Backlash on the Recast
In an industry where whitewashing is common, casting minority actors in movies based on comics often results in ferocious backlash. What causes this reaction and what does it reveal about fans?
Fandom: Sci Fi
Boldy Going … forward. The range of Science Fiction content, from classics such as Clark and Asimov, to Space Operas and futurist expanses, and beyond.
Authors of the Amorphous: Neil Gaiman
Navigating the Bleeding Edge: Gaiman’s works don’t smack you in the face and tell you they’re “weird and cool.” Instead, they show you their weirdness in a search for meaning. Don’t be surprised if you’re riveted to his works; if Gaiman finds something interesting enough to write about, chances are it’s fascinating, horrifying and breathtakingly…
Fascist Tinted Glasses: The Man in the High Castle
A study of the contemporary politics of using Nazis in fiction, alternate history in Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle.
Evolution of Queerbaiting
Welcome back to our post-millennial analysis of the current state of fandom. Today we’ll discuss queerbating. While we’ve come a long way since the time where “gay” was a dirty word, even today, pop culture carries unfortunate baggage regarding homosexuality, especially when it comes to women.
Signature Showcase: Gene Roddenberry
A study of the usage of the future as a form of revolutionary utopian optimism through Star Trek.
Bound: Dawn of the Wachowskis
Welcome back to our post-millennial analysis of the current state of fandom. With the Wachowskis both coming out as trans women, their breakout film Bound, a pulpy movie about a lesbian couple, takes on new significance in the conversation about the subversion and upholding of tropes about minorities.
Vignettes of Fascism in Fiction
The road behind us and alternate history, the nature and usage of Nazis in fiction.
Soundtrack to Your Escape
Sonata of the Screen and Grid is an exposition on film and animation directors’ work and compositional comparison of the musicians and composers who scored them. For this piece we’ll look at the evolution of speculative fiction cinema scores and “Rise of the Synths”, dissecting their flirtation with cyberpunk style synthesizer riffs.
The Languages of Dune
Dune is a legendary piece of science fiction. Much as Tolkien did for Lord of the Rings, Herbert created several new languages, adding richness to his fictional universe.
An Algebra of Archons—Series Conspectus
Join philosophy student and avid gamer Ben Steiz in his examination of the various ethics, world views and metaphysics encoded across much of pop culture. This will include both a broad survey and robust analysis of the numerous speculative fiction works and franchises.