The Unapologetic Geek

This is the main blog for science-fiction novelist E. Magill. If you are interested in what he thinks about everything from politics to movies, this is the place to be. Don't let his insane opinions taint your view of his other writing, and please feel free to leave comments, insults, insights, or suggestions as often as you like. Thanks for reading!

The False Premises of the HHS Mandate
Does the federal government have the power to protect women's rights through executive mandate?

LISTS

5 Reasons I'm Not a Republican Please don't confuse me with those other conservatives.	5 Reasons Trekkies Should Respect Star Trek: The Motion Picture It's pretty remarkable how many good Star Trek ideas originated in the most overlooked movie of the franchise.	6 Minor Mysteries the Final Season of Lost Must Address When the final season of Lost comes to an end next year, the big questions will be answered, but what about the little ones?	6 Political Talking Points that Need to Die These 6 arguments are being made by politicians and pundits right now, and we're all dumber as a result.
6 Things I Want to See at the Movie Theater Here are six modest suggestions for how to improve the moviegoing experience for everyone.	7 Good Sci-Fi Movies Ruined by Terrible Endings These seven science-fiction movies could have been great, but ridiculously bad endings forever tainted their reputations.	7 Problems in Adapting Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows The Geek lists a few potential stumbling blocks facing the coming film adaptation of Harry Potter's final adventure.	7 Things I Learned in 2007 In his first blog ever, the Geek discusses the eventful year of 2007.
8 Modest Suggestions for the 24 Movie With no script yet greenlit by the executives, the Unapologetic Geek brainstorms a few ideas about how to translate 24 to the big screen.	8 Things I Learned in 2008 On top of having a baby, seeing the greatest comic book movie of all time, and dealing with a bitter election, 2008 had plenty of lessons to teach the Geek.	8 Twisted Ways to Reinterpret Pop Culture Favorites Ferris Bueller is Tyler Durden? Beauty and the Beast is about Stockholm Syndrome? And why would a young boy have a toy named Buzz?	9 Things I Learned in 2009 Parenting, the tea party, the Wii, cancer, and Sesame Street are just a sampling of the things the Geek learned from in 2009.
10 People to Blame for the Oil Spill These are the people you can safely accuse of being responsible for the recent BP oil spill, regardless of your politics.	10 Things I Learned in 2010 The Unapologetic Geek takes a personal look back at 2010 and the lessons he took from it.	11 Things I Learned in 2011 This has been a year mostly comprised of parenting lessons.	In Defense of SpongeBob: 6 Episodes with Profound Meaning A new study suggests SpongeBob is bad for your kids, but here are 6 episodes that can be used to teach crucial life lessons.
Lost Top Fives (original) ABC's Lost may be one of the greatest shows of all time. In the midst of the fourth season, the Unapologetic Geek shares what he loves most about the show.	President Obama's Top 10 Broken Promises In less than two years, President Obama has managed to break many significant promises. Here are the top ten, with apologies to my more liberal readers.	Top 5 Actors Who Could Play the Riddler These are the five actors the Internet wants to cast as the Riddler in Christopher Nolan's next Batman film.	Top 5 Best & Worst Movie Sequels Contrary to popular belief, movie sequels are as old as movies themselves. Here are the best and worst of all time, according to the Geek.
Top 5 Best & Worst Movie Threequels The Geek lists the best and worst third installments in recent film history.	Top 5 Best & Worst Star Trek Movies While waiting for the new Star Trek reboot, the Geek decides to put all the previous Star Trek movies in order.	Top 5 Heroes & Idiots of 2008 There were many idiots and heroes in 2008. These are the ones that got the Geek's attention.	Top 5 Heroes & Idiots of 2009 The Geek lists the best and worst that humanity had to offer in 2009.
Top 5 Heroes & Idiots of 2010 The Unapologetic Geek's annual list of the best and worst the last year had to offer.	Top 5 Heroes & Idiots of 2011 Who impressed and who depressed the Unapologetic Geek in 2011?	Top 5 Most Counter-Productive Political Ideas These 5 ideas are so stupid they are counter-productive, but they remain popular in America even in the face of overwhelming evidence that they don't work.	Top 5 Movie Lists The Unapologetic Geek lists his favorite movies in various genres.
Top 5 Movies that Remind Me of My Father He's been gone for one year now, but with these movies, I will always remember some of the best things he taught me.	Top 5 Potential Villains for The Dark Knight Rises Since the Riddler is officially out of the third installment of Nolan's rebooted Batman franchise, what other villains are there?	Top 5 Worst Movie Ideas Being Released in 2011 The Unapologetic Geek lists five movies currently in the final stages of production that simply cannot be justified as good ideas.	Top 10 Aliens in Film The Unapologetic Geek lists the top 10 movie aliens.
Top 10 All-American Film Icons These celluloid heroes define what it means to be an American icon.	Top 10 Clichés that Shouldn't Be in the Next Season of 24 The Geek discusses the problems in keeping Fox's 24 a fresh and exciting television show as it prepares to air its eighth--and possibly final--season.	Top 10 Movie Twists These are the greatest narrative changeovers in cinematic history.	Top 10 Movies Based on Actual Events These are the movies that excell in presenting history.
Top 10 On-Screen Vampires The Unapologetic Geek lists the top ten vampires to ever appear on the big or small screen. SPOILER: Robert Pattinson does not appear.	Top 10 Worst Trends in Movies and Television Procedurals, spoilers, remakes, reboots, and bad time travel: which of these is the worst trend in entertainment today?	Top 10 Star Trek Villains While waiting for the new Star Trek reboot, the Geek lists the best and most memorable villains in the Star Trek universe.	Top 10 Time Travel Movies The author of Paradox lists the ten best movies that deal with time travel.
Top 20 Greatest Science-Fiction Novels As an award-winning sci-fi writer, it's amazing the Geek hasn't made this list sooner.	Top 20 Star Trek Episodes (10-1) While waiting for the new Star Trek reboot, the Geek lists the 20 best Star Trek episodes, from the original series all the way through Star Trek: Enterprise.	Top 20 Star Trek Episodes (20-11) While waiting for the new Star Trek reboot, the Geek lists the 20 best Star Trek episodes, from the original series all the way through Star Trek: Enterprise.	Top 40 Greatest Science-Fiction Films There's a lot of terrible sci-fi out there, but these are the 40 movies that rise above.

PERSONAL

Becoming Those People: Thoughts on Taking a 6-Month-Old to the Movies I was probably wrong to take my baby to the movies, but where do you draw the line?	Beyond the Limits of the Possible: A Farewell to Sir Arthur C. Clarke The death of Sir Arthur C. Clarke is a deep loss, but it should remind us of all the great things a science-fiction writer can accomplish.	Eulogy for My Father, Patrick Magill What follows is a copy of the eulogy I gave at my father's memorial service earlier this week.	Eulogy for Penny Lane Losing a pet is never easy, and the Geek won't apologize for getting a little emotional.
Five Years of Living with Diabetes The strange truth is that being diagnosed with diabetes is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.	Intrigue in Review: A Meta-Blog Author E. Magill chronicles his first hundred blog posts.	Pregnancy and Publication There are surprising similarities--and important differences--between trying to get your work published and having a child.	The Truth about Publishing Your Novel It's time to set the record straight about why getting published is far, far harder than you think.
Writing Your Novel: The Pros & Cons of Outlines Whether you decide to make copious notes or fly by the seat of your pants, there are things you need to know before you start writing your novel.

POLITICS

Are Airport Security Checkpoints Necessary? Escalation is probably not the best solution to airport security measures. Maybe--just maybe--less is more.	Black Heritage 2008 Does Black History Month celebrate diversity and equality, or does segregating history increase divisiveness?	Black Heritage 2009 Even though America has elected a president with black skin, we still have a long way to go to eradicate the racial divide in this country.	Black Heritage 2010 In his annual discussion of race relations in America, the Geek looks at the various subtle ways our society reinforces discrimination.
Black Heritage 2011 This year, rather than rehash his opposition to Black History Month, the Geek goes over relevant news stories from the last year.	Can't Let Go, Must Collect More Our government has a severe hoarding disorder, evidenced by its refusal to let go of its programs as our national debt spirals out of control.	The Candidates 2008 and Civil Rights Where do to 2008 presidential candidates stand on civil rights issues?	The Candidates 2008 and Domestic Issues Where do to 2008 presidential candidates stand on domestic issues?
The Candidates 2008 and the Economy Where do to 2008 presidential candidates stand on economic issues?	The Candidates 2008 and Energy Where do to 2008 presidential candidates stand on energy issues?	The Candidates 2008 and Foreign Policy Where do to 2008 presidential candidates stand on foreign policy issues?	The Candidates 2008 and My Vote So which 2008 presidential candidate gets the Unapologetic Geek's vote? Time to decide.
The Candidates 2008 and Science Where do to 2008 presidential candidates stand on scientific issues?	The Casey Anthony Verdict: A Triumph for the American Legal System Despite outrage from the court of public opinion, the Casey Anthony verdict is a vindication that our legal system still works.	Don't Kill Me for Being Right Does freedom require social responsibility, or does free speech entail tolerating the worst that people have to say?	Fear and Free Expression The Geek discusses the responsibilities that come with free speech and the fear and intimidation that can result.
Healthcare Summit Live Special The Geek offers realtime thoughts on the bipartisan healthcare summit of February 25, 2010.	The "Historic" Budget Deal is Meaningless Is the 2011 federal budget an unprecedented compromise--a huge deal to be praised--or is it an example of people making a big deal out of nothing?	How the President Saved the World A moron's guide to the debt ceiling fight.	Internet Karma, Hacktivism, and the New Paradigm The Internet is a harsh mistress for some and a kind distributer of fame for others. What will happen when it starts spreading its influence on a grander scale?
Modest Suggestions for the Next American Revolution The Geek offers his ideas for how to fix some of America's core problems when the time eventually comes to write a new constitution.	On Gay (and Lesbian) Marriage In light of a recent California State Senate decision, the Unapologetic Geek weighs in on whether homosexuals should be allowed to marry.	On Gun Control Guns, gun control, and the Second Amendment continue to be controversial issues in America today. The Unapologetic Geek shares his views.	On Protected Classes and Discrimination in the Workplace Protected classes are a valuable tool against discrimination, but they can easily be abused or taken to ridiculous extremes.
Our Rights and the Constitution The United States Constitution and Bill of Rights are all too often distorted by politicians of all stripes.	The Pennsylvania Ballot 2010 The Geek uses his controversial 'trust-the-candidates' approach to examine next week's ballot in his district of Pennsylvania.	Politicians + Healthcare = Death If we continue to hand control of personal healthcare decisions over to politicians, we shouldn't be surprised by the inevitable results.	The Politics of Hate Political discourse is far too angry in the United States today. We can do better.
The Problem with Balance: Why Both Sides is a Bad Strategy Even if there are two sides to every story, that does not mean that all perspectives deserve equal attention.	Republican Complacency Could Spell Defeat The Geek discusses how Republicans might lose big in 2010, if they underestimate the Democrats, and why that's not a good thing.	Shocking Hypocrisy from the Right and the Left The Geek discusses the recurring hypocrisy of the two-party system and advocates Libertarianism.	Unnecessary Complications The Geek gets into the reasoning behind daylight saving time and wonders if it's necessary in the modern world, given the side effects it creates.
Violent Rhetoric & Civil Discourse: Democrats vs. the Tea Party President Obama and Democratic leaders simply refuse to live up to their own standards of polite debate.	Welcome to the Nanny State, Ladies and Gentlemen Proposals to ban body sprays and perfume are the predictable results of existing legislation to control our vices, and it should worry every fan of freedom.	What if the Birthers are Right? The Unapologetic Geek takes on an insane thought experiment, assuming the apocalypse is upon us because the president wasn't born in the USA.	Why I'm Rooting for Herman Cain After much contemplation, I have settled on the candidate I would pick if I were to vote in the Republican primaries next year.

REVIEWS

2008 Fall/Winter Movies The Geek reviews eleven movies released in the last stretch of 2008.	2008 Summer Movies The Geek reviews Iron Man, Prince Caspian, The Incredible Hulk, Wall-E, Wanted, Hancock, Hellboy II, The Dark Knight, and The X-Files: I Want to Believe.	Album Review: Enigma: Seven Lives Many Faces Michael Cretu proves with his seventh Enigma album that his work is still relevant and important, even if they don't play his stuff on the radio anymore.	Album Review: Hybrid: Disappear Here The latest album by the British electronica group Hybrid, Disappear Here, might be their best work to date.
Book Review: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card Thanks to his new iPhone and Audible, the Unapologetic Geek has gotten a chance to listen to a sci-fi classic.	Book Review: Freedom by Jonathan Franzen Freedom is being hailed as the modern Great American Novel, so important that even the president is reading it. Does the Geek agree?	Book Review: The Passage by Justin Cronin The Geek reviews Justin Cronin's The Passage, 2010's must-read about a post-apocalyptic future riddled with vampires.	Book Review: What is the What by Dave Eggers Dave Eggers' latest book chronicles the true story of Valentino Achak Deng, a Sudanese Lost Boy who went through the unimaginable to make it to America.
Inside the Seventh Circle of Reality TV Hell with The Colony Now that fall television has finally started again, I can admit something embarassing: over the summer, I watched the entire second season of The Colony.	Mini-Reviews 8/31/09 The Geek reviews Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Time Traveler's Wife, Knowing, Dean Koontz's Frankenstein, and The Year of Living Biblically.	Movie Review: Avatar It's ironic that something so groundbreaking can also be mind-numbingly unoriginal.	Movie Review: Cloverfield Is J.J. Abrams' highly anticipated monster movie worth the price of admission, or is it just a rehash of Godzilla and The Blair Witch Project?
Movie Review: Pandorum The Geek takes a look at the latest sci-fi/horror flick from Paul W.S. Anderson.	Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Does Indiana Jones belong in a museum, or does the new movie prove that he can live on in the 21st Century?	Movie Review: Mr. Brooks Kevin Costner as a serial killer? I just had to check this one out.	Movie Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes Is this latest attempt to reboot Planet of the Apes another failure, or is it a clever new take on a beloved franchise?
Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes (2009) Does Guy Ritchie's action-heavy reboot of Sherlock Holmes do justice to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's literary hero?	Movie Review: Star Trek Does J.J. Abrams' reboot of Star Trek live up to expectations, or is it just another nail in the coffin for Paramount's floundering flagship franchise?	Movie Review: Thor Does Thor live up to the expectations set by Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk? The Unapologetic Geek weighs in.	Movie Review: Vantage Point Vantage Point is a movie about a presidential assassination attempt from multiple points of view. Is it a gimmicky failure or a fun ride?
The Movies of 2010 The Geek reviews Alice in Wonderland, Book of Eli, Harry Potter 7, Inception, Iron Man 2, Jackass 3D, Predators, Prince of Persia, Splice, and TRON: Legacy	The Movies of 2011 The Unapologetic Geek reviews ten of 2011's biggest films.	TV Review: The 2008-2009 Season The Geek reviews the most recent seasons of 24, Dollhouse, Heroes, House, Lost, and Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles.	TV Review: The 2009-2010 Season The Geek reviews the latest seasons of 24, Criminal Minds, Heroes, House, Lost, and V.
TV Review: Heroes, Volume 3 Though the show has fallen in ratings and popularity, the Unapologetic Geek still finds things worth loving about NBC's Heroes.	TV Review: Lost, Season 4 Flashforwards, constants, a cabin, a freighter, and the Oceanic Six: Season 4 of ABC's hit show Lost had plenty to chew on.

EVERYTHING ELSE

	2008 Fall TV The Geek lists the shows he's looking forward to in the 2008-2009 season.		Bananaman's Valentine's Day Playlist Bananaman comes out of retirement to offer you a list of appropriate songs to celebrate this most wretched of holidays.		Fan Hatred: When Geeks Get Too Critical Why is it that geeks and fanboys become more virulent towards the thing they love than everybody else?		The Island, Harry Potter, & Midi-Chlorians: Walking the Narrative Tightrope with Lost The Geek discusses the problem of how to answer questions in a complex narrative like ABC's Lost without killing the story.
	Metropolis Reborn With the rumblings of a big budget Hollywood remake of Fritz Lang's Metropolis, the question is raised: who should direct, and who should star in it?		On Shylock Shylock, with all of his antisemitic overtones, is one of Shakespeare's most problematic characters, but he also set the stage for the greatest writer who ever lived.		What Inception is About Critics posit that Christopher Nolan's Inception has no deep artistic meaning, but the Unapologetic Geek begs to differ.

GO BACK