Big Budget Bonanza Hollywood cliche no.12: any group of unemployed entertainers raising money for an orphanage will put on the most spectacular big budget musical …
This is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
A review by Nalini Haynes Red is a super-human woman wandering the highways and byways of space, time and quantum universes. Her job is tweaking …
The Happiness Quest by Richard Yaxley
A commentary by Nalini Haynes Tilley used to be happy or at least ‘average’ but now depression clouds her thoughts and days. Anxiety harangues her, …
Where Oblivion Lives by T Frohock
A review essay by Nalini Haynes Where Oblivion Lives is a historical fantasy novel based on meticulous historical research. Diago is a member of the …
Loving leap: a silly illo by Ian Gunn
Loving Leap Hollywood cliche no.13: When you’re in love, you leap around like a lunatic. Hence the title ‘loving leap’. People find this amusing. Ian …
Speechless season 1
A review by Nalini Haynes JJ (Micah Fowler) has cerebal palsy in Speechless and in real life. He uses a wheelchair to get around and …
Jacey Bedford: Writing Historical Fantasy
Why write historical fantasy? I was recently on a panel at a convention and one of the questions put by the moderator was, ‘Why historical …
Daughter Of Bad Times by Rohan Wilson
A review by Nalini Haynes Yamaan is a refugee in a migrant detention centre on Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania. This centre is a combination of Australia’s …
Promise by Alexandra Alt
A review by Nalini Haynes Lene is a teenager in World War II Nazi Germany, attending BDM (a Nazi girls’ group) while her love interest …
Inside banners: a silly illo by Ian Gunn
Inside banners When movie characters head to a special event there usually aren’t any signs outside. They spend the budget on inside banners instead. I …
The highest room in the tallest tower: a silly illo by Ian Gunn
The highest room in the tallest tower Last week we began a series of movie cliche illustrations by Ian Gunn. This week we look at …
All That Impossible Space by Anna Morgan
A review by Nalini Haynes Lara Laylor is 16 years old and in grade 10 in a $20,000 per annum private school in Melbourne. She …
Giant man-baby. A silly illo by Ian Gunn
Over the next few weeks we’ll be seeing some movie cliches that Ian Gunn drew. Today’s, obviously, is the giant man-baby walking in slow motion. …
Tabitha Bird
Nalini Haynes talks to Tabitha Bird, the author of A Lifetime of Impossible Days. (Nalini’s review is here and the podcast is above as well …
Bride Test by Helen Hoang
A review by Lynne Larby Khai is Vietnamese American with a large extended family. After his cousin died as a teenager, Khai is convinced he …