I first read The Giver at exactly the right age – I was 12 years old and just beginning to go through puberty. It was one of the first books I read as a young adult that really sparked my ...

As the leaves begin to fall, our TVs fill up with scores of new and returning series. Looking through the list of upcoming new shows, there’s the usual mix of different genre shows including comedy, dramas, crime procedurals, and even ...

There are many reasons to attend a writing festival or conference. You may be going to meet other writers, to test the waters of what its like to put your work out there to be read by others, to network ...

Disney is a conservative company, so it’s no surprise that they recently vetoed a potentially offensive cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy. The Internet has been a-buzz with news of James Gunn’s original idea for Stan Lee’s cameo. Lee’s appearance ...

I have been feeling nostalgic about a show that is, in itself, nostalgic: That 70’s Show. In 1998, TV audiences were sent back in time – before they knew that Darth Vader was Luke’s father, CDs, mobile phones, and the ...

I began reading Wool knowing little about the book other than it had roots in self-publishing, was hugely popular and highly regarded in the SF community. I had far more of an awareness of the author, Hugh Howey, from his ...

I have recently been convalescing from surgery. In my housebound state, it’s unsurprising that I have found myself facing growing tedium. To alleviate it, my partner introduced me to the very popular video game franchise, Civilization. The turn-based strategy game ...

The public first became acquainted with the detail-oriented, abrasive detective in 1887. We were subjected to his arrogant use of deductive reasoning for four novels and 56 short stories, but that wasn’t enough for the hungry audiences – we wanted ...

I recently saw What If (also known as The F Word) at the cinema. It was a predictable and silly indie rom-com. I didn’t think much of it, but it did get me thinking about the difference between the slick, ...

Luc Besson has delivered a number of excellent films in his career, always excelling with action-packed romps. The Fifth Element, his 1997 action sci-fi film starring Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich is still one of my all time favourite sci-fi ...