A Discussion of Sci-Fi Soul Swapping

A Discussion of Sci-Fi Soul Swapping

The perennial subject of mind/soul-swapping as portrayed in science fiction recently came up at John C. Wright's blog. Reader Kevin Stuart Lee kicked things off. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the metaphysics of mind transfer. Does that tenet of the singularitarians and transhumanists assume materialism? If so,…
December 24, 20154 Comments
Why Oligarchs Love Equality

Why Oligarchs Love Equality

In a perfect followup to my post on why Liberalism inevitably leads to tyranny, Murray Rothbard presents a devastating explanation for why egalitarianism is always championed by elitists. Rothbard begins by debunking the modern idea of equality. For 'equality' means 'sameness' — two entities are 'equal' if and only if…
December 21, 20155 Comments
Operation: Silent Night

Operation: Silent Night

The wait is over! Star Wars: The Force Awakens has finally been released to enraptured audiences. Unfortunately, I was not among them. The only showing that wasn't sold out was in 3D, which to me doesn't make movies look three-dimensional so much as it turns them blurry and induces migraines. Instead…
December 19, 2015
There’s No Voting Our Way out of This

There’s No Voting Our Way out of This

A previous post on how the tide is turning against legacy media and its Leftist bias drew commenters who rightly observed that I offered no solutions for the current political crisis. Right up front, let me point out that I'm a schlock hack SF writer who is unqualified to propose…
December 18, 2015
How to Handle Character Agency in Your Writing

How to Handle Character Agency in Your Writing

Continuing my loose series on advice for aspiring authors, it's time to address a subject that will leave hardcore outliners scratching their heads, but will have organic/discovery writers nodding in commiseration. That subject is character agency. Or, as frustrated writers lament: "What should I do if my characters want to…
December 16, 2015
New Media vs. Legacy Media: At the Turn of the Tide

New Media vs. Legacy Media: At the Turn of the Tide

A close relative recently confided in me that he's been struggling against a pervasive sense of despair. He's a faithful Christian and dedicated family man whose politics lean conservative. Yet his professional culture and the media he pays attention to bombard him with narratives contrary to his principles on a…
December 15, 2015

Geek Gab Episode 35: At the Movies

In this cinematic episode of Geek Gab, Daddy Warpig and I review some movies we saw over the past week. DW discusses Creed and the final movie in the Hunger Games series. As for me, I take us way over time with my Krampus review. Check it out!
December 14, 2015
Krampus 2015 Review

Krampus 2015 Review

Michael Dougherty describes the title character of his latest holiday-themed horror film, Krampus, as the "shadow of St. Nicholas". I was intrigued enough by this statement--and by Red Letter Media's glowing review--to go and see the movie. Horror fans are probably aware of Dougherty's spooky gem Trick 'r Treat--the best horror anthology film…
December 11, 20152 Comments

Geek Gab Episode 34

Join Daddy Warpig, Dorrinal, and myself for a frank and efficient discussion of the TV adaptation of Philip K. Dick's The Man in the High Castle. This episode has been called the best Geek Gab yet. Listen and judge for yourself.
December 7, 2015
How to Write an Effective Amazon Book Description

How to Write an Effective Amazon Book Description

Over the past week or so, my friends and colleagues have been helping me to refine the product description for Souldancer. I'm glad for the help, because as I've said here before, a good product description is one of the most vital elements of successful indie publishing. Like all aspects of…
December 4, 20152 Comments