Category Archives: Fiction

The Pulp Mindset

Posted on July 30, 2020 by Rawle Nyanzi

With every passing day, it seems that global pop culture disappoints us more. Classic franchises are vandalized into self-parodies to “modernize” them, creative talent increasingly treats fandoms as the enemy, and geek-oriented media champion the intimidation and silencing of creatives … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction | Tagged | 6 Comments

I Was Going to Blog about a Rebuttal

Posted on May 28, 2020 by Rawle Nyanzi

…to my assessment of the problem with anime fandom, but Bradford C. Walker, author of Star Knight Saga, does a far better job of assessing them than I ever could, so read his take instead. His main point is that … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction | Tagged | Comments Off on I Was Going to Blog about a Rebuttal

The Myopia of Fandom [UPDATED]

Posted on May 27, 2020 by Rawle Nyanzi

By now you’ve heard of Kodai Senkaku Genocider (古代戦殻ジェノサイダー) the independent anime short by “Defrost,” done in the style of a lost 1980s title, complete with visual artifacts and scratchy sound. Though it was made in modern times, it was … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Why Battleborn Is Good

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Rawle Nyanzi

When I heard that friend of the blog Adam Lane Smith had written Battleborn, a short story about mechs, I wanted to see what he would do with the concept since I myself had published a mech story a year … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Why Battleborn Is Good

On Martial Maidens

Posted on January 21, 2020 by Rawle Nyanzi

A few days ago, published author and political commentator Andrew Klavan commented on Netflix’s recent Witcher fantasy series. Noting a scene where a queen swordfights with great skill, he says the following: “There’s a couple of scenes where women fight … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction | 12 Comments

What’s Wrong with Franchises?

Posted on January 14, 2020 by Rawle Nyanzi

Recently, friend of the blog Alexander Hellene stated his disgust with IP franchises. Aside from personal preference, he believes that stories should have a beginning, middle, and end, without extraneous material like side stories and such. I can see why … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction | Tagged | 4 Comments

Hypergamy Among Robots, or Why Grento Became Grenthree

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Rawle Nyanzi

A while back, I posted a little cartoon on Twitter showing the Grenzmark II from Brian Niemeier’s Combat Frame Xseed trying to get with the Grand Valkyur from my own Shining Tomorrow. I’ve decided to repost it here on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction | 4 Comments

No Iconic Xseed Characters

Posted on January 10, 2020 by Rawle Nyanzi

NOTE: There will be no spoilers for any of the Combat Frame Xseed novels. Also, I had forgotten to link to the Shining Tomorrow Historical Lore in the Robo-Inversions post; the link is now there. One thing I noticed when … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction | Tagged | 2 Comments

The Hero’s Journey of a YELOW Girl: Crossing the Threshold in Shining Tomorrow Volume 1

Posted on January 9, 2020 by Rawle Nyanzi

Inspired by friend of the blog JD Cowan’s “Story Sheets,” I will talk about the first act of my own novel, Shining Tomorrow Volume 1: Shadow Heart in terms of the “Hero’s Journey” as commonly understood. Popularized by Joseph Campbell … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Robo-Inversions

Posted on January 8, 2020 by Rawle Nyanzi

Brian Niemeier, Bradford C. Walker, and myself each have novels about mecha out. Brian has Combat Frame Xseed, now on its third installment. Brad has Reavers of the Void, the first installment of his Star Knight series. And finally, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction | Tagged | 5 Comments