Current Books

Started by Payoang, December 23, 2009, 06:27:12 PM

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Plumps

#20
Has somebody read into the "James Cameron's Avatar: The Na'vi Quest" already? - Is it the novelization of the film? Or more like a 'behind the scenes' adventure novel?
Was wondering if there are Na'vi phrases in it that would be considered 'canon'

Irayo ... in advance :)

PS:
Quote from: omängum fra'uti on December 26, 2009, 03:34:42 AM
I shudder at the though that someone has probably already done some slash fic.  I'm thinking Grace/Neytiri...  Maybe a little Jake/Quaritch...  Or Tsu'tey/Jake...
I would appreciate the thought that there were gay Na'vi and that they would be accepted in their world - 'cause I would think Eywa loves and accepts them just the way they are

Tìng Eywatikìte'e

Quote from: omängum fra'uti on December 26, 2009, 03:34:42 AM
Quote from: marte on December 23, 2009, 07:14:35 PM
Actually there already is some fanfiction of Avatar, on FF.net and I think on LJ too, I haven't read any.
Definitely getting the Art book. I bet the concept art for this movie must be amazing!
I shudder at the though that someone has probably already done some slash fic.  I'm thinking Grace/Neytiri...  Maybe a little Jake/Quaritch...  Or Tsu'tey/Jake...

Must scrub my mind now. :P

Aww, don't judge us! Though both of those pairings would be awful >.> still, nothing wrong with alternative love.
Oeri lu Eywayä 'eveng


Tengfya swizaw

But these are people, not things to be reduced to mere object to fulfill a sexual desire!
But I'll digress before this gets nasty.


Here's to not knowing exactly what you're saying and having fun with it.

Proud founder of the DeviantART Learn Na'vi group!
http://learnnavi.deviantart.com/

Toruk Makto

Quote from: Plumps83 on January 02, 2010, 06:50:15 PM
I would appreciate the thought that there were gay Na'vi and that they would be accepted in their world - 'cause I would think Eywa loves and accepts them just the way they are

If you look at it from the given knowledge that the Great Mother Eywa does not take sides and only preserves the balance of life, I suppose she would be fairly indifferent to the physical side effects of how two people feel about each other as long as the relationship balances the energy of the Na'vi involved. I think this is a fascinating philosophical offshoot and would love to see more discussion about it in the philosophy topics.

- Txepäsiyu

Lì'fyari leNa'vi 'Rrtamì, vay set 'almong a fra'u zera'u ta ngrrpongu
Na'vi Dictionary: http://files.learnnavi.org/dicts/NaviDictionary.pdf

Tìng Eywatikìte'e

Quote from: Txepäsiyu on January 04, 2010, 12:07:20 PM
Quote from: Plumps83 on January 02, 2010, 06:50:15 PM
I would appreciate the thought that there were gay Na'vi and that they would be accepted in their world - 'cause I would think Eywa loves and accepts them just the way they are

If you look at it from the given knowledge that the Great Mother Eywa does not take sides and only preserves the balance of life, I suppose she would be fairly indifferent to the physical side effects of how two people feel about each other as long as the relationship balances the energy of the Na'vi involved. I think this is a fascinating philosophical offshoot and would love to see more discussion about it in the philosophy topics.

- Txepäsiyu

I'd hope the Na'vi culture would be a tolerating one. We saw few children so perhaps they are not so obsessed with reproducing and more about the love. You get to choose your mate and it is the simple act of making love that seals the bond.
Oeri lu Eywayä 'eveng


Toruk Makto

Well, they apparently haven't overpopulated their moon. Perhaps Eywa has something to do with that.

Lì'fyari leNa'vi 'Rrtamì, vay set 'almong a fra'u zera'u ta ngrrpongu
Na'vi Dictionary: http://files.learnnavi.org/dicts/NaviDictionary.pdf

Plumps

#26
Would think so if their emphasis is on balance ;)

Anyways: back on topic. What about the "Na'vi Quest"? Did anybody read it?

Doolio

Quote from: Txepäsiyu on January 04, 2010, 05:36:11 PM
Well, they apparently haven't overpopulated their moon. Perhaps Eywa has something to do with that.
they haven't overpopulated it because of their technological level, which is rather low compared to ours (now). they got hunted by predators, maybe get trampled by hammerheads, fall of a cliff or tree, get killed by ikran that chose them etc...the point of the movie is that they are not messing around with planet's bio-ballance, they are part of it, they don't take nature's job in their hands or shield themselves from nature and their habitat, they live in it and with it, they are in tune with the world.
to me, movie is about different paths or branches in evolution. we took the 'tech' branch, which, in fact, is not evolutionary at all, as it does not apply to the human itself - we are not more advanced as a species than we were thousands of years ago. if there was to be nuclear war, in two generations, all the knowledge and know-how would be lost and we would find ourselves even 'de-evolutionized' in comparison to our ancestors physically, and maybe the same mentally.
na'vi took the different path, they stayed in tune, their technological level is low, but when we add mental, physical, biological, spiritual and some more factors, it sums up to the conclusion that they are evolutionary far more advanced than we are.
greek philosophy (based on thinking and mental exercise), far eastern philosophy, medicine and 'psychology' (based on natural harmony) and other things are emphasizing what i want to say. modern psychology discoveries are in tune with philosophical postulates from centuries b.c.

that is how i see the comparison done in the movie. of course, it is far more metaphorically showed in the movie, with tsaheylu and everything, but that i think is the main point.
...taj rad...

Toruk Makto

 The 'technology branch' seems to be a positive feedback system. It replicates and expands.

So, when it comes to technology destroying the world, perhaps the only winning move is not to play? (with apologies to Lawrence Lasker and Walter Parkes for stealing their line from War Games)

Lì'fyari leNa'vi 'Rrtamì, vay set 'almong a fra'u zera'u ta ngrrpongu
Na'vi Dictionary: http://files.learnnavi.org/dicts/NaviDictionary.pdf

Doolio

#29
well, there's more to it than just technology. it is a whole philosophy of life and comprehending things.
for instance, in tribal societies there is no (these are law terms, i really don't know their respective english terms so i'll just translate ih the best i can hoping you would understand) private possession, only personal possession. the rise of private possession triggered the social, cultural, and finally, natural ballance,  - straight IMHO here:)

edit:
oh, here it is, this should do the trick:
QuoteIn political and economic theory, the distinction between private property in personal goods and private property in the means of production is important.
In general, personal property is part of your person and includes property from which you have the right to exclude others.[8] [9]
From the socialist perspective, private property refers to capital or means of production that is owned by a business or few individuals and operated for their profit. Personal property refers to tangible items and possessions individuals own, such as consumer goods.

so, neytiri has her bow, her knife, her comb, her thongs:)
but she doesn't have, say, spring of water or pancake making machine which can be used for selling pancakes:)
so, in na'vi (or similar societies on earth) society, eyktan maybe has a prettier knife or something, he does not own something in a 'production and exploatation' way.
again, i am sorry if i am being hard to understand, i hope that wikipedia quotation cleared things a bit.
...taj rad...

Tìng Eywatikìte'e

I'd be wary about using the term "evolutionary" when discussing culture, yes a culture evolves, but as it's own separate path. You can compare and contrast, but using the term "evolve" often time suggests that one culture is more advance on an evolutionary scale. Example, band societies become tribes and tribes become chiefdoms and chiefdoms become civilizations. While this is how some societies came into being it doesn't apply to all. I'm sure you didn't mean for it to sound that way, but in academia terms that's what it could be taken as.

I agree with Doolio, the Na'vi are, in anthropology terms, a chiefdom. They they have a clan leader, which is a hereditary position, I'm assuming that if the pair had a son he would become the clan leader and would marry the next...crap how do you spell it...let's just go with shaman. But in a chiefdom society the clan leader is not absolute as in civilizations (civilizations being a term to identify a society that has developed cities, not suggesting that they are more advance or "civilized") where the idea of overthrowing a ruler is a long complicated process that can turn an entire nation on it's head. Instead if the leader proves himself to be unworthy they can simply pick the next best candidate. They live as a community and don't have much of a concept of ownership when it comes to material objects. They have what they need to hunt and do daily tasks, and everything else is shared with the People.

Oeri lu Eywayä 'eveng


Doolio

yes, you are right:)
by 'evolutionary' i did mean evolution, like, being more agile or strong, or with better sight. or more 'in tune' with the world, in a sense that they are, by repetition over generations, genetically inclined to support the harmony of nature (although this could be a cultural thing also, but it does represent an evolutionary change). but you are right, there are also a lot of cultural factors in the equasion that i simply did not differentiate from the term 'evolutionary' in my previous post.
what i wanted to say by 'evolutionary branches' is that there are different paths in which physical and mental (not cultural, but mental in a more biological or, why not, spiritual or metaphysical level) factors, characteristics and patterns can evolve. because humans are self aware and capable of abstract thinking and have incredibly powerful brain, their evolution is not solely biological. i think that there is a new evolutionary factor that is open to development only to humans - that our connection to the nature and our understanding of harmony does not have to be biological or strictly cultural, but in fact evolutionary in some broader, metaphysical way.
i am aware that this is a little bit Kant-ish or even nietzsche-ish mixed up with some taoism, but it is really neither, although it has some similarities in each.
...taj rad...

Tìng Eywatikìte'e

Well I just started my philosophy 101 class so I won't attempt to discuss metaphysics with you, though if you hunt down dustywhite I'm sure a fascinating conversation would occur. I'm glad you weren't attempting to generalize culture into a single chain. I agree that humans are an interesting creature as they have broken out of their natural niche and, for now, don't follow the same evolutionary rules as other organisms, at least in develop worlds where health care and science have blocked natural selections. Of course it would only take a couple natural disasters of epic proportions to change this.

The Na'vi make an interesting evolutionary case. I would like them to develop it more. Clearly the "bond" is what allows them to stay so deeply connected to the forest, because if you look at how different they are compared to the animals around them (only four limbs instead of six, no weird air holes on the outside of their body, ect) it is clear that they branched off in the evolutionary chain a lot earlier than even primates did from other mammals.
Oeri lu Eywayä 'eveng


Faheu Akawng

In the movie, there's a scene where Norm Spellman holds a book about the Na'vi culture.
Do you think there is any chance that book will be made?

I hope some day I can get one of those...

Bekepam Taronyu

kinda funny how the na'vi world has gone from sci-fi to a life of its own, with the help from everyone here and everyone at learn na'vi, and especially all of the avatar fans. this is gonna be big, and epic.

give it 5 years, this will be in language arts books in school.
silentsniper- "no-sound hunter"- bekepam taronyu

swizaw

Quote from: Plumps83 on January 05, 2010, 12:44:53 PM
What about the "Na'vi Quest"? Did anybody read it?

I read it. Well, more like skimmed it. "Tsahaylu" is spelled wrong. Instead of the "ts", they used a "sh" O.o

Plumps

That's to be explained from the original script by Cameron in which he used Shahaylu (among other words) as a basic stock for the language - I guess they used that as basis. Read that in another post somewhere

swizaw

The story is also heavily condensed. It omitted a lot of parts (without even a mention) that in my opinion made it so awesome :/

Plumps

So, it is the novelization of the film ... but heavily condensed... Alright, that's good to know
Irayo

Kaltxì Palulukan!

Quote from: Ki_Lin_7 on December 31, 2009, 12:23:37 AM
I bought the Movie Scrapbook yesterday. It's cute. Obviously for children, but beggars can't be choosers, you know? ^_^

Did you find anything there that was new of helpful in learning Na'vi or about the Na'vi (srak)

Irayo in advance  :)
2022 update: Working on the new astrology book. "How to read tarot" books are on Amazon, if you are into that sort of thing.
Okay, so the old podcast is here: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/radioavatar It was goofy fun that ended too soon, but we had creative people. I hope we can get a new gang together (interested? PM me, let's make some magic!)
(Very old, outdated) Na'vi FUN activity book is here: But what are you doing? Let me know! :)