Some of My Favourite Media:
Jop's Latest Highly Rated:
JOP
Welcome to my curator page!
Like most people on this funny, little planet do, I struggle my way through life on a daily basis. Between (and if I’m very honest, also during) these struggles, I keep myself sane by dreaming. Dreaming about far off places, cultures and worlds. About wonderful and unique stories, and the possibility that, one day, my own writings will pave the way for other dreamers.
When I immerse myself in a story, I love it when I can lose myself in the thoughts and feelings of well-developed characters. Ideally, the story of these characters is supported by a clever plot and world building that is well thought out. Bonus points if the story has themes that are completely intertwined with the plot and characters. However, the balance may be slightly different, as long as most of the building blocks are in order. Bad writing is something I can never overlook. When it comes to games, I find narrative and/or atmosphere more important than game elements. Also, I like dragons.
When I’m not creating stories myself or living life, I read, game or watch movies and TV series to satisfy my eternal hunger for good stories.
Stories of hope against all odds
The found family trope
Character driven stories
Well-written emotions
Well-foreshadowed plot twists
Proper lgbtqia+ and bipoc representation
Diversity of fantasy species
Religious/spiritual themes and original invented religions as long as they are well executed
Good continuity
Giant creatures that wreak havoc such as dragons, krakens and the like
Flat or boring characters
When something truly devastating happens in a character’s life, but they never visibly mourn or even address it happening
When the stakes in a story grow beyond the point where it is relatableViolence and torture that are especially graphic
Lack of diversity
Really competitive games
Bad writing
Pet PeeveS
Storylines in which an (evil) imposter occurs and the main characters have to discover them
Senseless love triangles
When a writer has to tell how a character feels but can’t also show it
Plot twists without proper foreshadowing
Long-lasting mysteries that receive a lot of screen time but are poorly (or not at all) unravelled
Characters who are generally quite intelligent or capable but suddenly make stupid choices because it is necessary for the plot
Unsubtle info dumping
Recent Contributions
Review: Fallout – Amazon Prime
The bomb has gone off, but that doesn’t mean civilisation has to collapse. Deep underground, life goes on for a select few in the Vaults. 219 years later, Fallout follows Lucy Maclean, who has grown up with all the luxuries 1950’s life has to offer. After an incident in her vault, she ventures out into the wastes where she discovers what nuclear radiation has done to the people of America, in both mind and body.
Review: Percy Jackson and the Olympians – Disney
Percy Jackson – named after the hero Perseus in ancient Greek mythology – is an ordinary twelve-year-old boy trying to survive in a world that thinks him weird. After a fateful trip to a museum, however, he quickly finds his world uprooted. Apparently, Greek gods and monsters are not a thing of the distant past, but still very much around. In addition to that, they are all hunting for Percy because he is a demigod.
Curator Question: Will you watch The Rings of Power season 2?
Another question for our curators: How do they feel about the second season of Amazon’s The Rings of Power? They watched season one together, to generally mediocre reviews…
Review: Mortal Engines – Christian Rivers
Tom Natsworthy is an apprentice historian in the traction city of London – a mobile metropolis chasing other traction settlements across the hunting grounds to devour their resources and enslave their people. Tom’s life is turned upside down when he meets heroic explorer and head historian Thaddeus Valentine – and witnesses a failed attempt to assassinate him.
Review: Delicious in Dungeon – Yoshihiro Miyajima
When an adventure deep within the dungeon results in the death of his sister, Laios convinces his adventuring party to rely on unorthodox sources of food to try and save her before time runs out. After all, who’s to say monster parts can’t be just as tasty and nutritious as normal food?