SNAPSHOTOver the summer of 2019, the Penguin Books distribution center in Maryland played host to a little African penguin who interned with them for a day. The flightless bird confidently walked into the building, through the lobby and right into the warehouse to do a spot inspection. She then made Continue Reading
Book review: Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy
One thing that quickly becomes apparent when you plunge into the vividly imaginative postmodern queer sci-fi storytelling of Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy, is that this is not your grandmother’s retelling of the Arthurian legend. To be fair, most grandmothers probably do not habitually sit Continue Reading
Weekend pop art: “Wish you were fictitiously here” – imaginative postcards from pop culture locales
It was Cheers which famously asked “Wouldn’t you like to get away?” Well, yes we would and the further away from real life the better thank you very much. A nice fictional locale with none of the banal or trying trappings of the everyday would be quite lovely thank you Continue Reading
Songs, songs and more songs #16: Dizzy Fae, DUCKWRTH, Soaky Siren, Dillon Francis, Bombay Bicycle Club + Eurovision 2020 update
Great songs are often, though not always, a beguiling mix of insightful, meaningful lyrics and a great supremely-catchy melody. All five of the songs in this week’s post fit the bill and then some, reflecting the fact that while you can capture ears easily enough with an irresistible melody, capturing Continue Reading
Book review: Lost and Wanted by Nell Freudenberger
Life is, in many ways, a bittersweet mix of opportunities seized and chances lost. This all too flawed and earthbound state of affairs is not necessarily the result of poor decision-making or impetuous planning; it’s often simply the consequence of sliding doors rising up to meet us, necessitating that a Continue Reading
The short and the short of it: The close enough to reach otherworldliness of The Moon’s Milk
SNAPSHOTSeven and a half years in the making, The Moon’s Milk is an entirely handmade stop motion animated short about a time when the moon was close enough to be reached by ladder. Narrated by Tom Waits, the film chronicles the last expedition of Captain Millipede and his crew to Continue Reading
Horse Museum – There’s a new Dr Seuss on the loose!
SNAPSHOTThe story follows a horse as it guides a group through a museum looking at the real-life examples of how artists have imagined the humble horse. It includes reproductions of more than 30 artworks about horses, from artists like Pablo Picasso to Susan Rothenberg and Jackson Pollock. And there are Continue Reading
Fear the Walking Dead: “Channel 5” (S5, E15 review)
SPOILERS AHEAD … AND COLLAPSING BRIDGES, LONG EXHAUSTING WALKS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE … AND CRUSHING DISAPPOINTMENT Now it may surprise you learn that public relations is still a thing in the zaombie apocalypse. That’s not so much because the undead are spruiking the marginal benefits of being eaten by them Continue Reading
Welcome to the inequitable new ice age: Snowpiercer (Part 1: Extinction) comic
SNAPSHOTThe prequel story to the New York Times bestselling Snowpiercer graphic novel series that inspired both movie and TV adaptations. Perfect for fans of post-apocalyptic sci-fi! The Snowpiercer saga continues with this brand new story by original artist Jean-Marc Rochette and Eisner nominated writer, Matz. Set before the extinction event Continue Reading
Book review: The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster by Scott Wilbanks
Belonging, truly belonging, to a group of people, family or otherwise, is one of the great defining attributes of being human. While it’s healthy to define ourselves in our terms as anyone who has ever been part of a dysfunctionally intrusive group will tell you, there is so much to Continue Reading