These are my sentiments exactly, very excited to see this getting closer to release. If I had to sum up my feelings of enthusiasm, I’d quote Lea’s joyous line: “Hi! Lea! Hi!”

CrossCode has some of the funnest and most satisfying mechanics of all time for me, and seeing that same kind of slick combat and use of powers for exploration seems like they kept everything that made it so fantastic while creating something new that’s dripping with style.

Since CrossCode also had one of the most emotionally effective uses of story pacing for me as well (and because I loved Lea’s limited access to a full vocabulary and the excitement when Sergey would break his way through the communication system so she can access a new word), I’m very curious what it’s going to be like with a protagonist that speaks in full.

Definitely, in the show when we start meeting characters from their home city and really start to hear details about how they grew up it was such an eye opener. As soon as I heard there was a novella I smashed through it for the moment-to-moment details and really felt like I understood a lot about the character, by the end thinking “you know, all things considered, this character is actually far more well-adjusted than I gave them credit for initially” which, given the character, is saying something.

I squeezed in the first chapter of Leech earlier today and it’s very much the kind of “different” that I’ve been looking for! Getting these insights into how a character with a consciousness across multiple bodies thinks and feels is fascinating. Also, the description of the autopsy very much reminds me of watching Castlevania where I’m impressed and intrigued while also knowing there is no way I could read this book and eat food at the same time haha.

Hmm you might have also convinced me to check out The Host after this. I’d adamantly stayed away from it because I got sent the first book from the big series she’s known for in a care package and read it since the girl I was dating at the time really liked it, and it was one of the most miserable reading experiences of my life. Nothing against the swathes of people that loved her big blockbuster series, and I’m not saying reading them makes people dumber, but for me I found it harder and harder to think the further I got in and that terrified me. But, even the author herself said she wants to be remembered for The Host but knows people will only remember her big hit series instead. If it really is enough of a step up for her and others to say that, and it serves as a comparison to the kind of narrator perspective in Leech, I might just have to give her another shot.

I think that’s definitely one of the reasons Leech sounds so intriguing to me, I kind of just want to see how the unified consciousness is written as the main (instead of a side character) and as a parasite instead of a collective, especially in such an unusual mystery plot – it’s so different that I figure I gotta satiate that curiosity. After carefully checking out some non-spoiler reviews, I’m gonna go for that one first since I feel like I might need something light and fun like Starter Villain to recover afterward.

And I am with you on The Expanse books and 100% think it’s because we watched the show first – especially since that show brought the actual authors of the books into the writers room for the entire series (for anyone stumbling across this that are confused, the author “James S.A. Corey” is actually a pseudonym for the two people that wrote the books, Ty Corey Franck and Daniel Abraham). With the actual creators, plus an incredible showrunner that really helped them navigate how to keep the heart and stability of their story world while making some necessary changes for the medium, translated extremely well to screen.

But that also means we’ve essentially gone through the three main things that makes The Expanse so compelling already (at least to me):

1. First, the careful balance between “science” and “fiction” that considers so many details. It makes it realistic and believable while also understanding it’s an epic fictional story. Stuff like the muscle difference of people depending on how much gravitational force they grew up with is fascinating, with Belters having lived their lives in low gravity stations and Martian military training extra hard in order to withstand the same level of gravity that Earthers are naturally conditioned to. Normally that would be extremely fascinating to read, but because the show did such a fantastic job at explaining it, it was more of a nod and an appreciation for the elaboration on the effects of it.

2. Then, the characters. Even with the differences, it’s easy to see why so many people that read the books before the show ended up embracing the cast in its entirety after being initially put off. While Amos and Bobbie look a little more beastly in the books, most anyone that was initially put off admitted that the actor for Amos ended up being so true to that guy that him being too pretty for the part quickly faded from their minds. Same thing with Bobbie, as realistically the fact that casting found an actress with the height, ethnicity, muscle and real-world competitive fight experience to come close to the Bobbie character in the book is a miracle in itself (and my bias for having a massive crush on Frankie Adams as well as every actress in the show). For that reason, for the most part, instead of being fascinated by Amos’ adjusting and growing, Bobbie’s Martian education and patriotism and her exposure to the reality of the universe, and just wanting more Avasarala dialogue, it’s kind of just reminding you why they are such fascinating characters instead of pulling you in to understand them – after the show, in a lot of ways, we already were captivated at unraveling these people and already have done so.

3. Finally, the most compelling thing for me was the need to know WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! There are political stakes, thriller sequences, tough decisions, all done with the grace that causes someone to say “I can’t stop now, just one more episode” or “just one more chapter” and keep going. Because of the show, we, for the most part, already know what’s going to happen.

I found the books to be very well written, but with these three main draws already having played out in the show, they didn’t give me that addictive rush I usually get from a good book that turns me into a page-flipping fiend that just can’t put the damn thing down. That said, the elaboration is fantastic. I was confused by the guns on the space station in the show initially since they don’t explain there is different ammo until either near the end of the first season or even later. When the books clarified, in satisfying detail, the plastic gyro rounds used on space stations that are designed to puncture human flesh but not pierce the walls of a space station, and that normal bullets are still used in other environments, was great. All this stuff about reducing gun recoil for use in space, etc., all were a treat to read. Even when not perfect, the added details on top of the thought they put into trying to convey some realistic use of the laws of physics, etc., elevates the believability of the books to a new level. Other than that, it is a lot of just “spot the difference” for us that have seen the show. It’s interesting to say “oh okay so this is different from the show but I see how they’re going to get there still” or “ah so they must have realized these events weren’t enough to justify adding another character on the show with limited screentime, so they just rolled that character’s actions into Camina Drummer’s character, which worked well.” Extra tech, characters, bigger differences, etc., are all nice to bring you in closer to this story universe I love so much, but at the end of the day the need-to-know stuff is mostly already in our memories.

I also think that’s why, like you, I really enjoyed the novellas. They added so much extra to a story universe that I didn’t want to leave yet. The Churn was actually the first thing I read because the reveal of [redacted]'s upbringing was so eye opening that finding out there was a novella further explaining just what made this person who they are today felt like a must-read addition to such an interesting character.

I have never heard of Leech (Ennes) or Starter Villain (Scalzi) but both sound intriguing in completely different ways. It’s been a while but you might just have gotten me to start reading something longer form again.

Also, massive props for not just including some of the main books in the series starting with Leviathan Wakes but for also including Gods of Risk and The Churn on here. The Expanse is so compelling that those novellas really add an extra something special!

I just looked into it, kind of surprised I didn’t know Kilian Eng’s name with so much work out there. Really cool stuff that also sent me down a rabbit hole of other stuff Floating World Comics has republished.

Sansa bonanza!

1. “Stay gold, Ponyboy!” -The Outsiders (1983)
2. “Stay gold, Cheesy Boy!” -Reservation Dogs (2021-2023)
3. “Take it sleazy.” -The Good Place (2016-2020)

It’s never explicitly explained, with the most being the other characters saying that they don’t think he’s ever seen the movie Gattaca and doesn’t know what it’s about, and Rafi later confirming he had no idea it was a movie.

Since Rafi’s character is defined by being as uninformed, devoid of all decency, and chaotic as possible, I think that it completely fits though. Especially since most of his lines are improvised by Mantzoukas, who would be clever enough to use a similar-sounding movie title in place of an actual event for Rafi’s character. Adding to that, there is another scene in later seasons where Rafi is getting kicked out of a store and he says that they’ll have to call in the police and the FBI to get him out of there, again shouting “Gattaca” which definitely plays into your theory.

If anyone gets the chance to ask Jason Mantzoukas a question, this is the one to ask about! Until then, I think this just became my headcanon. GATTACA!

I don’t use it very often but I misuse the word “Gattaca” on purpose sometimes. In reality it’s the title of the 1997 film that’s named from the letters G,A,T, and C, referring to guanine, adenin, thymine and cytosine, the four nucleobases of DNA.

But on the TV show The League, the character Rafi (Jason Mantzoukas) screams it as his battle cry during paintball, completely oblivious to what it actually means or that it’s the title of a movie. I urge you all to misuse this word at some point as well – if you ever need to hype yourself up, try screaming “GATTACA!” as your battle cry!

Whoa whoa whoa, the pilot episode for Olan Rogers’ new show is out?! Looking forward to watching this, thanks for the heads up!

Apparently they’re called “butt babies” according to James Gunn’s Peacemaker.

A lot of big names attached to working on this which is great, but I still hope some of the original writers can get on this. If no one else, I’d at least like to see Greg Weisman involved.

I know Greg’s working on the comics but ultimately I’d love to see him able to finish the original animated series too.

Oh I thought he was long gone since Nocturne takes place about 300 years after the original series ended. I think he stayed human until the very end and returned to his home to lead and create a life for himself, but did he end up doing some eternal life enchantment stuff that I don’t remember? He was definitely a top tier character for me so I’d love to at least hear about him even if he’s gone and we don’t get to see him.

It didn’t occur to me until you mentioned it but now I’m looking forward to seeing how they’ll bring in that familiar. I think you’re right that it’ll have to be something she works toward summoning. I’m curious if Olrox might assist in that journey with his vast experience in animal shapeshifting and ancient knowledge, but that’s just a thought at this point and not really a theory I’m committed to.

The first Castlevania series definitely felt far more concerned with building a story that had the spirit of the games but completely could stand on its own merit. Nocturne seems more like it was written with the idea of crafting a story to simply serve the action sequences. As such I think the original had action that felt like more was at stake (a pun I know), whereas Nocturne felt like the action was more just to look really cool even when it had the heroes losing during fights.

I think focusing on the brutality of vampires and night creatures during the first season of the original show along with the depth of the characters really helped the fight sequences feel more dire. Here I felt like I was just watching really cool fight choreography without a lot of weight.

That said, I still enjoyed it. I may not have been clamoring to find out what happens next like I did binging through each season of the original. But, even watching Nocturne at a slower pace without a lot of interest to see the events unfold or the characters continue was still enjoyable. For me, the original stands as a really good show, whereas Nocturne is just fun entertainment. That said, I am definitely intrigued by the conscious night creatures turning against their intended purpose in Nocturne, am really liking Zahn McClarnon’s performance and character, and think that having a certain son of a certain vampire throughout season 2 might ramp things up a bit.

Despite my issues with the new show I enjoyed it and am glad you brought up Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night! One of the big pros for me was seeing Maria’s powers in action. I’ve got so many memories of these little pixelated birds and creatures from the games that finally seeing Maria summon these beings in detailed, fully-realized animated form years later was super satisfying. It was like “ohhh that’s what her attacks actually look like!”

I was really getting into the new dynamic that Zara brought to the agency and didn’t realize this was the last season. The “Chill Barry” episode (Season 14 Episode 4) is up there as one of my favorites too. I can’t say that all seasons were on equal footing but I can earnestly say I thoroughly enjoyed each and every one and am glad it kept going this long.

At the end of an extremely fun show that made for a fantastic final legacy for Jessica Walter and George Coe, I have to say…uh…damnit I had something for this!

Crab people, crab people…

I want this painted in the style of Castlevania video game cover art.