

There are many books about, and related to these films. What sets your book apart?

There are many things that distinguish my book. For one thing, as I just said, my book really tries to live into the questions of the trilogy. I recently received a letter from a psychologist (who has an article on my site) who reads every Matrix book he can and verified that my book was unique in this way.

Beyond that my book is one of the few written by a single author. The most popular book is a collection of essays, that although they are interesting, they lack unity as a whole. I go in and out of different philosophical, psychological, and spiritual concepts, but there remains an integrative purpose. Everything is woven together, which is truer to the spirit of the films anyway.

And as best I know, my book is the only one with a companion website and teaching guide.

How long did it take you to write the book? What was your process?

I get asked this a lot, and I wish I paid more attention to my process. It took a few months. In the first movie, Neo goes through a process of awareness and growth. I tried to recreate that experience for my readers, and even though I’m working in print with words, I tried to parallel his reality-altering journey. His journey from Thomas Anderson to the One is the over-arching structure for the book.

How does the concept of The Matrix: Online fit into your overall philosophical view of the trilogy? Is Monolith creating the beast Neo battled in the films?

This is an interesting question. Obviously there are certain ironies that should give die-hard fans cause for pause about voluntarily jacking in to the Matrix. But ultimately, The Matrix Online is about fans, and community, and individual fans participating in a larger story. I think there will always be fantasy game players that lose the ability to distinguish between the value of real life and a game, but I don’t think that diminishes the coolness factor of an interactive story.

It also fits into the movies quite well. More and more of the trilogy takes place in the real world. The Matrix Online is the perfect bridge between the film world and our world. This completes the trajectory of the storyline and allows the fans to explore many of the dangling threads (for example: Why was Sati so important?).

Finally, it also makes for very cool religious and philosophical overtones. Revolutions really borrowed heavily on Christian themes and images. But insofar as the Wachowskis used the Christian metaphor, they sort of stopped the story on Good Friday. History and religious tradition both record a lot of strife immediately surrounding the crucifixion and this could be an exciting vehicle for a game of intrigue and subterfuge.

Will you be playing The Matrix: Online? If so, what faction do you plan to pursue, and what features are you looking forward to the most?

I intend to. I may have some hardware limitations to overcome, so I’ll be nervous until the final requirements are released. As to your other question: I’m not entirely sure which faction(s) I’ll be on.

What advice do you have for so-called "red pills" as they venture out into the virtual world of The Matrix: Online?

My advice would be two-fold.

One, this is an interactive story, so we have the opportunities to edge the flow of things in the way we want. I would encourage players to do odd things, and to try to coerce the Wachowskis to expand and articulate their philosophy as much as we can. Let’s circulate a new question. Instead of, “What is the Matrix?” let’s use “How deep is the rabbit hole?”

Two, don’t forget that it’s just a game. Even on the packaging for “Enter the Matrix,” the code was published, “thisgameisnotreal.”

Thank you once again for taking the time out for this interview, and for contributing your book to our contests section. I'm sure I speak for all our readers in expressing gratitude for sharing your time and knowledge with us.

Thank you. It’s been very special to connect with your readers.