books | favorite thing EVER

Nov 27, 2012 Posted by kormantic

1980s YA: SO RADICAL!

YA was hardcore in 1983, yo. I bought my original copy of The Grounding of Group Six at Barnes and Noble in Boston when I was 10 – the huge one on Boylston that looked like a... read more

Mar 14, 2012 Posted by kormantic

What time is it? (Adventure Time!)

What time is it? It’s Adventure Time! Come on, grab your friends! And a handy view screen with a solid cable connection. I can’t actually recommend that you buy the DVDs currently available, because for some weird reason, they don’t sell entire seasons? Who knows why. Happily, you can see episodes on Cartoon Network. The cartoon has huge, strong colors and a fluid style. The show focuses on Finn... read more

Mar 7, 2012 Posted by Nate

Fantasy Characters Behaving Politely

The problem with most popular fantasy is that it’s all reactions to Tolkien, either following staunchly in his footsteps (like David Eddings) or trying to deconstruct the heroic fantasy archetype (like Terry Pratchett). It’s a rare fantasy novel that ignores ol’ J. R. R. altogether. But Susanna Clarke’s first novel draws far more from Pride and Prejudice than Return of the King and is an altogether... read more

Feb 10, 2012 Posted by Nate

Still think the South Pole is Boring?

A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder is an odd book. I came across it in a collection of sci-fi stories I bought on my Kindle for a dollar, so that should tell you something. Specifically, it should tell you that the book is out of copyright, and I paid a buck too much, since you can easily find this book free on any platform. Which makes sense, as it was written in the 1800′s by James... read more

Aug 22, 2011 Posted by kormantic

A whirl of mystic ages and thrilling science

Although a geek girl at heart, I’ve never really read a great deal of Science Fiction. Some Bradbury, a dash of Heinlein, a little Gibson, fair bit of LeGuin, but not enough. Of what I... read more

Aug 4, 2011 Posted by penni

Bottom line: PJ Jones is funny

Really, that’s what it boils down to. The Vampire Handbook and Other Useful Rules and Regulations for Adapting to the Immortal Lifestyle is Jones’s latest offering. It’s a short read (about 6,000 words) guaranteed to brighten your otherwise gloomy, suck-filled life. It covers many things you may not have thought about while considering your lifestyle change to vampirism. For example: if you want... read more

Jul 22, 2011 Posted by matt

Comics fan or not, you gotta read this

I don’t know what your deal is. The things that we cover here at ftE are all over the map, so if you frequent this site you might enjoy comic books. Or you might be big into urban fantasy novels. Or goofy TV shows. Horror movies. Board games. Maybe you started reading Favorite Thing Ever when we did a piece on your beloved Spongebob Squarepants. The point I’m trying to make is, if you’re... read more

Jun 21, 2011 Posted by matt

Working Class Heroes: Top 10

Alan Moore is a legend in the world of comics. Watchmen, V for Vendetta, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The dude himself is I guess kind of a creepy old hermit, but his writing... read more