For long-term readers of mine, this list may be as notable for who isn't on it as for who is. The decisionmaking process on this was… difficult, to say the least. In the end, I had to go with my immediate gut reactions and leave out many, many heroes who certainly rank high in my personal pantheon. Do not take the absence of a character to mean I don't appreciate them as a great hero and example; there are many such who simply don't quite reach this top ten… or who might reach it on a different day. #10: [ Continue reading... ]
Just For Fun: My Top Ten Villains!
October 14, 2013 By 6 Comments
While, at least in theory, we cheer for the victory of the heroes, it is often the villains that define a work, and certainly the villains tend to get the best lines, best music, and commonly the coolest "style" in a work. This probably partly stems from the fact that villains are more "free" than the heroes; they get to do what they want rather than what they should or must. In addition, the villains tend to be in control, the ACTIVE force, in the story, at least up until the end; the heroes spend much of their time reacting [ Continue reading... ]
Under the Influence: Doctor Who
March 11, 2013 By 10 Comments
I cross the void beyond the mind The empty space that circles time; I see where others stumble blind To seek a truth they'll never find. Eternal wisdom is my guide; I am – The Doctor. --Jon Pertwee, 3rd Doctor The longest running and one of the most influential science-fiction television shows ever created, Doctor Who is a titan amidst pygmies, larger than life in every direction and three times as confusing. Beginning in the early 1960s as a children's adventure show, it quickly drew a much more diverse and [ Continue reading... ]
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