science fiction ← Alex Acks: Sound and Nerdery

I wish I could trust you and I hate what we’ve become. 14

Mar

18

2016

File 770 posted the Sad Puppies list (slate? what? We’ll get in to that in a moment) last night, and here. My knee jerk reaction: Please, someone explain to me how I should see this as anything but transparently manipulative, wanky shit. https://t.co/lhWpa9mRpX — Rachael Acks (@katsudonburi) March 17, 2016 I’m not proud that this ...

Luke vs Rey, a point-by-point comparison 5

Dec

28

2015

Since there’s been shit talked about the comparison between Rey and Luke (and how “realistic” Rey is as a character in a universe where there is sound in the vacuum of space and magic exists but okay) I wanted to actually sit down and granularly compare the two characters. Rey’s information comes in after my ...

She’s not like other girls. 4

Nov

25

2015

I’m not that tuned in to YA because I live under a rock, so this was the first I heard about Bergstrom poking YA authors as a whole in the eye. Went and read the interview linked in that post. Have some serious fucking problems beyond the general feeling of dude have you just managed ...

Looking forward to WSFS meetings 3

Aug

6

2015

I ended up browsing a bit on File770 and saw the latest collection of news, which included this astounding example of hollering before you’re hurt from David Pascoe writing on Sarah Hoyt’s blog: While there’s a good deal of speculation over whether such a motion will even get approved (what then, would supporting members get ...

[Movie] Snowpiercer 13

Jul

5

2014

There is a basic level of surreality you have to accept when you approach this movie, similar to when you watch a Terry Gilliam or Jean-Pierre Jeunet film. (I can’t believe it’s coincidence that one of the characters is named Gilliam.) There are things that happen that don’t necessarily make sense outside of a sort of ...

[Movie] The most disappointing thing about Edge of Tomorrow is its title 3

Jun

9

2014

Couldn’t you have come up with something better for a title? Really? I felt like I should be seeing an episode of Star Trek. Or perhaps Lady Gaga would appear at any moment, wearing disturbingly avant garde yet somehow still sexy robotic battle armor with unbelievable high heels, and belt out a song while pyrotechnics ...

I am sorry you were held captive in a windowless basement in 2013 4

Jun

8

2014

I was going to rant about this on Twitter, but bleh. Quick blog post is easier: The Sad State of Modern Sci-fi Short summary: They do not make amazing scifi movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey any more. CGI is ruining everything. There hasn’t been a good (in this case defined as thoughtful and intelligent) scifi ...

The Shrill Sound of Not Shutting Up 12

Jun

4

2014

So I was just thinking this morning, about how back in my undergrad days I wrote a paper wherein I mentioned that use of the adjective shrill to describe a person can be generally considered a red flag for sexism. That class involved peer critiques, and I subsequently had a male classmate who took a ...

So then the squee happened. 2

May

30

2014

I literally had just gotten in the door from work, was rushing to try to get my computer set up so I could say mean things about Godzilla (2014) on the Skiffy and Fanty show (which is a whole other bit squee right there) when my phone rang. Scaring the crap out of me in the ...

Dear John C Wright: Please stop lying. 16

May

7

2014

No really, John C. Wright. You flounced, you’re not my problem any more, I don’t have to care about your bullshit misogyny and gross homophobia. I’m done with you. Stop wasting my time. Only then you go and pull this shit. I have this problem, you see. Most of the time, when there’s someone saying stupid things ...