Author Archives: Alex R. Howe

About Alex R. Howe

I'm a full-time astrophysicist and a part-time science fiction writer.

Movie Review: Shazam!

Posted on April 7, 2019

This week, we saw the big screen debut of one of the less famous heroes in the comic book pantheon…Captain Marvel. Wait, what? Well, okay, the name of the movie is Shazam! (exclamation point included), and Shazam is also the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized

On New Year’s Resolutions

Posted on March 31, 2019

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. “What are you talking about? It’s the end of March!” Or maybe, “Is this an April Fool’s joke?” No, it isn’t. I want to talk about New Year’s resolutions precisely because we’re a quarter … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Personal, Writing | Tagged , , ,

Ready Player One: A Case Study in Movie Adaptations

Posted on March 21, 2019

Last year, I reviewed the movie Ready Player One, a cyberpunk story about a teenage boy trying to beat an evil corporate mogul to the most valuable video game Easter egg in history. To do this, he must solve seemingly … Continue reading →

Posted in books versus movies, Fiction | Tagged , , ,

Happy Pi Day

Posted on March 14, 2019

Celebrate by eating pie. Preferably at 1:59 and 26 seconds. Or memorizing digits of pi. Or reading science fiction because it’s also Einstein’s birthday. I recommend Contact because it involves both Einstein-Rosen bridges (wormholes) and pi!

Posted in Current events, Science, Science Fiction | Tagged , , ,

Movie Review: Captain Marvel

Posted on March 10, 2019

Captain Marvel is one of Marvel Comics’s lesser known superheroes. She (and he in earlier decades; Carol Danvers wasn’t the only one to wear the name*) was a minor character up until fairly recent times. Carol Danvers herself (under various … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Reviews | Tagged , ,

Movie Review: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Posted on February 24, 2019

It’s the end of a great movie series. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is the final installment in a beloved trilogy and one of the many highly-anticipated movies coming this year, giving us the final adventure of … Continue reading →

Posted in Movie Reviews | Tagged , ,

Television Review: MythBusters Jr.

Posted on February 17, 2019

Last year, the Science Channel continued the long-running show MythBusters with two new hosts, Jon and Brian, selected by a televised myth-busting contest. The new episodes were…underwhelming. I reviewed Jon’s and Brian’s season at the time, and I couldn’t give … Continue reading →

Posted in TV Reviews | Tagged , ,