A while back, I wrote an article about the unintended consequences of various technologies from the Star Trek universe. I barely scratched the surface. A good number of the 700+ episodes (plus a bunch of movies) introduced powerful new tech without ever thinking about its … read more »
Character arcs form the heart of the story. They give audiences a reason to cheer a character on and add emotional depth to the plot. But not all characters arcs are equal. A good arc doesn’t just take a pauper and make her queen; it … read more »
Oren, Mike, and Chris talk just ten minutes after watching The Last Airbender movie. After they all vent about it from their fainting couches, they go on to gush about the comic series. They discuss how the world of Avatar evolves, and review the strengths … read more »
Terry Brooks’ Sword of Shannara is a fantasy classic. I was warned it’s a Lord of the Rings copycat, but I knew nothing about the story or any of its characters. Naturally, I decided to read it – or try to. Whether it’s because Brooks … read more »
Chris, Oren, and Mike discuss the way wildlife is portrayed in speculative fiction. Since they are never happy, they complain about both vilification and glorification of nature. Oren becomes scared of polar bears, Chris asks for happy swamps, and Mike wears out his welcome with … read more »
Mike, Chris, and Oren discuss politics in modern genre settings. They question how Hogwarts is funded, debate government involvement in Buffy, and wonder about the jurisdiction of S.H.I.E.L.D. Read more »
We humans have spent the last 200,000 years trying to figure out how to treat each other, and while we’re still confused on a few subjects, the basics are pretty solid. At least, they should be. Somehow our fictional characters can’t go two seconds without doing something horrible. Read more »
Video games have a mixed reputation when it comes to writing, and it’s not entirely undeserved. There are some badly written games out there. Of course, plenty of novels are badly written too, and no one questions books as a storytelling medium.* When done correctly, … read more »
Telling an egalitarian story means fighting back against a lifetime of cultural programming, not to mention systematic bias in production, publishing, and marketing. So even when we try to make our stories just, problems we haven’t noticed can sneak their way in. Graded on a … read more »
Character death is a tricky subject, whether in prose, roleplaying games, or television. Sometimes a character can pass before their time, especially if an actor’s contract expires or a critical hit goes the wrong way. On the other hand, the death of a beloved character … read more »
