If there’s one thing science fiction fans love, it’s an argument. And if there’s one argument they love more than all others, it’s the attempt to define what science fiction actually is, and what is or isn’t included in that definition. In perhaps the all time most fiercely contested fight over an acronym ever, fansContinue reading “Science Fiction vs SciFi vs SF: what is the true definition?”
Author Archives: Damien Walter
Yes, The Bible is science fiction
There’s a theory of education called “learning thresholds” which I wrote about for my post-grad certificate, back when I was treading the academic path. It’s an idea I use widely in my professional life today, for reasons I’ll get to. A learning threshold is a point on a learning curve where a paradigm shift inContinue reading “Yes, The Bible is science fiction”
Damo’s top scifi novels to rewire your consciousness.
The great psychedelic philosopher Terence McKenna called scifi the “gateway drug to enlightenment”. It’s a description that perfectly expresses the role scifi has played in my life. If If see the world differently from many people today, it’s because of the scifi books I read from a young age. These are the scifi books thatContinue reading “Damo’s top scifi novels to rewire your consciousness.”
Retiring from social media to spend more time with my books
The problem with switching off the internet when you’re somebody who professionally writes stuff on the internet is…you see the problem there, right? Alcoholics often gravitate to heavy drinking workplaces, and people fascinated by human communication IE writers IE me and my kind are drawn to social media like cats ro catnip. I am fortunateContinue reading “Retiring from social media to spend more time with my books”
There’s a great gamer novel to be written. Ready Player One isn’t it
There have been many great American novels. The Grapes of Wrath. The Great Gatsby. Underworld. The idea, at this point in literary history, has become a kind of self referential in joke. The great American novel is what young, over-intense MFA students yearn to write. But it’s still useful as an indicator of whatContinue reading “There’s a great gamer novel to be written. Ready Player One isn’t it”
How did Billions become the best show on tv?
With its stark insight into the financial world of post 2008, Billions is a Great Gatsby for our age. Tv shows do what they say in the title. Friends is a show about friends. Star Trek is a show about a trek through the stars, and Breaking Bad is a show about a man breakingContinue reading “How did Billions become the best show on tv?”
Is there any such thing as Geek Culture?
There is no end, it seems, to the impotent outrage of geek dudes who feel hard done by because scifi films no longer exclusively feature geeky white dude protagonists. Here’s the latest dumb s*&t from those guys: Any dork hating on Ready Player One stems from jealousy since Ernest Cline seems to be living theContinue reading “Is there any such thing as Geek Culture?”
5 things that can go HORRIBLY wrong adapting The Culture
I don’t consider myself a true fan of many things, but I am an unapologetic Iain (M) Banks fanboy. Which is an easy thing to be. Banks is a brilliant, brilliant writer. A storyteller in the class of Neil Gaiman, with the muscular prose abilities of J G Ballard, and the conceptual imagination of anContinue reading “5 things that can go HORRIBLY wrong adapting The Culture”
The shattered realities of William Gibson
Subscribe FREE on YouTube to get every episode https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTLDbr7fXm6Rh17OFIAEeDg To get the most from the episode, read Count Zero by William Gibson http://amzn.to/2Dbr8o9 Read the essay and get my annotations here https://www.patreon.com/posts/i-have-toffee-16453880 Ambient background music by UUriter track Homeland Cassette http://amzn.to/2FPCvnC Join my full course in the Rhetoric of Story (use code STORYFREE) https://www.udemy.com/the-rhetoric-of-story/learn/v4/?couponCode=STORYTEN
Why did the Last Jedi fail?
My profound disappointment in The Last Jedi. CONTAINS SPOILERS. https://youtu.be/GqxN_2LP1Ls
The 6-step story pitch
So there you are, face to face with the most important agent in your industry. Instead of turning to jelly, use this 6 step pitch process. Join the Rhetoric of Story with course code STORYTEN. https://goo.gl/YDLxoH Shot on the best camera for vloggers. http://amzn.to/2AQ2UPX Audio by Rode. http://amzn.to/2AgfBSR Thanks to Sarah’s House for being aContinue reading “The 6-step story pitch”
After Patreon: we need a Bill of Rights for creators
We live in amazing times for human creativity. There are more opportunities, for more people, of more backgrounds, to create than ever before. I think when we look back on the early 21st century, we’ll recognise it as the turning point into a creator culture, in which we value people for their creative talents, overContinue reading “After Patreon: we need a Bill of Rights for creators”
Damien Walter 