Anime roundup 4/14/2013: This Will Be on the Test
A big stack of first looks this week, and then it’ll be time to make decisions about what to add for the regular weekly commentary. Those of you worried about the absence of Attack on […]
April is National Women’s History Month
Which is kind of short-shrift for women – one month only – considering that homo sap history is women’s history and, like, there’s this whole birth thing which kind of suggests that without women there’d […]
Spring 2013 Anime Preview
Every three months, like clockwork, Japanese TV remakes itself. A bunch of shows end, a bunch more start, and many continuing series bring out new opening and closing sequences. Most anime series run for only […]
Sex and the Senshi
(Author’s Note: This article deals with issues regarding sex and sexuality in a non-explicit manner. Regardless, it might not be safe for work.) Usagi, the titular character of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, is a great […]
A Beautiful Plummet: A Review of Upside Down
“And our love changed the course of history forever” is a fine concept to base a story off of. However, it’s a disingenuous and careless line of dialogue that should have been excised from the […]
Punk Rock Queen: A Nana Review
[Image from animedepot.net. Nana belongs to Ai Yazawa and Shueisha.] I would like to come forward with a confession: throughout most of college, I largely had to put my anime love on hiatus – not […]
The Howl of Family: A Review of Wolf Children
To smile through any hardship is a commendable virtue for anyone to have. Continuing to do so while having to raise two half-human, half-wolf children is something on a different world of resilience altogether. The […]
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.
American Gothic: Bellefleur by Joyce Carol Oates
As I mentioned in my post Stephen King: A Beginner’s Guide I became interested in the work of Joyce Carol Oates because of her association with King. As early as Danse Macabre (1981) King was […]
Crossroads: Is this a Kissing Book? SFF’s Relationship with Romance
Whenever I think of speculative fiction’s relationship to romance, I am always reminded of that scene in The Princess Bride where Fred Savage’s character interrupts his grandpa and – voice dripping with scorn – asks: […]
Crossroads: Science Fiction Romance – A Niche Before Its Time?
Last week, we talked about paranormal romance and the ways in which it uses longstanding cultural archetypes (vampires, werewolves, etc.) to explore power, sexuality, and possibly even deeper existential themes. But speculative fiction is composed […]
Crossroads: The Power in Paranormal Romance
Happy Valentine’s Day! In my first draft of this week’s essay, I started to trace the history of the paranormal romance all the way from the Gothic novel, through to noir, into romantic suspense, urban […]
Passion & Panels – Mutants in Love
Hallo again! I know I just posted yesterday, but there’s a comic I feel is far too appropriate for Valentine’s Day which I feel driven to showcase. Last year, I was discussing my love for […]
Crossroads: Romance – More Powerful than You Could Possibly Imagine
Today is February 7th, and with Valentine’s Day around the corner, love is in the air. Which is why this month I’ll be taking a look at romance, and how it rubs up against speculative […]
Horrorcast: The Drabblecast
If you love to start your day with photos of catacombs and bone chandeliers, or listen to ectoplasmic psychodramas while doing your grocery shopping, then quality genre-related newsfeeds that bring you the best art, fiction, […]
Crossroads: Where Genres Meet in the Night
Speculative fiction’s ability to stay fresh is a direct result of its ability to blend with other genres: the mash-up, the hybrid, the literary crossroad are where science fiction has always found innovation. We’re a magpie genre, and I think that should be celebrated and explored.
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