Hail and well met, strangers! This week marked the beginning of the fabled Golden Week in Japan, a series of multiple holidays in close proximity to each other that make for a nice, long break. April 29 was Shōwa Day, and then we’ve got the rest of the holidays aligning in a way that makes […]
kristina elyse butke – Speculative Chic
June 25, 2020 Editor’s Note: Welcome back to Out of the Box! What started out as a monthly column for our contributors to dish about that non-speculative favorites kind of fell by the wayside, so we figured why not bring it back with our very own Kristina Elyse Butke, who teaches in Japan, and always […]
March 2020 – Speculative Chic
March 31, 2020 I’m continuing on with my 2020 Resolution Project, doing a rewatch and review of some of the great animated series you can find on Netflix. First up: Voltron: Legendary Defender, the reworking of the classic 1984 animated series Voltron (which is in and of itself a reworking of Toei Animation’s Beast King GoLion). My […]
Roundtable: Speculative Chic – Speculative Chic
In honor of the long-standing tradition that is the Vogue September Issue, we’re doing our own take for this month’s Roundtable! We’re talking the memorable fashions from science fiction, fantasy, and horror that truly wowed us. The speculative genre’s key question is “what if?” and costume designers ask the same question when it comes to […]
My Favorite Things with Kate Alice Marshall – Speculative Chic
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 Kate Alice Marshall, whose latest […]
My Favorite Things with Rachael Robie – Speculative Chic
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 Rachael Robie, whose debut novel, […]
The Twelve Days of Spec Fic: Part 3 – Speculative Chic
Am I going for the hat trick? You bet your sweet bippy I am! (The first two iterations of this madness can be found here and here.) And so, without further ado, I present to you The Twelve Days of Spec Fic, 2019 edition! On the twelfth day of Spec Fic, my nerd friend gave […]
Weekly Roundup: Special Year End Edition – Speculative Chic
Hello, friends and amazing readers! I wanted to take a moment to sit down, breathe, and reflect not only on last week, but on the year that we’ve had here at Speculative Chic. I know that we usually throw the roundup party on Saturdays, but given that it was a holiday week, and that this […]
Future Favorites, 2019 Edition – Speculative Chic
It’s so very close to the end of 2018! We are packing away the year, clearing the debris, and preparing for the coming of 2019! May it be an excellent year in all things speculative fiction! We are looking ahead at the year to come, and we cannot help but get excited about what kinds […]
Devil in the Details: Binge-Watching Lucifer – Speculative Chic
Let me get two things out of the way. First: I know Lucifer is based (loosely!) on The Sandman, the graphic novel by Neil Gaiman (illustrated by a multitude of artists). And I know the character was spun off into a series of his own with the awesome Mike Carey writing. (Have you read his […]
2018 Translated SF Resolution Project: I Remember You, Yrsa Sigurdardottir (Iceland) – Speculative Chic
In January of last year, I set myself a goal of reading six translated SFF works. This was my second book. (I know, it’s 2019!) [Editor’s note: to be fair, Ronya read and reviewed this in December, and it just so happened that we had space to fill in January.] I Remember You Written by: […]
An Ode to the Joy of Browsing – Speculative Chic
Because I work as a librarian, the way I discover new-to-me books has changed from when I was younger and not a librarian. I see what titles cross the circulation desk; peruse the records in the library catalog; read entries in themed book lists from Barnes & Noble and Orbit; and find books or DVDs […]
5 Tips for Running a Dungeons and Dragons Game – Speculative Chic
Whether it’s your first time or your hundredth, running a Dungeons and Dragons game can be intimidating. Every group will be unique and game will have its own flow but there are a few ways to help any game run a little smoother. Here are 5 quick tips on running your own Dungeons and Dragons […]
In A Galaxy Far, Far Away: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope – Speculative Chic
I am so excited! This year, for my resolution project, I’m rewatching the Star Wars franchise. I chose it because I love Star Wars, and I thought it would be fun to re-watch the movies in order of release date, with perhaps a bit more of a critical and appreciative eye than I have before. First up: Star […]
