Red Skies: Soviet Science Fiction
A thorough and well-illustrated look at Soviet science fiction, from the 1920s through the 1980s. (via SF Signal)
The Psychology of Spoilers
Science studies whether spoilers spoil. Strangely enough, they might not. Even more strangely, they might make the spoiled story more enjoyable.
Untweetable
Antenna examines the case of Kurt Sutter (Sons of Anarchy) and why he’s deleting the Twitter version of his “brash online persona”.
“The Flaws of Kickstarter”
At the Beat, MK Reed writes about the flaws of Kickstarter, particularly for artists trying to make a start in the comics industry and has some suggestions for what the Womanthology project can do with its extra donations.
Hollywood’s Self-Fulfilling Delusion around Race
NPR’s John Ridley talks about the lack of diversity in film adaptations of comic book characters: “There’s a self-fulfilling delusion at work in the studio system that white audiences won’t pay to see black actors cast outside a narrow type of role.” But a new study indicates, that’s […]
Two from the World of Sci-Fi
Tired of the Singularity? Karl Schroeder suggests Rewilding. Also, some advice from Nancy Kress on how to effectively write the middle of a story: reversals, reveals, and raising the stakes.
The Cultural Gutter 