2022 was a rollercoaster of a year, but I managed to write some great pieces that make me eligible for next year’s 2023 Hugo Award for the “Best Fan Writer” category. The “Best Fan Writer” award can go to any writer who has written sci-fi and fantasy related works that have been published in low or non-paying publications and electronic media.

This year, the bulk of my qualifying pop culture criticism pieces focus on gaming and comic books. I was welcomed as a comic book critic over at the website Comics XF and made a triumphant return as a poet through video game poetry published at Into The Spine. Finally, I also did a couple of one-off pieces spotlighting Black women in the gaming industry, the Marvel superhero Silk, and a personal essay that serves as a send off to the Nintendo 3DS gaming system.

Comic Book Criticism

Bytchcraft Is A Love Letter To Blackness and Magic– A Comics XF review of the Webtoon published webcomic Bytchcraft created by Aaron Reese.

Finding Inspiration In Window Horses– A personal essay at Comics XF discussing the graphic novel Window Horses by Ann Marie Fleming

Captain Zero Into The Abyss Peers Into Black Mental Health Issues– A Comics XF review of the animated superhero sci-fi short film Captain Zero created by Lamard Cher-Aimé.

Marvel Then: Silk After Spider-Verse– A feature essay part of Comic Book Herald‘s “Marvel Then” feature series celebrating the 10th anniversary of Marvel Comics’ Marvel Now! line. This essay discusses the Marvel superhero Silk and how she found her footing as a solo superhero.

Video Game Criticism

10 Black Women In Gaming You Should Know– A feature piece I did over at the online publication Gayming Magazine on Black women working in gaming.

Nintendo 3DS RPGs Taught Me To Savor Adventure– A personal essay on appreciating slow-paced adventures through the Nintendo 3DS JRPGs Etrian Odyssey Untold II, Fantasy Life, and Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse.

Video Game Poetry

Limit Break– A poem inspired by the Nintendo DS video game Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and the character Roxas; published at the online gaming publication Into The Spine.

I Am Thou, Thou Art I– A poem mainly inspired by the Nintendo 3DS video game Persona Q2 New Cinema Labyrinth.