Us. My “Writing Hacks” course includes 11 “hacks” or heuristics to improve your writing. 3 of these heuristics are in the 4 word title The Last of Us. – small words pack a punch – load meaning into the last word of a sentence – pronouns are powerful Us. A pronoun at the end ofContinue reading “The US in The Last of Us”
Author Archives: Damien Walter
The best Scifi & Fantasy storytelling – 2022 edition
2022 has been an AMAZING year for scifi & fantasy storytelling.
But mid-way through the year looked like a disaster.
Streaming television has delivered both the best and the worst of scifi and fantasy this year. The struggle to dominate streaming tv saw literally BILLIONS of $$$$ spent on scifi shows. But while much of that money was wasted on disasters like Fake Tolkien, it was smaller shows that crept in and stole our hearts and minds.
My review of the year lists my top 22 SFF stories…of 2022…and also my 7 worst, and the themes driving our storytelling at this moment in time.
And a MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of you on this journey, it’s a great time to be a scifi fan, and I’m honored so many of you are listening to the Science Fiction podcast and participating in this community.
Thank you.
00:00 22 best (and 7 worst) of 2022
04:36 Big trouble for the little novel – 22 to 17
16:09 Enter the Unreal – 16 to 9
30:47 The 7 worst
41:57 Mythopathos – 8 to 1
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The lie that makes Star Wars sublime
Why do many Star Wars fans insist that George Lucas did not know that Vader / Anakin were the same person? Lucas is 100% clear in interviews that he knew the Star Wars backstory at the time of shooting the first Star Wars movie. And the Vader / Anakin reveal is clearly foreshadowed through AContinue reading “The lie that makes Star Wars sublime”
Citizen Andor and the politics of Star Wars
This episode represents the essay “Andor is a Marxist Story” from the Science Fiction youtube channel in audio format, with a LONG introduction elaborating on the politics of Star Wars.
Watch the video essay on YouTube
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Andor is a masterclass in scene writing
Andor is a Marxist story
Tony Gilroy has said that Andor wasn’t meant to be political, and any meaning came through “instinctively”. He’s also said Cassian Andor’s story is directly based on the life of Jospeh Stalin. So. Deliberate or not, Andor has Marxist ideology baked into its core. The story of a protagonist-of-color, from a native tribe destroyed byContinue reading “Andor is a Marxist story”
The deep symbolism of 1899
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What’s so great about Iain M Banks?
The Tales From The Bridge crew invited me for a return appearance on their fine podcast to defend the honor of Iain M Banks from their skepticism. We have a great chat about good writing, bad writing, the genius work of Iain M. Banks, and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, theContinue reading “What’s so great about Iain M Banks?”
Andor and the middle-aging of Star Wars fandom
Extended thoughts on Andor and the age clash of Star Wars fandoms, with audio from the short video essay on the same topic.
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The Peripheral – episode 1 analysis
A brief update on the Science Fiction podcast during our season break and a short analysis of The Peripheral episode 1
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Why does House of the Dragon work?
Watch the video essay on YouTube:
SEASON 1 FINALE : Writing the 21st Century Myth
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Advanced Scifi & Fantasy Writing
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The Rhetoric of Story
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Damien Walter 