Essays & Opinion
The Rebel Alliance Won… Didn’t They?
The new Stars Wars film is clearly reiterating themes from the original trilogy – but can a really good story depend on a narrative of endless war? […]
Essays & Opinion
Essays & Opinion
File 770 Mob Hunts for Racists; Fails to find one
‘Fans’ of one science fiction website demonstrate a lot more interest in policing political thought than in admiring science fiction. […]
Essays & Opinion
Was Interstellar Inspiring?
Director Christopher Nolan said he wanted to inspire future astronauts with the science in his film. But then why are the protagonists so dependent on beings and forces they do not understand? […]
Essays & Opinion
Hardly Anyone Wants Dot Everyone
Baroness Lane-Fox had a cunning plan to get herself a new job. She asked the British public – via friends at the BBC – to sign a petition demanding the Prime Minister put her in charge of a new and aimless internet quango. Not surprisingly, the public ignored her. […]
Essays & Opinion
Being Quiet is not a Crime
The tragic crash of Germanwings flight 4U 9525 has again highlighted why society needs to better understand mental health… and demonstrated why this goal cannot be realized via the sensational speculation that always surrounds dramatic incidents. […]
Essays & Opinion
TV News Has Infected Movie Storytelling
Modern films have fallen into the lazy habit of using recreations of television news as a crutch for explaining the plot. The best filmmakers approach the news in a very different way. […]
Essays & Opinion
Charlie Hebdo Will Live Forever
They were silenced, but now they will never be silenced. They were killed, but now they will live forever. […]
Essays & Opinion
The Joy of Blank
A celebration of a published story, a new name, and a blank page. […]
Essays & Opinion
Space Tourism is Dumb
The dream of space flight is thrilling. The human race has many good reasons to venture into space. However, the practical realities make space tourism an exceptionally stupid innovation in leisure. […]
Essays & Opinion
When Two Tiers Go To War
Gordon Brown and the Labour Party say they do not want two ‘tiers’ within the British House of Commons. But there are already many tiers amongst MPs, not least as a consequence of inconsistent devolution around the UK. […]