Comics Review – A Weird Beat in the Motor City: ABBOTT #1 and 2
Welcome to the latest installment of my comics review column here at Skiffy & Fanty! Every month, I use this space to shine a spotlight on SF&F comics (print comics, graphic novels, and webcomics) that I believe deserve more attention from SF&F readers. This month, I’m shining a spotlight on a new series that debuted in January, 2018, and that, as I predicted in the Skiffy & Fanty Looking Back, Moving Forward: The 2018 Edition podcast, checks absolutely all my boxes: Saladin Ahmed and Sami Kivelä’s Abbott. (This review contains spoilers!)
Book Review: Markswoman by Rati Mehrotra
Orders of female warriors, psychic weapons and quests for revenge are at the centre of Rati Mehrotra’s debut novel Markswoman. Nearly a thousand years after an apocalypse, humanity lives on in clans, and executions are carried out by orders of elite warriors. Kyra belongs to the oldest of these orders: the Order of Kali. Their leader, Shirin Mam, is renowned for her wisdom and power. Things begin to go wrong when Kyra returns one day to discover Shirin Mam is dead. Although the death appears natural, Kyra is convinced her mentor has been murdered… and she’s pretty sure she knows the culprit. It is up to her to claim justice.
141. Final Hugo Thoughts + the Hugh Howey Fiasco w/ Justin Landon and Jonathan McCalmont
http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode141FinalHugoThoughtsAndTheHughHoweyFiasco/SandF%20–%20Episode%20141%20–%20Final%20Hugo%20Thoughts%20and%20the%20Hugh%20Howey%20Fiasco.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSAwards, angry men, and the Internet, oh my! And our final discussion of the Hugos, featuring Justin Landon (who started it all) and Jonathan McCalmont (who offers his insight into the whole situation), has arrived. We talk Hugo history, the fan categories, the culture of the Hugos and more. Plus, we offer our thoughts on Hugh Howey’s controversial comments (and behavior) and the cultural responses found in the comments. In other words: this week is one heck of a monster… We hope you enjoy the episode! Note: If you have iTunes and like this show, please give us a review on our iTunes page, or feel free to email us with your thoughts about the show! Here’s the episode (show notes are below): Episode 141 — Download (MP3) Intro and Discussion (0:00 – 1:37:10) Justin’s Website Jonathan’s Website The SpecFic ’12 (SF/F criticism) Project Hugh Howey’s Post (hosted elsewhere, since the original was taken down) Howey’s New “Apology” You can also support this podcast by signing up for a one month free trial at Audible. Doing so helps us, gives you a change to try out Audible’s service, and brings joy to everyone. Our new intro music is “Time Flux” by Revolution Void (CC BY 3.0). That’s all, folks! Thanks for listening. See you next week.
Episode 46 — Brain Batteries and Star Wars Sexism (SSS)
http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/www.archive.org/download/TheSkiffyAndFantyShow3.4–BrainBatteriesAndStarWarsSexismsss/Sandf–Episode3.4–BrainBatteriesAndStarWarsSexismsss.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSIn this episode, we explore the wonders of brain batteries, ask why the FBI is such a silly place, and discover what happens when you stick two scifi geeks on a podcast and tell them to critique Star Wars for its portrayals of women. It’s slightly amusing and depressing at the same time. Tune in to hear what we have to say! Feel free to shoot us an email at skiffyandfanty [at] gmail [dot] com, leave a comment, or follow us on Twitter. We hope you enjoy the episode! Note: If you have iTunes and like this show, please give us a review on our iTunes page, or feel free to email us with your thoughts about the show! Here’s the episode (show notes are below): Episode 46 — Download (MP3) Intro and Discussion (0:00 – 35:49) Hooking a 9-Volt Battery to Your Brain Improves Your Video Game Skills (You can’t make this crap up…seriously, you can’t. This guy stole it from stoners.) Intelligence Agencies Hunting for Terrorists in World of Warcraft (Because hunting for actual terrorists is too mundane for these folks…) Why Star Wars is Secretly Terrifying for Women (Cracked.com) (Because Lucas created a universe of walking carpet monsters…) Oh, and don’t forget to vote on our next Torture Cinema flick! Our new intro music is “Time Flux” by Revolution Void (CC BY 3.0). That’s all, folks! Thanks for listening. See you next week.
