Once upon a time here at FerretBrain we had a theme for things we quite liked. This eventually became a little bit bloated and was rendered essentially meaningless because it turned we did actually like things. Occasionally.

The Axis of Awesome works slightly differently to our other themes. Each contributor is invited to select only a single item for it (although they can change it at any time). It therefore represents the highest possible FerretBrain accolade, the sort of squealing, palpitating adoration reserved for only the most deserving and sublime. Hold your breath, dear readers, for you pass through the halls of miracles.

Once upon a time here at FerretBrain we had a theme for things we didn't like very much. It rapidly became bloated and essentially meaningless because it turned out there was an extensive and disparate range of things we didn't like very much.

The Axis of Awful works slightly differently to our other themes. Each contributor is invited to select only a single item for it (although they can change it at any time). It therefore represents the absolute shining pinnacle of atrocity. Of all the texts explored, reviewed, and thrown at the wall in disgust at Ferrebrain find here the very worst, the most despised, the absolute cream of the crap. Tread lightly, readers, for even angels are afraid.

It's not that we're obsessed with reading books (and sometimes having a stab at writing them) here on Ferretbrain, it's just that we get light-headed and giddy if we don't get regular doses of the written word.

For anything related to the sci-fi / fantasy genre.

Exactly what it says on the tin: thoughts, reviews, etc. on tv shows and movies.

Reviews, opinions, and general geeking out for your entertainment.

For anything related to the horror genre.

Anything related to YA or children's fiction.

Reading Canary articles are those which deal with reviewing series of books - whether the article covers the entire series or just a handful of books - with the intent of letting the reader know exactly how far they can read (and what spin-off books they should experiment with) before things inevitably start to smell a bit off.

Sometimes we leave our books and our movies and our games for just long enough to take a peep at the real world. Here are those thoughts.

Games of the massively single-player offline variety.

Articles in which straight white men attempt to speak on behalf of women, nonwhites, and homosexuals.

Sometimes we have the misfortune to find ourselves lumbered with a text so heinous, so awful, so mind-bogglingly stupid that we cannot bear to continue with it beyond a certain point. These are those texts. I hope somebody, somewhere, is very ashamed.

A repository for all the bile articles we produced about J.K.Rowling and Harry Potter. Okay, this is a bit scary. I hadn't realised there was so much.

In the grim darkness of the far future there is only neeeeeeeeeerds. Nerds reviewing Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000-themed books and games and things.

Our blow-by-blow analyses of sex cliches in fantasy novels.

Handy reviews of eateries vaguely in the Oxfordshire area, usually written by Julian Lynch. All served with a side-ordering of snark.

Calling them graphic novels doesn't mean they don't consist of pretty pictures and word balloons - and there's nothing wrong with that.

This theme is pretty self-explanatory...

For when we get seduced by the cover into reading a book we otherwise might not.

This is for games that may be played without the flow of electrical current and the glow of the idiot's lantern and the mediation of an electronic console or computing machine.

Be it togas and neck-stabbings, or bodices and tight breeches, we seem to have rather a fondness for costume dramas here at Ferretbrain.