Remember J.J. Abrams' Fake Movie?

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In 2013, director JJ Abrams surprised the world with a spooky trailer. Turns out, it was for a book... and the book is kinda out there. Let's talk about S. by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst.
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[@Conflict-ff5pi]

I appreciate that JJ skipped all the formalities in this instance and just made the entire product the Mystery Box

[@pedersenlasse]

*slaps cover* This bad boy can fit so many mysteries inside.

[@harrylane4]

Well, he can’t have a disappointing and underwhelming ending if his mystery box doesn’t even have a beginning

[@whyiwakeup6460]

@@harrylane4if you can’t open the box, you won’t know if it’s bad! That’s what we call fnaf storytelling, fellas.

[@Plxlinixy]

Except he just ripped off the house of leaves which is the superior version of that story.

[@deadhumanisalive]

@@Plxlinixy house of leaves is insane

[@ryanpmcguire]

I thought this was going to be a disappointing “it was only a book!” trailer, but this book is actually really cool.

[@boobootittleman7299]

“S.” was so unique, it’s kind of daunting considering there’s three different stories going on in one novel.

[@ulture]

it's a pastiche of House of Leaves

[@owenbaraff4839]

there are 4 stories

[@mechaluke]

​@@ultureWhat makes you say that? I admittedly haven't read S, but from what I've heard about it here, it seems pretty ridiculous to call it a pastiche of House of Leaves. Heavily influenced for sure, but not a pastiche

[@JacksonNovem]

@@mechalukeheavily influenced to the point this is a tacky and lame recreation from a professional fanboy

[@mechaluke]

@@JacksonNovem Have you read the book? Because unless you have information I'm not privy to (which is more or less what I was asking for in the first place) your statement is flat out stupid

[@sneb602]

This sounds like some House Of Leaves-esque deep rabbit hole kinda book. Gonna check it out! I had no idea this existed

[@jodofficial1724]

House of Leaves-esque, for sure! But also...not, I suppose. I came across House of Leaves after reading S and was not disappointed.

[@hcstubbs3290]

I think S is much better than House of Leaves - it's much more readable and so much more enjoyable. Also, going through all the extra notes and clues is so fun. 😁

[@rowen9]

Absolutely what I was thinking! Seems cool

[@vanishingllama7342]

I stinkin' love books like this that blend fiction and reality, I would have never found out books like this exist without you. Thank you, Austin, you rock!

[@eryalmario5299]

This looks like an ARG

[@ayyazkhan1917]

That's a majestic mustache

[@Pirategod23]

I lost my mustache:/

[@EvenTheDogAgrees]

Hmm... That was an adequate alliteration. 😄

[@giovannileo9720]

I loved this book and it took me basically all of highschool finish and I’m still not sure if I’m finished or not

[@eth3792]

Time to dedicate your life to learning how to study it, accidentally leave it in a library one time and meet someone else through notes in the margins...oh wait....

[@Eden_Laika]

Or you could just read 'The Waves' by Virginia Wolf, or 'Pale Fire' by Vladimir Nabokov, or 'House of Leaves' by Mark Z. Danielewsky, 'Zettel's Traum' by Arno Schmidt, '1982, Janine' by Alasdair Grey...

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

@@eth3792 That would genuinely be a super exciting project, to turn the fictional story into a real version of it.

[@jodofficial1724]

One of my favorite books presentations despite not getting... probably most of it. Also led me to discover another book you'd covered, House of Leaves. Both very unique, for very different reasons. Folks should definitely give it a read! Thanks for sharing Austin! As always, great overview.

[@quokka_yt]

This video is only 7 seconds old, yet your comment is 21hrs old. How?

[@brancellbooks]

@@quokka_ytmagic

[@TH3SHUR1F]

@@quokka_yt Time travel is the only logical answer.

[@abigailchiesa1337]

@quokka_yt Early access Patreon perk, probably

[@quokka_yt]

@@abigailchiesa1337 Makes sense, early access. But is he really the only patron who commented?

[@Rytoc12]

To be fair, a ton of projects that Abrams has been attached to since The Force Awakens haven't come out. So those are the REAL fake movies.

[@EvenTheDogAgrees]

lol. Fair... :)

[@KetsubanSolo]

After the really poor reception to The Rise of Skywalker, it's probably going to be a while before we see any of them. The faults in his writing style were laid bare for the world to see (exacerbated by BATMAN V SUPERMAN's writer proving to also be terrible), so I'd wager his reputation took a massive hit.

[@ckannan90]

@@KetsubanSoloI don’t know how anyone who has done even a modicum of reading into the making of that movie can blame JJ for the outcome. His strength has never been as a writer. He still directs the hell out of that movie and has some great set pieces and moments throughout. The studio needed either a clear plan for the trilogy, or a looser release schedule (ie the movie gets made and released when it’s ready). Ideally both. Creating a fixed “every two years” schedule when you don’t even know what the story is going to be is madness.

[@wyattm_]

Very fascinating video. I appreciate this new “out-of-the-box books” series, especially since I haven’t read any books in the past few years and had no clue that books like these even existed. This one sounds right up my alley. Thanks!

[@christina4941]

this book *just* came up on my social media timeline yesterday and i put a hold on it at my library immediately. what great timing! thank u so much for the tips, would’ve gotten really frustrated otherwise

[@fostena]

Does it pay off? I'm always skeptical with JJ. Is it a mystery for mystery's sake or does it contain something meaningful to discover?

[@dinglemunch]

My question is the same. Once everything is read, all layers from start to finish, is it worth the effort? Is it satisfying?

[@halfpintrr]

SPOILERS. The main question of who is VM Straka is never really solved. There are some interesting threads that also never get followed up on. Jen and Eric’s story is compelling though. I wish there was a sequel tbh to answer all of the lingering questions.

[@meanolduncleeli904]

It’s interesting learning about these odd books. I don’t think I could get through it, but I’m glad they exist. Reading unfinished Tolkien stories with footnotes is the closest I’ll get.

[@vdvklaas]

I hope you keep coming to us with these type of books as this one or Cathy's book, really enjoying these books that have a history of people owning it, writing in it, reading it a spart of the experience. loving these videos.

[@lawrencecalablaster568]

I’ve seen this book on the shelf at my local library so many times (mainly because it’s early in the alphabetical-by-author shelf & interesting), but never checked it out. Maybe now will be the day :)

[@LouisWritingSomethingCrazy]

Sounds like the perfect Abrams project. Layers upon layers of useless mysteries all without the pretext of actually coming up with a plausible ending.

[@tux1468]

YESSSSS im so glad austin is doing more vids on these kindsa books!

[@buyPhinn]

So glad you brought this book to my attention! This concept of having supplementary materials for a normal novel absolutely fascinates me. I always learn something new from your content, which is a breath of fresh air from how much content is recycled nowadays.

[@spiderside3892]

oh my god thank you for talking about this! ive never heard of it, but it sounds incredible! I definitely need to check this out when i have the cash

[@susantherestorer]

I remember the first time I saw this book: I used to shelve books at my local library, and one day found this book on the shelf. I at first couldn't make sense of how this book was in the A's when the "author's name was Straka, nor did I understand why someone would've penciled in that the book's true author was J.J. Abrams, when, again, the author's name was clearly on the front cover. Also I think it was missing its dust jacket. I kept thinking I was shelving it wrong to place it where I had found it (in the As), and it took me a bit staring at the inside before I noticed that what I originally took for writing in a library book was in fact printed and therefore on purpose, so it was a "fake" book. I finally asked a fellow librarian and got it explained. Pretty clever, but also totally frustrating 🙄😛

[@_modnar_]

In my comment on the last video I mentioned "House of Leaves" and "S", so seeing this video now is really funny for me 😁

[@icannotchoose]

I JUST finished reading S. ! What a coincidence. It was really good, but I checked it out of my local library which comes with some downsides. All the maps and such were crammed in the front, and I couldn't take my time because I only had three weeks with it. I read the Ship of Theseus story with FXC's notes first, one chapter per day, then went through all the Jen/Eric notes from month one and two, one chapter per day. I actually enjoyed reading the month one and two notes together because the beginning of the Jen/Eric story is fairly slow. Then I read all the final notes on the last day.

[@erichall1]

J.J. "A Ton of Ambiguity" Abrams

[@redstaticofficial0320]

This book almost gives off House of Leaves vibes. I might get this book.

[@Termina_]

They’re both ergodic literature!

[@reanetsemoleleki8219]

This isn't really my kinda thing. But, it does remind me of Watchmen wherein which I read a comic book, a memoir, and an article written by characters in the the universe. Not quite as convoluted as this but in the graphic novel format it was quite immersive.

[@SaveSamm]

This sounds like the coolest book ever. Thank you so much for making this video. Can't wait to take it slow and enjoy the book over the next year.

[@silver6s]

These are very easily my favorites versions of your videos! Thanks for the recommendation, I look forward to reading this very soon. :D

[@Desukashino]

There must be others in my area who watch your videos, because 2 of the 3 bookstores in my area were sold out or had their only copy on hold. Luckily I managed to snag one! The concept is just so unique and cool! Excited to work my way through it.

[@pieforpi314]

I am not going to lie, the last 5 or so videos from Austin have been bangers. Amazing. Thank you Austin

[@buckeyeguy82]

I love books that put me right in the story and this seems like it’s right up my alley! I’ll have to check it out, definitely feeling the vibes of this book. Thanks Austin for the video, I’m discovering there’s things I never knew I’d enjoy until watching your videos.

[@bensneb360]

I love the layers to this, it seems like a lot to read at once, but once you get into the swing of it, the experience can be a lot of fun

[@ManicGinger416]

I was just thinking about this book the other day! My roommate read it and told me about it in college. I’ve soured on JJ Abrams since then, but maybe this is my sign to finally pick this one up!

[@jem2017]

I had to stop listening before the four-minute mark for fear of spoilers, but I thank you for drawing attention to the book. I'd never heard of it before, but am now looking forward to getting into it.

[@anthonyboatner7286]

I read house of leaves a couple years ago on your recommendation and fell in love with it excited to give this a read

[@WaldoHandFord]

Absolutely incredible intro to this!

[@emmamcclellan8272]

Thanks for the vid Austen! Really great stuff.

[@DanielS2001]

Seeing you like the Experimental format like S., the TV series Mr. Robot did something similar with a tie-in novel called Red Wheelbarrow, which is a recreation of Elliot’s journal seen at the start of Season 2 of the show, which also included the main text by Elliot, margin notes by the pyro girl who is seen burning books near the basketball court and inserts including a newspaper clipping and additional notes and clippings. Might want to check that out.

[@coleenocasturme]

I love the concept of this book! Not sure how I'd access the content (visually impaired), but might just check out the audio of Ship of Theseus. Reminds me of Possession by A.S. Byatt, which is similarly about scholarship and the instability of texts.

[@dimesonhiseyes9134]

You need to check out the book "Cain's Jawbone". It is a murder mystery/ puzzle book where All the pages were printed out of order. Supposedly there is a prize that has never been claimed if you arrange the pages correctly.

[@coleenocasturme]

There are a handful of people (maybe 5?) who have solved "Cain's Jawbone", including writer John Finnemore, who did so during 2020's lockdown.

[@PatrickAnders]

S. is amazing. I read it over Winter Break, and have spent so much time just vibing with it. I especially love all of the other books that Straka wrote, and the supplementary material online is amazing to dive into. So glad I got to see this video! Also recognized the book just from the cover background lol

[@Kevin_Street]

This sounds amazing! And I've heard of it before, which is strange in itself. Thanks for the video.

[@lastnamefirstname8655]

didn't actually know about this, thanks for telling us about this, austin!

[@jaredellison326]

A book called "Pale Fire" by Vladimir Nabokov was my first foray into this kind of book.

[@breadcrumbhoarder]

It’s like if House of Leaves was a library book haha, I wonder if JJ read it and thought to himself, “I can do this and I can make it even more immersive!”

[@OsirisMalkovich]

Abrams made a Mystery Box Book, and like all his mystery box stories, it lacks an ending and never pays off.

[@mr.moviemafia]

9:56 As Austin even talks about right here too, this being done through the medium of a book honestly seems cooler though

[@greggoat6570]

“Lacks an ending and never pays off” I swear people online just say shit haha. You are basing that off memes and nothing else.

[@OsirisMalkovich]

@@greggoat6570 I'm basing it off of everything I've seen of Abrams' work. He relies on the Mystery Box premise _a lot,_ and his stories seldom reaches a satisfying conclusion because of it. If you disagree, make a case for a specific story that you think pays off. Otherwise, you're just one of those "people online who say shit haha."

[@king_dot]

This is a amazing concept

[@jonmartinson6830]

I remember being super hyped for the book, I found it just after Christmas and it was deeply discounted. I read the first chapter, developed a Roaring migraine, then shelved the book where it remains to this day.

[@SuperJoMario64]

My wife bought me this for my birthday. I’m going to dive into it this weekend

[@onenerd9573]

This reminds me of House of Leaves, with the different layers of story and narrators. Thanks for the recommendation!

[@annaduer7194]

I totally forgot about this book! I never finished it, though I still have it sitting on my shelf. Maybe I should pick it up again

[@LimiOttertje]

You were so good with telling this story that I bought the book even before seeing the whole video lmao

[@Coffeepanda294]

Okay, so I had to close this vid and add this to my To Read list. I'm planning a small book-and-graphic novels binge and now it's going to include this one.

[@DillonTrinhProductions]

Nice video as always Austin.

[@brenudo997]

Great video as always Austin. In the vein of "experimental fiction", Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu is a pretty cool recent example that's (writers strike permitting) being adapted into a Hulu series.

[@austinmcconnell]

I enjoyed Interior Chinatown, but totally regret doing the audiobook version. I feel like print version would have been a more immersive reading experience.

[@brenudo997]

Ah, yeah I think print is probably ideal. I'd imagine an audiobook could play a bit more with aural "scenery" and things that print just can't, but seeing the lines blur between literary formats, genres, narrative voice, etc as you're reading is a unique experience, if less labor-intensive than a project like "S". I think we're in a really cool time for transmedia storytelling and it's been cool getting to watch you curate some of the highlights!

[@episodenull]

It doesn't get commented on much, but the other casualty of the Star Wars sequel trilogy (that isn't Star Wars itself, to be clear) seems to be Abrams' reputation and career. He was always a contentious figure - there was no shortage of online commenters, myself included, willing to savage his work - but he had his fans who would stand up for his work and anticipate whatever project he was working on. He drove news cycles. That's all gone now. I don't see people stepping up to argue with detractors any more, and I can't remember the last time I saw a headline hyping something he's attached to. I'm biased since I never liked his work, but I believe that The Rise of Skywalker exposed him for the flim-flam man he always was.

[@PogieJoe]

I remember a kid in my class being obsessed with this back in the day. It honestly sounds like a work of genius

[@TheMagicCuber]

I greatly appreciate you showing these cool and obscure works of fiction, thank you :)

[@alex.g7317]

I can tell you’re really getting into these meta novels, Austin 😊

[@illanmitaion9632]

i missed these kinds of videos from you about weird oand obscure little things.

[@randizzle99]

The ad for this video was for House of Leaves… the most appropriate ad of all time

[@Coffeepanda294]

lol

[@JacksonNovem]

Reading House of Leaves and thinking “I can do it better” is the most JJ Abrams thing I can think of

[@thehannahlois]

Just bought the book and am excited to start reading!

[@falpsdsqglthnsac]

thought this was gonna be like goncharov when i saw the title lol

[@EvenTheDogAgrees]

Lol, had to look that up, because at first I thought you meant Ivan Goncharov, author of Oblomov. Failed to see the connection. And now you sent me down another Internet rabbit hole. 😁

[@midshipman8654]

This is a super cool idea, ill have to pick it up, thanks for bringing it to my attention!

[@GeekFilter]

Ok, i’m curious enough based on this video to get a copy of it off of eBay! I’m excited to dive into it!

[@lilyofluck371]

I'm surprised Austin didn't mention House of Leaves in this video. It seems like such an obvious connection

[@TheDantheman12121]

It is kinda crazy you are talking about S now because I read it a while ago but the way I got to it was through you talking about house of leaves.

[@cameronsmith3047]

If after reading this you want some other unique books "Scorched Atlas" and "house of leaves" are plenty of trippy fun

[@slackerlitgeek]

Excellent review/summary. I had a little trouble at first with this book, but by the time I got the hang of it, I really enjoyed the experience. As other commenters noted, this reminded me of House of Leaves (though S. didn't get into my head and unnerve me the way HoL did). Books like this can be a bit gimmicky, but I admired and enjoyed the bold attempt at remixing and challenging the conventions of the format/genre.

[@Eden_Laika]

You should read Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov. It is, by a considerable margin, the best example of this kind of book.

[@4fives992]

This is definitely not my kind of book but it is still a really cool concept.

[@Lumiria]

I lost all respect for JJ Abrams a long time ago but the book was actually neat. These mystery gimmick books are always a delight to go through.

[@artman2oo3]

What an interesting format for a book!

[@AustinMCraigDoesNeatStuff]

This is brilliant. I meed to read this. I absolutely love ARGs and this type of layered, transmedia, genre bending stuff!

[@ViceroyVeebjamn]

Not sure what it says about me that I recognized the cover of the book in the thumbnail before I recognized Abrams. 🙈

[@Phoenix2312]

@AustinMcConnell Due to my mental health, Reading has been an issue for me for a few years now... I love reading but my head is such a mess I simply cannot focus... (I have so much Terry Pratchett to get through!) However, This has me 100% HOOKED! I love the idea, the concept... WOW! This might be what I need to kickstart me back into gear!

[@EqualOpportunityDestoroya]

I have seen TV ads for books in the eighties, Romance novels and Stephen King's It for example, however nothing recent.

[@weirdhousewivesclub]

I bought this book immediately after I learned about it when it first came out. It's incredible, overwhelming, and I need to read it again because I almost assuredly missed many things

[@patrick_goldman]

Would you recommend a similar approach to reading the Layers when trying to get through House of Leaves? I remember I spent like three hours trying to parse a footnote within a footnote within a footnote in that bad boy and completely forgot what part of the story I was trying to understand.

[@Icedrake201]

Awesome vid!

[@MrAsystole]

goddamit i didnt have the bell notification in your page on, i was wondering what happen to austin ? i saw this post and instantly clicked it , saw ur page again and i see like 6 new vids is havent seen WOW! wtf!......im mad and happy at the same time lol , well now ill be notified :) ....

[@Segphalt]

Well now my default "I dont know what to get them for Christmas" gift is sold out... Thanks Austin. :P

[@Termina_]

I just bought this book a few days ago! I still haven’t broken the seal on it so I haven’t read it, I’m trying to figure out a way to get it out without breaking the seal lol

[@animatorxstudios100]

I'm going to have to to read this sometime (as in months later)

[@emi_not_emmy]

I need this book now.

[@Big_RandyTM]

This book really made me think, as if you just read through the “Ship of Theseus” story at face value, you won’t get much. It’s when you analyze what you read, and truly understand the conflicts in the novel.

[@jan-Juta]

The ergodic literature downward spiral continues. I guess the next video will be about Illuminae or Bats of the Republic if we're going down the list of the best known novels in the genre.

[@EvenTheDogAgrees]

Well, first time I hear of this. Must've missed that completely back in the day.

[@mariacargille1396]

This book sounds appealingly unhinged-- thanks for the introduction and advice, Austin!

[@colinschroyer4333]

If you’re fond of experimental fiction, have you heard of Cain’s Jawbone? It’s a swift read, but a near-lifelong fascination, considering each of the 100 pages is presented out of order! I recommend if you want to lose your mind!

[@JackANDJude]

Reading this book sounds like what it's like being a Swiftie. Sometimes it takes years for the extra meaning of lyrics to make sense.

[@RadJordy]

A minute and a half into this video and I've seen all I need to see. Respectfully, I love your videos, but this is another opportunity where I'm going to forego watching it to maintain the mystery of whatever the heck you're talking about.

[@be_couragous]

austin, are you gonna make your own one of these experimental fiction books

[@dannymac6368]

There was a book about the video game The Division that has many of the same overlapping elements. The base book was a survival guide. It was pretty amazing.

[@ogzombiebreakfast]

I have the book but never knew about the trailer. It's a really neat book.

[@classiccustoms2010]

Seeing you read this has made me curious if you plan on covering House of Leaves as well.

[@shonenjumpmagneto]

Do a video on his teaser for a Spider-Man 4 Comic if I recall correctly

[@Epinardscaramel]

I loved this book/experience!

[@Bookspine5]

¨S¨ is awesome. I need to read it again! :)

[@benjaminstorace6699]

The crowning achievement of J.J.'s career. The most time wasting, waste of time, wasting your time with time Abram's wasted. I hate these kinds of things. "Creatives" need to return to Howard, Burroughs, Verne, and Wells.

[@averyjeanne]

I’m reading House of Leaves right now and when (or if) I finish it I’ll absolutely pick S up next.