Monthly Archives: June 2020

Like everything else, Pride Month looks a little different this year. As parades are canceled and celebrations move online, you may be understandably blue. And you may be itching to get out and goliterally anywhere.

The safest way to do that? Through an escapist read that can transport you to new and exciting worldsor at least better versions of our own. On that note, here are ten fantasy and sci-fi adventures that revel in their many shades of queerness.

When was the last time we had a summer without a line-up of superhero blockbusters? Klunes upcoming novel aims to fill that gap. Nick Bell has a motormouth, ADHD, and one of the most-read fanfics about the real-life heroes of Nova City, the Extraordinaries. What else does he have? Possibly more intimate feelings about his best friend Seth than he realizes. Bonus: If you want a sweet, queer fantasy to read right now, you can get your grabby hands on Klunes other new book, The House in the Cerulean Sea.

I cant say the kingdom of Rabu is a better place (what with the robot overlords and all), but Criers War will transport you there, totally and completely. Before the war, the Automae were artificial helpers and playmates for humans. Then they rose up, turning humans into their servants. Against this backdrop we meet two girls on opposite sides of the conflict: Lady Crier, a beautifully Made heir to the throne, and Ayla, a human girl hellbent on killing Crieruntil she very much isnt.

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Magic heist! Found family! Sci-fi mixed with fantasy! Spell Hacker is everything you could wish for. Known as maz, magic has been commodified and is now highly controlled in Kyrkarta. Diz and her friends traffic in a black market maz supply. But when the lucrative job that was supposed to be their last goes awry, theyre pulled into a much bigger conspiracy. Queerness flows more freely than maz here, including with a nonbinary member of the core squad.

Can I interest you in some dragons right about now? All Maren wants is what so many others do: a quiet life with her girlfriend. But those dreams are shattered when Kaia is taken by forces of the tyrannical emperor who conquered their homeland. Marens rescue plan begins with stealing one of the emperors dragons and ends with breaking through the stronghold hiding Kaia. Naturally, things get more complicated.

Couldnt very well make it through this list without including a queer coven. Danny feels drawn to a Northern California town, but that attraction is more than just the towering Redwoods. Shes been summoned there by a group of teen witches who need her help to find a missing friend. The Grays make up a proudly diverse, offbeat group, and youll find lesbian, bi, ace, and nonbinary characters represented.

Polks debut is a magic combination of fantasy and romance. In an alternate world similar to Edwardian England, elite magical families drive politics and national agendas. Miles Singer comes from one such family, and hes faked his own death in order to escape the life destined for him. But a mysterious death and the appearance of an intriguing stranger will change Miless plans yet again.

This complex hard sci-fi story kicks off one heck of a space opera series, one that delights in making the reader do some work. The star of this show is Captain Kel Cheris, whose unconventional tactics have left her in disgrace with the hexarchate regime. To redeem her reputation, she enlists an unusual ally: the brilliant and deeply problematic Shuos Jedao, who also happens to be dead.

Draydens novels are delights because you never know where theyre going to go. Here, she takes you inside the belly of a giant space beast, where humans have learned to carve a society out of living organs and tissue. Anchoring the story are Seske, heir to the matriarchy, and Adalla, her working-class friend. Along with queer romance, the book has trans representation and subverts gender roles.

High fantasy with aromantic asexual sensibilities. Its been a minute since Arathiel has been back to his hometown. Over a hundred years, actually. His noble family is dead, the city has changed, and hes changed too. Instead of trying to reclaim his position, he spends time on the fringes of society. But the fresh life hes built for himself is turned upside down by accusations against one of his new friends.

Its not quite a peppy escapist read, but Porters surreal sci-fi debut will pique your interest even if it doesnt boost your endorphins. The Seep is the gentle, benevolent alien entity we always wanted to invade. The Seeps control creates a veritable utopia, though perhaps one with unintended consequences. We see those consequences through the eyes of Trina, a trans woman grieving the loss of her wife.

More here:

10 LGBTQIA+ Fantasy and Sci-Fi Adventures to Take You Far From Here - Book Riot

Though it took a long time to get to the big screen, Black Panther was a massive hit for the MCU and one of the most talked-about movies in recent memory. The Ryan Coogler film explored the world of Wakanda and T'Challa aka Black Panther's role as its new king.

RELATED:MCU: 10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About Black Panther

Given the ground-breaking success of the film, it's not surprising that the sequel is in development, thankfully with Coogler and the cast returning. However, while there are plenty of things we want to see more of in the sequel, there are ways it could be even better. Here are some of the ways Black Panther 2 can improve the franchise and some things it should do the same.

Coogler proved his action director chops with his intense boxing scenes in Creed and he continued to show off his skills in this film. The waterfall fights and the casino sequence were great action sequences. Unfortunately, the third act action was letdown by shoddy CGI.

The climactic battle between T'Challa and Killmonger should have been a gripping moment, but the video game look was a distraction. Hopefully, the sequel can deliver some better graphics that boost the action rather than deflate those scenes.

MCU films can sometimes be accused of safe and familiar storytelling. Though that can be a fair criticism at times, Coogler was interested in asking some powerful and thought-provoking questions in Black Panther.

RELATED:Black Panther: 10 Things We Hope To See By The End Of His MCU Arc

The movie maintains the comic book mythos of Wakanda as a secret and hidden society, but Coogler questions the ethics of a place like this not sharing its resources to help its oppressed people around the world. Coogler should be allowed to continue using such a large platform to explore topical issues.

At the end of Black Panther, T'Challa makes the decision to open Wakanda up to the world and sharing its resources with people who need them. Seeing as it happened at the end of the film, there wasn't quite time to explore this idea in great detail.

The impact of this very significant development has yet to be seen in the MCU either. While that is not the fault of the Black Panther franchise, hopefully by the time the sequel comes around, it won't be too late to dive into the fallout of this reveal.

The universe of the MCU has grown into the cosmos and other dimensions, yet Wakanda was still one of the most interesting aspects of the universe at large. Coogler and his team did such an incredible job making this feel like a real lived-in world that exists.

From the costumes to the customs to the culture, the movie was enriched by the world-building of Wakanda. The sequel should keep its focus there. We don't need to see T'Challa going on adventures elsewhere in the world. Allow Wakanda to continue to grow.

T'Challa was introduced as the newest MCU hero in Captain America: Civil War and instantly became a fan favorite. By the time his first solo film came around, fans were ready to see him step into the spotlight.

RELATED:Black Panther: 5 Moments That Prove He Should Lead The Avengers (& 5 Moments That Show He Shouldn't)

While T'Challa was certainly the main character of the film, it's hard to say the focus of the story was on him. With this world to explore and new characters to introduce, T'Challa was not given a lot of opportunities to grow. Now that things have been established, hopefully, he can have a more substantial role in the sequel.

One of the new characters introduced in Black Panther was Shuri who instantly stole the show. She is T'Challa's hilarious younger sister who may also be the smartest person in the MCU. She is like the Q to T'Challa's James Bond, outfitting him with all the latest gadgets.

Clearly the sequel needs to keep Shuri as a big part of the film as she likely has a long future in the MCU. It would be nice to see her pulled into the story a little more as well instead of being a side character.

Following the events of Civil War, T'Challa becomes King of Wakanda. This sets the stage for his struggle to deal with the new responsibilities as the leader of a nation. But with all the other story elements going on, we don't get to spend much time with T'Challa the ruler.

This would be an interesting aspect of the character for the sequel to explore. Is he a popular king? Is there backlash amongst his people for exposing Wakanda? There are many thrilling possibilities to explore.

When Erik Killmonger reveals himself to T'Challa, the new king has to face the uncomfortable truth about Wakanda's past and his own father. It is revealed that King T'Chaka killed his own brother and left his young son, Erik, alone in order to protect Wakanda's secret.

RELATED:10 Best MCU Movies According To Rotten Tomatoes

This revelation is one of the most powerful moments in the film. There is a lot that can be explored by looking into the history of Wakanda and uncovering its secrets and mistakes as T'Challa tries to make it into the utopia it strives to be.

The MCU has always had a bit of a spotty record when it comes to their romances. Black Panther is not one of the worst, but it shows room for improvement. The relationship between T'Challa and Nakia needs to decide which path it should take.

Thankfully, Nakia is a much more rounded character than a simple love interest. If the sequel abandoned the romantic storyline and just kept her as a character, it would be welcome. If the sequel wants to pursue the romance, it needs to make it much more compelling.

In the early days of the MCU, many criticized the films for their lack of interesting villains. It seems the cinematic universe has turned a corner and delivered some truly great bad guys, including Erik Killmonger in Black Panther.

With a powerful performance by Michael B. Jordan, Killmonger was an intimidating villain who had motivations that were easy to understand and sympathize with. Hopefully, Coogler can create another memorable villain that will help to elevate the story.

NEXT:10 Best Chadwick Boseman Movies, Ranked (According To Rotten Tomatoes)

Next Twilight: 5 Inspiring Things Edward Did (& 5 Times Fans Felt Sorry For Him)

A writer and film fan. I always enjoy keeping up with the latest films in theaters as well as discovering some hidden gems I may have overlooked. Glad to be a part of Screen Rant's positive and fun community and have the opportunity to share my thoughts with you.

See the article here:

Black Panther 2: 5 Ways It Can Improve The Franchise (& 5 Things It Should Do The Same) - Screen Rant

From All Lives Matter to just doing my patriotic duty, Cable reporter Priyanka Raval reflects on the protect the cenotaph demonstration on Saturday.

Its Saturday afternoon and about 300 people have gathered to defend Bristols cenotaph from apparent fears of vandalism, amid rumours of nationalists coming to clash with anti-racists across the UK.

They stand, 30m from the plinth where Edward Colstons bronze likeness gazed over the harbour for 125 years, before being rolled unceremoniously into it during the Black Lives Matter protest six days previously.

Interviews from the 'All Lives Matter' demonstration to "protect the Cenotaph" in Bristol City Centre on Saturday 13th. Organised in response to last weekend's Black Lives Matter protest. Speaking to people there I heard a range of opinions. Some just wanted to protect the Cenotaph, some feared a "Marxist Revolution," others voiced disgust at the "snowflake generation." Among peaceful conversations were nastier times. The Black Power fist sign, laid at the former Colston plinth, was torn up while the crowd cheered. Fights broke out. On three occasions men tried to grab my phone out of my hands. I got started on, sworn at, threatened, hit with a creative range of sexist and racist slurs. Many there were angry and mistrustful of journalists. A photographer I met told me someone told her, "We've got your picture now and we will hunt you down." A Bristol Post reporter was spat at. Give the video a watch, forgive my amateur filming. Ultimately, yesterday proved a beneficial and insightful experience: Life outside my bubble. What actually constitutes "Bristol."

The protestors are flanked by leather-clad bikers: Hells Angels, Wiltshire Force and The Sodbury Crew are among those present. Football supporters in attendance have put aside traditional rivalries for the day.

A white van filled with cans of Thatchers and Stella arrives. It may be a cloudy afternoon but there are many bare chests on display among the predominantly white, male crowd.

But speaking to the people gathered, its evident theres no single cause that unites those assembled.

A group of army veterans on the scene tell me they just want to protect the cenotaph, and are in full support of Black Lives Matter with some even having attended last weeks protest.

Others though are openly racist and give a fierce defence of why All Lives Matter. There are rants about the prevalence of the left wing Marxist snowflake generation.

Early in the day, scuffles break out as a demonstrator starts clearing away BLM signs left in a bin bag by Colstons vacant plinth. Some urge him to discuss and de-escalate the situation, and to refocus the attention on the cenotaph.

But thats far from the days only nasty incident. At one point, bottles and cans are thrown at a black driver passing by. Over at the nearby Tuk Tuck cafe, a girl of Caribbean heritage tells me shes received racist remarks from customers, leading to the manager closing the doors early.

Then, the sign of a Black Power fist is grabbed, taken into the middle of the crowd and aggressively stomped on and torn up.

Again, some people cheer and join in, while others call for them to stop, saying it is derailing their reason for being there. As the police step in, one protestor yells, Why are you stopping this when you let the Colston statue be taken down?

The scuffle after the sign is torn up turns things more volatile. On three separate occasions, men attempt to grab my phone and I have to wrestle it back. One, who Ive been speaking to, warns his friend, Shes only going to edit it and put what she wants to!

Shortly afterwards, I find myself behind the police line, accidentally kettled in with protestors. Someone sarcastically yells, Got what you want did you? and snowflake cunt, while others call out slag.

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A photographer, more clearly distinguishable due to her camera, gets an even greater torrent of abuse. As she rushes to photograph the sign being torn up, there are shouts of, Stop taking photos! and several attempts to rip her camera away.

The beer previously meant to keep up crowd morale is soon weaponised, with cans thrown in her direction along with another freelance videographer present and Stella poured on her lens. A Bristol Post reporter is reportedly spat at.

Paranoia about being misrepresented, distrust of being demonised by the media, hangs in the air.

These guys have taken photos of you and will hunt you down and find you, so you should stop filming now, the photographer is told. Its unclear whether the tone was threatening or if he was looking out for her.

I single out one of the few women in the crowd to ask why she is here today.

To be honest, Im just here for the cenotaph, I havent got nothing against Black Lives Matter my father is mixed race, she says. I think we just want to do our patriotic duty and protect the cenotaph.

Patriotism is a common reason given to me from those I spoke to. Normal people protecting our heritage, one tells me.

When I push people on the topic, that history is based very much around a glorified idea of Britain winning the war. But when I pose a counter-perspective what about Empire or slavery Im derided for bringing up the past.

Have you seen white poverty? asks another man. If you have then All Lives Matter!

Hes echoed by another, I went to the same shit school as a black person.

Its another trend of the days conversation: we have it hard too, so why are black people given special treatment?

Over the road and across the police line, a young, multicultural group stands in opposition a visual representation of divides that exist in our city. Saturdays crowd at the cenotaph may be far from the scale of the Black Lives Matter protest a week earlier, but it still offers a sharp challenge to lazy stereotypes that hold up Bristol as a liberal-left utopia.

It reminds me of the days of the National Front when I moved to the UK in the 70s, an unsettled woman of Indian origin told me afterwards.

I left rattled, but not wholly unsurprised. At school, my history lessons portrayed exactly the one-sided version of history that was parroted back to me today. A glorious portrayal of Britains heroic involvement in the World War, a noticeable omission of the manifold atrocities that took place under the British Empire. Naturally, such a cherry picked version of history left unchallenged would lead to this misguided sense of patriotism.

Meanwhile, a 2017 Runnymede Trust report showed that Bristols ethnic minorities experience much greater disadvantages in education and employment than the national average, with the city ranking seventh-worst of England and Wales 348 districts on the reports Index of Multiple Inequality. That said, its undeniable that economic hardship is rife among some white communities too. It seems important to understand the protest today bearing in mind Bristols socio-economic context.

Former Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has claimed that a new form of Taliban was formed in the UK over the BLM weekend, adding that full-on race riots are now possible. Thats sensationalist scaremongering. But as I leave the protest, hearing abuse as I do so, I cant help but feel its essential we shift conversations ideally less tense ones than those I snatch during the afternoon to how we bridge our divides, not entrench divisions.

Or perhaps what Im trying to express is best summed up by the new statue that has appeared yesterday beside the empty Colston plinth.

A bald man in a string vest on top of a bin with the words: Spoiler: St George was Turkish on it. In one hand he holds a globe, a mobile in the other. The screen reads England for the English a parody I assume of the Orb and Sceptre symbols of monarchy.

Statues and cenotaphs it seems, have become the battle sites on which race relations are contested in Bristol. This latest iteration seems to poke fun at Saturdays demonstration at the cenotaph.

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Reflections on the All Lives Matter protest - The Bristol Cable