Area of Effect is a website about whatever lights up my horizons, and my attempt to blast out my own beautifully flawed crater of space on the internet that looks exactly like I want. You can expect my thoughts on entertainment and culture across genres, unabashed nerdiness, writing accountability journals, and some jokes here and there!
Who are you?
Great question, Eldritch Gods! My name’s Jacob Linden, and I’m a writer. You’ve potentially seen me slinging listicles at Hearst Magazines or writing about games at places like The Escapist and Polygon. One of my favorite ice-breaker anecdotes is that I once shushed Hilary Duff while I was a production intern on the set of Younger. She was talking during a take, but still, sorry Hilary…
Area of Huh? What’s That Mean?
I’m glad you asked! I was inspired to name this blog after the classic RPG/Strategy game mechanic Area of Effect, or AoE for short, which usually refers to a power that affects multiple targets, whether it’s a storm of fiery meteors or a font of healing light. This blog feels like an eruption of pent-up energy that I’ve been building up for a long time. Losing a job to an AI slop machine, seeing sites I love to read get hollowed out by corporate overlords, and the realization that I don’t have to wait for permission to be a part of the cultural conversation are just a few of the reasons that Area of Effect finally exists!
Thanks for reading! Check out the blog, and get in touch if you have any questions or inquiries!