Dumbing down 'The Road'

Regarding the June 25 article "Finally, 'The Last of Us' [video game] is here": How could anyone compare a simple-minded video game to the literary genius of Cormac McCarthy and his Pulitzer Prize winning novel "The Road"?

The article suggests that "The Last of Us" is one of this year's most anticipated video-game titles. Anticipated by whom? This game reportedly is crawling with murderous post-apocalyptic zombies. Sounds like a Black Friday shopping melee at any discount store in America the day after Thanksgiving.

Some critics have called "The Road" the most important environmental book ever written — better than "Silent Spring" or the classic "Walden." Believe me, if global warming is every bit as bad as most climatologists think it is, many of us soon will be hitting "the road." And now we learn that one of McCarthy's most important novels has inspired a violent video game?

Apocalyptic threat has been reduced to a video game, solely for childish amusement. I was wondering, have there been any other video games inspired by great authors? I want to add them to my collection. I once dreamed of teaching literature. Now all I wanna do is sit in front of a television screen with my Sony Playstation 3.

"The Last of Us" sounds very much like life back in Missouri — hillbilly zombies everywhere, doped out of their minds on methamphetamine and other street drugs. Gotta get this game.

Just a thought, but maybe this video game will inspire some high school-age players to actually sit down and read McCarthy's soul- shattering novel. Nah, who am I kidding? The 21st century has little or no room for dusty printed matter like books, especially important works of fiction. There's no end to the dumbing down.

The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.