This site is updated Thursday afternoon 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. Click here for their bios and individual takes on the gutter. Our Guest Stars shine here
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. Contact us here.
Recent Features
A Straight Line from Neuromancer to Spook Country
Your first book is a classic that essentially creates the modern era, or at least that's what people are saying. What do you do for an encore? In the case of William Gibson, you can just follow the same interests in a different form.
The
internet allows writers to do the impossible: write in isolation
while in company. A writer might still face off single-handedly
against blank screen, but behind the accusing blink of the cursor
there are thousands of minds ready to offer information, support and
catwaxing options.
On the other hand, it’s not as if, pre-internet, every writer was
locked in a Proustian cork-lined room. Despite the solitary nature
of their work - or possibly because of it - writers have always
sought one another out. For encouragment, professional development,
and sometimes for the sheer relief of being around other people who
get it. That’s pretty much the unofficial definition of the RWA.
I had really hoped that my list of the top 10 films of the
decade would be more surprising. Or perhaps I just assumed that I was less
predictable. I thought about a lot of other films, some of which you’ll see in
my runners-up rundown at the foot of this article, but these are the ones that
stuck with me over the past ten years.
RIP Edward Woodward. Respectable critics will righly remember you for Breaker Morant, but here in the Gutter we'll remember you for The Wicker Man, The Equalizer and EastEnders. Obituaries here and here.
System Shock, a great videogame from 1994, gets a mod to make it easier to play for modern videogamers (with lots of tips in the comments on how to get the game running).
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Marvel's animating my childhood with their upcoming Black Panther series for BET. (No, I wasn't T'Challa, the King of Wakanda. I just loved Black Panther). Animated Superheroes has the theme song as well as screen shots of characters and the voice-acting credits. (via Black SuperHero Blog).
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Passive-Aggressive Man, a superhero powered by his self-hatred over his inability to confront assholes.
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View all Notes here. Seen something shiny? Gutter-talk worth hearing? Let us know!
Your first book is a classic that essentially creates the modern era, or at least that's what people are saying. What do you do for an encore? In the case of William Gibson, you can just follow the same interests in a different form.
The
internet allows writers to do the impossible: write in isolation
while in company. A writer might still face off single-handedly
against blank screen, but behind the accusing blink of the cursor
there are thousands of minds ready to offer information, support and
catwaxing options.
I had really hoped that my list of the top 10 films of the
decade would be more surprising. Or perhaps I just assumed that I was less
predictable. I thought about a lot of other films, some of which you’ll see in
my runners-up rundown at the foot of this article, but these are the ones that
stuck with me over the past ten years.