Telepathy in Fiction – A Lesson from Pacific Rim

By now this author’s record of interest with telepathy as a story device is well-documented. Andre Norton’s* work with this trope is the primary inspiration, in part because she described it so well as both magic and native talent. Her heroes and heroines of the Witch World have an ability not only to communicate with …

A New Engine from the Land of the Rising Sun

Click the link to learn more, readers! Japan tests rotating detonation engine for the first time in space BYASHWINI SAKHARKAR AUGUST 21, 2021 EMERGING TECH The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has announced that it has successfully demonstrated the operation of a “rotating detonation engine” for the first time in space. The novelty of the …

Sincerity in Fiction – A Lost Art in Need of Recovery

While on the Superversive Sunday Livestream, Anthony Marchetta and I discussed the differences between Japanese anime and modern Western storytelling. One of the items that came up was the sincerity with which Japanese writers portray their characters. Although I wanted a stronger word for the phenomenon at the time, in hindsight, I think Anthony hit …

“I’ll Be Back….”

And it turns out, he was. Click the link to learn more, readers! Japanese student writes to Arnold Schwarzenegger for English class, gets awesome reply in return Oona McGee May 12, 2021 As an Austrian-born American, Arnie knows what it’s like to step out of your comfort zone when learning English as a second-language. When …

Bulletin: A Return to the Superversive Livestream!

Yesterday I joined Anthony Marchetta on the Superversive Livestream to discuss anime, the Pulp Revolution, and the pulp tales of yore. We spoke about many other topics as well. It was a fun two hours, readers! There were some technical difficulties with the stream, and we went silent or at least too low to hear …

“Go, Speed Racer, GO!”

No, the title for this post was not entirely my idea, readers. And while it is a reference to the popular 1960s’ anime series Speed Racer*, that allusion came straight from Lockheed, the creator of the drone described in the article linked herein. It is, apparently, quite fast! However, looking at the photograph makes me …

Creativity Never Takes a Break

Not for some writers and artists, anyway. If you are or have ever been a fan of anime series Inuyasha*, Ranma 1/2*, or Maison Ikkoku,* then you should find this article about the author’s work habits extremely interesting. There is a reason that she is not on Twitter much. Admittedly, this type of dedication sounds …

Review – Dungeon Samurai Vol. 1: Kamikaze (An Anti-LitRPG Dungeon Crawl) by Kit Sun Cheah

Here we have another review of a work produced by author Kai Wai Cheah (who also uses the name Benjamin Cheah and Kit Sun Cheah). Dungeon Samurai Vol. 1: Kamikaze* comes from the creator of Amp, a superhero in Silver Empire’s Heroes’ Unleashed* universe. It is also a fascinating new look at the isekai genre. …

A Winged Hussar in the Land of the Rising Sun

The Sabaton reference was too good to pass up, readers! Though Brother Zenon was not a member of the Polish military, he was a member of St. Maximilian Kolbe’s order and helped to print their monthly magazine, “Knight of the Immaculate.” His heroic love for his adopted people following the bombing of Nagasaki has not …

Reposted: ….And Between the Wasteland & Sky

This is an article I have wanted to repost for a while. It isn't specifically about the craft of writing, but an astute prospective author will doubtless learn a great many things about storytelling in J.D. Cowan's piece on the anime Trigun. Click the link to see what I mean, readers! . . . And …