Category Archives: New Utopia

Chanel 4 Simon Pegg in The Undeclared War - Chanel 4Thursday 30 June

The Undeclared War

Channel 4, 9pm

Every now and then Channel 4 comes up with a humdinger of a drama series (Its a Sin, Humans and Utopia, among others) that insists upon itself because there is simply nothing else like it. Peter Kosminskys razor-sharp cyber thriller takes us into the future of 2024, to look at the world of the British intelligence malware analysts working at GCHQ, fighting the informational good fight against an onslaught of potentially catastrophic cyber attacks emanating, mostly, from Russia. Were grabbed from the outset, plunged straight into the mindscape of Saara Parvin (Hannah Khalique-Brown), a new intern whose first day throws her in the deep end of the battle against an invisible enemy.

Kosminsky avoids a surfeit of tech geekery by expanding the drama into the world of global realpolitik, with a superb cast including Adrian Lester as Britains prime minister (said to have deposed Boris Johnson 15 months previously), Hattie Morahan, Ed Stoppard and Alex Jennings as various Cabinet ministers, and Simon Pegg as the GCHQ boss torn between the demands of his political masters. All episodes are on All 4 from today and it will take some restraint to not binge one of 2022s most compelling dramas. GO

Golf: John Deere Classic

Sky Golf, 6pm

Traditionally played one week before The Open, this PGA event has often struggled to attract a stellar field. This year, however, it has moved back a week, so expect to see the worlds best sharpening their game ahead of a trip to St Andrews in mid July. GO

Sarah Beenys Little House, Big Plans

Channel 4, 8pm

A pair of novice DIYers in Poole want to make more space in their pokey 1930s semi by creating an open-plan kitchen-diner but money is very tight; and in Plymouth a couple set about supersizing their three-bed bungalow into a seven-bedroom, three-floor home with the help of a modular building company. GO

Who Do You Think You Are?

BBC One, 9pm

One of the better editions of the current run sees Death in Paradise star Ralf Little track back though both sides of his family to find evidence of some wealthy antecedents from his hometown of Manchester, and to get to the bottom of rumours of former sporting glory in his football-mad genes. GO

The Murder of Logan Mwangi

ITV, 9pm; Wales, 10.45pm

Another shocking true-life tale of appalling child neglect, abuse and murder follows the rock solid police investigation, and subsequent trial and convictions, that followed the tragic discovery, in July of last year, of the body of five-year-old Logan Mwangi in a river 300 metres from his home in Bridgend, south Wales. GO

The Hotel Inspector

Channel 5, 9pm

Alex Polizzi tackles the Grade II listed Caer Beris Manor in the Brecon Beacons. This family run establishment has 22 bedrooms, a 30-seat restaurant and two very ambitious owners who are reaching for the (Michelin) stars. But first, they may do well to tackle the dodgy decor and employ a professional chef. Polizzi has the unenviable task of levelling their enthusiasm in order to go back to basics. GO

The Lazarus Project

Sky Max, 9pm

Skys time-bending thriller may be a little creaky around the edges at times but it is helped by a charismatic central performance by leading man Paapa Essiedu as George. Tonight, George ignores Archies (Anjli Mohindra) instructions to step back and, as he turns for help to the projects sworn enemy, Rebrov (Tom Burke), he gets a glimpse of a far darker side to the organisation than he ever suspected. GO

Bradford on Duty

BBC Two, 9.30pm

An episode entitled The Greater Good explores the ambitious 800 million project which intends to regenerate Bradford city centre, along with the street-level effort being made to make it a more pleasant, safer place to live, as seen through the eyes of some of the citys 150-plus community support officers. GO

Arctic (2018)

Great! Movies Action, 7.05pm

Joe Pennas Arctic delivers what might be called Max Mads: a heady, sustained and sinew-stiffening hit of the Danish actor, ideal for Mikkelsen fans. This is a snowbound endurance thriller featuring the star of Another Round and Hannibal at his most icily charismatic, as the sole survivor (or so he thinks) of a plane crash, north of the 66th parallel. But as the story unfolds, his suffering reaches sadistic heights.

The Full Monty (1974)

5STAR, 9pm

Youll never look at Tom Wilkinson in the same way again after youve seen him gyrate on stage as a male stripper in Peter Cattaneos lovable comedy. The film follows six Sheffield men (including Robert Carlyle, Hugo Speer and Mark Addy) who, depressed and out of work, form a male dance troupe in order to raise some funds. And theyre willing to reveal all to surprising acclaim. Disney+ is reviving this as a new series with the original cast.

Joan of Arc (1948)

BBC Four, 10.40pm

Ingrid Bergman received a Best Actress Academy-Award nomination for her performance in Victor Flemings (Gone with the Wind) pseudo-historical epic about the still-popular French farm girl turned saint. Flemings adaptation, from Maxwell Andersons Broadway stage hit Joan of Lorraine, is low on action but heavy on the dialogue. Some eyebrows were also raised at Bergman playing the role of a 15-year-old while aged 33, but it works.

Stranger Things

Netflix

After a compelling first volume of season four, with momentous events in both Hawkins, Indiana and the Upside Down, the second volume drops in two lengthy episodes (85 minutes and a whopping two hours, 30 minutes) to complete the series. Released in May, volume one became Netflixs most watched show, and as an added extra even managed to put Kate Bush back at the top of the charts after her 1985 song Running Up That Hill was featured prominently.

The shows creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, have intimated that not all of its beloved characters will necessarily make it to the fifth and final season, which is expected to come in 2023. Most of the fan speculation concerns the fate of Steve (Joe Keery) but the brothers have thrown googlies before and might do so again. More pressing in these two episodes is whether Joyce (Winona Ryder) and Murray (Brett German) can rescue Hopper (David Harbour) from the Russians, despite the Demogorgon guarding their way out. Will Nancy (Natalia Dyer) manage to escape the Upside Down, where she is held in the clutches of super-baddie Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower)? And is Hawkins High School counsellor Ms Kelly (Regina Ting Chen) really as lovely as she first appears? VL

Cycling: Tour de France 2022

Eurosport1/ITV4, 12.45pm/2.45pm

For the first time in its 118 years, the Tour de France will set off from Denmark, with todays Grand Dpart a 13 km individual time trial in Copenhagen. Following two more stages in Scandinavia, the Tour moves to northern France on July 5, before ending in Paris on July 24, via sojourns in Belgium and Switzerland. A wonderfully varied route will take in cobblestones, Alpe dHuez, Carcassonne and La Planche des Belles Filles. Geraint Thomas is in good nick following his Tour de Suisse win, but it is hard to look beyond the mighty Tadej Pogaar. VL

The Terminal List

Amazon Prime Video

Chris Pratt stars in this eight-part psychological drama adapted from Jack Carrs novel. He plays James Reece, leader of a platoon of US Navy Seals who are killed while on a covert mission; returning home, he is questioned but his memories differ from the official records. One for conspiracy fans. VL

Queer As Folk

StarzPlay

Stephen Dunn relocates Russell T Daviess seminal gay drama series, shown on Channel 4 in 1999, to present-day New Orleans. Its brash and lively, with transgender and gender-fluid characters now part of the colourful mix, but it cant match the originals superlatively exuberant taboo-breaking. Kim Cattrall plays the mother of the central character, commitment-phobe Brodie (Devin Way). VL

One Question

Channel 4, 8pm

Claudia Winkleman hosts as more contestants sit on the comfy sofa in this deceptively simple game show. Each pair is given the answer to a question (this weeks set includes What is square?) but then have to eliminate 19 incorrect questions to find the right one, with Winkleman offering clues that will cost them part of the 100,000 prize. VL

Worlds Most Scenic Railway Journeys

Channel 5, 8pm

All aboard the luxury Rocky Mountaineer, starting in Denver, Colorado, journeying through the Rockies in what was once the Wild West to Moab, Utah. Bill Nighy narrates as we learn about the mid 19th-century Gold Rush, and the USAs continental divide (geological in this case, not political) and that train manager Zac takes it as a personal affront if anyone ends their journey hungry. The views are majestic. VL

British Planes That Won the War With Rob Bell

Channel 5, 9pm

The documentary series about military aviation continues by examining the fearsome Lancaster bomber, which was used in the Dambusters raid. Historians including this papers former editor, Max Hastings and aviation experts talk about the planes central importance to the Allies in the Second World War. VL

Rig 45: Murder at Sea

More4, 9pm

Shown as part of the Walter Presents strand, this suspenseful Swedish crime thriller with a multinational cast follows a damage regulator, Andrea Burell (Catherine Walker), who investigates a fatal accident on an oil rig shut for maintenance over Christmas. Theres only a skeleton crew, but everyone has a secret. VL

King Richard (2021)

Sky Cinema Premiere, 8pm

Will Smith stars in this sports biopic as Richard Williams, father and early coach of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams. Reinaldo Marcus Greens film follows the Williams family from Compton, Los Angeles, in the mid-1980s to the Florida tennis academy where the sisters trained under Rick Macci (a very funny Jon Bernthal), until the beginnings of Venuss professional career in 1994. Its a satisfying, if sanitised, image of parental drive.

The Festival (2018)

E4, 9pm

The Inbetweeners Joe Thomas stars as Nick, a drippy and freshly single graduate, in this spiritual sequel to that franchise from Iain Morris, who co-created it with Damon Beesley. With its reliance on the same gross-out scatology and cringeworthy encounters, The Festival could almost be a post-uni catch-up with Thomass lovelorn Simon, older but none the wiser when it comes to sensing when his romantic chances are zip.

Kick-Ass 2 (2013)

BBC One, 11.40pm

After the amateur heroics on display in 2010s Kick-Ass, a new generation of crime fighters have risen up to don ridiculous costumes and patrol the streets. But Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) has returned from the dead and re-branded himself with an unprintable moniker. Hes killing off the heroes, so Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) must team up with Chlo Grace Moretzs Hit-Girl and Jim Carreys Colonel Stars and Stripes to save the day.

Jack Taylor (JT), Veronica Lee (VL),Gerard ODonovan (GO), Vicki Power (VP), Gabriel Tate (GT) and Chris Bennion (CB)

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What's on TV tonight: The Undeclared War, The Hotel Inspector, and more - msnNOW

Manchester, UK, 27 June 2022: BGF the UK & Irelands most active growth capital investor has led on deals with a total enterprise value (EV) of 450 million in the North West in six months.

In the same period, BGFs North West team has delivered a stand-out run of exits which has seen 150 million of capital returned from 72 million invested. Highlights include: the sale of Liverpool-based Sentric to Swiss music fintech company, Utopia Music; PTSGs acquisition of NSS; and CurrentBodys sale to eComplete.

This is in addition to the outstanding exit of Kids Planet, having accelerated the nursery groups rollout from 17 to more than 80 sites during its investment period. BGF also retained minority stakes in Kids Planet and Utopia Music as it continues as a long-term partner to both companies.

BGF completed a total 42 million of investment in growing businesses based in the North West in six months. These entrepreneur-led companies span several sectors including tech, manufacturing, professional services, healthcare and training, and are based across all corners of the region.

The North West team backed apprenticeship training provider, Apprentify, with a 5 million investment to execute an ambitious buy and build strategy in the apprenticeship and adult education market. Wigan-headquartered manufacturer, Evolution Aqua, received a 12 million BGF investment to capitalise on growth opportunities in core markets and drive international expansion. Alongside Gresham House Ventures, BGF also announced a 10 million investment into Panthera Biosciences to further grow its network of dedicated clinical trial sites across the UK and Western Europe.

The combined EV across these investments and exits at the time of completion reached 450 million.

Neil Inskip, Head of BGF in the North West and Midlands, said: We consistently meet quality business owners in the region looking to scale their businesses and work towards long-term growth and a successful exit. Our recent run of investments has unlocked opportunities for innovation and product development, international and vertical market expansion, investment in tech and talent, as well as boosting balance sheets for management teams looking to capitalise on growth opportunities such as M&A.

Alongside positive new investments, were also seeing a strong performance across our portfolio in the region as we continue to work with management teams to deliver growth. Weve experienced an exceptional period of returns from recent exits in the region, which is testament to the strength of the businesses we back in the North West and BGFs investment model.

This news comes on the back of recently published annual results for BGF in the UK and Ireland which marked a record-breaking year for the business as a whole in 2021. As well as maintaining its position as the most active investor in UK and Irish growth economy companies, BGF backed 67 new companies, investing a total of 600 million. 165 million of this was follow-on funding to support further growth for portfolio companies, which is a key part of its longer term offer to entrepreneurs. Nationally, BGF exited investments in 39 businesses, delivering a total return of 571 million from exits in 2021 (up from 233m in 2020), a 2x money multiple and a 23.4% gross IRR.

BGF is a long-term patient investor, making initial investments between 1 million to 15 million for a minority equity stake. It backs ambitious teams across a range of sectors and funds a variety of growth plans.

See the rest here:

BGF's North West team leads on deals with an EV of 450m - Business Manchester

Spurred by digital transformation and the's industry obsession with seamlessness, branding and brand experiences have grown entirely boring, argues Wolff Olins' global principal of creative Wayne Deakin. It's high time to shake things up and ditch the minimalism for something more real.

The Sex Pistols are back in the public eye with the launch of Pistol Danny Boyles streaming series and the debate about the future of the monarchy reignited by the Queens Platinum Jubilee. All this got me thinking: why is so much modern branding so boring especially online?

Just look around and see whats happened over the course of the decade since digital took off. Today, we live in an era of not just digital ubiquity but digital saturation.

As individuals, we no longer go online we live our lives online, and no brand owner can afford to ignore this fact. Many brand owners have spent so much of the past few years adapting to this reality, evidenced by the widespread digital optimization of brands.

Get the best of The Drum by choosing from a series of great email briefings, whether thats daily news, weekly recaps or deep dives into media or creativity.

For proof, look no further than the path now being followed by so many if not pretty much all brands: the cult of three clicks. This approach to digital- and experience-design, predicated on the notion that users are frustrated by the expectation to click or swipe too often, is about designing out friction by designing in seamless, efficient experiences.

But theres a problem: as a result of this shift, most brand interactions in the digital space which are typically powered by the same technology have become repetitive and boring. And as such, most brands have become uniform and bland.

Some of the worst examples can be seen in the fashion and fast-moving consumer goods sectors, where too many brand owners build digital presences using the same technology platforms, and too many customer-brand interactions end up constrained within monotonous, formalistic three-click constraints.

Advised by experts on what is and isnt best practice, too many brand owners have drunk the UX Kool-Aid, and, as a result, have lost sight of what makes their brand different, individual and special in their misguided race for a service utopia.

This leaves brands catering for the logical at the cost of the emotional; they are swimming in a sea of sameness, their senses dulled to their purpose, their soul, their driving force. Instead, they shore themselves up with brand content, advertising and promotions to offset customer indifference and disloyalty.

This brings me back to The Sex Pistols. Today, as we move away from the worst of the pandemic, but see so much of our daily lives still conducted online, what branding most needs now is a counterculture revolution.

In short, whats required is a culture with values and norms of behavior that differ so substantially from those of mainstream branding that, punk-like, stick two fingers up to three-click culture and overwrite the scourge that is simple brand design.

Brand owners must ask themselves: "Is my brand propped up by investment in content and advertising? Or is it standing on its own two feet before any promotion comes into play?" And if the answer to the first question is yes, which it probably is, it's time to stand up and do something about it or face the reality of being irrelevant.

Think beyond minimalism. By this I mean know your brand and what it stands for then, rather than strip it back for digital with a minimalist approach, expand it through a more human approach to brand design to create real personality. Be it B2B or B2C, think human-first, not frictionless-first, by default.

At the same time, enable customers to customize their relationship with a brand by giving them greater ownership of the relationship. For example, build points of friction into the UX where it best aligns with a particular part of the brand story.

Ikea asks customers to build their own furniture for a reason it wants them to be part of the process. Even Apple has now pivoted, wanting customers to be able to personalize more of the brand experience.

By not doing any of this, brand owners are missing a massive opportunity.

If I go to McDonalds for a coffee, I want the convenience of an instant, in-and-out, frictionless experience. But when I go out for dinner to a Michelin restaurant, the last thing I want is a functional-focused UX with my meal before me in 30 seconds.

Great experiences stand out when things are done differently. Its a human thing. Because as humans, we respond positively to efforts to treat us so and, even better, interactions designed to meet our emotional needs.

The same applies to great brands. The brands most willing to try new things, push the boundaries and take the counterculture path will more effectively leapfrog their competition, building greater customer experience. They will makes employee culture stronger, too. They will achieve all this without needing to lean so heavily on pricey promotion undertaken with the goal of offsetting declining brand relevance. The end result? Loyalty, recognition and value.

Wayne Deakin is global principal of creative at Wolff Olins.

Continued here:

The World Of Branding Demands A Counterculture Movement - The Drum

I didnt know much about American Arcadia before now, but after the new trailer from Summer Game Fest Im hooked. The 2.5D, 70s style intrigues me, and while we dont have a date yet, or even a confirmation of which consoles the game will be on, it looks like a unique experience I want to take in. Check out the info below, along with said new trailer!

STOCKHOLM June 9, 2022 Out of the Blue, developers of the critically acclaimed Call of the Sea, and Raw Furyhave revealed the first extended trailer ofAmerican Arcadiaduring todays Summer Game Fest. The world premiere gives players the first detailed look at this upcoming 2.5D platformer and first-person puzzler, where players explore the unique stories of two characters each with their own distinct gameplay whose lives and fates are intertwined.

Welcome to Arcadia, a 70s-style, retro-futuristic metropolis promising a life of luxury and comfort for everyone. Only, citizens dont realize theyre playing roles inAmerican Arcadia, the worlds most popular reality show thats been broadcasting live, 24/7, for decades, and their supposed utopia is not all it seems. Under the eyes of countless viewers, popular citizens lead a carefree life, but those who fall out of the audiences favor risk a more dangerous outcome

Trevor is just an average person living a mundane life, enjoying his daily routine and the small little things that make him happy, says Tatiana Delgado, co-founder and Creative Director at Out of the Blue. In the real world that wouldnt be a problem, but in Arcadia, not being popular enough means trouble. But hes found help from a mysterious voice promising to guide him throughAmerican Arcadias backstage to his freedom. Is this offer real, or merely a gimmick to raise audience ratings?

American ArcadiaFeatures:

Escape a 70s Televised Utopia: Discover a gripping story presented uniquely as a documentary, with character interviews and interrogations as you progress.

Two Experiences in One Game: Control two characters with completely distinct play styles: one a 2.5D side-scroller with challenging platforming action, breathtaking chases, stealth and puzzles, the other a full 3D first-person game with hacking, exploration, stealth elements and puzzles.

Rich Characters & Performances: Exceptional voice talent, including Yuri Lowenthal (Spider-Man,Prince of Persia,Call of the Sea), Krizia Bajos (Cyberpunk 2077,League of Legends) and Cissy Jones (Firewatch,Life is Strange,Call of the Sea), breathe life into a world of compelling characters.

Stay tuned to Gaming Trend for more American Arcadia news and info!

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Dive into a "blissful" utopia with the new trailer for American Arcadia - Gaming Trend

Leopoldstadt, Tom Stoppards much-heralded and uncharacteristically personal play about an early-20th-century Jewish family in Vienna, is coming to Broadway in September, bringing an unusually large cast and a pointed reminder of the perils of antisemitism to the New York stage.

Stoppard, 84, is one of the great dramatists of recent decades; his four best play Tony Awards, for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Travesties, The Real Thing and The Coast of Utopia, are the most of any playwright in Tonys history. Leopoldstadt will be the 19th production of a Stoppard play on Broadway since 1967.

Leopoldstadt, which begins in 1899 and continues through, and past, the two World Wars, chronicles 50 years in the life of one family. It is inspired by, but does not depict, Stoppards own family history; he was born in Czechoslovakia in 1937, but fled to Asia with his family when he was a toddler, has spent much of his life in Britain, and only learned some details of his heritage in the 1990s.

Its two extraordinary hours where you go through this time and this exploration of a family: what they have to face, and how they come out the other side and deal with their past, cope with their present and think about their future, said Sonia Friedman, a lead producer. Being Stoppard its complex, but also incredibly emotional.

The Broadway production, with a cast of 38, is scheduled to begin previews Sept. 14 and to open Oct. 2 at the Longacre Theater. Friedman, who produced the Tony-winning best plays of the last three seasons before the pandemic, is producing Leopoldstadt with Roy Furman, another Broadway veteran, and Lorne Michaels, the Saturday Night Live creator.

Leopoldstadt began its life with a production in Londons West End in 2020 directed by Patrick Marber, which won praise from the New York Times critic Ben Brantley; that run, which was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, won the Olivier Award for best new play. The play then returned to the West End last year for a brief but profitable run.

In New York it is again being directed by Marber, who also directed the last Broadway production of a Stoppard work, a 2018 revival of Travesties. In a phone interview, Marber said that he was looking forward to a third go at the material, following the London runs.

Its a surprisingly enjoyable play to direct even though its very painful and sad, its also full of lightness and laughter, he said. Its fundamentally about memory, and time and love. But its also about fascism and immigrants and refugees. Its about everything its Stoppard.

Marber said that Stoppard has continued revising the play for New York, where he said he expects the play to resonate differently because of the ongoing war in Ukraine. With any play, whats happening in the real world affects the way you watch it, he said. Different things will pop out.

See the rest here:

Tom Stoppards Leopoldstadt Will Open on Broadway This Fall - The New York Times

A visit to one of the franchises traditional allegory-filled worlds holds a mirror up to the real one.

Strange New Worlds continues to spin the roulette wheel of classic Star Trek tropes. The pretty smile with an ulterior motive. The idyllic community with a dark secret. The devious foes who turn out to be an offshoot of the good guys society. This new series deploys these concepts with aplomb, but like so much in this inaugural season, they are certainly familiar to longtime fans.

The fun begins when the Enterprise helps rescue a shuttle under attack in the Majalah system and Captain Pike (Anson Mount) is drawn into a local conflict and reunited with an old flame. Her name is Alora (Lindy Booth), and shes the Malajan Minister, tasked with ferrying along her peoples chosen one, a child dubbed the First Servant (Ian Ho), as he waits his Day of Ascension.

The Majalans are a very private people, declining to join the Federation and trying to handle threats on the First Servants life internally. But that doesnt stop Pike and Alora from making goo-goo eyes at one another. Nor does it prevent the childs father, Elder Gamal (Huse Madhavji) from curtly availing himself of the ships sick bay. Its all a sound setup, albeit nothing especially novel for Star Trek.

Yet, its the late-breaking twist in the narrative (another trope deployed by the original series and its successors) that distinguishes Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach. The story takes its time to reach the punchline, and not every scene and set piece the show offers in the meantime is worthwhile. But by the end, the seasons sixth episode leaves the audience with plenty to reflect on and mull over, which is what fans should demand from Star Trek in all its forms.

Before that though, you need mystery, romance, hope, fancy tech and, of course, senior officers giving their subordinates the business! That last part is the most undercooked of the episode, but still enjoyable.

Cadet Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) is on her security rotation and must survive the infamous training routine of Lt. Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong). Theres a steady enough mini-arc at play: from Uhura struggling with her superiors demanding rules, over-performing on difficult tasks, earning the right to present her findings to the captain, and ultimately gaining Laans approval when she demonstrates how shes taken her mentors lessons to heart. But the connective tissue between these beats isnt particularly strong, and the story thread serves more of a mechanical purpose to the plot than something that firmly speaks to either character.

The other subplot focuses on Dr. MBenga (Babs Olusanmokun) and his hidden daughter, Rukiya (Sage Arrindell). Lift Us picks up from the glancing introduction to MBengas sympathetic secret in the shows third episode. Rukiya drops hints to her father about feeling trapped by having to stay in the transporters pattern buffer to prevent her illness from advancing. Dr. MBenga himself puts up a good front, but is clearly pained at only having these intermittent-at-best moments with his child. Their scenes together sell the hardship of the arrangement in a way Ghosts of Illyria, an episode already filled to the brim with story, really couldnt .

But Lift Us raises the subplot anew because the Majalans have remarkable medical technology. Seeing Elder Gamal heal maladies using quantum mechanics and other science-as-magic, MBenga is naturally inspired to wonder whether these techniques could halt his daughters illness. The closed-rank Majalans dont share their technology with outsiders, but in the end Gamal relents, providing his counterpart with the first steps toward a cure, as the two men commiserate over trying to protect their children.

Theres merit to that personal shift in beliefs and the mercy that results. But the episode doesnt really show Dr. MBenga so much as arguing strenuously for the need here, given the secrecy of his situation. Nor does it depict him privately wrestling with the prospect or bouncing it off a confidante like Number One (Rebecca Romijn). Worse still, given Gamals role in the A-story, the episode plays his true motives close to the vest until the end, so theres not much of a before and after with him either.

Strange New Worlds continues to spin the roulette wheel of classic Star Trek tropes.

The love of a parent for their child doesnt need much development to be believable. Commiseration and camaraderie between fathers trying to save their children is an easy thing to sell. But despite the clear stakes and opportunity for salvation the Majalan technology provides, this subplot also feels underbaked and incomplete.

But the main plot is solid, even if it spends too much time spinning its wheels before diving into the thrust of the story. Despite needing to bend a few Majalan norms in the process, Pike tries to help Alora and her people protect the First Servant and uncover whos trying to kidnap him. That mystery fuels the episode well enough, and provides an excuse for Alora and Pike to flirt, swoon, and make good on the romantic feelings they didnt explore the last time they crossed paths.

The trajectory here is no surprise. The two lovebirds get the vapors the moment they reunite. And any Trekkie worth their salt vampire will suspect that the old flame who suddenly returns probably wont be sticking around, particularly when they hail from a closed-off community rife with cryptic hints that somethings amiss. But Mount and Booth have fun chemistry together, and SNW harnesses Pikes knowledge of his own grim fate to add meaning when Alora invites him to stay with her permanently on Majalah. Her offer represents the possibility of averting his bleak destiny, or at least making the most of the limited time he has.

The problems that the nuts and bolts of the mystery Pike tries to unravel are less than outstanding. The action sequences are choppy and border on nonsensical in places. Standard clichs suggest the Majalans arent so noble and their enemies arent so dastardly long before the episode acknowledges it. And the why behind the attempts to steal the First Servant and what he means to the Majalan people take too long to unveil.

But once they do, its a doozy. It turns out that Majalans power their whole society, an idyllic paradise floating above a lake of fire, using the neural network of a childs mind. The precocious kid designated as the First Servant who bonds with Mr. Spock (Ethan Peck) and MBengas daughter while aboard the Enterprise is expected to give his life to preserve his people. The mantra of the Majalans Science, Service, Sacrifice takes on a chilling new meaning when that last word comes into focus via a sinister light. And the resistance leaders pursuing the child come from what turns out to be a hardscrabble nearby colony of former Majalans with moral objections. They are, in fact, trying to save the child, with the help of Gamal, rather than let him be used as fuel for an opulent societys splendor.

The mechanics of it all are a little silly. It requires one of those standard, TOS-style We use a machine our founders constructed long ago to support this implausible setup thats mainly allegorical explanations. But the impact of the reveal abides. Even if the ultimate twist is predictable, even if the truth turns Pikes stomach, the speech Alora offers in response to his revulsion outlines the piercing metaphor at the center of this story.

She challenges Pike. The Majalan minister admits that their methods may seem harsh to outsiders. To the same end, the audience can and should reasonably question whether a minor, even a precocious one, can willingly consent to such a sacrifice, regardless of what may be gained from it. Lift Us practically invites viewers to recoil at the barbarism dressed in ritual and spiritual celebration that powers the Majalan way of life.

But Alora makes a fair point to her shocked beau can he fairly say that no children suffer for the Federations blessings? Maybe he could, depending on how closely Star Trek is hewing to Gene Roddenberrys doctrinaire view of utopia this week. Nevertheless, we cant, and thats the point.

Its easy to look on in horror as a ten-year-old child is fed into a machine that keeps his civilization thriving. But its harder to acknowledge the young boys and girls no older than the First Servant, working in sweatshops to sew our clothes and build our electronics. Its tougher to reckon with the kids in cages punished for wanting to avail themselves of American security and opportunity. Its more painful to face the fact that some children get to grow up watching Star Trek and dreaming of a wondrous future while others die of preventable diseases.

It takes too long for Lift Us to get there, but that final speech is a gut punch and elevates the episode. Aloras point resonates. What her people do seems wrong, savage, and horrifying. But what our society does to maintain its standard of living is no better, only more indirect. The Majalans bear witness to their sacrifice, honor the service and memory of the child who provides for their largesse. Our comfort and luxury is born on the backs of young people whose suffering is no less. And yet, too many of us, your humble critic sadly included, do little more than look away.

Link:

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds & the morals of a world resigned to suffering - The Spool

TW: Child abuse, suicide, murder, sexual assault.

Netflixs latest true crime, Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, has brought to light one of the most terrifying cults of recent years. Using religion as an excuse for his own sick desires, Warren Jeffs abused children, controlled women and organised child sexual exploitation among his friends.

Many people have called the documentary traumatising but if you think you can stomach it, here are five other cults you need to read up on after finishing Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey.

Also known as The Peoples Temple, this genuinely tragic story began with a conman called Jim Jones.

Jones originally started out as a harmless Methodist minister, with dreams of starting a diverse, socialist commune. As his following began to grow, the leader started to suffer paranoia and delusions of grandeur. He truly believed a nuclear strike on the US could happen at any point, so he moved his home, family and entire sect to a bit of land in Guyana which he named Jonestown.

While based in Guyana, Jones became increasingly addicted to several different drugs. He was constantly scared he was losing his grip on the group, so turned to manipulation and abuse tactics in order to maintain his position as leader. The once-beautiful utopia quickly began to crumble at his feet, as sexual and physical abuse started to become the norm for his congregation.

In November 1978, a journalist investigating Jonestown was shot and killed by Jones himself. Fearing the US military would raid the commune and put an end to his power, Jim Jones instructed all 909 men, women and children to commit revolutionary suicide. Tragically, they did exactly as they were told.

Jones laced cups of Flavour Aid (commonly misreported as Kool-Aid) with cyanide a highly toxic substance. Various members of the cult drank it down, while most were forcibly injected. Jones later shot himself. This was, and still is, the largest loss of American life outside of natural disasters, terrorist attacks and war. And while it used to be thought of as a mass-suicide, we now know it to be a mass-murder.

Charles Manson radicalised a number of women most from middle-class backgrounds to join his family, also known as a commune or cult. Together, the Mansons murdered seven people, including actor Sharon Tate.

Manson was caught in 1970, and his was the longest murder trial in US history, lasting nine-and-a-half months. He was initially sentenced to death, but this was changed in 1977 to a life imprisonment. He died on 19th November 2017.

Youve probably never heard of this cult by name but youll almost definitely know about the Waco Siege of 1993.

The Branch Davidians were lead by David Koresh an expelled member of the Southern Baptist Church. Hed been thrown out for attempting to convince his pastor that God wanted Koresh to take his daughter for a wife. Stranded, he decided instead to join the Branch Davidians a new religion cult based in Waco, Texas. He changed his name from Vernon Wayne Howell to David Koresh, and became leader in 1983.

Just like Warren Jeffs in Keep Sweet, Koresh allegedly physically and sexually abused a number of children within his congregation, as well as marrying several of them. Authorities began investigating Koresh for his crimes in 1992, just one year before Waco.

Government agents, Texas police and the US military began searching the Waco ranch with a warrant on 28th February 1993. This caused a gunfight between everyone involved, resulting in the killings of four officials and six Branch Davidians. The authorities failures led to a 51-day siege which ended in the FBI attacking the ranch, attempting to gas the Davidians out.

David Koreshs Waco ranch blew up in flames killing 76 Branch Davidians. Two pregnant women, 25 children and Koresh himself each died at the scene.

Sources dispute the actual cause of the fire some say it was the gas itself, others say Davidians secretly started it in a counter-attack.

Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles known to their followers as Ti and Do started a cult based on the idea that its followers could transform themselves into immortal aliens. Originally, they believed theyd manage to get to heaven alive, on a spaceship. But after Nettles died from liver cancer in 1985, they changed their minds.

Followers of Heavens Gate were then told the body was just a container for the soul, and theyd ascend to new levels of immortality after death.

In 1997, Applewhite recorded an hour-long video called Dos Final Exit, in which he detailed the groups plans to commit mass-suicide. They truly thought their souls would be taken straight to heaven on a UFO.

Sadly, 39 members of Heavens Gate were found dead in March 1997, including Marshall Applewhite. The BBC was among those who received Applewhites suicide note as Louis Theroux had actually pitched an episode of Weird Weekends surrounding the cult.

David Berg also known as King David and Father David founded the Family International in 1968. This cult allegedly runs on child sexual exploitation, promoting free love between people regardless of age. Rose McGowan and the Phoenix family (including River and Joaquin) were brought up in the cult, and subsequently escaped.

Former member Verity Watt told BBC News: It actively encouraged sexual activities among minors as young as two or three years old.

The cult is still going today, but David Berg died on 1st October 1994.

Featured image via 7News/60 Minutes Australia/ABC before edits.

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Five horrifying cults to read up on after you finish Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey - The Tab

From fantastical childrens books to heart-rending memoirs, take a look at whats new this week

Fiction

1. Vladimir by Julia May Jonas is published in hardback by Picador, priced 14.99 (ebook 12.99). Available now

Vladimir is an interesting take on the #MeToo movement told not from the perspective of the survivor or victim, but from someone else. Our narrator is an English professor at a small college in New England, who despite having an open relationship and knowing about the affairs is grappling with her husband coming under investigation for historic relationships with students. Things become even more complicated when a new, young professor joins the college, and the unnamed narrator becomes increasingly obsessed with him. While the book initially feels edgy and nuanced, by the end, it veers into melodrama which somewhat takes away from the realism, and it ultimately feels like Jonas hasnt quite decided what she wants the books message to be. While its an interesting, readable and prescient take on issues society is still dealing with, it perhaps couldve done with a lighter touch and a clearer vision.7/10(Review by Prudence Wade)

2. Ungrateful by Angela Chadwick is published in hardback by Dialogue Books, priced 18.99 (ebook 7.99). Available now

Ungrateful tells the story of Cat, a woman who missed out on university as a teenager, and now, in a relationship that is comfortable but unfulfilling, finds herself trying to make up for lost time. This is a book that tries to be many things a tale of second chances, relationships and a social commentary. At times it feels bogged down in unnecessary detail. Cat is a complicated, flawed and interesting protagonist, but some of the secondary characters could do with further exploration. While the reader feels for the plight of some, such as Cats alcoholic mother Bernice and her colleague Laura, there is a sense of wanting to know more about their backstories. The novel is readable, but unlikely to stay in the readers mind after it is finished.6/10(Review by Alison Kershaw)

3. The Men by Sandra Newman is published in hardback by Granta Books, priced 14.99 (ebook 14.99). Available now

Feminist science fiction has long been gripped by the concept of a utopian society without men. Sandra Newmans latest novel, The Men, explores just that. When all of the men suddenly and inexplicably vanish from the face of the earth, a new society emerges, and is unnervingly enthralled by an evolving series of video clips that show the men acting peculiarly in a strange alternate world. Focused on the harrowing, intertwining past and present of Jane Pearson and Evangelyne Moreau, Newman ambitiously delves into disturbing themes of racism, sexual assault, police violence, and coercive control. Yet her wonderful prose is let down by a meandering narrative that seems lost in its own confusion. Jane and Evangelyne arent especially likeable, and the purported feminist utopia is thwarted by female violence against trans men and a morally questionable emerging political entity. Add to that a mind-bending conclusion, and youre left wondering whether you should feel offended, terrified, or beguiled.5/10(Review by Rebecca Wilcock)

Non-fiction

4. Black Sheep: A Story Of Rural Racism, Identity And Hope by Sabrina Pace-Humphreys is published in hardback by Quercus, priced 16.99 (ebook 9.99). Available June 9

From growing up feeling out of place in a small town, to becoming pregnant as a teen, battling bigots and running ultramarathons, Sabrina Pace-Humphreyss anti-racist manifesto is deeply personal. A blend of storytelling and direction, Pace-Humphreys shares the darkest lows of her life and the incredible ambition she had to push through them, overcoming her circumstances in a world that tried to marginalise her while also clearing the way for other black women along the way. This is a brilliant exploration of what it means to be mixed-race in Britain, and how our trauma shapes us. Although sometimes overcrowded, and often too fast-paced, it is an excellent non-fiction debut.8/10(Review by Imy Brighty-Potts)

Childrens book of the week

5. Escape To The River Sea by Emma Carroll is published in hardback by Macmillan Childrens Books, priced 12.99(ebook 7.49). Available June 9

Escaping the Nazis before the Second World War was never going to be enough adventure for Rosa Sweetman. Living in an English stately home with a group of other evacuees, she craves fresh excitement and she gets rather more than she bargained for when she comes across the Nazis again, this time in the South American jungle. Escape To The River Sea weaves together the hopes and fears of a young girl, giving a fascinating insight into the life of the indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest and the deadly world of international espionage. It takes the reader on a colourful and thrill-packed journey, as Rosa and her young friends battle to thwart the bad guys. The book pays fitting homage to the late Eva Ibbotson, whose own work and life inspired this story.8/10(Review by Roddy Brooks)

BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING JUNE 4

HARDBACK (FICTION)1. Lessons In Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus2. The Murders At Fleat House by Lucinda Riley3. Lion by Conn Iggulden4. Book Of Night by Holly Black5. With A Mind To Kill by Anthony Horowitz6. Elektra by Jennifer Saint7. Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart8. One Of The Girls by Lucy Clarke9. Bad Actors by Mick Herron10. People Person by Candice Carty-Williams(Compiled by Waterstones)

HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)1. Hope by Tom Parker2. Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Dr Julie Smith3. Good Pop, Bad Pop by Jarvis Cocker4. House Arrest by Alan Bennett5. Russia by Antony Beevor6. The Premonitions Bureau by Sam Knight7. Buried by Alice Roberts8. Lilibet by A.N. Wilson9. Life Time by Russell Foster10. The Queen: 70 Glorious Years(Compiled by Waterstones)

AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NON-FICTION)1. Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Dr Julie Smith2. Lessons In Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus3. From The Oasthouse by Alan Partridge4. I Dont Take Requests by Tony Marnoch & Michael Hennegan5. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman6. Sparring Partners by John Grisham7. With A Mind To Kill by Anthony Horowitz8. Atomic Habits by James Clear9. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman10. The Couple At No. 9 by Claire Douglas(Compiled by Audible)

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5 new books to read this week - NewsChain

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Deane transforms The Iliad in this masterful retelling starring Achilles as a trans woman. The novel opens with Achilles on the island Skyros, which provides sanctuary to trans women like her. She has no intention of joining Odysseus and fighting in the Trojan War, but when Athena, her mother, appears to her in a dream bidding her to accompany Odysseus and join the Trojan War, and in exchange grants Achilles her most ardent hope for her body to be a womans Achilles changes her mind. In Troy, she reunites with Patroklos and his Egyptian wife, Meryapi, and the three become fast friends. A bloody war plays out while, behind the scenes, Achilles grapples with dismantling masculine-based hierarchies. Meanwhile, the vengeful, bloodthirsty gods watch, greedy for the kind of entertainment war brings. This is a bold, necessary retelling, brilliantly imagined.

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This delightful mix of fantasy and science fiction set among the classical violin scene revolves around three main characters. Famed violin teacher Shizuka Satomi, known as the Queen of Hell in the violin world, made a pact with the devil to deliver seven souls. Once she has, she'll be able to perform her music once more. She's already delivered six souls and is struggling to find her seventh. Katrina Nguyen, whose most cherished possession is her violin, flees her home because her abusive family doesn't accept her as a trans woman. She has no safe place to escape to. Lan Tran, an alien starship captain, fled an intergalactic war with her family across space and landed in a donut shop which they bought and now run. When these three characters meet, they form their own found family, but with the devil knocking, their relationships and their lives are in peril.

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Written in brief excerpts, My Volcano is an absurd and moving examination of peoples reactions when the unexpected happens. A volcano suddenly appearing in Central Park and growing over the next two weeks to a massive size sparks a series of surreal occurrences worldwide. A giant insect consumes a woman in Russia, but no one notices. An 8-year-old boy is transported from the present to Tenochtitlan before the arrival of Cortez. A white trans man in New Jersey attempts to write a utopia set on another planet while the giant volcano looms nearby. Buildings sprout animal legs, and dreams become haunted. These stories unfold and build to a bigger narrative of the present.

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This mind-blowing collection of six dystopian short stories grapples with a future of surveillance, racism, and police states from the lens of queer people of color. Despite the dystopian setting, the queer characters demonstrate ways of being and viewing the world that focuses on community building and freedom of expression, suggesting a possible utopian future, a utopia briefly glimpsed in the closing story. Unsurprisingly, music plays a big part in community building, with an underground music scene providing safe spaces for queer folk and people of color, much like in Mones albums. Its a stunning collection of short stories written with a group of collaborators that include award-winning authors and sociologists.

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The Tensorate series combines all four of Neon Yangs expertly crafted silkpunk novellas. In this world, children decide their gender and, until they make a decision, use they/them pronouns. The first two novellas follow twins Mokoya and Akeha. As children, their mother, the Protector, sold them to the Grand Monastery, where they are raised. While there, Mokoya who decides shes female discovers a talent for prophecy, while Akeha who decides hes male learns to read people and their political maneuvering. Fed up with his mother, Akeha leaves the monastery and joins the rebels, but in doing so he leaves his sister behind. Meanwhile, Mokoya, disturbed by how her prophecies never seem to affect the future, abandons her husband and the monastery in search of the naga that killed her child. The last two novellas focus on political threats to the Protectorate. Also watch out for Yangs forthcoming space opera The Genesis of Misery, which releases in September.

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This trans vampire romance is super charming. Trans male vampire Sol has the perfect job as an archivist. He sifts through the artifacts of peoples lives in a windowless basement, secretly living there at night without his employers knowledge. When fan writer and organizer Elsie walks in wanting to donate her deceased wifes papers, Sol immediately falls for her. However, their budding romance is anything but easy as Sol tries to navigate blood lust, anti-trans discrimination, finding a new home, and a mystery thats destroying the archives. Its a weird but delightful read, and I especially enjoyed the audiobook narrated by Dani Martineck.

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This super-fun space opera features numerous LGBTQ+ characters in a queer normative future. Max Carmichael (who is asexual) has just joined the crew of Zumas Ghost, a ship in the Near-Earth Orbital Guard. With the annual boarding games coming up, the crew needs to be in tiptop shape and ready to work together as a team, but Max throws a wrench in their plans. At first nervous about joining the tight-knit crew, Max soon develops a rapport with everyone on board. When it becomes clear someone is targeting the crew of Zumas Ghost and wants them dead, the crew moves to investigate. They discover a far-reaching plot that puts Max and many more at risk. Also check out the second book in this series, Hold Fast Through the Fire.

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This lovely and surreal metanarrative novella is like nothing else Ive ever read. The city Ora uses a living network called the Gleaming to maintain peace. Anima (who uses /r pronouns) is an extrasensory, nonbinary human who can plug into the Gleaming to watch its inhabitants and its borders. When a mysterious visitor with a trunk arrives, Animas equilibrium is disrupted. Within the trunk are various seemingly mundane objects, and as Anima explores the stories behind each object, begins to question r part of the Gleaming and to wonder if maybe wants something more.

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Jebi is a nonbinary artist hired by the Ministry of Armour to paint magical sigils onto masks for the conquering government's automata. Jebi doesnt consider themself political, but after befriending a pacifist dragon automata, Jebi decides theyll do whatever it takes to keep the dragon from becoming a weapon of war used to kill and subdue their people. Unfortunately, Jebi discovers that sometimes you have to choose a side. Rich in character development, this inventive stand-alone fantasy is a beautiful look at art and pacifism in a time of war.

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Ivy Gamble is perfectly happy, thank you very much. She has her own place, albeit empty, and a 14-year career as a P.I. that barely sustains her drinking habit. Shes also a liar who lies as much to herself as to others. Sure, shes not magical like her estranged twin sister Tabitha, a professor at Osthorne Academy for Young Mages, but that doesnt make her any less important. The two havent spoken to one another in years. All of that changes when a murder at the Academy brings Ivy to the school to investigate. Her investigation to uncover the murderer forces Ivy to confront her real feelings about magic and her sister. This is a super-fun fantasy mystery set in the contemporary world with many queer characters.

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Callender sets their first adult novel in a dark and vivid fictional world based on the colonization and enslavement of the Caribbean islands and their peoples. Sigourney Rose is the child of one of her islands noble-born conquerors who practice magic and one of the enslaved women. After her entire family is murdered, she devotes herself to planning her revenge. When the childless king invites all the nobles to attend to him so he can choose an heir, Sigourney leaps at the chance to attend and possibly avenge her familys death. King of the Rising is the second and final book in the duology. Callender has won numerous awards for their fiction, including a Stonewall Book Award and a Lambda Literary Award.

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In an alternative, contemporary Britain, war has left the magical community in shambles. Her Majesty's Royal Coven (HMRC), once the primary magical force protecting the monarchy and country, is now far weaker than it once was. Friends Helena, Leonie, Niamh, and Elle once happily joined HMRC and pledged to protect the Queen and Britain's government, but now the friends have split and gone their separate ways. Helena still very much believes in rejuvenating the HMRC and seeing it reach its former glory. Meanwhile, Elle is a housewife, Niamh a magical veterinarian, and Leonie the leader of a new coven dedicated to welcoming witches from marginalized backgrounds. Conflict erupts between the friends and covens when a powerful teen warlock is discovered in an orphanage, and everyone has differing ideas on how to deal with him. This intriguing first book in a series grapples with some of the problems in modern feminism and its lack of intersectionality and rejection of trans women.

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Dimos Horacki, a 23-year-old queer Borolian journalist, is sent to write a report on a Borolian general on the front after the Empire declares war on a new group of supposed savages called the Hron. None of the soldiers like him much, which is fair because he doesnt like them either. When Hron rebels kill the general and capture Dimos, he at first fears for his life. However, the longer he stays with the Hron, the more problematic the Borolian Empire seems. The anti-capitalist Hron have built a realm based on utopian principles, but, as Dimos tells the villages as he travels through them, that doesnt protect them from the Borolian. This utopian fantasy reminiscent of Ursula K. Le Guin is a thought-provoking read.

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In this queernormative Persian-inspired world, nonbinary healer Firuz must keep their past as a blood magic practitioner secret from everyone in their new home in the Free Democratic City-State of Qilwa. Despite needing to keep such an essential part of themself secret, they enjoy the safety their new home in Qilwa provides as well as their work with the healer Kofi. When a young and powerful blood-magic user Afsoneh arrives at the clinic, Firuz agrees to train her in blood magic secretly and adopts her into their home where they live with their son. Firuzs secret is threatened when he and Kofi discover a new illness that appears to be caused by inept blood magic. This lovely character-driven novella gently explores weighty themes of identity, colonialism, refugee status, illness, and more.

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This slow-burn romantic fantasy with a heavy dose of political intrigue is rich in world-building and emotional angst. Prince Kadou of Arasht has always had anxiety and panic attacks, and this leaves him often feeling shy and awkward at court, where his sister is queen. After his sister gives birth, Kadou vows to help with the infant and to take more responsibility in court. However, when an altercation with his sisters husband leaves several bodyguards dead, he loses his sisters trust. His new bodyguard, Evemer Hokadem, clearly dislikes Kadou and considers him cowardly. When someone breaks into one of the kingdoms guilds, Kadou decides to investigate in the hope of winning back his sisters trust. He brings along his new bodyguard, and the two discover a plot that could destroy both queen and kingdom. Rowland sets A Taste of Gold and Iron in a queernormative fantasy world.

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In all their fiction from the fascinating Birdverse world, Lemberg centers marginalized identities: queer, trans, neurodiverse, elderly, and more The Unbalancing is Lembergs first novel-length book to take place in the Birdverse. Its a poetic and magical Atlantis-esque novel and a perfect introduction to the Birdverse. The Star of the Tides brings magic to the islands of Gelle-Geu, but the star is dying. New starkeeper Ranra Kekeri maps the increasing tremors on the islands with worry and knows she must be the one to unravel why the Star of the Tides is dying, and how much time is left. Nonbinary poet and recluse Ergra Liln can spin a poem from a sliver of an idea. When their ancestor bids them to become a starkeeper, theyre forced to leave behind their preferred quiet and join Ranra in her quest to save the islands.

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This YA postapocalyptic novel depicts queer perseverance and hope in the face of overwhelming odds. Years ago, a cult called the Angels cleansed the Earth by creating a virus that wiped out most of the Earths population. This became known as the Flood. The Angels raise trans boy Benji Woodside, now 16 years old, as the viruss perfect host, turning him into a bioweapon. Benji manages to escape the cults experimentation and abuse and joins a group of queer teens at the Acheson LGBTQ+ Center in their rebellion against the Angels. Meanwhile, the cults virus begins to eat away at his body, transforming him into a monster. Its a powerful read.

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This innovative YA science fiction integrates figures from Chinese history into a futuristic, feminist plot. Eighteen-year-old Zetian based on Empress Regnant Wu, the only woman ever to rule China (during the Tang dynasty) plans to avenge her sisters death. She volunteers to become the concubine-pilot to the man who killed her sister in the hopes of assassinating him. Pilots defend Huaxia from aliens by using giant robots called Chrysalises. Psychic energy powers these robots. Male pilots channel the concubine woman pilots psychic energy to battle the aliens, and sometimes those women pilots die in the process. However, when Zetian goes into battle as the subservient woman pilot, she drains the male pilots psychic energy. She emerges from the Chrysalis as the Iron Widow, a woman who can suck the psychic powers of men and steer the Chrysalis herself. Officials try to force her into compliance by pairing her with the strongest male pilot, but Zetian refuses to be a tool for any man.

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Every 10 years, the Sunbearer Trials are held in Reino del Sol. Ten semidises compete in magical trials, with the winner bringing light to the temples of Reino del Sol and the looser sacrificing themselves to help power the sun and keep the cruel Obsidian gods at bay. Teo a 17-year-old trans semidis and son of Quetzal, the goddess of birds has no expectations of being chosen for the trials. Instead, he worries about Sol choosing his talented friends to compete in the trials. Teo is a mere Jade semidis, after all, and Sol always chooses from the Golds. However, this year, Sol chooses two non-Gold semidises to compete: Teo and 13-year-old Xio. Now Teo finds himself competing for his life in a game he never expected to be a part of. This first book in a new Mexican-inspired YA fantasy series from the author of The Cemetary Boys is such a fun, super-queer read.

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This sapphic dark academia is full of twists, romance, unreliable characters, nods to classic literature, and all the gothic feels. After Felicity Morrow's girlfriend died in a tragic accident, she took a year off from school for therapy. Now she's back at the prestigious all-girls Dalloway School, living in her old room in Godwin House. Godwin House has a history of witches and murder, and before the accident, Felicity was obsessed with that history and dabbled in witchcraft. Now she's sworn off all of that, but when the attractive teenage prodigy Ellis Haley moves into Godwin House to write a novel about the houses history and the witches who died there, Felicity finds herself drawn back into the dark magic she swore she'd never do again. I listened to this on audio, and it was excellently narrated by Lindsey Dorcus. As a Southerner, I especially appreciated her Southern accent for Ellis Haley's character, which wasn't too over the top.

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Sideways Pike is a classic high school goth. Shes a self-proclaimed witch and lesbian whos always clad in black and on permanent outsider status at school. When the three most popular girls in school invite her to spell cast at their party for $40, she takes them up on their offer and to Sideways surprise, the girls befriend her. Together, the four form a patriarchy-busting coven that gets into tons of trouble. This YA fantasy is a snarky, witchy, queer blast. The second book in the series, The Scratch Daughters, releases in October.

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Jam is a Black trans girl who lives in the utopian city of Lucille, where the angels vanquished all the monsters long ago, or so Jam and her best friend Redemption are taught in school. Then one day, a creature climbs out of a painting and tells Jam theres a monster in her midst. She names him Pet, and the two must find the monster before its too late. This engaging and heart-wrenching read shows how sometimes the monsters are the ones that appear to be the safest. The second book in the series, Bitter, was released earlier this year.

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This lovely YA fantasy centers two neurodiverse trans nonbinary Mexican American teens. Bastin creates alebrijes (Mexican animal sculptures) to help calm their spinning thoughts and relieve their anxiety. Their alebrijes populate Lakelore, the towns lake, and form a magical landscape there. While initially, the alebrijes and magical world was a place of solace for Bastin, as the novel progresses, the alebrijes act more and more erratic. Meanwhile, Lore has recently moved back to town. After an incident with a bully when they were a child, they experienced the lakes magic. Another violent incident has forced Lore and their family to move once more, but the incident haunts them, and they struggle with PTSD. When the lakes magic explodes and begins to haunt Bastin and Lores steps, the two must find a way to come to terms with their past traumas and embrace their unique ways of looking at the world.

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In this YA romp, Wyatt, a teen trans man hiding from the fae in the human world, is a witch. After accidentally setting fire to much of a town in the fae kingdom, he escaped and has now been pseudo adopted by an Indigenous American family who embrace his trans identity. While living in the fae kingdom, the fae prince Emyr bonded with him, and the two were engaged to be married. Four years later, Wyatt thinks he's safe in the human world, but then Emyr shows up and demands he return to the fae kingdom as his fianc. Wyatt feels he has no choice but to accompany Emyr, but this time he brings an ally, his best friend and sister by adoption, Briar. The audiobook read by Dani Martineck is a blast to listen to. The second book in the series, The Fae Keeper, was released earlier this year, and its just as fun as the first.

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The Hope Juvenile Treatment Center may claim to rehabilitate juvenile delinquents, but their treatment of the teens in their care is borderline abusive. When a plague sweeps the world, instead of informing the teenagers of the problem, the guards and every adult associated with the center abandon them, leaving them with very little food or medical supplies. When a group tries to leave the center, one of them is shot out of fear that they might be contagious. The defiant Grace is appointed as de facto leader of the center, while Leah, nonverbal and autistic, takes over food distribution after her twin sister is the first to come down with the plague. Emerson, a nonbinary violinist kicked out of their home by their strict Catholic parents, takes up the responsibility of burying the dead. This compulsive YA postapocalyptic novel shows how the "problem" teens, whom society would rather forget, can step up and make things better when given the respect they deserve.

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This YA space opera takes human teens into a galactic world where being queer is normal. Soon after she was born, aliens brought Tina to her adoptive human mother, telling her that one day Tinas internal beacon would alight and the aliens would come back for her. Now Tina is a teenager, and shes begun to have flashbacks from a previous life when an assassin was trying to kill her. Shes also started to glow. Part of her wants to fulfill her destiny and finally discover who she really is but another part doesnt want to leave her friends and family and face the dangers of an uncertain, alien future. This compulsive read perfectly captures teenage voices and feelings even as it travels from a normal teenage life on Earth to galactic battles. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Hynden Walch, who made it feel like Tina was sitting beside me and telling me her story. I also loved the second book in the series, Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak, which was released earlier this year.

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The rest is here:

26 Science Fiction And Fantasy Novels By Trans And Nonbinary Authors - BuzzFeed News

I have to say here and now, that no artist like Skeng will ever come again into this country.

Thats the word from Guyanas Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn, who has effectively banned the Protocol deejay and many other Dancehall artists from performing publicly in the country. The Minister said he has directed his Ministry and the Guyana Police Force to withhold their consent and approval for any future public performances featuring Skeng or any artist, whose lyrical content promotes the type of behavior seen at the Baderation show held in May.

Benn was speaking at the opening of the Community Relations Department of the Guyana Police Force on Friday morning when he made the announcement.

If they want, they can go into a private club and behave as badly as they want. But we will not sign off on any such artist or any artist who has a record of promoting vulgar and lawless behaviour including the firing of gunshots in public places. We reject it completely, Benn declared.

Benn has also indicated that he intends to get Skengs music taken off the airwaves in Guyana, after the artist supposedly called the countrys capital Gun Town.

I was sent this morning a video of the fellow putting out a new line about Georgetown as the Gun Town, Benn said. Im going to move to have it taken off the airwaves and removed from social media. We want to hand over to our children a better country and better life than we have had. That is what we want.

Skengs latest song is Gang Bang, the video for which was shot in Trinidad.

We are ambushed by situations where people take advantage of opportunities provided for them, for the entertainment business, where they bring in artists into this country and put on a public stage, disgraceful music, words, and behaviour. And it engenders perhaps the only type of behaviour, one would expect from what was seen on the stage from one called Skeng, recently, the Minister had also said.

Besides Skeng, the Minister did not name any other artists.

However, Crocodile Teeth deejay Skillibeng is reportedly expected to perform in Berbice, Guyana in August, according to News Room Guyana. We are going to try to put systems in place for persons who are carrying licensed firearms to have those firearms secured at a convenient location where they can be retrieved after the event, Regional Commander Kurleigh Simon said earlier this week.

We have taken note of the last public show they had at the National Park and what transpired and we dont want to be caught up in that, so we are putting systems in place to ensure the region is policed before, during, and after that particular event (Guyana Cup), Commander Simon explained.

On May 27, 2022, Skengs Baderation Dancehall concert at the National Park came to an abrupt end after several patrons began recklessly firing gunshots in the air and throwing bottles.

Shaneil Muir and Young Bredda also performed at the show, which was organized by Hits and Jams Entertainment as part of their lineup of Genesis X Utopia events.

According to videos that made the rounds on social media, Skeng, whose given name is Kevaun Douglas was performingProtocolfor the sizable crowd, which influenced supporters to buss literal shots to show their approval. The Jamaican entertainer, who was fully immersed into his set, was then whisked away by members of his entourage as some patrons scampered for safety.

The Police Force reported that they had launched an investigation into the incident and one person was arrested with an illegal firearm at the event. Following the show, the promoters met with other stakeholders and changes were implemented for future concerts including a ban on glass bottles and the use of security scanners.

Skeng is not the first Jamaican artist to be banned in Guyana.

In 2008, Mavado was briefly blacklisted based on his then association with Bounty Killer, who had headlined a show at the National Park that was marred by sporadic gun salutes, two weeks prior.

In 2011, Vybz Kartel was forbidden from being played on the local airwaves for some of his more obscene and hardcore lyrics. In retaliation, Kartel said he would never return to the country.

I refused to go there before the ban was imposed so that ban wasnt necessary. I banned myself. Big up the Guyanese Gaza fans but I would sooner tour Iraq than go to Guyana, Kartel was quoted as saying by the Jamaica Star.

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Skeng And Many Dancehall Artists Are Now Banned In Guyana, Says Minister - DancehallMag