So one of my entertainment passions is Japanese Animation (or “Anime”). Some of it is stunningly good, some of it is insightful, some of it is just reactionary fun, and some is just stupid.

Was watching one, a little one-season deal called Psycho-Pass, a story involving a future society where scanners can tell if you are above a certain “potential” crime level. If so, you can be killed just because of your possibility to do crime.

So the broad story is unraveling, the somber mastermind is lounging around, interviewing a hacker who he’ll need for his devilry. But then the guy starts mentioning William Gibson, Philip K. Dick and George Orwell.

Robert Raymond leans forward on the couch. Eh? What’s this?

Hacker: “Never read Dick. What would you suggest?”

Mastermind: “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”

Hack: “That’s the original story of an old movie, right?”

MM: “The content is quite different. You should compare them when you have time someday.”

H: “I’ll go ahead and download it.”

MM: “Why don’t you buy paper books? E-Books lack character.”

H: “Is that right?”

MM: “Books are not just something that you just read words in. They’re also a tool to adjust your senses.”

H: “Adjust?”

MM: “When I’m not feeling well, there are times that I can’t take in what I read. When that happens, I try to think about what would be hindering my reading. There are books that I can take in smoothly, even when I’m not feeling well. I try to think why. It might be something like mental tuning. What’s important when you tune is the feeling of the paper that your touching with your fingers and the momentary stimulation your brain receives when you turn pages.”

H: “I feel kinda discouraged.”

MM: “Hm?”

H: “When I talk with you, I feel like I’ve been missing out on something all my life.”

MM: “You’re reading too much into it.”

H: “Maybe.”

MM: “It’s about time.”

H: “Shall we go?”

MM: “This is just a random thought, but…”

H: “Yes?”

MM: “It’s too good to be true that an outstanding hacker likes Gibson.”

It’s also too good to be true to find a crime-drama anime that touches on classic scifi and the art of reading.

>>>HEY, I WON’T QUIBBLE – BUY MY BOOKS EITHER IN E-FORMAT OR PAPER. MAKE A MASTERMIND HAPPY!<<<