When I was a kid, my family took me to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios. I don’t remember the event very well, but they tell me I took it upon myself to try and scare the people trying to scare me. The one thing that did stay with me was refusing to go into […]
Epilepsy used to be called the sacred disease because it enraptures people, taking control of them and sometimes bestowing visions that can be heavenly or hellish. It was the realm of oracles and wise men. When the seizures overtook people, they were touched by the Gods themselves. But over time, people began to fear it. […]
It’s the middle of the big Wakanda fight scene. Thor and Captain America banter about haircuts, M’Baku and Okoye crack skulls, and for a moment, Rocket Raccoon meets James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes. The audience is ready to laugh the second the raccoon eyes up the veteran. They know what’s coming. Rocket compliments Bucky’s prosthetic arm, […]
Disability happened to me in an instant. One moment I was able, the next I was broken from the ribs on down, the result of a horrific car accident. But I was fortunate; I received excellent care from the first responders to my amazing surgical team to the dedicated physical therapy, occupational therapy, and nursing […]
I am 30 years old before I see myself—my disabled self—in any kind of science fiction. Nobody meant to write about me. It’s early 2017 and I’m reading The Expanse series. Okay, I’m devouring The Expanse series, because my boyfriend and I watched the first episode of the television show so I immediately needed to […]
Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction will focus on making our work as disabled creators public. But what is it like to be disabled in public? In my experience it can be quite different from country to country, and also relate to how you present yourself, both online and offline. I am autistic and also have […]
Let’s be honest here, science fiction and fantasy have always been the genres that misfits want to find themselves in. Growing up, I was a terrible student, but I was an avid reader. I loved randomly picking books off the shelf and discovering a good story, no matter the genre. Except I’d be lying if […]
The other day, someone asked me if I felt like I “count” as disabled. A lot of people don’t. A lot of people feel like they aren’t disabled “enough” to claim crip, to claim disability, to claim party to this community, to this issue, to this world. I said yes. Not everyone would agree with […]
(Content Note: This essay depicts the visceral experience of a panic attack, dissociative experiences, and discusses incidents of suicide and self-harm in the movie Inception, which may be disturbing for some readers.) It is 2 a.m. and the dragon says my marriage is ending. It’s right. I know it with a certainty. Like the shuddering […]
Doctor Who, with its 55 years of continuity, regularly-rotating-cast-and-crew, and deep long-term generational fandom, is like no other television show. While many elements of Doctor Who are iconic and fascinating as pop culture phenomena in their own right, the identity of the ever-changing leading man has always been a matter for great scrutiny, from hardcore […]