April 6, 2017
No, we’re not getting on a giant boat with a lot of animals — that’s an ark. ARC stands for Advance Reading Copy. Or Advance Review Copy. Or Advanced Reader’s Copy. Or you might see ARE for Advance Reader’s Edition. The point is that a book that is labeled as such is an early copy that hasn’t yet hit the…
April 5, 2017
Let me remind you of how it came to this. The Rules Recap: For 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. And I made myself some rules. It…
April 4, 2017
Who hasn’t daydreamed about running away from reality? What if you were given the chance to visit a newly discovered alien planet? Susan diRende’s Unpronounceable offers just such a taste of this delicious daydream. Unpronounceable (2016) Written by: Susan diRende Genre: Science Fiction Pages: 116 (Kindle) Publisher: Aqueduct Press Why I Chose It: When we here at Spec Chic decided…
March 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, explore new species and discuss Life, which premiered in the United States on Friday, March 24, 2017. Sound Off! is meant to be a reaction, but not necessarily a review. After all, while…
March 29, 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, revisit your childhood and discuss Power Rangers, which premiered in the United States on Friday, March 24, 2017. Sound Off! is meant to be a reaction, but not necessarily a review. After all, while…
March 28, 2017
Who doesn’t love a good time-traveling adventure? Although more serious time-travel stories — 12 Monkeys [the film], Ray Bradbury’s classic short story “A Sound of Thunder” (1952), the TV series Continuum (discussed in a prior post) or the film Primer — can break your brain (especially Primer!), time travel has enchanted audiences since H.G. Wells published The Time Machine in the…
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…
March 2, 2017
A quick reminder of how it came to this: This year, 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 fic…
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 14, 2017
This Month On Changing the Map It’s not often that you pick up a nearly fifty-year-old novel only to find that it mirrors your current political climate with uncanny precision. It’s a bit like hearing a sermon at the precise moment you need it. You’re grateful for the enlightenment, but vaguely unsettled that the good lord or the universe knew…