Martin Stellinga - Aspiring Fantasy & Science Fiction Author

Crutches won’t save the Climate

This past summer set new heat records all around Europe. A cascade of hurricanes in the Caribbean followed. It’s becoming harder and harder to deny climate change. Couple with that the ongoing protests around the globe, and you’d expect change. However, all this hasn’t actually translated to action yet.

Fake plot

I was watching a TV show on Netflix with my daughter last week. Children’s shows vary a lot in quality, and the plotting in this one was particularly egregious. The show was stuffed with fake plot. Let’s look at what that is.

Gloomhaven

Gloomhaven is a game with a big box. That box is filled with a load of cardboard cards, maps, and a dozen plastic figurines. Yep, it’s a board game. And one that’s currently at the top of the boardgame geek ranks. And my friends and I are playing it.

Hotel Artemis review

Do you remember the Continental Hotel from John Wick? It was a neutral haven for criminals. Hotel Artemis is a movie about such a hotel. There is no further connection between the two movies, except maybe for the profound violence and noir atmosphere.

Trail of Lightning review

Trail of Lightning was one of the novels nominated for a hugo this year. I probably would have run into it at some point, but since I was attending, I short-tracked it onto my reading list. Here’s my thoughts.