I’m still not sure why I never got around to reading World War Z by Max Brooks. I had read his previous book, The Zombie Survival Guide, which is set in the same world, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, despite my love of the horror genre, it took me until now to get around to reading the more famous of Max Brooks’ zombie books. I recently finally got around to it and find myself being all the more horrified by it in the context of current events.
Continue reading “World War Z: An Oddly Prophetic Take on Epidemiology”Author: Crayshack
Adjusting Medal Totals for Number of Events
The Olympics are an event that stimulates a competitive spirit in everyone involved, even simple spectators. Despite the Games not being designed to crown an overall winner, this often sparks debates over who is the overall winner of the Games. There are several different methods I have seen for determining such a victor, but a common critique I hear of many of these methods is that they are unfavorably weighted in favor of nations that are particularly successful in sports with a large number of events.
Continue reading “Adjusting Medal Totals for Number of Events”The DroCh
In their own tongue, they call themselves the DroCh. “Ch” is used to represent a voiceless uvular fricative, a sound that does not exist in the common trade languages but is common in the language of the DroCh (also known as DroChlaCh). They are an isolated people that have little contact with other races, but when that contact does occur, they are referred to as either “Dwarfs” or “Dragons”. As a species, they are an example of extreme sexual dimorphism and a resulting high degree of division of labor along the lines of sex.
Continue reading “The DroCh”American Holly
NO MUGGINGS
Another older short story set in the same timeline as First Time.
Continue reading “NO MUGGINGS”Hairy Bittercress
America: A Nation of Monsters
The early 1600s was a tumultuous time in Europe. Religious wars tore through the continent, causing many to flee to other parts of the globe as refugees. No Europeans were affected more strongly in this than the non-human species who hid themselves within the various human populations. What made matters especially bad for them was the English independence from the Catholic Church.
Continue reading “America: A Nation of Monsters”Dotted Wolf Spider
Star Wars: A Fandom Divided Against Itself
There is a saying: “No one hates Star Wars more than Star Wars fans.” I have found that sentiment to be unarguably correct, but I have spoken to many people who find themselves confused by this. Detractors exist in all fandoms, but I have yet to see a fandom as passionately divided as Star Wars can get. I believe the answer is buried in the core of what made Star Wars work in the first place.
Continue reading “Star Wars: A Fandom Divided Against Itself”There Are No Women Dwarves
To the many other sentient races, dwarves are a strange people. All anyone ever sees of them are burly men with no women in sight. This has led to a few people joking that women dwarves don’t exist and that dwarves simply pop out of holes in the ground fully formed. It comes as a surprise to many to learn that this is completely accurate.
Continue reading “There Are No Women Dwarves”
Crayshack 