Monthly Archive:: July 2020
Jul 31 2020
In Hardspace: Shipbreaker, Paying Off Massive Debt Is Brilliant Fun
In Hardspace: Shipbreaker, Earth is a dump. Civil unrest, crop failures, work shortages and, underpinning it all, evil companies—very timely. One of the megacorporations, LYNX, runs ship-salvaging operations in orbit, and desperate as you are for a job, you take on the role of one of these shipbreakers,…
Jul 30 2020
Heir of Slytherin Carries on the Legacy of the Harry Potter Trading Card Game
Words have power. Whether we intend it or not, our words can hurt and even destroy. But they also have the power to heal and bring joy.
While J. K. Rowling’s recent ratcheting up of transphobic rhetoric has created pain in a time already rife with suffering, as a personal choice I will not allow it to diminish…
Jul 29 2020
Persona 5 Royal Puts a Cherry on Top of a Favorite Past Release
The original Persona 5, released back in 2016 on the PlayStation 3 and 4, welcomed gamers to the mundane and everyday activities of your typical Japanese high schooler: hanging out with friends, studying for exams, and of course changing the hearts of corrupt and selfish adults. Since then, the Persona…
Jul 28 2020
Mrs. America Merges Historical Spectacle with Intimate Drama
Mrs. America is built on a risky premise. Show creator Dahvi Waller’s choice to structure a dramatic retelling of the (so far) unsuccessful fight for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) around one of its principal villains, Phyllis Schlafly, is a choice that faced a fair amount of skepticism and even backlash…
Jul 28 2020
First Cow Explores Friendship in a Harsh World
Silence can be a gift. I’ve spent a lot of time during the last six months alone, inactive, but rarely quiet. Whether I’m doomscrolling Twitter or cycling through podcasts on my commute, my mind ceaselessly chomps for that next bit of stimulation like a serotonin-starved Pac-Man. I know I’m not alone.…
Jul 27 2020
Bookish and the Beast Is a Lovely Fairy Tale Retelling for Geeks
After two years of it sitting on my overflowing bookshelf, I finally picked up Ashley Poston’s fandom fairy tale Geekerella—and spent at least a full day wondering why I hadn’t done so sooner. The tale of Cinderella retold as a love letter to geek culture is creative and sweet, and protagonist…
Jul 26 2020
This Week in Geek (7/27/2020–8/2/2020)
Welcome to This Week in Geek, your guide to events of interest to the Minnesota geek community for the week of Monday, July 27, to Sunday, August 2.
Please note: Due to risks from the global COVID-19 pandemic, and in following current health guidelines recommending both social distancing and limited…
Jul 24 2020
Impetigore Delivers Classic Horror Vibes
Indonesian director Joko Anwar has been gaining prominence internationally over the last decade. His 2017 film, Satan’s Slaves (Pengabdi Setan)—a remake of the 1982 classic of the same name—brought festival acclaim and a premiere release on the Shudder network. Impetigore, released in…
Jul 24 2020
Taylor Swift’s Folklore Is Worth a Listen
Less than 24 hours after announcing her eighth studio album, Taylor Swift premiered Folklore in its entirety, gracing fans with some comfort food for the ears. There’s something uniquely familiar about Swift’s lyrics, and when paired with her new indie-folk sound, it gives the entire…
Jul 21 2020
The Psychological Beauty of Harleen
Along with Margot Robbie commanding the screen in 2016’s Suicide Squad and 2020’s Birds of Prey, the character of Harley Quinn also is having a major presence in comic books right now. Within the DC’s Black Label imprint, she has starred in three recent series: Joker/Harley: Criminal…