Monthly Archives: November 2010

Entertainment Weekly: The Walking Dead “Best New Show on TV”

November 29th, 2010 | Posted in horror, The Walking Dead, zombie

I recently came across a magazine that devoted its cover to their assertion that AMC’s The Walking Dead is “The Best New Show on TV.” Surprisingly, this claim and appreciation for a zombie horror show was not found on the cover of Fangoria, Horror Hound, or Famous Monsters of Filmland, but instead on Entertainment Weekly […]

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Robert J. Sawyer, “A long time ago,” and science fiction’s social commentary

November 28th, 2010 | Posted in fantasy, race, science fiction, Star Wars

I recently came across a portion of a lecture given by science fiction writer Robert J. Sawyer divided into three installments on YouTube. The lecture is titled “‘A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….’ my ass!”. Each of the installments can be viewed at the bottom of this post. In the lecture […]

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Matt Cardin: “Religion and the Vampire” in Encyclopedia of the Vampire

November 23rd, 2010 | Posted in vampire

In times past the vampire was discussed largely in folklore, and later horror magazines for monster kids and teens, as well as the cinema, largely for the same audience, including adults who enjoyed the horror genre. While the vampire is still found in these sources, and has appeal for these segments of its audience, the […]

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Highlight: The Tale of the Three Brothers

November 22nd, 2010 | Posted in animation, fairy tales

This last Saturday I went with my family to the theater to see the latest installment in the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows – Part 1. It may come as a surprise to regular readers of this blog who are familiar with my passion for the fantastic, but I have never […]

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News of the Fantastic – November 21, 2010

November 21st, 2010 | Posted in News of the Fantastic

Following are news items of the fantastic from the previous week. Internet Responds To Young Female Star Wars Fan Who’s Being Bullied – Techland – TIME.com techland.com Members of geek culture rise up to defend a girl bullied for her Star Wars fandom. War and Social Upheaval Cause Spikes in Zombie Movie Production io9.com There’s […]

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Chapter on Matrixism in Forthcoming Handbook of Hyper-Real Spiritualities

November 18th, 2010 | Posted in Adam Possamai, hyper-real spiritualities (or fiction-based), Jediism, Matrixism

I recently heard from Adam Possamai, editor of the Handbook of Hyper-Real Spiritualities (Brill, forthcoming), that my essay on Matrixism was accepted. It is titled “’A world without rules and controls, without borders or boundaries’: Matrixism, New Mythologies, and Symbolic Pilgrimages.” I am privileged to be a part of a number of top-notch contributors on […]

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The Horror! The Horror!: Controversial Horror Comics of the 1950s

November 16th, 2010 | Posted in 1950s, comics, horror

“THIS BOOK CONTAINS: MURDER! MAYHEM! ROBBERY! RAPE! CANNIBALISM! CARNAGE! NECROPHILIA! SEX! SADISM! MASOCHISM … and virtually every other form of crime, degeneracy, bestiality, and horror!” The words above appear in a report from the mid-1950s titled “Comic Books and Juvenile Delinquency” from the Committee on the Judiciary’s investigation of juvenile delinquency in the United States. […]

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My Best Friend is a Wookie: One Boy’s Journey to Find His Place in the Galaxy

November 14th, 2010 | Posted in fan cultures, fantasy, geek cultures, Star Wars

Being a person on a lifelong journey with the fantastic I am always interested in the similar journeys of others. One day while following the book promotion of Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks by Ethan Gilsdorf I was pleased to hear of another writer who chronicled a similar journey. Tony Pacitti describes his story in […]

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2011’s “Battle: Los Angeles” Expands 1942 UFO Military Incident

November 13th, 2010 | Posted in aliens, UFOs

In the 1950s horror films changed course from the supernatural, the Gothic, and from the mad scientist cautionary tale to expressions of cultural fears of communism and cultural conformity through the metaphor of alien invasion. In the 21st century alien invasion continues to be a popular venue for the expression of our collective fears, but […]

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News of the Fantastic – November 13, 2010

November 13th, 2010 | Posted in News of the Fantastic

Various news items touching on the fantastic from the preceding week, published previously on my Facebook page and via Twitter. Sigourney Weaver on AVATAR ireport.cnn.com An interview with Sigourney Weaver where she discusses the impact of the environmentalism of Avatar on herself and viewers. Del Toro’s “The Devil’s Backbone”: horror with heart » The Pioneer […]

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