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We tell the same stories to ourselves over and over. That’s okay; people are comforted by the same themes and drawn to the same conflicts. Unfortunately, we also can repeat tropes just because we never thought critically about them. And when we do that, we … read more »
A few months ago, I wrote an article about some of the more problematic elements inherent to roleplaying games.* There was a lot of philosophy in that post, which is all well and good, but what about practical solutions? Most of us would like our … read more »
Grace joins Oren, Mike, and Chris in discussing how artificial personalities are gendered. They mention computer voices in use today and the explanations given for their gender. They describe female and male robots and AI in science fiction, and how their depiction differs. Read more »
Roleplaying games take us on marvelous adventures. They provide hours and hours of entertainment with our friends. They let us become active parts of our favorite stories instead of passive observers. Unfortunately, they have a dark side as well. Several dark sides, in fact. We’ve … read more »
What could be more straightforward than Outlander, a novel published in 1991 about a character from 1945 going back in time to 1745? This historical fantasy romance blend is so popular, it’s been adapted into a TV series for Starz. 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 »
For as long as we can remember, storytellers have depicted idealized romances that would translate to abusive, unhealthy relationships in real life. Now audiences are starting to catch on, and anyone who wants their story to last has to update old conventions. Read more »
If you’re completely unfamiliar with high fantasy literature (in which case, I apologize in advance for the Red Wedding), The Wheel of Time is a series of books first written by Robert Jordan and later finished by Brandon Sanderson after Mr. Jordan passed away. It … read more »
While we don’t always talk about it, we all love our daydreams. So naturally, some stories are designed to let us live our fantasies through the protagonist. There’s a little wish-fulfillment in any good story, but these go above and beyond, crafting every scene to … read more »
Many accomplished authors and big name production companies have managed to shrink their reach, reduce their profits, and work against social justice — all at the same time! It’s called racism, and it can work for you too. I’ll show you how to write a racist story like a Hollywood pro. Read more »