A couple weeks ago, the Pope issued the first encyclical of his term. An encyclical, as I’ve found out, is something in between a dissertation and an epistle from the New Testament where the Pope elucidates the Catholic Church’s stance on a topic. Now, I am not Catholic; an encyclical does not affect me (aside… Continue reading Encyclical
Tag: Books
Adapted Enough
Last weekend’s rerelease of The Lord of The Rings highlighted that Fellowship of The Ring first hit theaters twenty-five years ago. Fellowship was released closer to Star Wars than to right now. Beyond making me feel very old, I can’t help but to wonder how long it’ll be until someone else takes a stab at… Continue reading Adapted Enough
Future Tense
I knew Leigh Brackett as the writer of the first draft of Empire Strikes Back. It was only when I came across an old copy of The Long Tomorrow at a used bookstore that I learned she was a prolific science fiction author as well. The Long Tomorrow is a fascinating read—I don’t think I’ve… Continue reading Future Tense
Accidentally Relevant
Having decided to add a couple of Star Wars books to my to-read list, I just finished Reign of The Empire: The Mask of Fear by Alexanxder Freedman. Following in the steps of Andor, Mask of Fear is a political thriller set in the aftermath of Revenge of The Sith: the lasers and spaceships are… Continue reading Accidentally Relevant
Different Books
I wrapped up my re-read of The Lord of The Rings and promptly dove into Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary. It’s one of those books that’s been on my to-read list for ages, superseding The Martian (which in turn has languished there since I saw the film adaption nearly a decade ago.). And I’m reading… Continue reading Different Books
Inconvenience
In I Am Bread you play as a slice of bread that roams around a room with the goal of becoming toast. It’s very silly and also quite frustrating. You don’t move around in a conventional video game way, instead, each shoulder button on the controller lets a corner of the bread 'grab' a surface… Continue reading Inconvenience
Legends and Legends
I’ve started reading The Silmarillion. Well, re-reading, since I read it for the first time twenty-odd years ago, not long after finishing The Lord of The Rings but before reading The Hobbit (I’m not sure if there’s a wrong way to read Tolkien’s books, but that order doesn’t feel like the right one). The Silmarillion,… Continue reading Legends and Legends
Holds Up
I’m playing through Final Fantasy VII these days (alongside, y’know, Spider-Man 2 and the ever-present siren song of Destiny 2) for the first time in fourteen years. It’s a lot different approaching it as someone in his thirties versus a guy in his late teens and it’s cool to revisit the story and see some… Continue reading Holds Up
Wars And The War of the Ring
One of the (many) things I love about The Lord of the Rings is how remarkably anti-war it is. It feels like a counterintuitive concept; the book stands triumphant in the canon of the fantasy genre, a genre known for its swords and war-making. Even The Lord of the Rings is built around the precipice… Continue reading Wars And The War of the Ring
Interim
Huh, this week got away from me. Turns out planning for an overseas trip while working overtime doesn’t give you too much time to work on that essay you had planned about The Lord of The Rings and war. Especially when that essay starts getting longer than usual. But it’s coming. Honest. I do realize… Continue reading Interim
Essays, Not Rants! 