The Mind of a Metahuman
What would be the psychological and sociocultural consequences of the emergence of a population of metahumans with a large and infinite variety of traits?
Fandom: Marvel
From Quill to Quest Item—Series Conspectus
There’s more to your favorite interactive entertainment than meets the eye! Join us for an examination of video games as a reimagined presentation of tropes from classical theater and text as seen and interpreted through the eyes of an enthusiast of all three.
Some Assembly Required
Having poured over the “who,” “what” and “why” of this endeavor, we shift focus inward a bit towards the training, recruitment, revision of process which comprise “how.”
Blaxploitation Throwbacks
Representation matters, and how People of Color are represented in speculative fiction and pop culture matters even more. Join a former Naval electrician, father, cosplayer and African American public speaker as we look back at some significant (signifying?) central characters and their contexts.
Mutants and Metahumans, Part 1
Our scientific observations of mutation, evolution, adaptation, sensation, perception, and ability can greatly inform our understanding of fictional universes.
Ableism, Sidekick Agency and Ageism
Welcome back to our intersectional look at how fandom, feminism, LGBTQ representation and other generational dog whistles are portrayed. Today we look at Bucky Barnes, onetime kid sidekick of Captain America, and both hero and antagonist in his own right with his own resonant internal and deeply personal struggle.
Courting Disaster – Series Conspectus
An overview of otaku and gamer fandoms, their interrelations, and engagement with pop culture. From GamerGate to syncretic mythology, to the underlying social justice issues, this telescopic lens will be aimed through the prism of intersectional feminism that pulls no punches and takes no prisoners. From Amazons to Zelda, we’re going to get gritty with it.
A Hint of Color – Series Conspectus
Representation matters, and how People of Color are presented in speculative fiction and pop culture matters even more. Join a former Naval electrician, father, cosplayer and African-American public speaker as he delves deep. From pulp and comic-inspired blockbusters to the heights of sci-fi, we’ll examine the many ghoulish caricatures and celebrated victories along the way.
Unraveling Silken Threads–Series Conspectus
It’s about far more than merely the swords and sorcery that make up your favorite fictional universe. Join us for our inaugural look into the motives, tropes and ethics of various controversial speculative fictions, and the historic context of their presentation.
It’s Not Brain Surgery – An Introduction
Wonder what’s going on in that character’s head? Here we’ll dip our toes into the psychology and neurobiology at play in characters and scenarios in speculative fiction.