Category Archives: FANTASTIC ADVENTURES

Just a few loose thoughts on interplanetary wars

Posted on March 14, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

Last week I went to see Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve’s epic about Afghanistan on an alien planet, which overcomes *some* of my reservations about the previous film. While the screen is once again filled with masses of anonymous blind … Continue reading →

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A couple of very fun sci-fi books

Posted on October 18, 2023 by I.M. Baytor

The early Cold War era was a time not just of great sci-fi cinema, but also of awesome sci-fi literature… and, contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t all doom and gloom either. Here are a couple of books, by two … Continue reading →

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A couple of grim sci-fi novels

Posted on April 14, 2023 by I.M. Baytor

Gotham Calling is still primarily a blog about comics, but I’m also enjoying posting about other books on my bedside table. They’re genre narratives as well – and many of their themes and concepts overlap with those of the comics … Continue reading →

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Spotlight on Spirou & Fantasio, 1946-1957

Posted on March 30, 2023 by I.M. Baytor

Since I did a couple of posts about The Adventures of Tintin a while back, I guess it was a matter of time before I got around to writing about Spirou & Fantasio, the other major classic series of Belgian … Continue reading →

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When comics are COMICS

Posted on March 16, 2023 by I.M. Baytor

When I use the word ‘comics,’ it can mean different things. I can be talking about the medium itself, that is to say sequences of visibly still images that tell a story or develop an idea, including such remarkable literary … Continue reading →

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A couple of very cool space adventure novels

Posted on February 9, 2023 by I.M. Baytor

So, I finally started watching Andor and it’s as neat as I’d heard. It’s Star Wars as a taut cyberpunk heist, compelingly acted and with enough of a distinct vibe to feel more satisfying than the endless retread of the … Continue reading →

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A couple of deservedly acclaimed futuristic novels

Posted on September 28, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

Another post about science fiction, but this one looking beyond comic books… Reading old novels set in the future can be fun in different ways. On the one hand, it’s fascinating to see how other eras imagined (accurately or not) … Continue reading →

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Cool trips into the multiverse

Posted on September 22, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

Movie blockbusters have been moving into an ouroboros-like postmodern entropy for a while, from Ready Player One and the LEGO franchise to Space Jam: A New Legacy and Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, not to mention the whole MCU meta-series … Continue reading →

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If you like The Hudsucker Proxy…

Posted on May 26, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

For their fifth film, Joel and Ethan Coen went back to the slapstick tone and rhythm of Raising Arizona, once again channeling the Looney Tunes, only this time around blended with the flavor of old Hollywood screwball comedies about big … Continue reading →

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If you like Raising Arizona…

Posted on February 10, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

Like I mentioned last month, this year I’m going over the Coen brothers’ amazing body of work and recommending further films and comics for fans of each of their masterpieces. This time around, let’s focus on their outlandish follow-up to … Continue reading →

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