DATE ARCHIVE: October 2008
Listen Here to Orson Welles' War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast!

One day late. Oh well. Just remember, this is only a radio drama...

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday October 31, 2008 at 12:22 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Friday YouTube: The Best Lines from Plan 9 from Outer Space

"One thing's sure. Inspector Clay's dead...murdered...and somebody's responsible!"

[via MilkandCookies]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday October 31, 2008 at 12:20 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

The Sci Fi Channel Thinks Video Games Are Fun To Watch On TV

Now we know the Sci Fi Channel has been moving farther and farther away from the 'Sci Fi' part of their name for a long time. If it wasn't creature features infesting the weekend schedule, it was wrestling throwing folding chairs all over Wednesday nights. Add in the various 'reality' series, and SF has become the red headed stepchild of the channel. And now Sci Fi is going to unleash GameQuest on their unsuspecting throngs of viewers.

Set to appear in the first quarter of 2009, GameQuest:

will feature top game titles from various studios, and includes physical challenges that bring video games to life, as well as elimination challenges in an arena before hundreds of spectators. Contestants will compete for a prize package that includes $100,000 and trips to future World Cyber Games events.

As you can see, it looks like a combination of DoubleDare from Nickelodeon paired up with actual videogame play. Now, I don't know about you, as much fun as watching the physical challenges may be, actually watching someone play a videogame is, well, dull. Like golf and soccer, videogames are much more fun to actually play than to watch.

Don't believe me? Check out this awesomely hyperactive clip from Starcade:

Can't you just feel the excitement? Granted, watching people go at it in Gears of War in all its curb stomping glory is waaay more exciting than Pac Man, but I don't see it making compelling TV. Not in America anyway. Just don't tell the South Koreans.

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Posted by JP Frantz at Friday October 31, 2008 at 12:16 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

It's The Zombiepocalypse: Bring Friends! (Left 4 Dead TV Spot)

It's Halloween and people everywhere will be dressing up and going door to door, begging for their favorite high fructose corn syrup candy. Those we don't get what they want just might turn into a zombie and start infecting everyone around them. Sooner than you think, the zombiepocalypse is upon us. What better way to celebrate than to watch this TV spot for the upcoming Valve survival game, Left 4 Dead, where you and 3 friends get to annihilate wave after wave of the zombie hordes.

Considering the rather low system specs, your PC might actually be a zombie and still be able to play. And for even more fun, joint their "Dude, where's my thumb?" contest! This is one game several of us here at SF Signal's excessively boarded up World HQ will be acquiring. We'll see you in game, if we don't shoot you first...

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Posted by JP Frantz at Friday October 31, 2008 at 12:08 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

SF Tidbits for 10/31/08

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday October 31, 2008 at 12:05 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Relive The War of the Worlds Tonight!

Tonight, a Nebraska theater group is recreating Orson Welles' War of the Worlds radio broadcast on its 70th Anniversary. This performance will be streamed lived tonight at 7PM Central Time on www.nebraska.tv.

From Nebraska.tv:

The Grand Theatre in downtown Grand Island is hosting a special recreation of the 1930's War of the Worlds radio broadcast. The broadcast was originally produced by Orson Welles and was broadcast as a fictional invasion of the earth by Martians. It was so well done that many people across the country mistook it for an actual live news event and believed that Martians were invading.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday October 30, 2008 at 2:35 PM
© 2008 SF Signal

Halloween Reading...A Summary
I'm the kind of reader book marketers love because I'm the type of reader who likes to take advantage of timing to choose what to read. For example, if I know a film is coming out that is based on a science fiction story I've been wanting to read (like, say, Jumper), I'll use that as reason to bump up that book on my reading pile. I like doing the compare/contrast thing.

Similarly, I like to take advantage of certain times of the year to read certain kinds of fiction. Horror fiction for example, just seems to go better with cold, winter nights. OK, there aren't many of those in Houston but the calendar is aligned...so around Halloween I tend to read more horror-related genre fiction.

Here's a quick summary of this year's Halloween reading, with the "bottom line" comments I made on each. (Titles link to full reviews):

Every Last Drop by Charlie Huston - While the book was not bad, it is probably the weakest of the series so far.
Necroscope by Brian Lumley - This is one of the books you don't want to stop reading.
Stalking the Vampire by Mike Resnick - Read this as a comedy with a mild mystery flavor.
The Living Dead edited by John Joseph Adams - A good anthology and a must-have for fans of zombie fiction.


[More thoughts on these titles after the jump...]

Read more...

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday October 30, 2008 at 11:29 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Free eBook: Sunborn by Jeffrey A. Carver

Jeffrey A. Carver is giving away free PDF copies of his latest novel, Sunborn.

Don't like PDF copies? Carver offers the following solution to obtain other eBook formats:

Buy a hardcover from me or any store--send me an email with proof of purchase (email purchase confirmation or jpg of a receipt)--and I'll send you a DRM-free ebook in tagged PDF, Mobipocket, eReader, or other format. (Some may not be available immediately.)

Please recognize that considerable effort is involved in creating these ebooks, and do not post them on other web sites. If you don't want to buy a hardcover copy, ebooks will be available for purchase from Tor in the reasonably near future. I don't know exactly when.

Sunborn is the fourth book in The Chaos Chronicles. For those who haven't read the first three, the author offers free versions of them in multiple formats. The first three book (with links to the HTML versions) are:

Hassel the Hoff on November 6th in PAIN

dhpain.jpgAttention all you PS3 owners, David Hasselhoff will be appearing in a new expansion for PAIN, called PAIN Movie Lot. PAIN allows you to launch characters into various settings with the goal of inflicting as much pain on them as you can. Think of it as a puzzle with 'human' projectiles.

The new expansion adds new characters and sets, all themed around a movie studio. As you might imagine from the title of this post, David Hasselhoff is one of the new characters you can toss around. Now, instead of watching old Knight Rider re-runs and wondering if he did his own stunts, now you can turn the Hoff into your own personal crash test dummy for points! Sweet.

If you watch the Hoff themed trailer at at People Magazine, you'll see that Hasselhoff is having a great time voice acting (apparently the last refuge for those who can't get a real acting job on the new Knight Rider) for the game.

Which prompts the question: Who is the best at accepting their 'cheese' factor late in their career: The Hoff or The Shat?

Trailer for the expansion below:


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Posted by JP Frantz at Thursday October 30, 2008 at 9:23 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Bruce Sterling: Newspapers and Magazines are Dead

...and other print prognostications.

[via Velcro City Tourist Board]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday October 30, 2008 at 12:15 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

SF Tidbits for 10/30/08

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday October 30, 2008 at 12:08 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

The Day The Earth Stopped

This gets my vote for Lamest Trailer Ever...even without the obvious title ripoff. Maybe they should have called it The Day The Box Office Stood Still. Hi-yo!

And is it me, or does Judd Nelson look like Kevin Smith?

[via Poe TV]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday October 30, 2008 at 12:02 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

GIVEAWAY: Get Your Stinking Paws on a Copy of Planet Of The Apes on Blu-Ray

The 1968 original Planet Of The Apes appears on Blu-ray for the first time on November 4th. SF Signal is giving away not one, not two, but three copies to three lucky readers.

What's on the disc besides the hi-definition film? From the press release:

Planet Of The Apes Blu-ray Disc will be authored in Java on a double-layer disc presented in widescreen (2.35:1 aspect ratio) with newly mastered English 5.1 DTS Master Audio, English, Spanish and French Mono and includes English and Spanish subtitles. All new special features will be presented in High-Def.

Bonus features include:

  • Commentary by Composer Jerry Goldsmith
  • Commentary by Actors Roddy McDowall, Natalie Trundy, Kim Hunter and Makeup Artist John Chambers
  • Text Commentary by Eric Greene and Author of Planet of the Apes as American Myth
  • Behind the Planet of the Apes Documentary - Includes all new interactivity and timeline
  • Behind the Planet of the Apes Promo (1988)
  • Planet of the Apes Makeup Test with Edward G. Robinson (1966)
  • Roddy McDowall On-set Footage
  • Planet of the Apes Dailies and Outtakes (No Audio)
  • Planet of the Apes NATO Presentation (1967)
  • Planet of the Apes Vintage Featurette (1968)
  • A Look Behind the Planet of the Apes (1972)
  • Original Theatrical Trailers
  • Original Sketches by Costume Designer Morton Haack
  • Photo Gallery
  • Planet of the Apes Timeline
  • Interactive Pressbooks
  • Vintage Apes Newspaper Galleries
  • Advertising and Lobby Card Galleries
  • Behind-the-Scenes Galleries
Here's how to enter:
  1. Send an email to contest at sfsignal dot com (that's us).
  2. In the subject line enter 'POTA'.
  3. Only one entry per person allowed - this is for U.S. and Canada residents only.
  4. The contest will end Wednesday, November 5th (11:59 PM U.S Central time). The winners will be selected, notified and announced shortly thereafter. The disc will ship approximately one week later.
Good luck, you maniacs!

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday October 29, 2008 at 11:29 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

MIND MELD: Is Science Fiction Responsible for the Lack of Public Interest in Space Exploration?

It's not often that our real life science heroes utter disparaging remarks against science fiction. In fact, the opposite is usually true; science fiction is often cited as a source of inspiration and interest. Enter Buzz Aldrin, who caused a stir recently with some comments he made. To get a few more opinions, we asked the following of this week's panel:

Q: Astronaut Buzz Aldrin said fantastic space science fiction shows and movies are partly responsible for the lack of interest in real-life space exploration among young people. Do you agree with this assessment? Why?
J. Michael Straczynski
J. Michael Straczynski is a writer and producer who is perhaps best known for his work on the science fiction television series Babylon 5. His other television credits include, Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future, the 1980's Twilight Zone series, the Babylon 5 spinoff Crusade, Jeremiah, and many others. He is the author of several short stories and three horror novels (Demon Night, Othersyde, and Tribulations) and also the non-fiction book The Complete Book of Scriptwriting. J. Michael Straczynski also wrote the film screenplay for 2008's Changeling. Upcoming film projects include The Silver Surfer and World War Z.
The only thing wrong with Buzz Aldrin's statement is that it's not true.

For proof, all you have to do is talk to any number of scientists and engineers and, yes, even some of the more recent crowd of astronauts to discover that many of them began to first show an interest in space technology as the result of watching science fiction movies and TV series that opened up the possibility of space flight. Once we see it being done, even fictionally, we can get behind it and start making it happen. In the long history of the human race, nobody had ever run a four-minute mile until Roger Bannister broke the record in 1954. One month later, John Landy did the same. Landy had been running just as long as Bannister. What changed? Landy suddenly knew it was possible. He'd seen it. This is the thresholding theory of evolution in practice. If we can see star travel, even in a fictional format, it plays into thresholding on a cultural level. And it inspires the next generation of dreamers.

Read more...

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday October 29, 2008 at 1:28 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Wednesday YouTube: Rollerman

In the spirit of The World's First Wearable Motorcycle...

When I watch this, I can't help singing "Rollerman, Rollerman, does whatever a roller can...". My wife, on the other hand, hearing this music from the next room, thinks I'm watching strippers.

[link via Chris Roberson]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday October 29, 2008 at 12:15 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

SF Tidbits for 10/29/08

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday October 29, 2008 at 12:06 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Tube Bits for 10/29/2008
  • I'm not sure how I didn't realize this yesterday, but Legend of the Seeker is actually the re-named Wizard's First Rule, based on the book series by Terry Goodkind. In any event, you can see the first 30 minutes of the show, for free, on iTunes. But why the name change? Wizard's First Rule is a well-known series, with a built in fanbase. Changing the name really doesn't seem to add much.

  • Many of us here like the Sci Fi Channel series Eureka, but what would it be like to actually live there? Well, if you're in Australia, you may just find out! The University of Queensland is planning to build a 'brain city' not unlike the town of Eureka, with up to 4500 resident scientists. Just imagine the hilarious hijinks that could ensue!

  • Wondering what the status is of the new Stargate Universe spin-off? Sci Fi Wire has you covered: a first script is being written, story ideas are being floated, and casting is being considered. Anyone interested in this one?

  • And now the video portion of our show. First up, Amanda Tapping on the greenscreen used for Sanctuary:


    And Tahmoh Penikett on his role in Dollhouse.

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Posted by JP Frantz at Wednesday October 29, 2008 at 12:05 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

The Video That Killed The Radio Star Returns! MTV Is Back, Online

For those of us 'of a certain age', we remember when MTV actually stood for Music Television. Back in the day, MTV really did show nothing but music videos, all day, everyday, and twice on Sunday. Nowadays you have to look really hard to find any kind of actual music video on MTV. With the rise of the Internets (a great band name BTW), you can find all that online, when you want it and not have to wait for the programming whims of the MTV staff.

Well now, what Hulu has done for new and old TV shows, MTV is doing for new and old music videos. They've opened their MTV Music site and although it is still very new, they have an impressive array of videos and artists to choose from. For instance, the very first video ever shown on MTV:


Ironic no? Video killed the radio star, and now the 'nets have killed music video, on TV anyway.

Read more...

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Posted by JP Frantz at Tuesday October 28, 2008 at 2:57 PM
© 2008 SF Signal

Alan Tudyk on Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show

Your weekly dose of random acts of Japanese styled insanity, Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show (starring your host Kiko (down Tim)), is back and Alan Tudyk (Wash from Firefly) is co-starring. In this episode Alan (or Girly Boy as they call him) is kidnapped by a giant Lobster monster. Can Kiko and her super friends rescue him? Will it make sense? Find out below!

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Posted by JP Frantz at Tuesday October 28, 2008 at 11:29 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

REVIEW: The Living Dead edited by John Joseph Adams


REVIEW SUMMARY: This is the zombie anthology for the new millennium.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: An anthology of thirty-four zombie stories.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: 28 good stories, 8 of which are outstanding.
CONS: 6 stories are mediocre or worse.
BOTTOM LINE: A good anthology and a must-have for fans of zombie fiction.

John Joseph Adams keeps depressing me: first, with his post-apocalyptic fiction anthology Wastelands, and now with his zombie anthology The Living Dead. To be sure, both anthologies are quite enjoyable - it's just hat the subject matter is just so damned bleak. Of course, given the themes of these anthologies, this is not surprising. Nor would I have it any other way.

What is surprising is how the contributing authors each spin their zombie stories and wind up with such a wide range of flavors. Pass along a single idea to 20 authors and you will get close to 20 non-overlapping takes on the theme. Not all of the stories here are the Dawn of the Dead-type stories that you might expect, though I'm very glad that some of them are. In some stories, the undead are hunted and killed, in others they are accepted as part of normal society. Some stories have undead mobs, some have a lone zombie. In most stories, the zombies were physical creatures, in others they were symbolic. (Some stories lacked any zombies whatsoever beside a mention of them, to varying degrees of success.) Some stories are written as pure horror, some as semi-comedy, some as social statements, some as Literature. Some stories even manage to make the zombies sympathetic, if you can believe that. It's this wide range of styles and approaches that makes an anthology like this worth reading.

And what makes this particular theme so appealing? I think contributing author Will McIntosh said it best when he said that zombie fiction explores our fear of death. These stories are filled with imagery that's sure to linger (I'm looking at you, Poppy Z. Brite!) and many of the stories will, too.

In addition to the 33 zombie story reprints, Adams includes one original story ("How the Day Runs Down" by John Langan). The oldest story ("Meathouse Man" by George R. R. Martin) was written in 1976, but the large majority of these stories were written in the last decade. As such, The Living Dead can be viewed as the zombie anthology for the new millennium. (Oh, and it's got a fantastic David Palumbo cover.)

Standout stories in this volume include:

  • "This Year's Class Picture" by Dan Simmons (1992)
  • "Blossom" by David J. Schow (1989)
  • "The Dead" by Michael Swanwick (1996)
  • "Bobby Conroy Comes Back From The Dead" by Joe Hill (2005)
  • "Sparks Fly Upward" by Lisa Morton (2006)
  • "Meathouse Man" by George R. R. Martin (1976)
  • "Deadman's Road" by Joe Lansdale (2007)
  • "Passion Play" by Nancy Holder (1992)
Individual story reviews follow (story title links jump to free online versions!)...

Read more...

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday October 28, 2008 at 12:29 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

This Is How The World Ends, Again: Fallout 3 Releases Today

We're deep into the gaming madness that is the pre-holiday season, with several big name games already shipping (Dead Space and Fable 2, of which I've played both and finished neither). The hits keep coming with perhaps the biggest game so far being released today, Fallout 3. Based on the Oblivion engine, Fallout 3 promises to bring you oodles of open ended, go anywhere game world goodness from Oblivion, but in a darkly humorous post-apocalyptic settings. Oblivion had many, many hours of gameplay, depending on how many side quests you did, and Fallout 3 appears to have the same extra stuff in it. My already limited available time just became almost zero...

The temptation here is to be at the store when it opens, buy the darn thing, then play hooky and stay home all day playing. Tempting, but probably not going to happen. What will happen, however, will be the purchase of Fallout 3, which will then go into the gaming queue. But, I hear you ask, if this is Fallout 3, do I need to know about Fallout 1 and 2? If you don't mind being spoiled, the answer is no! GameTrailers has a great retrospective on the Fallout franchise, with all the info you need to know:

Read more...

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Posted by JP Frantz at Tuesday October 28, 2008 at 12:20 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

SF Tidbits for 10/28/08

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday October 28, 2008 at 12:08 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Tube Bits for 10/28/2008

  • On November 3rd, the DVD/Blu-Ray editions of The Colour of Magic will be released in jolly old England, and other parts of Region 2. You can get the plain old 1 disc version or the deluxe two-disc set, with an additional 'making of' feature and the sweet looking cover you see on the right. I've seen the mini-series and I must say it is quite good. Tim Curry is awesome as is Jeremy Irons as the Patrician. David Jason plays a find Rincewind and Sean Astin does a terrific turn as Twoflower. If you happen to live near London, Terry Pratchett will be conducting an in-store signing at the Forbidden Planet Megastore in Shaftesbury Avenue, London on Monday 3rd November 2008, between 5.30 and 6.30pm.

  • Former Dr. Who director, Joe Ahearne, is writing a new Superhero series for the BBC, to be called Superpower. The interesting thing to note here is that each episode will be stand-alone and not serially linked, as is all the rage on TV nowadays. A throwback to an earlier, simpler time, when shows didn't have to be watched in order.

  • The latest Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode, "Rookies", centered on a troop of clones, all voiced by the same guy, Dee Bradley Baker. I haven't been watching this show, but this episode sounds rather interesting.

  • Wondering what's up with Joss Whedon's Dollhouse, what with the reshoot of the pilot and shuffling of episodes? Joss sets the record straight. Nothing to see here, move along.

  • The Galactica Sitrep Blog has a very long interview with co-executive producer and writer, Michael Taylor. Lot's of good stuff in there for those interested in the writing process vis a vis Galactica, and the influences from other shows

  • Sam Raimi has a new TV series in production called Legend of the Seeker. It premieres Nov 1st. Below is the first ten minutes of the pilot, plus cast interviews.

Read more...

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Posted by JP Frantz at Tuesday October 28, 2008 at 12:04 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

GIVEAWAY: Paul Of Dune


It's time for another contest! This time we have 1 copy of the new Brian Herbert/Kevin J. Anderson book, Paul of Dune. The story covers the time between Dune and Dune Messiah and explains how Paul actually became the 'Messiah'.

If you'd like to win the book, here are the rules:

1. Send an email to 'contest (at) sfsignal (dot) com'.
2. In the subject line enter 'Dune'.
3. One entry per person, U.S. and Canada residents only.
4. The contest will end next Thursday, with a winner selected on Friday.

Good luck!

UPDATE: Our winner for the book is Walter Schirmacher from Sterling Heights. Congrats Walter, and keep an eye out for another contest coming very soon!

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Posted by JP Frantz at Monday October 27, 2008 at 9:30 PM
© 2008 SF Signal

New Trailer: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Here's the latest trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Is it me, or have these kids been in school longer than the Sweathogs?

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday October 27, 2008 at 11:29 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Vile...Malevolent...Adorable!

Hey. I'm Jeff Patterson, from the slowly-reawakening blog Gravity Lens. John has graciously invited me to post over here, and I'd like to take the opportunity to vent about something that's been gnawing at me.

After 30-plus years of reading SF and attending conventions, there are whole areas of fandom I do not understand: anime-based LRPGs; amateur neo-pagan Tolkien scholars; the three Fs of Filking, Furries, and Fanfic. But at least I can, in some bizarre way, comprehend what the attraction to these strange pursuits might be, regardless of there place on the geek hierarchy.

Then there is the incomprehensible. The truly alien.

I speak of the unceasing cute-ification of action figures.

A while back our esteemed hosts here at SF Signal posted an image of an My Little Cthulhu. I chuckled at it in an ironic way, not knowing the horror that awaited. In the past few years the market for little stylized figures has exploded. Minimates, Kubricks, and Mighty Muggs, all seemingly descended from Fisher Price ancestors, fill the toystores and specialty shops. The monthly Diamond Catalog is rife with them. This plague has infected science fiction. The genre's finest heroes, monsters, and villains are reduced to the status of horrible two-inch tall eyesores.

Read more...

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Posted by Jeff Patterson at Monday October 27, 2008 at 12:27 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

SF Signal Welcomes Jeff Patterson!

It is our distinct pleasure to welcome Jeff Patterson to our ranks!

As is tradition here - starting with Jeff, that is - I asked Jeff to describe himself in the third person, a skill every blogger (and not coincidentally, every stalker) should have. Here's what Jeff has to say about "Jeff":

By some fortuitous circumstance Jeff Patterson was born on September 1, 1962, the day the White House announced that the world population had exceeded three billion people, so he figures that was him. In ancient days he had stories published in obscure, short-lived, low-paying and generally unread periodicals. These days he runs Bad Day Studio, known mainly for its annual Holiday Cards. These were collected in a book called Solstice Chronicles. He hopes to get his blog Gravity Lens back up to speed soon.
Nice way to plug your site, Jeff! It's all about you, isn't it? :)

Welcome aboard, Jeff!

Now get to work. Oh, and New Guy buys everyone else bagels...

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday October 27, 2008 at 12:26 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Books Received: October 27, 2008
Here are the books we received this past week.

Fun games you can play: Tell us...
  1. The best & worst cover!
  2. Which books you most/least want to read?
  3. Which of these authors have you read before?

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday October 27, 2008 at 12:20 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Tube Bits for 10/27/2008
  • For LOST fans, 2009 can't come soon enough. But if you don't mind rumors that may have a little 'spoilage' factor with them, Comic Mix has a boatload of speculation and spoilers for season 5. Did I mention 2009 can't some soon enough? It's worse than Christmas as a kid...

  • You may not know it, thanks to good voice coaching, but there are many foreign born actors and actresses in leading roles on prime time TV. And many of them just happen to be in genre shows. Now, whether they're in good roles is another question, but a quick look says, "yes". Maybe Knight Rider should have cast a non-US citizen as the lead. They couldn't possibly be an worse.

  • Science and Supermodels explains why everything I need to know about science I learned from watching The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, with bonus Halloween movies you should watch list. Nicely done, especially They Live! ( you can never have enough Roddy Piper) and Lifeforce (for the same reason, except substitute 'naked female space vampire' for 'Roddy Piper').

  • The Who's News Blog (USA Today) has a nice little interview with J.J. Abrams covering various topics, including LOST, Fringe and Alias.

  • Amazon's Armchair Commentary gets up close and personal with the original Apollo, Richard Hatch.

  • One of my current favorite shows, Eureka will be making the jump to comics, starting this December. Actor Ed Quinn (Nathan Stark) and Andrew Cosby (co-creator of the series) have a video reveal for you:

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Posted by JP Frantz at Monday October 27, 2008 at 12:08 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

SF Tidbits for 10/27/08

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday October 27, 2008 at 12:05 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Sunday Cinema: John Carpenter's 'The Thing'

I love this film. This is the second adaptation of John W. Campbell's very excellent short story "Who Goes There?", after 1951's The Thing from Another World.

Grab some popcorn and enjoy. Oh, and eat it quickly. There will be gore. And Wilford Brimley.

[via /Film]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday October 26, 2008 at 1:22 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

A Batch of Free Fiction for You!

Here's the latest batch of free online fiction [courtesy of QuasarDragon]:

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday October 26, 2008 at 1:16 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

One-Minute Weird Tales

The Weird Tales website has gotten a shiny new redesign!

There's also a new video feature called One-Minute Weird Tales, the first episode of which features J.M. McDermott's story "The Botanist's Wife".

Spare a minute, won't you?

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday October 26, 2008 at 1:11 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Is that an Advertisement on your Content, or Are You Just Happy to See Me?

THE PROBLEM:
We've recently received word that some of our ads were appearing over our post content. The problem seemed to happen only on Internet Explorer 7 and was intermittent.

THE CAUSE:
The source of the problem appears to be that the style for that component of the page did not explicitly set the width and IE took the opportunity to randomly increase the width to 100% of the browser width.

THE SOLUTION:
I've updated our stylesheet to explicitly add a width for that page element. The problem, like my love for IE, appears to have gone bye-bye. If you still see the problem, clear your browser cache and reload the page.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday October 26, 2008 at 1:09 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

SF Tidbits for 10/26/08

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday October 26, 2008 at 1:05 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Klausner's Fall From Grace

As noted in our now-infamous Klausner Post, it appears that Amazon has changed their reviewer rating criteria. This has caused everybody's favorite reviewer, Harriet Klausner, to plummet from her long-held #1 spot to #442 overnight. Ouch! I'm not sure, but I think that's a faster fall than Shelly Long's career.

All good things must come to an end, they say, but Klausner being at #1 was hardly a good thing - except maybe for publishers seeking empty platitudes, unknowing authors, and the awesome Harriet Klausner Appreciation Society anti-fan site. Amazon customers, on the other hand, were blatantly subjected to over-inflated ratings and shallow reviews (even by my low standards). I'm not saying everyone else's reviews are honest and/or helpful, but having Amazon's #1 reviewer say a book was great (always with the 4- or 5-star rating) looked good - until you zoomed out and saw that all her reviews were rated similarly. But how many people did that?

Read more...

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday October 25, 2008 at 1:29 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

TOC: Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine, December 2008

Here is the table of contents for the December 2008 issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine.


  • NOVELETTES
    • "A Foreign Country" by Wayne Wightman
    • "Leave" by Robert Reed
    • "A Skeptical Spirit" by Albert E. Cowdrey
    • "How the Day Runs Down" by John Langan

  • SHORT STORY: "Falling Angel" by Eugene Mirabelli

  • CLASSIC REPRINT: "The Alarming Letters From Scottsdale" by Warner Law

  • DEPARTMENTS
    • Editorial by Gordon Van Gelder
    • Books to Look For by Charles de Lint
    • Books by James Sallis
    • Coming Attractions
    • Films: Bloody Hell on Lake Neuchatel by Lucius Shepard
    • Index to Volumes 114 & 115
    • Curiosities by Lucy Sussex

Cover: "The Moment" by Bob Eggleton

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday October 25, 2008 at 1:20 AM
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SF Tidbits for 10/25/08

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday October 25, 2008 at 1:06 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

At The Trailer Park: LOST, Watchmen, Bolt, Push, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnasus, Outlander

It's been awhile since our last Trailer Park, so that means we have quite a few trailers to get to. First up is the Season 5 Trailer for LOST. UGO has a nice little article decoding the trailer, and I must say, if what they think is true, the people who dislike the SF elements in LOST are going to spit the bit.

Read more...

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Posted by JP Frantz at Friday October 24, 2008 at 12:25 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Forrest J. Ackerman Videos

AboutSF, a resource center for speculative literature, science fiction, and education based at the University of Kansas, has posted two videos of über-fan Forrest J. Ackerman talking about mad scientists and early movies:

Another one follows...

Read more...

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday October 24, 2008 at 12:15 AM
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Friday YouTube: Superhero Fashion Emergency

Not that there's anything wrong with that...

[via Chris Roberson]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday October 24, 2008 at 12:11 AM
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SF Tidbits for 10/24/08

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday October 24, 2008 at 12:05 AM
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The Worst Kept Secret In Gaming - Star Wars: The Old Republic
Many Star Wars fans have been hungering for a decent MMO set in the Star Wars universe. For a time, right after launch, it looked like Star Wars Galaxies would fit the bill. Sadly, after a promising start, the whole Jedi fiasco soured many fans on the game, and the New Gaming Experience killed off most of the rest of the fans. Today, the game is a sparsely populated ghost of its former self. Fans were left wondering when, or even if, there would be another Star Wars MMO.

In the not too distant past, rumors began to surface that Bioware was ramping up development on an unnamed MMO. Speculation ran wild. Bioware is known for it's awesome RPG games, like Baldur's Gate and (gasp!) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. KotOR is not just a great Star Wars game, it's a great game, period. Could it be that Bioware was working on a KotOR MMO? This idea was all but confirmed about a month ago, and Bioware just made it official on Tuesday. The MMO they are working on is:

Star Wars: The Old Republic

And I couldn't be more giddy.

Read more...

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Posted by JP Frantz at Thursday October 23, 2008 at 2:04 PM
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REVIEW: Incandescence by Greg Egan


REVIEW SUMMARY: A book for people who are really, really into science.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: A pair of post-humans searches for clues to the origin of DNA based life; a society dwelling inside an asteroid must discover the laws of gravity and relativity from scratch to save themselves.

MY REVIEW
PROS: This tour through the realm of physics is probably one of the best science lessons you'll ever get.
CONS: If you don't particularly want an awesome science lecture with your science fiction, there's not much else here.
BOTTOM LINE: This is a book about science and why it's important.

Read more...

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Posted by Karen Burnham at Thursday October 23, 2008 at 11:29 AM
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MIND MELD: The Future of Written Science Fiction

Over the past several years, books like The Handmaid's Tale and The Road have brought science fictional ideas to mainstream readers. Additionally, science and technology are advancing at such great rates that ideas that once were thought to be science fiction now seem possible, if not probable.

Q: As non-genre readers become more comfortable with science fictional ideas, where do you see science fiction, in written form, going in the future?
Jeff VanderMeer
World Fantasy Award winner Jeff VanderMeer's latest book is the critically acclaimed Shriek: An Afterword, with The Situation forthcoming from PS Publishing, a new Ambergris novel on the way, several anthologies, including The New Weird and Steampunk, and, last but not least, Predator: South China Sea from Dark Horse. For more information visit his blog at http://www.jeffvandermeer.com
The true innovators in SF will continue to be those writers who can assimilate the world entire without worrying about genre boundaries because they will continue to reach the most readers. Your choice of examples is telling--more people have read Handmaid's Tale or The Road despite their not being easy books than any number of purely genre SF novels. And a more diverse audience.

Further though the real challenge is writing near future SF. Stross I believe said near future sf is impossible. I respectfully say that is bullshit. To be relevant that is exactly what SF needs and how SF is falling down on the job right now. SF can do escapism just fine right now. But dealing with things head on? Not so well. SF has to get down in the nitty gritty of the horrible position we are in right now or it runs the risk of being just as irrelevant as the next medieval based fantasy trilogy. Yes it is hard to do. Who ever said writing was supposed to be easy? Show some guts.

Read more...

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Posted by JP Frantz at Thursday October 23, 2008 at 12:28 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

The Toxic Avenger Musical

Kevin Maher has such a cool job. Here's his latest installment of The Sci-Fi Department where he checks out The Toxic Avenger Musical!

2 Degrees of Separation: The Tony-winning Director of The Toxic Avenger Musical is the brother of one of my co-workers. That and $4 will buy me cup of coffee.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday October 23, 2008 at 12:15 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

SF Tidbits for 10/23/08

Tube Bits for 10/23/2008
  • Did you know there are actual 'science guys' who consult for Fringe? There are, and Live Science interviews them. I guess it shouldn't come as a shock that the science consultants don't have backgrounds in science. In fact, they're doing what anyone with a computer, a reasonable internet connection and a healthy sense of curiosity could do. But they get paid for doing it. The bastages!

  • You may have wondered why Sci Fi shows ECW wrestling, when it is supposedly a 'science fiction' channel. Well, uses the Sci Fi Channel as an example of 'moderate channel drift' as they detail 15 cables channels that have encountered channel drift. The reasons for the drifts come down to one thing, and one thing only: money. If they weren't making money by changing, they wouldn't do it.

  • Is Hiro Nakamura the stupidest hero ever? The changes the character has undergone from season 1 certainly show his descent into stupidity. But the big issue, time travel, and why it isn't used intelligently on the show is all on the writers. Coming up with a reasonable way to use it would have been nice. Leaving it open ended like it is makes it uber powerful, and thus the characters have to be idiots to make the plots work. If I could time travel, I'd go back in time, slap the writers upside the head, and make sure season 2 never happened like it did.

  • Not everyone hates Heroes. Josh Lasser from Blog Critics actually argues that Heroes is making all the right moves. I guess so, if you like characters behaving contrary to previous behavior, silly plots and loads of soap opera elements...

  • Fox is taking a chance with it's new comedy, Boldly Going Nowhere. No, not in creating a SF comedy aboard a starship with a rogue captain and a robot who thinks he's smarter than the humans. Okay, maybe that is a big risk. But they've also cast a relative newcomer to play the role of the main character. How many SF comedies can you name that have been successful on TV (U.S. TV please. You Brits can bask in knowledge of Hitchiker's Guide, Red Dwarf and Hyperspace)? Yeah, that's what I thought.

  • MTVNews recently aired a 5-part series about Steampunk in popular culture. You can see the first part below:

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    Posted by JP Frantz at Thursday October 23, 2008 at 12:04 AM
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Free eBook: Spaceman Blues by Brian Francis Slattery

Tor.com has posted links to a free eBook, Spaceman Blues by Brian Francis Slattery, in various formats. You must be registered at Tor.com to download it.

Here's the book description:

When Manuel Rodrigo de Guzmán González disappears, Wendell Apogee decides to find out where he has gone and why. But in order to figure out what happened to Manuel, Wendell must contend with parties, cockfights, and chases; an underground city whose people live in houses suspended from cavern ceilings; urban weirdos and alien assassins; immigrants, the black market, flight, riots, and religious cults.

Painted in browns and grays and sparked by sudden fires, Spaceman Blues is a literary retro-pulp science-fiction-mystery-superhero novel, the debut of a true voice of the future, and a cult classic in the making

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday October 22, 2008 at 12:58 PM
© 2008 SF Signal

Fear and Self Loathing in Science Fiction

mirror_spock.jpgThe other day, IO9 posted a rant called Why Science Fiction Still Hates Itself. The premise being that because Eleventh Hour and Anathem are hiding their science fiction-ness and because the new Star Trek movie is being made for "fans of movies" instead of Trek fan, this means that science fiction has to 'hate' itself enough to hide its SF geek and stealthily make its way into the mainstream.

Admittedly, the mainstream does not take to SF in droves, except for the odd movie. Quick, what was the last pure SF movie to make it big? The Matrix. While the superhero movies of this summer show that people are willing to accept those types of movies, the SF elements there are in the background or couched in scientific terms. But to say that this is a result of SF hating itself is, I think, wrong. It's not that SF authors, or the community, is engaged in self-loathing, it's that the mainstream is not willing to accept 'science fiction' on its own terms.

Read more...

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Posted by JP Frantz at Wednesday October 22, 2008 at 9:37 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Do You Care if Borders Doesn't Stock All Science Fiction Books?

There has been some talk lately about Borders' recent decisions to not stock some science fiction books, as initially noted by some authors (like Tobias S. Buckell, Gregory Frost, Pat Cadigan, and Gwenda Bond).

Andrew Wheeler weighed in recently and looked at books getting "skipped over" by the bookstore. He followed up with some additional side issues as well.

In response to all this, io9 asked: Should SF Writers Boycott Borders? Then Neil Gaiman responded: "But they aren't 'pulling Sci-Fi off the shelves'. They are not stocking some new books. There's a difference, and it's a huge one." (For his troubles, Neil has received misguided hate mail from Borders employees.)

It's a thorny issue, to be sure. On one side you have Borders who are making business decision to try and increase profits. On another, you have folks who worry that science fiction is already hurting, sales-wise, and this will only make it worse. And of course, there are the authors and publishers who worry that the books will sell less.

What does this mean to the reader? Hardcore fans probably won't care as they will seek the book through another store or online. Sales may decrease from casual browsers, I suppose, who would occasionally buy a book only because they saw it on a shelf.

But I ask you, dear reader: Do you personally care if Borders doesn't stock all he science fiction titles? Will that stop you from buying it, or will you seek it elsewhere?

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday October 22, 2008 at 12:57 AM
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REVIEW: The Host by Stephenie Meyer


REVIEW SUMMARY: More a romance fantasy than science fiction, the bestselling author of the young adult Twilight vampire/werewolf series puts a slightly original romantic angle on the highly unoriginal sci-fi vehicle of a parasite taking over human hosts.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: A kinder, gentler version of a Stargate Goa'uld, (millions of them) take over Earth forcing human survivors into hiding. One of the more experienced parasites can hear the memory of the body she is inhabiting, empathizes with it and in listening to it creates a love triangle (or maybe quadrangle?) in a hidden human settlement.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: Well written; believable characters; quick read.
CONS: Unoriginal parasitic invasion of Earth; no science in the "other species" they have conquered.
BOTTOM LINE: For Stargate fans who want to read about a world where the parasites actually won (and are "nice"), or for Romance fans who like a like a little bit of fantasy and don't mind the lack of science fact in their aliens. Definitely for Meyer's army of Twilight fans. For the rest: it is a "beach read".

Read more...

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Posted by Larry Ketchersid at Wednesday October 22, 2008 at 12:28 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Wednesday YouTube: William Shatner on the George Takei Wedding Snub

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday October 22, 2008 at 12:15 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Photographs from Thomas M. Disch's Wake

From Matt Staggs:

Friends and family of deceased author and poet Thomas M. Disch gathered in remembrance Saturday at the New York City apartment of writer Alice Turner.

Disch, who committed suicide on July 4, was the author of numerous novels, short story collections, essays, poems, reviews and more. Just a few of his titles include Camp Concentration, On Wings of Song, The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of, 334, and most recently, The Word of God and The Wall of America.

Among those attending were Jacob Weisman, Sheila Williams, Samuel Delany, Gregory Feeley, Christopher Ecker, Henry Wessells, Ben Downing, Ellen Datlow, Scott Edelman, John Crowley and many members of Disch's family.

Photographs from the event may be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/18467303@N00/sets/72157608224503206/.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday October 22, 2008 at 12:12 AM
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SF Tidbits for 10/22/08

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday October 22, 2008 at 12:06 AM
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TOC: Asimov's December 2008

Asimov's has posted the table of contents for the December 2008 issue:

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday October 21, 2008 at 12:49 PM
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Fable 2 Launch Day


Today is the day many, many gamers have been waiting for: it's launch day for Fable 2. Lionhead Studio's follow up to their disappointing yet still enjoyable Fable for the original Xbox, Fable 2 has been garnering some very respectable reviews.

For those of you who weren't at a midnight launch event last night and haven't been spending your early morning hours terrorizing the good citizens of Albion, you might be wondering what all the fuss is about. Check out this trailer:

Now, the first game made the same claim that your actions would change the in-game world to reflect your personality, and it did, to a certain degree. We'll see how much Lionhead was able to do for Fable 2.

This was one of the big ticket games for this holiday season, but I was going to wait a bit to get it. The frothing reviews are making me want to go get it and play it, even though I haven't finished Dead Space yet and I don't really need another game to compete for my time, not with Fallout 3 coming out next week. Sometimes it hurts to be a gamer.

Anyone out there getting Fable 2?

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Posted by JP Frantz at Tuesday October 21, 2008 at 11:29 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

REVIEW: Stalking the Vampire by Mike Resnick


REVIEW SUMMARY: The detective story takes a back seat to the humor as wisecracking detective John Justin Mallory solves another mystery - this one involving vampires.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Private detective John Justin Mallory searches an alternate Manhattan for the vampire that bit his partner's nephew.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: Humorous characters and dialogue; Mallory is a very likable character; a quick read.
CONS: A more complex mystery may have made the book even more enjoyable.
BOTTOM LINE: Read this as a comedy with a mild mystery flavor.

Read more...

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday October 21, 2008 at 12:29 AM
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SF Tidbits for 10/21/08

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday October 21, 2008 at 12:10 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Tube Bits for 10/21/2008

  • Those of you with an iPhone and a taste for anime are in luck: Apple and the Anime Network have teamed up to bring you anime on the iPhone via the vSNAX Video app. And Apples plan for world domination continues...

  • Speaking of anime, the animated version of Witchblade is now available on iTunes. Just look at Apple trying to be 'hipper' by going after the anime crowd. That's so cute!

  • Many Star Trek fans were disappointed when Star Trek: The Experience closed its doors last month at the Las Vegas Hilton. Well, good news for Trek fans, the Experience may be moving to Neonopolis, which is downtown on Freemont Street.

  • You've probably seen the ads for Saw V on our website and you've probably wondered: If they can make 12000 Halloween's, they can make Saw VI. You'd be right. But there's a twist here, VH1 will be airing a 'reality' show called Scream Queens where the 'winner' gets to star in the next Saw movie.

  • You've probably hears that Joss Whedon's Dollhouse recently underwent some changes in filming. Fear not! Amy Acker, co-star of the show, says all the rumors were much ado about nothing. We shall see.

  • Despite poor ratings and rumors to the contrary, Fox has ordered a full season of The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Great, a bunch more episodes I'll never watch.

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Posted by JP Frantz at Tuesday October 21, 2008 at 12:08 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Time Flies And Other Insects: Reading, Watching And Playing SF

Over at Wil Wheaton's blog, Wil points out and long and interesting interview with Neal Stephenson on Barnes and Noble's website. Aside from discussing many things Anathem, I'd like to follow up on the same quote that Wil talks about:

If you choose to read a book today, it's not like a hundred years ago, when that was your only option. Today, when you read a book, you're making a conscious decision not to play a video game, not to surf the web, not to watch a movie, not to turn on the TV. It does require a certain discipline to make that decision...

In one of those ironies of life, when you're young and you feel you have all the time in the world, time seems to pass so slowly, yet, when you're older, with a job and family and you know you're time isn't unlimited, it seems to pass so quickly. Sometimes I wonder just when, exactly, did my oldest son become 12 years old. Where did it all go?

All of that is to say that, like many people, my time is valuable, and what with family obligations and all, my free time is even more limited. And as a SF/gaming/tech geek, I have several demands on my free time, and it's impossible to engage in them all.

Read more...

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Posted by JP Frantz at Monday October 20, 2008 at 12:25 PM
© 2008 SF Signal

Books Received: October 20, 2008 (plus Matching Game!)
Here are the books we received this past week.
(Note: The last 3 titles are final versions of books for which we received advanced review copies.)

Here's a fun game you can play: Match the book titles shown with their opening lines!
The opening lines follow the jump... Read more...

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday October 20, 2008 at 11:29 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Has Science Fiction Lost Faith In Space Travel?

In response to Ian McDonald, Alastair Reynolds talks about science fiction, its predictions, and about whether the genre has lost its faith in space travel:

It seems to me, though, that SF might be on the verge of exhibiting a collective loss of faith in the old dream of space travel beyond our solar system. Maybe it's already happened. On his blog, that excellent writer Ian McDonald has stated his position very clearly - he doesn't feel that he's engaging with anything real when he writes about spaceships. I can't argue with that; I feel differently but it's that personal response that's precisely the issue here. Writers should go with their hearts and minds, and not follow the pack. If you believe in something, write about it with conviction and sincerity. If you don't, don't.
Reynolds goes on to say that even if SF turns its back on space, he's still going to be "holding a candle."

I'm with him. Until I'm living in space every day, science fiction is my spaceship.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday October 20, 2008 at 12:26 AM
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SF Tidbits for 10/20/08

  • E-Reads offers a peek behind the curtain at John Norman's Prize of Gor: "What man, in his deepest heart," asks John Norman, "does not want to own a female, to have her for his own, utterly, as a devoted, passionate, vulnerable, mastered slave, and what woman, in her deepest heart, does not want to be so intensely desired, so unqualifiedly and fiercely desired, that nothing less than her absolute ownership will satisfy a male, her master?"

  • Susan of Spinning talks about reasons to read fiction: "My feeling is that novels of import are those that will teach something of which can be found in textbooks, whether it be history, sociology, philosophy, or psychology and at its best, a story can offer a little of each."

  • Adapt of Die: "So why, for the love of whatever God you choose, is the science fiction community so reluctant to embrace new forms of expression?"

  • Biology in Science Fiction asks: How Dangerous is Biohacking? "...an informal hacker "code of ethics" isn't much protection."

  • Brandon Sanderson talks about his writing history and his unfinished novels.

  • Geoff Ryman will be featured on Amazon's Omnivoracious blog this week.

  • Free Fiction [courtesy of QuasarDragon]:

  • Super Punch points us to a slideshow of Star Wars-themed political cartoons.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday October 20, 2008 at 12:08 AM
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SF Tidbits for 10/19/08

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Posted by John DeNardo at Sunday October 19, 2008 at 12:08 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

How to Survive an Alien Attack

[via John C. Wright]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday October 18, 2008 at 12:15 PM
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SF Tidbits for 10/18/08

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Posted by John DeNardo at Saturday October 18, 2008 at 12:10 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Friday YouTube: Godzilla does his Happy Dance

Any guesses as to what would make a giant, fire-breathing reptile so happy?

[Poe TV]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday October 17, 2008 at 12:20 AM
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SF Tidbits for 10/17/08

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Posted by John DeNardo at Friday October 17, 2008 at 12:08 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

Tube Bits for 10/17/2008
  • Good news for fans of Psych and Burn Notice, two non-genre shows you should watch: They've both been renewed for additional seasons! Good on you USA Network.

  • StarWars.com interviews J.J. Abrams about Fringe, cows and the future of Star Wars. Apparently, Canadian cows aren't allowed to cross the border into the U.S. forcing the crew of Fringe to find a cow 'body double' and then paint it to match the cow from the pilot. Crazy.

  • Everyone chomping at the bit for the return of Battlestar Galactica can now relax. The show will resume on Jan 16th, 2009 and the series finale will air on March 20th. This will either be a great 'wow' ending or a downer of epic proportions.

  • Once Galactica has finished its run on TV, you can keep the 'fun' going with the new Battlestar Galactica board game from Fantasy Flight Games, which means it will come with a billion tiny plastic pieces and cost upwards of $50. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing if it's a good game.

  • All four major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox) have now made available several prime time television shows in HD on Apple iTunes. Shows like LOST and Heroes will be running at $2 per episode and all you need is a credit card and DRM-infested iTunes. It's not like you can find these shows elsewhere...

  • Not only have Knight Rider and The Sarah Connor Chronicles been greenlit for new episodes, but now so has Eli Stone. I like Eli, although I think the season 2 opener wiped away all changes from season 1 in just 43 minutes and now we're back to square one, for the most part. It seemed ham handed to me.

  • Here are 5 reasons to give up on Fringe. I'm not at that point yet, but I do agree about Agent Dunham.

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Posted by JP Frantz at Friday October 17, 2008 at 12:04 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

REVIEW: Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller


REVIEW SUMMARY: Outstanding novel that reminded me that some of the best writing in fiction is in the comic form.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: After a long haitus, Bruce Wayne - now in his 50's - once again takes up the mantle of Batman and works to save Gotham City from villains. But he finds himself on the wrong side of the politicians and ultimately on the wrong side of the strongest heroes in the DC universe.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: Excellent artwork that re-images Batman in many ways, but keeps him the classic figure we've known from the 50's. Mature plot that deals with Batman as vigilante in a surprising way.
CONS: Hard to find any - there are some historical references to prior comics that everybody might not get.
BOTTOM LINE: If you're interested in seeing how the recent movie versions of Batman got their mature and darker side, this is the book to read. If you were a fan of Batman in your youth and are looking for something more adult, this is the book to read. Frankly, if you've liked Batman at all, you'll be sorry if you don't read this book.

Read more...

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Posted by Scott Shaffer at Thursday October 16, 2008 at 12:28 AM
© 2008 SF Signal

New Star Trek XI Stills Released

J.J. Abrams' version of Star Trek is currently on track for a May 8th, 2009 release date. So far we've had a teaser trailer and a few underwhelming movie posters to get whet our appetites. Until now. There are several new still photos of the cast that have appeared on the web, let's take a look at two of them.

First up, the supporting cast in one shot:


st1.jpg

Not bad, but not that exciting either. You can definitely see the updated visual aesthetic here, as compared to the original series, what with the cool blue fluorescent lighting and the see through glass paneling. I happen to like that quite a bit, hopefully the whole movie will look good.

Next we have an action shot of Spock:


st2.jpg

Now, I'm sorry, but this looks like Sylar using his 'evil' face here (as opposed to Sylar's Pulp Fiction/John Travolta look now that he's teamed up with HRG, but I digress). Which makes me ask: Is Quinto now typecast as Sylar? From earlier pics I thought he had the Vulcan look down pat. Now, I'm not so sure.

There are two more pics at the first link above, but I still don't have enough to go on to decide if I want to see this one or not (I still haven't seen the last one, BTW). I see the first trailer will be running in front of the new Bond flick, Quantum of Solace, so I'm hoping to get a decent feel then. Of course, Abrams may pull a Lucas and have the trailer make a crappy film look good.

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Posted by JP Frantz at Thursday October 16, 2008 at 12:14 AM
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SF Tidbits for 10/16/08

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Posted by John DeNardo at Thursday October 16, 2008 at 12:05 AM
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MIND MELD: Which Authors and Books Have Most Influenced Your Writing?

Authors often inspire us. But who inspires authors? We asked several of them the following question:

Q: Which authors and books have most influenced your writing?
Joe Haldeman
Shortly after Joe Haldeman received a Bachelor of Science degree in astronomy from the University of Maryland, he was drafted into the army where he served (and received a Purple Heart medal) as a combat engineer in Vietnam. His most famous novel, The Forever War (1975), leverages those wartime experiences. He has written numerous novels and short stories since then, including All My Sins Remembered (1977), Worlds (1981), Buying Time (1989), The Hemingway Hoax (1990), Worlds Enough and Time (1992), Forever Peace (1997), Forever Free (1998), Camouflage (2004), The Accidental Time Machine (2007), and more. His most recent novel is Marsbound. It was recently announced that The Forever War is being adapted to film by Ridley Scott. He currently teaches writing at MIT.
Within science fiction, my influences are standard for my generation of writers -- Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke. Others would be Sturgeon, Le Guin, Simak, Kuttner/Moore, Farmer, Dickson, Ellison. The two Bester biggies.

Outside of science fiction, it's more of a headscratcher. Hemingway is the only writer I've studied in depth, and I think he would count as an influence, especially the short stories. Steinbeck as well, I suppose. Many of the writers whose work I admire and seek out don't write at all like me -- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jane Austen, Flann O'Brien, A few of the writers I studied with at the Iowa Writers Workshop were influences -- mostly Ray Carver, but also William Price Fox, Stanley Elkin, and Vance Bourjaily. (Not John Cheever, who was a kindly fellow but seemed to live on some other planet.)

I wrote and read a lot of poetry before I started writing fiction, and my influences there are standard. Shakespeare, of course (the poetry more than plays), and Milton; the Lake poets and Romantics. I wore out several copies of Palgrave's from about age nine through college. Some moderns, Cummings above all. I discovered Billy Collins when he'd just graduated from chapbooks, and forgive him his success.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday October 15, 2008 at 12:28 AM
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SF Tidbits for 10/15/08

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Posted by John DeNardo at Wednesday October 15, 2008 at 12:08 AM
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Tube Bits for 10/15/2008

Front.jpg

  • This has got to be the single coolest PC case mod I have ever seen. Bit-Tech brings us the Battlestar Galactica PC case. Check this bad boy out. It has the Viper landing bay on top and it has Dradis panels on the front. How cool is that? Check out the link for lots more pictures and videos of this bad boy in action. Sometimes its cool to be a geek. Hmm, maybe I should turn my cube into a replica of the Galactica's command deck?

  • Last night was the premier of NBC's My Own Worst Enemy, thus completing NBC's Monday night Sci Fi/Geek fest (Chuck and Heroes preceeding MOWE). Does television really need MOWE to be a hit to rescue the fall season? No. Does NBC need it to be a hit? Absolutely, and I'm not sure it will be.

  • NPR considers the 'Bechdel Rule' in the context of the ABC Family Channel series, The Middleman. Sounds interesting, unfortunately, I haven't seen any of the series. I will have to rectify that oversight.

  • Only The Internet's Best Reviews really, really, really dislikes Fringe. Bad writing? Maybe. Bad acting? Perhaps. Bad science? Certainly. Though calling out Fringe for bad science (which is the point, fringe science, ie. - bad science) is like calling out a dog for humping your leg. It's what they do, get over it. Or smack them with a newspaper. I still think it's okay, if not spectacular TV.

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Posted by JP Frantz at Wednesday October 15, 2008 at 12:03 AM
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Tuesday YouTube: Star Trek and Jim Carrey

Witness: Spock in heat battling Kirk.

Compare and Contrast: This spoof of Jim Carrey fighting Matthew Broderick at Medieval Times in The Cable Guy.

[via MilkandCookies]

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday October 14, 2008 at 11:38 AM
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Author Lawrence Watt-Evans Answers Your Questions

A little while ago we held a contest giving away a copy of The Turtle Moves!, by Lawrence Watt-Evans. All you had to do to win was leave a question for Mr. Watt-Evans.

Now, due to the magic of the internets, the questions have been sent and answers have been received! And so, without further ado, here are the answers to everything you wanted to know:

SF Signal Reader: If you got the chance to write a Discworld book, and you had to pick one or another of the running threads -- the City Watch books, the Nanny Ogg books, the Death books, and so forth -- which one would you pick, and why?

Lawrence Watt-Evans: Well, first off, I'd rather see Terry Pratchett write them -- I like reading them. But that said, if I were offered an opportunity to write one I wouldn't turn it down, and I think it'd be a toss-up between the Watch and the witches of Lancre. The witches would be more fun, but I think I could do a better job with the Watch.

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Posted by JP Frantz at Tuesday October 14, 2008 at 9:29 AM
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REVIEW: Beyond Apollo by Barry Malzberg


REVIEW SUMMARY: This is a puzzling book with a puzzling plot.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Astronaut Harry Evans returns from a disastrous Venus Mission and schizophrenically recounts the mission details.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: The story is presented as a challenging jigsaw puzzle, doling out pieces that may or may not fit together.
CONS: The fun puzzle of figuring out what really happened never culminates into any definable resolution.
BOTTOM LINE: An interestingly crafted book.

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday October 14, 2008 at 12:29 AM
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Books Received: October 14, 2008
Here are the books we received this past week.

Fun games you can play:
  • Critique the book covers!
  • Tell us which books look interesting to you!
  • Tell us about past reading experiences with any of these authors!

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday October 14, 2008 at 12:20 AM
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SF Tidbits for 10/14/08

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Posted by John DeNardo at Tuesday October 14, 2008 at 12:08 AM
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Non-Genre TV You Should Be Watching


Last week I mentioned my TV watching time is limited, and detailed which SF TV shows had been chopped off my list, and which were on the chopping block.

That's not to say there aren't any good non-genre TV shows, there are, I just like SF TV more. But when I find a really good one, I'll add it to my watch list. I hear that the various CSI series are good as is House, but I've never watched them. First I have to bother to try and record them or find them online, then I have to actually watch an episode, which means that any non-genre show is starting from a deep hole for me.

But I have found two that I watch religiously:

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Posted by JP Frantz at Monday October 13, 2008 at 1:52 PM
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Monday Meme: Why Do You Read Science Fiction?

Lou Anders on science fiction:

"I'm tired of being told it's escapist. I don't read to escape. I read to expand."

Personally, I don't see either as mutually exclusive. If we're talking about fiction, I read it to escape. I choose science fiction because it's intellectually stimulating.

This topic sounds like great inspiration for a meme, so I ask you, dear reader:

Q: Why do you read science fiction?

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday October 13, 2008 at 8:48 AM
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SF Tidbits for 10/13/08

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Posted by John DeNardo at Monday October 13, 2008 at 8:41 AM
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Tube Bits for 10/13/2008
  • Good news and bad news for Galactica fans: The DVDs of Season 4 are set to be released on January 6th (good), but Season 4 will actually be split into two DVD releases (bad). Gee, thanks Sci Fi, way to milk the show for as much cash as you can get.

  • Pablo Defendi from Tor.com reviews the first episode of the American version of Life on Mars. I had much the same reaction has he, but I also felt the American show felt rus