Hordak and the Simulacrum: What can we learn from She-Ra?

She-Ra is a colourful children's show about princesses. It's also a powerful case for the power of difference.

Billie Eilish and the Spirit of a Generation

This is a little bit of a departure for me: I'm not a very musical person in the first instance, and I'm not plugged into the world of pop music at all. That's why it took me almost a year to finally listen to Billie Eilish's 2019 album When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We … Continue reading Billie Eilish and the Spirit of a Generation →

The Last Jedi is the Best Star Wars Movie

Current social distancing guidelines state that everyone needs to stay two meters apart for the foreseeable future. That means that, when I say this, no one will be able to get close enough to hit me: The Last Jedi is the best Star Wars movie. Partially, I'm saying this not because I actually think it. … Continue reading The Last Jedi is the Best Star Wars Movie →

Things To Keep You Sane In Isolation

Or: things my friends made! These are strange times. Even if you're an introvert like I am, it's amazing how much being unable to go out suddenly leaves you with a longing to just run and run and run across the field behind your parents house, into the sunset, forever and ever. Or maybe that's … Continue reading Things To Keep You Sane In Isolation →

The Greatest Show in the Galaxy

I spent my summer in the most productive way possible: finishing the Herculean task of watching every still-existing Doctor Who TV story broadcast (I need to go through the missing stories but I take victories where I can get them). It occurs to me that, in a lot of ways, the story of post-war Britain … Continue reading The Greatest Show in the Galaxy →

Introductions

Having spent the last two-and-a-half years at university, I've gotten pretty good at writing introductions. You outline your answer to the question, set out the steps you will take in getting there, and reduce the argument to a nice abstract summary. To quote one of my lecturers: "It's not a whodunnit. Don't keep us in … Continue reading Introductions →