Science fiction and fantasy have always been political. From Orwell’s dystopias to Roddenberry’s utopias, genre storytelling has long served as a mirror—sometimes cracked, sometimes crystal clear—reflecting the anxieties, injustices, and hopes of the real world. At the 2025 Emmy Awards, that tradition was alive and well. Several of the night’s biggest genre winners didn’t just entertain—they challenged, provoked, and questioned. And they did it with stellar performances and visionary direction that elevated the message without losing the magic. Andor: Bureaucracy, Rebellion, and the Cost of Resistance Andor isn’t your typical Star Wars story. There are no Jedi mind tricks, no…
Posts Written Bymunchkyn
New Essay in “Adapting Bridgerton” collection
If you’re a fan of the Netflix series BRIDGERTON, you know that second Bridgerton son Benedict is a bit of a maverick, a man of taste and sensitivity who longs to be an artist. I always have a soft spot for artists, especially those blocked from exploring their art by family or society, so Benedict appeals to me. My essay, “Benedict’s Gaze”, is included in the newly released collection ADAPTING BRIDGERTON, edited by the redoubtable Valerie Estelle Frankle, and published by McFarland. Like most men of his class and time, he treats women as objects of desire but not as…