Author: Niliya C. Hale

Niliya C. Hale is an ambitious student, an aspiring writer and graphic designer pursuing a career in the IT field. She is a junior Web and Mobile Computing student at Rochester Institute of Technology’s Croatian international campus based in Zagreb, and a passionate movie and anime lover, bookworm and much of an audiophile. Her interests vary from programming, to creative writing, psychology, philosophy, and languages. Currently a beginner in four foreign languages, she aspires to advance her level of knowledge and add more to her resume. Fictional languages are no exception, as even her pen name, Nīlīya, is derived from Adûnaic - an elvish language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien - while C. Hale references a character from her favorite childhood comic book - W.I.T.C.H. In regards to the preferred genres, she is most intrigued by psychological thrillers and horrors, but endlessly lost in fantasies and “slice of life” dramas as well, ever since she read about Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Drawn by worldly writing, intriguing philosophical and psychological premises, fantasy realms and stories that resonate with genuine emotions, she often mentions The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Alice in Wonderland and Over the Garden Wall as some of the most memorable fantasies, while Koe no Katachi, Her, Mary and Max, Beauty and the Beast (1991), A Beautiful Mind, Mulan (1998), Edward Scissorhands, and Forrest Gump are some of the stories that remain close to her heart. On a different note, Minority Report, Apocalypse Now, The Matrix, Whiplash, Serial Experiments Lain, and The Master would be a few of the first titles she would recommend for a more tension-driven experience and daring takes on some of the big philosophical questions. Shifting the focus on anime series, shounen such as Bleach, Jujutsu Kaisen and Bungou Stray Dogs take are among the favorites, while mysteries and thrillers of the likes of Zetsuen no Tempest, Fate/Zero, and Death Parade have her fully engulfed in the narrative. Following the passion for stories, the games she played include Fable: The Lost Chapters, Dragon Age: Origins, Alice: Madness Returns, and as of recently Hades, Hollow Knight and Lost in Random. Niliya’s recent articles include top and ordered lists, research reports and argumentative analyses focused on movies and anime. As a fan of riddles and mysteries, while she enjoys creative writing the most, researching certain theses, catching references, and noticing subtle hints in order to demystify the underlying premise is her favorite pastime.