Matthew McElroy > Recent Status Updates

What started off as a story about fascism has transitioned into a story about the approach of artificial intelligence. I have a feeling a few stories were in another comic I haven't read.

I remember when Synch was introduced with Generation X in the mid-90s. He hasn't aged like me, but it is weird to see him as the leader of the X-Men, with a serious and intense relationship with the (now verbal) Laura Kinney.
Weird, but also great. It's been 30 years, but I think he was the leader of Generation X, under the tutelage of Emma Frost and Banshee.

If a high school student told me they didn't enjoy The Iliad, I would ask why, but I would understand their reasoning.
In the middle of the book, there about 100 pages (10 chapters?) of war. Well-described fighting, but largely violence. We get motivation and personal conflict, but it is mostly people getting slaughtered.

I just got to the turning point of the book, where Achilles has made peace with Agamemnon.

It's not fair to put gay people in straight boxes. But for people who think being gay is some radical experience (or vice versa) being 14 and navigating romance is the worst.

But it is also... I want to find the correct word... Sad(? Bear with me), that someone is confused about who they want to love, or what kind of person they want to love.

I was terrible with girls, but I never questioned my sexuality.

Runway Blackout is a BRILLIANT concept. There are shapeshifters who double as models. Unfortunately, it ends a little too quickly. The ending is unsatisfying. Of course, I am sure the characters found the end unsatisfying as well. In that regard, brilliant.

Most of the stories in here are EXCELLENT. A few have toed the line between science fiction and fantasy. I know the difference between hard sci-fi and soft sci-fi. That's not what I am referring to.
The story Sanford and Sun (spelling intentional) is brilliant. The author, Dawolu Jabari Anderson does a mock screenplay for a show we all know and it is beat for beat, with one major 'twist'.

These guys love fighting. I mean loving it. And Homer is all in on the fighting. He is happy to describe the way a spear went through someone's body- head, back, stomach, whatever. One of the major aspects of the story that makes it transformative is that the gods largely act like humans. They aren't human. And in Reiu's introduction, he makes it clear that the humans respect and fear the gods.

Zeus loves being involved in the daily lives of humans, especially when they are beautiful young women minding their own damned business. But in the biggest war we know of in Greek mythology/history, Zeus tells all the gods, "No. Not this time."

Seeing as this has been in the public domain since... well, I guess this literally started in the public domain. "Hey, you wanna here a story about that crazy war that just happened?"

Anyway... this is a fantastic edition. The Introduction is exceedingly helpful. There are historical clarifications, tips about phrasing, and what similes mean.

We find out there that was much more to the already mysterious death of Mitch's adoptive father. And that, when all other options have been exhausted, Mitch is prepared to do the right thing. One thing I am enjoying- I don't think the resolution will be a completely unexpected surprise. If there is a twist, it will come from one of the people we already expect to be part of the problem.

In spite of everything, I am rooting for Mitch. He is trying so hard to do the right thing, even though doing the wrong thing often feels so much better.
And Pretendian probably makes you feel the same way as being a Halfrican does. IYKYK.

Damn- I love a protagonist who is an asshole. I think I like him more, because he knows it, and he is wrestling with it every step of the way. I am still trying to figure out if he is naturally an asshole, or if he is forced to play one due to circumstances.

Bascomb has nailed this sports writing thing. The hardest part about sports' books is that you usually know the end, so unless you are getting an entirely different perspective, they can be pretty dull.
Instead, Bascomb makes it feel as if each race of the three runners could be the race where they break the barrier.
I know who it is, and yet, for 100 pages, I kept thinking, "oh my goodness, this is it!"

All of these stories have been excellent. No, wait. One of them was just good.
Short version- a few authors compiled short stories of science fiction by authors who aren't traditionally represented in the science fiction realm.

A well-written story about , ARGUABLY, the greatest athletic accomplishment of the 20th century, breaking the four minute mile. Currently, we are following the effort of an American, Wes Santee, an Australian, John Landy, and an Englishman, Roger Bannister.
You probably know how it ends.

How do I keep finding these books about Indians? However it happens- they are usually pretty darned good. Keep it coming, Jon.

Black is a talented writer. The book is science "fiction" in that we don't know what each particular dinosaur was doing or thinking on a particular day. But the science is heavy, and Black is a well-known writer of paleontology. What is the correct genre for a book of this nature?

I haven't read a dinosaur book in so long. It makes happy, even if this is about the end of the dinosaurs.

What is the opposite of The Magical Negro?

Better yet, what do you call it when The Magical Negro gets help from the innocent white child?

It is as good as everyone tells you it is. The tension is building slowly, and I am loving it. The original book was called "Ten Little Indians". That isn't the worst slur used in the book. If you can accept that casual use of racial epithets was probably common in the 1930s, then you will love this. ("Accept? Acknowledge is probably more accurate.)

Unfortunately, Grann saved the most interesting AND most important part of the tragedy for the final third of the story.
It seems like only two white people ever took these events seriously, Tom White and David Grann, and they did it 100 years apart.
If you are remotely familiar with history, then almost none of this will surprise you. But the story must be told.

Ummm, what exactly is happening?

Did they make Wolverine boring?

He's never been my favorite character, but at least he has never been boring. This is pretty confusing, and strangely, dull.

It looks like we have a villain. And he is one helluva villain, too. The lengths that he has taken to steal this money are beyond belief. There is a true

Welp, I am reading it again. I didn't expect to. For some reason, I don't really remember this story. Which could explain my distaste for it earlier.
I don't know about you, but on a rainy day, nothing beats heading to the library to see what is on the shelves.

Brooks and White don't hold much back in their depiction of Black soldiers fighting... Well, the entire world, during World War 1.
I have read one book and watched a documentary on them, so there isn't much new here. But this is also a great way to introduce, or reinforce, the sacrifices of Black Americans to an adolescent.

How do we balance out the ruthless efficiency it takes to solve crimes quickly, but retain the human touch that provides justice to all parties?

Hoover is doing things all of us would do at our jobs. Creating standardized paperwork that is also easier to complete. Providing meaningful training and background checks. But he is already compiling his dossiers on politicians for his own power grab.

The most ridiculous, silly, immature type of adolescent smut. It's so good.

Oh great, Hoover is here. Turns out that he had problems long before he was trying to get MLK to commit suicide.

Remember the criticism of rap in the early 90s, where artists rapped about a small percentage of the Black population? The reasonable pushback was that, though many people were affected by drug dealers and police brutality, most people went to work, and paid rent and raised their children. Talty has the right to write the story of his life. Is he the Chuck D of Indians, shouting about drug abuse and poverty?

Many of these stories end with a sigh or a whimper. Something big happens- something violent, something funny, something sad. But by the end, the emotion has been resolved, even if the situation hasn't been.

It's a very different read.