Sean Guynes's Blog, page 7

Watching No One Will Save You (2023)

No One Will Save You dir. by Brian Duffield (Hulu, 2023). There are over 1.65 million home invasions per year.This one is different. The trailer for No One Will Save You suggests a fun romp in the home invasion genre with an alien twist. The film projects the aura of a sleek and spooky indie … Continue reading Watching No One Will Save You (2023) →

Watching No One Will Save You (2023); Or, On Why Alien Invasion Is Personal

No One Will Save You dir. by Brian Duffield (Hulu, 2023). There are over 1.65 million home invasions per year.This one is different. The trailer for No One Will Save You suggests a fun romp in the home invasion genre with an alien twist. The film projects the aura of a sleek and spooky indie … Continue reading Watching No One Will Save You (2023); Or, On Why Alien Invasion Is Personal →

Reading “Redshirts” by John Scalzi

Redshirts by John Scalzi (Tor, 2012). In a certain sphere of the leftist sff scene—and which often overlaps with my own sff community—John Scalzi is the embodiment of everything wrong with liberal sff. He’s the banner carrier of squeecore, what the Rite Gud podcast initially described in 2022 as a (neo)liberal movement/vibe/feeling/concept/something within sff that … Continue reading Reading “Redshirts” by John Scalzi →

Reading Redshirts by John Scalzi; Or, On Squeecore’s Emergence

Redshirts by John Scalzi (Tor, 2012). In a certain sphere of the leftist sff scene—and which often overlaps with my own sff community—John Scalzi is the embodiment of everything wrong with liberal sff. He’s the banner carrier of squeecore, what the Rite Gud podcast initially described in 2022 as a (neo)liberal movement/vibe/feeling/concept/something within sff that … Continue reading Reading Redshirts by John Scalzi; Or, On Squeecore’s Emergence →

Fall 2023 University Press Recommendations

The master list of university presses, catalogs, and Twitter accounts can be found here (this list will help you get a sense of the shorthands I use for press names). All past and future seasonal recommendation lists can be found here. Fall 2023 Book Recommendations by . . . General InterestWorld Cultural StudiesAmerican StudiesAncient and Medieval … Continue reading Fall 2023 University Press Recommendations →

Watching Star Trek: DS9 — “Emissary” (1.1, 1.2)

“Emissary” (1.1, 1.2)January 3, 1993Written by Rick Berman and Michael PillerDirected by David Carson The two-parter pilot of Deep Space Nine is easily the second-best Star Trek pilot prior to the 2005 CBS/Viacom split (see here for more on the corporate history of Star Trek’s ownership). It’s also an example of some of the best … Continue reading Watching Star Trek: DS9 — “Emissary” (1.1, 1.2) →

Spring 2023 University Press Recommendations

The master list of university presses, catalogs, and Twitter accounts can be found here (this list will help you get a sense of the shorthands I use for Press names). All past and future seasonal recommendation lists can be found here. Spring 2023 Book Recommendations by . . . General InterestWorld Cultural StudiesAmerican StudiesAncient and Medieval … Continue reading Spring 2023 University Press Recommendations →

Reading Shadowdale by Scott Ciencin (Forgotten Realms: Avatar 1)

Shadowdale by Scott Ciencin / Richard Awlinson (TSR, 1989). Forgotten Realms. Avatar 1. The “Time of Troubles” was a major event in D&D‘s Forgotten Realms storyworld, beginning in 1989 and making its mark at a time when TSR, D&D‘s original owners, was nearing the end of its original peak of popularity in the 1980s and … Continue reading Reading Shadowdale by Scott Ciencin (Forgotten Realms: Avatar 1) →

Short Review: Shadowdale by Scott Ciencin (Forgotten Realms: Avatar 1)

Shadowdale by Scott Ciencin / Richard Awlinson (TSR, 1989). Forgotten Realms. Avatar 1. The “Time of Troubles” was a major event in D&D‘s Forgotten Realms storyworld, beginning in 1989 and making its mark at a time when TSR, D&D‘s original owners, was nearing the end of its original peak of popularity in the 1980s and … Continue reading Short Review: Shadowdale by Scott Ciencin (Forgotten Realms: Avatar 1) →

D&D Fiction Reread: Shadowdale by Scott Ciencin (Forgotten Realms: Avatar 1)

Scott Ciencin / Richard Awlinson. Shadowdale. TSR, 1989. Forgotten Realms. Avatar 1. The “Time of Troubles” was a major event in D&D‘s Forgotten Realms storyworld, beginning in 1989 and making its mark at a time when TSR, D&D‘s original owners, was nearing the end of its original peak of popularity in the 1980s and charging … Continue reading D&D Fiction Reread: Shadowdale by Scott Ciencin (Forgotten Realms: Avatar 1) →