Media Notes: January 2025
In which I briefly comment on the books I read each month, so a few years from now when I’m trying to remember one of them, I’ll be able to find it here. Since I’m a media omnivore, it also includes games, movies, and any other media of note that I engaged with.
Do we have similar tastes, or will you be questioning how we ever got connected? Let’s find out!
Books
12 Days by June Kim
I started the new year re-reading the first manga I ever read back in 2006, when I had no clue about manga, and I currently have no clue why I picked this as my first one, or why I still own it! It’s a suitably messy slice of life told in vignettes switching between the past and present, as several characters grapple with the untimely death of a loved one. The drinking ashes hook is both literal and metaphorical, but the heart of the story is what’s said, and not said, throughout. It holds up pretty well.
Clock Striker, Volume 2: The Sharing Society by Frederick L. Jones, Issaka Galadima
This was a little darker than I remember the first volume being, but also as fun and engaging as I expected. Jones does a good job balancing world building and character development, and the setting itself is as interesting as the main story, but it’s Galadima’s dynamic art and character designs that… make it… tick. (Sorry, not sorry.)
Resisting AI: An Anti-Fascist Approach to Artificial Intelligence by Dan McQuillan
Enlightening at times, but frustratingly academic, as it reads like an “AI and Politics: 401” textbook. Published before ChatGPT was unleashed and AI being aggressively pushed into everything, some of McQuillan’s proposed solutions seem a little outdated or inadequate now in 2025. I’m glad I read it but not sure I’d recommend it to anyone only casually interested in understanding what’s going on with AI.
Celestine: The Living Saint by Andy Clark (Saints and Martyrs Omnibus)
Definitely not an entry point to the grim dark future, but between the Eisenhorn Omnibus and tons of lore via YouTube and the video games I’ve played, I had enough background to make Clark’s story of war and faith familiar and compelling, mostly thanks to an intriguing cast and solid use of genre tropes. Celestine herself was a frustrating enigma, until she became a fascinating one. The Emperor provides! (Maybe?)
{STAR} Dark PR: How Corporate Disinformation Harms Our Health and the Environment by Grant Ennis
Unlike McQuillan above with AI, Ennis does an excellent job of breaking down and illustrating the various ways corporations successfully manipulate and misdirect us, no matter how savvy we might individually think we are. Similar to McQuillan, though, his call for collective action is inspiring and pragmatic, but it’s honestly hard not to think it might be too late.
Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 3 by Naoya Matsumoto
The plot thickens, but the core story and characters remain fun and engaging, so I’m going to keep buying and reading it.
Games
Metaphor: Refantazio (Xbox)
I’m about 75 hours in now, and every time it starts feeling like it’s just too damn long, a plot beat or character arc hits the right note and I’m sucked back in. I’m guessing I’m (almost?) at the 2/3rds point (maybe?), but unlike Persona 3 Reload, I’m occasionally looking up tips to avoid extended trial and error grinding because the combat is much less forgiving. It’s actually the mini-bosses in random encounters that are the most challenging because the informant system ensures you’re going into dungeons knowing the primary weaknesses you’ll be facing. You just won’t know if you’re actually ready for the fights until you’re in them. Possibly because of the length, though, I’m finding myself slightly less engaged than I was with P3R. I’m still enjoying it, but I’m also ready to finish it so I can finally jump into Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader!
Warhammer Combat Cards (Android)
A random discovery while wandering the various rabbit holes of the grim dark future, it’s one of the best mobile games I’ve played yet. It’s definitely a pay-to-play grinder and I’ve already hit the soft ceiling of purposefully slower progression at higher levels, but the Battle Pass delivered a steady flow of additional cards that has kept me feeling competitive enough for the more challenging modes, while dipping into Casual Mode for a breather to experiment and level up other faction decks. My favorite so far is the Servants of the Emperor, which includes Battle Sisters and Inquisitors, but I’ve had some good runs with Aeldari and Ork decks, too.
Movies & TV
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Paramount Plus)
When I first decided to give Star Trek a shot a few years ago, I almost started with Deep Space Nine because it had the most appealing premise, but a couple of friends suggested it wasn’t an ideal entry point, so I started with Discovery instead. Officially a fan now, I’m ready to tackle what would be the longest-running series I’ve ever tried to watch after it was done — but despite warnings, I wasn’t quite ready for how… not bad, but also not good it is! We’re only 7 episodes in and it’s been mostly entertaining, but some of the acting is so bad, particularly Avery Brooks who seems completely unsure how to play his character. The casual sexual harassment of Dax is particularly notable, and I was not prepared for aliens getting ear jobs! That said, Quark is the front-runner for my new favorite character, and I’ve been led to believe the show gets much better after a couple of seasons. I wouldn’t have had the patience for that three years ago, but with Discovery and Lower Decks done, I’m in for the ride.
There Will Be Blood (Streaming)
I avoided this move for so many years, and I have no idea why! I remember the milkshake scene was memed to death back in the day, and something about Daniel Day Lewis never worked for me. My son finally convinced me to watch it, though, reminding me it was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, who made one of my all-time favorite movies (Magnolia), and I’m glad I did because it was really good. Lewis does his Lewis things, but Paul Dano was the bigger surprise.
Smile 2 (Streaming)
While the original’s ending clearly left itself open for a sequel, there was no reason to expect it would get one, never mind that it would be a much better movie. Chalk that up partly to Naomi Scott being a much stronger actress than Sosie Bacon, convincingly carrying the emotional weight the movie’s whole premise is built on, but also a much tighter overall story and supporting cast.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Streaming)
I’m not mad that I watched it, but it was so low effort that it felt like Tim Burton just wanted an excuse to work with Jenna Ortega between seasons of Wednesday. A paper-thin plot and abrupt finale made it feel like they were behind schedule and started filming without a finished script, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they team up for another one with Ortega taking the full lead.
Your Notes?
If you’ve engaged with any of these, let me know what you thought. And if you have any related recommendations, drop ’em in the comments or on the socials! Some of you prefer email, which is cool, too. You do you!
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Once Avery Brooks gets around to looking like Hawke from Spenser For Hire (goatee, bald), he’s got the character figured out. It takes them a couple of seasons on DS9 to really find their sea legs, but once it hits its stride, zooooom!
I never watched Spenser but I remember Hawke seeming like a badass so early Sisko has felt weird, but knowing he evolves helps.