Recent Columns12 October 2009 The world of science fiction cinema is a rich and varied one. Fantasy . . . . not so much. 5 October 2009 This is the third of four columns on magic in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” everybody's favorite raunchy, sexy, blood-soaked Middle English poem. The previous two columns discussed monsters, pentacles, and what it takes to shake up a Knight of the Round Table. This one gets into castles, hunting, chivalry, gender relations, and seduction—medieval style! 28 September 2009 Grisham posed his idea of plot-driven fiction as a distinction from "literature", but he might be surprised to learn that his idea has precedents among the highest of brows: in what is generally considered the first work of literary criticism, The Poetics, Aristotle argued that plot (mythos) is superior to every other element of tragedy, which he considered the highest form of literary art. To Aristotle, action is most important, and the writer's arrangement of incidents leads to the most vital effects of tragedy. Where the Popular Kids are Sitting 14 September 2009 "Is there a link," someone asked, "between science fiction and young adult works?" "Science fiction's what they used to call the YA section before there was a YA section," Westerfeld said, and effortlessly articulated the feeling I'd had for years. View nearly every column Strange Horizons has ever published in our Archive, thanks to the kindness of our authors who allow us to keep their material online. |