Tag: what if

New Fiction 2022 – November

“Esther” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

A rare tale of the Jewish people catching a break before it hits the fan. (Though it does hit the fan for their enemies.)

“Job” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Job’s real disgruntled but you can’t blame him with a god like this.

Dracula Daily – “October” by Bram Stoker & ed. Matt Kirkland (1897, 2021)

What a journey. I’m kinda sad not to receive further correspondence from my good friends in 19th century England. At least now I see how much hornier Francis Ford Coppola made his version of events.

“Clyde” by biomechanicalmash and bogleech (2020)

If you look too closely.

Places of Exile by Christopher L. Bennett (2008)

Everything I wanted.

The New Girl by R.L. Stine (1989)

A simple start to a vast catalog.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (1959)

The depths of a haunted state.

Seeds of Dissent by James Swallow (2008)

Too good at imagining the worst way to treat people.

“Lenny” by David Cooper (2021)

You might as well tell them.

Scorn dev. Ebb Software (2022)

If you make me fight, make it good.

Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force dev. Raven Software (2000)

A maelstrom of rectangles.

The Legend of Mor’du dir. Brian Larsen (2012)

I didn’t need to know.

Decision to Leave dir. Park Chan-wook (2022)

Just four pills, that’s all.

Tár dir. Todd Field (2022)

The harder you run.

The Banshees of Inisherin dir. Martin McDonagh (2022)

The war at home.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever dir. Ryan Coogler (2022)

Tragedy squared.

Holy Spider dir. Ali Abbasi (2022)

Did you expect a victory?

The Menu dir. Mark Mylod (2022)

We’re not meant to excel.

She Said dir. Maria Schrader (2022)

An insatiable pit.

Ticket to Paradise dir. Ol Parker (2022)

Who accepts the loss?

Wendell & Wild dir. Henry Selick (2022)

Raze the structures.

The Devil’s Own dir. Alan J. Pakula (1997)

No boat will save you.

Brave dir. Mark Andrews & Brenda Chapman (2012)

Choked by the weight of all that matter.

Devotion dir. J. D. Dillard (2022)

They wait decades.

Bones and All dir. Luca Guadagnino (2022)

When you find them.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery dir. Rian Johnson (2022)

Cut to the beginning.

Suspiria dir. Dario Argento (1977)

Mysteries of the prior inhabitant.

Cabinet of Curiosities (2022)

Hold the kite string loosely.

What If…? (2021)

Possibilities amount to one thread.

The Sandman (2022)

Small hits collection.

Ms. Marvel (2022)

Now you’re getting personal.

The Twilight Zone – Season 1 (2019)

A small hook, but still.

New Fiction 2022 – January

“2 B R 0 2 B” by Kurt Vonnegut (1962)

This is the first Vonnegut I’ve read in full. Is it satire? It’s certainly dark. I will continue.

“From the Deposition of the Vaginal Teeth” by Elizabeth H. Turner (2022)

They speak for themselves.

Avatar: Book One by S.D. Perry (2003)

This really should have been grouped with its latter half… but as an opening statement, it’s a bold one. I’ve been looking forward to this longer work from Perry since reading some of her short entries in the Deep Space Nine anthologies. Rather than settle into the peaceful promise of the end of the series, it shakes things up with some fairly shocking moments.

Avatar: Book Two by S.D. Perry (2003)

And I just gotta say, the Avatar duology is phenomenal. I love the focus on Kira as commander of the station and that Bajoran faith and religion continue to play a vital role. As a post-war trauma narrative, it’s also fascinating to see them deal with their feelings in the aftermath.

“Lot’s Wife” by Anna Akhmatova (1973)

I’ve started reading the bible and allow me the heresy of saying that–much like The Simpsons–other stories becomes that much better when I understand the references. I’ve known about Lot’s wife for a while but now I really understand the outrage. God didn’t have to go that hard.

“The Door in the Kitchen” by Abby Howard (2019)

My love of creepy horror comics continues unabated.

Displacement by Kiku Hughes (2020)

Written in the time when Trump was dominating the public consciousness against our will, this is a nuanced examination of experiences we don’t read about in history books. “Never again” feels like something we aspire to and never achieve, so I hope we continue to get books like these to remind us.

“Slide in the Woods” dev. Jonny’s Games (2021)

Listen, do you want creepy things? Because that’s what happens when you put a slide in the woods.

Florence dev. Mountains (2018)

I loved everything about it. Light on gameplay, heavy on the feels.

“The Snowman” dir. Dianne Jackson (1982)

I can’t believe this isn’t as big a deal outside the UK as it should be. It’s an amazing animated film.

“Baker Bobb” dir. Billy Burger (2018)

Cute little short from a local group.

“Magnetic Rose” dir. Kōji Morimoto (1995)

Goddamn, that nineties anime hits hard.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie dir. Shinichirō Watanabe (2001)

If you’re going to make a movie from a beloved series, this is the way to do it.

The Tragedy of Macbeth dir. Joel Coen (2021)

German expressionism gets me every time.

The 355 dir. Simon Kinberg (2022)

I want more of these. More women-led action is the way to go.

The King’s Man dir. Matthew Vaughn (2021)

What a bizarre movie. Tonally, it’s trying to be a period war drama but also a ridiculous action comedy.

Scream dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olphin & Tyler Gillett (2022)

I guess it’s neat, but I hadn’t seen the fourth before I watched this. Then I did and this was missing a crucial character…

Scream 4 dir. Wes Craven (2011)

Bring back Kirby.

Belle dir. Mamoru Hosoda (2021)

This was a great movie, it seems like it’s going to be one thing but then takes a turn. And the animation is :chefkiss:.

Licorice Pizza dir. Paul Thomas Anderson (2021)

Nothing has ever inspired me to run for the joy of it like Licorice Pizza does. I had a real strong aversion to it based on the trailer… you know, more nostalgic dude filmmakers who grew up in the valley in the sixties and seventies. But I liked its meandering. I like a good meandering plot. The cast were great of course. Also so white as are all these nostalgic era movies. I think that’s strong points against it. It makes me wanna go rewatch The Wood or Dope.

What If…? – “What If… Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?” (2021)

I intended to watch the series, but after the first episode I really just want more of Captain Carter.

Cowboy Bebop (1998)

Yep it’s a classic. I’ll have to rewatch this sometime soon. The early aughts was an embarrassment of space western riches.

Cowboy Bebop (2021)

This isn’t the anime and I think their attempt to be like the anime hurt the series. I enjoyed it as its own work, and really wished they’d gotten a second season to smooth out the rough edges. The casting in particular is great.

New Fiction 2022 – January

“2 B R 0 2 B” by Kurt Vonnegut (1962)

This is the first Vonnegut I’ve read in full. Is it satire? It’s certainly dark. I will continue.

“From the Deposition of the Vaginal Teeth” by Elizabeth H. Turner (2022)

They speak for themselves.

Avatar: Book One by S.D. Perry (2003)

This really should have been grouped with its latter half… but as an opening statement, it’s a bold one. I’ve been looking forward to this longer work from Perry since reading some of her short entries in the Deep Space Nine anthologies. Rather than settle into the peaceful promise of the end of the series, it shakes things up with some fairly shocking moments.

Avatar: Book Two by S.D. Perry (2003)

And I just gotta say, the Avatar duology is phenomenal. I love the focus on Kira as commander of the station and that Bajoran faith and religion continue to play a vital role. As a post-war trauma narrative, it’s also fascinating to see them deal with their feelings in the aftermath.

“Lot’s Wife” by Anna Akhmatova (1973)

I’ve started reading the bible and allow me the heresy of saying that–much like The Simpsons–other stories becomes that much better when I understand the references. I’ve known about Lot’s wife for a while but now I really understand the outrage. God didn’t have to go that hard.

“The Door in the Kitchen” by Abby Howard (2019)

My love of creepy horror comics continues unabated.

Displacement by Kiku Hughes (2020)

Written in the time when Trump was dominating the public consciousness against our will, this is a nuanced examination of experiences we don’t read about in history books. “Never again” feels like something we aspire to and never achieve, so I hope we continue to get books like these to remind us.

“Slide in the Woods” dev. Jonny’s Games (2021)

Listen, do you want creepy things? Because that’s what happens when you put a slide in the woods.

Florence dev. Mountains (2018)

I loved everything about it. Light on gameplay, heavy on the feels.

“The Snowman” dir. Dianne Jackson (1982)

I can’t believe this isn’t as big a deal outside the UK as it should be. It’s an amazing animated film.

“Baker Bobb” dir. Billy Burger (2018)

Cute little short from a local group.

“Magnetic Rose” dir. Kōji Morimoto (1995)

Goddamn, that nineties anime hits hard.

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie dir. Shinichirō Watanabe (2001)

If you’re going to make a movie from a beloved series, this is the way to do it.

The Tragedy of Macbeth dir. Joel Coen (2021)

German expressionism gets me every time.

The 355 dir. Simon Kinberg (2022)

I want more of these. More women-led action is the way to go.

The King’s Man dir. Matthew Vaughn (2021)

What a bizarre movie. Tonally, it’s trying to be a period war drama but also a ridiculous action comedy.

Scream dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olphin & Tyler Gillett (2022)

I guess it’s neat, but I hadn’t seen the fourth before I watched this. Then I did and this was missing a crucial character…

Scream 4 dir. Wes Craven (2011)

Bring back Kirby.

Belle dir. Mamoru Hosoda (2021)

This was a great movie, it seems like it’s going to be one thing but then takes a turn. And the animation is :chefkiss:.

Licorice Pizza dir. Paul Thomas Anderson (2021)

Nothing has ever inspired me to run for the joy of it like Licorice Pizza does. I had a real strong aversion to it based on the trailer… you know, more nostalgic dude filmmakers who grew up in the valley in the sixties and seventies. But I liked its meandering. I like a good meandering plot. The cast were great of course. Also so white as are all these nostalgic era movies. I think that’s strong points against it. It makes me wanna go rewatch The Wood or Dope.

What If…? – “What If… Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?” (2021)

I intended to watch the series, but after the first episode I really just want more of Captain Carter.

Cowboy Bebop (1998)

Yep it’s a classic. I’ll have to rewatch this sometime soon. The early aughts was an embarrassment of space western riches.

Cowboy Bebop (2021)

This isn’t the anime and I think their attempt to be like the anime hurt the series. I enjoyed it as its own work, and really wished they’d gotten a second season to smooth out the rough edges. The casting in particular is great.