Geek Stuff

That time I wasted my life editing together a ‘new’ J.R.R. Tolkien book, then lost it

April 17, 2018 0 Comments

The recent announcement of a ‘new’ book by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fall of Gondolin, which will compile previously published material about one of the great tragic epics of Middle Earth’s early days, brought to mind a few weeks of wasted life circa 2002 or so. It’s a waste that still frustrates me to this day. Years ago, I got this idiotic idea in my head to edit together a load of Tolkien stuff into a standalone book. There was a wealth of material about a character called Turin, a cursed man who goes through some truly awful stuff, up to and including accidental incest and the death of just about everyone and everything he comes in contact with. Yes, it’s a real joy! Turin’s story…
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Books & Authors, Geek Stuff, Random Musings

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Annihilation is a sleeper science fiction gem with GOD-AWFUL marketing and heady themes

March 14, 2018 2 Comments

You may have seen the name “Annihilation” in passing. Natalie Portman, a shimmering force field, monsters? That’s the one. It’s in theaters in the U.S., Canada, and China right now, where it’s getting stomped by Black Panther and others, and is on Netflix everywhere else. Watch the trailers and it looks like a movie we’ve seen before. A concerned lover (Portman) takes on a dangerous task to rescue their loved one (husband) from a strange place (inside a huge force field, or “shimmer”), but there are monsters there, so it becomes a fight for survival. This is the picture every trailer and commercial paints of the movie. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The trailers are absolute garbage and do a TERRIBLE job of…
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Films, Geek Stuff

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How Ursula K. Le Guin helped inspire me to see people in a different way

January 24, 2018 1 Comment

As I write this, the news is breaking that Ursula Le Guin, one of the 20th Century’s great novelists, has passed away at 88. She was a giant, known for her work in science fiction yet crafting works that transcended the genre. Whenever I’ve thought of the authors who have inspired me, awed me, impressed me, humbled me, shaped my tastes, molded my views, and made me see the power of the genre, she was always on the short list. It wasn’t the awards that made Le Guin great, though she got gobs of them. It wasn’t even that her stories were entertaining, though they were. It’s that she reinterpreted the world, showing us both how it truly is (even when we didn’t acknowledge it)…
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Books & Authors, Geek Stuff

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Geek Central: The Ultimate Guide To Surviving Comic Con

January 24, 2018 0 Comments

Contributed Post A large and popular pilgrimage for geeks and nerds alike, Comic-Con is one festival that is well worth attending. However, fun as it is, I have heard you need to be in the know to have the best experience. Something that the info below can help with. So read on to find out how to survive Comic-Con in style this year. Image Do learn to queue Whether you are attending Comic-Con for the Q&A sessions, the panels, the stalls, or even just the atmosphere, you will have to queue. I’m not just talking about waiting for a few minutes in line either, like most of your day will be in a queue, admittedly with some pretty exciting intervals when you get to meet…
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Contributed Posts, Geek Stuff

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Some video peeks at the ’90s podcast I do with Nerd Out With Me

December 9, 2017 0 Comments

I’m sure somewhere along the line I’ve mentioned that I do a weekly podcast with Tig Carson as part of the whole Nerd Out With Me thing. It’s fun. We go week-to-week talking about what was going on in specific months in the 1990s. Music, movies, games, news & current events, that sort of thing. You can check out the ’90s cast podcast <—here (lots of ways to subscribe, get it to your phone, download them, or stream them right from the site), or check out some abbreviated video versions below to get a taste for what we do. Hope you enjoy – and if you dig what we do, support us on Patreon!    

Geek Stuff, Music, Videos, Works by Eric

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