Ursula K. Le Guin has always been the GOAT of speculative fiction, the kind of writer who rewired how we think about society. But as of late 2025, she’s achieved a new level of clout: getting personally targeted by the FSB. Vladimir Putin just did the one thing guaranteed to make a 1969 sci-fi cultContinue reading “Ursula K Le Guin banned in Russia”
Category Archives: Writing Journal
Joker Right SCRIPT PREVIEW
Sometimes a video essay script needs a final stage of work – to secure it against the Almighty Algorithm. Our new robo-censors can’t tell the difference between actual Nazis and critique of Nazis. Also people love to clip critiques of racism out of context to make the critic look racist. So I have to findContinue reading “Joker Right SCRIPT PREVIEW”
No Evidence
So. As Arthur C Clarke is going to be discussed a lot with the Rama movie in the works. There is a well publicised and persistent narrative that Clarke was a p*doph*le. Having done my due diligence and researched this story numerous times here is my position. There is no substantiated evidence against Clarke. TheContinue reading “No Evidence”
The 7 most subversive science fiction novels
Science fiction today fills our screens, bookshelves, and streaming queues. It entertains millions with tales of aliens, starships, and time travel. But the genre’s real power isn’t just escapism. Science fiction is dangerous because it dares to ask: what if the world were different? That single question has made governments, corporations, and ideologues deeply uncomfortable.Continue reading “The 7 most subversive science fiction novels”
America’s psychotic sun god SHINES again
Americans are happy to have an optimistic Superman back in the cinema. James Gunn’s new Superman is kinda corny, but that’s what it does right according to NPR The movie’s star has called it colorful, bright, even optimistic, after the dark pessimism of the Snyder years Fans are overjoyed that Superman is back to hisContinue reading “America’s psychotic sun god SHINES again”
Lee Pace Chest Chart
THE TIME IS NOW THE PLACE IS HERE NOT ASIMOV SEASON 3 IS UPON US The greatest act of treachery in scifi history continues its fetid, stinking task of degrading Issac Asimov’s milestone of science fiction into a sh*te pulp adventure story EXACTLY of the kind Asimov did NOT write But hey, that’s culture inContinue reading “Lee Pace Chest Chart”
The most hated SF writer
It’s Ayn Rand. And SF community members can preview my shooting script for the next video essay here
Belligerent Autodidacts
Your definition of science fiction is probably wrong Science fiction tends to attract belligerent autodidacts who like to argue, so you won’t agree with this But nonetheless Your definition of science fiction is probably wrong Because the most widespread definition of science fiction goes something like this “Science fiction is the extrapolation of existing scientificContinue reading “Belligerent Autodidacts”
Incoherent Babbling
So you make a video essay about Blade Runner and slavery And that Rick Deckard is a slave hunter And the replicants are literally escaped slaves And about once a week someone leaves this comment <INCOHERENT BABBLING> Ahktually its nothing to do with slaves U FOOL and we ended slavery and africans took slaves andContinue reading “Incoherent Babbling”
The power behind EVERY throne
A better story
One of the reasons I think the search for a 21st century mythos is worthwhile is because without one we are reverting to fascism Philip K Dick understood that fascism is primarily a story. And what defeats fascism is a better story. So instead of an alt-history, PKD wrote a science fiction book of alt-narrativeContinue reading “A better story”
Johnny Is Jesus
Why is cyberpunk so hard to film? Science fiction is the mythos of modernity. It is to the 20th and 21st century what the Christian mythos was to earlier centuries. And like Christian symbolism, it’s incredibly easy for the symbols of scifi to look naff. That’s cheesy or kitsch for US readers. Mythic symbolism isContinue reading “Johnny Is Jesus”
Damien Walter 