4 Stars:
The book "The Excavation of Mushroom Island" by Logan Zawacki is not your typical fiction book. In fact I found nothing typical about it. It is a fictional take on the video game Super Mario Brothers. However, it's not about cheat codes or how to level up higher than your best buddy; it's something totally different.
"The Excavation of Mushroom Island" is a story created to make you feel like you're reading an archaeological discovery of the actual world Mario comes from. In the forward to the book, Zawacki discovers a tunnel inside a volcano and transports to a fantasy world.
After the forward to the book there are around 32 pages of seemingly real documentation on the discovery of the Mario Brothers world. The art in this book is amazing. It really looks like you are seeing an artist’s rendition of real creatures discovered by archaeologists. Each page is incredibly detailed and describes the class of species found, their habits, reasons for extinction, etc. This book was no simple task in creating.
Because I am not an expert when it comes to Super Mario Brothers I enlisted the help of my husband. I decided to do a little Q&A with him to get a man’s take on this book. Joe (the hubs) read the forward and picked several pages to read beyond that. Here is our conversation about "The Excavation of Mushroom Island."
Q - First, what did you think of the book?
A - Wow. Lots of detail. Somebody really likes Super Mario Brothers.
Q - Don't you like Super Mario Brothers?
A - Oh yeah. I haven't played it in forever. It made me want to get it and play it.
Q - What did you think was the coolest thing about the book?
A - The forward. The idea that someone would accidentally stumble upon a portal to another world while searching for something else. It's a good story.
Q - Did the book seem like it was accurate to the video game that you remember from years ago?
A - Oh yeah. I almost had to laugh a few times because some of the pictures just remind you of that time. Super Mario Brothers was more a video game I played as a kid. I remember how fun and sometimes how tough that game was. It's kind of like the first game I ever got into.
Q - Do you think that is why this book might strike a chord with a lot of people?
A - Definitely. Mario Brothers is like the first video game you ever really conquer. That and maybe Legend of Zelda.
Q - What do you think people will like about this book?
A - I think it's kind of a tribute to, like I said, that first time you played a video game. It may sound dumb to people but for a lot of people it just brings back memories. It would be fun to show that book to other people you know who were into Mario Brothers as much. I'm not a huge Mario Brothers fan now or anything but I thought it was cool.
Q - Do you want this for Christmas?
A - (laughs) You can surprise me. I'll let you decide.
So from the sounds of it, if you want to take my husband’s word as a "pseudo-sort-of-expert" on the subject this book is fun for anyone who loves or loved Super Mario Brothers. As a chick I can maybe compare it by saying if someone was to write a fictional archaeological/art book about Barbie that would be... well, no, that wouldn't probably make any sense.
But my two cents is this: it's an extremely creative way to look at something. I am a total novice when it comes to this sort of thing. But I certainly appreciate the book for what it is. This is a very entertaining and light hearted way to look at Super Mario Brothers. A world that exists for so many in our imagination. Very cool and I recommend it to anyone who is into video games.
For information on how to purchase this book please contact the author or visit the following web address:
www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/723284
Logan Zawacki: lzcreations@hotmail.com
BYLINE:
Bry Schulz is a writer, photographer, and mother who really hates squash. Not necessarily the game but definitely the vegetable. Email Bry at bry@zoiksonline.com.
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