Author Archives: Meg
Nancy Drew: Code and Clues
In the new iOs game Nancy Drew: Codes and Clues, tween Nancy Drew, along with her usual pals Bess and George is about to enter their robotic puppy into the school tech fair. (Sound familiar? A robotic puppy was also … Continue reading
Mid-Autumn Festival
On my early-morning walk to Chinese school, I saw barriers closing off a Chinatown road, and wondered which Chinese holiday was coming up. The lunar calendar means that even though Moon-Viewing Day snuck up on me last year in Shanghai, it snuck up on me … Continue reading
Jack Up Pharma Prices In New ‘Epipen Tycoon’
In Epipen Tycoon, you play as a pharma CEO who’s struggling to turn lifesaving medical technology into personal millions. This game is basically a clicker, which makes it extra clear that you’re playing as the invisible hand of the free … Continue reading
The History Major
The History Major, a novella by Michael Phillip Cash, tells the story of a college freshman who wakes up in a dorm where everything’s just a little bit off. Her roommate, her classmates, even her class schedule are unfamiliar, and … Continue reading
High-Fives All Around
I came across this on Beth Woolsey’s blog, and it’s perfect: I am quite sure these days I am failing at All the Things, and even though I definitely, for sure, absolutely do NOT subscribe to the idea that we … Continue reading
That Pokeyman Thing Your Grandkids Are Into
In That Pokeyman Thing Your Grandkids Are Into, you play as Grandpa, who borrows grandson Billy’s phone and leaves the old folks’ home for a Pokeyman hunting adventure. This game uses all the tropes of old-school RPG games, with a … Continue reading
Broccoli and Dinosaurs in “Office Girls”
I’ve started watching a Taiwanese drama called Office Girls, all about the drama behind the scenes at a fancy mall. In order to take over Chairman Qin’s department store, lazy son Qin Zi Qi must give up his spoiled tuhao ways and make a … Continue reading
A More Honest Introduction
I started taking my first courses for grad school, and although I was very, very excited to be in this program and to begin this stage of my life, the first assignment was a vague and dull self-introduction with mandatory comments … Continue reading
Performed Happiness and Real Friendships in “Still Here” | (The) Absolute
I have a new piece up on (The) Absolute: The blurb for Lara Vapnyar’s upcoming novel Still Here says the book is about an app that will keep digital profiles alive after the owner has died. The app will do … Continue reading
Mandarin in Five Scenes
#1 I’m in Yantai, Shandong province, 2006. I’m just beginning to recognize Mandarin characters, mostly from a baby book I buy myself when it turns out that my school’s promised “English lessons” are curriculum-free hours with a teacher who’s too embarrassed … Continue reading
