The 2020 Netflix anime Beastars turned a lot of heads upon its release. Created by the animation studio Orange, Beastars stood out as being, arguably, the first great 3D animated anime series. Beastars also utilised experimental voice recording and sound engineering, a stunning jazz soundtrack, a beautiful stop-motion OP, and complex philosophical debates wrapped up …
Queerness comes in all shapes and sizes, and encapsulates a spectrum of human experiences. To celebrate all the facets of queerness, here are some of our favourite LGBTQ books from all around the world. From South America to Japan and everywhere in-between, these queer novels speak for a range of expereinces across the queer spectrum. …
There is no end to the surrealism, the beauty, the variety found in Japanese literature. Japanese authors and stories expose the human heart; they travel through time and place and dreams. And the best of these tales can be found in Japanese short story collections. Many of the best Japanese authors, known for their award-winning …
It’s very easy to be inspired by Japan as an artist. From authors like Arthur Golden and David Mitchell to filmmakers like Martin Scorcese, Japan has sparked creativity in artists the world over. This, of course, also extends to music. Bands and musicians around the world have taken inspiration from Japanese art, music, language, aesthetics, …
For several years now, YA fantasy authors have carved out a beloved and celebrated niche in the world of fantasy and science fiction literature. YA fantasy books stand on their own in this crowded genre, attracting fans new and old. However, like its parent genre, YA fantasy has also become a bustling space. Thus, separating …
Alongside Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Jujutsu Kaisen is the biggest name in shounen manga and anime right now. Many, myself included, have praised it for revitalising the shounen space and ushering in a new age of shounen. When you watch or read Jujutsu Kaisen, you’re experiencing something wholly new; something that wears its inspiration …
The UK celebrates a beautiful diversity of bookshops. Whatever comes to mind when you picture an independent bookshop — whether that be a cozy cottage full of antiquarian books or a bold space for radical writers — you’ll find it in the UK. These are the best independent bookshops across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern …
Sci-fi novels lend themselves particularly well to the audiobook format. The atmosphere that can be created so elegantly by a single voice in your head really enhances the sci-fi tropes of isolation, artificial intelligence, and discovery. This also means that sci-fi audiobooks are something of a double-edged sword. Unless they’re performed perfectly by the right …
Of all the world’s literature, the works of Argentine writers represent some of the most punk and political; some of the most diverse, surreal, groundbreaking, and beautiful novels and short stories. Essential Argentine Novels by Argentine Writers As a reader, I cannot sing the praises of Argentine writers and Argentine novels enough. These authors have …
When we think of fantasy books, a few ideas and images start popping off in our minds like fireworks: war, politics, magic, adventure. The best fantasy audiobooks are imbued with enough energy and bombast to carry those big ideas. We also think of length. Most fantasy books are of a pretty impressive length (the word …