This site is updated Thursday at noon with a new article about an artistic pursuit generally considered to be beneath consideration. James Schellenberg probes science-fiction, Carol Borden draws out the best in comics, Chris Szego dallies with romance, and Ian Driscoll stares deeply into the screen.
While the writers have considerable enthusiasm for their subjects, they don't let it numb their critical faculties. Tossing away the shield of journalistic objectivity and refusing the shovel of fannish boosterism, they write in the hopes of starting honest and intelligent discussions about these oft-enjoyed but rarely examined artforms. Click here for the writer's bios and their individual takes on the gutter.
Recent Features
The New Frankenstein
Frankenstein was probably scary at one point, but the whole story has been worn down by repetition, robbed of its power and relegated to status as not much more than a pop culture gag. What would it take to resuscitate the cautionary note in the tale of a scientist? After looking at Scott Bakker's terrifying new book Neuropath, I would say: a few hints of what modern science is taking away from us.
We have saying in our bookstore: Frontlist may bring customers through the door, but it's the backlist that brings them back. Book lovers are completists. Bookstores that can fill the gaps in their ever-increasing collections quickly become favourite stops. There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of putting it all together, of finally finally owning all the books by a much-loved author. Of course, neither is there any pleasure to equal the joy in the discovery of a new favourite. Like, say, one of the recent additions to my pantheon of must-haves: Tamara Lejeune.
MAN-BAT NINJAS, NINJA BATMEN AND ART WITH NO CONTENT
At the risk of tearing up Carol's
yard (a risk I’ll take, since she’s parked on my lawn currently, leaving me
nowhere to pull up). I’m going to talk about comics for bit here. Don’t worry,
I’ll get to the screen part soon enough.
The fabulous new videogame magazine The Escapist takes a look this week at what happens when the first generation of gamers starts to get older, including this gem: "Donna and Jack discovered a fact lost on our culture's anti-game crusaders: Gaming is an extraordinarily effective parenting tool."
The Austin Chronicle's the paper of the future with an all science fiction edition. News, books, music, everything. (I'm especially excited about the music--The Day the Earth Stood Still and afronauts).
~
Kehr and Uhlich are just talking about the Dark Knight. And the war on terror. Can you dig it? (via Salon)
~
The Sparrow soundtrack is as smooth and cool as Simon Yam in a relaxed fit suit. Grady Hendrix agrees, and then adds Bollywood for your immediate listening pleasure. Immediate in the sense of clicking through.
~
Bone artist Jeff Smith was interviewed on PBS' Newshour and is on exhibit at Ohio State University's Wexner Center for the Arts. What could be more respectable? Slide show and viewer questions for Jeff here. Art Center coolness here.
~
Scroll down to see scans of Colin Geddes' Fantasia Hong Kong film poster exhibit at Cinematheque Quebecoise: The Magnificent Butcher, Twelve Deadly Coins, 36th Chamber of Shaolin, City on Fire, Exiled, Triangle. Sammo Hung, Cheng Pei-Pei, Ti Lung, Donnie Yen, Chow Yun-Fat, Anthony Wong.
~
View all Notes here. Seen something shiny? Gutter-talk worth hearing? Let us know!
We have saying in our bookstore: Frontlist may bring customers through the door, but it's the backlist that brings them back. Book lovers are completists. Bookstores that can fill the gaps in their ever-increasing collections quickly become favourite stops. There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of putting it all together, of finally finally owning all the books by a much-loved author. Of course, neither is there any pleasure to equal the joy in the discovery of a new favourite. Like, say, one of the recent additions to my pantheon of must-haves: Tamara Lejeune.
At the risk of tearing up