Adrian Collins's Blog, page 39

REVIEW: House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 7

House of the Dragon 2×07 “The Red Sowing” is the penultimate episode of House of the Dragon and the set up for the finale that many people are expecting to be a massive battle, but others believe will fail to deliver due to the writer’s strike as well as other behind-the-scenes shenanigans. House of the Dragon is presently HBO’s flagship series, but the massive budget cuts make that questionable. Still, if they had made this the finale for the second season then I think most of the viewers would have been satisfied.

This episode is primarily about Rhaenyra discovering that those with only a little Targaryen blood can claim dragons. This is something she already probably knew from her son Jace but after the failure of Steffon Darklyn, she’s understandably unwilling to risk with any other nobleman. Thankfully, Mysaria points out there are plenty of bastards in King’s Landing who no one would miss and would go to elaborate lengths to improve their station.

The first of the bastards she encounters, even before this plan is implemented, is Addam of Hull. The child of Corlys Velaryon, he is a man who has a desire to serve Rhaenyra and couldn’t be better as a pick for a dragon rider. It causes Rhaenyra to believe that other bastards might be legitimate picks that could benefit her. Hugh the Hammer and Ulff the White are both bastards living in King’s Landing that have the potential to live new lives if they manage to claim a dragon.

What follows is a truly horrific and awesome scene where Rhaenyra sends a horde of the bastards to try to claim Vermithor, second largest of all dragons, only for them to be slaughtered en masse. It is one of the best scenes of House of the Dragon. Eventually, Hugh willingly sacrifices himself to save another of the dragon seeds and this results in Vermithor being impressed enough to allow him as a rider. Silverwing seems to take Ulff simply because he’s there (or wandered into her eggs), which also is hitting the lottery in terms of dragon riding luck.

Daemon Targaryen also gets himself “owned” by a teenager in one of the episode’s better scenes. Lord Oscar Tully demonstrates that he has a far better grasp of rulership than Daemon as well as how to command the loyalty of men. He also forces Daemon to kill one of his own followers as a way of forcing “atonement” in order to win the war. We’ll see if this has a larger effect on the loyalty of House Blackwood.

I really liked the handling of Daemon in this moment because it is a nice reminder that, even in Westeros, the iron fist can’t always triumph over the velvet glove. Daemon has spent so much time thinking he should have been king because he was stronger than Viserys, he never bothered to learn actual social skills as well as diplomacy. He also struggles with basic interactions that don’t involve using his dragon to force matters.

The Greens aren’t much better off as Aemond’s coup is complicated by the fact that Aegon II isn’t dead and his attempts to consolidate power are only alienating the people who might otherwise be his allies. Aemond has strongly admired Daemon his entire life but has failed to recognize his idol’s weaknesses. It’s one of the subtler elements of House of the Dragon and one that I give the show props for.

In conclusion, House of the Dragon’s penultimate episode is very strong and works by being dark as well as dramatic. Unfortunately, I feel like the show has wasted a good chunk of its budget before the finale and we’ll see the problems this brings next week.

The post REVIEW: House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 7 appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

REVIEW: I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones

Last Updated on August 23, 2024

Set in 1989, I Was a Teenage Slasher is the first-person confessional of Tolly Driver, a disaffected youth living in the rural town of Lamesa, Texas. While fundamentally a decent person, Tolly has struggled with a sense of rootlessness since the untimely death of his father. Lamesa feels stifling and small, but college and prospects of a life outside of his hometown feel distant and unattainable. His plight goes from bad to worse after crashing a pool party, where his drunken awkwardness is punished with near-fatal hazing at the hands of his classmates. A sudden brush with the supernatural saves Tolly’s life but leaves him fundamentally changed. Tolly undergoes a strange transformation when night falls. A passenger in his own body, he witnesses himself commit horrible murders that he is powerless to stop. Tolly’s only friend Amber begins to suspect that he’s becoming a slasher: not merely a conventional serial killer, but a supernaturally enhanced murderer of the Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees variety. As the death toll rises, Tolly and Amber work together to test his newfound abilities and attempt to prevent future bloodshed.

I Was a Teenage Slasher combines a surprisingly poignant coming of age story with an exploration of the slasher horror subgenre. It avoids becoming too heavy-handed and on-the-nose, but the unwelcome transformation Tolly experiences feels like an allegory for puberty or some manner of gender awakening. The treatment of slasher tropes is likewise fascinating. Tolly does not simply don a mask and embark upon a quest for revenge, instead the slasher quality is transmitted, like vampirism or lycanthropy. In addition to preternatural resilience, in true slasher movie tradition Tolly gains the ability to cover more ground when hidden from his prey’s sight. Even reality starts to bend around him, as if the world is facilitating his inexorable urge to kill. Broken chainsaws roar to life with a single pull of the start cord. Teenagers who know they are being actively stalked irrationally elect to go skinny-dipping by moonlight. I Was a Teenage Slasher leaves the reader with unanswered questions about the supernatural phenomena at the heart of the narrative, but die-hard horror movie fans will find themselves nodding and grinning at how events develop over the course of the book.

Following so close on the heels of The Angel of Indian Lake, readers can’t be blamed for feeling a sense of déjà vu. Many familiar Stephen Graham Jones elements are present and accounted for. Apart from the slasher-centric plot, there’s a painfully realistic presentation of suffocating small-town life. Jones returns to poke at the “Final Girl” trope once again, and there’s even a horror movie-obsessed Native American girl as a supporting character. Lamesa feels like a distinct setting from the Indian Lake Trilogy’s Proofrock, however, and hapless Tolly has a very different voice than the wounded, combative Jade Daniels. While there are touches of the unreliable narrator here and there, I Was a Teenage Slasher is also written in a more plainspoken style, with less of the challenging impressionistic touch of Jones’ earlier works.

While it feels lighter and less intentionally literary than The Only Good Indians and the Indian Lake Trilogy, I Was a Teenage Slasher is a fun summer horror flick in novel form. Existing Jones fans are sure to enjoy the ride, and it also serves as an approachable introduction for newcomers curious about one of the genre’s hottest talents.

Read I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones

Read on Amazon

The post REVIEW: I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

REVIEW: An Exile of Water & Gold by Joshua Walker

In An Exile of Water & Gold, Joshua Walker weaves a dark, epic and uniquely imaginative fantasy tale that is as large in scope as it is in heart. Come for the riveting fantasy mystery, bioluminescent forest setting, and inventive Luminosity magic, and then stay for the strong independent women, powerful themes, and the brutally intimate and emotionally impactful character study; this ambitious debut novel is so impressively multi-layered, you almost would not believe it.

Earlier this year, Walker set my expectations for The Song of the Sleepers series incredibly high with his exceptional prequel novella The Rest to the Gods, and I am happy to say that An Exile of Water & Gold did not disappoint. Through the eyes of a few diverse, complex and mysteriously intriguing characters, we are smoothly drawn (back) into the wondrous world of Q’ara, where tensions are now running higher than the gigantic Great Trees themselves. An exiled Tree-Dweller, his estranged betrothed, a respected Sleeper, and a dangerously ambitious newly crowned queen all get wrapped up in a deadly game of politics, magic and progress, and the fate of their world now lies in their hands, whether they realise it or not.

Right from the very first chapter, Walker just sets the stakes high and creates an alluring air of mystery and intrigue that makes An Exile of Water & Gold such a compelling story. Through the wonderfully executed multi-POV set-up, we not only get a very nuanced and deep look into this world and its different inhabitants, but it also ensures that the narrative constantly stays fresh and engaging.

Even though 4 of the 5 perspectives are Aobians, I really appreciated that their life experiences and worldviews differed so much; one thing I can find a bit aggravating about a lot of made-up fantasy races is how they can be portrayed as homogenous groups who all share the same values and fiercely band together against a common enemy, but the opposite couldn’t be more true here. Each character has very strong personal motivations and offers a different view on their society, and I honestly ate up all the tension, inner turmoil and internal strife.

Though, as brilliantly as Walker balanced all the perspectives, I do have to admit that I personally had a hard time emotionally connecting to the titular exile Drift, who is arguably the *main* main character of this story. Maybe I just missed the wondrous setting of the Great Tree in his perspective, or maybe it was the fact that his relatively casual reaction and quick adjustment to his exile and separation from his betrothed felt a bit unbelievable to me, but for some reason I just could not really get invested in his storyline.

Luckily, all the other perspectives really pulled me in, and I especially loved that three of them are extremely complex women who are all strong in their own unique ways. The complicated dynamic between Tarri and Nischia (who I loved to reconnect with after falling in love with her in the prequel novella) truly kept me on my toes the entire way through, and I loved how the investigation aspect in their storylines uprooted so many long-kept secrets about the Sleepers and the Luminosity magic.

Though, my favourite character in An Exile of Water & Gold is easily Queen Esme; and no, I am totally not biased because that is almost my own name. See, while Part 1 was good and enjoyable for me, aside from a few bits of tiring repetition, the story truly kicked off for me when Queen Esme became a frequently recurring POV character in Part 2 (at around the 60% mark). I just immediately found her to be terrifyingly fascinating, and her unpredictable yet cleverly cunning actions surprised me in all the best ways.

This story truly is just full of shocking twists and revelations, and I loved how masterfully Walker let everything unravel by constantly peelingback layers that recontextualise everything you thought you knew up to that point. And speaking of deeper layers, I really appreciated how the themes of environmentalism, xenophobia, mental health, trauma, trust, and the price of progress were explored in such a raw yet careful way, and without it ever feeling preachy or heavy-handed.

To me, An Exile of Water & Gold just strikes the perfect balance between the disturbing darkness, hopeful defiance and wondrous excitement, which is exactly what makes it such a smooth read. And even though some of the action and revelations near the end felt a bit jarringly hectic to me, I also think there is simply no denying that Walker ended this story with an absolute bang and set up the sequels in an enticingly ominous way.

Whether you start your journey into The Song of the Sleepers series with this chunky gem or dip your toes in with the prequel novella, I can guarantee that Walker’s rich imagination and powerful storytelling will leave you struck with awe and wonder. Set in a world as wondrous as it is dark, An Exile of Water & Gold is an epic and immersive character-driven fantasy perfect for fans of R.J. Barker’s Gods of the Wyrdwood, Adrian M. Gibson’s Mushroom Blues, and Sarah Beth Durst’s Queens of Renthia series.

Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. An Exile of Water & Gold is scheduled for release on September 3rd, 2024.

Read An Exile of Water & Gold by Joshua Walker

Read on Amazon

The post REVIEW: An Exile of Water & Gold by Joshua Walker appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

REVIEW: Songlight by Moira Buffini

In Songlight by screenwriter and showrunner Moira Buffini (The Dig/Harlots), no one can ever know Elsa Crane’s secret. She’s a Torch, an individual who has telepathic powers — called songlight — and can communicate with other Torches across great distances. The problem is that Torches are seen as abominations. If the world learned of their abilities, they are executed, pressed into slavery, or forced to work as spies called Sirens. When her boyfriend Rye is found out to be a Torch and imprisoned, Elsa finds kinship in another Torch in a faraway city and must learn who to trust while forging new bonds.

Songlight is a post-apocalyptic, dystopian science fiction novel that focuses on community, acceptance, tolerance, and friendship, and what happens to a society when it abandons all of those principles. Elsa is a strong character, but her naiveté about the world outside her home of Northaven is challenged when she goes on a crusade to rescue Rye and is forced to ally herself with unlikely friends. Elsa has a satisfying character arc that, while it was a little predictable, I still found myself rooting for.

There are several point-of-view characters in Songlight, each of them skillfully woven into the narrative. Buffini also manages to give each character their own genre to their arc: Nightingale, Elsa’s newfound friend and Torch, and the Siren Swan’s stories are reminiscent of spy thrillers while Elsa’s brother Piper is a coming-of-age-during-wartime story. I found that there were some more interesting point-of-views than others: the aforementioned Swan, for example, tries to balance her desire to escape from the evil and powerful Brother Kite with her obsession to keep her own power and privilege. Sometimes they overshadow the other point-of-view characters, but this didn’t deter me from enjoying the narrative.

Each character in Songlight is also written in the first person. At first, I was worried I was going to have difficulty remembering who’s head I was in at any given chapter, but Buffini writes them in such a distinct way that I was able to keep track of which character I was following at any time.

The world of Songlight is not a pretty one: racism, sexism, homophobia run rampant in the societies that have risen up since the times of the “Light People”. There’s even some witch hunt-style McCarthyism occurring between Northaven’s citizenry: neighbor accuses neighbor of being Torches — or “unhumans”, as the populace knows them by. There is war between Northaven and the mysterious Aylish, a group of people that have an interesting relationship with songlight powers. Broken hearts and broken people make up the world of Songlight, and seeing how that culminates in an extensive, point-of-view swapping action-packed climax is a wonder to see. Each chapter plays out cinematically, and seeing that Buffini’s background lies in film and television, this is no coincidence. There’s even a Songlight television show already in development.

Songlight is a novel with strong series potential reminiscent of The Hunger Games and the Divergent series. With a fascinating world and interesting characters to live in it, this explosive book is definitely one to keep an eye on. I wish that there were more chapters dedicated to some of the weaker point-of-view characters, but Elsa’s story is strong enough to carry through this book and future installments of the series.

Read Songlight by Moira Buffini

Read on Amazon

The post REVIEW: Songlight by Moira Buffini appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

REVIEW: A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

A Sorceress Comes to Call is the latest novel by Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novelist T. Kingfisher. T. Kingfisher is a well-liked author amongst the reviewers of Grimdark Magazine, with our team having reviewed many of her releases. From novellas like her recent Thornhedge or What Feasts at Night and her novels such as A House with Good Bones and Nettle and Bone. Kingfisher is a personal favourite of mine; I greatly enjoy her precise mix of the horrific and the endearing, the voices she gives to female characters who are so often overlooked, and her unique spin on folk tales. A Sorceress Comes to Call is no exception to this, being inspired by the Brothers Grimm’s Goose Girl. Though as I have no recollection whatsoever of that tale, I went into A Sorceress Comes to Call with no preconceptions about the plot (other than expecting geese to appear at some point) and the knowledge that I have never yet been disappointed at the end of my time reading a T. Kingfisher story. Luckily, I was right on both counts; there were indeed geese, and I had a wonderful time reading A Sorceress Comes to Call.

A Sorceress Comes to Call is the tale of Cordelia, a young woman who knows her mother is unusual. No closed doors are allowed inside their home, obedience is non-negotiable, and friendships are actively discouraged. Cordelia’s only freedom is in her daily rides on her mother’s horse – the horse she believes to be her only friend. After a grotesque murder in their small town, her mother orders them to flee to the house of a wealthy bachelor, the Squire, and his spinster sister, Hester. Hester immediately sees the nefarious intentions of Cordelia’s mother, Evangeline, to trap her brother into marriage. But she also sees how Cordelia jumps at every noise and shrinks away from her mother. Hester knows she must keep her brother safe from his enchanting house guest, but soon realises she must rescue Cordelia.

As with most of Kingfisher’s writing, its darkness stems from psychological rather than explicit events. This is true in A Sorceress Comes to Call, with the coercive control displayed by Evangeline being downright terrifying in its potential. When Cordelia is ‘made obedient,’ her mother controls everything Cordelia’s body does – she can make her eat, talk, and interact with others like a human puppet. Only sometimes her mother forgets to do things – like make Cordelia go to the toilet or drink all day. Evangeline shows in the story that she has no problem using this power to make people do terrible things to others, consequently Cordelia lives in constant fear of what she may be forced to do. After these occurrences of being ‘made obedient,’ Cordelia is often told things like “I’m sure you will do better next time” or blamed for being so useless that her mother has had to control her in such a way. Also, the way that doors have been removed from the house and Evangeline does things like walk in while Cordelia is in the bathroom or reads her diary because it’s ‘nothing she hasn’t seen before’ or they ‘have no secrets’ show from the opening pages of the novel that Cordelia’s home life is truly awful.

The abuses that Cordelia suffers at the hands of her mother are the only thing that gives me pause in recommending A Sorceress Comes to Call wholeheartedly. Much like I warned people before recommending Nettle and Bone that parts of the story may upset some readers, I feel similarly here. The relationship between Cordelia and her mother is meant to make readers uncomfortable, and it does. But if you have been a survivor of a similar abusive relationship, the depiction may well make you feel more than awkward. Kingfisher handles this relationship with the delicacy it warrants, and it feels essential for the plot. It is a highly effective portrayal; I have rarely disliked a character so quickly and intently as I did Evangeline for how she treats her daughter. If Cordelia had hung, drawn, and quartered her mother at the end of the novel, I would have cheered. She does not, but it would have been absolutely deserved if Cordelia had.

However, excluding that presentation, I loved everything about A Sorceress Comes to Call. Although it did not have the same sense of familiarity for me as her other retellings, it does have Kingfisher’s trademark style. The novel is witty and darkly humorous, and I found it perfectly paced. It also has the same sort of folk horror and violence one would expect from a retelling of a Grimm fairy tale, and I presume that a reader with even a basic knowledge of the Grimms’ Goose Girl would be pleased with the spin Kingfisher has put on the tale. The supporting characters are exceptional. Particularly Hester and her friends, Imogene and Penelope, who show that if you want something done, you should darn well get a group of ladies of a certain age together to make sure it is done right. A minor character who is a favourite of mine is Willard, who, after displaying a very unusual skillset, declares, ‘I am a butler’ like every good butler would know how to dispatch an unwanted guest without causing severe injury or permanent damage.

Despite the very dark places Kingfisher goes in A Sorceress Comes to Call, there are numerous laugh-out-loud moments like that one, which would make this novel appeal to anyone with a dark sense of humour. I know that folk and fairy tale retellings are hugely popular now, but Kingfisher’s versions are always unique, and I thoroughly recommend picking up this one. A massive thank you to both T. Kingfisher and the team at Titan for sending over a review copy of A Sorceress Comes to Call.

Read A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

Read on Amazon

 

The post REVIEW: A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

The Quest for Transparent Aluminum: Materials Science in Science Fiction

Finding the intersection of science and fiction is a large part of what makes science fiction so much fun to read. Not knowing where reality ends and the author’s imagination begins is something I love to explore. Having seen so many times in history an author’s ability to imagine or extrapolate fictitious science and then—sometimes decades after a book is released—seeing their imagination become reality, is something that gets my own scientific, SF-loving mind churning with excitement.

As a materials scientist, I want to know what the starships of the 41st century are made of. I want to know how the Starship Enterprise makes its hull go transparent. I want to know what materials will enable space exploration near the speed of light.

“Materials science? What’s that?”

This is often the first response I get from people upon learning of my professional field of study, which is less commonly known than many other scientific disciplines. Materials science sits at the intersection of physics, chemistry, and engineering, leveraging principles from these fields to study how the atomic structure and bonding of matter govern its properties. From a technological perspective, materials scientists use that knowledge to design new materials with previously unachievable levels of performance.

“So…have you invented transparent aluminum yet?”

The most frequent follow-up question concerns the existence of transparent aluminum, which was originally mentioned in the 1986 film Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. The notion of transparent aluminum has captured the imagination of countless Star Trek fans, fascinated by the idea of an ultra-strong transparent metal for use in spaceship windows, portals, etc.

There is a long history of materials science in speculative fiction. For example, Superman’s sole physical weakness is kryptonite, a radioactive mineral from his home planet of Krypton. Superman’s only protection against kryptonite radiation is provided by another material, lead, but this also blocks our hero’s x-ray vision.

Moving from DC Comics to the Marvel Universe, another fictional material of extraterrestrial origin, vibranium, is known for its unusual ability to absorb, contain, and release enormous amounts of kinetic energy. The African nation of Wakanda has the world’s only supply of vibranium, providing the material for Black Panther’s superhero suit. The Marvel stories go well beyond the technological implications of vibranium, exploring its impact on Wakandan politics, economics, and culture.

Of course, there is an even longer history of materials science in our real world, where the epochs of human civilization are often defined based on the materials that have had the greatest impact on society. The earliest era of humanity is known as the Stone Age, during which prehistoric humans crafted tools from naturally occurring stone. The Stone Age gave way to the Bronze Age around 2000 BC, when several civilizations around the world crafted bronze alloys by smelting copper and tin. The use of metals expanded in the subsequent Iron Age, beginning around 1200 BC. In each of these eras, the eponymous materials were at the forefront of human innovation, giving a technological advantage to certain civilizations. Moreover, these materials were used as a means of artistic expression, leaving an indelible impact on the culture of each period. The surviving artifacts from these ancient societies have given us clues about the day-to-day lives of early humans.

The modern era has seen a dramatic acceleration in the development of science and technology, much of it fueled by advances in materials science and engineering. From the clothes we wear to the packaging in which we store our food, synthetic polymers have become ubiquitous across all aspects of our everyday lives. The high strength and toughness of modern steel has revolutionized modern architecture, transportation, and urban infrastructure. The discovery of semiconductor materials has enabled the development of computers, photovoltaic solar cells, and satellite communications. Moreover, the invention of ultra-high purity glass fibers for optical communication was essential for the development of the Internet. Highly engineered ceramic materials have been critical components for space exploration and in all modern electronic devices. These are just a few examples of how advances in materials science have left a profound impact on contemporary society.

Many advances in materials science have been anticipated by authors of science fiction. In his 1879 short story, “The Senator’s Daughter,” author Edward Page Mitchell presaged the development of electrically resistive heating systems. H.G. Wells has been especially prophetic among science fiction writers, predicting the development of lasers in The War of the Worlds (1898), nuclear technology in The World Set Free (1914), and wireless communication systems in Men Like Gods (1923), all based on advances in materials science and engineering. More recently, Larry Niven’s 1970 novel Ringworld postulated the development of room temperature superconductors, i.e., materials having infinite conductivity. Major advances toward realizing this goal began in the mid-1980s and continue today.

Returning to transparent aluminum, will this fabled material from Star Trek ever become a reality? Aluminum is a metal, which means that the bonding between atoms is governed by a communal sharing of electrons. Materials scientists refer to metals as having a “sea of electrons” which are delocalized from individual atoms, exhibiting collective behavior including high mobility. This high electron mobility is what makes metals such good electrical conductors. Copper, silver, and gold are all well-known for their high conductivities, with copper providing the most economical choice for common electrical wiring. Although its conductivity is lower than that of copper, the higher strength of aluminum makes it a preferred material for certain electrical applications.

While this “sea of electrons” gives metals a distinct advantage for conducting electricity, it also makes them optically opaque. Photons from incoming light find it nearly impossible to penetrate through a metal, since the energy from the photon can be easily absorbed by these conducting electrons and then re-emitted as reflected light. This high degree of reflection is what gives metals their shiny appearance.

Hence, the best approach for making aluminum transparent is to change the nature of the bonding so it is no longer metallic. The most straightforward way to do this is by incorporating oxygen into the material, i.e., by changing aluminum into aluminum oxide (also known as alumina). By introducing oxygen into the structure, the bonding becomes ionic rather than metallic. The aluminum atoms lose their outer electrons to become positively charged cations; these excess electrons are grabbed by the oxygen atoms, causing them to become negatively charged anions. The positively charged aluminum cations bond to the negatively charged oxygen anions, forming an ionic crystal of alumina.

Rather than having a delocalized “sea of electrons” as in metals, electrons in alumina are tightly bonded to each of the individual ions. This change in bonding leads to dramatically different properties. For example, the low mobility of electrons in alumina means that it becomes an electrical insulator rather than a conductor. This localization of electrons also helps alumina to become optically transparent, since photons in visible light do not have enough energy to excite the electrons in alumina to higher energy levels, meaning that the light can transmit through an alumina crystal unperturbed.

While we have addressed the problem of material bonding, there is still an issue related to its microstructure, i.e., how the various crystals come together to make the bulk structure of the material. Most solid materials are polycrystalline, meaning that they have a microstructure composed of many crystalline grains, each having a random orientation. However, the grain boundaries between neighboring crystals act to scatter light in random directions, giving an opaque white color to polycrystalline alumina. The best way to avoid this scattering is to eliminate grain boundaries by growing a single crystal of alumina, a material better known as sapphire.

Sapphire is noted for its high strength and hardness, as well as its outstanding optical transparency. These properties make it an ideal material to protect wristwatches and—you guessed it—to make high-durability windows like those in Star Trek.

Putting aside the question of transparent alumin(a/um), science fiction gives authors the opportunity to imagine beyond the contemporary knowledge of science and engineering, asking intriguing “what if” questions about potential technological advancements and their impact on society. Just as importantly, science fiction raises ethical questions about the use of this technology, giving the audience an opportunity to debate its appropriate usage. This often-underappreciated aspect of science fiction is a key part of what makes it so crucial for modern society, especially as the consequences for the misuse of technology become ever more dire.

This essay was originally published in Grimdark Magazine #39.

The post The Quest for Transparent Aluminum: Materials Science in Science Fiction appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

REVIEW: Godzilla Minus One

The Godzilla franchise has seen a kaiju-sized resurgence recently with Japan’s favourite monster appearing in big budget movies on the big screen and on TV. Whilst the English-language efforts have had their merits and drawn in a large audience, it is Godzilla Minus One that all the buzz about it going into the awards season. A Japanese-language movie that takes Godzilla back to its roots with a story taking place in Tokyo just after the horrors of World War II, this film promised a more traditional story with the world’s most famous kaiju when compared to the ones seen in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

Whilst not a grimdark film, Godzilla Minus One has a dark tale and conflicted characters that will appeal to this audience. It plays things straight, starting off at the end of World War II as kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima fakes a fault on his plane and lands on Odo Island. There he encounters the terrifying dinosaur-like creature of Godzilla who attacks the garrison on the island. Kōichi is asked to shoot from his plane but he panics and is knocked unconscious. Once awake, he is ashamed at his inaction and blamed by the only other survivor for not taking down Godzilla. Plagued with survivor’s guilt, he heads home to find that his parents have been killed in the bombing of Tokyo. Kōichi helps a woman and an orphaned baby and takes on the job of clearing mines from the sea. Life moves on but the nuclear tests by the United States at Bikini Atoll have caused Godzilla to grow large and the creature becomes a threat to the whole of Japan. Kōichi knows the devastation that can be caused by Godzilla and is forced to overcome his demons to save the people around him and stop living in the past.

Godzilla Minus One was shot on a modest budget but the effects are better than some recent Hollywood blockbusters. The film won an Academy Award (a first for a Godzilla film) for special effects and it is well deserved. This is a beautiful film with characters worth rooting for and a clear message about overcoming loss and moving on. The links between the original Godzilla from 1954 is clear (this year is the setting for much of this movie) and Godzilla Minus One feels like a bit of a reset for the franchise and it has produced one of the best monster movies in recent memory. Released not long after the award-winning behemoth that is Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, the two films remind us of the danger of unrestricted power in their own very different ways, each managing to entertain and teach a lesson to an audience in a world that feels more chaotic as each day goes by. The film is best watched (as with pretty much every film in my opinion) with subtitles and in its original language. A black and white version of the film has also been released that adds to the setting and is just as beautiful as the original for any who would want another reason to give this short but brilliant film a second watch.

A budget monster movie with a heart, Godzilla Minus One is a beautiful film that is the perfect watch for any wishing to dive into the Godzilla series for the first time and for those who have been long-time fans and miss the good old days. The story is simple yet compelling and the award-winning effects will keep you glued to the screen as Godzilla does what it does best. A brilliant monster movie created with love by a team who obviously cared for the source material.

The post REVIEW: Godzilla Minus One appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

REVIEW: The Dissonance by Shaun Hamill

The Dissonance is the latest contemporary fantasy novel by author Shaun Hamill. Hamill may be known to readers for his novel writing with A Cosmology of Monsters or his short fiction, which includes writing in the Conan universe. The Dissonance is the first of his works I have read, and overall, I have enjoyed reading it. However, as a contemporary fantasy (although it deals with some very dark topics and events), it is a departure from many of my usual reading choices. Hamill’s combination of horror and fantasy worked well for me, similar to Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House or Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series, and has many of the features a fan of darker fantasy would enjoy.

Described as an “epic contemporary fantasy,” The Dissonance is the story of four unlikely friends, Hal, Athena, Erin, and Peter, their accidental discovery of magic, and the consequences of their terrible mistakes. Trained by Peter’s eccentric guardian, Professor Marsh, the four learn to control the dissonance – the magical energy in the world around them. They study this secret system as a coven, bound together until their bond is shattered one day. Twenty years on, alone and severed from one another, terrifying happenings and an anniversary commemoration invite bring the coven back together to their tiny Texan hometown of Clegg. Across the state border in Alabama, closeted teen Owen joins his friends in a (what he believes to be a joke) séance. There, they accidentally summon a murderous demon. This demon kills all, bar Owen, who is taken hostage and ordered to drive to Clegg. Something apocalyptic is brewing, and no hero is in sight to save the world.

At its core, The Dissonance is a novel about friendship. As explained by Hamill’s author note at the end of the story, he wrote it during the pandemic while missing his friends and contact with them. The book has a split time narrative between the modern 2019 timeline and the “historical” storyline of Hal, Athena, Erin, and Peter in their teens in the late 1990s. The friendship of these four, their found family, and their growing up form one of the key themes in The Dissonance. The novel also has multiple points of view, so as readers, we read from each character’s younger and adult perspectives.

The second central theme is magic, the dissonance, which they learn to harness. As a magic system, dissonance is used by harnessing the negative emotions in oneself and drawing upon them. Unsurprisingly, a group of four misfits with varying levels of traumatic childhoods had a lot of emotional pain to draw from, and the coven together became proficient users of dissonance. One of the most upsetting parts of The Dissonance for me was learning about the lead characters’ struggles as teenagers and then reading how this translated to adult suffering, particularly Hal’s descent into alcoholism.

As I have said, The Dissonance would not be my first choice in recommending a read to a grimdark fan. But there is a lot in this novel that puts it grimdark adjacent, so it would still hold some appeal to our crowd. There are no heroes here, and the four main characters are utter misfits. Before forming their coven, it seems they were friends because they had no one else.  They do face insurmountable odds with almost no hope of success. Sometimes, they are cowards. Sometimes, they are cruel. But they also get the chance to make amends and be forgiven. One of my favourite descriptions of grimdark comes from Anna Smith Spark’s essay “Grimdark and Nihilism,” where she says:

‘Grimdark is that awareness. The reality of pain, the knife blade cutting in. And the determination to go on, keep on, fight on. There are no heroes, no certainty, there’s no bright shining prophecy of light. Just messed-up selfish wretched people trying to live their lives as best they can, trying to find something of love and happiness, trying to survive all the pain life brings.’

That sentiment is what Hamill has running through all of The Dissonance. The characters use the pain and trauma from their very messed up lives to do magic, and even knowing that they probably will not succeed in the trials they face, they still try to make a difference. Thank you very much to Shaun Hamill and the team at Titan for sending over a review copy of The Dissonance.

Read The Dissonance by Shaun Hamill

Read on Amazon

The post REVIEW: The Dissonance by Shaun Hamill appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

REVIEW: The Deviant #6 by James Tynion (W) and Joshua Hixson (A)

This is the law of The Deviant #6:  The System did it once, the System will do it again.

If you want to know why Grimdark Magazine is reviewing The Deviant #6, then the above is the one abiding lesson you can take away from reading this comic.

Once the System has it in your sights, no matter the strength of your alibi, the certainty of your memory, the fact that with your own eyes you’ve seen evidence contrary to what the System is preparing to the crash down on your head, you can’t win. It’s as simple as that. The System owns you body and soul, and with no reason other than it can, it will incarcerate you for the rest of your life, or better yet, yoke you to a gurney and pump you full of chemicals until the baying mob is satisfied.

Until the next victim comes along, with the gun sights of the System firmly aimed at their back.

The Deviant #6 is one long howl of frustrated fury at the way Michael, the protagonist of this series thus far, is treated by the law. He’s not really seen in this issue. It is only his partner Derek who firmly believes that Michael is being set up for a murder he didn’t commit. Michael’s divorced parents think he did it, mutual friends of Michael and Derek think he did it, and the district attorney, the very embodiment of the System, definitely believes he did it.

The very definition of cosmic horror is Creation’s indifference to humanity’s existence. The Deviant #6 narrows the viewpoint to a relatively mundane murder mystery in the American Midwest, but the idea still applies. The System, embodying all arms of the tentacular nightmare that is the American ‘justice’ system, is completely indifferent to those it hunts. Indeed, it cares just as little for the victim, their families, and the devastation all involved suffer. All it cares about is results (and the votes of a permanently frightened populace) and even then, whether the ‘result’ is the right one or not isn’t particularly contemplated to any great degree.

As always, there’s a barely suppressed fury in James Tynion’s scripting. The injustice of what is happening bubbles away under the surface, eating away at friendships and the sense of what is really fair and just in society. Michael’s partner Derek is the embodiment of this fury, lashing out at Michael’s parents for seemingly being willing to believe their son is a crazed murderer, while listening uncomprehendingly as a mutual friend lays out in precise detail why Michael is the killer. It’s a masterclass in methodical plotting and writing, allowing the emotions to spill onto the page in concentrated bursts that are revealing as they are authentic.

And as usual, Joshua Hixson’s artwork never misses the mark. The wintry setting, cold and dark and shadowy, perfectly complements the bleak mood of The Deviant #6. A lack of clear lines plus the muddy colouring create a world where there are no lines of demarcation, where the System does what it wants because it can, despite evidence to the contrary, and where the lives of the innocent are thus forfeit. The Deviant #6 is a compelling story, one that builds on the earlier issues to great effect, and well worth your time.

Read The Deviant #6

Read on Amazon

The post REVIEW: The Deviant #6 by James Tynion (W) and Joshua Hixson (A) appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

REVIEW: When the Blood Has Dried #4 by Gary Moloney (W) and Daniel Romero (A)

Adventure awaits in When the Blood Has Dried Issue 4, and that’s not always a good thing. After trying to best her in a game of skill to determine the fate of her village, the Adventure’s Guildsman Darius loses to Maebh, thereby buying her more time as the Guild licks its wounds. Darius is relentless; he’s so determined to just win, as if losing to him isn’t an option. He hatches a plan to take the village by force, and Maebh responds in kind to defend it. When the Blood Has Dried Issue 4 shows that even though Maebh tried to win the fair way, she isn’t above getting her hands bloody to protect what she sees as hers.

Maebh herself has a similar obsession to winning than Darius, but for different motivations. For her, she’s found a home in her bar, this village. A place that she can finally just exist. Fighting for that home is everything to her, and she won’t give it up easily. Daniel Romero’s art flows so well from one panel to the next, showcasing Maebh’s determined heroism and Darius’ obsessive villainy.

When the Blood Has Dried Issue 4 also teases the promise of the story: the showdown. While it is a fantasy comic, it also has some Western influences as well. By the end of the issue, Darius and his posse have come to take the town, and Maebh is the only person that stands between them. It’s the lead up to what I imagine to be an exciting, action-packed finale. The final page alone sends shivers, as Maebh draws blades against her former Guild.

What I really enjoy about this issue is that everything comes together in such a neat little package. Gary Moloney’s writing, alongside Romero’s art and Becca Carey’s lettering help deliver the excitement and buildup of the final confrontation, one that I think will live up to the title of the series. When the Blood Has Dried has been such a fun series, a small slice of a bigger fantasy world that shows a character just trying to make a better life for themselves, trying to start over. Maebh’s determination to hold on to something that’s actually good in her life for once is admirable, and the fact that she’s ready to bear steel in order to do it shows that she’s also willing to die for the life she’s created. I could imagine many readers identifying with Maebh’s actions.

When the Blood Has Dried Issue 4 offers the calm before the storm in the next issue, a real look into the conflict between two unyielding forces: Maebh’s hope for the future and Darius’ thirst for victory. I think readers would enjoy the fantasy and Western elements, but it’s the examination of these two characters that truly makes this story shine. The art and lettering of each individual panel bring this story to life in a way that only comics can. I’m truly excited for When the Blood Has Dried Issue 5; Maebh deserves an ending, and whether she succeeds or fails, she has shown that she isn’t running away from anything anymore.

Read When the Blood Has Dried #4

Read on Amazon

The post REVIEW: When the Blood Has Dried #4 by Gary Moloney (W) and Daniel Romero (A) appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.