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Latest Topics

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The Rise of Fast Fiction and its Effect on the Publishing Industry

With the growing popularity of platforms like TikTok, micro-communities like BookTok are influencing the reading/publishing industry. A recent example of this is Rebecca Yarros’ ‘Fourth Wing’ which released in April 2023. The sequel to this, Iron Flame, was released in November 2023. This is an unusually short time line for traditionally published work and has lead to some quality issues. A vast amount of readers have reported issues with quality in terms of printing (i.e. whole chapters missing, headers missing, etc) but also in terms of writing (lack of editing or depth in plot).

Is the publishing industry changing? Is it attempting to mimic the quick release model of indie authors in order to exploit the market and make more money?

  • Effect, not affect. – T. Palomino 4 months ago
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  • Cool topic! I've noticed this in genres I read a lot as well. Since you bring up quality issues, perhaps the article could go into ways of solving these issues without "fast fiction" becoming as difficult to break into as traditional book publishing? As in, maybe the standards need to be tightened or watched more closely, but that looks different than how you'd monitor or tighten standards for a traditional novel. – Stephanie M. 4 months ago
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  • I saw a tik Tok referencing this same idea and the effect that it is having on the publishing industry as well. Books are being produced more quickly than ever and overflowing the market. This practice is also more prevalent in certain genres. The concern is that instead of making new, meaningful contributions to literature (not that every book has to be serious or educational), popular tropes are being replicated for the wrong reasons. Instead of recognizing that the first author wrote the trope well, these ideas are being reproduced multiple times at a lesser quality. – AmyKryvenchuk 3 months ago
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A Perspective on Banned Books in America versus Other Countries

Recently, a lot of books have been making it onto the infamous banned books list in America, due to containing such themes as "strong female leader" in the case of Wizard of Oz, "racism", especially with children’s books that tend to point to the systemic nature of racism in America, and of course, "sexuality and gender" that basically gets slapped on anything that even remotely hints at an LGBTQ relationship or gender expression outside of the cisgender spectrum. Most of these entries to the ever-growing ban list seem to be coming from conservative areas. It might be good to take a small sample of the banned book list from the past 2 years or so and see how it would compare to, say a European banned books list, if the idea of a banned books list isn’t something that is wholly limited to America in the first place, and see if there are any overlapping topics between the lists to see what trends might exist cross-culturally.

If this cross-examination is not possible, the topic taker could instead talk about whether or not book bans should exist, and the reasons why they do, and could choose to take a few selections from the banned books list and make an argument as to whether or not the themes presented in the literature truly merit a spot on a banned books list.

Banned Books list for America: (link)

  • I think for this to be good analysis of cultural differences it should look at time frames as well. 90s America vs 90s China for example. Or a myriad of differing ideologies within the nations and have they remained the same or evolved as times have changed. – Sunni Ago 1 week ago
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What Makes a Good Video Game to Film Adaptation?

From Tomb Raider (2001, Angelina Jolie) to Sonic the Movie (2020, Jim Carrey), there have been quite a few games likewise adapted into movies, though to varying degrees of failure or success. Tomb Raider was somewhat considered a flop when it first came out, and it currently has a 5.8 on Imdb: (link) a 20% on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics, and a 47% by audiences: (link) and a 33% on Metacritic: (link) though some consider it underrated: (link) By contrast, the Sonic the Hedgehog movie had a 6.5 on Imdb: (link) a 63% critic rating and a 93% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes: (link) and a 47% on Metacritic: (link) The success of the Sonic movie garnered it not one, but two sequels.

The topic taker should analyze the trends of adapting a video game to a movie, including the history of it, and what makes so many of the adaptations fail. The topic taker should really dive into what made good video adaptations good and see what trends their analysis reveals. The topic taker may also consider the future of video game to film adaptations and whether they think there will be more successes or failures as well.

To help the topic taker, consider looking into the following films to start forming trends based off their reception via reviews/to start forming the history of video game to film adaptation as they see fit:

Tomb Raider (2018) in order to compare/contrast it with the 2001 film
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Detective Pikachu
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
Assassin’s Creed
Doom
Super Mario Bros. (1993)
The Super Mario Bros. the Movie (2023) to contrast with the 1993 adaption

  • This is a really interesting topic and one that is very relevant. I've heard from a variety of different articles/sites that video games adaptations are popular in Hollywood right now. – Sean Gadus 1 week ago
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Troy: The Lack of Divine Existence in Film

While Ancient Greek tragedies loved to have divine characters speaking on the stage, modern movies seem to hesitate a lot. In the movie Troy (directed by Wolfgang Petersen and written by David Benioff,) no deity appears on the battlefield despite the exciting descriptions of their fight in Homer’s epic. Similar things happen in other movies based on mythology. For instance, Aphrodite never appears in the Argonaut movies, although she is quite important in the epic.
What might be the reason for this phenomenon?

  • I think this could be explored with other films of the era in a similar vein. What was the cultural shift that removed divinity from films based on myths and how can it be analysed. – Sunni Ago 2 weeks ago
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17th century poetry - the Metaphysicals

The Metaphysicals refer to a loose collective of poets such as John Donne, George Herbert, Andrew Marvell, Abraham Cowley, Richard Crashaw and Henry Vaughan, who represent some of the highest achievements of the 17th-century English literature. A most conspicuous feature of their style can be described as using images concrete and tangible, richly appealing to human senses and emotions. The label, “Metaphysical,” was attached to them by later generations. “Metaphysical,” as a style label, refers to the so-called “figures of thought” marked by the use of conceits, witticism and paradoxes. But the term still fails to capture the ‘physical’ side of the Metaphysicals – that is, the corporeality, even fleshiness, in their using concrete images and metaphors on the one hand, and expressing sensational feelings and emotions on the other. How, then, do the ‘physical’ and the ‘metaphysical’ meet in 17th century Renaissance poetry? What makes the Metaphysicals ‘metaphysical’? This topic can be explored either by studies of common characteristics of these poets’ works or by close criticism of individual poets.

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    Primate Representation in Media

    This topic is concerned with the representation of non-human primates, especially great apes, in television, cinema, music, and more. This topic isn’t necessarily concerned with the quantity of primate representation as much as it is the quality; how they are represented in relation to humans, in relation to their endangerment, habitat loss, mistreatment, evolution, intelligence…etc. Some examples of primate media representation one might consider are: The chimp in Jordan Peele’s "Nope," The Planet of the Apes franchise, meme culture…etc.
    Writers in this topic would be exploring how the current attitudes towards our closest taxonomic relatives is embedded either blatantly or within the subtext of modern media, or how these attitudes have changed overtime. In the Planet of the Apes example, one might write about humanity’s ability to share our planet, or even consider sharing our planet, and what qualities of life are required in a species for us to even begin to consider sharing resources. Just about any example will require writers to discuss the prevalence, or the rare absences, of speciesism in our culture.

    • More details for the person who will write this topic would be much appreciated ;) – Beatrix Kondo 2 months ago
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    • Could you clarify what you're looking for the writer to explore? – Sunni Ago 2 months ago
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    • Regarding the Planet of the Apes franchise, one could consider the representation from the 1968 film in comparison to the more modern films as a bit of a possible starting point. – Siothrún 1 month ago
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    Anakin Skywalker vs Darth Vader: Character Development in Reverse

    Many Star Wars fans consider Anakin Skywalker effectively a different character from Darth Vader. However, analyzing Anakin’s character progression from Jedi to Sith can be very interesting, especially depending on viewing order. For fans of the original trilogy, the prequels’ portrayal of Anakin may have been startling. On the other hand, a chronological viewing, especially one that includes the Clone Wars series, may depict a slow but steady character arc for young Skywalker with a tragic but inevitable conclusion.

    Compare and contrast the two characters. What traits of Anakin’s remain in Darth Vader, and how are they portrayed differently? Where do we see traits of Darth Vader peeking through in Anakin during the prequel era? Does this change how we see other heroes and villains, like Luke Skywalker or Kylo Ren, and even characters from other franchises?

    • Regarding the aspects of Luke and Kylo, it might be useful to look at things that used to be canon in Star Wars, but are no longer. What comes to mind is the comic that likely inspired the Ben Solo in the new trilogy. – Siothrún 1 month ago
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    A Decade of BTS: Celebrating Achievements, Impact, and Cultural Contributions

    This topic invites writers to reflect on the first decade anniversary of BTS, one of the most influential K-pop groups globally. Explore and celebrate their journey, from debut to global stardom, and analyze the key milestones and achievements that have defined their success. Delve into BTS’s impact on the music industry, cultural landscape, and fandom culture worldwide. Examine their advocacy work, including social and mental health issues, and discuss how BTS has transcended traditional K-pop boundaries. Reflect on their unique approach to music, storytelling, and the use of social media, and explore the ways in which they have redefined the dynamics of fan engagement. Additionally, consider the challenges faced by BTS and how they have navigated the complexities of fame and global influence over the past ten years.

    • I know absolutely nothing about BTS but from my general understanding their success in the last ten years has catalyzed a growing awareness and appreciation for Korean music (even more broadly, Korean culture) in America (and other nations, I'm sure) in a way not too dissimilar to the Beatles era dubbed the British Invasion. I think a comparison of these two influences could be interesting. – Ryan 2 months ago
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    Film

    Godzilla: Japan’s Journey and Relations with the World in Recent Films
    Godzilla: Japan’s Journey and Relations with the World in Recent Films
    Corner Office: The Danger of the Isolation
    Click: A Tragic Tale Exploring the Importance of Family
    Alienation in “There will be Blood”

    TV

    Mystic Pop-Up Bar: Unearthing This Underrated Gem
    Mystic Pop-Up Bar: Unearthing This Underrated Gem
    How Andor Uses Audio to Explore Oppression and Rebellion
    From Mythology to the MCU: Egyptian and Norse
    Bridgerton’s Reimagining of Regency Society

    Animation

    Spider-Man: The Trans Advocacy
    Spider-Man: The Trans Advocacy
    Superman vs. The Elite: What is Justice?
    Villains of the Shrek Universe: From Nursery Rhymes to the Grim Reaper
    Laika and the Power of Eyes: A Soul’s Quest for Self-Possession

    Anime

    The Ick: Anime Tropes that Repel Viewers
    The Ick: Anime Tropes that Repel Viewers
    Male-Female Friendships in Anime: Can We Really Be Just Friends?
    Demon Slayer — The Silent Oppression of Nezuko
    Hallyu & Anime: A More Than Welcome Ongoing Love Story

    Manga

    One-Punch Man’s Saitama: The Alienation of a Hero
    One-Punch Man’s Saitama: The Alienation of a Hero
    Vagabond: Beautiful Lessons in Takehiko Inoue’s Manga
    Exploring the impact of social medias through Helter Skelter and Black Mirror’s Nosedive
    Berserk, Sisyphus, and The Indomitable Human Spirit

    Comics

    Superman, Alienation, and Evil
    Superman, Alienation, and Evil
    Why Don’t Superheroes Change the World?
    Continuity and Connectivity in Comic Book Movies
    Comics in Education: Benefits and attitudes

    Literature

    Returning Gravitas to American Girl
    Returning Gravitas to American Girl
    1984: What Does it Tell us About The Purpose of Life?
    Classic Literature’s “Infinity Girls”
    Reinventing Beth March

    Arts

    The Creative Industries in Bangladesh: The Case of Coke Studio Bangla’s “Deora”
    The Creative Industries in Bangladesh: The Case of Coke Studio Bangla’s “Deora”
    Japan: Art, Eroticism, and Religion
    Why Should We Separate Real Art From NFTs of the Bored Ape Yacht Club Type?
    Tehching Hsieh: The Experience of Time and Duration in Performance Art

    Writing

    Is the Pen Mightier Than the Keyboard?
    Is the Pen Mightier Than the Keyboard?
    Whump And Its Role Outside of Fandom
    Movement and Location: A Brief Comment on Meaning in the Literary Experience
    Writing About Place