Maligned. Detested. Dismissed. Watto deserves a second look. by Trevor Drinkwater // Illustration by Sam Hindman The conventional wisdom around the Star Wars prequels has been a subject of much debate in recent years. In the wake of Disney’s polarizing new sequel

Like the best Sci-Fi, Sleep Dealer's exploration of de-located workers is eerily prescient. by Tyler Peterson It’s a well-worn but no less true maxim that science fiction isn’t about “the future” at all, but rather the present. The futuristic setting of the

Grappling with visions of a possible America. by Paul Walker-Emig America, like any other nation, is a construct supported by a series of fantasies. These fantasies help create what Benedict Anderson called an “imagined community” via a shared vision of what America

Predator isn't just a great action film—it's also ruthless satire. by Joseph Mayall As one of the most highly-regarded action movies of all time, Predator isn’t unappreciated—but it is misunderstood. With the flashing lasers and blazing guns stealing the show, the film’s

What we can learn about exploitation from a 1969 thriller about a dance competition. by Ryan Lambert The American Dream may lure many a foreign traveler with the temptation of industrious opportunity for themselves, their kin, and their spawn, but the people

Fan culture's endless search for "content" is leading us into artistic poverty. by Colin Broadmoor The “hungry ghost” is a pitiable figure from the syncretic religious traditions of China and Vietnam. Originally a karmic mirror-punishment for materialism during life, today’s hungry ghosts

Reclaiming the radical possibilities of Cyberpunk. by Colin Broadmoor The future died in 1999. Ever since, we’ve been trapped in the eternal present—waiting for the other shoe to drop. For two decades, we’ve fought the same wars, watched the police murder the same

Dystopian sci-fi often worries about technology. It should really be focused on capital. by Stephen Friedrich In the opening credits of Quantic Dream's 2018 game Detroit: Become Human, a homeless man slouches, half-asleep, against a shopfront, at his feet a sign that

ZA/UM's detective RPG recalls the ruins of our own contested futures. by Bart Howe Martinese is a city in steady decline. A colonial outpost of a coalition of foreign states that take no responsibility for its development, beyond the protection of the

Jack Kirby's iconic villain struggles for relevance in a time bereft of scheming and subtlety. by Will Riley Darkseid, despotic ruler of the planet Apokalips and one-time “big bad” of the DC Universe, has a problem. And not just any problem, but