renay: photo of the milky way from new zealand on a clear night (Default)
[personal profile] renay
I love space adventure. I love found families. When the trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy dropped, it wasn't the fact it was a Marvel property that drew me in (like Iron Man and Captain America before it, I didn't even realize it was a thing), but the temptation of a story about a ragtag group of complicated individuals forming a team in space. Some of my favorite science fiction heavily features this trope: Stargate Atlantis (although I like the team dynamic better in SG-1), Firefly, The Expanse, hell, if we count one shots then there's a reason that Event Horizon, The Core, and Armageddon feature so high at the top of my list of SF films, and it isn't the rigorous science. When I found out that the script was written by Nicole Perlman, going into Guardians of the Galaxy I had high expectations for both the space adventure and the found families part. Those two elements delivered, even if space adventure and misogyhumor took precedence over found families in the end.



Plenty of other people have tackled the more sexist and nonsensical elements of the film that tossed them directly out the narrative airlock. It feels a little useless to add my voice to the pile, because the film is doing well (I'm glad it's doing well! please no more Transformers films! adapt something else!) and because it's doing well we could likely talk about these issues until we're blue in the face to unbothered shrugs from Marvel Studios. It's not that different from their constant shrugging over what the first female-led superhero film is going to be, maybe with an eye roll (none, ever, they're never doing one, not one, it's never going to happen, I am cynical and jaded and have no hope left). Whatever, it's my space adventure party, I'll cry if I want to. Read more... )
helloladies: Horseshoe icon with the words Lady Business underneath. (Default)
[personal profile] helloladies
We're excited to present a guest post about Final Fantasy X-2 from long time friend, [personal profile] owlmoose! Read on to find out why Final Fantasy X-2 is an awesome game experience and why you should definitely check out the new Final Fantasy X/X-2 remaster!


The following is a discussion of the videogame Final Fantasy X-2 from a feminist perspective, revised from a post I wrote on my journal in February 2011. Although I've attempted to make it accessible to general audiences, it does contain spoilers for FFX-2 as well as Final Fantasy X, and assumes a passing familiarity with both games and the Final Fantasy franchise in general.

Rikku, Yuna, and Paine


Final Fantasy is a videogame series published by Square Enix (formerly Squaresoft), one of the titans of the Japanese role-playing (JRPG) genre. As of this writing, there are fourteen main numbered installments, many of which have sequels and spinoffs. However, the main titles are not connected to each other in any way, save a few similarities in theme and naming conventions. Each main title is set in a completely different world, with new stories and new characters, and stands alone from the others. Final Fantasy X (FFX), the tenth main title, was first released to much fanfare in 2001. Although not universally beloved (get any two Final Fantasy fans in a room, and they will have different and often directly opposed opinions on which game is the best and which the worst), it was well received by both fans and critics overall, and it remains popular enough that it was remastered for the PlayStation 3 in 2013. It also inspired something that no other Final Fantasy game had, up to that point: a direct sequel. That sequel, Final Fantasy X-2 (FFX-2), was released in 2003, to a decidedly more mixed reaction. Read more... )
renay: photo of the milky way from new zealand on a clear night (Default)
[personal profile] renay
cover, blurb, etc. )

The Expanse continues to be my favorite space opera series. I love it so much, friends. SO MUCH. That means I will continue to harass everyone to read the series. Sorry, Ana and Jodie, you're screwed. Just picture me lurking around your to-be-read-lists, casually inserting Leviathan Wakes (background reading) and Caliban's War (my real goal) every time you remove them. That's why you keep finding them there. I admit it. It's been me this whole time.

I love it so much I want it to be PERFECT so I can continue reccing it obnoxiously. As per usual, the harder I love something the more I'm often trapped going, "Well, this is GREAT but these things are here aren't so awesome…" and then it's a spiral into I Complain Because I Love.

Leviathan Wakes, why are you so TROUBLESOME? )
renay: photo of the milky way from new zealand on a clear night (Default)
[personal profile] renay
cover and blurb )

I came out of Captain America: The Winter Soldier going, "This is totally like this book I'm reading!" I have made it utterly no secret that I love Steve's magical flying shield and the way he chooses to use it in fights. In fact, I would watch two hours of fight scenes to watch Steve fling that sucker around with split second decisions about trajectory and *mumblemutter* forces. So this book was a lot of fun (neat characters with diverse talents! interpersonal conflict! rad superpowers!), but also frustrating because of the writing.

Cas doesn't have a specific totem; she uses everything at her disposal and the math flying through her head to make calculations help her take people out with rocks, bust through a group of gun-wielding criminals, and get out of tough scrapes. If she did have a totem, it would be a loaded gun (but not a Glock, I get it book, she hates Glocks). It would be even better filmed (dear Hollywood, I will write this screenplay, call me!), but it's a pretty great premise even in book form. vague spoilers?? )
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios