What is a monster? The easy answer is an “unnatural” being—your zombies, ghosts, or vampires. Stories from Frankenstein to The Walking Dead showcase the idea that humans can become monstrous through action, perhaps even more monstrous than the undead. Critics like David J. Skal and Stephen King argue that fictional monsters are metaphors, vehicles to…
A Less Stressful Writing Challenge: Flash Fiction Wednesday, May 4
Writing fiction is hard work, but it’s helpful to build a habit. Marjorie Liu recently shared how during a crossroads time in her life, she woke up at 6 AM each day, wrote 3000 words, and at the end of a month she’d written her first novel. Flash Fiction Wednesday is a monthly writing challenge…
Mighty Marvel Monday: It’s Gonna Be May
And we’re back for another Mighty Marvel Monday! Just as a reminder–this column will remain spoiler-free this week even though Captain America: Civil War has premiered internationally. My review should be out this Friday, and I’ll be linking to other reviews next week in a special Captain America: Civil War column. Also a reminder that…
Pokémon XY Fates Collide TCG Expansion
The Pokémon XY Fates Collide Expansion is set to hit shelves May 2nd in the United States. The set is already out in Japan with the title Awakening of the Psychic King (めざめる超王) and some cards are available via pre-release events through participating Pokémon Play hosts. The set will feature 120 new cards and will fall…
Returning to the Four Lands: A Shannara Chronicles Roundtable
Season one of The Shannara Chronicles came to a dramatic close, then spiraled into a cliffhanger that promised more adventures in the post-apocalyptic fantasy world. Based The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks, the show takes us on the journey of half-elf Wil Ohmsford (Austin Butler), human rogue, Eretria (Ivana Basquero), and the elf princess,…
This Week in WWAC History: Friendship
As you could probably tell, the WWAC History theme of the past couple of weeks has centered around the release of Captain America: Civil War. Today is no different, but from the headline and articles below you may not be able to tell why. I’ll explain the connection. The movie trailer has me concerned about a…
