How Sci-Fi Predicted the Russia-Ukraine War
The Russian invasion of Ukraine shocked the world, but this conflict was foreshadowed in Ukrainian and Russian speculative fiction. I talk with several fantasy writers in Ukraine about how they’ve use...
17 Mars 202230min
Asian Futures Without Asians
It’s a future we’re all very familiar with. The rainy streets are full of neon dragons, noodle shops, and other Asian iconography mixed up and decontextualized amid sci-fi flourishes, but something is...
3 Mars 202236min
Time Travel Migrants
In the sci-fi drama Beforeigners from HBO Nordic, Oslo is overrun with immigrants and refugees. But they haven’t come from other countries. They’re from the past. In fact, they’re from three specific ...
17 Feb 202236min
Headcanon Fodder: Fandom Rewrites the Narrative
Have you ever watched a movie or show, gotten sucked into a mystery and come up with your own idea of what is going to be revealed – only to find out that you’re wrong? Do you accept what’s now establ...
3 Feb 202235min
Politics of the Funnies: Li’l Abner Turns Right
Once upon a time, the funnies or the comics pages dominated newspapers – back when newspapers were the main source of information for most Americans. In those days, Walt Kelly and Al Capp were titans ...
20 Jan 202230min
Politics of the Funnies: Pogo Turns Left
Once upon a time, the funnies or the comics pages dominated newspapers – back when newspapers were the main source of information for most Americans. In those days, Walt Kelly and Al Capp were titans ...
6 Jan 202232min
Pop Culture Splits into Multiverses
Marvel and DC are jumping into the multiverse with multiple movies and shows crossing over into parallels worlds with different versions of established characters while they’re merging IP from differe...
23 Dec 202134min
Have Yourself a Scary Little Krampus
The imagery of Christmas in most Western countries is of pure wholesomeness with Santa Claus or St. Nicholas, presents, candy, lights, etc. But in central Europe, there is another figure in the mix, t...
9 Dec 202130min
