So the world ended. As apocalypses go, it wasn’t the worst: there were no zombie pandemics or nuclear holocausts. Most people even survived it. Unfortunately, a decade later, they’re still surviving, not really thriving. It’s not the standard dystopian dictatorship that’s really keeping them down, and it’s not the weird new stars in the sky …

Well folks, Jupiter’s been spirited off to that great enemy base in the sky (not a euphemism, oddly enough), so now it’s just Sailor Moon and her trusty lieutenant Sailor Venus (and Mamoru). They have no leads, no inklings of the Black Moon’s ultimate plan, and no idea what to do next. It’s no surprise …

This week’s Sailor Moon Crystal begins with an extremely extended sequence trying to cheer Usagi up, even though two of her best friends have been abducted to parts unknown, and she should probably be allowed to be sad.  It starts with Chibi-Usa lending her a doll, and ends with a long arcade scene in which …

While other people were watching Dawson’s Creek, I was watching The X-Files. (Yes I am bragging; yes I am aware you could have watched both; yes I am a snob.  I will try to tone it down, though.)  This show was formative in so many ways, and it’s held up surprisingly well.  Though it can be jarring …

The X-Files became a cultural phenomenon because of its willingness to go for broke on ideas that, like the truth, were really out there.  The following, in order of air date, are the best examples of that boundary-pushing blended with humor. 1. Jose Chung’s From Outer Space (3×20) Like “Once More, With Feeling” from Buffy …

Is this YA Fantasy? Is it even YA, or fantasy at all, beyond being a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairy tale? I don’t know, and I don’t care, because Geeklies, you have to read this book. The original story features twelve princesses who sneak out each night to go dancing, and the only …

This week’s episode begins with Mars’s abduction from last week, and Usagi’s quick accusation of Chibi-Usagi being behind it all. It’s not really that far-fetched.  Chibi-Usa drops from the sky, and not long after, Rei is taken up by yet more mysterious people who descended from above.  I’d be suspicious too, especially after that same …

Ah, trolls.  They brood under bridges and over 4chan, and now they’ve found another home in pseudo-monarchical France, the setting of Stolen Songbird. Cecile, a budding chanteuse, knows nothing of trolls as she prepares to leave her farm for the big city, to join her mother as a singer for the National Opera.  But her …

UGH FINE.  There’s more Sailor Moon, and I’m inexplicably drawn to it, so prepare yourselves for the next arc, the Dark Moon saga (in the original, Sailor Moon R). When last we left our dubious heroes, a tiny pink-haired girl was pointing a gun at Usagi’s head and demanding the Silver Crystal.  We resume at …

I found this book when looking at examples of query letters. Stefanie Gaither’s was held up as an ideal pitch. I recommend reading the full critique, especially for any would-be writer. The blurb, in her own words: When Cate Benson was twelve, her sister died. Two hours after the funeral, they picked up Violet’s replacement, …