The Call of the Void
Cosmic horror's philosophy of cosmic nihilism is a tempting lens through which to examine our own existence. But at what cost?
Gnostic Horror and the Fall into History
The combination of cosmic horror with gnostic themes and thought is a perfect encapsulation of the antipathy of modernity to human lives and suffering.
Camping the Canon: Matthew Lewis, Milton, & The Monk
In 1796, against a backdrop of deadly state violence targeting LGBT people, a gay teenager anonymously published what has since become one of the best-known examples of the English Gothic Horror. His name was Matthew Lewis and his book is
New Life and New Civilizations: Socialism, Progress, & The Final Frontier
We should not mistake Star Trek’s emphasis on decency with a radically different conception of civilization. Both the Federation and its more warlike are equally dependent on imperialism, on colonialism, on limitless resource extraction to survive. Both, in other words,
Point//Counterpoint: Godzilla vs. Kong
Later this month, the greatest rivalry in movie history is finally coming to a head. For the first time ever in an American film, Godzilla and King Kong are facing off in the ultimate battle of the behemoths, and the
REVIEW: Saint Maud (2019)
In a dreary English seaside town, in a dreary one-room flat, God speaks to Maud. God’s presence, when he speaks to her, fills her and leaves her in ecstatic, orgasmic states. God is not just reaching out to Maude for
Ability Score: Tabletop RPGs & the Mechanics of Privilege
Tabletop gaming can help us not just explore contemporary issues like disability, but also imagine new worlds and solutions to them.
Tamagotchi Girlfriend & The Future of Retrofuturism
The past has its own romance—but this, like all relationships, can only be fully understood in retrospect. by Colin Broadmoor “Hello, Dave! Thank you for joining me. Please, have a seat.” In the old days they would have shaken hands, but, instead, they
Body For Sale, Slightly Worn
In Masaaki Yuasa’s Kaiba, minds and bodies are just two more commodities on the market—revealing capitalism’s own dysfunctional relationship to bodily pleasure. by Will Riley In the first episode of 2008’s Kaiba, a sci-fi anime from Masaaki Yuasa, we find the male
Everyone Is Beautiful and No One Is Horny
Modern action and superhero films fetishize the body, even as they desexualize it. by RS Benedict When Paul Verhoeven adapted Starship Troopers in the late 1990s, did he know he was predicting the future? The endless desert war, the ubiquity of military