February 21, 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, we’ve taken a break from defending China to discuss The Great Wall, which premiered in the United States on Friday, February 17, 2017. Sound Off! is meant to be a group of reactions, but not…
February 15, 2017
Have you ever wondered what happens when you die? You may already know, if you practice any specific religious faith. Though I imagine even though most steadfast of believers may sometimes wonder whether everything you’ve been taught or whether everything you believe is exactly right. Or, if you’ve done everything you possibly can to make sure you go “up there”…
December 13, 2016
In This Month’s Changing the Map Gentle readers, why are there so many more dystopias than utopias in fantastic fiction? We’ve seen a staggering resurgence of dystopic movies, books, and television shows, all portraying terrifying and depressing futures. Zombies, ecological disasters, oppressive political regimes, alien overlords… and that’s the short list. So what’s up? Do our inner cynics find it easier to…
December 2, 2016
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, we’ve apparated to discuss Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, which premiered in the U.S. on Friday, November 18th, 2016. Sound Off! is meant to be a group of reactions, but not necessarily…
December 1, 2016
We live in the era of the unabashed geek, and it’s wonderful. But what if you’re not into Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, World of Warcraft, or comic books and you have friends or family that are? What do you buy them for the holidays? Don’t fret — there’s still hope.
November 15, 2016
Let me begin by saying this is my first solo post as a contributor for Speculative Chic! I was surprised and happy when the Editor-in-Chic reached out to me, as this blog has everything I really want in a site: SF/F/H, reviews, and a great group of women (and some familiar faces)! Without further ado, here’s a review of Updraft…
November 9, 2016
The Chimes (2016) Written by: Anna Smaill Genre: Fantasy/Literary Fantasy Pages: 304 (hardcover) 265 (epub) Publisher: Quercus Why I Chose It: When the call went out to read the World Fantasy Award nominees, I selected The Chimes based on its premise: an entire society full people with a severe memory disorder. For reasons which I will get into in the discussion,…
October 18, 2016
The Buried Giant (2015) Written by: Kazuo Ishiguro Genre: Fantasy/Literary Fantasy Pages: 317 Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Why I Chose It: The last Ishiguro book I read was The Remains of The Day, which was sad and beautiful all at the same time and which I absolutely loved. I’ve been wanting to read The Buried Giant, but had too many…
October 12, 2016
Savages (2015) Written by: K.J. Parker Genre: Fantasy Pages: 392 (Kindle) Publisher: Subterranean Press Why I Chose It: I’d never read any of Parker’s books, and I was intrigued by the news that after 17 years of writing as K.J. Parker (presumably a woman using a pseudonym to avoid being discriminated against in the field), it was revealed last…
September 6, 2016
Since launch, Speculative Chic has featured articles on personal writing journeys, collections of things people love, and some amazing reviews. So why are we suddenly throwing an academic discussion on vampires at you? Because I’m a huge nerd, that’s why! (See my bio page for official details and credentials regarding my nerdiness.) By now you’ve gotten a taste of me through…