I don’t know what’s more brilliant, Grand Theft Auto San Andreas by Brandon Scott Gorrell or Mario’s Three Lives by Matt Bell. To be fair, Bell’s was published, and more than likely written, before Gorrell’s. There is a chance the latter ‘got the idea’ from the former, which is completely legitimate, given the unique talent found in both stories. I just needed to mention what came first.

Gorrell is known for ‘severely deadpan humor’ borderlining on ‘pathologically morose.’ (I’m doing the quote thing like him, but it’s not working.) Bell’s writing is meaty and adroit, full of restrained energy, like a more agile Hemingway.

Both stories describe a narrative based on the actual video games. Gorrell simply describes what’s seen on the screen in a detached journalistic tone, whereas Bell imposes more character into Mario, describing not just what Mario does, but what he thinks and sees.

Gorrell:

He zoomed in and placed the crosshair on the man’s face. Alex shot his face and the man’s head disappeared and blood began shooting vertically out of his neck and his body fell over.

Bell:

The plumber leaps across lava and disintegrating paths. He ducks under spikes falling from ceilings and kills every enemy in his path. His mouth, his stupid useless mouth, it is smiling.

Cup half empty: this is mere clever gimmickry by two talented writers. Cup half full: this is an important comment on the artifice of culturally constructed narratives, using collective ‘pop-memories’ to broach upon universal truths.

My cup is half whatever. It doesn’t matter. I like the stories. Gorrell’s protagonist earns $12,000. “Fuck yeah,” he says.

Fuck yeah Gorrell and Bell, you guys rhyme.