World Building

The Builder of Worlds

World-building is the element that sets the sci-fi and fantasy subsets of adventure fiction apart from other genres. If you're a budding SFF author, it's am indispensable craft. And mastering it requires finesse and ingenuity. Yet it's not as daunting as some new writers fear. Today, let's explore the intricate…
August 10, 20236 Comments
Face Peelers

The Face Peelers

It's getting weirder out there. And we're serving up the high strangeness. Shout out to my Twitter mutual @DJSchreffler for showing me this one. Let's get into it. NB: The "Maussan" name dropped in the tweet above is Jaime Maussan, a serious Mexican journalist whose reporting on UFOs in the…
August 9, 20234 Comments
Iron Age

Dawn of the Iron Age

Yesterday's post on the Death Cult's conquest of pop culture occasioned much comment about where indie creators - in particular newpub authors - go next. A common refrain among the commentariat invoked a burgeoning new counterculture movement, the Iron Age. The rise of another online campaign to counter corporate skinsuit…
August 8, 20232 Comments
Pop Cult Hipster

Shades of the Pop Cult

The "I f***ing love science!" crowd gets short shrift around here, but one of their favorite boutique mantras may have some truth behind it. Time does indeed seem like it must be subjective sometimes. Case in point: It's now been ten years since the consumer revolts of the 2010s promised…
August 7, 202311 Comments
Gemini-Drifter-Kindle

Gemini Drifter

Author JD Cowan returns with the second awesome installment in his Gemini Man series! ON THE ROAD TO NOWHERE Matthew and Jason are on the run. With bounty hunters, magical monsters, and an entire alien world after them, the pair have their work cut out for them. At the same…
August 2, 2023
Underworld

Underworld: Underwrought

Underworld, released in 2003, offers audiences a heady mix of preternatural action and stunning visuals.  The use of practical effects and the stylish cinematography add verisimilitude to the narrative, making the ancient war between vampires and werewolves seem plausible. And the Gothic cityscape of the film's unnamed location becomes almost…
August 1, 20231 Comment
strong female character

Decoding the Amazon

Author J. Ishiro Finney decodes the Strong Female Character™ trope in his new book Boobs of Steel: Decoding the Amazon. Lara Croft... Power Girl... Tifa Lockhart... They're three of the most loved and loathed characters in all pop-culture. Since the late 1990s all three have also been favorite targets for…
July 31, 20233 Comments
Real Heat

Real Heat

The life of a film buff is fraught with heartache these days, but every once in a while, you come across a story that makes it worthwhile. Prime example: The legendary conversation between Hanna and McCauley in Heat was taken word-for-word from real life! H/t Twitter user EvilTomHanks Here's the…
July 28, 20231 Comment
Angel King Final Perfect

Combat Frame Data: XCD-AK201

XCD-AK201 Angel King    Technical Data Model number: XCD-AK201 Code name: XSeed Arbeit von Karsten Nickname: Angel King Classification: mass production general purpose combat frame Manufacturer: ISBC Operator: ISBC, PAX, UC Military First deployment: CY 98 Crew: 1 pilot in cockpit in chest Height: 21 meters Weight: dry weight 96 metric tons,…
July 27, 2023
Angels and Demons

On Angels and Demons

Dionysian Thomist streamer Classical Theist continues his Mysteries of the Catholic Faith walkthrough with a solid primer on angels and demons. Where did these pure spiritual beings come from? How can we know they exist? And what are they, anyway? Explore these and more intriguing questions about the angels, archangels,…
July 26, 2023