SF Signal

A Globe and Mail article titled Is Science Fiction Finished? talks ponders the future of SF amidst declining readership/sales and a dwindling supply of creativity. Mostly, it’s a rehash of the Popular Science article we previouly posted about: Is Science Fiction About to Go Blind?

[Link via Locus Online]

Filed under: Meta

Otherwise, we’d be at the Best Buy festivities commemorating the release of Star Wars: Battlefront and the original trilogy on DVD. The prizes look cool though, with the grand prize getting a Darth Vader replica lightsaber. Who wouldn’t want that?

Oh well, I’ll have to console myself by buying this for, um, my kids. Yeah, that’s it, my kids…

Filed under: Star Wars

First, it was the ladies of Enron, then came those of Home Depot, followed by the women of the Olympics, now, hold on to your game controllers *wink* (heh heh, he said “game controller”) because Playboy is bringing you the ladies of video games!! No, they’re not those men playing female characters on EQ, and SWG; instead, they’re those pixies of pixels, vixens of virtual reality, tramps of true-color 3D graphics from your favorite video games! With names like Blood Rayne, Mileena (Mortal Kombat), et al, you get to gawk at them in all their anti-aliased but naked glory in the October issue of the popular men’s magazine.

As research for this post and trying to make it as work unsafe as possible, I’ve made the ultimate sacrifice by visiting the said magazine’s website, but alas, I’ve found nothing there. Instead, you’ll just have to settle for the article over at CNN/Money.

Filed under: Games

Not sci-fi or even remotely related to anything on this blog, I laughed out loud when I saw this Starbucks ad (forgive me I don’t want much commercial TV so if you’ve seen it just watch it again anyway and laugh too.)

A laugh and a thanks to Kymberlie for the link!

Filed under: Humor

Sci Fi is currently working on re-makes of The Thing and The Andromeda Strain., with Ridley Scott set to direct Strain. Now, I’m not complaining (well maybe a little), but do we really need two more remakes? Both were decent movies, is the cache surrounding both stories that big to convince people to do re-makes as opposed to creating something new? Do they think the viewing public will be more accepting of re-hashses as opposed to new stories? Must be…

Filed under: Movies

Yes, that’s right, Perpetual Entertainment has announced plans to create a MMORPG based on the Star Trek universe. I’m surprised it hasn’t been done yet, what with Star Wars getting the treatment last year. No word on whether the ST MMORPG will suck or not. At least its not being developed by the blood suckers at Sony. Oh, you’lll have to wait until 2006, at least, for the beta. Wow.

They have the IP rights to all the TV series (non-animated) and the motion pictures so they have quite a bit of stuff to work with. I suppose it could be interesting, but I’ve soured on ST over the last decade.

Filed under: Games

Locus Magazine has posted its reviews of the Best SF of the Year Anthologies (The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Twenty-First Annual Collection edited by Gardner Dozois, Year’s Best SF 9 edited by David G. Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer and Science Fiction: The Best of 2003 edited by Karen Haber & Jonathan Strahan).

Filed under: Books

REVIEW SUMMARY: An intriguing idea implemented marginally well.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: When their parents die, three children live with their closest relative, Count Olaf, who’s sole purpose in life is to cheat the children out of their inheritance.

MY REVIEW:

PROS: Very neat idea; great illustrations, somewhat reminiscent of Edward Gorey; story is educational, as it teaches vocabulary to younger readers.

CONS: Rather weak ending

BOTTOM LINE: Overall a fun read. The ending was a little weak, but I hadn’t much time invested in the book, so it didn’t bother me much

Read the rest of this entry

Filed under: Book Review

REVIEW SUMMARY: A superb fairy tale movie for the entire family.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: When Ella is born, her godmother gives her the gift of obedience. Now, no matter what anyone tells Ella to do, she must obey.

MY REVIEW:

PROS: Clever story, Anne Hathaway is enchanting, Cary Elwes is wonderfully evil.

CONS: Story is just a little corny in places; a little too dancy-face for my tastes

BOTTOM LINE: Besides Hathaway and Elwes the acting is double-plus ungood, and Minni Driver, who I like, was under-utilized. We watched it for family night and everyone really enjoyed it. Unlike Shrek (which was rated PG), this is a wonderful story for even very small children.

Read the rest of this entry

Filed under: Movies

‘Shaun of the Dead: A Romantic Comedy. With Zombies’ will be shambling into limited release here in the states on September 24th. Hopefully ‘limited release’ means Houston. And the Alamo Drafthouse!

It comes out today on DVD in the U.K., those luckly blokes.

Filed under: Movies

From Google Answers: An interesting read, but for the time-impaired, here’s the list:

• The Geostationary Satellite: Arthur C. Clarke (Not from a book)
• The Computer Worm: John Brunner (from The Shockwave Rider)
• Organlegging: Larry Niven (from the “Gil the ARM” stories)
• The Waldo: Robert A. Heinlein (“Waldo”)
• Gyro-Stabilized Personal Conveyance: Robert A. Heinlein (“The Roads Must Roll”)
• The Waterbed: Robert A. Heinlein (from Stranger in a Strange Land)
• Home Theater & Wall-Mounted TV: Ray Bradbury (from Fahrenheit 451)
• The Flip-Phone: Gene Roddenberry (Star Trek)
• The Taser: “Victor Appleton” (from the Tom Swift books)
• Multi-User Domains In Cyberspace: Vernor Vinge (from “True Names”)

Filed under: Science and Technology

Muppets Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his assistant Beaker were voted Britain’s favorite screen scientists. (These are probably the same clowns who voted Blade Runner the top SF film.) The Muppets beat out Dr. Strangelove, Dana Scully and Mr. Spock.

Filed under: Science and Technology

The 1954 Retro Hugo Awards were also awarded this weekend. Here’s a brief summary:

• BEST NOVEL: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• BEST NOVELLA: “A Case of Conscience” by James Blish (If, Sept. 1953)
• BEST NOVELETTE: “Earthman, Come Home” by James Blish (Astounding, Nov. 1953)
• BEST SHORT STORY: “The Nine Billion Names of God” by Arthur C. Clarke (Star Science Fiction Stories #1, Ballantine)

Filed under: Books

The Hugo Awards were held this weekend. Here a brief summary of the award winners:

• NOVEL: Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
• NOVELLA: “The Cookie Monster” by Vernor Vinge
• NOVELETTE: “Legions in Time” by Michael Swanwick
• SHORT STORY: “A Study in Emerald” by Neil Gaiman

Filed under: Awards

Because this Wednesday, in Houston anyway, PBS will be airing The Video Game Revolution. It looks to be a fairly wide ranging show, covering the development of games from the earliest (pong anyone?) to today.

Since I don’t have a Tivo, I may have to actually catch this as it airs. How so 20th Century…

Filed under: Games