October 31, 2019 Well, I can’t believe it! It’s Halloween! Day 31 of our October horror movie countdown is finally here. Welcome back for our very final Kasturi/Files episode here at Speculative Chic! (Or is it??? DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN!) We’ve actually covered more than 31 movies, a crazy amount of books, and more than any […]

September 17, 2020 We’ve reached the end of our journey with the eighth and final season of Voltron: Legendary Defender, and what an emotional, fulfilling ride it’s been. I’ve braved (with ease) every episode and compiled for you detailed season reviews covering everything from acting and animation to the very elements of storytelling — plot […]

At Speculative Chic, we feature a lot of authors who share everything from their favorite things to the inspiration for their work. But why not also share their fiction? Welcome to Fiction Friday, where you’ll be able to sample the fiction of a variety of authors, including those who write at Speculative Chic! Today, we’re […]

Who doesn’t love a good time-traveling adventure? Although more serious time-travel stories — 12 Monkeys [the film], Ray Bradbury’s classic short story “A Sound of Thunder” (1952), the TV series Continuum (discussed in a prior post) or the film Primer — can break your brain (especially Primer!), time travel has enchanted audiences since H.G. Wells published […]

Mass market paperbacks are interesting creatures, as are some trade paperbacks. 99.99% of all mass markets, if they are slated for return, aren’t actually returned. Not whole, anyway. One of the most horrifying things a bookseller will ever learn to do is strip a book. Stripping a book means that the front cover — and […]

We have a little less than one month until October 23 and the premiere of The Walking Dead’s seventh season! I enjoyed the Alexandria arc, but the last few episodes of the sixth season felt like Rick, Michonne and the rest of the gang were being moved around like chess pieces. I wasn’t fond of […]

A world where guns have been banished and the Badlands are controlled by Barons and their armies known as Clippers. A diverse group of characters, including an Asian male lead and a complex female villain that I love. Kick-ass fighting scenes that include martial arts and swords. These are just a few reasons why you […]

September 30, 2020 There are two ways to consider Chris Carter’s Millennium, according to most people. One is to see it as an unofficial spin-off from The X-Files that ended up cancelled after it was never quite able either to find or to maintain its stylistic “feet” through its increasingly unpopular three seasons; the other […]

I first learned about Final Fantasy in Nintendo Power magazine around 1990. In a multi-page spread, Nintendo announced the Summer of Final Fantasy with great excitement. The fan mag promised us dozens of hours of story and exploration with a customizable party in a massive new world. When the game released, I spent countless hours […]

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, we’re all about an incredibly funny (and gif-able) actor on the CW’s Supergirl, the top […]

April 16, 2020 Hi! Venessa here. You might recognize my name from my monthly column here at Spec Chic, where I talk a little bit about books, television shows, and lot about conventions, including my Convention Life series and Con Season on a Budget. I also do some behind-the-scenes stuff for the My Favorite Things […]

The Mercy Journals (2016)  Written by: Claudia Casper Genre: Post-apocalyptic fiction Pages: 231 (Paperback) Publisher: Arsenal Pulp Press Why I Chose It: I had not heard of The Mercy Journals until Speculative Chic asked the contributors if we were willing to review the books nominated for the 2017 Philip K. Dick Award. I was so […]

July 4, 2019 Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts (2018 — 2019) Written by:  Yu Tomofuji Series: Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts (Vol. 1-5) Genre: Manga (Fantasy) Publisher: Yen Press Why I Chose It: Working in a bookstore, I’ve read a lot of things based off what customers ask for (not what […]

August 1, 2019 I decided to take a page out of Merrin’s book and go on a dig in the salt mines. I, too, have things that stick under my craw for various reasons. We all have a lot of feelings about certain things, not all of them are good, and sometimes you just have […]