fact or fiction

Is it a fact or is it merely fiction? Fact or Fiction explores the lesser known truths in the geek universe.

The Origins of Fear: A Complete Breakdown of "Welcome to Derry" Season 1. Content Warning. AI-Generated.
Description: Dive deep into the full story of Welcome to Derry Season 1. We provide an exhaustive breakdown of the terrifying 1962 prequel to Stephen King's IT, revealing Pennywise's origins, the secret military Project Precept, and the heartbreaking tragedy of the Black Spot that scarred a generation.
By WHB KHN27 days ago in Geeks
Open Letter to Disney: Prioritizing Human Creativity in the Age of AI
Disney's recent partnership with OpenAI, which will allow Sora to use over 200 characters—from Mickey Mouse to Yoda—to generate short, user-prompted videos, is being presented by the company as a major step in storytelling innovation. CEO Bob Iger claims this move is about "thoughtfully and responsibly extending the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works." A curated selection of these fan-created, Sora-generated clips featuring Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars characters will even appear on Disney+. The official line suggests this deal, which includes content guardrails and a commitment to "human-centered AI" and protecting "the rights of creators," is a way to engage fans and broaden creativity while still honoring the creative industries.
By Jenna Deedyabout a month ago in Geeks
The Girl Who Messaged Herself: The Internet Mystery That Defied Every Rule of Reality
The Girl Who Messaged Herself: The Internet Mystery That Defied Every Rule of Reality It started with a single message. Not the dramatic kind, not a confession or a threat, not a goodbye. Just a simple, almost boring line:
By The Insight Ledger about a month ago in Geeks
The Republic That Vanished Overnight: Inside the Most Mysterious Country No One Can Find on Any Map
The Republic That Vanished Overnight: Inside the Most Mysterious Country No One Can Find on Any Map Some stories arrive like a quiet knock on the world’s door—gentle, uncertain, almost ignorable. And then suddenly, they explode into a global obsession. The tale of a country disappearing overnight sounds like fiction, the kind of plot a novelist cooks up after too much caffeine. Yet history is full of peculiar shadows, and this shadow is shaped like a nation that supposedly existed… until it didn’t.
By Amanullahabout a month ago in Geeks
💫 The Shadow Signal: How One Strange Pulse Reopened a Forgotten Cosmic Mystery. Content Warning.
Space has a talent for reminding humanity that we understand far less than we think. Every few years, a discovery comes along that shakes the dust off some forgotten mystery and forces scientists to rethink everything from solar winds to planetary atmospheres. This story begins with one quiet, aging spacecraft drifting alone in the cold dark — and a signal that never should have existed.
By The Insight Ledger about a month ago in Geeks
The Unpaid Architects of Superhero Empires: How Comic Creators Are Denied Their Fair Share
Many comic book writers and artists face a stark reality: they create characters who become global phenomena, generating billions for publishers, yet they receive almost none of the financial rewards. As one commentator noted regarding the staggering success of franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has grossed over $20 billion, a key question remains: "How much... went to those who created the stories and characters in it?" Despite building their vast empires on the intellectual property devised by these creators, major publishers like Marvel and DC, under their standard contracts, largely deny them a fair share of the profits.
By Jenna Deedyabout a month ago in Geeks
Solbearers: Part 3-Leviathan
Cassandra's training had been paying off. Deeper dives led to more frequent kills and sometimes multiple kills in one dive. She didn't normally hunt in the daytime but she had hoped catch a lair of her nocturnal prey off guard. She inhaled from a canister of pure oxygen intent on exploring an underwater cave she saw the mouth of two nights before. As she dived deeper and deeper the daylight was filtered out and her flashlight became neccesarry. Struggling to recall the exact way to the cave she eventually reached it. She dimmed her flashlight as she entered. Even with the minimal light she could see manmade artifacts inside the cave. A boat anchor, a large chain and scrap metal were among the things that likely could not have been carried there by nature. Cassandra was confident this was some sort of nest for the creatures. Then fear gripped her as she saw one of the creatures asleep and much larger than any she had seen before. She did not know if her knife would be enough for this one. Before she could formulate a plan she felt she was being watched. In an instant of pure instinct she did a 180 degree turn and put the full strength beam of her flashlight in a mid sized two legged creatures' face. Shielding its eyes it froze in place. Eyes closed it then barrelled into Cassandra and they both collided with the oversized monster. Emitting a growl that sounded strange and muffled by the water the giant awoke. The creature that looked daunting to kill when asleep now looked like an impossible target. Worse still two more monsters were near to the large one. Trying to suppress her panic she thought of how consistently she had seen the creatures scatter when she had killed one of there kind. She though if she could kill the one who had blindly crashed into her the rest would flee. She pinned its leg with her speargun and as it looked down to get unstuck Cassandra rammed her knife through the back of it's skull far enough that the knife's tip poked out of the creature's mouth. Two of the creatures hurried deeper into the cave as Cassandra hoped but the large one made the same horrible noise and charged at her. Cassandra shot a spear shallowly in the beast's chest and swam towards the cave's mouth. At first she thought she was faster than it, but it was soon gaining on her when it let go of the anchor Cassandra had seen on the cave floor earlier. She felt it grip her leg and slam her into the cave's wall. Her desire to scream intensified but she knew she had to hold what air she could. It was no use it was catching up. She turned to stand and fight with the silver knife in her right hand. It grew closer with its mouth open. In an instant Cassandra saw the chain she spotted earlier was actually attached to the beast and as it snagged tight it changed the monster's trajectory. In a horrifying split second the thing's cavernous mouth found Cassandra's left hand and devoured it. Cassandra's vision went blurry and searing pain set in. With the chain keeping the beast in place she was no longer racing against it. Instead she raced death. Could she swim fast enough to not bleed out or drown? To this day Cassandra can only recall bits and pieces of what came next. Racing to the surface with her wounded arm tucked tightly between her other arm and midsection. Washing up on shore. The hospital. Cussing out Alex. Arriving home.
By CKabout a month ago in Geeks
Cast Nightwing the Romani Way. Content Warning.
Trigger Warning: This article discusses historical discrimination, ethnic erasure, and issues of cultural whitewashing affecting the Romani community and other marginalized groups.
By Jenna Deedyabout a month ago in Geeks
The Boys Universe: Vought Has Its Own "Grand Theft Auto VI" Issues
Article Summary Vought delays its video game Tournament of Heroes 2 to 2029, echoing GTA VI's woes. The Boys season 5 press push kicks off soon, with hopes for a new teaser and release window reveal. Eric Kripke says The Boys final season is deep in post-production and promises a big, explosive ending. Gen V characters play a key role in The Boys' last season, expanding the resistance against Homelander.
By Dena Falken Esqabout a month ago in Geeks
We should all be more like Elphaba–and a little less like Glinda
Spoiler Warning: This essay contains major plot points from Wicked (2024) and Wicked: For Good (2025). If you haven’t seen both films, consider this your last chance to click away before we melt the illusions right off the yellow brick road.
By Jenna Deedyabout a month ago in Geeks
Pluribus Season 1 Episode 5 Breakdown. AI-Generated.
Description: A comprehensive deep dive into Pluribus Season 1 Episode 5. We break down Carol's isolation, the terrifying symbolism of the wolves, and a disturbing theory about what the Hive Mind is actually consuming to survive.
By WHB KHN2 months ago in Geeks
The Dark Side of Fandom Culture
I never expected a simple love for a show to change my life—at first in the best way, and later in a way that made me question who I was becoming.
By Fazal Hadi2 months ago in Geeks