Christine Balan, Author at The Nerd Stash

Christine Balan Articles 12

Christine breathes nearly as much as she reads. A lover of SciFi and Fantasy alike, she tends to keep her head high above the troposphere. Though, when she does find herself back down-to-Earth, she also loves going on long walks with her fiancé and black lab, Chase, scouting out all of the amazing and bizarre restaurants Las Vegas has to offer, and masquerading as someone with a green thumb in the desert.

The Quirky Quark: Passing of Former ‘First Dog’ Confirms Heaven is Real

Posted By: Christine Balanon: May 09, 2021In: Features, Interviews, NewsTags: First Dog, Quirky QuarkNo Comments

In light of the tragic passing of the Obama family’s former ‘First Dog,’ Bo, this past Saturday, recent Twitter activity suggests that we as a Nation can finally all agree on one thing: Heaven is real. Former atheist Sam Harris, author of Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion and The End of Faith, […] Read more

‘A Quiet Place Part II’ Not So Quiet Final Trailer Released

Posted By: Christine Balanon: May 08, 2021In: Movies, NewsTags: A Quiet Place Part II, TrailerNo Comments

After being subject to delays like countless other films, A Quiet Place Part II has been a long-awaited sequel to the original fan favorite, A Quiet Place. Now, over a year after the projected March 2020 release and two weeks away from the May 2021 new anticipated release date, Paramount Pictures has released the final trailer. […] Read more

Towers of Heaven Book 3, A LitRPG Adventure, is Now Available

Posted By: Christine Balanon: May 05, 2021In: Books, NewsTags: LitRPG, Towers of HeavenNo Comments

Combining the traditions of computer role-playing games with SciFi and fantasy literary elements, LitRPG’s are an ideal marriage of two seemingly different nerdy worlds. If you’ve never taken the leap into the LitRPG genre, don’t worry — Towers of Heaven: A LitRPG Adventure by Cameron Milan is a great place to start, and he just […] Read more

The Quirky Quark: Apple iPhone 13 to Ship Without Apple iPhone 13

Posted By: Christine Balanon: May 02, 2021In: Features, Interviews, News, TechTags: Apple iPhone 13, Quirky QuarkNo Comments

Though exact details of the release date for Apple’s newest iPhone are still unknown, Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, let leak some pretty exciting news about their latest product, the iPhone 13. “In honor of Earth Day 2021,” Jackson posted on Twitter this past Friday, “the Apple iPhone 13 […] Read more

Nerd Profile #2: Maria Popova, the Brain Behind Brain Pickings

Posted By: Christine Balanon: April 28, 2021In: Books, FeaturesTags: Maria Popova, NerdNo Comments

Over the past few decades, Google and similar search engines have virtually eliminated the practice of perusing the library for knowledge in the serendipitous ways of old. At a glance, this system of information-gathering seems not just harmless but ideal in our society of forever-dwindling windows of time—after all, when we want […] Read more

‘The Platform’ Netflix Review: A Great Platform For Societal Debate

Posted By: Christine Balanon: April 26, 2021In: Movie Reviews, Movies, ReviewsTags: The Platform, thrillerNo Comments

Title: The Platform (2019) Director: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia Release Date: March 20, 2020 (Netflix) Rating: TV-MA Runtime: 94 mins Production Companies: Basque Films / Mr. Miyagi Films / Plataforma La Película / A.I.E. [*SPOILER ALERT*] Blood, Intestines, And… Cake? If you were thinking of sitting to watch The Platform over a nice Netflix TV dinner with […] Read more

The Quirky Quark: Black Hole ‘Not Too Keen’ On Its New Name

Posted By: Christine Balanon: April 25, 2021In: Features, Interviews, NewsTags: Quirky Quark, The UnicornNo Comments

In an exclusive interview on April 21 between reporter Morven Braedus and the Milky Way Galaxy’s newly discovered ‘The Unicorn,’ Quirky Quark readers were given a sneak peek into the daily life of our nation’s closest black hole. When asked how the social scene is 5.9 trillion miles from planet Earth, The Unicorn explained, “I […] Read more

Free Guy Release Date: Are We Free to Celebrate Now?

Posted By: Christine Balanon: April 21, 2021In: Movies, NewsTags: Free Guy, Ryan ReynoldsNo Comments

Ryan Reynolds? Over-the-top explosions? Witty repartee and existential crises whispered in earnest to a goldfish named “Goldie”? You had me at goldfish. I’m talking about Director Shawn Levy’s (known for Stranger Things and Arrival) Free Guy, now set for release May 21. Like for reals, for reals this time, guys. Free Guy tells us the story […] Read more

‘The Unholy’ Review: The Devil is in the Details

Posted By: Christine Balanon: April 19, 2021In: Movie Reviews, Movies, ReviewsTags: Horror, The UnholyNo Comments

Title: The Unholy (2021) Director: Evan Spiliotopoulos Release Date: April 2nd, 2021 Rating: PG-13 Runtime: 99 min Studio: Screen Gems / Ghost House Pictures [*SPOILER ALERT*] “The Unholy” Beginning We start our journey in the shoes of the now-defamed journalist Gerry Fenn (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) as he is called to report on a joke-of-a-case: a […] Read more

Nerd Profile #1: The Routines and Habits of a SciFi Writer

Posted By: Christine Balanon: April 15, 2021In: Books, FeaturesTags: Asimov, Bradbury, Vonnegut, writingNo Comments

If you’re a writer, or know a writer, you are probably all too aware of how obsessed that particular brand of human being is with their daily routine. From writing in bathtubs to locking oneself in a black-walled room filled with antique lamps, writers will try anything if it means it’ll help them meet that […] Read more