Star Trek Beyond Director: Justin Lin Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Idris Elba, and Sofia Boutella Screenplay: Simon Pegg & Doug Jung Paramount Pictures July 22, 2016 As existing media canons are mined for new franchises, there’s a tough balance for these reboots to strike. There’s…
Pokémon Go: Is Anyone on Team Valor?
Pokémon Go is sweeping the internet, and it’s no surprise. My Facebook feed is filled with screenshots of the game, interspersed with memes about the game, and people complaining about adults having fun. It hit just the right spot for nostalgia, and geocaching seems to finally have caught on with the younger generations. So, what…
SDCC Blood Drive: Whose Life Will You Save?
Donating blood is one of those things I always meant to do because I understood its importance. I just never got around to it until it meant something to me personally. In the year prior to her death, my mother needed blood transfusions often. Though my blood type and my location could not help my…
Nasty Old Hags Nearing Death: Absolutely Fabulous
One week after I saw Absolutely Fabulous, I saw Ghostbusters. I saw it in the same cinema, on the same day of the week, at the same approximate time, midday. I saw both films for the same reason: because for many many years, they have been a part of my personal entertainment environment. I am…
Inspiring Women Making (and Supporting) Comics Today
In this series, women of comics write about other women in comics today who are inspiring them. If you would like to contribute, get in touch with me at megan.purdy@wwacomics.com. Anna Fitzpatrick – Between Worlds A while back I came across this webcomic that I absolutely lost myself in. A review is forever on the cards,…
SDCC ’16: An Interview with The Expanse’s Cas Anvar
The Expanse is an space opera television series that debuted in 2015 on Syfy, based on the book series by James S. A. Corey (the pen name for writing duo Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck). It takes place in a future where the human race has colonized the solar system with Earth governed by the United Nations,…
What Dark Tower Movie Are They Making?
If you’re like me, the Tower has been calling to you since the moment you shut the cover on the controversial epilogue to the seventh book. (And then again when the 2012 Wind Through the Keyhole Book 4.5 came out.) Maybe you fulfill your cravings with the comic books, but likely the announcement of The Dark Tower…
2016 Hugo Reviews: Novellas
With Best Short Story and Best Novelette covered, I now turn my attention to the last short fiction category at the Hugo Awards: Best Novella… Binti by Nnedi Okorafor Mankind has spread to the stars and encountered alien races, but not all of humanity is eager to explore space. The Himba of Southern Africa remain a…
Ad Astra Comix Interview: Sky’s the Limit in Political Comics
I first learned about Ad Astra Comix when I saw Nicole Marie Burton speak at “Drawing Resistance: Using Comics for Social Change,” hosted by Women & Children First in Chicago. Nicole is a co-founder with Hugh Goldring of the Canadian comics publisher. The talk was one of several on a tour to discuss the power of the political comic and…
The Thursday Book Beat: New Tolkien Poem May Offer Early Hints of Galadriel
Happy Thursday! How’s your summer TBR pile doing, dear readers? I’d love to hear about any recommendations you might have for fun beach reads to take on vacation. My own TBR list is slowly becoming more manageable, so of course, I need to gather some more recs to pick up!
Firewatch, Gone Home, and the Power of a Good Bad Ending
Spoiler Warning: This piece contains spoilers for Firewatch, Gone Home, and Dragon Age: Inquisition. Two of my favorite games of the past few years are also two of the games I most frequently see criticized for having bad endings–Gone Home and Firewatch. These are quiet, simple stories told in only a few hours at most….
Feminism & Fat: Interview with Ragen Chastain
One of my biggest, long-time internet crushes on a person I have never, ever met goes to Ragen Chastain. I started reading her blog, Dances with Fat, several years ago as it not only affirmed some struggles and suspicions I had regarding the talk around bodies and health, but it also opened my eyes to the…
