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Between Pulp Wonders and Light Novel Trash
In his last podcast, JimFear138 sat down with Rawle Nyanzi to discuss the concept of genres in a freewheeling discussion that spanned, among other things, My Hero Academia, the blurry line between science fiction and fantasy, and, at the 40:15 mark, Japanese light novels. Rawle didn’t have a high opinion of most light novels. I share the…
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Series Review: Writing Violence by Marc MacYoung
Marc ‘Animal’ MacYoung watches rom-coms because Hollywood gets action scenes wrong. Having worked as a court-recognized expert witness, correctional institute director, bodyguard, bouncer, cooler and event security, he has decades of first-hand experience with violence and criminals. His street name came from a high-risk lifestyle filled with life-or-death encounters on the mean streets of Los…
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Proper Rest is Absolutely Essential
It’s an old familiar feeling. A heavy leaden weight in my chest, an oily greasy ball suppressing my breath. A weak, wobbling heartbeat that trembles unevenly with every contraction. A constant, low-lying malaise that slows the brain and jams the nerves. Yellow lightning radiating through my chest, radiating a deep, dull ache. Too much stress.…
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Appendix N Review: The Dying Earth by Jack Vance
In the far-flung future, the Sun has reached the end of its lifespan. Under an alien sky, strange animals and plants thrive across the world, ruined cities stand in mute testimony to all-conquering Time, squalor and luxury exist side by side in decaying and decadent civilisations, and science and technology have blurred into a unified…
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The Nihilism of The Punisher MAX
The Punisher presents Marvel with a dilemma. A Vietnam veteran who lost his family during a Mafia hit, Frank Castle transformed himself into the vigilante Punisher to wage a one-man war on crime. His defining traits are his ruthless and lethality. Unlike other superheroes, he is perfectly willing to kill everyone who enters his sights.…
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Deadpool 2 Movie Review
In a world filled with increasingly bland superhero reboots and cross-overs and re-reboots, Deadpool promises fun. With its combination of R-rated humor, gratuitous violence, adult situations and a nigh-unkillable character who breaks the fourth wall at every opportunity, Deadpool is a profane yet light-hearted take on the superhero genre. Deadpool 2 offers more of the same. Which is both its strongest…