You probably knew this already, but…evolution continues! It continues to happen, all throughout the world, amid the vast numbers of species sharing this little green dot with us. Here’s just one example of such. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We’ve used a lot of antibiotics since their invention in 1928. (Yep, they aren’t…
Let’s lighten things up and talk about apocalypses! Yes, it’s highly Wrong to root around in the radioactive soil of the ‘Apocalypse’ context. That’s why I do it. What curious revelations might we find? Could we employ some in books? There must be a way. But first, we must ask…
If our universe doesn’t have an edge, how is it expanding? Why is the alphabet in the order it is? Why didn’t they put X at the end? Or O before N? What if, centuries ago, someone making a calendar accidentally missed a day. Then we’d all feel like something’s…
The monster is coming. You hear its shuffles down the hall. The door won’t budge. No way out! We’re all familiar with this trope. Seen it a hundred times in movies, books, TV. On some level we know what will happen. Yet somehow, whenever this moment arrives, it sends a…
The first real “Traitor” character I remember reading as a kid, was Cephelo from “The Elfstones of Shannara.” Smarmy slimeball, completely amoral, ego the size of a small planet…this guy could make used car salesmen uncomfortable. His actions messed up a lot of things in the storyline. Fortunately for everyone…
Where Did “The Warrior” Come From? Nobody needs help picturing this archetype. It’s one of the biggest the world over. At some point in every great story, characters must fight. Whenever they pick up a weapon, prepare a spell, or steel the mind, the Warrior is there. To fight is…
Years ago I learned the surprising history behind a certain English word. (It’s in the list below…can you guess?) The curious story of its evolution stuck with me. Almost without looking I came across more such words, each with strange origins. Since you too enjoy a bit of the curious,…
It’s the beginning of a new year. We’re all trying out new things, looking to improve life a little more. Yes, even me. I know it seems odd for such a perfect specimen to ‘improve’…but one can try. To such an end, let’s finish January with some pithy sayings for…
How’s this for a name? Yes, we’re talking about “Zwarte Piet” today. That is an actual name for an actual legend. He’s a companion for St. Nicholas, like Krampus, but in different countries than where you’d find Krampus. Zwarte Piet shows up in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and surprisingly, Indonesia. (Old…
Well, I said last month that plenty of material existed for a discussion on “The Witch,” didn’t I? Might as well hop straight to it! The concept of the Witch is, arguably, more modern than that of the Wizard. It has endured the ages a little better, and I think…
