Dialogue

The Tainted Cup
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett I made this entire series to write this review. The 2024 Hugo Winner is a Holmes and Watson style whodunnit taking place in a fantasy world that blends Area X from the Southern Reach Trilogy and The Lost World–more on the setting later.
By Matthew J. Fromm2 days ago in Critique
Standing While Falling. Top Story - January 2026.
Quotation from Friedrich Nietzsche "He who wrestles long with monsters should beware lest he himself become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you. Man is not destroyed by suffering, but by the meaning he makes of it."
By LUCCIAN LAYTH2 days ago in Critique
The Lost City of Z
The Lost City of Z by David Grann Growing up I thought I wanted to be an archaeologist. Now that I’m a ripe 32, I realize what I really wanted to be was an adventurer–someone who dug deep into the dark and emerged with treasures unseen for millennia.
By Matthew J. Fromm3 days ago in Critique
Words of Radiance
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson And so we come to the yearly ovation for Mr. Sanderson. The man is a genius, his lecture series is one of the most important resources ever developed for writers, and I’m yet to pick up a Sando that’s scored below a 70. I have critiques that we’ll come to, but suffice to say I am a big supporter of Sanderson.
By Matthew J. Fromm4 days ago in Critique
Casino Royale
Casino Royale by Ian Fleming Hmm. Hmmmmm. In the 73 years since first publication, James Bond has wormed his way into the zeitgeist as a sex symbol, womanizer, undeniable Secret Agent with a license to kill.
By Matthew J. Fromm5 days ago in Critique
The Blade Itself
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie Every once in a while, I pick up a book that reminds me fundamentally why I enjoy reading—a book that turns my brain off and sweeps me away to some far flung world that I can sit at any quiet moment and. . . disappear into.
By Matthew J. Fromm6 days ago in Critique
The Last Train to Nowhere
The diesel coughed, a wet, rattling sound that tasted of rust and stale piss. Leo wiped his hand on his jeans, the fabric gritty under his palm. Cold seeped through the thin floorboards of the decrepit car, straight up his bones. Mick was pacing, a human metronome of nerves, his worn sneakers scuffing the filthy linoleum. Every beat of his foot, every twitch of his head, grated on Leo's last nerve. They'd been cooped up for hours already, waiting on a siding outside some forgotten industrial park, the air thick with the smell of old oil and unspoken fear. The duffel bag, fat with the take, lay between them, an ugly, irresistible promise. Elena sat across from Leo, still as a statue, just her eyes moving, tracking Mick's frantic circles, then flicking to Leo, then to the bag. She didn't say much, never had. That was fine. Talk just stirred up dust, and they had enough dust already.
By HAADI8 days ago in Critique
H/Jack
Introduction I will be honest, when I saw this advertised on Apple TV the only things that grabbed me were the fact Idris Elba was in it and the title "H/Jack". I have watched a lot of excellent stuff on the channel, most recently "Slow Horses" and "Down Cemetery Road", both absolute must-watch, and "Murderbot" was brilliant.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 15 days ago in Critique
Why Yellowstone Hits Me Wrong
I have spent most of my adult life inside work that does not leave much room for shock. Forensics, behavioral analysis, trauma therapy, law-enforcement training, criminal psychology, and animal-cruelty investigations expose you to the kind of decisions people make when they believe they are cornered, justified, or invisible. You see what violence looks like without lighting or sound design. You also learn that real danger does not need theatrics. It announces itself in quieter ways. That background shapes how I respond to media. It also explains why I cannot sit through “Yellowstone,” even though many people assume I would be the perfect audience for it.
By Dr. Mozelle Martin | Ink Profilerabout a month ago in Critique
Sparking Cognitive Ignition
In the United States of America, and probably elsewhere in the world, the first and foremost lessons we received in our youth indoctrination centers were to sit down! … be quiet! … follow instructions! … and most important, do not question!
By We the PPULabout a month ago in Critique
Has Anyone Seen Ny Mind.
In the newly constructed Laurie Beechman Theatre is written by Bill Russell and is directed by Justin Ross Cohen. It is tapped as "musings" from "Side Show" writer Russell.
By Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).2 months ago in Critique
Judge Temporarily Blocks Deployment of National Guard in Washington
A federal judge in Washington temporarily blocked the Trump administration on Thursday from maintaining more than 2,000 members of the National Guard deployed to the city’s streets, finding the city was likely to succeed in arguing the deployment was illegal.
By DigitalAddi2 months ago in Critique