March Madness '06: The Ultimate Battle
Deathstroke vs Wolverine?
Batman vs Black Panther?
Colossus vs Green Lantern?
Iron Man vs Earth 2 Superman?
Emma Frost vs The Hulk?
Supergirl vs Superboy Prime?
Who will win it all?!
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
What If?
One of my favorite aspects of Science Fiction is the speculative nature of the genre. For example, Star Trek, Firefly, Babylon 5, Space: Above and Beyond, and Battlestar Galactica all take place in the Earth's future, yet they are radically different in tone and content. The major differences, to my mind, are all based on assumptions about what happens between now and then. Change just a few key events, and the entire future changes.
Literature is full of such stories. What would have happened if Germany developed the atomic bomb first, or if Rome hadn't fallen? I heard recently about a video game in which it's assumed that Hitler was assassinated young—which opened the door for Stalin to take over Europe instead. It's fun to speculate how history would change if a single event came out differently.
I saw a movie recently that uses this approach in an unconventional genre, the romantic comedy. It's called Sliding Doors. To explain: A young London woman is fired from her job. On her way back home she rushes down the stairs to the Underground, only to miss her train by seconds. Then we see a rewind effect, and she comes back down the stairs and makes her train. At this point, time splits.
In one timeline, the train gets her home quickly, and she finds her live-in boyfriend in bed with another woman. She leaves him, meets someone else, and ends up starting her own business. In the other timeline, she leaves the train station and tries to hail a cab, only to get mugged in the process. Her emergency room visit keeps her from getting home in time to discover her lecherous boyfriend's affair, and her injury motivates him to pay more attention to her, at least in the short term. We watch the two stories unfold side by side, wondering which one is the real story. I won't spoil the ending for those who haven't seen it, but I will say that the ending features a nice bit of symmetry that unites the two timelines.
In other words, it's basically a chick flick with sci-fi undertones. Something for everyone.
Literature is full of such stories. What would have happened if Germany developed the atomic bomb first, or if Rome hadn't fallen? I heard recently about a video game in which it's assumed that Hitler was assassinated young—which opened the door for Stalin to take over Europe instead. It's fun to speculate how history would change if a single event came out differently.
I saw a movie recently that uses this approach in an unconventional genre, the romantic comedy. It's called Sliding Doors. To explain: A young London woman is fired from her job. On her way back home she rushes down the stairs to the Underground, only to miss her train by seconds. Then we see a rewind effect, and she comes back down the stairs and makes her train. At this point, time splits.
In one timeline, the train gets her home quickly, and she finds her live-in boyfriend in bed with another woman. She leaves him, meets someone else, and ends up starting her own business. In the other timeline, she leaves the train station and tries to hail a cab, only to get mugged in the process. Her emergency room visit keeps her from getting home in time to discover her lecherous boyfriend's affair, and her injury motivates him to pay more attention to her, at least in the short term. We watch the two stories unfold side by side, wondering which one is the real story. I won't spoil the ending for those who haven't seen it, but I will say that the ending features a nice bit of symmetry that unites the two timelines.
In other words, it's basically a chick flick with sci-fi undertones. Something for everyone.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Love & Romance, SF/F-Style
In celebration of the Valentine's Day holiday, let's look at some prominent Sci-fi and Fantasy romances:
» Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson (Spider-Man)
In a universe where most superhero romances end up completely screwed up (i.e., Scott Summers), it's great to see a nice couple like this live a fairly normal and happy life.
» Han Solo and Leia Organa (Star Wars)
"Wonderful girl. Either I'm going to kill her, or I'm beginning to like her." Ah, the joys of love at first sight. Who would have thought a princess and a scoundrel could make it work so well?
» Richard Rahl and Kahlan Amnell (Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series)
The most horrifying things happen to this couple. They face death, pain, torture, betrayal, loss, and grief by the cartload. But their love keeps them alive and hopeful, and that hope radiates to those they lead as they fight the greatest evil their world has ever known.
» Clark Kent and Lois Lane (Superman)
Lois is as central to the Superman mythos as Clark himself is. You simply can't have one without the other, be it in print, television, or movie format.
» Jadzia Dax and Worf (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
While his dalliance with Deanna Troi near the end of TNG was interesting, Worf met his true match and soulmate in Jadzia. Even after her untimely (and useless) death, she still shaped Worf's life like nobody else could. This was the best of all the Trek romances.
» Bob and Helen Parr (Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl) (The Incredibles)
The family that fights crime together stays together. The "I'm not strong enough" sequence is one of my favorite movie scenes ever.
» Marcus Cole and Susan Ivanova (Babylon 5)
One of the greatest romances that never was. Marcus loved Ivanova from afar, adored her, saved himself for her, and ultimately died for her. Ivanova could never bring herself to see, accept, or return his love until it was too late. As tragic as anything from Shakespeare.
» Westley and Buttercup (The Princess Bride)
Proof positive that death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while.
» Daniel Drieberg (Night Owl) and Laurie Juspeczyk (Silk Spectre) (Watchmen)
When the world is going to hell around you, sometimes all you can do is hold on to someone. And sometimes, that's enough.
» Simon Tam and Kaylee Frye (Firefly / Serenity)
Face it: if Simon—a certified geek whose family issues are, to say the least, problematic—can get the girl, then there's got to be hope for the rest of us.
» Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson (Spider-Man)
In a universe where most superhero romances end up completely screwed up (i.e., Scott Summers), it's great to see a nice couple like this live a fairly normal and happy life.
» Han Solo and Leia Organa (Star Wars)
"Wonderful girl. Either I'm going to kill her, or I'm beginning to like her." Ah, the joys of love at first sight. Who would have thought a princess and a scoundrel could make it work so well?
» Richard Rahl and Kahlan Amnell (Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series)
The most horrifying things happen to this couple. They face death, pain, torture, betrayal, loss, and grief by the cartload. But their love keeps them alive and hopeful, and that hope radiates to those they lead as they fight the greatest evil their world has ever known.
» Clark Kent and Lois Lane (Superman)
Lois is as central to the Superman mythos as Clark himself is. You simply can't have one without the other, be it in print, television, or movie format.
» Jadzia Dax and Worf (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
While his dalliance with Deanna Troi near the end of TNG was interesting, Worf met his true match and soulmate in Jadzia. Even after her untimely (and useless) death, she still shaped Worf's life like nobody else could. This was the best of all the Trek romances.
» Bob and Helen Parr (Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl) (The Incredibles)
The family that fights crime together stays together. The "I'm not strong enough" sequence is one of my favorite movie scenes ever.
» Marcus Cole and Susan Ivanova (Babylon 5)
One of the greatest romances that never was. Marcus loved Ivanova from afar, adored her, saved himself for her, and ultimately died for her. Ivanova could never bring herself to see, accept, or return his love until it was too late. As tragic as anything from Shakespeare.
» Westley and Buttercup (The Princess Bride)
Proof positive that death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while.
» Daniel Drieberg (Night Owl) and Laurie Juspeczyk (Silk Spectre) (Watchmen)
When the world is going to hell around you, sometimes all you can do is hold on to someone. And sometimes, that's enough.
» Simon Tam and Kaylee Frye (Firefly / Serenity)
Face it: if Simon—a certified geek whose family issues are, to say the least, problematic—can get the girl, then there's got to be hope for the rest of us.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Star Trek: Reloaded
The question of where Star Trek goes next is an interesting one. Here's my take:
Obviously, we can't start from where we left off. The Trek universe, at 'present', isn't very interesting.
Here's the current situation: the Dominion is defeated, the Borg Queen is dead, Cardassia has been emasculated, the Romulans are still rebuilding after the Shinzon debacle, the Federation is in a state of détente with the Klingons, the Maquis are gone, and the Ferengi are looking positively benign under the administration of Grand Nagus Rom.
In short, there's nobody left to fight.
Oh sure, the Breen, the Naussicans, and the Tholians are still around. But it's hard to imagine a whole series based around any of these antagonists. They're too inhuman to make it interesting. There are still a few hostiles floating around in the Delta Quadrant—the Hirogen, Species 8472, and the like. It certainly wouldn't break my heart to see the Kazon get their butts whipped a few more times. But those foes are thousands of light-years away. And to be honest, they were of only limited interest in Voyager in the first place.
The Trek universe has become boring.
And to me, that is the real problem. The solution? As Derek suggested, let's go back to a time when things were really interesting. Conflict is at the heart of any good story. And there's plenty of that in the Trek universe of the 'past'.
The Next Generation/Deep Space 9 era is certainly a good candidate for a series setting. It would give potential viewers a sense of familiarity, and there are certainly enough interesting things going on then. We might see the Klingon civil war from one of the other ships in the Federation blockade. Perhaps there were some survivors of Wolf 359. Or maybe, just maybe, there were some interesting things going on back then that didn't involve the Enterprise or her crew in the least.
I've recently been reading some of the Star Trek: The Lost Era books. This would also be an interesting setting. George Takei is almost 80 now, so it may not be practical to show the Sulu-era adventures of the Excelsior. But there are almost unlimited possibilities for Enterprise-B and Enterprise-C. Let's see some action involving Captains Harriman and Garrett. The universe of the Trek Interregnum sounds like a pretty exciting place to me, filled with exploration and confrontation. Bring on the classic nemeses: the Romulans, the Cardassians, and yes, even the Klingons.
Now that we've established the when of the matter, let's talk about who.
The idea of seeing some junior officers, perhaps not even on the Federation flagship, holds some definite potential. Part of the legacy of Star Trek (and most sci-fi TV) is the 'Fairy-tale Syndrome'. Let me explain. Think of any fairy tale that comes to mind, even the animated ones. What do all the main characters have in common? They are all intimately connected with royalty. Cinderella finds her handsome prince. Aladdin finds his princess. Simba is denied his right as king of the pride. Anastasia finds out she's not just a peasant girl but the last surviving member of the Romanov family. And so on. The common folks are typically relegated to supporting roles, if they're seen at all.
So it is with Trek. Consider the Enterprise-D. Think of anyone who could be considered a 'main character', a recurring character whose actions have lasting effects on the ship and/or her crew. I come up with the following: Captain Picard, Riker, Data, Geordi, Dr. Crusher, Dr. Pulaski, Wesley, Troi, Worf, Yar, O' Brien, Barkley, Ro Laren, Guinan, and maybe Lwaxana Troi. Fifteen main characters in the series. The stated crew of the Enterprise is just over a thousand. 98% of the overall story involves less than 2% of the crew. And the majority of those people are command-level officers—the ship's royalty, if you will.
Are there any normal people in Starfleet? Of course there are. They're the ones wearing the red shirts. They're the ones who die in the first five minutes of the episode to show how serious the situation is. To wit, the away team beams down to a hostile alien planet: Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Sulu, and Slobowski. Hmm, who do you think is not going to survive this mission?
Of course every ship has a captain and a command crew. But think about a modern aircraft carrier. The USS Ronald Reagan has a crew of about 6,000. How many of those folks interact with the captain on a daily basis? How many interact with anyone on the command staff? Probably very few. Maybe commanding officers are more accessible to their crews in the future, but I can still imagine a crewman going through an entire two-year stint in Starfleet and never once having dinner at the captain's table.
So let's see how the other half lives. And more importantly, let's focus on the characters themselves, rather than just their rank and/or position. Part of what I like about what I've read of Kurt Buseik's comics work is that he doesn't tell superhero stories. He tells stories about people who happen to be superheroes. To beat the same dead horse once again, the reason that Babylon 5 and Firefly were so good is because the stories were character-driven. So are the best trek episodes, like "City on the Edge of Forever", "The Inner Light", and "The Visitor".
I guess that's ultimately what it comes down to, for me: tell interesting stories involving characters I can care about, and I'll tune in every week.
Obviously, we can't start from where we left off. The Trek universe, at 'present', isn't very interesting.
Here's the current situation: the Dominion is defeated, the Borg Queen is dead, Cardassia has been emasculated, the Romulans are still rebuilding after the Shinzon debacle, the Federation is in a state of détente with the Klingons, the Maquis are gone, and the Ferengi are looking positively benign under the administration of Grand Nagus Rom.
In short, there's nobody left to fight.
Oh sure, the Breen, the Naussicans, and the Tholians are still around. But it's hard to imagine a whole series based around any of these antagonists. They're too inhuman to make it interesting. There are still a few hostiles floating around in the Delta Quadrant—the Hirogen, Species 8472, and the like. It certainly wouldn't break my heart to see the Kazon get their butts whipped a few more times. But those foes are thousands of light-years away. And to be honest, they were of only limited interest in Voyager in the first place.
The Trek universe has become boring.
And to me, that is the real problem. The solution? As Derek suggested, let's go back to a time when things were really interesting. Conflict is at the heart of any good story. And there's plenty of that in the Trek universe of the 'past'.
The Next Generation/Deep Space 9 era is certainly a good candidate for a series setting. It would give potential viewers a sense of familiarity, and there are certainly enough interesting things going on then. We might see the Klingon civil war from one of the other ships in the Federation blockade. Perhaps there were some survivors of Wolf 359. Or maybe, just maybe, there were some interesting things going on back then that didn't involve the Enterprise or her crew in the least.
I've recently been reading some of the Star Trek: The Lost Era books. This would also be an interesting setting. George Takei is almost 80 now, so it may not be practical to show the Sulu-era adventures of the Excelsior. But there are almost unlimited possibilities for Enterprise-B and Enterprise-C. Let's see some action involving Captains Harriman and Garrett. The universe of the Trek Interregnum sounds like a pretty exciting place to me, filled with exploration and confrontation. Bring on the classic nemeses: the Romulans, the Cardassians, and yes, even the Klingons.
Now that we've established the when of the matter, let's talk about who.
The idea of seeing some junior officers, perhaps not even on the Federation flagship, holds some definite potential. Part of the legacy of Star Trek (and most sci-fi TV) is the 'Fairy-tale Syndrome'. Let me explain. Think of any fairy tale that comes to mind, even the animated ones. What do all the main characters have in common? They are all intimately connected with royalty. Cinderella finds her handsome prince. Aladdin finds his princess. Simba is denied his right as king of the pride. Anastasia finds out she's not just a peasant girl but the last surviving member of the Romanov family. And so on. The common folks are typically relegated to supporting roles, if they're seen at all.
So it is with Trek. Consider the Enterprise-D. Think of anyone who could be considered a 'main character', a recurring character whose actions have lasting effects on the ship and/or her crew. I come up with the following: Captain Picard, Riker, Data, Geordi, Dr. Crusher, Dr. Pulaski, Wesley, Troi, Worf, Yar, O' Brien, Barkley, Ro Laren, Guinan, and maybe Lwaxana Troi. Fifteen main characters in the series. The stated crew of the Enterprise is just over a thousand. 98% of the overall story involves less than 2% of the crew. And the majority of those people are command-level officers—the ship's royalty, if you will.
Are there any normal people in Starfleet? Of course there are. They're the ones wearing the red shirts. They're the ones who die in the first five minutes of the episode to show how serious the situation is. To wit, the away team beams down to a hostile alien planet: Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Sulu, and Slobowski. Hmm, who do you think is not going to survive this mission?
Of course every ship has a captain and a command crew. But think about a modern aircraft carrier. The USS Ronald Reagan has a crew of about 6,000. How many of those folks interact with the captain on a daily basis? How many interact with anyone on the command staff? Probably very few. Maybe commanding officers are more accessible to their crews in the future, but I can still imagine a crewman going through an entire two-year stint in Starfleet and never once having dinner at the captain's table.
So let's see how the other half lives. And more importantly, let's focus on the characters themselves, rather than just their rank and/or position. Part of what I like about what I've read of Kurt Buseik's comics work is that he doesn't tell superhero stories. He tells stories about people who happen to be superheroes. To beat the same dead horse once again, the reason that Babylon 5 and Firefly were so good is because the stories were character-driven. So are the best trek episodes, like "City on the Edge of Forever", "The Inner Light", and "The Visitor".
I guess that's ultimately what it comes down to, for me: tell interesting stories involving characters I can care about, and I'll tune in every week.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Star Trek Next
Just about everyone I know believes Star Trek: Enterprise was the weakest of the Trek television shows. I don't know that I could conclusively argue one way or another, but Voyager strikes me as the weakest of the two. Both series had excellent episodes, but neither can compare with The Next Generation or Deep Space Nine (my clear favorite). Regardless of which incarnation was worse than the other, one thing is clear to this Trek fan: the franchise took a serious dive after DS9. And so I pose to my AoD colleagues and readers, if we have any, the task of reinvigorating the Star Trek franchise via a new television series. I don't know about anyone else, but I really miss good Star Trek. My idea follows.
Remember the The Next Generation episode, Lower Decks? Rather than follow the regular crew, the episode focused on the lives of four junior officers. This has to be one of my favorite Star Trek episodes of all time. There was something refreshing about a new perspective of a familiar landscape. Were someone to hand the future of the franchise over to me, I'd put together an entire series based on this concept. Each episode would follow the lives of four or five Next Generation era crew members as they go about their duties, get taken to task by superior officers, deal with various ship crises, and so forth. At first glance, I know this doesn't sound very exciting. Wait, there's more! I'd have the writers begin the creative process by outlining a traditional "shuttle craft in trouble," "confrontation with the Romulans," "rescue the doomed colony" storyline. From there, the writers would write the main plot, focusing on the junior officers, so that the viewers see the events unfold from a non-traditional perspective. One of the junior officers would be in Engineering, for example. We'd see the Chief Engineer, but always in the background. Viewers would hear the Chief Engineer talking with the Bridge about the impending core breach, but the action would center on our junior officer. In essence, I'd take traditional Trek and invert the filming process. To date, every series foregrounds the command staff and backgrounds everyone else. I'd foreground junior officers and background the command staff.
Taking this non-traditional approach to Trek does few things. First, it forces writers out of their comfort zone. Most fans complain that the Trek franchise has grown a bit stale--this breathes a bit of fresh air into the process. It also requires a new look at the production process. Can you imagine the challenge of shooting a scene that focuses one of the main characters so that the viewers can also see the Captain (who we never see behind the scenes or in a non-command capacity), communicating with threatening aliens? Second, a series written from this perspective would be affordable. With the focus on secondary characters (relatively unknown actors, perhaps?), we'd see far less of the action directly. We'd see some of it, of course, but far less. A more affordable program could be marketed to a non-major network (hello, SciFi!). As UPN recently merged with WB, I doubt the Star Trek franchise would find a home there. Viacom/Paramount/CBS/Whoever (major reorganizing has gone on within Viacom/Paramount/CBS recently--I'm not sure who retains the rights to ST) could go back to the syndication model, which seemed to work for TNG and DS9.
So, there's my idea. It's not so much a radical revisioning of the ST franchise, but a reconceptualization or refocusing.
Remember the The Next Generation episode, Lower Decks? Rather than follow the regular crew, the episode focused on the lives of four junior officers. This has to be one of my favorite Star Trek episodes of all time. There was something refreshing about a new perspective of a familiar landscape. Were someone to hand the future of the franchise over to me, I'd put together an entire series based on this concept. Each episode would follow the lives of four or five Next Generation era crew members as they go about their duties, get taken to task by superior officers, deal with various ship crises, and so forth. At first glance, I know this doesn't sound very exciting. Wait, there's more! I'd have the writers begin the creative process by outlining a traditional "shuttle craft in trouble," "confrontation with the Romulans," "rescue the doomed colony" storyline. From there, the writers would write the main plot, focusing on the junior officers, so that the viewers see the events unfold from a non-traditional perspective. One of the junior officers would be in Engineering, for example. We'd see the Chief Engineer, but always in the background. Viewers would hear the Chief Engineer talking with the Bridge about the impending core breach, but the action would center on our junior officer. In essence, I'd take traditional Trek and invert the filming process. To date, every series foregrounds the command staff and backgrounds everyone else. I'd foreground junior officers and background the command staff.
Taking this non-traditional approach to Trek does few things. First, it forces writers out of their comfort zone. Most fans complain that the Trek franchise has grown a bit stale--this breathes a bit of fresh air into the process. It also requires a new look at the production process. Can you imagine the challenge of shooting a scene that focuses one of the main characters so that the viewers can also see the Captain (who we never see behind the scenes or in a non-command capacity), communicating with threatening aliens? Second, a series written from this perspective would be affordable. With the focus on secondary characters (relatively unknown actors, perhaps?), we'd see far less of the action directly. We'd see some of it, of course, but far less. A more affordable program could be marketed to a non-major network (hello, SciFi!). As UPN recently merged with WB, I doubt the Star Trek franchise would find a home there. Viacom/Paramount/CBS/Whoever (major reorganizing has gone on within Viacom/Paramount/CBS recently--I'm not sure who retains the rights to ST) could go back to the syndication model, which seemed to work for TNG and DS9.
So, there's my idea. It's not so much a radical revisioning of the ST franchise, but a reconceptualization or refocusing.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
The Results are In
STK gets . . .
Your results:
You are Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)
Click here to take the "Which Serenity character am I?" quiz...
Your results:
You are Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)
| Dependable and trustworthy. You love your significant other and you are a tough cookie when in a conflict.  |
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Kathleen's Turn
Nancy took the test, with similarly humorous results....
Your results:
You are Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic)
Click here to take the "Which Serenity character am I?" quiz...
Your results:
You are Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic)
| You are good at fixing things. You are usually cheerful. You appreciate being treated with delicacy and specialness.  |
Seriously?
Your results:
You are Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic)
Click here to take the Serenity Personality Quiz
I appear not to be 'command material'. So much for the sweep.
Of course, I think Simon has one of the best bits in the whole series (along with his sister):
Simon: You're in a dangerous line of work, Jayne. Odds are you'll be under my knife again. Often. So I want you to understand one thing very clearly: No matter what you do or say or plot, no matter how you come down on us, I will never, ever harm you. You're on this table, you're safe... because I'm your medic. No matter how little we may like or trust each other, we're on the same crew. Got the same troubles, same enemies—and more than enough of both. We could circle each other and growl, sleep with one eye open, but that thought wearies me. Now I don't care what you've done, and I don't know what you're planning on doing, but I'm trusting you. I think you should do the same. Because I don't see this working any other way.
[exits]
River: Also, I can kill you with my brain.
Classic.
You are Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic)
| Medicine and physical healing are your game, but wooing women isn't a strong suit.  |
I appear not to be 'command material'. So much for the sweep.
Of course, I think Simon has one of the best bits in the whole series (along with his sister):
Simon: You're in a dangerous line of work, Jayne. Odds are you'll be under my knife again. Often. So I want you to understand one thing very clearly: No matter what you do or say or plot, no matter how you come down on us, I will never, ever harm you. You're on this table, you're safe... because I'm your medic. No matter how little we may like or trust each other, we're on the same crew. Got the same troubles, same enemies—and more than enough of both. We could circle each other and growl, sleep with one eye open, but that thought wearies me. Now I don't care what you've done, and I don't know what you're planning on doing, but I'm trusting you. I think you should do the same. Because I don't see this working any other way.
[exits]
River: Also, I can kill you with my brain.
Classic.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Ditto
I figured I'd end up with Simon, but I think the married question bumped me to Zoe. I can live with that.
Your results:
You are Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)
Click here to take the Serenity Firefly Personality Test
Your results:
You are Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)
| Dependable and trustworthy. You love your significant other and you are a tough cookie when in a conflict. |
Sunday, January 22, 2006
The Return of Gwen Stacy
While the event was a little before the start of my serious comic reading time, the death of Gwen Stacy has always stood, at least to me, as one of the most significant deaths of comic book history. Unlike the deaths of numerous comic book heroes, heroines, and supporting cast members, Gwen Stacy remains dead. Until now! It appears Sam Raimi is bringing her back in Spider-man 3. The Perfessor, over at Cuppacafe, offers his thoughts.
I never fully bought the then-given "official" reasons for her death, and I mark her death as a seminal point in my young life, for to me, at that point in time, she was a real to me as anyone both inside and outside of fiction, and I honestly believe that her death had a profound effect on me even to this day.
Give the whole piece a read; it's a good one.
I never fully bought the then-given "official" reasons for her death, and I mark her death as a seminal point in my young life, for to me, at that point in time, she was a real to me as anyone both inside and outside of fiction, and I honestly believe that her death had a profound effect on me even to this day.
Give the whole piece a read; it's a good one.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Go Figure
Your results:
You are Green Lantern
Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...
You are Green Lantern
| Hot-headed. You have strong will power and a good imagination.  |
Webhead
I haven't posted anything here for a while, and this seemed appropriate.
Your results:
You are Spider-Man
Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz
Your results:
You are Spider-Man
| You are intelligent, witty, a bit geeky and have great power and responsibility.  |
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Good News . . .
And it has nothing to do with my car insurance. Several Sci Fi type announcements have my interest piqued.
Kyle Rayner: Ion. In the upcoming year, my favorite Green Lantern returns in his own series. Woohoo! Will a retain his affiliation with the GLC? Unknown. To honest, I don't really care. I developed an affinity for the character, one not shared by about half of GL fandom, and can't wait to see Kyle back in his own title.
The Sci Fi Channel picked Battlestar Galactica for two additional seasons. That's excellent news for those of us who think BG is the best television show on the air presently. NBC Universal also asked Moore to develop a couple new science fictionish properties. Let's hope they're not stretching him too thin.
Finally, Sideshow Collectibles plans to release a new Iron Man comiquette (what's the difference between a maquette and comiquette?). Behold!
Holy Guacamole! That's a terrific looking piece. The $250 price tag is a bit rich for this comic fan, but it's nice to dream.
Kyle Rayner: Ion. In the upcoming year, my favorite Green Lantern returns in his own series. Woohoo! Will a retain his affiliation with the GLC? Unknown. To honest, I don't really care. I developed an affinity for the character, one not shared by about half of GL fandom, and can't wait to see Kyle back in his own title.
The Sci Fi Channel picked Battlestar Galactica for two additional seasons. That's excellent news for those of us who think BG is the best television show on the air presently. NBC Universal also asked Moore to develop a couple new science fictionish properties. Let's hope they're not stretching him too thin.
Finally, Sideshow Collectibles plans to release a new Iron Man comiquette (what's the difference between a maquette and comiquette?). Behold!
Holy Guacamole! That's a terrific looking piece. The $250 price tag is a bit rich for this comic fan, but it's nice to dream.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Villainy Most Foul
I found this story the other day, and thought regular readers might like to take a look and comment:
Top Ten Villainous Moments: Our list of the most deliciously evil events in comics.
It's a little sad just how few of these I've actually read: only #9, #6, and #5.
Top Ten Villainous Moments: Our list of the most deliciously evil events in comics.
It's a little sad just how few of these I've actually read: only #9, #6, and #5.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
But Wait, There's More...
Ten More Really Awful Ways to Die in Fantasy and Science Fiction
10. Being eaten by a grue.
9. Being impaled during mass...and you're the one conducting the service.
8. Having your magical essence drained away by being hung upside down and skinned alive.
7. Walking onto the bridge of a captured ship just in time to hear the computer say, "Seven ... six ... five ..."
6. Having your head teleported away from your body.
5. Death due to rapid aging brought on by a poor choice in stemware.
4. That Spanish brat you taught a lesson to all those years ago finally catches up with you.
3. Being dragged down to the underworld after the woman you've spent the last three thousand years trying to resurrect abandons you.
2. Being eaten by dung beetles after abandoning the man who's spent the last three thousand years trying to resurrect you.
1. Being sucked into a jet engine because you've ignored Edna's first rule of costume design: NO CAPES!
10. Being eaten by a grue.
9. Being impaled during mass...and you're the one conducting the service.
8. Having your magical essence drained away by being hung upside down and skinned alive.
7. Walking onto the bridge of a captured ship just in time to hear the computer say, "Seven ... six ... five ..."
6. Having your head teleported away from your body.
5. Death due to rapid aging brought on by a poor choice in stemware.
4. That Spanish brat you taught a lesson to all those years ago finally catches up with you.
3. Being dragged down to the underworld after the woman you've spent the last three thousand years trying to resurrect abandons you.
2. Being eaten by dung beetles after abandoning the man who's spent the last three thousand years trying to resurrect you.
1. Being sucked into a jet engine because you've ignored Edna's first rule of costume design: NO CAPES!
Monday, November 21, 2005
Even More Ways to Go
Mike came up with a doozy of a list this time, eh? Gotta love that dark sense of humor. As I wouldn't want anyone to think I'm not into dark humor, I have a few "ways to die" I'd like to add to the list.
The Top Ten Worst Ways to Die in Fantasy and Science Fiction
10) Having a witch, mad with the power of Chaos magic, wish you into non-existence.*
9) Being eaten by a Rancor.
8) Activating a radio to God and having your face melted off.
7) Pickled by toxic waste, your entire body splats on the windshield of a fast moving vehicle.
6) You survive several years as the Chief Engineer on a starship, only to have your life snuffed out in the lamest. series. finale. ever.
5) A bug in your brain, a phaser in your hand. Do the math.
4) Finally free of your human captors, your internal battery runs out of power. Time to die.
3) Called into existence as a sperm whale, your first few moments of life include striking the ground at terminal velocity.
2) Standing in the gateway to Hell, your soul finally restored to your body, your girlfriend slides a sword into your belly.
1) Seconds away from destroying the Rebel Alliance forever, it dawns on you that you forgot to close the thermal exhaust port.
*Not only is this a terrible way to die, it's even worse when the execution is lame, lame, lame.
The Top Ten Worst Ways to Die in Fantasy and Science Fiction
10) Having a witch, mad with the power of Chaos magic, wish you into non-existence.*
9) Being eaten by a Rancor.
8) Activating a radio to God and having your face melted off.
7) Pickled by toxic waste, your entire body splats on the windshield of a fast moving vehicle.
6) You survive several years as the Chief Engineer on a starship, only to have your life snuffed out in the lamest. series. finale. ever.
5) A bug in your brain, a phaser in your hand. Do the math.
4) Finally free of your human captors, your internal battery runs out of power. Time to die.
3) Called into existence as a sperm whale, your first few moments of life include striking the ground at terminal velocity.
2) Standing in the gateway to Hell, your soul finally restored to your body, your girlfriend slides a sword into your belly.
1) Seconds away from destroying the Rebel Alliance forever, it dawns on you that you forgot to close the thermal exhaust port.
*Not only is this a terrible way to die, it's even worse when the execution is lame, lame, lame.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
What A Way To Go
I was watching the end of The Wizard of Oz the other night, and I saw the famous "I'm melting!" scene. And it made me think, "What a crappy way to go." But there are worse, I suppose.
The Top Ten Worst Ways to Die in Fantasy and Science Fiction
10. Being turned into a cardboard dodecahedron, then squished.
9. Having an alien embryo burst out of your chest. (It's even worse if the alien then produces a top hat and cane and tap dances away.)
8. Committing suicide on the moon because you realize you can never hope to control the awesome power you have, only to come back and then die again numerous times over the next thirty years.
7. Being beaten to death by Doomsday as a publicity stunt.
6. Having your head put on a pike as a warning to the next ten generations that some favors come with too high a price.
5. Having your soul sucked out through your mouth.
4. Being Force-choked by a Sith Lord while watching him talk to the poor sap who's about to get your job.
3. Being blasted by a Cardassian possessed by a Pagh Wraith.
2. Landing your spaceship safely under impossible conditions, only to be impaled seconds later when a huge spear crashes through your windshield.
1. Finally recovering something precious to you after losing it decades earlier, only to lose your balance at the moment of triumph and fall into a lava pit.
So, did I miss any?
The Top Ten Worst Ways to Die in Fantasy and Science Fiction
10. Being turned into a cardboard dodecahedron, then squished.
9. Having an alien embryo burst out of your chest. (It's even worse if the alien then produces a top hat and cane and tap dances away.)
8. Committing suicide on the moon because you realize you can never hope to control the awesome power you have, only to come back and then die again numerous times over the next thirty years.
7. Being beaten to death by Doomsday as a publicity stunt.
6. Having your head put on a pike as a warning to the next ten generations that some favors come with too high a price.
5. Having your soul sucked out through your mouth.
4. Being Force-choked by a Sith Lord while watching him talk to the poor sap who's about to get your job.
3. Being blasted by a Cardassian possessed by a Pagh Wraith.
2. Landing your spaceship safely under impossible conditions, only to be impaled seconds later when a huge spear crashes through your windshield.
1. Finally recovering something precious to you after losing it decades earlier, only to lose your balance at the moment of triumph and fall into a lava pit.
So, did I miss any?
Friday, November 04, 2005
Late but Fantastic
Okay, I'm behind the times, but I just saw Fantastic Four last weekend. I will say just one thing:
Michael Chiklis was the perfect choice to play Ben Grimm.
Can't wait for the sequel(s)!
Michael Chiklis was the perfect choice to play Ben Grimm.
Can't wait for the sequel(s)!
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