Tag Archives: review

Time Travel: Innovative or Incomprehensible?

Posted on by
Reply

By Heide R. Orleth

My favorite icebreaker when meeting new people is simply asking “What are your thoughts on time travel?” I find that it gives me an impression of the person and whether or not we will get along.

Time travel has been a tool in fiction writer’s metaphorical toolbox for generations. From Star Trek to Tokyo Revengers, it applies to a wide range of mediums and scratches our innate human itch to imagine what we might do if placed in an era outside of our lifetimes.

I have a complicated relationship with time travel, because if it’s done poorly, I become more infuriated than entertained. I tend to avoid things with time travel because it is so easy to fall into a classic time paradox, or alternate timeline shenanigans. There are countless plot holes that can spawn from a poorly designed time travel mechanic, and if the story continues without consequences from such fallacies, it kills the magic for me.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Time travel fails

  • Primer – It’s a decently produced movie for an indie film, but the timeline is utterly incomprehensible and loops back in on itself a ridiculous number of times. The main characters meddle with their past selves and the editing makes it unclear when they travel back, and how many times they do it.
  • Avengers: Endgame – if you want an understandable time travel tale, this is not the best choice. Not only do you need to have seen all Avengers movies to understand the context, but the alternate timelines created make the plot muddled and contradictory.

Time Travel Excellence

When the time-meddling is unique, fleshed out, and follows a semi-logical path (pseudo-scientific or not), I am more on board. There are many time-travel-centric books and films, but these are a few of my favorites.

A couple books including time travel that I’d recommend are:

  • The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle By Stuart Turton – [Murder mystery, Time Loop, Body swapping] A super creative take on a typical mansion murder mystery. The main character wakes up in a different character’s body each day, and his hosts vary in helpfulness. The final twists are excellent, and I had a lot of fun reading this rollercoaster of a book.
  • Furyborn By Claire Legrand– [YA Fantasy, Badass women, Grey morality] This story is told in 2 time periods, a thousand years apart. As the story goes on, the lives of the heroines become more and more intertwined, and there is a compelling corruption arc in the earlier timeline that plays out in real time, and its effects had a massive impact on the present from the outset.

Movies with time travel that I recommend:

  • Arrival – [Aliens, Drama, Linguistic nerd heaven] This is an Oscar-nominated film that richly deserved that prestige. It is beautifully shot, well-paced, has an excellent allegory, and the time aspect is understated yet essential to the story as a whole. Plus, the deep dive into linguistics is compelling for a language nerd such as myself.
  • The Terminator – [Robots, Apocalyptic, Action] The first two movies in this franchise are a masterclass in science-fiction action. The story is fast-paced and connects with the era’s fear of nuclear war and rising influence of technology that is still relevant to this day. **I only really recommend the first 2 movies in this series as they are a full story on their own, and the following sequels cheapen what made T1 & T2 so special.**
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

There are, of course, exceptions to my standards. The Back to the Future film trilogy has alternate timelines, a “what if my parents never met?” debacle, and more holes than a sieve, but its infectious charm compels me to overlook inconsistencies in favor of riding along in the iconic souped-up DeLorean.

I hope that you all develop your own thoughts on this wild sub-genre, and beware, if I meet you in real life, I will absolutely ask you what your thoughts on time travel are.

Heide R. Orleth is a 2nd year Creative Writing & English Language student at the University of Westminster. She loves to write fantasy & science-fiction, and is an avid reader, anime enjoyer, and occasional cosplayer. Instagram: @aechrwrites.

Gemma Seltzer’s visit to Westminster by Darcy Morgan

Posted on by
6

Today I had the pleasure of attending an online Zoom meeting where Gemma Seltzer spoke about the different ways of writing. By the end of the session I came out inspired by her words, encouraged to work harder, and more inclined to get writing.

The session started off with Seltzer telling us all about the original inspiration of her writing, and the events leading up to her writing journey. Seltzer grew up playing with her Grandfather’s ventriloquist dolls, ‘Some were large, some were small. Some were just her their heads!’ We were told about how as a child, these dolls were nothing but fascinating to Seltzer, and this is what she wanted to write about later on in life. Gemma Seltzer was informative, showing us multiple photographs of her Grandfather with the dolls to let us imagine her childhood for ourselves. This initial story that started off the talk was very charming, and I’m sure the fact that Seltzer wanted to include part of her family history within her work inspired others to perhaps look at doing something similar.

Seltzer had so much to tell us all, so many stories regarding her writing and the opportunities it has given her. I felt as though the speaker used her time efficiently, letting her audience know that there are many ways to express a story. Seltzer mentioned different writing projects that she’s completed, ranging from the short 100-word stories that stemmed from real life anecdotes that members of the public would tell her, and expanding to her full-length novel ‘Ways of living.’ According to the synopsis on Seltzer’s official website, the novel explores ‘what it means to be a modern woman inhabiting the urban landscape.’ It was made clear that most of the speaker’s work is set in London because of the familiarity of the setting, and the broad picture that London can provide.

Seltzer showed us that there is no need to limit ourselves to one form of writing, and that change is okay when editing your work. It was even explained that, for example, if a novel isn’t quite working as the characters have too much to say, then maybe the work is better suited for a screenplay or play. This particular piece of advice I’m sure stuck with many listeners, there’s no need to limit ourselves to one form of writing. There’s no correct way to tell our stories, but perhaps exploring the different forms before settling for one in particular could be a more useful way of writing.

Towards the end of the speaker’s event, Seltzer promoted her online presence, including her social media profiles and her website with a direct link to her latest novel. Although I found this useful as her words were interesting and I personally wished to find out more, I was also reminded that writing itself is just a small part of the publishing process, and promoting and knowing the right people can get you that step further.

I really enjoyed Gemma Seltzer’s speaker event, and felt like a lot of information was covered in a short amount of time. Seltzer was to the point, and wasted no time in letting us know that it’s okay to explore other options in writing, there is no perfect writing form.

Why we should all be watching ‘The Last Kingdom’ – review by Alison Ajayi

Posted on by
Reply

There has been woe in our household this week as we binge watched series 5 of ‘The Last Kingdom’, announced as the last series ever, although there is a film planned.

I am a big fan of Bernard Cornwell’s books and had read this series when they originally came out, just as I read all the Sharpe books and his Arthurian series. Like Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, Bernard Cornwell is an author I can return to time and again, particularly when I’m under stress. Just as it is hard now to think of Sharpe without seeing Sean Bean, I can’t think of Uhtred of Bebbanburg without seeing Alexander Dreymon.  

The story starts with the arrival of the ‘Great Heathen Army’ of Vikings with plans to conquer and settle in 866 along the Eastern seaboard of England during the reign of Alfred the Great.  Uhtred is the second son of the Lord of Bebbanberg who becomes the heir when his older brother dies. He is captured by the Danes after a battle in which his father is killed and taken with them as a slave but is raised by his captor, Earl Ragnar as his son.  He was born a Saxon but raised a Dane and this, plus the fact that his Uncle usurps the throne and will not recognise Uhtred’s right to rule Bebbanburg, is the story that unfolds over five series against the backdrop of the battle between the Danes and the Anglo Saxons of Mercia and Wessex over England.  

Most of the filming was done in Hungary, at Korda Studios, where on an eight acre set, entire early mediaeval towns and villages could be recreated and where the countryside more closely resembled that of England in the period.  Like all Bernard Cornwell’s historical fiction, the books were well researched and plausible, following the history of the period closely and there are very few anachronistic ‘nasties’ in the television series either.  Or at least, none so glaring that they irritate.  Alexander Dreymon is incredibly easy on the eye as well as being an entirely credible Viking and the series is studded with British and Scandinavian character actors playing major roles to a very high standard.  This makes it highly immersive in character, more like time travelling than watching a tv series.  

But don’t take my word for it, ‘The Last Kingdom’ has been reviewed by critics from ‘Rotten Tomatoes’ to ‘Private Eye’ and most of the major newspaper reviewers.  Only ‘Private Eye’ gave it a bad review, saying that it “demonstrates how Game of Thrones “haunts the BBC””, in my opinion, this demonstrates that the reviewer had confused American fantasy with English history and had not realised that the two shows were simultaneously airing  from 2015 to 2019. 

Rotten Tomatoes gave ‘The Last Kingdom” series 3  a whopping 100% approval rating and said of it “The Last Kingdom fuses beautiful cinematography and magnificent action sequences to create highly gratifying historical drama”. Even The Daily Telegraph review was positive saying ‘The Last Kingdom’ had “satisfyingly high production values, a bloodthirsty appetite for violence and a proper cliffhanger.” which is probably one of the few pronouncements by that newspaper I would not argue with.

The most anticipated books of 2021

Posted on by
Reply

by Daniela Elizarraras Acitores

Here are just a few of the most exciting books of 2021. Add your recommendations in the comments below…and be sure to shop independent if you can!

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

PUB DATE: May 27, 2021

New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is making a fast return.  After nearly two years since her last novel got released, Taylor Jenkins Reid is making our quarantine period a bit more exciting with her new novel coming out.  

Click here for the BOOK DESCRIPTION!

Sunflower Sisters: A Novel by Martha Hall Kelly

PUB DATE: March 30, 2021

After selling over a million copies of Lilac Girls, a novel about an American philanthropist who helped young girls be released from Ravensbruck concentration camp.  A heartbreaking story incredibly well written, that left us wanting more of Martha’s magic…the waiting is soon to be over.  Sunflower Sisters will be her third book, all based on true events- like her past novels, this third book promises an emotional journey, but one that cannot be missed. 

Click here for the BOOK DESCRIPTION!

The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.

PUB DATE: January 5, 2021

After reading James Baldwin’s 1985 essay, which included topics such as sexuality, hyper-masculinity, and racialized violence, Robert Jones Jr. felt relief and with that seed he created his first novel The Prophets.  It might be his first book but it fast became a New York Times Instant Bestselling novel.  The Prophets is said to be a deeply profound, unsettling, but moving story rotating around a forbidden union between two enslaved young men and the shattering but poetic story they created.  

Click here for the BOOK DESCRIPTION!

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give A Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life by George Saunders 

PUB DATE: January 12, 2021

After twenty years of teaching, New York Times Bestseller and Booker Prize winner, George Saunders is sharing with us what he and his students have discovered over the years.  This book will take the reader on an exploration of great writing but also it will take one inside the mind of a brilliant writer.  Glennon Doyle, author of Untamed, has been reading Sauders’s masterpiece nonstop and called it exceptional reading.  

Click here for the BOOK DESCRIPTION!   

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

PUB DATE: April 13, 2021

Goodreads announced The Good Sister to be one of the “Most Anticipated Books of 2021” and “The Big Mysteries and Thrillers of 2021.”  After her very entertaining and twisty novel The-Mother-in-Law Sally is making a return with her psychological thriller/ domestic drama about two twin sisters who seem perfect on the outside but what is perfect always breaks.  

Click here for the BOOK DESCRIPTION!

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

PUB DATE: June 1, 2021

The Other Black Girl seems like what everyone has been waiting for, it was named the most anticipated book of 2021 by The Washington Post, Harper’s Bazaar, Goodreads, and about seven other sources.  A novel about the tension between two young Black women in the publishing industry, described to be “shars as a knife.”

Click here for the BOOK DESCRIPTION!

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

PUB DATE: January 27, 2021

A very busy year for the brilliant Kristin Hannah.  Author of twenty four books, including two that are being turned into screen productions this year: Firefly Lane, release date February 3, and The Nightingale, December 22.  With a busy schedule her new book The Four Winds is a testament of hope, a deeply moving story about the strength and bond between a mother and daughter.  Delia Owens, author of Where The Crawdads Sing stated that this novel is, “Powerful and compelling.”  

Click here for the BOOK DESCRIPTION!

Klara and The Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro 

PUB DATE: March 2, 2021

Kazuo Ishiguro, the meticulous author of The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go, which were both made into acclaimed films and have each sold more than two million copies, is publishing a new novel this year.  Klara and the Sun, is the first publication by Kazuo Ishiguro since he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.  It is said to be a thrilling feat of world-building, and a heartbreaking novel of tenderness and humanity. 

Click here for the BOOK DESCRIPTION!

For our YA lovers!

A Pho Love Story by Loan Le

PUB DATE: February 9, 2021

Loan Le might be a newbie at writing novels, this being her first one, but as she works in the publishing world she knows what she’s doing.  Le’s novel has reached many Most Anticipated 2021 Books lists and it seems like it is a book worth keeping an eye out for.  A romcom in which two Vietnamese-American teens fall in love but must navigate their new relationship and families’ feud.    

Click here for the BOOK DESCRIPTION!

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado

PUB DATE: February 2, 2021

Crystal’s debut novel, but a powerful one.  A sensitive, funny, and painful coming-of-age story, which focuses on social issues and has been the book many readers have been waiting for.  Mason Deaver,  bestselling author of I Wish You All the Best praised this bool as: “This book feels like your best friend giving you a hug—it’s warm and sweet and healing.”

Click here for the BOOK DESCRIPTION!

A personal review of ‘Euphoria’

Posted on by
Reply

by Stella Nahr

I heard from many people that Euphoria was a really good show. So, when lockdown came around again and my need for entertainment and distractions rose, I gave it a try. The show was so addictive and the episodes so thrilling that it was hard not to binge it all at once. Instead, I made it my little treat. When I was especially productive that day, I allowed myself to watch one episode in the evening. Unfortunately, Euphoria only has 8 episodes that are available to watch outside the USA right now, so my number of little treats were limited, and I saved the last episode for a long time until I eventually finally watched it.  

At first Euphoria might seem like just another teen show, in the USA, in random suburbs with a random high school. You might think of some standard characters, like the mean girl, the popular football player, the beauty, the cheerleaders, the weirdos. To some extent these labels might fit, but there’s much more to the characters: flaws, raw emotions, pain, confusion. They are not one-sided at all and rather come across as fully human, so convincingly, that you almost forget it’s fictional. Or is it all actually? 

The omniscient narrator of the show, is Rue (Zendaya Coleman), 16, mentally ill and just back from rehab after an overdose. Even though she knows that her drug addiction is tearing her family apart, she has no desire to stay clean. She is inspired by the writer of the show, Sam Levinson’s own experiences. As a teenager he struggled with addiction, and worked that experience into Rue’s character. 

When Rue meets her new best friend Jules (Hunter Schafer), she is determined to stay off drugs for her. Soon, Rue and Jules become more than just friends and it becomes clear that Rue is in love with her. She starts to depend her recovery on Jules, which puts her under pressure as she has her own problems to deal with. We watch them fall into a painfully toxic relationship, sweet and heartbreaking at the same time. 

There are more characters who tell their story, such as Maddie, who’s in a manipulative relationship with Nate. Even though he physically abuses her, she can’t break free from his spell. Kat is changing her image from shy nice girl to a bondage bad bitch and dips into online sex work. Cassie is struggling with a new boyfriend, dealing with an alcoholic mom and missing father. Rue’s drug dealer Fez is a dropout of high school, doing business with gangsters but always tries to protect her as if she was his little sister. 

All those characters deal with issues that we all are to some extent familiar with and even if we’re not, we know someone who is, which makes the show so close to life and relatable. 

Not only the characters are outstanding but also the camera work and cinematography. A lot of the time the background is a combination of light and dark, like fireworks in a night sky, Rue is standing in the front, glitter around her sad eyes. The makeup in the whole show reaches another dimension, Jules always has little eyeliner artworks around her eyes, all in all a lot of glitter is involved, which is now called ‘the euphoria style’. 

The fact that a lesbian love story with a trans girl, also played by a trans actress, is the main focus is another thing that I cherish about this show. It is so important to tell these stories. The heteronormative version of love has been told too many times. Queer love exists and trans people exist and it’s important that this is normalised. Euphoria clears the way for a new generation, as it archives what has been overdue for too long: seeing a trans girl on tv, whose identity is not about being trans. She is her own well-rounded character with her own issues and a story. This is what makes Euphoria so special to many people, me included. If you haven’t watched it yet, give it a try, you might fall in love with it as well.