Yesterday, I decided to watch a comic book movie to try and wind down, escape the news. By the end, I was so incredibly angry that I hopped on here and wrote a monster post about that movie--how I couldn't help seeing it in a really, really bad light. It was one of those cases... Continue Reading →
Just Watched #4 – Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2
Disclaimer: Man, yesterday was one of the worst days of my life in recent times. Nothing life-alteringly horrible happened, but plenty (like too many) small things went horribly wrong. There was the having-a-long-heated-debate-with-a-friend-about-why-I-don't-date part. There was the discovering-the-spot-of-grease-that-was-smeared-all-over-the-foot-of-the-stairs-in-my apartment-building part, during which I took a comically bad fall and landed on my hand and hip.... Continue Reading →
Just Watched #2 – Logan
I'm a firm believer that, any franchise--no matter how terrible or vapid--can have its one amazing installment. Given enough time and enough freedom, I think that all the right elements can finally come together to make something absolutely amazing. Sometimes, it takes forever. Often, it takes so long that it doesn't happen at all. But, in... Continue Reading →
Muse Tuesday – The Eternal Frontier | Ant-Man
When he woke, Hank found himself wedged into a runnel of wood grain. Wide-eyed, he checked the time and found he'd only been asleep for a few hours, as planned. "Son of a bitch." He sighed through his nose. "Shrinking faster than I thought." Maybe exponentially. "Or with serious gains." You're talking to yourself again, Hank.... Continue Reading →
Just Watched #1 – Iron Fist
Welcome back for another rip roarin' week of talking about fantasy. And writing. And probably cute animals at some point. We're starting off with a super reactionary piece that I'm going to tie into one of my greatest fears as a writer--losing the ability to be objective. Before getting to that though, let me explain... Continue Reading →
The Latin Bechdels – Part 3: The DAGGER Test
Disclaimer: I've taken way, way longer than intended to get this post out. Why? Because I wanted to figure out the perfect way to talk about the DAGGER without offending anyone. I'm not sure that's possible; the DAGGER Test is designed specifically to call certain elements of fantasy--some of them beloved--into question. I took pains... Continue Reading →
The Latin Bechdels – Part 1: The CAR Test
It's been almost two years since I first talked about Earth-Modern race in fantasy on this site. Two whole years and the world has changed a lot. At least, lately, America is coming along. Same sex marriage has been legalized. The confederate flag has finally been thrown into question. And I've lost at least two... Continue Reading →
30 Days of NaNoWriMo – Day 1: The Worst Possible Start
I've been contemplating doing daily posts for a while now; partially because I wondered if I could manage them. But also because I'm getting tired of the article-styled posts. I've never been keen on getting very personal here, likely because my personal life totally blows. But there's a way to write about my life that... Continue Reading →
Cliché Showcase – Cartoon Villains
If you know anything about me, it’s that I hate clichés. I always have; my personal slogan since the beginning of time has been “No old wizards, no dragons.” But, that said… if there’s one thing that’s absolutely also true about me… it’s that I love certain clichés. Because certain clichés, like certain formulas (the... Continue Reading →
The Weird, Casual Sexism of Nerddom – Part 2: The Free Female Protagonist
So, here we are; the final part of my series about sexism in nerddom. We’re going to wrap up with a look at nerd narrative. I feel like nerd culture is at a point where it’s floundering for a firm grasp on portraying women. People are trying, but they’re also still ascribing to old standards... Continue Reading →