Author Archives: L.B. Gale

Profiles in Great Casting: Tywin Lannister

The cast on Game of Thrones is exceptional.  There are very few characters (in parts large and small) who fail to impress.  I could go on at length about the portrayals of Tyrion, Catelyn, Joffrey, Arya, Jorah, Varys, Littlefinger.  But as … Continue reading

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Writing in an Age of Multi-Tasking: Should We Bow Down to the Skimmer Mentality?

We laptop users have all done it: browsed websites while watching television.  We’ve texted while watching.  Studied while listening to music.  We’ve texted, browsed, and studied while watching television too. This is fine.  I have no problem with dividing my … Continue reading

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10 Most Unusual Deaths in Science Fiction and Fantasy

Few things shock us in the death department.  As the news media and the Darwin Awards prove, when it comes to bizarre deaths, real life is often stranger than fiction, so as a society we’re pretty jaded. However, every once … Continue reading

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Obligatory Sendak Post

In honor of Maurice Sendak, a great fantasy author, please watch the classic Stephen Colbert interview with the author.  It shows what a character the man was.  You can see my original post on the interview here.

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Must See Spinoffs

Maybe I have The Avengers on the mind, but lately I can’t stop thinking about potential character team-ups from films and television shows I’ve been watching. For instance, as the second season of Game of Thrones continues to soldier on, Arya continues … Continue reading

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Team Whedon

I’m happy that I will never again read a sentence containing both the name “Joss Whedon” and the phrase “but mainstream success has eluded him.” The Avengers clobbered opening weekend box office records.  I love reading articles that begin this … Continue reading

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Critics I Agree with Regarding The Avengers

Here are some critic blurbs that I wholeheartedly agree with: Christopher Orr, The Atlantic: Ultimately, it all comes back to Whedon: His clear vision for each character and how they might be profitably intermingled; his unexpected knack for action choreography; … Continue reading

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Seven Strategies for Breaking Through Writer’s Block

Most writers find themselves in the clutches of writer’s block occasionally.  It’s different for everyone, and what causes it and what fixes it varies from person to person and sometimes from day-to-day.  No matter how you experience it, though, it’s … Continue reading

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Obama the Literary Critic

Here’s an excerpt from a new biography of the President, which includes a note he wrote on Eliot’s The Wasteland (followed by a critique of Pound and Yeats). It’s a fascinating look at his youthful mind.  What intrigues me most is … Continue reading

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Ten Pieces of Shit Who Deserve to Die in Science Fiction and Fantasy

Some characters are evil.  Some characters are ruthless.  Some characters are pure monsters. But many evil, ruthless, and monstrous characters are endless amounts of fun to watch.  Take the Joker. He’s all three, but would we want Batman to kill … Continue reading

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