Category Archives: Science Fiction

Dystopia as an Inverted Hero’s Journey: Introduction

Posted on July 6, 2019 by Alex R. Howe

Act I I’m starting a short series of posts where I analyze dystopian literature in a way that I haven’t seen anywhere else before. Dystopia is a catch-all category for fiction featuring tyrannical governments, post-apocalyptic worlds, or the general break-down … Continue reading →

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What Should Happen in Star Wars Episode IX?

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Alex R. Howe

Well, the first teaser trailer has dropped for Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. I can react a little to the trailer itself, but we don’t really know much yet. (That’s kind of the point of a teaser.) … Continue reading →

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Happy Pi Day

Posted on March 14, 2019 by Alex R. Howe

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!

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Could Mortal Engines’ Municipal Darwinism Work?

Posted on December 20, 2018 by Alex R. Howe

In Mortal Engines, based on the book series by Philip Reeve, in a post-apocalyptic wasteland ravaged by nuclear war, the surviving settlements have become “traction cities,” putting themselves on wheels to roam what was once Eurasia (an area known in … Continue reading →

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Movie Review: Solo: A Star Wars Story

Posted on June 12, 2018 by Alex R. Howe

Okay, I really need to put out my review of Solo. I don’t review every movie I see, either because I haven’t had time (see Deadpool 2) or because I’m not really sure what to make of it (see Annihilation … Continue reading →

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How The Last Jedi Fixes Star Wars; Yes, I Said It.

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Alex R. Howe

I wrote before that I believe Star Wars: The Last Jedi redeemed the franchise in several important ways. This is a complicated topic, but I want to try to give you an outline of my thoughts. To talk about The … Continue reading →

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Web Serial Review: 17776

Posted on October 15, 2017 by Alex R. Howe

17776 is kind of a weird one. It’s all online, so you can click to the beginning right here if you want. The Wikipedia page is here. It was posted in July, and I first saw it in August, but … Continue reading →

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Television Review: The Orville

Posted on October 8, 2017 by Alex R. Howe

Seth MacFarlane, best known for Family Guy and Ted, but also the executive producer of the recent Cosmos series has a new live-action science fiction show this year that is described as a “love letter” to Star Trek. This is … Continue reading →

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Television Review: Star Trek: Discovery

Posted on September 27, 2017 by Alex R. Howe

Sunday night marked the first return of Star Trek to television in 12 years with the release of the pilot of Star Trek: Discovery. Star Trek has always been my favorite science fiction franchise. (Yes, better than Star Wars. I … Continue reading →

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The Thirteenth Doctor: Jodie Whittaker

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Alex R. Howe

The BBC announced yesterday that next year, the thirteenth incarnation of the Doctor (not including the War Doctor) of Doctor Who after Peter Capaldi leaves the show will be Jodie Whittaker, the first woman to headline the iconic series. I … Continue reading →

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