Maybe it’s because I’m hopeful Guardians of the Galaxy evokes the old feelings of wonder that came with A New Hope. Maybe it’s the discovery of the excellent X-Wing Miniatures game. Maybe it’s just nostalgia. But whatever the cause, I have been on a sizable Star Wars kick lately, and a big part of that… Continue reading Return of the Jedi (or possibly Sith)
Ongoing Progress
I will be the first to admit that I am a work in progress. The person I am now is not the person I want to be, and I have goals I continue to work and struggle towards. The work is not always clean, and nowhere near as ordered as I would like. Change does… Continue reading Ongoing Progress
Is Social Media A Necessary Evil?
Social media, and our means of interfacing with it, continues to grow. From evolving platforms like Fourspring becoming Swarm, to applications proliferating all over phones and tablets, it feels almost like an infiltration. Lives have been changed because of social media, even damaged. It could be argued that social media does more harm than good.… Continue reading Is Social Media A Necessary Evil?
Bring Out Your Dead
Writers are murderers. This is an established fact. But I would contend that only bad writers kill characters on a whim, “just because”. If you look at good writing, a character death is never accidental, never flippant. It’s a calculated move. And, if you’re attached to said character or characters, after the initial shock, if… Continue reading Bring Out Your Dead
500 Words on Marvel
As I write this, San Diego Comic-Con, arguably one of the biggest gatherings of so-called ‘geeks’ or ‘nerds’ in his hemisphere, is taking place. The Marvel panel is, I believe, tomorrow, and there are likely to be announcements as to what is coming up for the studio behind The Avengers and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. I… Continue reading 500 Words on Marvel
The Lived-In Universe
For a long time, space travel in fiction was predominantly shiny. Long, slender, cigar-shaped rockets predominantly made of chrome blasted off towards the stars. More often than not, equally shiny flying saucers spun their way towards our suburban homes to shower our Sunday barbecues with death rays. I am exaggerating a bit, but what I’m… Continue reading The Lived-In Universe
Connect Your Characters
Good fiction, when you get down to it, is about people. I don’t just mean the characters. It’s true that, no matter how original or fascinating your premise, you need to have three-dimensional characters. If your characters are flat or uninteresting, or exists solely as ciphers for your own expectations or those of the reader,… Continue reading Connect Your Characters
The Tower Hums Again
I just repaired my home PC. I had to swap out my power supply with a replacement. The whole affair cost me about $80, and took less than an hour to complete. I plan to resume my gaming as soon as I post this quick blog – the Curse of Naxxramas was just released in… Continue reading The Tower Hums Again
Kaput
ka·put kəˈpoot,kä-/Submit adjective, informal broken and useless; no longer working or effective. I used to get very, very angry when things broke on me. I still do, when I run into obstinance or ignorance. But inanimate objects? Not worth the rage. I get frustrated, sure, but I try to avoid untoward displays, and posts. My… Continue reading Kaput
Movie Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
I have a soft spot in my heart for what I and others call ‘big idea’ science fiction. You see, sci-fi is not always whiz-bang laser fights and exotic, distant worlds. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a work of science fiction, as is Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park. Without aliens, particle beams, faster than light starships or… Continue reading Movie Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
