08 November 2014
Scifi Through the Decades
14 October 2014
"We Have Always Fought"
From this essay by Kameron Hurley:
I’m going to tell you a story about llamas. It will be like every other story you’ve ever heard about llamas: how they are covered in fine scales; how they eat their young if not raised properly; and how, at the end of their lives, they hurl themselves – lemming-like – over cliffs to drown in the surging sea. They are, at heart, sea creatures, birthed from the sea, married to it like the fishing people who make their livelihood there.
Every story you hear about llamas is the same. You see it in books: the poor doomed baby llama getting chomped up by its intemperate parent. On television: the massive tide of scaly llamas falling in a great, majestic herd into the sea below. In the movies: bad-ass llamas smoking cigars and painting their scales in jungle camouflage.
Because you’ve seen this story so many times, because you already know the nature and history of llamas, it sometimes shocks you, of course, to see a llama outside of these media spaces. The llamas you see don’t have scales. So you doubt what you see, and you joke with your friends about “those scaly llamas” and they laugh and say, “Yes, llamas sure are scaly!” and you forget your actual experience.
What you remember is the llama you saw who had mange, which sort of looked scaly, after a while, and that one llama who was sort of aggressive toward a baby llama, like maybe it was going to eat it. So you forget the llamas that don’t fit the narrative you saw in films, books, television – the ones you heard about in the stories – and you remember the ones that exhibited the behavior the stories talk about. Suddenly, all the llamas you remember fit the narrative you see and hear every day from those around you. You make jokes about it with your friends. You feel like you’ve won something. You’re not crazy. You think just like everyone else.
And then there came a day when you started writing about your own llamas. Unsurprisingly, you didn’t choose to write about the soft, downy, non-cannibalistic ones you actually met, because you knew no one would find those “realistic.” You plucked out the llamas from the stories. You created cannibal llamas with a death wish, their scales matted in paint.
It’s easier to tell the same stories everyone else does. There’s no particular shame in it.
It’s just that it’s lazy, which is just about the worst possible thing a spec fic writer can be.
Oh, and it’s not true.
I’m going to tell you a story about llamas. It will be like every other story you’ve ever heard about llamas: how they are covered in fine scales; how they eat their young if not raised properly; and how, at the end of their lives, they hurl themselves – lemming-like – over cliffs to drown in the surging sea. They are, at heart, sea creatures, birthed from the sea, married to it like the fishing people who make their livelihood there.
Every story you hear about llamas is the same. You see it in books: the poor doomed baby llama getting chomped up by its intemperate parent. On television: the massive tide of scaly llamas falling in a great, majestic herd into the sea below. In the movies: bad-ass llamas smoking cigars and painting their scales in jungle camouflage.
Because you’ve seen this story so many times, because you already know the nature and history of llamas, it sometimes shocks you, of course, to see a llama outside of these media spaces. The llamas you see don’t have scales. So you doubt what you see, and you joke with your friends about “those scaly llamas” and they laugh and say, “Yes, llamas sure are scaly!” and you forget your actual experience.
What you remember is the llama you saw who had mange, which sort of looked scaly, after a while, and that one llama who was sort of aggressive toward a baby llama, like maybe it was going to eat it. So you forget the llamas that don’t fit the narrative you saw in films, books, television – the ones you heard about in the stories – and you remember the ones that exhibited the behavior the stories talk about. Suddenly, all the llamas you remember fit the narrative you see and hear every day from those around you. You make jokes about it with your friends. You feel like you’ve won something. You’re not crazy. You think just like everyone else.
And then there came a day when you started writing about your own llamas. Unsurprisingly, you didn’t choose to write about the soft, downy, non-cannibalistic ones you actually met, because you knew no one would find those “realistic.” You plucked out the llamas from the stories. You created cannibal llamas with a death wish, their scales matted in paint.
It’s easier to tell the same stories everyone else does. There’s no particular shame in it.
It’s just that it’s lazy, which is just about the worst possible thing a spec fic writer can be.
Oh, and it’s not true.
Labels: equality, scifi/fantasy
03 August 2014
TV: "The Great Martian War"
There is a sub-genre of sci-fi called "alternate history". It's usually stories based on ideas like "What if the Roman Empire never fell?" or "What if the south didn't lose the Civil War?". I've seen many alternate history books, but I don't know that I've ever seen a movie or TV show.
"The Great Martian War" is a TV-movie that aired on BBC-America. (It aired on the History channel in the UK & Canada.) It re-imagined the World War I as a war of humans against invading aliens.
It was done in the style of a documentary. It appeared as if they used a mixture of archival footage from the real war, archival footage with aliens CGI-ed in, and CGI footage. They also has "interviews" with "survivors" that were processed to look like they were shot in 50's, 70's, or 90's, depending on the age of the survivor.
All in all, it was quite well done, and much more entertaining than the scifi movies that SyFy airs. Which reinforces my opinion that the best channel for scifi/fantasy is BBC-America.
Labels: history, review: TV, scifi/fantasy
13 July 2014
Book: "The Jigsaw Woman"
I was born in a cross fire of hurricanes. Or electrons, electrodes. Something. I don't remember much about the beginning. Fuzzies. Flashes of stainless steel and white light. Was I at a butcher's shop or a hospital?
The Jigsaw Woman (by Kim Antieau) begins as a retelling of the story of Frankenstein's monster, with the creation of a beautiful woman from the body parts of three separate women. Rather quickly, however, it veers off into a completely different story. The first half of the book is at a breakneck pace, caroming all over the place. I enjoyed the unpredictability of it.
But the in the second half of the book the plot slowed down considerably, as the main character jumped into different past-lives and lived in each for a little while. I did enjoy seeing the various characters and how they showed up in each past life.
Overall it seemed like watered down Joanna Russ. It was more coherent, but less profound, than The Female Man.
In summary: interesting enough to finish, but not enjoyable enough to re-read.
The Jigsaw Woman (by Kim Antieau) begins as a retelling of the story of Frankenstein's monster, with the creation of a beautiful woman from the body parts of three separate women. Rather quickly, however, it veers off into a completely different story. The first half of the book is at a breakneck pace, caroming all over the place. I enjoyed the unpredictability of it.
But the in the second half of the book the plot slowed down considerably, as the main character jumped into different past-lives and lived in each for a little while. I did enjoy seeing the various characters and how they showed up in each past life.
Overall it seemed like watered down Joanna Russ. It was more coherent, but less profound, than The Female Man.
In summary: interesting enough to finish, but not enjoyable enough to re-read.
Labels: review: book, scifi/fantasy
02 July 2014
Book: "Friday"
As I left the Kenya Beanstalk capsule he was right on my heels. He followed me through the door leading to Customs, Health, and Immigration. As the door contracted behind him I killed him.
I have never liked riding the Beanstalk. My distaste was full-blown even before the disaster to the Quito Skyhook. A cable that goes up into the sky with nothing to hold it up smells too much of magic. But the only other way to reach Ell-Five takes too long and costs too much; my orders and expense account did not cover it.
So I had been edgy even before I left the shuttle from Ell-Five at Stationary Station to board the Beanstalk capsule... but, damn it, being edgy isn't a reason to kill a man.
That is how the book begins, and it's one of my absolute favorite starts to a book.
Friday isn't the best book in the world, and isn't even the best book by Robert Heinlein. (That would be The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress.) But it's a book I read over and over again. Some books are "comfort food" for me: A Wrinkle in Time, The Chronicles of Narnia, Tisha, and Friday.
I think what brings me back to it is that it's just a simple, well-told adventure story. There is a damaged-but-badass main character, who meets lots of people and does lots of stuff, in a crazy somewhat-dystopian future.
As I've gotten older, I've started to have some issues with the way he portrays women -- some sexism at work, I think -- but it doesn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.
p.s. This is the book where he accurately describes the internet. In 1982.
I have never liked riding the Beanstalk. My distaste was full-blown even before the disaster to the Quito Skyhook. A cable that goes up into the sky with nothing to hold it up smells too much of magic. But the only other way to reach Ell-Five takes too long and costs too much; my orders and expense account did not cover it.
So I had been edgy even before I left the shuttle from Ell-Five at Stationary Station to board the Beanstalk capsule... but, damn it, being edgy isn't a reason to kill a man.
That is how the book begins, and it's one of my absolute favorite starts to a book.
Friday isn't the best book in the world, and isn't even the best book by Robert Heinlein. (That would be The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress.) But it's a book I read over and over again. Some books are "comfort food" for me: A Wrinkle in Time, The Chronicles of Narnia, Tisha, and Friday.
I think what brings me back to it is that it's just a simple, well-told adventure story. There is a damaged-but-badass main character, who meets lots of people and does lots of stuff, in a crazy somewhat-dystopian future.
As I've gotten older, I've started to have some issues with the way he portrays women -- some sexism at work, I think -- but it doesn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.
p.s. This is the book where he accurately describes the internet. In 1982.
Labels: review: book, scifi/fantasy
21 January 2014
Quote of the Day: Tumblr
Seen here:
"I love old science fiction because it’s all like 'IT’S THE DISTANT YEAR TWO THOUSAND AND THREE AND MAN IS EXPLORING THE DEEP CORNERS OF THE UNIVERSE' like god bless you old sci-fi you had such high hopes for us"
"I love old science fiction because it’s all like 'IT’S THE DISTANT YEAR TWO THOUSAND AND THREE AND MAN IS EXPLORING THE DEEP CORNERS OF THE UNIVERSE' like god bless you old sci-fi you had such high hopes for us"
Labels: scifi/fantasy
27 October 2013
Quote of the day: io9
Scifi website io9 has posted a great article called How to Make Your Ridiculous TV Show Work, which basically explains why Sleepy Hollow is so watchable, when other shows (Grimm, Agents of SHIELD, etc) aren't. I agree with all their points, but these two are the ones that stand out the most to me:
Make your characters likeable.
First and foremost. Your show can be the silliest, dumbest thing on TV, but as long as people enjoy watching the characters, they’ll probably still stay tuned. The best example of this right now is indeed Sleepy Hollow, as Tom Mison’s delightfully bitchy Ichabod Crane is just wonderful to watch, no matter how absurd everything else is. Agents of SHIELD, plot-wise, has been pretty ho-hum, but Clark Gregg is carrying most of the show‘s weight on his shoulders through his charm as Agent Coulson.
Play by the rules you’ve set.
Your show can be as completely insane as you want it to be. You want to take the legend of Sleepy Hollow and have the Headless Horseman be one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and also there’s a demon named Moloch in charge who’s decided a small town in New York is ground zero for Armageddon? That’s completely fine. But once you establish what you’re working with, you’ve got to play by the rules you set, because other you break the covenant you have with the viewer. They’ve agreed to suspend their disbelief for your premise — there’s a little bit of wiggle room there — but something that directly contradicts what’s come before is a dealbreaker. For instance, as insane as Sleepy Hollow is, at no point are aliens going to be able to show up. A good example of a show that fucked this up is Alias; it was a very ridiculous — and fun — spy show that required a fair amount of disbelief, with ridiculous double-crosses, insane plans, and assassins modified to look like other people. But then Alias somehow became about zombies, and it was dumb. Not that there can’t be shows about zombies, obviously, but you can’t throw them in season 4 of a non-supernatural show and expect people to keep watching.
Make your characters likeable.
First and foremost. Your show can be the silliest, dumbest thing on TV, but as long as people enjoy watching the characters, they’ll probably still stay tuned. The best example of this right now is indeed Sleepy Hollow, as Tom Mison’s delightfully bitchy Ichabod Crane is just wonderful to watch, no matter how absurd everything else is. Agents of SHIELD, plot-wise, has been pretty ho-hum, but Clark Gregg is carrying most of the show‘s weight on his shoulders through his charm as Agent Coulson.
Play by the rules you’ve set.
Your show can be as completely insane as you want it to be. You want to take the legend of Sleepy Hollow and have the Headless Horseman be one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and also there’s a demon named Moloch in charge who’s decided a small town in New York is ground zero for Armageddon? That’s completely fine. But once you establish what you’re working with, you’ve got to play by the rules you set, because other you break the covenant you have with the viewer. They’ve agreed to suspend their disbelief for your premise — there’s a little bit of wiggle room there — but something that directly contradicts what’s come before is a dealbreaker. For instance, as insane as Sleepy Hollow is, at no point are aliens going to be able to show up. A good example of a show that fucked this up is Alias; it was a very ridiculous — and fun — spy show that required a fair amount of disbelief, with ridiculous double-crosses, insane plans, and assassins modified to look like other people. But then Alias somehow became about zombies, and it was dumb. Not that there can’t be shows about zombies, obviously, but you can’t throw them in season 4 of a non-supernatural show and expect people to keep watching.
Labels: scifi/fantasy, Sleepy Hollow
15 October 2013
Sleepy Hollow
Despite appearances, Sleepy Hollow isn't awful. In fact, it's kind of fun. Even more surprising, I'm enjoying it more than (the Joss Whedon created) Agents of SHIELD.
Labels: scifi/fantasy, Sleepy Hollow
25 November 2012
Stargate Prank
This is never not funny:
"We got belt buckles and shoelaces and a piece of gum: Built a nuclear reactor, for crying out loud!"
"We got belt buckles and shoelaces and a piece of gum: Built a nuclear reactor, for crying out loud!"
Labels: scifi/fantasy
13 September 2012
Quote of the Day: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Radio Edition)
From the Quintessential phase:
"According to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, there are rules that determine the reaction of most lifeforms to emerging technologies: 1) Anything that is in your world when you are born is normal and ordinary, and is just a natural part of the way things work. 2) Anything that's invented in the first third of your lifespan is new and exciting and revolutionary, and you can probably get a career in it! 3) Anything invented once you are middle-aged is against the natural order of things."
"According to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, there are rules that determine the reaction of most lifeforms to emerging technologies: 1) Anything that is in your world when you are born is normal and ordinary, and is just a natural part of the way things work. 2) Anything that's invented in the first third of your lifespan is new and exciting and revolutionary, and you can probably get a career in it! 3) Anything invented once you are middle-aged is against the natural order of things."
Labels: scifi/fantasy
12 September 2012
Quote of the Day: Babylon 5
One of these days I'm going to track down Babylon 5 on DVD and watch the show from the beginning. Everything I've ever heard or seen says it's great, but I've never watched it. But even not having watched it, I still thought this quote was pretty good:
reporter: She threatened to grab me by the collar and throw me out an airlock if I didn't turn over a full manifest of our equipment!
Commander Ivanova: Unauthorized shipments are a threat to station security. We had to --
Captain Sheridan: Commander, did you threaten to grab a hold of this man by the collar and throw him out an airlock?
Commander Ivanova: ... Yes, I did.
Captain Sheridan: I'm shocked. Shocked and dismayed. I'd remind you that we are short on supplies here. We can't afford to take perfectly good clothing and throw it out into space! Always take the jacket off first, I've told you that before! [to reporter] Sorry, she meant to say "stripped naked and thrown out an airlock". I apologize for any confusion this may have caused.
reporter: She threatened to grab me by the collar and throw me out an airlock if I didn't turn over a full manifest of our equipment!
Commander Ivanova: Unauthorized shipments are a threat to station security. We had to --
Captain Sheridan: Commander, did you threaten to grab a hold of this man by the collar and throw him out an airlock?
Commander Ivanova: ... Yes, I did.
Captain Sheridan: I'm shocked. Shocked and dismayed. I'd remind you that we are short on supplies here. We can't afford to take perfectly good clothing and throw it out into space! Always take the jacket off first, I've told you that before! [to reporter] Sorry, she meant to say "stripped naked and thrown out an airlock". I apologize for any confusion this may have caused.
Labels: scifi/fantasy
18 June 2012
Quote of the Day: Daniel Keys Moran
From The Long Run:
Trent: Hi. I'm Trent the thief. Is there anything I can steal for you?
Melissa DuBois: That is not funny.
Trent: No? Then how about this? [Trent makes a funny face.]
Melissa DuBois: No. That is not funny either.
Trent: You know, people almost always at least smile at that one. Is something wrong?
Melissa DuBois: You are late.
Trent: It wasn't my fault.
Melissa DuBois: As you say.
Trent: So I can't steal anything for you?
Melissa DuBois: No. I am afraid not. I am not poor.
Trent: What's that got to do with it?
Melissa DuBois: Is that not a Robin Hood routine? To steal from the rich, and give to the poor?
Trent: Don't be obscene. I'm a capitalist. [pause] I did have Merry Men once, but I had to get rid of them. They were gloomy sons of bitches.
Melissa DuBois: Oh?
Trent: Didn't laugh at my jokes.
Trent: Hi. I'm Trent the thief. Is there anything I can steal for you?
Melissa DuBois: That is not funny.
Trent: No? Then how about this? [Trent makes a funny face.]
Melissa DuBois: No. That is not funny either.
Trent: You know, people almost always at least smile at that one. Is something wrong?
Melissa DuBois: You are late.
Trent: It wasn't my fault.
Melissa DuBois: As you say.
Trent: So I can't steal anything for you?
Melissa DuBois: No. I am afraid not. I am not poor.
Trent: What's that got to do with it?
Melissa DuBois: Is that not a Robin Hood routine? To steal from the rich, and give to the poor?
Trent: Don't be obscene. I'm a capitalist. [pause] I did have Merry Men once, but I had to get rid of them. They were gloomy sons of bitches.
Melissa DuBois: Oh?
Trent: Didn't laugh at my jokes.
Labels: books, scifi/fantasy
18 April 2012
Their Own Genres
io9 has an interesting article called Science Fiction and Fantasy Creators Who Became Their Own Genres.
I didn't quite know what they meant until I saw a few names, and then I went, "Ohhhh..... yeah. I get it now."
The names that caught my eye were Douglas Adams, Robert Heinlein, and Joss Whedon. Whedon might be the most interesting case: His work is all over the place in terms of traditional genres (Buffy and Angel were fantasy/horror, Firefly was scifi/western, Dollhouse was near-future dystopia/philosophy, Dr. Horrible was scifi(?)/musical, and this year he has three movies coming out: meta horror movie The Cabin in the Woods, superhero blockbuster The Avengers, and a modern-setting production of Much Ado About Nothing.) But I have loved pretty much everything of his he's done. The genres may be all over the place, but the themes and the tone and the humor are always the same.
My favorite bit from the article came from the Douglas Adams section, though:
"Adams was often compared to [Kurt] Vonnegut, and indeed his dark humor often feels sort of reminiscent of Vonnegut's — but he goes much, much further into silliness and absurdism. And as with other authors on this list, when you pick up a Douglas Adams story, you know you're getting certain things, including hapless heroes, ingenious plot twists, narrative digressions and an irreverent refusal to commit to any kind of comforting sense of reality."
I didn't quite know what they meant until I saw a few names, and then I went, "Ohhhh..... yeah. I get it now."
The names that caught my eye were Douglas Adams, Robert Heinlein, and Joss Whedon. Whedon might be the most interesting case: His work is all over the place in terms of traditional genres (Buffy and Angel were fantasy/horror, Firefly was scifi/western, Dollhouse was near-future dystopia/philosophy, Dr. Horrible was scifi(?)/musical, and this year he has three movies coming out: meta horror movie The Cabin in the Woods, superhero blockbuster The Avengers, and a modern-setting production of Much Ado About Nothing.) But I have loved pretty much everything of his he's done. The genres may be all over the place, but the themes and the tone and the humor are always the same.
My favorite bit from the article came from the Douglas Adams section, though:
"Adams was often compared to [Kurt] Vonnegut, and indeed his dark humor often feels sort of reminiscent of Vonnegut's — but he goes much, much further into silliness and absurdism. And as with other authors on this list, when you pick up a Douglas Adams story, you know you're getting certain things, including hapless heroes, ingenious plot twists, narrative digressions and an irreverent refusal to commit to any kind of comforting sense of reality."
Labels: books, movies, scifi/fantasy, TV
13 February 2012
Coexist
Neat-o!
The only one I didn't recognize was the "x". (Based on the tags, it must be from Babylon 5.)
The only one I didn't recognize was the "x". (Based on the tags, it must be from Babylon 5.)
Labels: scifi/fantasy
14 May 2011
Quote of the Day: io9
From this review of the Smallville series finale:
Several months ago, I was talking with io9 reporter Alasdair Wilkins about how the hell this perennially unhip, unheralded, and mostly forgotten show stayed on the air for ten years (this is a mystery that's intrigued me for a while).
Alasdair had a terrifically plausible theory. In real life, Tom Welling really is Superman, but instead of fighting for justice, he coerces Smallville's cast and crew to make the show under the threat of death, sort of like Superboy-Prime mixed with that psychic kid from The Twilight Zone who exiled his enemies to the cornfield.
Alasdair and I never figured out why Smallville would be canceled if Superman was holding the staff hostage, but after watching "Finale," I think I understand. Smallville was no simple TV show. It was a decade-long case study in delayed gratification, a tenth-of-a-century long con.
And I presume that despotic, real-life SuperWelling did this to inculcate Stockholm Syndrome in viewers and to Pavlovianly condition the populace. Smallville was a means to soften us up before Welling's velvet revolution, Pax Supermana. This 10-year propaganda campaign has bred two vintages of Smallville viewer, the masochists and the apologists. I know this sounds outlandish, but consider the (anecdotal) evidence.
Several months ago, I was talking with io9 reporter Alasdair Wilkins about how the hell this perennially unhip, unheralded, and mostly forgotten show stayed on the air for ten years (this is a mystery that's intrigued me for a while).
Alasdair had a terrifically plausible theory. In real life, Tom Welling really is Superman, but instead of fighting for justice, he coerces Smallville's cast and crew to make the show under the threat of death, sort of like Superboy-Prime mixed with that psychic kid from The Twilight Zone who exiled his enemies to the cornfield.
Alasdair and I never figured out why Smallville would be canceled if Superman was holding the staff hostage, but after watching "Finale," I think I understand. Smallville was no simple TV show. It was a decade-long case study in delayed gratification, a tenth-of-a-century long con.
And I presume that despotic, real-life SuperWelling did this to inculcate Stockholm Syndrome in viewers and to Pavlovianly condition the populace. Smallville was a means to soften us up before Welling's velvet revolution, Pax Supermana. This 10-year propaganda campaign has bred two vintages of Smallville viewer, the masochists and the apologists. I know this sounds outlandish, but consider the (anecdotal) evidence.
Labels: scifi/fantasy, TV
30 April 2011
Joanna Russ
Sci Fi author Joanna Russ died recently.
I've read a couple of her books, and, well, hmmm...
My thoughts on her writing are a little schizophrenic.
One the one hand, the stories I read were confusing and weird and dark and I can't really say I liked them.
On the other hand, though, I found myself connecting to them in a strange way. For instance: Way back in 2006 I instituted a "quote of the week" feature, and my inaugural quote was from her book The Female Man.
The two books I read were We Who Are About To... and the aforementioned The Female Man . That tribute article makes me want to read The Adventures of Alyx. I'm pretty sure I have a copy around here somewhere...
I've read a couple of her books, and, well, hmmm...
My thoughts on her writing are a little schizophrenic.
One the one hand, the stories I read were confusing and weird and dark and I can't really say I liked them.
On the other hand, though, I found myself connecting to them in a strange way. For instance: Way back in 2006 I instituted a "quote of the week" feature, and my inaugural quote was from her book The Female Man.
The two books I read were We Who Are About To... and the aforementioned The Female Man . That tribute article makes me want to read The Adventures of Alyx. I'm pretty sure I have a copy around here somewhere...
Labels: books, scifi/fantasy
28 April 2011
Mark Sheppard
For years and years I referred to actor Mark Sheppard as "Cecil L'Ively from The X-Files". He showed up everywhere: Burn Notice, Leverage, Dollhouse, Firefly, and many others that I'm sure I've forgotten. I never knew his name, I just remembered him as "Cecil L'Ively from The X-Files".
A couple of years ago, though, he had recurring roles on two of my favorite shows: Battlestar Galactica (Romo) and Supernatural (Crowley) and I finally learned his name. Now he's on Doctor Who (he's even doing the voice-over for the advertisements on BBC America) and io9 has worked up this little tribute to all the scifi/fantasy roles he's had in the last eighteen (!) years. (I was going to embed it, but they don't seem to have a code for it. Blech.)
P.S. His father, William Morgan Sheppard, has a similarly long and varied career, including (ready for this?) playing the older version of the character Mark Sheppard is playing on Doctor Who!
A couple of years ago, though, he had recurring roles on two of my favorite shows: Battlestar Galactica (Romo) and Supernatural (Crowley) and I finally learned his name. Now he's on Doctor Who (he's even doing the voice-over for the advertisements on BBC America) and io9 has worked up this little tribute to all the scifi/fantasy roles he's had in the last eighteen (!) years. (I was going to embed it, but they don't seem to have a code for it. Blech.)
P.S. His father, William Morgan Sheppard, has a similarly long and varied career, including (ready for this?) playing the older version of the character Mark Sheppard is playing on Doctor Who!
Labels: Battlestar Galactica, Doctor Who, scifi/fantasy, Supernatural
14 December 2010
Quote of the Day: Robin McKinley
From the novel Sunshine:
"So I did buy another car. The Wreck. It ran. I bought it from a friend of Mel's who like tinkering with cars the way Mel liked tinkering with motorcycles, and the friend guaranteed that it would run, just so long as I didn't want anything fancy like a third gear that was there all the time, or a top speed of over forty. It suited me fine. I didn't feel like getting attached to another car, and the sporadic absence of third gear was an interesting diversion."
"So I did buy another car. The Wreck. It ran. I bought it from a friend of Mel's who like tinkering with cars the way Mel liked tinkering with motorcycles, and the friend guaranteed that it would run, just so long as I didn't want anything fancy like a third gear that was there all the time, or a top speed of over forty. It suited me fine. I didn't feel like getting attached to another car, and the sporadic absence of third gear was an interesting diversion."
Labels: books, scifi/fantasy
11 December 2010
Some Geek for the Weekend
Cake Wrecks did a fun mixed-up scifi post.
Doctor Who monsters out on the town. (I like #2 best. It looks like a Cyberman on holiday!)
Seattle Daleks....
And finally, this is just fun:
Doctor Who monsters out on the town. (I like #2 best. It looks like a Cyberman on holiday!)
Seattle Daleks....
And finally, this is just fun:
Labels: Doctor Who, Glee, scifi/fantasy, TV
19 June 2010
Quiz #3: Ships
It's so nice of you guys to play along! :)
Today: ships. Match the ship with show it appeared on. (Some of them are types of ships and some of them are the names of specific ships. Some are actually both.)
1. Viper------------------A. Battlestar Galactica
2. Moya-------------------B. Doctor Who
3. 1967 Chevy Impala------C. Farscape
4. TARDIS-----------------D. Firefly
5. Defiant----------------E. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
6. Prometheus-------------F. Red Dwarf
7. Starbug----------------G. Stargate: SG-1
8. Borg cube--------------H. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
9. Heart of Gold----------I. Star Trek: The Next Generation
10. Serenity--------------J. Supernatural
Today: ships. Match the ship with show it appeared on. (Some of them are types of ships and some of them are the names of specific ships. Some are actually both.)
1. Viper------------------A. Battlestar Galactica
2. Moya-------------------B. Doctor Who
3. 1967 Chevy Impala------C. Farscape
4. TARDIS-----------------D. Firefly
5. Defiant----------------E. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
6. Prometheus-------------F. Red Dwarf
7. Starbug----------------G. Stargate: SG-1
8. Borg cube--------------H. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
9. Heart of Gold----------I. Star Trek: The Next Generation
10. Serenity--------------J. Supernatural
Labels: scifi/fantasy, trivia
