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Prose and Context

Crowd stands before a dark building with glowing orange windows. A fiery sky looms above, creating an intense and dramatic scene.

Crowd stands before a dark building with glowing orange windows. A fiery sky looms above, creating an intense and dramatic scene.

Sinners: When You’re Dead, You’re Family [Vampires VIII]

'Sinners' explores how vampires can often exist in a symbolic grey area, and how they relate to ideas of life and community. Join me as I discuss this fantastic film!

May 84 min read

A man in a cape approaches a dark, spiky figure near stone ruins in a rocky desert, his infant daughter in his proffered hands.

A man in a cape approaches a dark, spiky figure near stone ruins in a rocky desert, his infant daughter in his proffered hands.

Tragedy: The Binding of Isaac Retold in Hyperion

Abraham and Isaac's story is retold in the 2700s, with time wackiness and the Lord of Pain in place of God – and it's brilliant.

Ideas in Context

May 45 min read

Young woman with short hair looks at the camera, dimly lit room, patterned wallpaper, warm lamp glow. Calm, contemplative mood.

Young woman with short hair looks at the camera, dimly lit room, patterned wallpaper, warm lamp glow. Calm, contemplative mood.

Vampires VII: Self-Acceptance in Ghost's "Lachryma" and Nosferatu

Lachryma by Ghost looks like a simple breakup song at first glance, but offers a deeper reflection on how we deal with our inner demons. I compare the music video to Nosferatu (2024), which deals with similar themes.

May 16 min read

Four horsemen ride through a chaotic scene of fallen warriors, set against a stormy sky. Colors are dark and somber, evoking apocalypse.

Four horsemen ride through a chaotic scene of fallen warriors, set against a stormy sky. Colors are dark and somber, evoking apocalypse.

'Marks of the Evil One' by Ghost: Revelations

Ghost's album Skeletá is out! One of my favourite tracks explores a terrifying real-world perspective, how it arose and what it will inevitably lead to.

Apr 275 min read

Woman in red dress holds a rifle and white bonnet, with text "Nolite te Bastardes Carborundorum" on brown-gray background, creating a rebellious mood.

Woman in red dress holds a rifle and white bonnet, with text "Nolite te Bastardes Carborundorum" on brown-gray background, creating a rebellious mood.

Dystopia & Privilege

Exploring meaning beyond the binary of right and wrong, and how dystopian fiction can help us recognize real world oppression.

Ideas in Context

Apr 244 min read

Mysterious figure with a glowing red cross on chest, set against a dark, abstract background. Moody and enigmatic atmosphere.

Mysterious figure with a glowing red cross on chest, set against a dark, abstract background. Moody and enigmatic atmosphere.

The Symbol of the Cruciform in Dan Simmons' Hyperion

One story from Dan Simmons' 1989 novel involves faith and resurrection, though Jesus is nowhere to be seen. A fitting exploration for Easter Sunday?

Ideas in Context

Apr 204 min read

Transhumanism IV: Digital Consciousness in Black Mirror

Transhumanism IV: Digital Consciousness in Black Mirror

Transhumanism IV: Digital Consciousness in Black Mirror

Black Mirror has focused a lot on digital consciousness over the years. What morals do these depictions present regarding transhumanism, when taken as a whole?

Apr 176 min read

Posters for: Murderbot, Love Death and Robots, Black Mirror, Stranger Things, A Handmaid's Tale, Alien: Earth and The Last of Us

Posters for: Murderbot, Love Death and Robots, Black Mirror, Stranger Things, A Handmaid's Tale, Alien: Earth and The Last of Us

Is 2025 the Year of Speculative Fiction on TV?

There's lots of exciting TV coming our way in 2025! Hopefully it will mean more important ideas being shared with more people in the future!

Film and TV Rec's

Apr 133 min read

How ADHD Corrupts the Purpose of Guilt

How ADHD Corrupts the Purpose of Guilt

How ADHD Corrupts the Purpose of Guilt

Useful, adaptive guilt vs. toxic, maladaptive guilt: How do we tell the difference? I explore examples from The Stormlight Archive.

Ideas in Context

Apr 104 min read

Touching Allegories in 'The Tomb of Dragons'

Touching Allegories in 'The Tomb of Dragons'

Touching Allegories in 'The Tomb of Dragons'

From interpersonal communication to the responsibility we have to victims of colonization, Addison's novel offers us a lot to think about!

Ideas in Context

Apr 65 min read

Escaping the Unconscious Collective

Escaping the Unconscious Collective

Escaping the Unconscious Collective

How do we recognize our role as cogs in a massive system? Looking at Senlin Ascends and The Masquerade books and The Banality of Evil!

Ideas in Context

Apr 34 min read

Clarity from the Worst Possible Advice

Clarity from the Worst Possible Advice

Clarity from the Worst Possible Advice

Why does it feel easier to learn from the worst possible advice than from straightforward, positive guidelines? Let's get evil & miserable.

Ideas in Context

Mar 304 min read

(Universali)Tea in Speculative Fiction [Swift Riffle]

(Universali)Tea in Speculative Fiction [Swift Riffle]

(Universali)Tea in Speculative Fiction [Swift Riffle]

Tea is near-omnipresent in stories of speculative fiction! I take a look at why, by looking at real world history and a number of examples.

Mar 275 min read

Managing Expectations (Severance Season 2)

Managing Expectations (Severance Season 2)

Managing Expectations (Severance Season 2)

It's easy to get lost in excitement for a story and forget that things might not turn out the way you expect – as happened with Severance.

Film and TV Rec's

Mar 234 min read

There is Still Time: How 'I Saw the TV Glow' Illuminates Trans Experiences

There is Still Time: How 'I Saw the TV Glow' Illuminates Trans Experiences

There is Still Time: How 'I Saw the TV Glow' Illuminates Trans Experiences

This film offers a human, soulful glimpse into the experiences of trans people at a time when hate and alienation are at a sickening high.

Film and TV Rec's

Mar 204 min read

Taravangian & Saviours No One Asked For

Taravangian & Saviours No One Asked For

Taravangian & Saviours No One Asked For

Taravangian lives two lives – one gifted with intelligence, another with empathy – that never meet. Here are parallels in our own world.

Mar 165 min read

Welcome! Master List of Posts & My Promise to Readers

Welcome! Master List of Posts & My Promise to Readers

Welcome! Master List of Posts & My Promise to Readers

What, why and when I write. My promise to myself and to my readers and what I hope you can get out of my work. With a Master List of posts.

Starting Points

Mar 135 min read

Person stands on cliff edge under stormy sky, holding glowing orb as lightning strikes. Dark atmosphere with rain and mist.

Person stands on cliff edge under stormy sky, holding glowing orb as lightning strikes. Dark atmosphere with rain and mist.

Journey Before Destination [I]

Stormlight helped teach me that improvement is gradual and non-linear. There will be setbacks, but we can overcome them.

Journey Before Destination

Mar 94 min read

Tranquility in Strength (Thara Celehar)

Tranquility in Strength (Thara Celehar)

Tranquility in Strength (Thara Celehar)

Exploring the relationship between power and conduct, with insight from 'The Witness for the Dead', my life with ADHD and real world evils.

Ideas in Context

Mar 65 min read

Book cover for "The Saint of Bright Doors" by Vajra Chandrasekera. Features ornate door on yellow/blue background, with intricate patterns.

Book cover for "The Saint of Bright Doors" by Vajra Chandrasekera. Features ornate door on yellow/blue background, with intricate patterns.

The Saint of Bright Doors: Lost in the System

The melding of form and content can produce powerful imagery in books, film and video games. In this case, it brings a fever dream to life.

Mar 25 min read

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