One Good Reason To Watch John Carpenter’s Christine This Halloween
When it comes to iconic cars in films and TV shows, some stand out: KITT, the Batmobile, the A-Team van, the time-travelling DeLorean… and, if...
Rick Austin is a fiction author, pop culture writer, and lifelong geek born in Birmingham, England, now based in South Africa. He is the published author of Life Insurance of the Gods, a fantasy-parody novel available on Amazon, with a second novel, The Naturals, in the works.
Rick has been writing about film, television, and comics for most of his adult life, with a particular depth of knowledge in sci-fi cinema, DC Comics, cult horror, and the entire Star Trek universe. He has contributed fiction and analytical essays to Trek Mate — a long-running Star Trek fan community and podcast — including original short fiction set in the Trek universe and deep-dives into TNG, DS9, Voyager, and the original series. His writing is known for its wit, irreverence, and the kind of obsessive detail that only comes from someone who has genuinely watched everything twice.
At Fortress of Solitude, Rick specialises in the films and franchises that shaped modern geek culture — from RoboCop and Blade Runner to John Carpenter and the full history of Batman on screen. He also writes for anthologies and various websites, and is an avid cosplayer with a pair of TARDIS Converse sneakers that have probably seen more conventions than most.
Expertise: DC Comics · Sci-fi cinema · Star Trek · Cult horror · Pop culture history
Published: Life Insurance of the Gods (Amazon)
Also published at: Trek Mate
When it comes to iconic cars in films and TV shows, some stand out: KITT, the Batmobile, the A-Team van, the time-travelling DeLorean… and, if...
The Howard the Duck movie, which came out in 1986, was a disaster on all levels. Howard the Duck became synonymous with bad comic book...
Okay, I’ll bite. The Green Lantern movie wasn’t the worst on-screen DC superhero project to come out of 2011, especially when you compare it to the unaired TV pilot...
“Just from a pure power standpoint and what her abilities are… She is as powerful, if not more powerful than Thor – and you suddenly...
It’s a little hard to know what went wrong with the ‘90s, but I’m pretty sure 1993 was when the rot really started to show....
To qualify as a Disney princess, a character must meet the following criteria: Be female. Have a primary role in a Disney film. Be royal...
The first rule of making a good horror film is that you don't break the rules of horror movies. Scream It may be dated, but...
WandaVision may be Scarlet Witch’s artificial sitcom reality/coping mechanism, but the dangers in it are very real. WandaVision: Scarlet Witch’s Artificial Sitcom Reality and the Real...
If you’re a Bill & Ted fan then you should watch Face the Music and give it a chance, even if only to learn how...
The original Mulan set the bar high, and the live-action remake gracefully follows, raising the stakes for Disney remakes.
Superman: Man of Tomorrow takes its first steps (and missteps) into what could be a larger universe for DC animation.
Alright, folks, buckle up, because we’re diving into Avengers: Infinity War—a movie that’s basically a Marvel fan’s dream come true.
Blind bags and boxes are just loot boxes for kids—minus the legendary weapons.
Atom Man Vs Superman is a flawed yet entertaining classic Man of Steel serial with a memorable Lex Luthor.
Commissioner Gordon is back to smoking a cigarette—but why?
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