Materialism and the Fantasy Genre

Skimming critiques of critiques of capitalism makes you think really interesting things. Take, for example, the concept of materialism and how it relates to the fantasy genre–and more specifically its typical representations found in the big names of the genre. What does magic do to issues of hoarding, to materialism itself, and to general concerns […]

Video Found: Buzz Aldrin Raps

Good lord, this is amazing. I mean, it’s completely and utterly ridiculous, but amazing nonetheless (thanks to Universe Today). Enjoy:

Question to Readers: Content Again

This question will be quick. I’ve received a few emails regarding promotional material and what not–obviously about books. Would you all be okay with a post here or there talking about books coming out, etc.? I don’t expect it to be a frequent thing, since I only have three or four bits of promotional material […]

The Rules of Shelving Books: Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Their Literary Friends

David Barnett of The Guardian had an interesting post about science fiction as a label and how certain authors of the more “literary” vein see science fiction in general. It was an interesting article that highlighted the three typical responses to science fiction by “literary” authors: it’s trashy pulp, it’s just a stupid label and […]

Reader Question: Colon-oscopies (or How to Use the Colon and Its Cousin)

Tsuki over at Young Writers Online asked: How the hell do you use a colon or semi-colon correctly? This should be fairly easy to answer. Here goes: ColonsThe colon is primarily used to attach lists or related statements to an already completed sentence. Here’s an example: Billy wanted to buy three things while he was […]

Book Covers: Misrepresentations?

I was at Powell’s City of Books today and while perusing the shelves I noticed that some of books I was forced to read in high school had been redone with flashy new covers. What was disconcerting wasn’t so much that the covers were new–that’s just part of the “classics” sub-industry–but the kinds of covers. […]