In the Smart Pop Classics series, we share greatest hits from our throwback essay collections. In “Anne McCaffrey, Believer in Us” from Dragonwriter: A Tribute to Anne McCaffrey and Pern, David Brin discusses how beloved science fiction writer Anne McCaffrey redefined the notion of dragons, science, and the fictional feudal era that placed Pern in… Read more Smart Pop Classics: Anne McCaffrey, Believer in Us

In the Smart Pop Classics series, we share greatest hits from our throwback essay collections. In “The Neuroscience of Survivor” from The Psychology of Survivor, Dr. Karyn Frick explores why Survivor is tough on brains, and why the “Sole Survivor” might have the most resilient brain. Outwit. It’s the first of the three tenets upon which… Read more Smart Pop Classics: The Neuroscience of Survivor

In the Smart Pop Classics series, we share greatest hits from our throwback essay collections. In “Love Saves the World” from Seven Seasons of Buffy, Jean Lorrah argues that the love shared by Buffy, Xander, Willow, and Giles is real and lasting, and constitutes a family more stable and loving than most blood families. And… Read more Smart Pop Classics: Love Saves the World

In the Smart Pop Classics series, we share greatest hits from our throwback essay collections. In “Holy Signifier, Batman!” from Batman Unauthorized, Nick Mamatas argues that Batman only works as Pop art, and that of the many iterations of Batman that exist, the campy TV Batman of the 1960s is the most compelling version of… Read more Smart Pop Classics: Holy Signifier, Batman!