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King Midas: An Ancient AI Allegory
King Midas was a King of Phrygia, a dominant kingdom in Asia Minor from around 1200–700 BC. He thought quite a lot of himself apparently, and boasted that anything he touched would turn to gold. Perhaps he was speaking metaphorically, but he goes down in mythology as a supernatural character whose touch would literally turn anything…
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Children of the Corn by Stephen King Short Story Analysis
What is it about corn? Sure, Stephen King can make anything creepy, and so he does in “Children of the Corn”. But long before Stephen King filled his first diaper, humans have been very wary of… yes, corn.
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How To Talk To Girls At Parties by Neil Gaiman Short Story Analysis
“How To Talk To Girls At Parties” is a 2006 short story by British author Neil Gaiman. The author has posted the text version of this story at his own website, which you can read for free. Alternatively, find it in his Smoke and Mirrors collection.
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Cookie Jar by Stephen King Short Story Analysis
What do you imagine of when you think “cookie jar”? Grandmothers? Buttery, sweet snacks? Cosy kitchens? Sesame Street?
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The Raft by Stephen King Short Story Analysis
The Raft (1982) is a short story by Stephen King, a modern example of cosmic horror about the dangerous desires of youth.
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The Jaunt by Stephen King Short Story Analysis
“The Jaunt” is a science fiction short story by American author Stephen King. Even by King’s standards, this narrative is famous for its shocking ending.
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Labor Day Dinner by Alice Munro Short Story Analysis
Well, it’s Labor Day here in Australia, that time of year when smartphones decide we must rise and shine a full hour earlier due to that sacrilegious custom called “Daylight Savings”. Why not enjoy an Alice Munro short story with that extra hour of daylight I now enjoy at the other end of the day?
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The Hitch-hiker by Roald Dahl Short Story Analysis
“The Hitch-hiker” is the second short story in Roald Dahl’s 1977 collection The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More. This story was originally published in the July 1977 issue of the Atlantic Monthly. Find it also in Dahl’s Eight Further Tales of the Unexpected, a section of The Collected Short Stories of Roald…
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Superheroes In Storytelling: Various Notes
Love it or loathe it, the superhero is an ambivalent archetype in storytelling, useful to either bolster the conservative status quo, or subvert it.
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A Little Journey by Ray Bradbury Analysis
“A Little Journey” is a 1951 short story by American author Ray Bradbury, first published in the August 1951 edition of Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine.
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Stephen King’s Misery 1990: Meaning, Themes & Characterisation
Misery (1990) is one widely considered of the best Stephen King film adaptations.
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Annihilation (2018) Film Study
Today’s film makes a lot more sense when you sit back and accept it’s not supposed to make sense at a surface level. However, it does sense if you read the story at a metaphorical level.
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What is the Symbolist movement in literature?
In Symbolist work, the author is aiming to hit the essence or ideal of something which lies behind objective matter and the realm of chance.
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All She Said Was Yes by Shirley Jackson Short Story Study
“All She Said Was Yes” is a short story by Shirley Jackson. This is the one with the Wednesday Addams character archetype who foresees the death of her own parents. But do they listen to her? No.