This book was given to me as a boy in 1987 by a well-meaning aunt who knew I liked Star Trek. That copy is long gone, but it may have changed my life.

In the modern era, all it takes is a single scene. Just have Clark Kent admit that he’s a Superman cosplayer. Who doesn’t want to see the panel where he’s entered a cosplay contest as Clark Kent cosplaying as Superman. Now imagine the look on his co-worker’s face when they discover his “hobby”. Lois would just throw…

Didn’t they just do that, only they called in “Burn Notice”?

When I clicked on the article I had the sinking feeling this was going to be a “Goodbye and thanks for all the fish” piece. I’d almost gotten to the end, and then bam, there it was in the last paragraph. You always knew how to keep us reading. Good luck, Charlie Jane. See you around the future.

That is a very good point, and an excellent counter-argument. As Americans, (and especially as a black American), it is very easy to get caught up in the black/white racial divide and forget about all the others.

Yes, it’s 3 hours. And yes, it is worth the time.

Normally I’d be on your side on this one, Mr. Bricken. However, I think in this instance, it can be argued that it is in fact vital to the character of Danny Rand that he (or she!) be played by a white actor. It is exactly because Iron Fist on his own is a culture-appropriating privileged narrative trope. But that’s…

That is a fantastic essay. Thank you for pointing it out.

Of course, the internet falls in love with the faceless stormtrooper whose whole purpose is to beat down a black guy for not doing as he’s told.

Farewell, Annalee. And thanks for all the fish. Er, articles. And websites. And optimistic thoughts about the future.

The “Most of the movie is random guys running around” thing goes back to the original Gojira. It happens in the heisei series. It happens in every gamera movie, and both Daimaijin movies. And they all have the same reason: having giant monsters wrestle is expensive. The suits are expensive. The sets are expensive. The…

The thing is, though, that’s pretty much the pattern of every classic Godzilla movie. Spend most of the film following random people as they run around doing nothing that really matters, then finish off with a barely-connected giant monster wrestle-fest. Heck, Godzilla vs. Gigan threw in two extra random monsters more…

Even if you allowed for amazing new engine technology, there is one other major flaw in the TIE fighter’s design which I believe you missed, but which would have been incidentally fixed in your re-design: Visibility.

I disagree, but in the interest of world peace I will respect your position.

You should check out one of their live shows. They often simulcast a couple each year, and it is truly magical.

You have my sympathy Mr Bricken. Making this list is a thankless task. Even as terrible as each of these entries are, there are so many more. Whither Pod People? Or the Side Hackers? Is a movie worse for its ineptitude or for its offensiveness?

You know JMS was sitting there on rec.arts.sf.babylon5 reading all the hate Vir got after his first appearance, madly snickering “3 more years, suckers, and you’ll all love him.”

Vir Cotto, from Babylon 5

I think you could do it by staying with the divided viewpoint at first. Make the audience think these are truly different places. Maybe some visual clues like empty lots next to bustling shops, or have someone from the other city pop in when they make a wrong turn, or even with the children crossing between. Then you…

I always thought the ironic thing was, it’s something we all do every day. There are parts of the cities we live in all of us ignore. There are social cues we all acknowledge which tell us which stores and shops and parks are for our part of society, and which are for the “other”. Which neighborhoods we should and…