May 30, 2017
Welcome back to Sound Off!, a semi-regular column where members of Speculative Chic gather together to chat about the latest BIG THING in entertainment. This time, brush up on your pirate speech and discuss Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, which premiered in the United States on Friday, May 26, 2017. Sound Off! is meant to be…
May 24, 2017
After nearly a decade of anticipation, Atlus finally unleashed the long-awaited Persona 5 to a large and appreciative audience in April of this year. Over a month and 100 hours played later, how does the Japanese RPG stand up to the withering winds of criticism? Keyes and her maxed-out Social Link/Confidant/Husband Howard discuss the game, how it compares to its acclaimed predecessor…
May 17, 2017
A Taste of Honey (2016) Written by: Kai Ashante Wilson Genre: Fantasy Pages: 100 (Nook) Publisher: Tor/Forge Why I Chose It: Many reasons. That gorgeous cover, for one. The story is about two men of color, and that’s what’s on the cover. (Because publishers whitewashing book covers is a thing.) Also because I haven’t read much fantasy lately. And lastly…
May 16, 2017
Welcome back to Sound Off!, a semi-regular column where members of Speculative Chic gather together to chat about the latest BIG THING in entertainment. This time, reclaim your birthright and discuss King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, which premiered in the United States on Friday, May 12, 2017. Sound Off! is meant to be a reaction, but not necessarily a review.…
May 3, 2017
The reminder of how it came to this. Rules recap: In 2017, I’ve resolved to see twelve new-to-me spec fic movies in a no-doubt vain attempt at catching up with popular culture. One movie per month, the results of watching said movie discussed at the beginning of the next month. Do you all have any idea how many awesome-sounding spec…
April 20, 2017
The Obelisk Gate (2016) Written by: N.K. Jemisin Genre: Fantasy Pages: 448 (Trade Paperback) Series: Book 2 of The Broken Earth Publisher: Orbit Why I Chose It: The Fifth Season was a book I admired and respected, but didn’t really love. I got off on the wrong foot, anticipating Syenite, Damaya, and Essun’s meeting — there are too few fantasy…
April 19, 2017
Miranda and Caliban (2017) Written by: Jacqueline Carey Genre: Fantasy Pages: 282 (Nook) Publisher: Tor Why I Chose It: I have long been a fan of Jacqueline Carey’s work. I don’t read everything she puts out (to wit: I put down her urban fantasy trilogy, Agent of Hel, halfway through book one and have no plans to attempt it again),…
March 10, 2017
There used to be a time when, as a fan of speculative fiction, you could pretty much say you’d read and watched it all. Of course, you were probably super dedicated, because even in that Golden Age, I’m sure there was a lot to keep up with (especially if you included short fiction). But nowadays, it’s not so easy, because…
February 28, 2017
I’m a sucker for series that only get short runs. I like ruminating about untapped potential, I suppose; the what-ifs and what-could-have-beens make great daydreaming material (and story fodder). Every so often there’s talk of reviving Firefly, Joss Whedon’s beloved 2002 space western series, whose fans often feel was given short shrift by FOX. Firefly’s first season was fourteen episodes…
February 22, 2017
A lot of people get confused when faced with a book that has two covers. Is the inside different? Is this the same book? The confusion only deepens on those rare occasions when the title changes. However, gentle readers and moviegoers, this is simply a cover change up.