It’s Hugo season! This means banding together to discuss, debate, and ultimately vote for the things that we love. This year saw something new and different in the Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form): an experimental hip-hop album called Splendor & Misery had appeared on the ballot alongside four television episodes. I was intrigued. I’m a […]

Anyone ever read Don Quixote? I promise it isn’t all about tilting at windmills and going on impractical adventures. In fact, in the second half of the story Don Quixote reads the same story we just read. This is metafiction — when an author makes literary characters aware that they’re in a book and they […]

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, check yourself for alien parasites (especially in the chest area) and discuss Alien: Covenant, which premiered in the United States on Friday, May 19, 2017. Sound Off! is meant to […]

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, a weekly column where we gab about the greatest in geek. This week, three of our selections are perfect for book lovers. This includes a brand new sci-fi […]

The Ballad of Black Tom (2016) Written by: Victor LaValle Genre: Dark Fantasy/Historical Fiction Pages: 149 (Paperback) Publisher: Tor.com/Tom Doherty Associates Why I Chose It: I’m not normally a novella reader. When I find characters and a universe that I like, I prefer sweeping epics with multiple, lengthy books, like George R.R. Martin’s A Song […]

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, reclaim your birthright and discuss King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, which premiered in the United States on Friday, May 12, 2017. Sound Off! is meant to be a reaction, […]

A Taste of Honey (2016) Written by: Kai Ashante Wilson Genre: Fantasy Pages: 100 (Nook) Publisher: Tor/Forge Why I Chose It: Many reasons. That gorgeous cover, for one. The story is about two men of color, and that’s what’s on the cover. (Because publishers whitewashing book covers is a thing.) Also because I haven’t read […]

Almost a month has passed since I saw Raw in the theater and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. As a horror fan, I was excited to check out this French movie written and directed by a woman and staring a female lead. I will be avoiding spoilers, so you are safe. […]

Every Heart a Doorway (2016)  Written by: Seanan McGuire Genre: Dark Fantasy Pages: 174 (Kindle) Publisher: Tor.com Why I chose it: I first heard of Seanan McGuire back in 2009 when I picked up Feed by Mira Grant at the bookstore. Feed is a novel about an internet blogging team covering a presidential campaign about […]

Photo Credit: aKs_phOtOs I’m sure we’ve all heard the saying that writers love having written, not actually writing. We all know people who say they are writers, talk up a good game but haven’t written anything yet, or in a long time. Many people want the life of a writer, but not to sit down […]

Maybe you’ve heard the term “Cosplay is not Consent.” It’s a movement within the fan convention community to educate people on how to act — or rather, how not to act. And it all revolves around Consent. Why talk about consent? Conventions can be a lot like parties, and at parties people want to have fun. […]

Maybe you’ve heard the term “Cosplay is not Consent.” It’s a movement within the fan convention community to educate people on how to act — or rather, how not to act. And it all revolves around Consent. Why talk about consent? Conventions can be a lot like parties, and at parties people want to have fun. […]

Over the summer, we’ve talked a lot about series: when we’ve had to jump ship or when finales have totally fallen flat. One roundtable has inevitably led to the other, which brings us to one of the most natural topics of all. Cancellations That Killed Us The most obvious culprit, naturally, is television, but book […]

Ok. I know that “Leviathan Wakes,” The Expanse’s representative in the Hugo Award’s Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form category comes from the same channel that is responsible for the Sharknado franchise. It’s also up against not just one but two episodes of Game of Thrones. You’re probably thinking, the odds aren’t so great that it’ll […]