Publications

Here are some academic articles and op-eds I have written about politics in science fiction and fantasy.

Books

• Co-editor (with N. Trevor Brierly) for Discovering Dune (McFarland: 2022)
• Co-editor (with Derek Sweet) for Star Wars TV: The Televisual Worlds of a Transmedia Franchise (Palgrave: November 2020)

Academic Articles

• “Political Prescience: How Game Theory Solves the Paradox of Foreknowledge,” in Dune for the 21st Century (McFarland: 2022)
• “Canonical Legends: How Star Wars TV (Selectively) Resurrected the Expanded Universe.” in Star Wars TV: The Televisual Worlds of a Transmedia Franchise (Palgrave: 2020)
• “Do Replicants Have Nightmares of Ethnic Discrimination?” in Blade Runner 2049 and Philosophy (Open Court Press: 2019).
• “Nation-Building on Bajor Why ‘Deep Space Nine’ Is Really the Post-9/11 ‘Star Trek’,” PopMatters Blog (October 17, 2016)
• “Cleaning the Slate with the Force: Star Wars, Joss Whedon, and the Mind-Body Problem.” in After the Avengers: From Joss Whedon’s Hottest, Newest Franchises to the Future of the Whedonverse (PopMatters: 2015)
• “Political Institutions in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth: or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying About the Lack of Democracy.” Mythlore 125, Vol 33(1) (Fall/Winter 2014)

Op-eds & Reviews

• “Review of The History and Politics of Star Wars: Death Stars and Democracy,” SFRA Vol. 54(1) (2024).
• “Law, Government, and Society in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Works by José Maria Miranda Boto,” Mallorn, Vol. 63 (2023).
• “Middle-earth and the Return of the Common Good by Joshua Hren,” Sehnsucht: The C.S. Lewis Journal, Vol. 14 (2020).
• “Walter S. Judd and Graham A. Judd, The Flora of Middle Earth: Plants of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Legendarium,” Sehnsucht: The C.S. Lewis Journal, Vol. 12 (2018)
• “Timothy R. Furnish, High Towers and Strong Places: A Political History of Middle-Earth,” Sehnsucht: The C.S. Lewis Journal, Vol. 11 (2017).
• “Rob Latham, ed., The Oxford Handbook of Science Fiction,” Sehnsucht: The C.S. Lewis Journal, Vol. 10 (2016).
• “Tolkien Criticism Unbound: A response to Norbert Schemer” (with Luke Baugher & Tom Hillman),  Mythgard Institute blog (November 18, 2015).
• “Book Review: Ernest Cline’s Armada,” The Signum Eagle Newsletter/Mythgard Blog (August 30, 2015).
• Game of Thrones Season 5: What is it all about?
• What’s Wrong with the Economics of Sci-Fi?
• To Adapt, or Not To Adapt?
• “Book Review: The Hobbit Party.” The Signum Eagle Newsletter (December 2014)
• “Guest Review: How Star Wars Conquered the Universe.” Far Far Away Radio blog (September 30, 2014)
• “Why We Need Politics in Star Wars.” Far Far Away Radio blog (May 21, 2014)

Legendarium Media

• Review: “Solo: A Star Wars Story” (May 29, 2019)
• “Review: “The Last Jedi” Novelization by Jason Fry” (March 9, 2018)
• “The Last Jedi and Me” (January 9, 2018)
• “First Impressions of The Last Jedi through other Sci-Fi” (December 17, 2017)
• “Review: Blade Runner 2049” (October 10, 2017)
• “Review: You Win or You Die: The Ancient World of Game of Thrones” (August 29, 2017)
• “Review: Game of Thrones and the Medieval Art of War” (July 27, 2017)
• “Review: War for Planet of the Apes” (July 22, 2017)
• “May 4th Special: Guide to Star Wars books” (May 4, 2017)
• “Thrawn: My Favorite Star Wars Character” (April 27, 2017)
• “Review: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (December 19, 2016)
• “Review: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Harry Potter)” (November 28, 2016)
• Star Trek Beyond (Part 2) (August 29, 2016)
• Star Trek Beyond (Part 1) (August 5, 2016)
• “The Winds of Winter” (Season 6, Episode 10) (June 28, 2016)
• “Battle of the Bastards” (Season 6, Episode 9) (June 22, 2016)
• “No One” (Season 6, Episode 8) (June 14, 2016)
• “The Broken Man” (Season 6, Episode 7) (June 11, 2016)
• “Blood of My Blood” (S6, E6) (June 2, 2016)
• “The Door” (S6, E5) (May 28, 2016)
• “Book of the Stranger” (S6, E4) (May 19, 2016)
• “Oathbreaker” (S6,E3) (May 11, 2016)
• “Home” (S6,E2) (May 5, 2016)
• “The Red Woman” (S6,E1) (April 27, 2016)
• “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Teaser Trailer First Reactions” (April 7, 2016)
• “Daredevil Season 2 Review” (March 27, 2016)
• “Jessica Jones Review” (March 10, 2016)
• “Is Rey a Superhero?” (February 17, 2016)
• “Adding The Force Awakens to the Star Wars Ring” (February 2, 2016)
• “Did The Force Awakens Plagiarize Star Wars?” (January 21, 2016)
• “First Impressions: The Force Awakens” (December 22, 2015)
• “Retrospective Review: Return of the Jedi” (December 18, 2015)
• “Retrospective Review: The Empire Strikes Back” (December 11, 2015)
• “Retrospective Review: A New Hope” (December 2, 2015)
• “Retrospective Review: Revenge of the Sith” (November 30, 2015)
• “Retrospective Review: Attack of the Clones” (November 25, 2015)
• “Retrospective Review: The Phantom Menace” (November 13, 2015)
• “Putting a Ring on Star Wars” (November 10, 2015)
• “Star Wars as a Globalized Myth” (October 27, 2015)
• “Revisiting the Star Wars Radio Drama” (October 18, 2015)
• “Hokey Religions and Midi-Chlorians” (October 15, 2015)
• “The Star Wars Prequels as a Journey from Religious Dogma to Mysticism” (October 1, 2015)
• “Star Wars: Aftermath by Chuck Wendig – Is it Worth Reading?” (September 14, 2015)
• “The Expanded Universe as “Low Pulp” Star Wars” (September 10, 2015)
• “The Star Wars Expanded Universe as Corporate Storytelling” (September 1, 2015)
• “How to Integrate Diversity into Star Wars” (August 13, 2015)

The Cantina Cast

• “What’s the Problem with Rey?” (January 23, 2016)
• “Star Wars as a Political Mirror” (December 26, 2015)
• “My Life, My Star Wars” (November 23, 2015)

Podcast Appearances

• “Other Minds and Hands Episode 69,” Other Minds and Hands (April 1, 2024)
• “Other Minds and Hands Episode 35,” Other Minds and Hands (February 2, 2023)
• “Interview With the Editors of ‘Discovering Dune,’” DuneTalk (January 14, 2023)
• “Interviewing Dominic J. Nardi (Discovering Dune),” The Weirding Way: Episode 5 (October 10, 2022)
• “Dune.” Mythgard Movie Club (December 13, 2021)
• “Trek Companion 285.” Trek Companion (December 30, 2021)
• Trial by Stone: The Dark Crystal Podcast (multiple appearances)
• “Blade Runner 2049.” Mythgard Movie Club (March 14, 2019)
• “Blade Runner.” Mythgard Movie Club (January 31, 2019)
• “Predestination.” Mythgard Movie Club (September 6, 2018)
• “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” Mythgard Movie Club (June 14, 2018)
• “Alien.” Mythgard Movie Club (February 18, 2018)
• “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” Mythgard Movie Club (February 22, 2018)
• “The Last Jedi” Mythgard Movie Club (January 10, 2018)
• “Trek Companion 147.” Trek Companion No. 147 (July 27, 2016)
• “Trek Companion 147.” Trek Companion No. 147 (July 27, 2016)
• “Trek Companion 131 Holiday 2015.” Trek Companion No. 131 (December 24, 2015) 
• “Episode 119 – Luke’s Island.” Far Far Away Radio blog (August 14, 2014)

I have other publications about constitutional politics in Southeast Asia, which are available at my main site here.