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Kristina Manente is a freelance journalist, travel blogger, podcaster, and all around audio-nerd with a travel addiction and a tea obsession. Her focus is entertainment, travel, and culture.
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Ever wish you could pack up, leave the corporate world, and run off to an idyllic valley with a farm of your own? Well, in Stardew Valley, you can do just that. This open-ended country-living roleplaying game is about creating the life you want, all while accompanied by a soothing soundtrack and quite a few supernatural surprises and colorful characters.
Treasure Island is a beloved book of pirates, coming of age, danger on the high seas, and the thrill of adventure. Throughout the decades since its publication as a serial from 1881 to 1882, people have sought to adapt the Robert Louis Stevenson novel into various forms. It was first adapted in 1918 as a silent film directed by Sidney Franklin and then less than twenty years later as a talkie in 1934 starring Jackie Cooper and Wallace Beery.
Welcome to Read This Fanfiction, a monthly deep dive into the world of fic: its history, its future, and all its splendors. In the world of fanfiction there are tropes - common themes and storylines that writers and readers flock to, be it out of interest or a desire to scratch a specific itch.
Entertainment
'Tis the season of scary and spooky sounds: cracking floorboards and rattling windows, torrid screeches and droning moans, whistling wind, and the rumble of fear vibrating in your chest. Sound plays a huge role in horror, be it a video game, movie, television show, or podcast.
There are some games that are so tied to one's childhood that any mention of them erupts in a miasma of nostalgia. Ocarina of Time will cause a few gasps of adolescent joy, The Sims a few cackles of middle school mischief, and then there's RollerCoaster Tycoon.
There are an astounding number of amazing women to be appreciated in Star Trek, and none more so than those in Voyager. The series gave us our first female captain, Captain Janeway, something long overdue. Seven of Nine bridged the gap between human and machine with a surprising look at the Borg.
smashed box office records and hearts back during the holiday season, so perhaps it was only apt that the documentary chronicling the final months of production would be heart-wrenching as well. Now available on Disney+, Into The Unknown: Making Frozen 2 is a surprisingly emotional six-part series journey that gives an in-depth look at the trials and tribulations of making a highly anticipated sequel.
Valentine's Day is this Friday. In celebration, we're spending the week celebrating love in all the forms it takes throughout the quadrants. L(ove)LAP 🖖 There are many romances in Star Trek: Voyager, some canon, some not.
If you'd told either Bryan Dechart and Amelia Rose Blaire just a few years ago that thousands of people would watch them play video games for a living, neither would have believed it. And yet, here they are, the founds of Dechart Games, a Twitch community focused on positivity,
Canon compliant and beautifully illustrated, the comics build on the world of Thedas in a way that even the books can't. Not only do you get more stories from this universe, but you get to see them as well, thanks to the stunning artwork of Fernando Heinz Furukawa.
Welcome to Read This Fanfiction. Once a digest, now a deep dive into the world of fan-created written works. Join us twice a month as we examine authors, platforms, trends, scandals, and more from every corner of the fanfiction universe.
Welcome to SYFY WIRE's Decade in Review, a series of articles that will look to catalog the best, worst, and weirdest cultural and entertainment moments of the 2010s as we look toward the future. Today, we celebrate the movies that deserved more.
Just in time for the spookiest month of the year, the godfathers of paranormal investigation are back with a new show and a new roster. Ghost Nation premieres this Friday, October 11, on The Travel Channel, and reunites Jason Hawes, Steve Gonsalves, and Dave Tango in the world of ghost hunting.
Black Canary - AKA Dinah Lance - is one of DC's oldest superheroes. Now, she'll be one of the youngest. The character is everywhere these days. She's a staple of the DC comic book pantheon, rocks the Arrowverse, and will be played by Jurnee Smollett-Bell in the 2020 film Birds of Prey .
Chances are that you've seen Alice X. Zhang's work. Her loose-brushstroke digital style using vibrant and evocative palettes has touched many a fandom and been licensed by more than one major property. All with good reason - it's sometimes whimsical, sometimes emotionally charged, occasionally hilarious, and always beautiful.
Welcome to Read This Fanfiction. Once a digest, now a deep dive into the world of fan-created written works. Join us twice a month as we examine authors, platforms, trends, scandals, and more from every corner of the fanfiction universe.
More than just dressing up, cosplay is an avenue for self-expression. In particular, it has allowed many of those who identify as LGBTQ+ to share their true selves, or selves they're curious about. Cosplaying can be a way of becoming someone else entirely, perhaps a person you identify more with than that of your day-to-day life.
The idea of preparing a feast for the finale may seem odd at first. After all, you're likely to either throw food at the screen in abject horror, choke on it in a furious rage, or upchuck it all in an Game of Thrones Exorcist- worthy spew at the gruesome violence.
The end of one of the biggest shows to ever to grace our television screens is nigh. Few shows have spawned more conversations, and regardless of one's opinions on the final season, it'll be a shame to see it pass into the long night.
Game of Thrones may be back, but this is its final season, and The Lord of the Rings series from Amazon is so far away you might as well walk to Mordor. But fantasy fans, never fear, there is a wealth of stories of elves, magic, knights, and bards waiting for your ears.
It's not hard to appreciate the rich and mesmerizing lore and worlds of Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. These games are always changing, adapting, and bringing new stories, characters, and mechanizations to our tables. The people involved in that are plentiful, but who is it that actually writes these stories?
Once the stuff of underground zines, fanfiction has become a massive genre with many subgenres unto itself. They may be continuations, divergent plot lines, or simply tales from within that world. Maybe it's a coffee shop alternate universe or an AU in which the characters are in a war scenario a la " Two Two One Bravo Baker."
For nerds, attending conventions to celebrate stuff they love is one of life's greatest joys. There is little better in this world than geeking out about the latest season of a show with another fan, or seeing people dressed as your favorite character.
If you had a list of top fictional destinations, chances are that District 12 from The Hunger Games wouldn't be the top pick - it's probably not even on the list. No one would blame you, even if you were a fan of the series.
It's smile time in The Adventure Zone People create all sorts of things to celebrate the things they love-fanart, fanfiction, cosplay, jewelry, even mock trailers and video games. All these things are wonderful, love-filled expressions of creativity, but occasionally something comes along that makes you gasp in utter delight at the uniqueness and sheer awesomeness...
Nov. 9-11, 2018 Durham Convention Center, Durham While I wouldn't call myself a hardcore comic-convention veteran, I'd like to think I know a thing or two about what makes a good con, based on my years experiencing the onslaughts that are San Diego Comic Con and New York Comic Con.
I found a community of creative, shy people like myself who all wanted to tell stories with one another. This place was Redwall Beach.
"The thing that the Doctor has taught me is that love and hope transcends time and space." Wise and wonderful words from Jodie Whittaker, the 13th Doctor.
Harry Potter: A History of Magic , the British Library's most successful exhibition, opened at the New-York Historical Society on Friday, Oct. 5. In a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the U.S. publication of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone , this exhibition showcases everything from original artwork and pages from J.K.
Tony Kim's origin story is like many nerds who catch the comic con bug. They discovered a place where they could celebrate things they love with other people who liked the same things.
It's always great when a young comic reader sees themselves in a story, but this can be a little harder for LGBTQ+ kids. Historically, there has been a real dearth of queer representation in comics, especially in children's and young adult books.
Robert Downey Jr. went over the Reichenbach Falls in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows nearly seven years ago. BBC Sherlock is more or less over, with its leads locked into Marvel contracts for the foreseeable future and the showrunners off modernizing Dracula.
The world of anime is a diverse one, as the medium tells just as many deep, socially relevant and important stories as it does light heart-eyed or action-packed fare. What may surprise many who aren't terribly familiar with anime is the wealth of LGBTQ+ focused series out there.
Fans create amazing things. They collect, they build, and they show their love and appreciation in a beautiful myriad of ways. Whether they have the world's largest Hatsune Miku figurine collection or are trying to build every Doctor's TARDIS, fan collections and creations are simply marvelous.
We're winding up a gravel road on Beech Mountain in North Carolina. It's the back road to The Land of Oz, the one that customers aren't allowed on - they have to go up the ski lift.
Anyone who has ever been to a convention or LAN party knows that geeks can drink. However, now there are actual bars catering to the geek community. From Brooklyn to Austin to L.A., there's nerdy dives and bars with board games, video games, and heated debates of Marvel vs.
From Deadpool dressed as Bob Ross to a Hawaiian Stormtrooper, people let their costume creativity fly this year Cosplay is one of the hallmarks of any fan convention. Cosplay, a.k.a. costume play, started back in the '60s and '70s at science-fiction conventions.
Reactions before and after the first female Doctor's appearance indicate that the future is female-and we all like it that way The line for the panel at San Diego Comic-Con started on Tuesday morning, a full two days before the cast would take the stage in front of 6,000 Hall H attendees.
Cosplay is a combination of the words costume and play (it was coined in Japan in 1984, if you didn't know, babe). It's a rapidly growing hobby in which all kinds of people create and wear costumes to represent a character.
With four parks to choose from, two water parks, and adult-only areas as well, the Walt Disney Resort is a monster of a leisure destination. How do you choose which park is worth your while? Park-hopping is possible, but not while also getting the full experience each park has to offer.
Lifestyle
These ampoules, masks and oils should be on your beauty radar Famous for launching and popularizing skincare products such as BB creams and sheetmasks, Korean beauty has certainly made a name for itself globally. Even if you don't know what the steps are, you've probably heard of the country's famous 10-step routine.
Saving Grace Gift-Wrapping Fundraiser and Adoption Event Saturday, Dec. 15, 2:00 p.m. Dog-friendly bars and breweries dot the Triangle, but there's one that leads the pack not only in making Fido feel welcome (with dog beds and house-made dog treats) but fostering community.
Irene Ellis went from introverted nerd to reality show star on the UK's first ever bisexual dating show.
Korean beauty products are all about long-term skincare; see what these influencers recommend The world of K-beauty can be overwhelming. Do you know your sheet mask from your molding mask? Your BHA from your toner? With Korean beauty booming and entering brick and mortar stores in the U.S., it's fairly safe to say it's here to stay.
Whether you've never tried K-beauty or are an avid fan, we've got recommendations Have you ever used a Korean beauty product? You probably have-even if you don't realize it-because K-beauty has basically taken over the world. South Korean beauty has become an international export so popular that Korean brands are now opening U.S.
When I walk in to interview K-pop group EXP EDITION, they are having a Korean lesson; notebooks are out, notes scrawled, and a patient Korean teacher was commending them for their work. Immediately my preconceived notions of the all-foreign boy band had been shattered. It was a very pleasant surprise.
On December 18, 2017, the world lost Kim Jonghyun, the main vocal of K-pop group Shinee, singer, songwriter, producer and artist. Devastated, distraught and searching for comfort, fans began immediately paying tribute to the man, bringing flowers, gifts and endless notes to SMTown at Coex.
A K-pop concert is a spectacle so huge, it must be experienced to be believed.
Seoul and jazz music aren't two things you normally associate with one another, and yet there is a growing jazz scene in the city. Hearing the dulcet tones of saxophones and upright basses usually requires a trip to a high-end bar.
Travel
November 7, 2018Durham, North Carolina Basil, my little Maltese, and I usually sleep in until 9:30ish, have breakfast, go for a walk, throw around one of his 10,000 toys for a bit, and then I open up my computer and debate how long I'll last working at home before I cave and head to one...
Petal covered cupcakes, blooming teas, rose and lavender lattes, and even ice cubes with real flowers inside... flower cafes are popping up all over the world in the latest trend of Instagrammable food and drink you have to see to believe.
You must drive from England to Mongolia in a 1.2 liter engine car or less. You must raise at least £1,000 for charity. You are totally and absolutely on your own. This dangerously hilarious journey takes place ever year as part of The Adventurists' roster of insane treks across the world and is referred to as the world's greatest motoring adventure.
Jeju Island is a hidden paradise not known to many outside of South Korea. Crystal clear waters, volcanic beaches, and mountains rolling along the horizon, this is a destination everyone needs to put on their bucket list.
Teaching English overseas is a great way to not only see the world, but also to build up your resume, which could lead to a challenging and exciting career. If you're from a native English-speaking country (USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, etc), have a four-year degree, and an accredited TEFL certification, you are golden.
From robot cafes to ancient temples and shrines, the wonderful and wacky capital of Japan is a place everyone should visit at least once. With one of the best food scenes on the planet and a cultural heritage celebrated on every corner, Tokyo will delight the senses.
Insadong is Seoul's cultural corridor, filled with tea houses, historical palaces, and traditional homes running up the hills. Take Line 3 to Anguk Station and head to the exquisite Changdeokbokgung Palace. Make sure to see the 78-acre Secret Garden, only accessible by tour at 10:30 AM Tuesday-Sunday.