Plot Development
AI as a Reflective Surface
Much of the confusion surrounding artificial intelligence comes from treating it as an agent rather than a surface. When people speak about AI “doing the thinking,” “creating the ideas,” or “speaking for someone,” they are often projecting agency onto a system that does not possess intention, belief, or understanding. This projection obscures what is actually happening in many real-world uses. In those cases, AI is not acting as a source of meaning, but as a surface that reflects, redirects, and reshapes what is already present.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcasta day ago in Critique
The Blue Sword
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley Nothing says a childhood classic like white savior Mary Sue! I snagged this one after listening to an episode of Brandon Sanderson’s podcast where he said this inspired one of the stained glass windows decorating his house (because of course he has presumably awesome stained glass windows).
By Matthew J. Fromm5 days ago in Critique
Mental Health Tips for Digital Creators (From Someone Who Knows the Burnout)
Mental Health Tips for Digital Creators (From Someone Who Knows the Burnout) It sounds like the ideal job to be a digital creator. You get to work from anywhere, be your own boss, and turn your ideas into content people actually care about.
By Farida Kabir7 days ago in Critique
When Is a Move Final?
The Commitment Problem in Modern Chess Modern chess operates under a fractured commitment model that no longer aligns with how players think, how turns function in most games, or how chess itself is actually played across physical and digital formats. At the heart of the problem is that chess treats physical contact with a piece as binding commitment while simultaneously relying on a separate explicit action to end a player’s turn. This creates a logical contradiction: a move becomes final before the turn is over. In most turn-based games, interaction with game components is provisional until the player explicitly signals the end of their turn. Chess is an anomaly in this respect, and the inconsistency becomes increasingly visible in modern play.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast10 days ago in Critique
Countdown to Pearl Harbor: The Twelve Days To The Attack
Countdown to Pearl Harbor: The Twelve Days To The Attack by Steve Twomey I really wasn’t expecting much of this read; I grabbed it while I was at Pearl Harbor because how could I not get a book while I was there?
By Matthew J. Fromm27 days ago in Critique
Standing While Falling. Top Story - January 2026.
Quotation from Friedrich Nietzsche "He who wrestles long with monsters should beware lest he himself become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you. Man is not destroyed by suffering, but by the meaning he makes of it."
By LUCCIAN LAYTH28 days ago in Critique
Words of Radiance
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson And so we come to the yearly ovation for Mr. Sanderson. The man is a genius, his lecture series is one of the most important resources ever developed for writers, and I’m yet to pick up a Sando that’s scored below a 70. I have critiques that we’ll come to, but suffice to say I am a big supporter of Sanderson.
By Matthew J. Frommabout a month ago in Critique
The Blade Itself
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie Every once in a while, I pick up a book that reminds me fundamentally why I enjoy reading—a book that turns my brain off and sweeps me away to some far flung world that I can sit at any quiet moment and. . . disappear into.
By Matthew J. Frommabout a month ago in Critique
