0xDECAFBAD - Tag: scifi

A Writer's Toolkit by Rudy Rucker

2007-01-22T06:34:56+00:00

When you’re writing a novel you’re working at the most extreme limit of your capabilities. What you’re doing is beyond logic, so far out at the limits of what you can do that there’s no hope of your having a short and manageable simulation of the process by which to figure out what you’re doing, it’s computationally irreducible. When you get into this zone, out on the very surface of your brain, you become sensitive to the tiniest chaotic emanations of the world outside. At times it feels as if the world, feeling your sensitivity, gladly dances back. Dosie-do. Keep your eyes peeled.

Source: A Writer's Toolkit by Rudy Rucker

Been reading some of the notes and essays here at Rudy Rucker's site in the spirit of getting my brain resonating in a writing mode, and the above quote just stuck out at me.

So long, and thanks for all the Stargate

2006-08-22T04:20:36+00:00

SCI FI Channel confirmed that it will not renew its record-breaking original series Stargate SG-1 for another season, but will pick up its spinoff series Stargate Atlantis for a fourth year. SG-1 aired its 200th episode on Aug. 18, and the SF series is the longest-running SF show on American television.

Source: SCI FI Wire | SG-1 Ends Run; Atlantis Back

This makes me a bit sad, but I pretty much figured the show was over 2 seasons or so ago, before the additions of Ben Browder and Claudia Black to the cast. Practically all of the show's accumulated loose ends from the past 10 years had been tied up, the major enemies defeated, most of the mysteries solved, and a number of central characters retired or gone. The new seasons were pretty much a reboot, with even bigger baddies - but we've been through all this before. And that, in turn makes me doubly sad, because I was a hardcore Farscape fan as well.

At any rate, I'll miss the show terribly - and Stargate Atlantis is a pitiful replacement in my opinion. But, you can't say that this show wasn't given a full opportunity to explore every facet of its universe and round out almost every story that could told within its bounds. Very few scifi shows have gotten this opportunity.

But, alas, after this season, I'll have one less reason to have cable TV. And that's really not a small thing, since I can count the remaining reasons on less than one hand. Like Brad Choate, we might soon be pulling the cable plug.

Archived Comments

Mark
2006-08-22T11:44:44

So much for the thought that we would get a Stargate / Farscape crossover! I would have gladly seen Stargate finish two seasons ago if it meant getting Farscape back, but ah well. The end of Sci-Fi in the mainstream has come (or is there something out there for scapers that I haven't heard of?)
Jim Renaud
2006-08-22T15:48:33

It's not a stargate, it's a fargate!
Mad William Flint
2006-08-22T17:12:24

I was never a stargate fan particularly. I assume it's just due to lack of exposure.

But then I unplugged the cable box from the TV 2 years ago and had salvation army come get the big old tubey thing and have had a cable box sitting on my living room floor since.

Were it not for my net connection...
Alex Schröder
2006-08-24T18:51:19

I recommend an unplugged TV. I only use it a few times a month to watch DVDs or play on my consoles. TV is too boring compared to the Internet!

Podcasts I like lately

2006-01-25T16:21:34+00:00

While being crazy busy, I've been thoroughly enjoying these podcasts:

Ancestor by Scott Sigler.

"On a remote island in Lake Superior, scientists struggle to solve the problem of xenotransplantation -- using animal tissue to replace failing human organs. By getting back to the root of our creation, biotech firm Genada hopes to create an animal with human internal organs. Genada's collective genius gives birth to a fast-growing evil that nature eradicated 250 million years ago -- an evil now on the loose, and very, very hungry..."

I've written about Ancestor before, and I can't believe it's already over. It's been a great ride, and if you haven't been listening, subscribe and catch up. Scott's really continued to raise the bar on himself from EarthCore through to the end of Ancestor, and he's got a third tale coming in March.
I Should Be Writing by Mur Lafferty.

"A podcast by a wanna-be writer for wanna-be writers. Let my stack of rejection letters and battle scars benefit you."

Oh yeah, I should be writing.
Voices of Tomorrow

"The Official Podcast of www.365tomorrows.com"

These are the sorts of stories I want to write soon. The Bitter Kiss of the Ronin's Cup is this blog's patron story. Well, if there can be such a thing.
Brave Men Run by Matthew Wayne Selznick.

"What If John Hughes Wrote Comic Books? 'Brave Men Run' is the story of Nate Charters. Born different, unsure of his origins, he's an outcast at Abbeque Valley High School, a self-proclaimed "boy freak" with few friends and low self-esteem."

This really is like X-Men crossed with Pretty in Pink—and it works for me. I got the e-book, but I just can't bring myself to read it and spoil the rest of the reading.
The Radio Adventures of Doctor Floyd by Grant Baciocco & Doug Price.

"If Jay Ward, creator of Rocky & Bullwinkle, had created Mystery Science Theater 3000 mixed in a little Time Bandits and gave it an educational spin, the result would have been..."

Short, tight, fast paced, and incredible punny radio adventures of time travelling absentminded scientists. They're back from an end-of-year hiatus and going super strong. In particular, check out the fight scene (to the end!) in the middle of Episode #402—and wear headphones.

"Combo attack! Body blow! Body blow! Boot to the head! Trip!"

Archived Comments

Scott Sigler
2006-01-27T21:54:59

Dude, thanks for the praise! I'm so glad you enjoyed Ancestor.

-Scott-
l.m.orchard
2006-01-28T02:18:45

Scott: You've definitely earned the praise, man!
Dr. Steve
2006-02-21T18:42:38

Hello!

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for directing your readers to The Radio Adventures Of Dr. Floyd. Even though you obviously forgot to mention it, I am sure you are telling people to listen because of My performances in each episode. Though, that's just one of those "given" things. 'Humans Need Air To Live' and 'Dr. Steve Is Always Great!'

Anyway, keep listening and stay rotten!

Yours,

Dr. Steve Evil Mastermind

P.S. Fidgert says, "Hello!"
Matthew Wayne Selznick
2006-03-08T20:11:04

I just discovered your mention of my book, "Brave Men Run - A Novel of the Sovereign Era." Thanks very much! Now that the podcast is over, I hope you'll contribute to the "Q&A" episode next week!

Many thanks,

Matthew Wayne Selznick

Books I've read lately

2006-01-19T16:21:59+00:00

Radio silence around here again. Been quite busy since Christmas, long hours at work and long hours at home. But, somehow, I've still managed to plow a decent path through the pile of books left for me under the tree.

So, I figure this might be a good time to mention them:

Burn, by James Patrick Kelley

This is an excellent mix of post-human future and pastoral retreat from same. It's just shy of novel length, but there's plenty of story here. And there are plenty of things not completely spelled out, but explained just enough to give a sense of a larger universe into which this tale is nestled. Also, don't miss the podcast reading by the author! That's how I found out about the book, after all.
First Meetings in the Enderverse, by Orson Scott Card

I'm always a sucker for an Ender story, and Orson Scott Card is one of my all-time favorite authors—even if I do think he voices some ornery political opinions from time to time and has a pretty unpleasant reputation. Some great origin material here, as well as the original Ender's Game.
The Crystal City, by Orson Scott Card

I'll be sad if this is the final volume. I'm pretty sure that the entire Alvin Maker series is a barely-concealed religious allegory, but that doesn't keep me from enjoying the heck out of this alternate history America. Whatever your faith or lack thereof, the struggle against the Unmaker is universal. That, and I'd like to think I strive to be a bit of a Maker, albeit mostly only in software.

I'm also starting on:

A Mind So Rare, by Merlin Donald

Just about 30 pages into this one, but so far I'm enjoying it. As opposed to a lot of the deterministic stuff about consciousness I've read in school and on my own—"You are simply a machine!"—this book would appear to use the same research to present a picture of the mind which in fact supports awareness and free will.

Archived Comments

Adam Wendt
2006-01-19T17:27:52

As far as I know The Crystal City will not be the final Alvin book. If you like Ender stories you may want to check out Intergalactic Medicine Show which should have a new Enderverse story in every issue (the first issue has a story about what Mazer was doing after his victory while waiting for Ender to show up)
Aneel
2006-01-20T02:49:42

You should take a look at The Mind & The Brain: Neuroplastiity and the Power of Mental Force .

Jeffrey Schwartz goes through the history of research surrounding neuroplasticity and covers his own research into helping OCD patients cope with their problems through conscious direction. I'm not through the whole book, yet, but he's contending that the consciously-directed, reshaping of the physical structure of the brain shows the causal efficacy of the mind. There was a hint earlier (I'm about half-way through) that he will broach quantum mechanics to find the actual phsyical forces involved.

It would be interesting to read what you think of A Mind So Rare, once you're done.
l.m.orchard
2006-01-20T03:42:18

Adam: You might be pleased to note that your recommendation finally pushed me over the edge of finally signing up for IGMS. I kept meaning to, and it hung out in a browser tabe for a long time after I'd first heard of it, but now I finally did it. :)

Aneel: Huh, that sounds like an amazingly interesting book too. On the wishlist it goes—thanks for the pointer. And I'll definitely have to ramble a bit more about A Mind So Rare

Spaceship Radio is nifty

2005-10-20T21:09:43+00:00

Remember when I wrote that I wanted to do a podcast of old time radio scifi? Well, I've been beaten to the punch by Andy Doan of Spaceship Radio.

Hooray—he's doing a briliant job, so I don't have to! Now, if I can just find the spare time, I might work on some story idea submissions for the original content he's looking for...

Serenity is a Big Damn Roller Coaster

2005-10-16T05:35:46+00:00

I've just finally seen Serenity. So, if you're concerned about spoilers, bugger off now—if you cared about spoilers, you should've already seen the big damn movie.

Some quick, fully spoiled thoughts:

I'm fairly certain it was the best science fiction movie I've seen in about 10-15 years. I'm only just about to turn 30 this month, so I'm not old by any stretch—but I've watched a lot of sci-fi in my time. Probably too much sci-fi.

In any case, this was the first movie I've seen in at least a decade that had me wanting to walk out, go straight to get another ticket, and watch it over again. Like I remember doing a few times with roller coasters when I was little.

Many classic snips of Whedonesque dialog. If they aren't coming out now via geeks with recorders in theaters, they'll be out in soundboards by December when the DVD arrives.
"Dozens of planets, hundreds of moons"? Well, I guess a single solar system alleviates the need for any sort of faster-than-light travel loopholes—but damn, that makes our solar system look sparse.
River as a psychic, having mentally scooped up state secrets from visiting politicians gave a very nice and sensible motivation to everyone after her.
I missed the men with blue gloves. They were creepy. The operative seemed like part 2 of the last one they'd left drifting in space, only maybe more finely honed. He was rather fearsome, but didn't give me the willies.
The operative's total psychological conversion to the mission as a "believer" was a great concept, though. I could imagine some future tech being used to tickle the "God spot" or something in a Pavlovian/Skinnerian approach to bind a person to an objective.

I am surprised that the truth managed to snap him out of it, though. Religious zealots seem very rarely turned by the facts. It was a good admission at the end though, having failed the mission, when he said "there's nothing left to see".

When the Shepherd died, I wasn't too choked up. I mean, he was a good character, had a crapload of mysteries worth exploring, but he was ultimately an outsider and a passenger on the ship—maybe because of all those mysteries.

And, of course, in the movie as independent from the series, the Shepherd wasn't given much story to become a central concern. But, he got his dying scene and a fairly closure-rich exit.

The landing on Miranda and the subsequent explanation of the Reavers struck me as a bit of classic Star Trek done right—done better. And, having demystified the Reavers—from victims of spaaaaace madness down to better living through government chemistry—did nothing to make them any less scary.
Does anyone out there remember when they used to play 3-D movies on TV? They'd have a signal at a certain point, when you were meant to don the glasses.

When that spike nailed Wash and he died without a few minutes' scene of melodramatic, coughing last words—that was the signal for, "In this next fight? They're all fair game. Start worrying."

He was just gone, like people really go when they're not characters in a story enjoying the benefits of deus ex machina. It's a very rare story where the author's gutsy enough to do permanent damage to the fictional universe itself in order to raise the stakes.

I'm sad and pissed, but this was a hell of a lot better than wrecking the Enterprise. Hell, they did wreck the ship, but Serenity already got rebuilt by the end of the movie. There will be no Wash 1701B.

Archived Comments

Roger Benningfield
2005-10-16T05:59:32

My wife and I were both deeply disappointed by Serenity... and part of it is was the treatment of Wolver-- I mean, River. To my mind, her character was completely trivialized as Joss recycled yet another plotline from 70-80's X-Men stories.

RE: the guys with the blue gloves... see the Serenity prequel for more on them.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1593074492
Roger Espinosa
2005-10-17T00:31:06

Heh --- it was your post about "pulling an Enterprise-D" that I was thinking about when we saw Serenity last week. I thought "They're doing it! They're wrecking the ship!" and then that harpoon came and for once I really wanted someone to find the Deux Ex Machina switch that'd turn back time. Sniff.
Joe Brockmeier
2005-10-17T19:25:23

I feel the same way - the first movie, perhaps since Star Wars, that I wanted to watch again as soon as it was over the first time. I think Wash's death traumatized some of the Firefly fans (one guy I talked to asked "why would you do that to yourself?" when I told him that I planned to see it again) but it's what makes Whedon's stories believable -- people actually die, in pointless ways that make the stories more real. Sadder, perhaps, but more real.

Based on its box office performance, I'm not optimistic that there will be a Serenity II -- but if not, it was a very suitable way to close the book on those characters.
rick
2005-10-20T21:27:32

I too wanted to see the Blue Gloves. I thought the prequel story was weak closure on that thread.

If there is a Serenity 2, they better find someone to fill Wash's void. He was my favorite of the series...

I am a leaf on the wind
John Manoogian III (jm3)
2005-10-23T13:39:44

hate to say it (well, not really i don't... :-), but: told you so.
Mike
2005-10-24T02:21:34

I remember a theatre director once telling me that you shouldn't have a gun on stage because everyone knows it's not going to go off. I thought of this when Wash was killed (after my heart broke) - the gun went off this time. And then I had the same thought you did: Damn, they might all die. Mal may lose, after all this. You have to respect that lack of conceit, that unwillingness to be precious, on Whedon's part.

But, sadly, I think it was also a signal to all the fans: There will be no encore.

Threshold, the sci-fi with 5 blades?

2005-10-07T02:50:44+00:00

I'm starting to get into CBS' Threshold tonight, having gotten 4 episodes of it. Seems like network TV goes through sci-fi cycles, and this must be the latest. This particular show looks like it might shape up to be combination sci-fi slasher and forensic drama. But, still, I find myself comparing it to a podcast.

Also, what's up with "triple-helix DNA"? Is this a concept that's popped up somewhere—other than being an early guess at our own DNA's structure—like, on UFO conspiracy boards and whatnot? Or is it just double-helix-plus-one so as to be extra spooky alien? (Kinda like a 5-bladed razor?)

Double helix DNA, I think I understand: It's very convenient in copying. Unzip it, dunk it in a soup of free-floating spare parts, agitate, and you end up with two self-assembled copies. But how the hell would a triple-helix work?

On the upside, I do really like the Blit-like concept involved in the "bioforming sound signal" which mentally and genetically alters those who hear it.

Yeah, I think about this crap too much sometimes. Whenever I get around to writing the stories I keep meaning to write, I want to avoid these things.

Archived Comments

Bob Aman
2005-10-07T16:55:05

In a particularly bad episode of "Walker: Texas Ranger", Chuck Norris had to do battle to the death with a genetically-enhanced thug who had triple-helix DNA. He was all bullet-proof and big and stuff, so Chuck tossed him out a window into like a pile of welding tanks and then he blew him up! Or something like that. I wasn't paying attention.

Then Walker went back to kicking normal unenhanced thugs in the head like usual.
l.m.orchard
2005-10-07T17:22:25

That almost sounds like Walker had Real Ultimate Power, though last I knew, he wasn't a Ninja.