Why I Sci-Fi!

The new cover of Cinder by Marissa Meyer ( Image Source ) Firstly, I just want to say that I am a hard sell on Sci-Fi books sometimes. When I was a student, they were often all that I read. As Iv'e gotten older, though, it's been a struggle to find ones that I really like. Over the great everyone-stay-at-home adventure that was the Spring of 2020, I also got back into audiobooks. Several folks had insisted that I read Cinder by Marissa Meyer over the years, and when I saw it as an option on Hoopla, I finally decided to give it a try-- and I'm glad I did! Cinder  is an interesting blend of science fiction and fantasy-- a fairy tale set in a future dystopia with cyborgs and space travel-- with the title character, Lihn Cinder, struggling to make ends meat. As a cyborg (someone whose body has both human and robotic components), Cinder is treated as second class by her family and the world around her, despite her obvious gifts as a mechanic. Through a strange turn of events, Ci...

Even though I'm an adult, I'm still all about cartoons. Who doesn't  like cartoons? They're fun, colorful, and have an interesting ability to approach difficult topics in ways that help both adults and children understand them. One of my most favorite recent cartoons that does this to perfection is Stephen Universe.  The Crystal Gems, with Stephen in the front, Pearl to his right, Amethyst to his left, and Garnet in the back. ( Image Source )  It took me a while to warm up to the Cartoon Network show, but once I'd given it a try, I was sold. Set in the idyllic Beach City, the show gives a glimpse into the life of a boy named Stephen... who happens to live with a few aliens called the Crystal Gems. The Crystal Gems help keep Beach City (and Earth in general) safe with their super powers and amazing fighting skills. Each gem has stones embedded into their bodies that help them take human form, and they're named after those stone.  Stephen's mother us...