Fiction Friday: Judy Black’s The Sound of Silence


At Speculative Chic, we feature a lot of authors who share everything from their favorite things to the inspiration for their work. Today, we’re introducing a new column called Fiction Friday, where you’ll be able to sample the fiction of a variety of authors, including those who write at Speculative Chic! For our very first column, we’re featuring Judy Black,…

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Unmasking the Stereotype of the Strong Black Woman in HBO’s Watchmen


The trope of the Strong Black Woman in fiction is based on an equally harmful stereotype, in which Black women are expected to perform a role that negates their own emotions, needs (both physical and psychological), in the service of caring for others. Similar to the Magical Negro, the Strong Black Woman protects her family and community, and even saves…

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BBC/Netflix Dracula: (For The) Blood is (the) Lives


As you may or may not have heard by now, Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat recently collaborated on yet another TV miniseries adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula — three episodes, produced through the BBC, available right now on Netflix. And much like Gatiss and Moffat’s version of Sherlock Holmes (BBC Sherlock, admired and hated in roughly equal measure by fans…

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My Favorite Things with R.J. Joseph


They might not be raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but that doesn’t mean that we love them any less. Welcome back to My Favorite Things, the weekly column where we grab someone in speculative circles to gab about the greatest in geek. This week, we sit down with R.J. Joseph, who is a contributor here at Speculative Chic!…

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Roundtable: Worlds to Live By


It’s a new year and a new decade, and for our January Roundtable, we’re talking new worlds in a post that celebrates the brilliance and care that goes into worldbuilding, often considered a genre qualifier when it comes to science fiction and fantasy. So we asked our contributors, “What fictional world do you want to live in?”and to give examples…

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