These tropes have been employed throughout literature in so many ways that one wonders: how is a story able to maintain its originality?
The Idiot and the State of Contemporary Fiction
The Idiot initially reads somewhat as a hybrid between fiction and memoir—not necessarily because of how much it takes from Batuman’s real life, but because of how much it embraces the existence of art and literature outside of the novel at all.
What’s In a Story: Writing Fiction That Matters
The endless room for creativity in fiction makes it difficult to bind it to a definitive set of rules.
Examining Ourselves: The Painful Truths in Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman
Instead of fighting violence with violence, picking up a weapon, and spilling blood, Cassie’s revenge is more psychological and, debatably, more detrimental.
Squid Game: What’s the Big Deal? and Other Existential Questions
If I’m no longer assessing the media by its emotional resonance, where does that leave me?
From Pages to Premiers: The Case for Book To Movie Adaptations
If turning books into movies makes these stories more accessible, leading more people to love the tales being told, what’s the harm?
Surfing the Time Wave: Prescience in Frank Herbert’s Dune
Ever since H.G. Wells's The Time Machine, the topic of time and our ability to interact with it has been at the forefront of science fiction.
Hypertext Fiction: The Literary Genre That Was Theorized Before It Was Written
Think if Wikipedia was a novel, or a Choose Your Own Adventure book existed online.
Marvel in Color: The Evolution of Racial Diversity within the MCU
The MCU has had a less than stellar track record when it comes to racial diversity.
Bury Your Gays (Literally): How The Haunting of Bly Manor Uses and Subverts the Trope
Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Bly Manor, the anthology series follow-up to the popular The Haunting of Hill House, may have all the makings for a classic ghost story, but don’t be mistaken—it’s actually a love story.
BERKELEY FICTION REVIEW 