Definitely seems fitting to have a vlogbrothers thread with the new book coming out.
Just don't forget to use the spoiler tag if you post anything spoilery about the book!
vlogbrothers
- alittledizzy
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I could talk about my history with Vlogbrothers for a long while, but right now, I am a bit emotionally exhausted after reading Turtles All the Way Down last night. The last time I read a book in one sitting, it was The Fault in Our Stars. Seems like a theme.
"This is not children's television. I'm 26, I'm depressed, and I need edgy jokes to cope with my anxiety."
Daniel Howell, 10/30/17
Daniel Howell, 10/30/17
- nigel ratburn
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I'm not going to get to read the new book until Friday because I accidentally had it shipped to my house instead of my address at school but I'm really excited.
The vlogbrothers were one of my first YouTube obsessions and I still have an enormous amount of respect for them, so the fact that they always have nice things to say about each other makes my heart feel warm things
The vlogbrothers were one of my first YouTube obsessions and I still have an enormous amount of respect for them, so the fact that they always have nice things to say about each other makes my heart feel warm things
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The vlogbrothers were the second channel I subscribed to (after charlieissocoollike), and even now, years later, I watch most of their videos and listen to every single podcast episode.
I bought the new book today and have already started reading it, even though I wasn't a super big fan of The Fault in Our Stars. We'll see how I feel about this one!
I bought the new book today and have already started reading it, even though I wasn't a super big fan of The Fault in Our Stars. We'll see how I feel about this one!
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citizen_erased wrote: ↑Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:03 pm The vlogbrothers were the second channel I subscribed to (after charlieissocoollike), and even now, years later, I watch most of their videos and listen to every single podcast episode.
I bought the new book today and have already started reading it, even though I wasn't a super big fan of The Fault in Our Stars. We'll see how I feel about this one!
I feel like we're similar in our relationship to the vlogbrothers. In 2011, I started watching YouTube with subscribing to Alex Day (ugh) and then Charlie and the vlogbrothers. I really really loved The Fault in our Stars when it came out. I was 17 at the time and I sobbed and sobbed. This one made me cry for very different reasons. I feel that it has the familiarity of a John Green book but it's different in many ways. More real? Maybe more mature? I'm not sure yet. It's been an emotional few days and I still have lots to unpack.
"This is not children's television. I'm 26, I'm depressed, and I need edgy jokes to cope with my anxiety."
Daniel Howell, 10/30/17
Daniel Howell, 10/30/17
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I'm currently about halfway through and I did notice a lot of sentence that I could practically hear John say in my head so yeah I would agree it's a very John-book, which is not a bad thing, I love the way he talks, those ridiculous sentences brought in a deadpan way are one of my favourite things of the podcast.obscureDnPreference wrote: ↑Thu Oct 12, 2017 4:20 pmcitizen_erased wrote: ↑Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:03 pm The vlogbrothers were the second channel I subscribed to (after charlieissocoollike), and even now, years later, I watch most of their videos and listen to every single podcast episode.
I bought the new book today and have already started reading it, even though I wasn't a super big fan of The Fault in Our Stars. We'll see how I feel about this one!
I feel like we're similar in our relationship to the vlogbrothers. In 2011, I started watching YouTube with subscribing to Alex Day (ugh) and then Charlie and the vlogbrothers. I really really loved The Fault in our Stars when it came out. I was 17 at the time and I sobbed and sobbed. This one made me cry for very different reasons. I feel that it has the familiarity of a John Green book but it's different in many ways. More real? Maybe more mature? I'm not sure yet. It's been an emotional few days and I still have lots to unpack.
oh god, I'm so glad tfios did not exist when I was 17. I would not have been able to read it (personal reasons, around the time I turned 17 a coworker, who was also 17, died from cancer. I've never been able to read or watch anything that involves teenagers dying from cancer. I did read tfios in, idk, 2014 or something, a full 7 years after my coworker died, but it still hit me like a brick.)
(next bit under spoiler cut just to be sure)
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citizen_erased wrote: ↑Thu Oct 12, 2017 7:11 pmI'm currently about halfway through and I did notice a lot of sentence that I could practically hear John say in my head so yeah I would agree it's a very John-book, which is not a bad thing, I love the way he talks, those ridiculous sentences brought in a deadpan way are one of my favourite things of the podcast.obscureDnPreference wrote: ↑Thu Oct 12, 2017 4:20 pmcitizen_erased wrote: ↑Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:03 pm The vlogbrothers were the second channel I subscribed to (after charlieissocoollike), and even now, years later, I watch most of their videos and listen to every single podcast episode.
I bought the new book today and have already started reading it, even though I wasn't a super big fan of The Fault in Our Stars. We'll see how I feel about this one!
I feel like we're similar in our relationship to the vlogbrothers. In 2011, I started watching YouTube with subscribing to Alex Day (ugh) and then Charlie and the vlogbrothers. I really really loved The Fault in our Stars when it came out. I was 17 at the time and I sobbed and sobbed. This one made me cry for very different reasons. I feel that it has the familiarity of a John Green book but it's different in many ways. More real? Maybe more mature? I'm not sure yet. It's been an emotional few days and I still have lots to unpack.
oh god, I'm so glad tfios did not exist when I was 17. I would not have been able to read it (personal reasons, around the time I turned 17 a coworker, who was also 17, died from cancer. I've never been able to read or watch anything that involves teenagers dying from cancer. I did read tfios in, idk, 2014 or something, a full 7 years after my coworker died, but it still hit me like a brick.)
(next bit under spoiler cut just to be sure)
"This is not children's television. I'm 26, I'm depressed, and I need edgy jokes to cope with my anxiety."
Daniel Howell, 10/30/17
Daniel Howell, 10/30/17
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(spoilers for the book & mental health discussions under the spoiler tag:)
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Hey I saw Hank and John on Sunday as a part of the Turtles book tour. IT WAS SO GOOD. But to the ending point (that I never answered like 2 weeks ago), what got me about the end was that there was one. I've always found the endings to his books unsatisfying. But this one finished up the story and gave the reader an idea of Aza's future. (spoilers under the cut)citizen_erased wrote: ↑Fri Oct 13, 2017 10:31 am(spoilers for the book & mental health discussions under the spoiler tag:)
"This is not children's television. I'm 26, I'm depressed, and I need edgy jokes to cope with my anxiety."
Daniel Howell, 10/30/17
Daniel Howell, 10/30/17
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- truth bomb
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Oh my god I'm so jealous! Glad you had a great night though!obscureDnPreference wrote: ↑Wed Oct 25, 2017 5:57 pmHey I saw Hank and John on Sunday as a part of the Turtles book tour. IT WAS SO GOOD. But to the ending point (that I never answered like 2 weeks ago), what got me about the end was that there was one. I've always found the endings to his books unsatisfying. But this one finished up the story and gave the reader an idea of Aza's future. (spoilers under the cut)citizen_erased wrote: ↑Fri Oct 13, 2017 10:31 am(spoilers for the book & mental health discussions under the spoiler tag:)
It is a very hopeful and yet heartbreaking ending. For people with mental health issues, it's proof you can life a full and meaningful life. And that got me sobbing.
I can't say much about the endings of his other books since I only read tfios, but idk, I'm a bit on the fence about this ending.
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No I totally get what you mean! That's honestly what I liked about the ending. It's REAL. Yes, I know that it's a harsh reminder of the reality of mental illness and it reminds me that I may hit a super low point again. At the same time, it reminds me I can succeed in my career in spite of this thing. And Dan reminded us of that in his video too. (Which came out the day after I read this book and it wrecked me)citizen_erased wrote: ↑Wed Oct 25, 2017 9:59 pmOh my god I'm so jealous! Glad you had a great night though!obscureDnPreference wrote: ↑Wed Oct 25, 2017 5:57 pmHey I saw Hank and John on Sunday as a part of the Turtles book tour. IT WAS SO GOOD. But to the ending point (that I never answered like 2 weeks ago), what got me about the end was that there was one. I've always found the endings to his books unsatisfying. But this one finished up the story and gave the reader an idea of Aza's future. (spoilers under the cut)citizen_erased wrote: ↑Fri Oct 13, 2017 10:31 am(spoilers for the book & mental health discussions under the spoiler tag:)
It is a very hopeful and yet heartbreaking ending. For people with mental health issues, it's proof you can life a full and meaningful life. And that got me sobbing.
I can't say much about the endings of his other books since I only read tfios, but idk, I'm a bit on the fence about this ending.
"This is not children's television. I'm 26, I'm depressed, and I need edgy jokes to cope with my anxiety."
Daniel Howell, 10/30/17
Daniel Howell, 10/30/17
I just finished An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, and I thought it was excellent! I'm hoping that Dan and/or Phil will comment on it in a liveshow or something when they've finished reading it. I think their opinions on the opinions expressed in the book would be really interesting.
You're being beamed up by aggressive aliens and they're plugging in the anal probe
"Oh, God. Okay. I say: *shrug* [...] I'd be like, 'I don't know how this works. Put a condom on that thing. *shrug*'"
Dan Howell, 5/10/18 Try new things..?
"Oh, God. Okay. I say: *shrug* [...] I'd be like, 'I don't know how this works. Put a condom on that thing. *shrug*'"
Dan Howell, 5/10/18 Try new things..?
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same! I read AART recently and knowing both Dan and Phil have their own copies I'd be really curious to see what they think of it. I think they have a lot of very relevant IRL experiences that could be really interesting for them to talk about. I'm forever holding out hope that one day they'll appear on Dear Hank & John, which could be a great opportunity for them to talk about the book as well (though I'm not actually holding that much hope).itasca00 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 15, 2018 9:59 am I just finished An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, and I thought it was excellent! I'm hoping that Dan and/or Phil will comment on it in a liveshow or something when they've finished reading it. I think their opinions on the opinions expressed in the book would be really interesting.
Also I need the sequel to this book ASAP.
@citizen_erased Exactly! Literally any substantive opinion they offered on anything in the book would be super interesting to me.
I always live in hope that they'll one day be inspired to do more collabs of any kind with anyone, but I also think this is somewhat unlikely.
I agree with you on the sequel as well. So many things have been left unresolved!
I always live in hope that they'll one day be inspired to do more collabs of any kind with anyone, but I also think this is somewhat unlikely.
I agree with you on the sequel as well. So many things have been left unresolved!
You're being beamed up by aggressive aliens and they're plugging in the anal probe
"Oh, God. Okay. I say: *shrug* [...] I'd be like, 'I don't know how this works. Put a condom on that thing. *shrug*'"
Dan Howell, 5/10/18 Try new things..?
"Oh, God. Okay. I say: *shrug* [...] I'd be like, 'I don't know how this works. Put a condom on that thing. *shrug*'"
Dan Howell, 5/10/18 Try new things..?
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I really want to hear what they think about AART as well! I noticed a ton of similarities between AART and Interactive Introverts. On the back of the book it says "how vilification and adoration spring from the same dehumanisation that follows a life in the public eye." That was a big theme in Interactive Introverts. And little things in the book reminded me of Dan and Phil too, when it says Andy has printer-paper-pale skin, I imagined Phil reading that and going "same" And I accidentally imagined Robin as Dan and once I did I couldn't imagine him any other way. Hank describes him as "a fashionable young man" and "the cute assistant guy" "his voice was sweet and soft" I love that Hank and John aren't afraid to call guys cute because they know their audience isn't homophobic idiots, and it's the same way for Dan and Phil. I ship John and Hank and Dan and Phil as friends. Sometimes Hank can be random and silly like Phil, and existential crisis and reminding us all of the inevitability of death is like both John and Dan's "thing". They would make the cutest videos together.
@bestfriendsclub Lol at Robin being Dan! The description does fit, but I imagined him being short and twinky...actually, now that I think about it, the way I imagined him looking is pretty similar to the way Brent Corrigan looks (example under the spoiler). And I definitely imagined him being gay since he seems to be the only character in the book that has zero romantic/sexual interest in April May.
Dan also reminds me of John, and I would absolutely love to see the duos of Dan & Phil and John & Hank make some kind of content together.
You're being beamed up by aggressive aliens and they're plugging in the anal probe
"Oh, God. Okay. I say: *shrug* [...] I'd be like, 'I don't know how this works. Put a condom on that thing. *shrug*'"
Dan Howell, 5/10/18 Try new things..?
"Oh, God. Okay. I say: *shrug* [...] I'd be like, 'I don't know how this works. Put a condom on that thing. *shrug*'"
Dan Howell, 5/10/18 Try new things..?
- kavat
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I haven't read the book yet (I'm waiting for the audiobook to come to my provider of choice) but big yes to a collab. Actually, I would love for dnp to appear on Hank's ICG podcast were he interviews creators for the Internet Creators Guild. Hank has mentioned before (in the tatinof doc? Or did I dream that?) that he's fascinated by how they handle fandom, and how Hank and John now take notes from Dan and Phil, instead of the opposite like a few years ago. I would love to hear them talk as peers about fandom, internet fame and maybe what it's like to become famous when you're ~20 compared to when you're ~30. All interviews we've seen of dnp are from outsiders that don't have the insight like Hank and John does, and it would be a really interesting perspective.
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I read AART a few weeks ago. As a fan of John's books (Looking for Alaska will always be The Shit, man) and their channel, I thought I might like it.
For me it didn't really work as a book. I thought the writing style was clunky and I didn't think the character construction was good; I especially found April very unsympathetic. However, the bits about marketing yourself to become internet famous were interesting. Incredibly cynical, but interesting. I also thought "The Dream" was a really cool idea.
For me it didn't really work as a book. I thought the writing style was clunky and I didn't think the character construction was good; I especially found April very unsympathetic. However, the bits about marketing yourself to become internet famous were interesting. Incredibly cynical, but interesting. I also thought "The Dream" was a really cool idea.
I miss Dan Howell's stupid face.
- alittledizzy
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Time to confess: I only read half of AART because I was afraid April and Maya were going to break up and that made me too sad. It got the fanfic treatment for me, where I realized I'm not in the right mood to handle something sad, so I just perpetually delay finishing it.
(That's not a spoiler; I genuinely don't know if they do or not. I was just afraid they would.)
(That's not a spoiler; I genuinely don't know if they do or not. I was just afraid they would.)
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I recently picked AART up on a trip to the library looking for something to read. (I read loads of fic, but I read loads of published novels and other books as well.)
I enjoyed it! The science fiction plot was pretty lightweight (but I don't there was any intention to make it more substantive; it was mainly a device), but I really liked reading a story about someone's meteoric rise on social media, and then all the ways things can go wrong. Surely Hank, of all people, is well situated to understand how that sort of fame can affect different sorts of people.
I like reading published fiction that actually feels as though it is taking place in the present (as opposed so some vague near-past); this is much harder to achieve in published work, with the built-in delay, than in fic.
I also really liked having a bisexual main character.
I'm not sure about a sequel....I don't know if the insider knowledge that Hank leveraged for AART would extend to another book, and I'm not sure his story-telling skilled are up to plunging off in another direction.
I enjoyed it! The science fiction plot was pretty lightweight (but I don't there was any intention to make it more substantive; it was mainly a device), but I really liked reading a story about someone's meteoric rise on social media, and then all the ways things can go wrong. Surely Hank, of all people, is well situated to understand how that sort of fame can affect different sorts of people.
I like reading published fiction that actually feels as though it is taking place in the present (as opposed so some vague near-past); this is much harder to achieve in published work, with the built-in delay, than in fic.
I also really liked having a bisexual main character.
I'm not sure about a sequel....I don't know if the insider knowledge that Hank leveraged for AART would extend to another book, and I'm not sure his story-telling skilled are up to plunging off in another direction.
"If you're left-handed, ask a friend."
"Why am I left-handed?"
"Everybody makes mistakes."
This project has always been planned as a two-book package, so I'm not worried about Hank running out of steam for the second book. I think he's had the outline for the whole story for a long time, and he only told one half of the story in the first book. In any event, it looks like he's making steady progress:
I also seem to recall Hank saying somewhere (Twitter, YouTube, etc.) that the best is yet to come in the sequel, but I haven't been able to verify this for sure. We shall see!
You're being beamed up by aggressive aliens and they're plugging in the anal probe
"Oh, God. Okay. I say: *shrug* [...] I'd be like, 'I don't know how this works. Put a condom on that thing. *shrug*'"
Dan Howell, 5/10/18 Try new things..?
"Oh, God. Okay. I say: *shrug* [...] I'd be like, 'I don't know how this works. Put a condom on that thing. *shrug*'"
Dan Howell, 5/10/18 Try new things..?
I had a few hours of driving to do yesterday, so I decided to check out The Anthropocene Reviewed. I just now finished binge listening to the last episode. In my opinion, each episode is like a long-form version of a vlogbrothers video made by John. Except I've been quite surprised and pleased by John's willingness to talk about himself, not only in terms of the frequency that he shares stories from his life, but also in terms of the incredibly personal and intense nature of some of his stories. Right now, I especially wish I had someone to talk to about John's reviews of "Googling strangers" and Harvey. I think it's no exaggeration to say that the stories he shared in these reviews will stay with me forever.
At times, John's stories also made me think of Dan. I don't personally have a hard time contemplating existentialist questions, and I've often felt that I only have a vague understanding of what it's like to be troubled by these kinds of questions. In the podcast, John talks about his own thoughts/feelings/emotions related to existentialism several times in a way that I found very clarifying...and shocking. For example, in his review of Tetris, he describes feeling a constant emotional agony related to the possibility that his life is meaningless. Like I said in a previous post, I see a lot of John in Dan, and I can't help but wonder if Dan experiences similar thoughts/feelings/emotions.
At this point, I feel I need to say explicitly that the podcast is not all about John, and it is not all doom-and-gloom. With each review, John does a wonderful job of providing history and context on the subject at hand in a succinct, entertaining, and thoughtful way. All in all, I think this is an excellent podcast, and I highly recommend it!
At times, John's stories also made me think of Dan. I don't personally have a hard time contemplating existentialist questions, and I've often felt that I only have a vague understanding of what it's like to be troubled by these kinds of questions. In the podcast, John talks about his own thoughts/feelings/emotions related to existentialism several times in a way that I found very clarifying...and shocking. For example, in his review of Tetris, he describes feeling a constant emotional agony related to the possibility that his life is meaningless. Like I said in a previous post, I see a lot of John in Dan, and I can't help but wonder if Dan experiences similar thoughts/feelings/emotions.
At this point, I feel I need to say explicitly that the podcast is not all about John, and it is not all doom-and-gloom. With each review, John does a wonderful job of providing history and context on the subject at hand in a succinct, entertaining, and thoughtful way. All in all, I think this is an excellent podcast, and I highly recommend it!
You're being beamed up by aggressive aliens and they're plugging in the anal probe
"Oh, God. Okay. I say: *shrug* [...] I'd be like, 'I don't know how this works. Put a condom on that thing. *shrug*'"
Dan Howell, 5/10/18 Try new things..?
"Oh, God. Okay. I say: *shrug* [...] I'd be like, 'I don't know how this works. Put a condom on that thing. *shrug*'"
Dan Howell, 5/10/18 Try new things..?
- alittledizzy
- actual demon phannie
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I love The Anthropocene Reviewed - it's such a good zone out podcast, I could listen to him just explain esoteric things to me forever.
I also really enjoyed his newest video, and I hope a lot of the online influencers who could benefit from his calm advisement somehow have it cross their path.
I also really enjoyed his newest video, and I hope a lot of the online influencers who could benefit from his calm advisement somehow have it cross their path.
I was coming to post the video as well. Loved it! Dan and Phil check every box on his list huh? John and Hank must be so proud of them. In lights of all the drama happening around Youtubers, I’m in awe of how smart and sensible dnp have always been.alittledizzy wrote: ↑Tue May 14, 2019 7:24 pm I also really enjoyed his newest video, and I hope a lot of the online influencers who could benefit from his calm advisement somehow have it cross their path.
I get a lot of enjoyment thinking about Dan and Phil following John and Hank’s recent “All Star” journey.
That is all.
You're being beamed up by aggressive aliens and they're plugging in the anal probe
"Oh, God. Okay. I say: *shrug* [...] I'd be like, 'I don't know how this works. Put a condom on that thing. *shrug*'"
Dan Howell, 5/10/18 Try new things..?
"Oh, God. Okay. I say: *shrug* [...] I'd be like, 'I don't know how this works. Put a condom on that thing. *shrug*'"
Dan Howell, 5/10/18 Try new things..?