It’s that time of year, when dark winds susurrate through ancient trees and strange beings stalk in the shadows. I’m talking about Halloween, of course. In between stuffing our faces with way too much candy, we like to huddle together and watch or read the … read more »
While dark tales of loss and suffering can be painful to experience, they’ve earned their place in popular media by helping us discuss important topics. Well-constructed dark stories affect us as few other things can, offering a chance to reconsider issues we thought we understood. … read more »
Avatar: The Last Airbender was an amazing show that reshaped how people saw animation. There was a complex and nuanced plot, three dimensional characters, and awesome powers of elemental control! Also, there was Toph. Let us never forget Toph, for she is the best. Not … read more »
I outlined the Heroine’s Journey last week, but it’s more fun to watch it in action. Because this structure is about a character who’s out of balance and makes a course correction, it’s often used for villains who take a heel-face turn. Here’s five villains … read more »
Mike, Oren, and Chris discuss the effect technology has on horror stories. They describe how technology can both hinder and facilitate the loss of control horror relies on, and list common themes in technology-focused horror stories. Read more »
Humans have been retelling old stories for as long as there have been old stories to retell, as the current plethora of Hollywood remakes can attest. On its own, this isn’t a surprise. There are only so many kinds of stories, and it’s much easier … read more »
Oren, Chris, and Mike talk about captains in futuristic space settings. They discuss how captains make effective protagonists, list their favorite and least favorite captain characters, and ask why so many space captains are obsessed with antiques. Read more »
Oren, Chris, and Mike discuss how black and white morality is built into worlds, particularly through magic systems. They examine how good and evil are represented in different stories, and question the difference between light and dark magic. Read more »
Oren, Chris, and Mike rant and rave about romance stories in speculative fiction. They discuss the problems with one-offs, love at first sight, and characters written only as love interests. They gush about couples that are unconventional, and cringe over romances that are creepy or … read more »
Popular media is rife with psychopaths. In fact, psychopaths are more common than you might think. Psychopathic villains often serve as foils for heroic deeds, but there are psychopathic heroes, too. Read more »
