Kevin Murphy

MST3K’s Kevin Murphy Notices Movie Ground Zero

Hollywood product has degraded to the point that hardly a day goes by without someone noticing Cultural Ground Zero. Valued neopatron, DJ, and fellow ex-movie theater employee Scott Waddell brings up this book, wherein MST3K's Kevin Murphy notices movie ground zero. Dial around your radio and you’ll sometimes hear a…
August 20, 202411 Comments
Book Shelf

Why Authors Need Wide and Varied Influences

A big temptation for new authors is to immerse yourself in a narrow selection of books, often within the genre you're writing. You may feel that keeping exclusive focus on your genre will give you the best chance of mastering its conventions and satisfying your readers. But limiting your reading…
August 19, 20246 Comments
LoF Trailer Thumbnail

Unveiling the Lord of Fate Book Trailer

It's become an open secret that thje book industry is undergoing major destabilization. It's been something of a meme for a while now that bookselling strategies everybody used to swear buy are yielding diminishing returns. The good news is that the neopatronage model is going strong. Plenty of newpub authors…
August 16, 2024No Comments

Why New Authors Should Master Genre Conventions Before Breaking Them

One of my cherished neopatrons called my attention to this post by The Brothers Krynn, which itself is a response to another piece by author JD Cowan. After spending some time retreading the "Are fantasy and sci fi separate genres?" debate, it brings up an issue that's running rampant among…
August 15, 20245 Comments
Marble Hornets

The Link From Gen Y Nostalgia to Gen Z Horror

Our recent post on analog horror brought out a lot of folks to comment. It was especially edifying to get more of the Millennial view on the genre. Related: Analog Horror: The Past as Nightmare, Not Nostalgia The most copious treatment of the subject comes from commenter Rudolph Harrier: This…
August 14, 202410 Comments
Analog Horror

Analog Horror: The Past as Nightmare, Not Nostalgia

In recent years, a fascinating trend has emerged within the horror genre that has captivated the imaginations of Generation Z: analog horror. Cribbing the aesthetics of VHS tapes, public access television, and other analog media, this subgenre is the opposite of retrowave. Becauuse instead of eliciting nostalgia for simpler times,…
August 13, 20249 Comments
Bob Gymlan Joe Rogan

Bob Gymlan on The Joe Rogan Experience

It's been a minute since we featured a tale or two of high strangeness on this blog. The work of bigfoot expert Bob Gymlan has been featured here before. As far as YouTubers go, Gymlan is refreshing for keeping an open mind and doing his homework. So I was delighted…
August 12, 20245 Comments
Venus Spectacular Thumbnail

Catch the Venus Spectacular

Attention, newpub boosters: We've got a special announcement for you this time. Because the Venus Spectacular by author Rawle Nyanzi is funding now on Kickstarter! How do you fight your best friend when you have no army? Natsuru Machida, the Chief Witch of Venus, went to visit Akane Isesaki, an…
August 9, 2024No Comments
Crash Video Game

Is a Second Video Game Crash on the Horizon?

The video game industry is a multi-billion-dollar juggernaut. It boasts massive profits, blockbuster releases, and a global audience that spans all age groups. Yet, despite its success, concerns are growing about the possibility of a second game market implosion akin to the infamous crash of 1983. While the market today…
August 8, 202413 Comments
Online Nostalgia

Millennial Online Nostalgia

Around here we've spent a great deal of time detailing generational tendencies. When it comes to nostalgia for their long-gone childhood years, Gen Y is notorious for living in the past, while Millennials are notorious for consigning anything from the before time to the memory hole. But recently, a new…
August 7, 202415 Comments