Category: Reviews
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Review: Doctor Strange: It’s All Benedict Cumberbatch
The review highlights the author’s indifference towards comic book movies, emphasizing their enjoyment of Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance in Doctor Strange, which showcases his talent in portraying complex characters.
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Review: Augments of Change salient in a time of racial tension
In a time of racial tensions and national reckoning with uncomfortable pieces of our history, Augments of Change attempts to satirize race, noting that it’s mostly an illusion. America is going through another paroxysm of racially tinged violence, reminding everyone of our failure to reconcile our history with our ideals. In my own lifetime, the…
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The Girl in the Road: Literary fiction with a sci-fi overlay
Monica Byrne’s The Girl in the Road intertwines two women’s journeys in a future shaped by climate change, exploring technology’s role in economic colonialism while challenging dominant narratives and human resilience.
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Review: In Hieroglyph, sci-fi exists to explore the possibilities of change
Science fiction reflects societal hopes and anxieties, evolving from optimism to realism. The anthology Hieroglyph seeks to inspire and debate sci-fi’s purpose, focusing on human experiences amid technological advancements.
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Review: A faux-paleo world with email stumbles on its ‘re-wilding’ contradictions
The content critiques a perspective that views civilization as a historical mistake, advocating for a return to hunter-gatherer lifestyles. It examines romanticized views of the past and highlights attempts at rewilding.
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Review: The appropriated world of The Guild of Saint Cooper
The text discusses cultural appropriation in art, focusing on Shya Scanlon’s novel inspired by David Lynch’s work. It questions originality, highlighting characters and narrative style while exploring theft versus influence.
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Review: A Le Carré tale of disappointment and two endings
Not every book can have a satisfying end, and some books have disappointing endings, even one by the master storyteller, John Le Carré. Spoilers ahead, including details of book endings You’ve invested days, maybe weeks of time in a relationship, but at the end, you’re disappointed. It happens in real-life relationships, and it happens to…
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Review: Gold Fame Citrus is tangy, acidic, and tasty
The post discusses Claire Vaye Watkins’ debut novel, “Gold Fame Citrus,” set in a desolate, dystopian Southwest. It explores themes of environmental degradation and human resilience amidst extreme conditions.
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Why The Martian’s success probably won’t spawn a sequel
The author discusses why The Martian should not have a sequel, emphasizing the film’s unique narrative, its successful avoidance of Hollywood clichés, and the need for more optimistic storytelling in science fiction.
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Review: The Subprimes is primo satire
Karl Taro Greenfeld’s The Subprimes presents a satirical economic dystopia where libertarians thrive amid environmental collapse, exploring themes of justice, community struggle, and the impact of the 2008 recession.
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Review: “After Water” radio stories put climate in a new light
WBEZ-FM’s anthology, After Water, explores climate change’s impact on society through speculative fiction, presenting engaging stories that intersect science and art, while addressing social issues and the future of water.
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Mad Max: Fury Road sputters, despite its feminist cred
Mad Max: Fury Road gets a lot of feminist buzz, but this reviewer wonders if the chatter has overwhelmed a pedestrian film with political high-fives. My college-age daughter Emily and I saw Mad Max: Fury Road over the weekend and we left the theater wondering what all the fuss is about. Film review aggregator Rotten…
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Review: The Water Knife is bleak, but uncomfortably possible
Paolo Bacigalupi’s The Water Knife invites us to imagine a drought like no other, in which the lack of water brought on by climate change disrupts life from beginning to end. The western drought has forced everyone to know their rights. From San Diego to Seattle, talk shows, newspapers, and blogs overflow with debates over…
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Review: Ex Machina and the amoral machine
The movie Ex Machina owes much to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as it grapples with the notion of machines understanding right and wrong. Spoilers ahead… The key moment of Ex Machina arrives when eccentric tech CEO Nathan Bateman tells Caleb Smith, his employee, why the young programmer was selected to deliver a sophisticated Turing test on…
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Review: Why aren’t ‘serious’ writers writing about climate change?
Adam Trexler argues that while climate change dominates discussions, fictional narratives are scarce. He critiques the literary world’s neglect of novels that convey climate challenges and emotions, advocating for compelling storytelling.
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Review: Clade shows love and hope are timeless in a changing climate
James Bradley’s “Clade” melds climate change with human relationships, illustrating personal struggles against a backdrop of environmental shifts, emphasizing the enduring nature of humanity amid slow, profound transformations.
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Review: Nature’s Confession an impressive sci-fi epic for young adults
Nature’s Confession blends young adult romance and speculative fiction, exploring themes like love, family strife, and environmental degradation, with humor and satire reminiscent of classic literary works.
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Review: Why can’t climate change be funny and romantic, too?
Brian Adams’ novel, Love in the Time of Climate Change, humorously explores environmental activism through a romance between a professor and a teacher, critiquing the serious tone often found in the movement.
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Review: How “Interstellar” resembles “How the West Was Won”
Interstellar, directed by Christopher Nolan, is an ambitious sci-fi film exploring themes of hope and survival amid ecological disaster. It struggles with Hollywood clichés but captivates with stunning visuals and emotional undertones.
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Review: Peak oil fuels this dystopian survivalist novel
The text discusses Jennifer Ellis’ novel, highlighting its portrayal of a dystopian future shaped by climate change and societal collapse, focusing on complex human relationships amid crisis.