Roger Ebert, the film critic, recently wrote a piece about the possible death of the Liberal Arts. It’s disturbing, not so much for the dire forecast of a nation of business majors and software geeks who know nothing of Montaigne, … Continue reading
“Do you expect me to talk?” “No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!” The exchange between Bond and Goldfinger may sum up the attitude of many who are tired, offended, or otherwise ambivalent or disinterested in the absurdly long … Continue reading
I just finished skimming through a fascinating little bit of fannish history, Earl Kemp’s Who Killed Science Fiction? Fannish in the sense of science fiction fandom. It has a rich and varied history and the concerns within the genre are … Continue reading
The last motion picture theater of my youth is gone. For several years, The Avalon, sitting on Kingshighway, across the street from a mortuary that has now become a church, has been shuttered and slowly decaying and finally has met … Continue reading
I have two things to talk about that are related by the slenderest of threads. Bear with me. First I’d like to say something about how marvelous is the age in which we live, at least from the perspective of … Continue reading
On Thursday, July 21st, I gave a talk at the Daniel Boone Regional Library on the nature of science fiction. I had a good turn-out, the room was almost full, and the talk was generally well-received. I used a comparison … Continue reading
This may be social suicide, but I’m going to say it anyway. I don’t like zombies. Not too thrilled with vampires, either. I mean—hell, they’re dead. Dead. And motivating. The contradiction alone is… I am tired of zombies, though. And … Continue reading
From time to time, here and there, someone brings Ayn Rand up as some kind of role model. Lately it’s even in the national news, thanks to the Tea Party and an apparently not very good film of Rand’s seminal … Continue reading
I’m a tad upset. The House just voted (all the Republicans and ten Democrats) to de-fund Planned Parenthood. Why? Planned Parenthood has been the target for the Right since it was founded in the 1920s—during a time, it should be … Continue reading
I am not going to go see the new Green Hornet movie. I knew that long before its release, when I heard Seth Rogen had been cast as the Hornet. I just knew it would be a waste of everyone’s … Continue reading