Words: Gánc
Like most vulgar slang words, gánc has very interesting etymology. It first appears widely in the Murgaen language just before the War of Liberation around the mid 1200s WD (Westáhal Dating).
Review: Godzilla: Minus One
Last Saturday, we watched Godzilla Minus One, which is currently showing on Netflix (at least In Singapore). For me, It’s just like every other Godzilla movie, except it’s set immediately after World War 2, which is unique as far as I know. That said, I enjoyed most of it, but one thing that caught my interest was how the film-makers treated the desolation of Japan from World War 2 and their characters’ reactions to it.
Lera: A Portrait of a Priestess
Lera (lIɣa) – meaning lovely. Possibly from the Old Davan verb likkan, meaning to lick. Lera is a conflicted character. She lies on the precipice, between abject failure and monumental success. This often gets in the way of her knowing right from wrong, which in turns causes her great anxiety...
Cycling After the Sunset
Family moments are far more ephemeral than we sometimes realise. While childhood stretches on (especially the school years), it barely lasts a couple of decades. To a kid that’s practically forever, but to an adult, it’s a blink of an eye, over way too fast. I mention this because it’s...
The Glyphs 1 – Gong Farming Secrets Revealed
What is The Glyphs? The Glyphs is a multiple-choice game where you control the fate (and demise) of a gong farmer, as they explore the sewers beneath the Ancient City. Just choose an option from the poll below, and the most popular option will decide what happens next. I’ll put...
3 Problems with The Three Body Problem
The Three Body Problem is a deeply-flawed science-fiction novel written by Liu Cixin. It is beset with fundamental (even basic) faults, and yet it continues to be nominated (and even win) awards. My question is: WHY? Here are the three biggest problems with The Three Body Problem.
Server Move
I’ve just spent the last few days moving my web server. If you haven’t noticed any difference, then that’s good. However, if you notice some issues then please drop a comment and tell me, so I can fix it ASAP.
Changing the Date
As usual for this time of year, there is a lot of discussion about changing the date for Australia Day. There are many reasons for doing so (which I won’t entertain here), but no clear alternative date. Here is a sketch I recently posted to Mastodon about the issues of choosing 9th May as Australia Day.
Vale, Terry Bisson
I did not know Terry Bisson. If fact, I barely recognised his name when I saw John Scalzi’s post about his passing. On a whim, I did a little research. I’m glad I did. I may not have remembered his name, but I loved his work.
Preludes
I have published a short story called Preludes. It’s about a Prince of Amber who is pursued by a devilish mist and must convince a knight to help him so they can both escape.