REACTING TO THE MOVIES: REACTIVE SYSTEMS AND THE LESSONS OF NARRATIVE

STEVE MOORE

IBM STORY STRATEGIST

STORIES ARE LIKE REACTIVE SYSTEMSHeroes = Scalability

Plot = Resilience

Genre = Elasticity

STORIES ARE LIKE REACTIVE SYSTEMSHeroes = Scalability

Plot = Resilience

Genre = Elasticity

HEROES = SCALABILITYHeroism does scale.

HEROES = SCALABILITYHeroism does scale.

A hero’s best resource is a new understanding of the world.

HEROES = SCALABILITY3 ways to get a new understanding:

Escape the Skin

Escape Stoicism

Escape the Story

HEROES = SCALABILITY

Escape the Skin

Escape Stoicism

Escape the Story

HEROES = SCALABILITY

Escape the Skin “ARE YOU BEING PARANOID ENOUGH?”

Escape Stoicism

Escape the Story

HEROES = SCALABILITY

Escape the Skin

Escape Stoicism

Escape the Story

HEROES = SCALABILITY

“ARE YOU BEING GENEROUS ENOUGH?”

Escape the Skin

Escape Stoicism

Escape the Story

HEROES = SCALABILITY

Escape the Skin

Escape Stoicism

Escape the Story

HEROES = SCALABILITY

“ARE YOU BEING PATIENT ENOUGH?”

Escape the Skin

Escape Stoicism

Escape the Story

HEROES = SCALABILITYHeroism does scale.

A hero’s best resource is a new understanding of the world.

3 ways to get a new understanding:

Escape the Skin

Escape Stoicism

Escape the Story “Are you being paranoid enough?”

“Are you being generous enough?”

“Are you being patient enough?”

STORIES ARE LIKE REACTIVE SYSTEMSHeroes = Scalability

Plot = Resilience

Genre = Elasticity

PLOTS = RESILIENCEStories are about failure.

PLOTS = RESILIENCEStories are about failure.

Heroes never give up.

PLOTS = RESILIENCEStories are about failure.

Heroes never give up.

PLOTS = RESILIENCE3 ways heroes fail:

Lure of the Invisible

Lure of Inclination

Lure of Independence

PLOTS = RESILIENCE

Lure of the Invisible

Lure of Inclination

Lure of Independence

PLOTS = RESILIENCE

Lure of the Invisible “WHAT IS THE SYSTEM ACCUMULATING?”

Lure of Inclination

Lure of Independence

PLOTS = RESILIENCE

Lure of the Invisible

Lure of Inclination

Lure of Independence

PLOTS = RESILIENCE

Lure of the Invisible

Lure of Inclination

Lure of Independence

PLOTS = RESILIENCE

Lure of the Invisible

Lure of Inclination

Lure of Independence

PLOTS = RESILIENCE

Lure of the Invisible CAN YOU MAKE THE SYSTEM ANTI-FRAGILE?”

Lure of Inclination

Lure of Independence

PLOTS = RESILIENCE

Lure of the Invisible

Lure of Inclination

Lure of Independence

PLOTS = RESILIENCE

Lure of the Invisible

Lure of Inclination

Lure of Independence

PLOTS = RESILIENCE

Lure of the Invisible COULD COORDINATION BE FUN?

Lure of Inclination

Lure of Independence

PLOTS = RESILIENCEStories about about failure.

Heroes never give up.

3 ways heroes fail:

Lure of the Invisible

Lure of Inclination

Lure of Independence “Could coordination be fun?”

“Can you make the system anti-fragile?”

“What is the system accumulating?”

STORIES ARE LIKE REACTIVE SYSTEMSHeroes = Scalability

Plot = Resilience

Genre = Elasticity

GENRES = ELASTICITYGenres are categories of antagonists.

GENRES = ELASTICITYGenres are categories of antagonists.

An antagonist is any strain on the system.

GENRES = ELASTICITY3 highest-level genres:

Human vs. Human

Human vs. Nature

Human vs. Self

GENRES = ELASTICITY

Human vs. Human

Human vs. Nature

Human vs. Self

GENRES = ELASTICITY

Human vs. Human

Human vs. Nature

Human vs. Self

GENRES = ELASTICITY

Human vs. Human “CAN YOU CHANGE THE GAME?”

Human vs. Nature

Human vs. Self

GENRES = ELASTICITY

Human vs. Human

Human vs. Nature

Human vs. Self

GENRES = ELASTICITY

Human vs. Human

Human vs. Nature

Human vs. Self

GENRES = ELASTICITY

Human vs. Human “DO YOU DESERVE TO LIVE?”

Human vs. Nature

Human vs. Self

GENRES = ELASTICITY

Human vs. Human

Human vs. Nature

Human vs. Self

GENRES = ELASTICITY

Human vs. Human

Human vs. Nature

Human vs. Self

GENRES = ELASTICITY

Human vs. Human “CAN YOU ENDURE ABUNDANCE?”

Human vs. Nature

Human vs. Self

GENRES = ELASTICITYGenres are categories of antagonists.

An antagonist is any strain on the system.

3 highest-level genres:

Human vs. Human

Human vs. Nature

Human vs. Self “Can you endure abundance?”

“Do you deserve to live?”

“Can you change the game?”

GENRES = ELASTICITY “Can you endure abundance?”

“Do you deserve to live?”

“Can you change the game?”

“Could coordination be fun?”

“Can you make the system anti-fragile?”

“What is the system accumulating?”

“Are you being paranoid enough?”

“Are you being generous enough?”

“Are you being patient enough?”

PLOTS = RESILIENCE

HEROES = SCALABILITY

THANK YOU.

Steve Moore

smoore2@us.ibm.com

@SteveMooreATX