Fiction

Just the posts about fiction. About science in fiction, about cool concepts in fiction, and mostly Doctor Who and (because Strange New Worlds just came out) Star Trek.

The Post In Which I Hold My Own Oscars

For literally months I’ve been tinkering with new posts about actual science, like I keep promising, or my review of Oppenheimer which I also keep promising, but oops it seems those aren’t ready yet. And now it’s Oscars time. I’m not a critic, I know very little about movies, none of my film opinions hold any value at all. But I do really like movies, and I do like thinking about what I liked about them and why. So every year I make my own lists of “Bests”, I even try to see as many of the Oscar nominees as…

A Positive Review of Godzilla Minus One That Also Discusses The Film’s Misogyny

For days after, I was been unable to get the haunting score for Godzilla Minus One out of my head. Over a month later, it still creeps into my mind. Rarely popping in suddenly, but a quiet buildup before I realise I’m replaying it. The word “haunting” is used quite liberally, it can evoke any manner of feelings in different readers. Here, I think it’s the most apt word to describe how the music is stuck in my mind. It’s not an uplifting theme I’m replaying out of joy. It’s not a sad piece I replay for catharsis. To be…

60 Years of Doctor Who

Today is the 60th anniversary of the premier of Doctor Who on the BBC in 1963. I… am overwhelmed with other projects which is why this blog is languishing, I’ve even got half-drafts on all manner of Dr Who topics I want to get out during the 60th anniversary celebrations. Buuuuut I don’t have anything ready for today. Still, I couldn’t just let it slip by without saying something, and since I’ve already shared some of my favourite quotes from the whole franchise, I’ll just do bit more of that. In 2005, after a 16 year hiatus, the series returned…

Sci-Fi Horror, or: Just Some Doctor Who and Star Trek Episodes I Like on Halloween

I could and should have put more thought into this, but oh well here’s very short stray thoughts about sci-fi horror as a way to make my post on Halloween Dr Who episodes a little more pretentious. Genres do not have neat boundaries, nor do they need them, but it is interesting to think every now and then what makes a story science fiction. Star Wars is fantasy*, though some stories set within its world of magical space wizards could be seen as straight science fiction (specifically, Andor). So what of sci-fi horror? Fantasy or supernatural horror is easy enough…

Public Perception of Evolution and the High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3

This is not a review of Guardians 3 and will contain no spoilers. Instead I want to talk about evolution, natural selection, the public perceptions thereof, and what makes the villain of the film so great. One incredibly important lesson to remember is that the concept of a hierarchy of nature with humans at the top is pre-Darwinian. And not just in the sense of divine creation making humans special right out the gate, the idea that organisms evolved and became “better” (whatever that means) up to the inevitable result of humans is an idea that predates Darwin. What 164…

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