Guide

Editor’s Note: I might be Speculative Chic’s MCU Fangirl-in-Chic, but I have literally zero knowledge about the comics that lead to the creation of my favorite cinematic universe. Luckily, Dennis Gallagher is here to update us on this aspect of the franchise! –J.L. Gribble This post contains minor spoilers for Avengers: Endgame. I’ve had a […]

When Avengers: Infinity War ended, we lost half of the world’s population. But by the time Avengers: Endgame arrived, we were reunited with them. Unfortunately, we also lost some of the original Avengers along the way. So, here are my thank you letters to Tony Stark aka Ironman, Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow, and Steve […]

I have returned!!! Many thanks to Shara and Casey for covering for me during a break that started awesomely (Golden Week! Yay!), then abruptly deteriorated (respiratory infection! Boo!). Two weeks of disconnection ended up feeling more like two months, and I’m all discombobulated from the passage of time. I’m sure there were lots of exciting […]

They might not be raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but that doesn’t mean that we love them any less. Welcome back to My Favorite Things, the weekly column where we grab someone in speculative circles to gab about the greatest in geek. This week, we sit down with Lee Murray, whose latest release, […]

Magic Slays (2011) Written by: Ilona Andrews Series: Kate Daniels #5 Genre: Urban Fantasy Pages: 308 (Paperback) Publisher: Ace Why I Chose This: My 2019 Resolution Project for Speculative Chic is to read the books in the Kate Daniels series and finish up with a first read of the final book. I first read Magic Slays in 2011. […]

Trail of Lightning (2018) Written by: Rebecca Roanhorse Genre: Urban Fantasy Pages: 285 (Hardcover) Series: The Sixth World Book #1 Publisher: Saga Press Why I Chose It: I had the best of intentions to read Trail of Lightning last year for my resolution to read more diverse books. Rebecca Roanhorse is Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo/African American […]

Last year, Avengers: Infinity War brought almost 10 years of films to culmination. Now, we find out how it all ends. Because of the magnitude of this story (and how difficult it is to get tickets for opening weekend), the Sound Off post for Avengers: Endgame will be published NEXT week. I’m creating this post before […]

Magic Bleeds (2010) Written by: Ilona Andrews Series: Kate Daniels #4 Genre: Urban Fantasy Pages: 349 (Paperback) Publisher: Ace Why I Chose This: My 2019 Resolution Project for Speculative Chic is to read the books in the Kate Daniels series and finish up with a first read of the final book. I first read Magic Bleeds in 2010. […]

Vigilance (2019) Written by: Robert Jackson Bennett Genre: Science Fiction Pages: 190 (Paperback) Publisher: Tor.com Why I Chose it: C’mon. Robert Jackson Bennett is an autoread for me, and this particular book? As writers, a lot of us struggle with terrible public events, feeling like we should be able to put words on the page […]

I enjoy escaping into space opera, and as a librarian, I enjoy promoting my favorite reads. I loved K.B. Wagers’ The Indranan War trilogy, starting with 2016’s Behind the Throne, which starred a gun smuggler-turned-princess who leveraged her past in negotiating alliances, avenging her family, and stopping wars. So I was excited to hear about […]

March 13, 2020 This month’s Roundtable — the most tragic moments in sci fi, fantasy, and horror — was pitched by Kelly McCarty, and it’s so good because there’s a lot to choose from. One of the key components of a traditional epic is tragedy; and in all good storytelling, there must be stakes and […]

June 24, 2020 One of the most common questions authors face is a deceptively difficult one to answer: “Where do you get your ideas?” Yet, the answers to that common question can be almost as interesting as the resulting story. Welcome to You’re My Inspiration, a new column dedicated to discovering what inspires a particular […]

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’ve compiled a list of the speculative fiction actresses for whom I’m most grateful, which means I’m pulling from some of my favorite speculative fiction movies, tv shows, and video games for the most talented actresses. So I guess you could say this is also a list of my favorite things, making […]

Autumn is finally here, and we all know what that means. Despite initially being energized by the arrival of cooler weather, soon we’ll don our favorite tees and sweatpants, huddle under blankets, pull our comfort food close, and hole up for the winter. So of course it’s time to find engaging entertainment. And that’s what […]