MCM Expo (Comic-Con) Part Deux
I was recently in London – less than a week ago to be exact – and had the great pleasure of once again attending another MCM Expo at the Excel Centre in east London. It […]
Have Literary Luddites Taken Over SFF Fandom?!
For the past year, I’ve been doing the indie thing- writing and self-publishing my own novels on Amazon, B&N, etc. During that time I’ve learned quite a lot and have come to the conclusion that […]
Kids & Cons
With summer upon us, it’s convention time here in my neck of the woods. And while I’m not that big of a fan of cons, I do try and treat my little nerdlings to one […]
The Trouble With Definitions; or, Not All Anime Fans Watch Hentai
[Author’s Note: The following post discusses hentai, which is a type of animated pornography. No lewd images are present; however, there is a link to an erotic woodblock print. The author asks that readers use […]
The Fantasy of Fashion
The clothes make the fan. Is extreme fashion a form of fandom? I say yes, but hesitate to approve of it.
Superheroine Movie
Imagine the teaser trailer. Peeks at the iconic costume, a villain’s growled one-liner, the title looming suddenly out of the darkness with THIS CHRISTMAS or SUMMER 2014 beneath it. Imagine the interviews in Entertainment Weekly: […]
A Tale of ConQuesT, Magic, Mystery, and Mayhem
While riding my keyboard and mouse across the infinite electronic pathways of the world, I discovered something quite surprising. At first when I stumbled upon it, I sloughed it off as just another coincidence. But […]
The Artful Collector: Are Conventions Good Places to Find Art? (Part 3)
Throughout the 1990s, while weekend antiques and craft fairs, and even Ren Faires, were drawing tens of thousands of attendees each weekend, SF cons were still deliberating the good of “one day memberships” and advertising […]
The Artful Collector: Are Conventions Good Places to Find Art? (Part 2)
Once upon a time, science fiction and fantasy conventions were great places to find, and buy, original art – and, in time – reproductions of art created by the best professional illustrators in the field […]
Why I Don’t Like My Heroes
When I first started out as a published writer of science fiction in 1978 and sold my first novel in 1979, I started going to local and national science fiction conventions. Mostly I felt it […]
Don’t Quote Me on This, But…
Quoting lines from science fiction can be expected amongst the members of fandom. But getting it right is vital to your nerd credibility.
Who Do You Blame in a Science Fiction World?
Blaming someone for something is part of human nature. Domestic Batterers blame their victims. Evangelists blame the devil, or sometimes God for bad things happening. Even Christians often blame God, remarking “How can God let […]
The Artful Collector: Are Conventions a Good Place to Buy Art? (Part 1)
Well . . . .Once upon a time, and by that, I mean Art Collecting BDE (before the digital era) local, regional and “world” SF/F conventions were not just good places to find great SF/F […]
What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?
Why don’t American kids dream of being astronauts anymore? In Japan, interest in space is at a historically high level. I get slightly snarky about AKB48.
How American Airlines Helped Me Gafiate
Gafiate, for those whose Fannish Lexicon isn’t handy, is Fan Speak for the act of ‘Getting Away From It All’. Leaving Fandom. Putting conventions and fanzines and crazy projects and far-flung friends behind you. It […]
On Fatherhood
When I was around six or seven, I discovered my father’s old comic books. He’s an archivist and his closet reflects this–it is a meticulously organized trove of his interests, packed away in folders, binders […]
Steampunk: An Overview of an Up and Coming Genre
Strap on your goggles, fire up the boiler and let’s lift off toward adventure. Its time to tackle the wonderful world of steampunk! So what is steampunk exactly? Surprisingly it is difficult to describe, even […]
The Artful Collector: On Holding Dual Citizenship (Inside and Outside the SF Community)
The world is changing, but some things stay the same. And are perfect just the way they are. The sky, my two little puppy dogs, and many symphonic works are like that. Whether SF/F conventions […]
Sequential Wednedays #9 – Boston, Where Yo’ Con At?
There are few things genuinely more enjoyable than conventions. It’s sprawling enjoyment catered to all your tastes and more if you’re attending the right one. My convention experience is a little bizarre compared to most […]
Acceptance or Exploitation?
Author’s Note: The following post will discuss depictions of sexuality in media. As such, content may not be acceptable for young children. Please read responsibly. In light of Zach’s recent post, I’ve decided to finally […]
Discovering Planet Stories
As a fan of the classic Science Fiction and Fantasy pulp magazines (exemplified by my thrill to be involved here at Amazing Stories), I find myself a bit giddy whenever I stumble upon an old […]
On Fandom Activism and the Logical High Ground
I understand that change is always difficult, regardless of scale. I understand that societal change in particular is a monumental task. I understand that these things happen slowly, and that part of the whole affair […]
A Little Game of Catch
This week I’m fighting my way past drunken skateboarders and striking cab drivers to get a peek at the latest security and surveillance gadgets the world has to offer. I’ve already spoken with some developers […]
The Clubhouse: Roger Ebert, Death of a Gafiate
The death of Pulitzer Prize-winning Chicago film critic Roger Ebert has already been eulogized far and wide. Most of the accolades concentrate, rightfully so, on Ebert’s storied career as a newspaperman and critic and his […]
The Clubhouse: Widowers, fandom’s answer to the limerick
Fans are nothing if not creative and, over the decades, fandom has come up with not only our own jargon and customs, but also our own art forms. We even have a unique verse form, […]
The Empty Art of Onmyodo
We’re all living on borrowed time, but it can take a fox to remind you that what you should fear most may be the very thing you desire. What does moe culture have in common with black magic? A lot, actually.
The Pros and Cons of Comicon
It is the day before the first day of spring. As I sit in my office chair, working at my computer, the giant snow thrower passes by and deposits a massive blast of snow onto […]
Sequential Wednesdays #6 – An Ode to Young Heroes & Unfinished Stories
All good things come to an end is a truth we all know to be unwavering. Knowing that truth, however, doesn’t lessen the blow when something truly remarkable ends unfulfilled. The most recent entrant into […]
The Destroyer is Back!
Amazing Stories isn’t the only thing making a triumphant return in 2013. Sinanju is recently returned to the literary scene, with TWO series of novels. If the word Sinanju doesn’t ring any bells, then you’re […]
Woman, You Make Me Sick and Other Adventures in Freefall
These offputting objects killed the novel. Let’s dance. ‘Cos it’s more fun reading in freefall.
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