Cameron Cooper

Why Do We Keep Building Galactic Empires in Sci-Fi?

/ Cameron Cooper, Science Fiction, Space Opera

Galactic empires are everywhere in science fiction—ruling star systems with absolute power, ripe for rebellion or decay. I’ve written a few myself… and torn them down just as quickly. But why do we keep returning to this political model, especially when it’s always doomed to fall? From Dune to Foundation, and even John Scalzi’s surprisingly heartfelt Collapsing Empire, we seem obsessed with watching these mighty regimes unravel. I’ve got theories. But I’m also genuinely curious what draws readers back to the throneworld.

Farewell to On Spec: A Pillar of Canadian SF Bids Goodbye

/ Cameron Cooper, Fantasy, Science Fiction

After 35 years, On Spec magazine is closing its doors—a loss not just for Canadian science fiction, but for the speculative fiction world at large. Based in Edmonton, On Spec championed stories with a uniquely Canadian voice and offered a home for emerging and established writers alike. Its final issue, The Final Voyage, marks the end of an era and raises the ever-relevant question: is this just another case of magazine churn, or a sign of the times?

When Bookstores Shrink Their Shelves (Even the Digital Ones)

/ Cameron Cooper

Barnes & Noble has begun quietly removing books from its digital shelves — not because readers don’t want them, but because the retailer wants a “cleaner,” more curated catalog. Overnight, titles vanish. Algorithms shift. Indie books get harder to find.

It’s the same old pattern: as big platforms age, they tighten the gates. The long tail shrinks. Choice narrows. And readers lose access to entire backlists, series, and genres without even realizing it’s happening.

The good news? You’re not trapped in anyone’s walled garden. Buying direct from authors keeps your books permanent, DRM-free, and untouched by corporate inventory purges — no disappearing titles, no algorithmic roulette.

New Avengers Trailers

/ Cameron Cooper, Fantasy, Science Fiction

The new Avengers trailers are polished, nostalgic, and carefully designed to tug at old loyalties—but this longtime fan isn’t feeling the spark. After years of overwriting storylines and ignoring emotional arcs, the magic just doesn’t land anymore. It’s not about nitpicking plot holes—it’s about wanting stories that respect their own history. Hollywood keeps hitting reset. Meanwhile, books? They remember.

The Singularity: Flashpoint or Slow Burn?

/ Cameron Cooper

Tech futurists Ray Kurzweil and Kevin Kelly offer radically different visions of the Singularity—one fast and transformative, the other slow and uneven. In this post, I explore both views, share a surprising take from ChatGPT, and offer my own perspective on how the future might unfold—not with a bang, but in a hundred quiet revolutions.

The Devil in the Details: Daredevil, Fantasy, and the Metaphysical Mask

/ Cameron Cooper, Contemporary Fantasy, Fantasy, Science Fiction

In the latest season of Daredevil, Marvel trades spectacle for something stranger — a gritty, emotionally charged story that feels less like superhero fiction and more like urban fantasy wrapped in metaphysical angst. With sharp moral ambiguity, subtle symbolism, and just enough bloodied knuckles to make a point, this is a show that doesn’t just ask who’s right or wrong — it asks what right and wrong even mean.

Superheroes, Sanderson, and the Genre Spectrum

/ Cameron Cooper, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Brandon Sanderson is stepping into science fiction with Tailored Realities, and at the same time, I’ve been watching Daredevil: Reborn — a superhero story that feels a lot more like fantasy than you’d expect. It got me thinking: where do superhero stories fall in the speculative spectrum? Is sci-fi and fantasy really a spectrum at all? This week, I’m diving into how genre boundaries are shifting, and what that means for readers, writers, and masked vigilantes alike.

TV Review: Alien: Earth

/ Cameron Cooper, Science Fiction

Alien: Earth doesn’t just mimic Ridley Scott’s industrial horror vibe—it builds on the franchise’s core themes with chilling relevance. Expect corporate overreach, synthetic humans with suspect motives, and alien lifeforms that are somehow even grosser than the originals. With standout performances (hello, Timothy Olyphant as a philosopher-soldier), tight character arcs, and a gritty, claustrophobic setting, this series delivers more than just jump scares. It’s a smart, unsettling evolution of a classic universe.

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