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Not hardcore enough to be ultra nerdy, but it's not that shallow, either. |
 I'm not super dedicated to science fiction. In fact, it's my escape from reality. However, even when escaping I have plenty to say on the subject. I'm not as devoted to it as some people I know. That said, it's not a shallow thing for me. I can overthink it like I overthink everything else under the sun (and moon and other planets). My ramblings will range from cerebral to silly and borrow random elements from seemingly nonsensical areas. Many have (and will) appear in my journals first. When they arrive here, there will be edits for language, typos and similar details. However, the 18+ rating will stay since sex, violence and similar topics will be addressed in this blog. After all, sci-fi includes these elements in various ways from time to time. To get an idea of my science fiction background, I recommend this primer "Preferences in a nutshell"  . Links are always relevant to my interests, and my favorites can be found in the lefthand column next to this blog. You'll also see links to my other journals if you want to browse the unedited versions of my rants and/or see who I am outside the science fiction realm. Comment as much or as little as you like. Just remember that I'm not here to take things too seriously, as that's just not how I roll in sci-fi discussions.TAG GUIDE!
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| While glancing over IMDB links, this morning, I found a helpful guide for surviving Comic Con . Granted, I didn't hear about Comic Con until 2007 or so, but it seems the word on the street is the gathering has been selling out over the last few years of its four decade existence. Regardless, I have my own impressions, most of which involve how great it is not to go. However, the schedule for this year kind of makes me wish I was going, if only for the sheer giggle factor. So what would I do if I went? Well, let's break down my totally hypothetical Comic Con Dream Agenda into three categories. THINGS I CAN DO THAT ARE FEASIBLE Hunt down a TARDIS pen holder, a Dalek loofah and Vulcan ears in my skin color. Get in a kickline with random cosplaying strangers Spend one day in the convention center doing nothing but take pictures of the epic batshittery Crash a writing workshop Photobomb the press tapings. If I felt ambitious enough, I'd photobomb them ALL.  THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO DO BUT MAY NOT WORK OUT  Get a boycott of the Twilight panel going so no one shows up And why the hell does Twilight get a panel, anyway? Spread a rumor that Marc Webb only got the Spider Man gig because of his last name. Take a survey of attendees to find out which actor(s) they think need new agents Collect enough lanyards to make a rubber band ball-like object. Get J.J. Abrahms to autograph my forehead with a SharpieTHINGS THAT MIGHT GET ME KICKED OUT  Get a dance party started smack dab in the middle of the convention center Moon the crowd Loudly discuss the ineptitude of Sony executives during a panel (especially one that has nothing to do with movies) Yell out some blasphemous statement about a very popular sci-fi work just to see how everyone reacts (odds are very badly) Egg Robert PattisonSo what's YOUR hypothetical Comic Con agenda? BY THEY WAY, Comedy Central just did it up right with their Bingo card! Hell yeah! http://celebs.icanhascheezburger.com/2011/07/21/funny-celebrity-pictures-comic-c... |
| For some strange reason, this doesn't surprise me. Star Trek release date possibly getting pushed back? I've both been waiting for this speculation to go mainstream and dreading it. This has probably been floating around in the truly sci-fi oriented forums for a while, but due to my schedule I can't possibly even try to follow any of them. Thus, postulations posted in places like IMDB keep me somewhat in the loop. Anyway, so why am I torn about this? I agree with the author's opinion that the script will need work. On the other hand, a 70 page outline? Holy crap. Let me know how that works out for you, guys! As someone who anticipates taking on a script in the next year, I can say that 70 pages is pretty steep. That's going to have to be whittled down, and one hopes they can get it done. Given that all three writers involved had other projects that are now in marketing (or at least post production), they have been distracted. Now is the time to move, though. They better get on it. (And yeah guys, we need more Bones. Hint hint.) That delay is why I'm a little concerned about the pushback. There has already been some fandom backlash about the sequel being released in 2012 rather than 2011. I kind of want to smack said fangirls, but that's neither here nor there. What concerns me is this. Can a move with very intense, in your face special effects succeed in a holiday film market? The last decade suggests not. Unless Paramount puts their foot down and holds them to Thanksgiving weekend (or maybe even before), the release will coincide with Oscar bait. Oscar bait projects are played closer to the vest two-three years prior, so it is hard to say what competition the sequel will face. Also, the Oscar bait and the sequel will borrow from each other's audiences during an already economically demanding time of year. Before you paint the Star Trek fans with too broad a brush, consider this. Ribit, mi amor and I all saw both the Star Trek reboot and The King's Speech in the theater. Yes, they were released in different years at different times of the year. Would this movie theater attendance have happened if both of these films were released around, say, Christmas 2008? That is a tough call. (Random factoid: The reboot was originally supposed to be released on Christmas 2008 but got pushed back for a more advantageous release day.) It's a real tossup, and I'm really only willing to rise to the bait if the movie gets released prior to Christmas. So with all my wibbling out of the way, what do you think? |
| Okay, I know I've been pretty slacktastic here. I know I owe you a review of A Scanner Darkly (which I did watch a...few months ago). However, with work and wedding planning becoming increasingly demanding (and probably not letting up until mid-July), good blog entries are a little hard to manage. On the other hand, I have picked up a few good links along the way. Bob Orci hamming it up! The video is mostly about the Cowboys and Aliens clip that was shown (and if anyone's into that you might appreciate that aspect). However, Bob does discuss the current progress of the Star Trek script. Seems like their cutting it close if they're starting shooting in the fall. When the first movie was released, they started filming in the fall of 2007 for what ended up being a May 2009 release but what intended for a Christmas 2008 release. I don't know. It seems more like a summer type of movie to me. In any case, fall shooting this year for a June 2012 release? What's gonna get sacrificed here? This is so awesome I can overlook the typos.  Because who wouldn't want a Doctor Who edition of Monoply? My only question is what the playing pieces would be. Daleks and the TARDIS are obvious choices. So's K-9, for that matter. Perhaps an enlarged sonic screw driver? Boy, did that sound dirty. Any suggestions for the rest? Why bother asking for directions at this point? Yes, this map of science fiction is supposed to look like a brain. The comments suggest omissions, but this is a pretty good map for those with a decent fundamental understanding of sci-fi. I think it might overwhelm beginners, but it's still worth a look Overcoming apathy when creating stories. While written with a sci-fi slant, these tips can be adapted for other genres as well. It's also a helpful primer for those who are switching over from writing unusually complex characters to people who are more like someone you'd stumble upon while wandering in town. Yeah, I'll have to reread this until it sticks in my head. I tend to write abnormal/very complex characters.  I hope to get another entry in this month. We'll see how my life goes in terms of letting me indulge in sci-fi stuff. |
Yes, another entry about Doctor Who. Hey, I like to juggle a few regular topics!  While I have not been very good about watching (although I swear I will get crackin' on it soon), I have kind of a soft spot for Season 3. I feel kind of funny saying that because reactions to said season are ALL over the place. For me, season 3 is what got me into it. The strangest part? I was intrigued by two episodes generally not liked by the fans I encounter online. Those would be "Daleks in Manhattan" and "Evolution of the Daleks". I actually saw "Evolution" first. When I was living in Boynton Beach, I stayed with a family friend who is a sci-fi nut. She was watching "Evolution", and I happened to walk by the TV. Curious, I sat down and found myself intrigued. The Doctor was nice eye candy, for sure, but I was more intrigued by Martha and the fact that she didn't take shit lying down. Now I'm not one who particular seeks out strong female characters, but seeing one without actively looking was a nice surprise. After that, I started watching the show more regularly and got caught up on past episodes thanks to YouTube. Even though I enjoyed all of the eps (except "The Sound of Drums", which I have yet to see), I still feel a sense of warmth whenever I see these two. Sure, some of the science may be waved off, and some elements are a little over the top. However, between a dark story and a lot of interplay between strong characters on all stops on the protagonist-antagonist spectrum, I enjoyed them. Those qualities could explain why I liked the one season one episode I saw not long after that (but don't remember the title of; Jack Harkness was in it, though). That episode was dark and almost surreal, a similar tone, if you will. And not too long ago, I realized that Andrew Garfield had a pretty significant role in both eps. It makes me wish I'd been paying a little bit better attention then. Well, it makes rewatching that much more fun, but yes, it also makes it harder to move onto the other episodes/seasons. Anyone wanna kick my ass in that direction? Please and thanks. |
| I've decided that in order to get myself to watch any Doctor Who this year I'm going to turn it into a study of body language. (There's also fanfic, but we're not going there right now.) I decided to start with an episode (or two) that I'd already watched, although I'm kind of regretting it. Why? Have a YouTube vid! (Spoilers, yo.) It's one thing when you have the sound on, but as soon as you press the mute button? It's a whole different ballgme. (By the way, Ribit, this is what inspired me to come up with the word spoon-walking.) I will post a more thorough analysis of the body language in this ep, but feel free to enjoy this teaser in the meantime. |
See what I did there? Anyway, while perusing IMDB's main page the other day, I found Empire Online's movie poster mash up section. People basically take movie posters and manipulate them to fit the week's theme. I haven't explored them all yet, but I found some that are relevant to my interests this blog. The Doctor Who Collection The Chemistry Collection The Star Trek Collection The Avatar Collection (Yes, mi amor, for you.) The Superhero Collection I'll tell you what. I'd pay to see some of these movie mashups. Gamma Mia, in fact, looks much better than the original. |
I know I slacked here. There's no doubt about it. I did, however, get some things done, so let's go over them. Books: 
To my amazement, I actually accomplished my reading goals!  I do think is was a good idea to limit myself to two books this year, and next year looks even busier. Since I bought Alas, Babylon, I'll make that my sole writing project for 2011.Movies:
Yeah. That's it. I failed abysmally here. As I said before somewhere, the ol' Netflix queue has been bloated all year. Since the Instant Play setup actually works on my kind of ancient laptop, I'll try to use that more often so I can lighten the load on my DVD list and get to Boy A more quickly. Ahem. I have decided that A Scanner Darkly will be watched in the new year come Hell or high water. I might ask for movie suggestions next holiday season. TV shows: Heroes FlashForwardI'm still a little wibbly about both shows being canceled, but given how busy this year ended up being, it might be for the best. I really don't know how much headway I'll make on Doctor Who, but Season 1 is top priority in this area. I don't think I have any room to pick up another show. Writing: Yeah, I'm going here! I told Jay's debut novel is out now!  about a sci-fi skijumping story I brainstormed while reminiscing about a short story in the genetics chapter of a science textbook from my middle school days. (Boy, was that a convoluted sentence.) I actually started an origins-type story based on a Gauntlet prompt ("Practice is nothing to be sneezed at."). The actual story (tenatively titled "Green Peace") will hopefully get started in the latter half of 2011. Likewise, there will be more fanfic because I have no shame (plus got some ideas from revisiting Doctor Who). Of course, the fanfic will go on my FF.net page. If I get anywhere with "Green Peace", you'll see it here. Of course, I'd like to get some work done on "Northern Escape" first. We'll see.So yeah. I'll spend 2011 playing catchup on an overreaching agenda. Good times. |
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| While any form of entertainment can have spoilers, these nuggets of information are a contentious matter in the sci-fi world. It's not that surprising, really, since fans of the genre are hyper detail-oriented. Of course, when it comes to spoilers, that eye for the minute and obscure can cause its share of divisions. Some gobble up spoilers like they're going out of style. Others (including J.J. Abrahms) loathe them. (And for the record, the J.J. haters can go left.) So where do I stand on spoilers? That's the thing. I'm not sure if I do have a stance on spoilers. When Heroes was still on, I stalked a couple different sites for spoilers. I'd still watch the show every week and found that the spoilers I got didn't detract from my enjoyment of the show. At the same time, I'm trying to avoid any sort of spoilers for Doctor Who (all new version, for now). I'm not even sure why I'm working so hard to avoid spoilers for it. I'm guessing it has to do with the fact that I watched Season 3 and really liked it (including the Daleks in Manhattan storyline; I'll have to discuss that in a future entry). Maybe hearing of all the Doctor/Rose shipping material has put me off because I'm more of a Martha Jones fan. What can I say? Martha is a character with which I identify (smart, ambitious, great fighting spirit and eventually figuring out what's best for herself). Whatever the case may be, I;m trying not to ruin all the other seasons, as I'll watch them...eventually. There is the fact that I've noticed I'm more likely to watch a show if I do get spoilers. I think that's why I stuck with Heroes till the end and have been slacking big time on watching Who. When I get spoilers, I'm more inclined to pay attention and look for those tidbits in an episode. Otherwise, my motivation to watch something is left for wanting. I know that ideally I shouldn't need spoilers to keep me interested in something. I'm finding, though, that this phenomenon primarily applies to TV shows. I used to like following TV shows when I was a kid. Nowadays I prefer movies, but I'll still try out a show if I find the premise interesting (e.g. FlashForward). The problem is many concepts (even in sci-fi) don't appeal to me. Even when I find something I like, I can't always stick with it. It seems spoilers are the glue that keep me attached to a regularly airing TV show. I can understand why people don't like spoilers, though. When J.J. Abrahms edited the May 2009 issue of Wired, he devoted an article-rant to the concept of spoilers. The pieces boils down to the aura of mystery being all but eliminated when someone gets a hold of spoilers. For a lot of people, the unknown element is part of sci-fi's allure. Even if the characters, motivations and other components are outright stated, each episode answers the question of how everything works (or doesn't work) together. Having a part of that answer can be a buzz kill for some people. On the other hand, getting spoilers can be misleading. Someone may get some information, try to predict how the episode will play out and then get flabbergasted/whargarbly when things turn out way different. On that note, how do you like your spoilers? Rare, medium or well done? |
Yeah, I'm FINALLY getting around to this. You'd think I'd have gotten to it sooner. That's what we get for thinking. Anyhow, while I'd love to give you an Amazon link for the two disc set that I own, no can do. See the following Tech Support thread for details "Error message with ASIN " . Just thought you might like to know that. Now, without further ado, let me say the following things about the DVD (and play with the emoticons a bit). You should already know that there will be a zillion spoilers. The DVD version of the film itself is different from the theatrical release. In particular, the "same ship, different day" line uttered by Bones got cut from the end.  I think whoever cut this version didn't get the memo that the audience is pretty united when it comes to Karl's rendition of Bones (mostly that people want more Karl). Speaking of which, Chris Pine is such a Karl fanboy. Take a number and get in line, buddy. The casting special really showed his fanboy tendencies. Obviously, the segments featuring Chris and Karl were my favorites, although Bruce Greenwood (Captain Pike) was pretty awesome as well. He seems like a fantastic drinking buddy. In a related story, I'm so glad they included a gag reel. I just wish it was longer in duration and had more Karl. This is one of the few DVD's I've seen where there is a decent section devoted toward writing. Say what you want about the quality of the writing for this movie. I'm just glad to see the writers get any attention in the special features, and it's a fascinating featurette to boot. {/Spock} I wish there had been a couple more deleted scenes included, but I think that from what I saw the editor made the right decisions. In particular, the apology scene between Kirk and the Orion that was not Gaila would have severely dragged the pace. Likewise, Spock's birth just had no logical place in the movie and felt extraneous. Okay, now's the time for {/Spock}.I just wish I could rewatch the movie some more. Between my still bloated Netflix queue and other endeavors clamoring for my attention, repeat viewings won't be happening anytime soon.  |
| While I have reviews to write for Star Trek and Metropolis, I don't feel like doing any of that. Why? I have a ton of brain vomit regarding Heroes. Yes, I realize it's deader than King Tut, but that hasn't stopped me from re-imagining it. This is, indeed, what fanfic is for, and I have gone that route. However, I recently came up with an idea that does not fit into fanfic because it would be a completely different world with radically different characters. About the only things that would be kept from the original show would be humans with unusual abilities and an organization dedicated to them in some way. From there, it's a brave new world, I tell ya. The Company has morphed into the Able Bodied Society (ABS), a much more benevolent organization that dates back to the turn of the 20th Century. It was founded by a small group of people from around the world who discovered in secret that they could do what others didn't. I even play around with history and include Teddy Roosevelt as one of the founders. In case you're wondering, he had superimmunity (although was still mortal). Like I said, I'm playing around with history. Anyway, so when these able boded individuals meet through various coincidences, they realize that they cannot let their powers be made known to a public that was just becoming aware of Darwin's theory of evolution. So they decide to create an underground support group so people have a place to go to use their abilities in a way that keeps the public safe and people from accidentally using their powers when they're under duress. The ABS eventually becomes a global organization as human locators and precognitives direct the leadership of the ABS to more people with abilities. DNA studies help the ABS further understand how their individual members operate and even allows for a quiet coalition to be set up between the society and regular people who understand that these abilities are a part of human growth. This coalition enables those with abilities to be kept mostly out of harm's way, something very crucial when one looks at the social backwardness engulfing the United States today. That's where the story really begins. By the turn of the 21st Century, the ABS has expanded enough to require multiple departments and calculates that there are about 14-15 million people on the planet with superabilities. Though the abilities are starting to become understood through DNA/genetic studies, there's still a lot of unknown factors at play. Combined with the religious fervor engulfing many parts of the world (including the United States), the ABS understands that their ranks are not enough to face down a fearful, uninformed public. So even with more knowledge at hand, it is still a battle of survival that sinks to a nadir in 2010. This is where the expansion of the leadership comes into play. The new leadership includes a Board of Trustees, selected representatives from each of the departments (as well as continent representatives and representatives at large) that discuss/plan for the future of the ABS and those with abilities. In 2010, the five new selectees join the board right when a breach is uncovered and a much revered precog is killed. The five that join have a variety of powers: telekinesis, persuasion, force field generation, water transformation and omniscience. These new board members belong to the Departments of the Non-Enhanced Coalition (NEC), Earth Conditions (which takes a look at non-human influence phenomena of the planet), Securities (which works to protect vulnerable able bodied), Future Planning (which charts the path of evolution for the able bodied as well as their social standing) as well as the continent of Australia.Their jobs become much more difficult when all of their departments experience massive shakeups. The precog that was killed was Maori, and the Australian Continent rep learns his own wife was behind the murder. The precog predicted a socioeconomic meltdown in the United States catalyzed by corporate pawns, events that tax the NEC and Securities. The Earth, meanwhile, is experiencing rapid tectonic shifts as well as unexpected warming of the oceans. All of these events challenge the existence of the ABS before the Future Planning Department realizes that another part of the precog's most revered prophesy is coming to fruit. While the US teeters toward collapse, a trio of able bodied saviors is about to be conceived and born. Known as the Holy Trinity, these three girls will have the right combination of powers to halt and eventually reverse the social insanity of the country and its ripple effect on the world. The key is ensuring that they survive childhood in such a challenging environment. On top of that, the girls' father is a prominent entertainer who is easily recognizable by much of the public but who is completely unaware that he is a carrier of the genetic linchpin for superabilities. Thus, the Holy Trinity has a chance of being captured in the spotlight against their will. This puts the ABS in a bind, as they have to choose how they will divide up their resources between short term and long term survival. The five newly elected representatives have to work together to reconcile the survival needs with a fractured board while keeping themselves alive. There are other elements to the reimagination that have popped up but don't really have a form. One is the genetic determination. When Heroes first aired, I figured with a predominantly male cast that abilities were a sex-linked trait. This rendition looks to have a more complicated origin that involves genetic dark matter and genes not linked to the 23rd chromosome. This allows males to not have abilities but sire daughters who do. This suggests a possible common thread with Fragile X, but I would have to look at the Fragile X Syndrome more closely to determine if that's the case. Second, some abilities are more common than others. Precogs are surprisingly common and tend to be female. Force field generators have been around for a long time. On the other hand, omniscience is considered the rarest power. This makes omniscients very much coveted within the departments, but they are also the biggest targets. The power is the least apparent at first glance, yet omniscients who keep using their powers to defeat/deadlock socially prominent foes put themselves at high risks for assassination attempts. They also suffer from psychological distress the most and may be more common if most of them didn't commit suicide just to end the perpetual despair of knowing everything. There are other matters (such as funding) that I have not yet addressed but are lingering. I just had to get this down so I can stop thinking about it for a while. As you can see, this is a much different take on the concept of people with superhuman abilities. It draws its inspiration from the first season of Heroes where reality very much played on the characters' mindsets as they discovered their powers. In this case, reality keeps the able bodied from extensive power use, and they are under no delusions that they will be welcomed. They understand it is a fight for survival first and foremost. From there, nothing can be taken for granted. If only I could get myself to finish up my other projects so I can mull over this one some more.... |
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