Stranger than Truth

SF News: The Legacy of James Tiptree

2010-06-22T04:53:00.000-07:00

I find it amazing that it has been more than 40 years since Alice Bradley Sheldon donned the pseudonym of James Tiptree Jr. and launched herself into the Science Fiction world. In that time, we have seen a lot of culture changes, and these days the thought of women writing SF is hardly worth batting an eyelash... or is it?

On the one hand, we still have many female authors obscuring their names through the use of initials or misleading nicknames. I would have thought that the need to cloud an author's gender was way behind us, but apparently there are still ignoramus-es out there who will staunchly not pick up a book by a female author. Still, authors like C.J. Cherryh, S.L. Viehl, and Rob Thurman may have a point: it looks like their sales are higher than average (though I personally suspect that this has more to do with the fact that they are all amazingly gifted writers).

On the other hand, take a walk down the Science Fiction and Fantasy section of your local book shop and look at the names of the authors. Sure, the field is still dominated by men, but not by that wide a margin. In fact, I would be willing to bet that we are closer to parity in the genders in the genres than anywhere else in the market! One thing is sure: if you add in 'Paranormal Romance' to the traditional SF lists, it is likely that there are more females than males writing SF these days.

I am all for diversification, and frankly I look forward to the day when this is no longer even an issue. Hopefully, in some Gene Roddenberry utopia, we will no longer check to see is an author is male or female, black or white, gay or straight. When I wake up in that future, it will be glorious!

Apologies & Further delay

2010-06-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

Greetings readers,

As most of you know, my Birthday was 6/12, and this meant that I was away for most of last week. This week we are having renovations done at the house, and I will not have proper/regular access to the internet again until Sunday. Updates will resume with the regular Monday through Friday schedule starting next Monday. Thanks again for your patience.

Todd

TV & Movies: The Return of Burn Notice

2010-06-04T07:02:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know, Burn Notice is not really science fiction, but I am a somewhat rabid fan, and since last night was the season premiere, I am going to talk about it, dag-nabbit!

Last season left us with Michael Weston (Jeffrey Donovan) in a super-secret prison, captured by the people who burned him, and totally without resources or allies to hand. Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) and Sam (Bruce Campbell) spent a great deal of time hunting down Michael to no avail, while Michael's mom Madeline (Sharon Gless) was being interrogated by the FBI. The season's summer premiere manages to pick up the threads pretty much where we left off.

Our first move is to meet a new recurring character, Vaughn (Robert Wisdom), who takes the position as Michael's handler for this season. Vaughn has tried convince Michael that the folks who burned him, while they are a morally bankrupt band of thugs, are not the really big enemy. Who is? Well, the evil villains who sprung Simon of course! So what is an ex-spy cum vigilante to do? Why, team up with the backstabbing sociopaths who burned him to get rid of the ruthless sociopaths who are using vicious psychopaths as a route to fortune.

OK, so things seem to be on a pretty even keel, with Michael tilting at windmills in the name of morality to ensure that nobody gets caught in the crossfire, working with people he does not like to accomplish goals for the greater good. Amazingly, though, when he finally gets to return home, things are... well, pretty much business as usual. Sam and Fiona have taken on a client, whose situation has gone from bad to horrifyingly terrible in regards to an Outlaw Biker Gang, Maddy is on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and Miami seems to have become a far more dangerous place almost overnight!

While this first episode had the feeling of resetting to zero with new characters replacing old favorites, such as Vaughn replacing Tricia Helfer's Carla, there is definitely a ratcheting of the tension going on. While things were somewhat back to normal in the premiere, the fact that the reality of her son's profession has finally hit home with Maddy, the fact that Fiona finally seems back to normal, and the fact that Sam seems downright somber, show that there is a lot going on that will be explored this season. In addition, the episode ends with Michael accidentally burning a spy!

Tune in, because this season looks to be an awesome thrill ride!

In other news: what was up with Royal Pains? I really like this show, but for some reason it was like the director was barely present to make things work. All of the scenes were horrifyingly over-light, most of the dialog seemed stilted and designed to remind us of what went on last season, and the acting was not up to the standards of this great cast. It got better as the episode went on, but this was a much touted season premiere, and should be an excuse to use the best of everything to hook folks.

Gaming: Dark Heresy

2010-06-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

OK, so what with power outages, computer problems, Internet outages, contractors, and other nonsense taking up my time the last few weeks, I have been a bit remiss on updating. As such, though I promised a series on the Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) Warhammer 40000 roleplaying systems, they have yet to materialize. Well, wait no longer!

Dark Heresy emerged onto the shelves from the dark abyss of Games Workshop's Black Library after years of rumors and anticipation in the year 2008, and it was promptly announced that Black Library would no longer produce RPGs. This bizarre announcement came on the heels of the Dark Heresy Core Rulebook having sold out of almost every vendor, and demands for reprints pounding at the unprepared gates of the Black Library like a demented horde of Visigoths desperate to enter Rome. Why? Well, in spite of fears that Dark Heresy would just be an updated version of the spectacular failure that was the Inquisitor RPG, it turned out that Dark Heresy was breathtakingly well thought out and (most importantly) simple!

While most of the community railed and hurled various and sundry insults to the fools at the Black Library, Games Workshop worked out a deal with the good folks at FFG for a second printing and handling of the licensed material. FFG, seeing the clamor for product, responded quickly with new prints of the books, and promises that supplements were on their way. These promises were quickly delivered on, with new releases like the Purge the Unclean, The Inquisitors Handbook, Creatures Anathema, and many others popping onto the shelves like Daemons recently emerged from the Warp itself.

The question really is, what made Dark Heresy a hit? In my opinion it was a combination of factors, whose gestalt was far more powerful than the sum of its parts would suggest. Let's take a look:

The Rules
First of all, Dark Heresy uses a straight percentile system for all of its rules, and unlike many other similar percentile systems (Chaosium, Runequest, etc) there are no other dice other than the percent dice and a d10 (on the off chance that you might be using an old d100 for percents). Unlike Chaosium or Runequest, which treats skills as independent of abilities, Dark Heresy uses abilities as a base, with proficiency providing bonuses. This means that there is an actual corollary between any given skill set and a specific ability score, making characters with a higher scores more likely to succeed in checks that are best suited to those scores.

In addition to a very clean set of mechanics for skills and abilities, characters gain access to Talents, which provide additional benefits in conjunction with certain skills, abilities, and actions. Talents are akin to Feats in the Dungeons & Dragons d20 system, and are a good addition to the standard percentile system.

Character advancement in Dark Heresy is equally logical and simple. Every time characters are awarded experience for their actions, they put that experience into a pool to buy advancements with. Available advancements depend greatly on Rank, and once the character has spent enough experience to acquire a new rank, they are able to purchase the advancements available for that rank.

The Background
While the game is set in the traditional Warhammer 40000 universe, with all that this implies, Dark Heresy itself explores a completely new corner of that universe. The Core Rulebook provides a general overview for those unfamiliar with the universe, and a more in-depth look at the Calixis Sector, where Acolytes are likely going to be adventuring. Though not exhaustive, by any means, the gazetteers for the various worlds in the Core book will provide even novice GMs with enough information to run a good game.

Depending on the Inquisitorial faction, and sub-faction, that the acolytes are working for, GMs have a cornucopia of options for adventuring. Simply learning about the organization of the Inquisitor that the players are serving could be a treacherous and perilous experience, after all. For those who do not want to go to the trouble, time, and effort of building adventures from scratch, though, there are fantastic adventures and modules around for acolytes of all varying degrees of experience.

The Support
Fantasy Flight Games has done a great job of supporting their products. With timely, well written, and thoughtful Errata to ensure consistency, FFG has done its utmost to provide a great balance for players. Add to this a steady stream of excellent supplements has provided both players and GMs with tons of material covering all manner of situations and scenarios, and you have a really well integrated infrastructure for players to utilize. The flexibility of the system and products makes it easy to use and adapt to cover pretty much anything that you want to do.

Overall, I think that the experience provided by Dark Heresy is excellent, and has stood FFG in good stead in the development of their first companion system to Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader.

Dark Heresy products are available for purchase at New Moon Comics.

Book Review: The Well of Souls by Benjamin Tate

2010-06-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

Traditional Fantasy tends to fall into a few broad categories: there are the standard pseudo-Arthurian/Chivalry stories of knights; there are the Tolkien-esque quest stories of destroying an artifact or surmounting a great evil; there are the various ethnic folk tale types of story; and then there are those stpries that cannot be easily pigeonholed into one category or another. In some cases these stories are an amalgam of all these types of tale, and others the book is blazing a trail into a new area of the genre. Well of Souls by Benjamin Tate is one of the latter, a bold new adventure that does not properly fall into the handy descriptors one generally uses when discussing Fantasy.

Starting a story off with the protagonist getting the piss kicked out of him (literally), is not something that we see often in a story where the lead character is starting out at the age of 12, but while it is not unusual in and of itself, the reason for the beating is. You see, Colin Harten has recently arrived in the New World, a continent discovered on the other side of the Arduan Ocean from Colin's homeland of Andover, and he and his family are refugees fleeing trouble back home, like so many others. The main problem is that they are in a town run by a Family that is a rival of the Family that they served back home, and this means that work is scarce and there is a lot of discrimination to go around.

In spite of this inauspicious beginning, things quickly descend from bad to worse, and the next thing we know, the Harten Family is heading up a party of Settlers heading deeper into the unexplored inner continent. On their trek they are accompanied by a great cast of diverse and interesting characters, and we watch as the journey matures Colin, strains relationships, and throws Walter (Colin's young nemesis and bastard son of the mayor of the town where the story begins) from official leader of the expedition to irritating and loathed baggage. When the party of Settlers finally meet up with the local natives, battle ensues and Colin's life is forever changed.

Flash forward 60 years and the world has changed a great deal as Colin returns to find that the former provincial cities he knew as a 12 year old child have gained their independence. In addition, the horrifyingly brutal plainsmen and the strange friendly natives have been warring with each other and with the new kingdom unceasingly since. The friendly Alvritshai, who tried desperately to help Colin in the earlier stages of the book, turn out to have betrayed the human Kingdom after decimating the hordes of the Dwarren (the brutal plainsmen) in a great battle. Colin must help his friend, Aeren of the Alvritshai, to forge peace between the warring races as a great evil awakens to threaten all of them with utter annihilation.

Well, so we have all manner of story represented in Well of Souls. Amongst the Alvritshai we see the Chivalric, honor bound race of warriors, fighting against cruelty and barbarism in the form of the Dwarren. Amongst the Dwarren we see Fantasy more in keeping with the ethnic and primitivist styles, as we see a race that combines elements of Gallic culture with the Horse-culture of the Native Americans of the Great Plains. In the Human Kingdom we see the viciousness of personal and political infighting, as well as an analogue for the American Revolution and secession from the British Empire. In Colin's own story we see the traditional Artifact empowerment and addiction leading to the character teetering on the brink of need and desire to prevent that artifact from being turned to evil purposes. In addition to this, we have a Frontier adventure spirit in the book that is generally very rare in the realm of Fantasy, some genuinely horrifying moments with the Dwarren raids and the Shadows, and more than a few great political and inter-personal twists and betrayals.

THAC0: 4
Even if you do not like Fantasy, this book has a lot of appeal. Benjamin Tate takes a few seeds, plants them, and really nurtures them in a way that makes the book truly flower on its own. Great characters, smart dialogue, taut suspense, and some twists that the reader will definitely not see coming punctuate a book that demonstrates what a master storyteller can do with a great idea. Personally I am really looking forward to book two of the trilogy.

Pick up an autographed copy of Well of Souls at Borders Books and Music in Ramsey, NJ! It is well worth the money.

SF News: The World Science Festival

2010-06-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

The World Science Festival

June 2nd - 6th, 2010

New York City, NY

Up until this morning I was totally unaware of the massive event happening right across the river in NY. What is this event? Well, the World Science Festival! Sadly, I cannot get out to support this worthy effort myself, however I felt it important to put the information out there for our members so those who are interested can go out and enjoy the fine work of these fantastic folks.

Opening Gala Performance

Wednesday June 2nd, 2010 from 7p - 9p

Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center

Join Alan Alda, Yo-yo Ma, Kelli O'Hara, and many others as they honor Stephen Hawking in a star studded event. Former Ballet star cum producer Damian Woetzel sets the stage for a truly spectacular event as the Orchestra of St. Lukes debuts the world premier of Icarus at the Edge of Time. This looks to be an outrageous and amazing performance!

Check out all of the World Science Festival's events, listed by date, and see if you can make it out and support our friends in the scientific community!

Here are a few events that Jessica Nolfo, the representative of the festival who forwarded me this press information, thought would be of particular interest to our members:

The Search for Life in the Universe

Thursday, June 3, 7PM

Are we alone? It’s a question that has obsessed us for centuries, and now we have the technology to do more than wonder. Scientists on the hunt for distant planets and extraterrestrial intelligence will take us on

their expeditions into faraway galaxies and barely visible realms. Nobel Laureate Sir Paul Nurse will journey to the brink of discovery with Jill Tarter, David Charbonneau, and Steven Squyres to contemplate what it would mean to have company in the cosmos.

Moderator: Sir Paul Nurse

The Science of Star Trek

Friday, June 4, 7PM

The original Star Trek and its numerous successors were far ahead of their time, but just how far? Will science eventually catch up to this series’ nearly five-decade-old creations? With Lawrence Krauss, Eric Horvitz, Seth Shostak and moderator Faith Salie (Sarina Douglas on Deep Space Nine), explore the plausibility of scientific phenomena from the Star Trek universe, including warp speed, time travel, humanoid aliens and whether anyone in our universe will be "beamed up" by transporter anytime soon.

VENUE:

Galapagos Art Space, 16 Main St. @ Water St.

Brooklyn, NY 11201

TV & Movies: Iron Man 2

2010-05-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

In a world where sequels come in two flavors... this sequel does not really break the boundaries. Seriously, though, as we all know, there really are only two forms of sequels: everything the same but more (a la Alien to Aliens) or everything the same but different (a la Predator to Predator 2). While Iron Man 2 may seem like its a case of everything the same but different, it is more a case of everything the same but more.

Why do I say this? Well they both start off the same: Tony is high on life, on top of the world, and the man to be envied (Iron Man he is showing off his Jericho weapon and making money, Iron Man 2 he is showing off his Stark Expo and making money), but he has a problem (Iron Man he is captured by terrorists and given super pacemaker, Iron Man 2 he is captured by congress and is poisoning himself with super pacemaker v3.1). Things start looking up (Iron Man Tony escapes from evil terrorists, Iron Man 2 Ivan Vanko is arrested), but wait, there are more problems (Iron Man Tony announces no more weapons programs, Iron Man 2 Congress announces no more Tony Stark). Relationships become strained (Iron Man Tony fights a group of mean terrorists and alienates Rhodes, Iron Man 2 Tony throws a party and alienates Rhodes who becomes Warmachine and kicks Tony's butt). Corporate skullduggery commences (Iron Man Obadiah Stane starts pushing Tony into a corner in the boardroom, Iron Man 2 Justin Hammer begins backing Tony into a corner with his Vanko designed Droid army). Ooooops wait, Girl saves the day (Iron Man Pepper Potts figures out skullduggery and brings SHIELD cavalry, Iron Man 2 Natasha Romanoff figures out Hammer's dumb plan and brings Happy Hogan for whup-ass session), but Iron Man must fight his foe (Iron Man big battle with Stane, Iron Man 2 big battle with Vanko and Droids). Iron Man wins! Roll Credits.

Yes, it seems like the film was an exciting rehash of the first film, but for some reason, it works pretty well. You have a lot of the elements of 'the same but more', but the slight variances in the story make the film much more interesting. The hordes of Hammer Droids make for a slightly different feel to the story, but that is alleviated by the introduction of Warmachine, who offsets the villains' numerical advantage. While I would not say that the second is in any way better or more entertaining than the first film, it certainly is more. More explosions, more action, more romance, more technobabble, more Sam Rockwell, more villains, more drunkenness, more girls, more characters, more subplots, more Samuel L. Jackson, more shots of Robert Downey Jr's chest... OK, so it's not all good stuff. The way I look at it is Iron Man 2 is to Iron Man as Batman Returns is to Batman.

THAC0: 6
Obviously an action packed crowd pleaser, this is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon without having to think or figure out stuff. Pretty standard action movie fare, though I will admit to liking the original film better.

Gaming: The Fantasy Flight Juggernaut

2010-05-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

There are a few big names in the game industry; Wizards of the Coast, Games Workshop, Privateer Press, Rackham Entertainment, Fantasy Flight Games. Strangely enough, seasons change and systems change, and companies grow or fall, but overall the industry really doesn't move much off true center.

A few years ago, Wizards of the Coast was high and mighty, Games Workshop was losing money hand over fist, and Fantasy Flight Games was a middling distributor specializing in Board and Card games with few original product offerings of its own. Now, things have changed. Wizards of the Coast is flailing about, Games Workshop is strong and profitable, and Fantasy Flight is moving in all sorts of new directions with bold and innovative product lines.

Strangely enough, Fantasy Flight's ascension started with a misstep on the part of Games Workshop's Black Library Press division. Black Library over-extended itself in the production of the new Roleplaying Game Dark Heresy, and was forced to abandon the ambitious project. Seeing a potentially lucrative project before them, Fantasy Flight Games snatched up the property and began its own development project to expand Dark Heresy.

After failing at a gamble with the distribution of Rakham's AT-43 and Confrontation lines, Fantasy Flight struck gold with the Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Fantasy systems. In addition to Roleplaying games, Fantasy Flight smashed the boundaries flat with new boardgames like Warhammer Chaos in the Old World and Warhammer 40,000 Horus Heresy, card games like Warhammer Invasion, Chaos Marauders, and the upcoming Death Angels which is based on the famous Space Hulk board game, and roleplaying games like Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying 5th edition, Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader, and Deathwatch, which is getting ready for wide release very soon.

In addition to its massively lucrative Warhammer licensing projects, Fantasy Flight has moved forward on a number of other ambitious projects. The Eagle and the Lion is a wargaming style of board game similar to the now famous Tannhauser and Dust games that allows you to fight battles between Napoleon and Wellington. Speaking of Tannhauser, an expansion for that is now in the works. Constantinopolis is another awesome concept game of city and Empire building. Meanwhile, pushing the boundaries back into games of the past, Fantasy Flight has also announced the development of games like Dragonheart and Dungeonquest, which will bring even more attention and attraction from the nostalgia market.

The question I have is: Is Fantasy Flight's expansion sustainable, or are they on the path to over-extension?

Book Review: Soulless by Gail Carriger

2010-05-19T06:32:00.000-07:00

I have often lamented that there are just not enough bustles, corsets, or ugly hats in traditional Gothic Horror Fantasy stories. Thankfully, just in time, I was rescued from this wasteland of decolletage by the wasp-waisted wit if Victorian-era horror writer Gail Carriger and her new book, Soulless.

Having seen a release for the book from Orbit Press a few weeks ago, I decided to recommend it to our Suspense Central Moderator, Aurelia Long, as a potential candidate for August's New Kids on the Bloch: New Visions of Gothic Horror Theme. When it was decided that this book would be the August selection, I immediately tore into it like a spinster into a treacle tart.

The book itself is the standard 'series starter book', replete with introductions of all the characters, set-up of the mechanics of the universe, and an explanation of who the opposing and allied forces are. In the opening scene we meet Miss Alexia Tarabotti, English spinster extraordinary, and in the first two pages we see every paragraph, actually near every sentence, start of with the notable young woman's name. This is incredibly off-putting, and were I made of less stern stuff, I would likely have stopped right there and then. I am grateful that I persevered, though, for the rest of the book more than made up for the tedious two introductory pages.

Miss Tarabotti is the product of her mother's first marriage to an Italian emigre, is a notable bluestocking, and a preternatural. What, you might well ask, is a preternatural? Well, a preternatural is a being who emits an aura that turns off the supernatural powers of Ghosts, Vampires, and Werewolves, rendering such supernatural creatures wholly mortal and, thus, easily dispatched. In addition to her immunity from the supernatural predators, Miss Tarabotti has a brilliant mind, and has immersed herself in the sciences of Aetherics and Biology, as well as literature of a... less discrete sort. While this might not seem important, trust me, it will be.

Surrounding our Victorian heroine in 1870's London is a cast of bizarrely well fleshed out characters. As a point of fact, one has a tendency to forget that this is a first book by a new author, so well turned out are her characters. From the gruffly romantic werewolf Lord Connal Maccon to his Pack Beta and partner at the BUR (Bureau of Unnatural Registry, where supernaturals are required to register) Professor Lyall and the mysterious and foppish dandy Vampire rove Lord Akeldama, we get an excellent taste of the supernatural, or nighttime set as the daylighters call them. Looking into the daytime folk, we see one of the most amazing characters to ever grace the page, Miss Jill Hisselpenny (another spinster with a proclivity towards eye-searingly ugly hats), swanning about the society the vapid and irritating pages with members of the Loontwill family (Miss Tarabotti's mama's family through her second marriage to the miser, Squire Loontwill), and the members of the Hypocras Club.

The setting itself is somewhat familiar, but definitely different in all the right places, somewhat like a proper Victorian dress should be. London in the 1870's has a few bands of Vampires, Werewolves, and Ghosts, who have apparently been living publicly since the time of Henry VIII, what they refer to as the end of the 'Dark Ages'. Unlike much of Europe, and the rest of the world, which is divided on the supernatural issue, the Church of England has not taken a stance against the supernaturals, and has instead welcomed them into society, even going so far as to place a Vampire and a Werewolf as specific councilors to her Majesty the Queen (the Potentate and the Dewan in order to be precise).

THAC0: 5

From the opening scene with the poorly dressed and gauche Vampire to the various climaxes that conclude the book, Soulless could well be called Relentless because it simply never lets up. The action is ratcheted up every scene, the suspense ratchets up every chapter, and the mystery deepens with every sentence. While this book, and it sequels, will likely be more appealing to those with a historical bent, I feel that any fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sookie Stackhouse, and/or Harry Dresden will be enchanted by this book as much as fans of HG Wells and Jules Verne will.

SF News: Is SyFy Salvagable?

2010-05-18T08:39:00.000-07:00

I know that I do a lot of complaining about SyFy and its awful programming, but I got into a debate the other day and found myself defending the channel. That's right, ever the optimist, I was trying to explain how SyFy is not all bad. While you are busy choking down your laughter, let's take a look at the pro's and con's of SyFy:

Pro's:
Good shows like Caprica, Eureka, Haven, Merlin, Sanctuary, Stargate Universe, and Warehouse 13
Rerun blocks of good shows like Invasion, Jeremiah, Jericho, Star Trek: TNG, Threshold, and the Twilight Zone.
Cool Miniseries and Programming like Alice, Riverworld, and more

Con's:
Poor promotion of products outside of the SyFy Channel.
WWE NXT? Really?
Sharktopus? Mega Pirannah? SyFy Original Movies... 'nuff said.
Destination Truth, Estate of Panic, Ghost Hunters (and its multitudinous spin-offs), Mary Knows Best, Outer Space Astronauts, and Scare Tactics.

OK, so the picture is not so rosy, but the fact is that SyFy is walking a tightrope between Dreck and Drama! The problem with this statement: so is every single other channel on TV (with the possible exceptions of USA and TNT). Not every channel is being held to such scrutiny as SyFy is, mainly because SF fans tend to be very demanding and easily upset by things that they feel are 'talking down' to them.

Week at a Glance: May 17 to May 24

2010-05-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

...Aaaaand we're back. I have to apologize for last week. Things got kind of crazy, and I managed to fall behind on every single one of my projects. First and foremost I would like to let everyone know that I will be writing a series of articles for Bell of Lost Souls regarding the application of military philosophy to wargaming. In the mean time: here is what we can look forward to this week.

In the SFSNNJ:
Wednesday we meet up at Borders Books & Music in Ramsey, NJ for Moderator Barry Weinberger's Films to Come 4-Star movie discussion group. Among the topics of discussion will be Iron Man 2, Robin Hood, and the top grossing films of 2010, as well as a look ahead to the awesome line-up of genre films due out in June, including Toy Story 3. On Saturday, our Heroes & Rogues Gaming Group will host the next chapter in the Rogue Trader "Wolves in the Fold" Campaign (interested parties, please visit http://www.sfsnnj.com/Groups/HNR.html).

In the Movies:
Last week saw the introduction of Robin Hood to the box office, but this new Ridley Scott/Russel Crowe vehicle just did not have the drive to smash through the walls of powerhouse blockbuster Iron Man 2. Given the potential staying power of Iron Man 2 it might be a worry for Dreamworks as Shrek Forever After is due to come out this Friday. Given the longevity and popularity of How to Train Your Dragon, this looks to be a banner year for the Dreamworks Animation team, and even if it does not top out at the box office, it cannot help but swell the coffers of studio.

On DVD & Blu-Ray:
Kind of a light week for DVD & Blu-Ray releases, but we still have a few notable genre titles to choose from. Outlander is a strange cocktail of comic-book, historical, and science fiction starring Jim Caviezel, and The Spy Next Door pits Jackie Chan against kids in the espionage spoof (though how they explain an obvious Chinese actor with a thick Chinese accent working for the professional paranoiacs at the CIA really pushes this into the realm of Fantasy). Clash of the Olympians compiles 16 different sword & sandals epics into one big (and surprisingly well priced) bundle. Classic films on DVD brings us Gamera and The Navy vs The Night Monster. In TV releases to DVD & Blu-Ray we have the classic Greatest American Hero as well as SyFy Channel's Ghost Hunters: Military Investigations.

In Gaming:
Games Workshop's Forgeworld studios keeps on putting out the hits, with Imperial Armour vol 8: The Raid on Kastorel Novem as well as a number of new models for Orks, Raven Guard, and Elysian Drop Troops. Fantasy Flight announced the upcoming release of Death Angels, a Card based version of the classic Space Hulk game, as well as new editions and add-ons for Ingenius, Tide of Iron, and Tannhauser, and completely new projects like Dragonheart, Dungeonquest, and Constantinopolis. In Video Games we mainly have the release of Super Mario Galaxy II to occupy the hands and eyes of gamers, but rest assured that there is more on the way soon!

In Books:
This week sees some interesting new releases in the genre book section, including the latest from Robin Hobb, Dragon Haven. A few other books hitting the shelves will be such selections as Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth, Stealing Fire by Jo Graham, and Genesis by Bernard Beckett, but the most important release this week is bound to be George R.R. Martin's latest short story collection, Warriors, with selections from Naomi Novik, Diana Gabaldon, David Weber, and many more.

On the Blog:
Tuesday: SF News: Is SyFy Salvagable?
Wednesday: Book Review: Soulless by Gail Carriger
Thursday: Gaming: The Fantasy Flight Juggernaut
Friday: TV & Movies: Iron Man 2

SF News: Is the Mid-List Really Shrinking?

2010-05-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

For years many people have argued that the genre sections of book stores have been shrinking and the 'mid-list' selection, the level of writers that includes most non-bestselling authors, has been decreasing. The question, is this really true, or are we seeing a simple reaction of greater diversity penetrating the genre section? Also, how do we prove this one way or the other?

First, the problem that we really have to get over is that the internet allows us access to organizations like Bookview Cafe, Kobe, and Amazon.com. Even if the shelf space at book stores is shrinking, the fact that there are literally hundreds of books available for devices like iPads, Kindles, and even smart phones that are simply not on the shelves. More and more of the mid-list seems to be available in these formats, the simple statement

In addition to this, we have an amazing diaspora of genre titles across traditionally opaque lines. Science Fiction novels are turning up in Mystery, Literature, and Romance sections, and the reverse is also true. Many mid-list authors, like Barbara Hambly, Jackie Kessler, and S.L. Viehl, are turning up in different sections of the bookstores, and, even though their works are very obviously SF, Horror, or Fantasy, their shelf placement belies their content.

So the question remains, is the mid-list shrinking, or only our perception of it?

This week in the SFSNNJ:
Monday: Suspense Central discusses Replay by Ken Grimwood
Wednesday: Drawing A Crowd discusses Time Travel and Comics
Saturday: Call of Cthulu!
For event details check out http://www.sfsnnj.com

TV & Movies: Come On Get Happy

2010-05-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

First of all, I have to apologize for the delay in posting, and for missing the past few Mondays. I have had a number of Monday issues of late, and will be changing the schedule accordingly since I need to spend most of my Mondays getting stuff ready to take to the Dump on Tuesday (I'm sure you really wanted to know that). Anyway, on to more interesting subjects...

A few weeks ago, advertisements began cropping up for the new ABC show, Happy Town. Buzz started up, and most of us groaned and dug in for Harper's Island redux, irritated and annoyed by what blatantly seemed like another try at making an edgy little limited season mystery story. Thankfully, while last season's hacker's delight was a predictable, tedious, over-wrought bloodbath, Happy Town is cut from quite different cloth.

With a look and feel reminiscent of early Stephen King or Peter Straub, Happy Town seeks to blaze a new trail in the supernatural and horror genres. When asked to describe the show, I often tell folks to imagine a town from any Stephen King book. Now imagine that instead of the town burning down at the end of the book, the strange events just stop, and the people of the town just try to go back to living their lives and they forget the horrors of what happened. The problem is that you cannot ignore the past, because eventually it will come back to get you.

With only two weeks into the show, we really don't have much in the way of information, but what we are learning is all about the dynamics of the characters. In a town full of secrets, where nothing is as it seems and everyone has a few skeletons in their closets, the introduction of outside elements to disrupt things makes for even greater drama. Of course, you cannot really go wrong with a show where the sheriff cuts off his own hand while muttering gibberish.

I would definitely head over to ABC.com and check out the first two episodes.

Gaming: Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader, and Deathwatch

2010-05-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

Throughout the course of the month of May I will be taking some time to explore the world of Warhammer 40,000 through the lens of Fantasy Flight's series of Roleplaying Games set in the grim darkness of the far future.

First off, I am am sure that some of you are all aching for a bit of background, and I will endeavor to supply you with that before I elaborate. In 2008, Games Workshop, through its Black Library Publishing division, released the first true roleplaying game set in the universe of Games Workshop's world famous and highly popular Warhammer 40,000 universe. The game, set 38000 years in a future where the human race struggles for supremacy amid both alien and supernatural threats, was then picked up by Fantasy Flight Games in the US, who began a massive program of development for the system. Given its amazing initial successes, Fantasy Flight began a full fledged program of expansion and support and created an ancillary game, released in late 2009, called Rogue Trader. Even greater sales and successes followed the release of Rogue Trader, and Fantasy Flight began development of Deathwatch, which is scheduled for release this summer.

Now, I know what you are thinking: how can you have three different games in the same setting?! Very easily, in point of fact. The Universe of Warhammer 40,000 is epic in its porportions to begin with, and the simple fact is that each of the games fills a somewhat unique sub-genre within the setting. Let's take a look:

Dark Heresy: Characters, referred to as Acolytes, are doing the holy work of the Imperial Inquisition, rooting out enemies of humanity wherever they go. Dark Heresy allows players to create Acolytes from any of the three major orders of the Inquisition (Ordo Xenos hunts aliens, Ordo Malleus hunts daemons, and Ordo Hereticus hunts witches and traitors), and provides a look at the lowest levels of society as the players work their way up in their masters' organization. Well supported with many supplemental books and adventures, Dark Heresy provides a fantastic gateway into the Warhammer 40K universe for roleplayers who are uninterested in the tabletop wargame. This game is good for players who are interested in sleuthing adventures and thriller/suspense/intrigue campaigns.

Rogue Trader: Unlike Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader characters, referred to as Explorers, are not working directly for the government of the Empire of Man, but are rather members of an interstellar trading cartel known as a Rogue Trader Dynasty. Rogue Traders have been a staple of the Warhammer 40K universe from the beginning, and this game added a whole new dimension and power level to the game. While it is compatible with Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader has a slightly different feel and structure to the adventures, as well as innovative new ways of generating characters and solving problems. In addition, giving players command of a starship, and the ability to pick and choose Endeavours (the Rogue Trader equivalent of missions or projects) makes this a far more advanced game for players who are looking for a type of 'Pirates in Space' feel. Though the Core book only came out last November, we already have set of supporting adventures (see Rogue Trader: Lure of the Expanse) with a great deal more on the way.

Deathwatch: Now we get into the nitty-gritty of what really makes Warhammer 40,000 a popular game: Space Marines. Deathwatch puts players in the role of Space Marines seconded to the Ordo Xenos, the Inquisitorial branch dedicated to wiping out aliens, and looks to be head and shoulders above the power levels of the prior two books. While the game has not yet been released, we have seen a great deal about the setting and the options for building a Deathwatch Kill Team Marine, including the use of specific Space Marine Chapter backgrounds. Unlike the previous games, Deathwatch is likely to be focused on combat and will definitely appeal to the dungeon-crawl, shoot-em-up type of player who likes killing aliens of all stripes.

So what are these articles going to deal with? Well, next week I will talk more about the specifics of Dark Heresy, game mechanics, supplements, and overall conceptualization. The week after I will do the same for Rogue Trader, and the week after that I will round up the rumors on the forthcoming Deathwatch system.

Dark Heresy, Rogue Trader, and their supplements are available for purchase at New Moon Comics.

Book Review: The Lost Fleet: Victorious by Jack Campbell

2010-05-05T05:52:00.000-07:00

About two decades ago, at the close of the first Gulf War, the genre world started a love affair with military SF that lasted through most of the 1990's and into the early 2000's when it was supplanted by Paranoir (a.k.a. Paranormal Mystery or Paranormal Detective stories). Happily enough for me, authors like David Weber, John Ringo, and Scott Westerfeld keep on writing military SF even though the genre has moved on to a new darling. Of equal good fortune for those who like this sort of story, new book series do come along from time to time. I know that I have reviewed the Lost Fleet series previously, however I just finished the most recent entry by Jack Campbell and I wanted to share my impressions.

First of all, one must realize that this is part of an overall series, and that a lot of dramatic tension is built up over the course of the prior books. To bring you up to speed:
The Alliance and the Syndicated Worlds have been fighting a brutal war for over a century. The war started with an ambush that forced Captain Jack Geary to abandon his ship after a desperate action to hold off Syndicate ships, allowing the defenseless convoy he was escorting the time to escape. After all this time, the Alliance has managed to find a way to attack the Syndics' capitol system directly, and is on their way there, when they find Jack Geary's survival pod and the famous Captain frozen in stasis. They thaw the legend out just in time for him to watch the fleet get blasted to bits in an ambush at the Syndic capital. He takes over control of the fleet by sheer dint of seniority (the Admiral commanding placed him in charge before going to his death at the negotiating table), and teaches the modern day captains about things like tactics and formations (their military traditions consist of charging headlong into the fight and hoping the esprit de corps is sufficient to win the day), and they fight their way back home. On their way they learn much about the Syndics, including the fact that the Syndics are worried about an alien threat on their other border!

OK, so Victorious starts off with the Lost Fleet having finally made it all the way back to Alliance space. Black Jack Geary must now contend with truculent, self-centered politicians and push for his own new strategy of striking back at the Syndic capital with their new found information. In addition, he must now reveal the truth about the aliens, that he has hidden from his own forces through the entire long trip home. Suffice it to say that, much as the title implies, Geary achieves victory in ways that few would have imagined possible (especially the reader).

The story, like many military SF stories, is more of a backdrop for character drama than one would think. Sure there are great battles and well told military life scenes, but the character tensions and drama kicks this from war story to high drama. From comradeship to cowardice, love to loss, and fleet to family, Victorious explores all of the facets of character that a wartime milieu allows, and then some. Sure, I know that many of you are thinking "Honor Harrington all over again..." but this is really not the case. Not only is Campbell's style very different from Weber's (no treecats, no winking knowingly, and a lot more backbiting), but Campbell handles the battle sequences in a very different manner.

THAC0: 10
Fans of military SF will love this series and this book in particular, however those not into the sub-genre may find themselves bored. A good rule of thumb would be: if you liked JAG, then you will enjoy this.

SF News: Film Futures

2010-05-04T10:18:00.000-07:00

In mid-April the Commodities Future Trading Commission approved the bill that would allow the trading of film futures on the stock market. The argument for this is that it will allow producers access to a larger pool of money to help make films. Given the higher and higher cost of making the average film, every little bot could help, but the biggest issue here is that of the danger to investors themselves.

By and large, investors are mostly ill-educated on the dangers inherent in the futures market, which is byzantine and difficult to understand even for some professionals. The idea of any futures market is basically the same as gambling at the race track or betting on a sporting event: you put money into what is basically a bet on whether or not the commodity is going to increase or decrease in value over a certain period of time. With movies, these futures would likely include cost over-runs and projected box-office sales.

Why is this dangerous? Two words: Warren Buffet. Actually, I am being perfectly serious when I say that. Buffet espouses a theory that you should invest in companies that you know and products that you use. While this is great for regular stocks, it can be disastrous in a Film Futures Market. People will invest in things based solely on their knowledge of the product will be basing their investments on their personal tastes, which will cause high investment in films that are likely to be bombs (or in many cases simply bad movies).

What can we do about this? Aside from asking our investment professionals NOT to invest in film futures, nit very much. When a whole bunch of people lose their shirts on A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 or Iron Man 3 and demand that the government step in, though, we will need to step up and say "Caveat emptor... with extreme prejudice!"

TV & Movies: Abandon All Hope for SyFy Saturday

2010-04-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

I have a friend, let's call her... I don't know... Marianne, you know, like on Gilligan's Island, and I think that she needs an intervention. Why? Well, week after week she tunes into the SyFy Channel's SyFy Saturday feature, hoping for the best, and gets disappointed. The question really is WHY?

I know what you are thinking: Why is she disappointed? The commercials are awful, with bad acting, effects, and direction oozing out of the screen like viscous ichor from the wounds of any number of cheesy monsters on the SyFy Original Movie list, but still she perseveres. "One of these days the film won't suck, and with my luck it will be the day I am not watching," she laments loudly. The problem is, I know better.

Thankfully, I have turned that negative energy to good purpose! Having determined that there is really no way of stopping the redoubtable Marianne from watching this dreck, I have convinced her to write reviews of these cruddy schlock-fests. These funny and popular articles will, hopefully, shame the executives at SyFy into making better movies... OK, so who is deluded now: Mongolian Death Worm is this month's movie... Yikes!

Still, I have faith that quality will improve with movies like Stonehenge Apocalypse and a few others coming down the pipe. The gods know it cannot possibly get worse:)

Gaming: The Three C's Chaosium, Cthulu, and Coherency

2010-04-29T07:10:00.000-07:00

H.P. Lovecraft, secure in the safety of his home in Providence nearly a hundred years ago, might have shuddered in horror himself at the prospect of a future where the cyclopian architecture and creatures from beyond space and time would be part of a large game played by eager fans. The horror of this future is paralleled only by the fact that he could have used those royalty checks, even then.

On a slightly more serious note, I would like to take a moment to talk about one of my favorite roleplayng games, Chaosium Call of Cthulu 6th edition. Now, the people who know me, especially those in the currently running Call of Cthulu 1920's Arkham campaign so ably run by BJ Pehush, know that up until about 3 years ago I was firmly a d20 man. Every system had to be a d20 product, with rules that I could easily remember from the Wizards of the Coast d20 System Reference Document. Then I tried Call of Cthulu d20... and I absolutely hated it. I came to the realization at that point that while I love d20's for Fantasy systems, modern and science fiction games really just don't translate well. Thus when Chuck's D&D/Space 1889 combo campaign came to a close, and BJ announced an interest in running Call of Cthulu, I suggested using the Chaosium ruleset, and thankfully he agreed.

What makes the Chaosium system different, though? Well, for starters it is a percentile system as opposed to a flat d20 system. Before you get your hackles up, though, I would advise you to keep an open mind. The system uses percentages for all skills, adding in additional percentage points as you succeed in skill challenges. In addition, only a few of the base statistics get used, and they generally correspond to a related percentile (Luck, Power, Sanity, etc).

What does this mean for the player? First it means a simpler way of character improvement. With no levels, no big power ups, no increases in hit points, no feats, no talents, no skills, etc, the player is really only worried about determining which skills he succeeded in using, and marking them off to see if he can improve them at the end of the session. Second, it means that everyone is on a fairly equal footing, having roughly equal chances of succeeding at any given skill test if there are no skill points attributed to it, and that anyone can make an attempt at any skill and possibly succeed! Third, it means that no matter how far you progress, battles do not get longer, nor do enemies scale up by any great degree. Even though a farmer is nowhere near as scary as a Deep One, the farmer can kill you just as easily with his shovel in the right circumstances.

Well, sure, fine, that is all well and good, but what does that mean for the Game Master? The most important change from a d20 game to a game like Call of Cthulu is one of attitude. Without the need for experience points and leveling up, players feel like their characters are constantly in motion and evolving so long as they participate in making skill checks. In addition, all of the creatures are fairly well balanced, and the only differences between 'weak' and 'powerful' creatures is the tactics that the players will need to use to combat them. Lastly, the players know the fragility of both body and mind in the game, and are less likely to complain at the horrors facing their party: A good game of Call of Cthulu usually has bodies and crazies littering the landscape and you are lucky if none of them are yours.

OK, so the mindset and ruleset of Call of Cthulu are very different from Chaosium to d20 and back again, but really, why should you bother investing in a new system? Unlike d20, which has become an arms race of "Who got the best powerups from the most recent books" (yes, I'm looking at you D&D 3rd and 4th editions), the only person who ever needs to buy more than the main rulebook is the GM. That's right, your shelves need not be cluttered with copious volumes of supplements unless you absolutely want them to be since they have no effect on character creation, skill use, or anything else for the players. Most of the fantastic supplements produced by Chaosium are in the vein of gazetteers, adventures, and creature books, and the only things that the players will get out of them is a knowledge of the background in the Call of Cthulu universe.

As gaming systems go, Chaosium Call of Cthulu 6th edition is definitely a keeper, ranking highly in my esteem and showing us why reading books and looking in dark rooms is scary again!

Book Review: Roadkill by Rob Thurman

2010-04-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

I will admit right off the bat that I have a love/hate relationship with Rob Thurman's books. While I absolutely adore the story, characters, and writing, and I absolutely hate waiting for the next book in the series! Yes, I am totally being serious, and no I don't think I am being unreasonable. If Cal Leandros can be petulant about these things, then so can I. Seriously, though, I have been very impatiently awaiting the arrival of Roadkill since I finished Deathwish, and I have to say it was well worth the wait.

For those who have been following the series from the beginning, and you know who you are, Roadkill picks up 6 months after the events chronicled in Deathwish. Things have mostly returned to normal for Cal and Niko Leandros, and for the most part Cal is even happy (shocking gasp of indrawn breath). Much like the Dude and the Taxi Driver in The Big Lebowski, though, Cal is about to have his happy place totally blasted out from under him. Hired by sociopath-cum-granny witch Abelia-Roo of the Sarzo Clan of the Rom (Romany Gypsies) from whom Niko and Cal learned the valuable lesson of asking lots of questions before one completes a bargain (see the novel Moonshine for details), the duo of monster-killers and paranormal investigators finds themselves hot on the trail of Suyolak, the Plague of the World. Apparently, each Clan of the Rom has some sort of supernatural millstone tied around its neck, and Suyolak is the responsibility of the Sarzo (it is implied heavily that Cal is the Vayash Clan's similar responsibility). Why? Well, in addition to be the greatest Healer ever to walk the Earth, he is a sadistic sociopath with a desire to end all life in plague and death. Fun guy, right? Lay on top of this world altering crazy a series of nicely interconnected sub-plots about the nature of relationships, and Cal slowly changing as he abuses the gifts of his heritage, and you have for a great read.

Now, I have to admit that I am going to do some fan-boyish gushing right about now, so man up and get ready for it. While I am sure that most people will argue this point, I think that while the Plague of the World conflict was important, I feel that the development of Robin & Ishiah's relationship, Rafferty & Catcher's relationship, Cal & Delilah's relationship, and Cal & Niko's relationship were of far more importance than the impending end of the world. OK, so in order of sub-plot importance:

Cal & Delilah: At the start of the story we discover that the Kin, Were-Mobsters of the Fuzzy Nostra, have found out about Delilah's 'bit on the side' and are not happy. Delilah accompanies the gang on their roadtrip, but everyone seems to be of the opinion that she is just waiting for the opportunity to kill Cal to keep in the good graces of the Kin. Cal, however, feels that people are always giving him chances and that not doing the same for Delilah would be hypocritical. Interesting things develop all through the book.

Rafferty & Catcher: The healer who helped the gang back in Nightlife finally returns in a big way with his 'stuck in Wolf form' cousin. We learn a lot about these two, and I think that Catcher is probably one of the best characters in the series so far. A smart tree-hugging peacenik college student werewolf who is damaged during the process of healing and stuck in Wolf form, Catcher (named after the book his parents fell in love over) is fighting a losing battle to keep his human consciousness in his Wolf body, he still remains the most intriguing and insightful of the group. Rafferty is trying to overcome his guilt and keep the last member of his family from going over the edge, but may push himself over first.

Robin & Ishiah: The puck is considering monogamy for the first time since Pompeii. That's right, you heard me, MONOGAMY. This subplot was likely meant to lighten the fairly heavy load carried by the story, but was pretty much just as dramatic as everything else. Thankfully Rob Thurman is great at te witty turn of phrase and internal dialog or this would be a real downer of a book. Robin is on the trip to determine if he really wants to go the monogamy route or if this thing with Ish is worth it.

Cal & Niko: The brothers Leandros do a lot of developing in this story themselves. It has seemed over the course of the other books that the relationship here was pretty much static and set in stone, however the events of Deathwish have forced Niko to start allowing both himself and his brother to evolve their relationship into a more adult one, rather than just big smart brother and little student brother.

So with all this development go on, how do they have time to have an adventure? Enter the subtle craft of Ms Thurman. She weaves all these various threads together deftly into a wonderful tapestry. The only thing that one can really complain about is that the message of the book appears to be: Anyone can become a monster with the right incentives and pressures. Too bad this had not been read by George Lucas before he wrote the prequels so he could see the way these things are done properly!

THAC0:3
Unless you absolutely hate modern fantasy, there is no way you can go wrong with this one. Tight writing, great scene economy, wonderful character development, and a taut and suspenseful story make this the absolute best story of the series so far, and it will be difficult to top this masterpiece.

SF News: Is Marvel Killing The Comics Industry?

2010-04-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

Many times I have heard the chorus of laments from local retailers when Marvel announces a new program or concept, but never have they been as loud as they were over the last few weeks. Why? Well, primarily it is because your Friendly Neighborhood Comic Store Owner is getting squeezed by forces against whom he cannot hope to prevail.

For those who have no idea what I am referring to, it is the fact that Marvel, in cooperation with Diamond Distribution, has begun offering its comics in electronic format. Cheaper, easier to store, and more easily portable than traditional comics, these new electronic comics are available on iPhones, iPads, laptops, and smartphones. Given the ubiquitous nature of these devices, this new offering is rapidly gaining ground against actual comic book sales.

What can your Friendly Neighborhood Comic Store Owner do to make up the lost sales? Sadly, there really isn't anything to be done for it. Given the fact that other than the initial investment in software to convert comics into electronic format is very small, this means that over time more and more of the smaller presses will change to electronic format as well. This means that the only physical books that will likely be available will eventuallly be Graphic Novels and compilations. Of course, Barnes & Noble and Borders are consuming more and more of that particular market segment, so that is of little help for the small business entrepreneur.

Gaming: Warhammer 40000 Kill Teams

2010-04-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

I have long been a fan of this obscure little derivation of the the main line Warhammer 40000 tabletop wargame. I have run Kill Teams on and off for years, mostly using the 4th edition rules, while creating and adapting new and interesting scenarios for players and teams to work their ways through. The sad thing is that this is all about to change.

With the release of Warhammer 40000: Battle Missions, we finally have a 5th edition version of Kill Teams. The rules are, at best, lackluster, and they really don't have the feel of the old game at all. Are they fun? Yes, but for the most part, you generally tend to feel as though you are playing a very strange, abbreviated form of the main game's ruleset instead of a different, squad-based game. Is this a bad thing? No, it is just different.

I am sure that you are wondering why I am bringing this up, though. Well, here is the thing: I think that the old rules were good but not great, and the new rules are interesting but not as much fun, so I am about to embark on a project to make a new Squad-Level, Kill Teams-esque, game that takes everything that I love about both systems, and makes it easier to play a game with two or more players.

Project: Warhammer 40000 Special Ops
Goal: Create a small scale squad-based game that pits one or more players against each other or mission specific obstacles.
Timeline: I hope to have a working prototype available for use by mid-late May with a Rulebook available by the SFSNNJ King of Games Day.

Why am I doing this? Well, as I said before, I think that there are a lot of great things to be said for both the new and old Kill Teams rules, but I think that a more coherent game can be made using rules that are easier to understand and more cinematic. Will it succeed? Who cares! This is mainly for my personal and professional development as a game designer, and will likely get stuck in the same file as my new Renegade Legion rules, but it keeps my knife sharp, as it were.

Do you want to help? If so, please feel free to get in contact with me through the SFSNNJ's website (http://www.sfsnnj.com), and let me know what you would like to do. Testers and commentators are always welcome, as are folks who wish to contribute missions and scenarios (once I have the basic framework of the system down).

Book Review: Coalescent by Stephen Baxter

2010-04-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

This Friday, the Modern Masters group will be reading the novel Coalescent by Stephen Baxter, but I wanted to give the folks at home a brief glimpse into the inner workings of the book and get everyone warmed up for what I expect to be a very interesting discussion.

Coalescent is a book of multiple views, times, and expressions, wherein nothing is as it seems and physics and biology are walking hand in hand with the metaphysical. Now I am sure that no few of you are wondering, what that actually means. Well, I shall endeavor to show you in as simple a way as I can: Imagine a piece of paper and draw a dot in the center, call it Rome, then draw a series of arrows in and out, labeling them with the names of characters, now connect those lines so they loop in and out of Rome, and you have a tenuous idea of what I mean.

As for the book itself, the story starts with the death of George Poole's father in Manchester, UK, in the modern day. George is assisted in cleaning out his father's old house by a childhood friend, Peter, who is a bit of a nutter, and in the course of their cleaning they stumble upon a picture of George and his sister standing with another girl who looks like a somewhat feminine version of George. The discovery of his long lost twin's existence sets George off on a journey to discover the truth behind his parents' decision to send her off to a religious group called the Puissant Order of Holy Mary Queen of Virgina (or more simply, the Order) in Rome. George begins his investigation in the present day, but soon finds himself looking at his family line in a whole different light, and with the help of his strange friend Peter, he makes some very startling discoveries.

Meanwhile, 1600 years prior, Regina is a young girl in the nominally Roman province of Britannia, living first with her parents, then her Grandfather along Hadrian's Wall, then the family of her former slave, then in a hardscrabble community, next with the infamous Artorius and Merlin, then, finally, in Rome where she rejoins her now aged mother and helps form the Order. We watch as she shapes herself and her family with some very bizarre and crazy notions that make them better at survival, and then we witness the actions of the Order through the ages.

Back in the present, we see another side of things, as we follow the narrative of several characters from the Order, and learn what strange things this secretive group has really been getting p to over the past millennium and a half. Lucia, an oddity among the sisters of the Order, has gone through puberty and is now capable if bearing children. Her coming of age and the machinations of this clannish little enclave encapsulate the most powerful sections of a book that has already seen more than its fair share of drama, tragedy, and oddities.

Yet in the future, we find out that humanity is locked in some sort of titanic struggle in space, a struggle that is hinted at early on in the ramblings of wacky pseudo-scientist Peter McLaughlin. We see the eventual evolution of the Order, or the Coalescents as Peter nicknames them, as well as the baseline human society. Obviously this is a concept and subject explored at greater length in the ensuing books of the series.

THAC0: 8
Well written, with a massively diverse cast from various periods in history, Coalescent broaches some interesting concepts and pushes the envelope of Sociology. The only real downside is that you have to have a lot of patience to wade through the incredibly slow moving beginning of the book to get to the wonderful and intriguing sections further in, much like the Hive later in the novel.

SF News: It's an Animated World

2010-04-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

Seems strange that more and more shows on TV are going animated. TBS is introducing The Neighbors from Hell while FX is leading off with Archer. SyFy has had a number of animated series (Tripping the Rift, Outer Space Astronauts) and there are rumors of a few more in the works. Last week, Lucas announced that Clone Wars would likely run another season or two, oh and a new animated series from the demented mentalities that brought us Robot Chicken is in development. There are rumors of even more bizarre SF related projects in the works, such as serial adaptations of Buck Rogers, John Carter of Mars, and a few others. The question is: does animation make things any better?

Some folks have taken the position that an animation series is cheaper to produce and maintain, but that has been belied by the actual continuing costs of most animated series. The average cost of an episode of Stargate Universe is allegedly less than the average cost of an episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but does that make one better than the other? Well, maybe that is a bad example, given how much I despise The Clone Wars, but still, it is a valid question. Could SF on TV be heading towards more and more animation, and is that really such a bad thing?

Week at a Glance April 19 to April 26

2010-04-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday Science Fiction Fans. This week looks to be rather a slow one in most respects, so I am going to hit the highlights for you.

In the SFSNNJ...
Wednesday 4/21 at Borders Books & Music is Films to Come with Barry Weinberger, where we will be discussing Clash of the Titans among other things. This promises to be an interesting meeting, what with all of the recent genre releases in the movies. On Friday 4/23 we meet again at Borders in Ramsey to discuss Stephen Baxter's novel Coalescent for Modern Masters. This is a cool book, and I will be posting a review of it on Wednesday.

In the Movies...
This week's big 'genre' release is The Losers, based on the comic book series of the same name. If you are interested in learning more, there is a $1 issue available for purchase at New Moon Comics that can get you into it. I have to say that after having read this, I am far more interested in this series (which still kind of reminds me of The A-Team). Strangely, How to Train Your Dragon is proving it has legs for the long haul as it outstripped newcomer Kick-Ass.

On Blu-Ray & DVD
If you have been hiding under a rock for the last few weeks you might not know that Avatar hits the shelves this week in a special edition Blu-Ray set. Oh, yeah, The Lovely Bones, Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Transformers: The Movie as well as season one of Merlin the Series, Xena Warrior Princess, and Hercules the Legendary Journeys.

TV & Movies: To V or Not To V

2010-04-16T07:26:00.000-07:00

So I got into an argument the other day over the merits of the TV series V. My opponent, who apparently has no patience for things, complained bitterly that he wished something would, you know, actually happen on the show. I tried to explain that the show was suffering from what is commonly referred to as Shaun Cassidy-itis, sometimes called Shaun Cassidy Disease or Syndrome. But what does that mean?

Shaun Cassidy, who has been responsible for such amazing series as Roar, The Agency, and American Gothic, has long been known as the slowest series developer of all time. In fact, usually the first half of the first season is all character development and setting the tone, with little or no action or movement on the overall story. Mr. Cassidy is great at the slow reveal, and those with patience are rewarded.

While the infamous Mr. Cassidy has absolutely nothing to do with V it does appear that the staff developing the show have taken a page from his playbook. While I am enjoying this languid approach to the coming action, we have yet to reach the Cassidy-esque tipping point where the story goes from background for character development and tension to foreground of the show. As I stated during the argument, though, knowing the mechanics of this type of show, I suspect that the tipping point will be reached next episode. The real question is: Is it too late to save the show?

We saw a lot of early marketing and a lot of folks tuning out due to the slow pacing and lack of any real story advancement. By this point, V has become almost an afterthought for most viewers, assuming that they still care enough to think of it at all. Can the show survive? Sadly, I suspect that V and Flash Forward are destined for the dustbin.

Gaming: Rogue Trader: Lure of the Expanse

2010-04-15T09:04:00.000-07:00

Wait, I'm not talking about AT-43 this week? Quick, get the straight-jackets! Seriously, though, I think that I have plowed the field pretty thoroughly in regards to AT-43, and since I do want to talk about other games I love, and only have one day a week to do so, here we are.

OK, while I have not done an actual review of Rogue Trader, it can be assumed that I like the game (after all I run a once a month RT game). For those out there who have no idea what Rogue Trader is: RT is a Roleplaying Game set in Games Workshop's famous and popular Warhammer 40000 universe, where player characters, referred to as Explorers, play the command crew of a Trade Dynasty ship. Part mercantile adventure, part space battle game, part standard roleplaying game, RT manages to merge all the best attributes of a variety of different concepts.

Now, what is this Lure of the Expanse book all about? Well, frankly, Lure of the Expanse is a series of linked adventures leading up to a massive closing scenario. If played as part of a campaign, you are looking at a minimum of 9 and a maximum of 20 sessions to get through the whole book (possibly even longer if you have short sessions or players develop byzantine side quests for cash). This book is comparable to Fantasy Flight's Dark Heresy: Purge the Unclean campaign book in many ways, although I would have to say that Lure is a much better value for the dollar.

The Adventures: The book is divided into three sections, each dealing with one part of the overall story-arc of the race to exploit the mysterious, hidden world known as the Dread Pearl. Interestingly, though, each section is not one stand-alone adventure, but several linked endeavor/adventures. Here is a rough breakdown of the sections for ease of reference:

   The Eye of the Needle: This section includes the standard set-up adventure where we learn what the whole campaign is going to be about. It starts off with the Explorers learning of the Foretelling of the Seven Witches, and their need to earn their way into the conclave so they can learn what lucrative secret the Witches will be revealing. The next adventure in Eye of the Needle is a race to get to the first leg of the journey first and includes sections of space battle and possibly mutiny, depending on prevailing conditions on the Explorers' ship. On arrival at the Quppa-Psi, the Explorers must battle rivals, hostile fauna, and duplicitous Eldar to secure their prize and the right to move forward in their quest. Ideally, Eye of the Needle will take anywhere from 2-4 sessions to complete.

   The Heathen Trail: Here is where things become a bit strained. The second arc of the story is basically a series of scavenger hunt adventures where the Explorers are looking for more clues as to the final location of Warp-shrouded Dread Pearl. The Heathen Trail contains adventures on five different planets, with five different sets of goals, and the ability of the Explorers to pick and choose what order they want to do the adventures in. Each section of this arc is pretty well self contained, and while it works great as part of a larger campaign, like Lure of the Expanse, they can also be easily adapted to run as simple scenarios in your own home campaign. The end result, assuming that you are running the campaign as a coherent whole, should be the Explorers getting access to the final resting place of the Dread Pearl. If the guide is to be believed, each planetary adventure should take one full session, however if your players actually do any roleplaying, aside from just bulling their way through encounters, you can probably double that, so figure a 5-10 day turn-around to complete this stretch.

   The World Beyond: Almost anti-climactic in its closing of the story, the third arc gets the Explorers to the Dread Pearl, a Maidenworld of the ancient Eldar Empire, only to find that there are others there as well. While the adventures and closing are interesting, I happen to feel that this is the weakest section of the book, as most of the adventures are simply things that were done earlier, done again with different NPCs. Unless your characters feel the need to make life more difficult than it absolutely needs to be, this should be a 2-3 session arc, however adding in a space battle (or three) and spending all their time fighting off all comers could push this back to 5 sessions easily.

Information: Apart from the adventures themselves, the most important thing in the book, from my perspective, is the information contained in it. The planetary Gazetteers for Footfall, Zayth, Dross, Vaporius, The Wreck of the Light of Terra, the Processional of the Damned, and (of course) Dread Pearl are all excellent and very useful even if you are not pursing the campaign outlined in the book. A savvy GM can use a lot of the information in the Gazetteers to form endeavors that will be fun and flavorful for their Explorers. The informational content doesn't end there, though, as there are a huge number of NPCs, creatures, aliens, and starships that will help make other games far more interesting. Even if you ignore the adventures, these parts and parcels make the book a must have for an GM.

Support: Like all Fantasy Flight Games releases, the publishers have a great network of support for their products. Their website contains hand-outs, downloads, and other goodies that make running the adventures a breeze. In addition, you can use the free adventures Forsaken Bounty and Into the Maw with Lure of the Expanse to further enrich Explorers time in the Kronus Expanse.

THAC0: 5
Whether you are a Warhammer Fluff Kingpin who just wants to own the book so he can learn more about the setting, a Rogue Trader GM, or simply an RPG enthusiast, Lure of the Expanse is a must have title for you.

Book Review: Flash Gordon: Secret History of Mongo

2010-04-14T07:39:00.000-07:00

For a change, I am going to review a graphic novel as opposed to a regular book this week. Why? Well, number one is that fact that tonight is Drawing a Crowd with my friend and moderator Tim Cook at New Moon Comics in Little Falls, and number two is the fact that I bloody well feel like it.

For those of us who grew up in the 1980's, most remember the movie Flash Gordon with Brian Blessed, Max von Sydow, Topol, and Timothy Dalton making a memorably fun film in spite of the slab of beef they had playing Flash. Flash Gordon, the character, has a long history stretching back to the days of the pulps and the serial movies, to weekly comic strips and eventually comic books (which were mostly just compilations of the weekly strips). After a long hiatus, though, Flash Gordon is back... or was back... or maybe will be back again when the rights get straightened out again.

OK, so now that I have confused the issue completely, let me clarify: Arden Entertainment recently put out a series of Flash Gordon comics, rebooting the franchise and kicking it up a notch (or three) while returning it to its comic strip roots. Sadly, Arden is not doing well financially and there are no plans as to what will be happening to Flash. As a last desperate gasp, Arden put out Flash Gordon: Secret History of Mongo which ties up a lot of loose ends, but still leaves things open to continue the story. Also, it allows us a glimpse of what had happened before Flash, Dale, and Zarkov arrived on the mysterious planet.

Secret History of Mongo takes place as a series of vignettes, showing the activities of most of the principal players in the Flash Gordon story during Ming's rise to power and his consolidation of the warring nations of Mongo under his despotic rule. We get to watch Ming as a child, we see Prince Barin in the slave pits, Prince Thun's loyal retainer Turg matching wits with Hawkmen, Prince Voltan being put into the slave collar in forced service to Ming to spare his daughter, and even that crazy Queen Fria of Frigia dealing with an alien who wants only to make her lands a better place. All these stories are told using the framing device of Flash having found a high tech gizmo that has stored recordings of these events. Oh, yeah, and it introduces another set of villains to the story with the Witch Queen Azura and her underground kingdom.

THAC0: 8
All in all, is Secret History of Mongo worthy of your attention? Well, if you like Flash Gordon, then yes. If you like stylish art, yes. If you like high adventure, yes. If you don't like comics, no.

SF News: The Next Big Thing

2010-04-13T11:04:00.000-07:00

For the past few years the bookshelves have been loaded with paranormal detective stories, which I like to refer to as Paranoir, but is the tide of literature changing again? Sure, we all still love Sookie Stackhouse, Harry Dresden, John Taylor, and the rest of the supernatural PIs, but has their dominance finally reached the tipping point? If it has, what would the next big thing be?

This was a question I posed recently to a few friends and we were not really sure. Given the direction of the movies, obviously aliens are back in vogue (Avatar) as are robots (WALL-e) and spaceships (Star Trek), but does that mean a return to the classical direction of Science Fiction? Will we start seeing more books with the classical tropes wending their way into the mix? The answer, surprisingly, is yes!

Look at the shelves in your local friendly bookstore, and you will see more books in the Science Fiction section dealing with hard science fiction, and fewer with guys and gals in trench coats with magic wands and staves of power. Oh, don't worry, this change is certainly not going to displace the current big kids in Paranoir overnight, and for all we know it might only be a transitory resurgence of hard SF, but who knows? Maybe a new dawn for Space Opera is around the corner (assuming somebody starts burying Star Wars in the backyard).

Week at a Glance: April 12 to April 19

2010-04-12T07:14:00.000-07:00

Well it is another new week here in the great land of Science Fiction, and this one will be kicking off a bunch of really neat stuff, so let's roll up our sleeves and get started.

In the SFSNNJ...
This week sees us looking at our recent guest, Jeff Somers, The Electric Church at 8pm tonight at the Borders Books and Music in Ramsey. We had a great time with Jeff on Saturday, and I am really looking forward to sharing the information from Saturday with the group on Monday. You can see more about Jeff Somers' appearance on the SFSNNJ's official website at http://www.sfsnnj.com/SpecialEvents/Guests/20100410_Jeff_Somers.html. On Wednesday, we return to New Moon Comics at 8pm for Drawing a Crowd where we will be discussing Religion, Gods, and Comics. As an avid reader of comics like Supergod and The Wormwood Chronicles I am pretty psyched to see what our master moderator, Tim Cook, has up his sleeve.

In the Movies...
Clash of the Titans slipped to the number 2 slot in the box office, falling to the depredations of the comedy juggernaut Date Night, but I suspect that Date Night's reign at the top of the charts will be equally short-lived. That's right, this week sees the film adaptation of the quirky and fun Comic book Kick-Ass hit the theatres like a ton of bricks... or like a wannabe superhero with a can do attitude and no super powers. I have to say that as much as I was looking forward to Clash of the Titans, I am really kind of interested in seeing Kisk-Ass. The commercials and trailers have done a great job of highlighting the concept without giving away any of the actual story, which is a bone of contention for me with most trailers, so I am firmly hoping to be entertained. Also, for those of you who may not have seen it yet, I have it on very good authority from Thom Purdy that The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is well worth seeing on the big screen.

On Blu-Ray and DVD...
Amazingly, this is a huge week for DVDs, with a number of unexpected titles bulling their way onto the shelves and begging for you take them home like cute little puppies (or kittens if that is your think). From Woody Harrelson's edgy superhero film Defendor (which is a great complement to this week's Kick-Ass release) to Three Kingdom: Resurrection of the Dragon, we have only a few real 'new releases in the genre, however there are a plethora of more important Special Releases of older titles making their way out this week. Apollo 13 hits Blu-Ray with drama in space as Tom Hanks captains the ill-fated lunar expedition, and Disney releases a special edition of The Great Mouse Detective from the restricted confines of its deep dark vault, while anime fans will drool over the Viridian Collection Box Set of When They Cry. TV on DVD sees shows like Haunted and Ice Twisters vying for your attention, especially since most of us ignored them on TV (although it is hard to blame folks on Ice Twisters as it is yet another tedious and awful SyFy pic).

In Video Games...
Bust out your wallets, folks, because this looks to be an expensive week for all of us! Coming to stores everywhere are a variety of new releases from the infamous Grand Theft Auto series (Episodes From Liberty City) to Sam & Max The Devil's Playground, which will be stealing their way into a variety of platforms. On XBox360 we have both Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction and Final Fight: Double Impact, while on PC you can get your truck driving jones on in Rig & Roll or pretend that you are Commando Cody with Dark Void.

In Board, Roleplaying, and Tabletop War Games...
Fantasy Flight Games is set to release The Horus Heresy this week. The board game takes place in the Warhammer 40K universe, but in the elder days when the Warmaster Horus and 9 Legions of Space Marines turned from the face of the Emperor and slid into Chaos! This looks to be a major release, and a feather in FFG's already plumage-filled cap.

In Books...
OK, so apparently I lied last week, David Weber's new Safehold book is coming out this week and Charlaine Harris' Dead in the Family is not coming out until May! Amazon lied! Apparently by release dates, they meant dates for pre-order (lies and calumny) so I apologize to all of you for the error and will begin hunting down those responsible for this outrageous issue. Until I can get a better look at what is coming up, I will be holding off on upcoming book releases for now...

Gaming: AT-43 A New Option Part 4

2010-04-08T06:50:00.000-07:00

Week four of my in-depth look at AT-43 is here, and this week we are taking a look at unit types.

Unit Types

Units in AT-43 are divided into two categories: Infantry and Armored Fighting Vehicles, or AFVs.

Infantry
The backbone of most armies, infantry is made up of ground-pounders and jump infantry, as well as armored fighting suits.

Type I Infantry (Basic Units): Much like troops options in AT-43, Type I infantry is the basic building block of any army. Most force organizations require one or two of these unit types, which are not anywhere near as good as their Type 2 & Type 3 cousins. The good news, though, is that Type I Infantry fills more of a support role, than the equivalent units in 40K would (i.e. Troops choices). Most Type I Infantry units have options to get Mechanics or Heroes that can influence other units in the field, both friend and foe.

Type II Infantry (Elite Units): Like Elite selections in 40K, Type II Infantry fills a more specialized role than Type I infantry. Better accuracy and weapons make Type II Infantry a better choice for the points, and depending on the force type, will likely make up the bulk of your forces. In addition, most Type II Infantry units carry mission specialists that can really put some stress on your enemies, and there are even a few armies that have great Type II unit Heroes.

Type III Infantry (Power Suits): These units are the AT-43 version of Space Marine Terminators, and much like Termies, they are brutal at range and in assault, and extremely difficult to hurt. Most armies have Type III Infantry in Power Suits (UNA TacArms, Red Blok Colossus, Cog Cyborgs, and Kharman Anacongas), and each type of suit provides a different advantage. In addition to their specific advantage, each power suit has two weapons that can always split fire (i.e. all left arms shoot at one target and all right arms at another). No army is really complete without at least one of these expensive units, and many armies require 2 or more to be truly terrifying.

Armored Fighting Vehicles
Walkers, Hoverbikes, and Tanks make up the ranks of the AFV units, and are divided up according to size. All AFVs have structure points, set in three locations (Propulsion, Frame, Weapons). Unlike 40K, where one lucky hit can destroy a tank, even small Type I AFVs require more than two frame hits to kill. To make matters even worse, hits are randomized on a table, though fortunately all overflow hits default to Frame. Another nifty thing about the AFV is that it can run down enemies (not tank shock, actually running over) with a rush move, and can effect multiple enemy squads!

Type I AFV (Recon Units): Smaller, faster, and lightly armed, the type I AFV is AT-43's ubiquitous Sentinel Scout Walker. For the points, Type I's are the best buy available, and tend to make or break the army depending on their loadouts. Type I AFVs are often deployed in Squadrons of 1-3 led by a sergeant. Like power suits, they can split up their right and left weapons fire (if they have two weapons).

Type II AFV (Combat Units): Robust and really tough, the Type II AFV makes most opponents tremble. Frankly, the best way to take one of these big boys out is with another AFV, or a really dedicated anti-tank unit. Heavier armor and more structure points are a pretty good trade-off for reduced speed, but for the most part, Type II's are not that much slower than Type I's. The big issue with Type II's: They are singletons, which means that Heroes cannot hide out in the unit, letting other models take the hits. Luckily, most Type II AFV Heroic units have the mechanic ability.

Type III AFV (Heavy Units): As impressive as a Land Raider or Leman Russ can be, nothing compares to the awe-inspiring spectacle of a Type III AFV. These units are well nigh impossible to take down, with incredibly heavy armor and a whole lot of structure points, and have the biggest, nastiest guns in the game. Want to take out a Fire Toad with one volley? Bring a Type III AFV! Thankfully there are no heroic Type III AFVs (yet), but at 500-700 points per model, the fact that they can eat any opponents for breakfast more than makes up for it.

Book Review: The Electric Church by Jeff Somers

2010-04-07T09:04:00.000-07:00

This Saturday we will be joined by writer Jeff Somers at our monthly Face the Fiction event at the Borders Books & Music in the Ramsey Interstate Shopping Center at 8p. Unlike many of our Face the Fiction events, I have recently had the chance to read Mr. Somers' fantastic new book The Electric Church and am looking forward to reading the sequel, The Digital Plague in the near future. What is really amusing, though, is that due to a quirk of scheduling both Suspense Central and the Beam Me Up Book Group of Watchung are going to be discussing this one at their events. To say that I am looking forward to all three is an understatement. Enough about the groups, though, let's talk about the book.

When I first started reading this journeyman effort by Mr. Somers, I was struck by how easy it was to get into. Unlike many books of violent cyberpunk SF, The Electric Church contains no massive info-dumping, no 'How did we get into this mess' dialog, and no 'if only /X actual event/ had never happened' monologues to explain to us how the world came to its current woeful straits. Reference is made to the good old days of pre-Unification, but mostly the characters are too busy living their hardscrabble lives to worry over might-have-beens or historical interests. About the only real data that we have is that 95% of the people of the Earth live a bare bones subsistence life with 5% taking what's left of the jobs and enforcing the Laws of the Joint Council.

The story itself is very reminiscent of several recent British works, most notably Ken MacLeod's Star Fraction and Richard K. Morgan's Takeshi Kovaks series, with violence and gritty action around every corner. An interesting meme that crops up here is a very Darwinian cyberpunk society where augmented humans are looked at as petty failures who will likely be dead from their own attempts to better themselves. This is generally the antithesis of most augment features, where augmented people are the cream of the crop. Additionally, going against the grain, the story does not demonize Science, or even the applications of technology that are downright vile (i.e. the Monks), but rather cites that it is not the concept that is grotesque but how it is applied and for what reasons.

Of course, I suppose that I must talk about the book itself at some point. Avery Cates is a Gunner, a hired killer whose only goal in life is to retire wealthy at the ripe old age of 27 (in most scenes he is the oldest character there). Unfortunately, Mr. Cates is having a bad month: accidentally killing a System Security Officer (detective), witnessing another System Officer get killed by a Monk, putting a psycho System Officer in the line of fire of several other Monks, etc. As in all things, Avery Cate's luck is about to change... sadly it is a change for the worse, as he is hired to take out the most powerful religious leader in the Unified world: the head of the Electric Church. Hiring a team of crack miscreants, Avery Cates sets about executing a plan of such fiendish complexity it cannot help but succeed, after all it is so clever you could cut yourself on the edges. Sound like fun? Well, toss in psychotic cyborgs, a mysterious employer, factions of the System Security Force that want to either help or murder him, psychics with a bad case of Les Miserables, and a team so far south of trustworthy that they cannot even get it stamped on their travel visas, and you begin to get the picture.

Fast paced, action packed, thoughtful, groundbreaking, and fun, The Electric Church is a romp through a degenerate and horrible future in which you really cannot help but agree with Parker from Leverage: "Some times bad guys are the only good guys you get."

THAC0: 5
If you are a fan of Cyberpunk in all its manifold glory, then this is a must read for you. Fans of the standard thriller will be highly entertained, and the techno-jargon and SF-isms are kept to a minimum so pure mystery readers will not be lost in the shuffle. If Day of the Jackal and Strange Days had a baby it would be The Electric Church.

SF News: Everything Old is New Again

2010-04-06T07:21:00.000-07:00

With the recent additions of films like Clash of the Titans and A Nightmare on Elm Street to the ranks of the great big Hollywood remake list, and even more on the way, we have to wonder is there any good reason not to remake a genre film? Some would argue that the originals were masterpieces, except for the ones that were famously awful, and should never be redone in any way, shape, or form. Others would posit that while these films were great for their times, nobody under the age of 30 has seen them, nor are they likely to do so since they have no connection to the works at all. So let's look at the pros and cons of remake mania.

Actors: In the modern film, Actors have mostly given way to Stars. What is the difference? Well Actors are professionals who care more about their craft and performance than they do about glitz and glamor, whereas Stars are serviceable enough at their craft, but are mostly attached to projects to increase box office appeal. While older films have more Actors in them, many of them are poorly utilized, and while Stars may not be as good as Actors, this deficit can be overcome with better writing, direction, and effects.

Directors: The art of cinematic directing has changed radically over the past few years, and not just because of changes in technology. Sure tech has influenced and driven some of that change, but primarily the director's vision has been influenced by changes in perception, style, and artistic conceptualization. Even the old hands have changed their processes and style over time. Compare Close Encounters of the Third Kind to War of the Worlds and you will see what I mean. Action aside, War of the Worlds contains few, if any, of the elements that one normally associates with Spielberg films (although the ubiquitous Spielberg Stare is still there). Updating an older film can make huge changes in the look and feel, creating a new version that is more accessible to modern audiences.

Visual Effects: Do I really need to explain why updating visual effects with a new treatment of an old film is necessary? Seriously? Much as I loved the old The Day the Earth Stood Still, its look and effects are wickedly outdated. Is the new film better because of better effects? No, mainly because it falls apart in Acting and Direction. Would an updated version of Forbidden Planet be a good thing? Probably. Would an updated Star Wars? If George Lucas is involved, probably not.

Writing: Remember when screenwriters actually wrote dialog and storywriters wrote story? Me neither. A friend of mine was arguing that this is common practice, and has been for a while. While I cannot dispute that having no knowledge of the practice, it might explain the disconnect in many films between what is happening and what is being said. There are quite a few good, capable, professional writers out there, and attaching them to a remake of a beloved classic tends to make us all feel better. Still, it could be argued that if you are doing a remake, why not just use the original script with a few updates (Yes, I am looking at you Tim Burton. Planet of the Apes indeed).

So in the end, as we look at these four major factors in the 'old vs new' debate, we are left with just as many questions as we had before. There is room for both old and new versions of any film, however it could be argued that unless you are improving on the original you should leave well enough alone.

Week at a Glance: April 5 to April 11

2010-04-05T08:38:00.000-07:00

Greetings Science Fiction fans,

Now that the water, power, and cable have stabilized, the rugs are drying on the lawn, and the nephews are back under some semblance of control, we can get back into the important job of running the Blog! Hoorah! Seriously, though, last week was pretty monstrous, but thankfully, we survived, and the holiday went off without a hitch. Now, on to looking at the week ahead...

In the SFSNNJ...
Tuesday Chris Hasselkus leads That's Science Fiction! at the Hillsdale library for a viewing of Hayao Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service from 7p to 9p, with a post event meal to be determined after the meeting. On Saturday April 10th, Face the Fiction welcome author Jeff Somers for what promises to be a very memorable night. Having recently read The Electric Church, I have to say that I am looking forward to Mr. Somers' presentation with baited breath. Look for a review of The Electric Church on Wednesday during our normal Book Review date.

In the Movies...
Clash of the Titans exploded onto the screen last week, rising to the top of the box office in the midst of lackluster reviews, while the highly acclaimed How to Train Your Dragon slipped down to third, narrowly edged out by Why Did I Get Married Too. There are really no genre films coming out this week, but keep your eyes peeled for more on Kick Ass, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and The Losers in the upcoming weeks.

On DVD & Blu-Ray...
The Academy Award winning film series The Lord of the Rings smashes its way into the realm of Blu-Ray this week, treating audiences to amazing vistas and epic battles in even clearer picture and sound. Yup, now you can count all the warts on the Orcs and see the individual hairs on Frodo's feet! Two classics also make their way to Blu-Ray this week: A Nightmare on Elm Street and Cocoon. This is interesting as the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street is due out at the end of this month. The Studio obviously is not afraid of comparisons if they are releasing this classic in Blu-Ray with more than enough time for folks to buy and watch the classic and contrast the performances, scripts, etc. Time will tell if this is a good move on the part of New Line Cinemas.

On TV...
V and Flash Forward continue to shine in spite of lagging audience numbers this week, but the big news is the return of Fringe to FOX. Amazingly, in spite of the fact that it is basically a reset of Strange World, Fringe is a good catch for FOX, finally filling the hole that has been missing since X-Files departed to fight the future (as well as fighting fan expectations). Stargate Universe and Merlin find Friday nights a godsend with little competition to draw away their respective audiences, and may start to show more chops in the ratings.

In Video Games...
It is kind of a slow week for Video Game releases, with little in the way of new games emerging until next week's high powered hitters whack us upside the head. Look for the Borderlands Add on Pack and Lead & Gold: Tales of the Old West titles on the shelves, for now, but hoard your dollars, because next week sees a glut of Grand Theft Auto titles, as well as cornucopia of other games.

In Books...
This is an exciting week for books, as major new releases in several NY Times Bestselling series set publishers up for major paydays. Jim Butcher's next Harry Dresden novel, Changes, David Weber's newest Safehold book, A Mighty Fortress, former SFSNNJ Guest Charlaine Harris brings us a new Sookie Stackhouse story in Dead in the Family will be greedily sucking up our dollars at local bookstores. In addition to all of these great titles, look for new Star Wars books, a glut of horror and paranormal romance titles, and more!

Apologies

2010-04-02T16:10:00.000-07:00

Things have been worse with the Internet than expected, and work is piling up. I will resume proper posting Monday with next week's Week At A Glance. I may also start trying to get ahead with my posts... just in case it rains again...

SF News: Hubble at the Liberty Science Center

2010-03-31T12:19:00.000-07:00

Attention: Due to flooding in my area, I am bereft of a stable internet connection and am thus updating as I can. I will try to continue on through the rest of the week as follows: Book Review on Thursday, Gaming Review on Friday, and TV/Movie review on Saturday (that's right, Bob, we are in the presence of the rare Saturday update. Anyway, we now return you to your regularly scheduled program...

Prepare yourself for a journey through time and space, complete with the most stunning visuals your are likely to see this side of planet Earth. No, I am not talking about the next Star Trek movie, I am talking about the IMAX Hubble experience. I was honored to be invited to a press event at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ on Saturday for a screening of this magnificent film and a tour of the renovated facilities.

First thing we noticed when we arrived at the Liberty Science Center was the amazing new IMAX Dome. For those of us who were not aware, this 88 foot diameter IMAX Dome is currently the largest in the nation, and as impressive as it is from the outside, that is nothing compared to the view from the inside. On arrival, we quickly made our way up to the theatre on the second level, and took seats near a structure referred to as 'The Doghouse'. These were, it was explained to us, the best seats in the house, a statement which I can hardly argue with. Eventually, the lights dimmed and the presentation began. Hubble is a visual feast which combines gorgeous pictures taken from the Hubble Deep Space Telescope with footage shot by the astronauts of the last Hubble repair mission from May 2009.
Narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, this is a visual event that really beggars the imagination. There were many great visuals, however the sequence that most stuck in my mind was a journey through space and time to the Orion Nebula that has to be seen to be believed.

My recommendation: Contact the Liberty Science Center and go see this as soon as possible!

Week at a Glance: March 29 to April 5

2010-03-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are in a new week, and what do we see? Well a whole mess of new stuff cascading across our consciousness! Let's take a look at some of the most interesting stuff I can dig up...

In the SFSNNJ:
While there are no events in the group this week, there is still a whole lot going on at our Yahoo Group open forum. Check out the link to the right and catch up on the conversations.

In the Movies:
Last week's big new movie release, How to Train Your Dragon, toppled Alice In Wonderland from its perch at the top of the box office, but can it hold out against this week's up and comers? The only truly genre film coming out this week is Clash of the Titans, but this one looks like it could be a hugely profitable juggernaut! On the family side, Furry Vengeance is looking to take the market share from How to Train Your Dragon, but somehow, given the pre-release lack of hype, I doubt it will gain any traction.

On DVD & Blu-Ray:
From the ridiculous to the sublime, look for a bunch of new releases this week at your local video stores and libraries. Sherlock Holmes comes home, but can the venerable detective hold his own against the Alvin and the Chipmunks Squeakquel in DVD sales? Also, look for The Baader Meinhof Complex, which, while not SF or genre, is a taught and fantastic historical piece from 2008 exploring the crazy Germans of the 1960-1970 revolutionary organization. IMAX Under the Sea hits the shelves, giving those with an interest in the oceans of the Earth a wonderfully beautiful look at the splendor of the deeps, without the tedious and semi-intelligible gabble of a Jacques Cousteau narrative. Finally, I Sell The Dead explores a creepy horror scene of ghouls and corpse eaters, right in the luxury of your living room.

On TV:
Although Caprica is now going on hiatus until summer, weep not for Stargate: Universe returns to SyFy! The second half of season one promises to be full of adventure and excitement, with action around every corner as the cast of survivors tries to cope with life stranded on the Ancient starship Destiny. I look forward to Friday, when I can watch the new episode, Space.

In Video Games:
Well, this week sees a plethora of games plastered around the stores. The most important release of the week is, of course, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II: Stimulus Package, which hits stores on the 30th for all major platforms. PC Gamers can look for the first expansion to the popular Mount and Blade series with the release of Mount & Blade: Warband, as well as titles like Commando Complete, Heroes of Gaia, Icebreakers, Tank Ace, Three Kingdoms, and Bittos e. Mortal Online joins the crowded ranks of the MMORPG world this week, though given the massive and sweeping presence of the MMO market, it likely will not hold its own for long. Looking for some new games on the PS3, well here comes Bomberman Live: Battlefest and the latest Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and the Damned game. XBox 360 sees a lot of action this week with games like Battle for Atlantis, Starhammer Tactics, Zeno Clash Ultimate Edition, and the much anticipated return of the little blue cyborg who could with MegaMan 10.

In Books:
Ian McEwan's Solar debuts this week, and it looks like this one will be the big splash in the book world. In other book news, keep your eyes peeled for the latest Patricia Briggs novel, Silver Borne, the fifth book in her Mercy Thompson series. A new series hitting bookshelves this week, Changless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger, shows us the upside of young, proper, lycanthropes, while The Earth We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer takes us into the realm of post-apocalyptic survival one more time.

TV & Movies: Caprica Mid-Season Finale Tonight

2010-03-26T06:17:00.000-07:00

Last week I saw a rough cut of this week's episode, and I have to say that I am looking forward to seeing the final product tonight. Of course, I will be seeing the extra-late showing since this evening is also the night of Modern Masters, meeting up in Ramsey at the Borders Interstate Plaza, but still, it will be one heck of a ride! I know!

Why am I writing about Caprica again, you ask? Well, it is going to be a while before we get to see more episodes, so I am getting it out of the way now.

Well, what can I say about Caprica that I did not address in last week's write-up of the Caprica panel? Well, first of all, I have to say that never before has a show so obviously diversified its viewers. Seriously, though, many critics posit that this show is a polarizing effort, but I often wonder if they are watching the same program that I am. In every episode of Caprica thus far we have seen a variety of differing views and opinions, and the show does not espouse or promote any one of them over the others (except maybe the concept that blowing up commuter trains is bad). Say what you like about Caprica, it is not a single view-point show.

So, Todd, what issues are important to you? Well, I have to admit that I love the whole big gay gangster scene (more scenes of Sasha Roiz would be greatly appreciated), but that sort of goes without saying. Religious differences, though interesting, are not necessarily a subject that excites much interest in me, though I have to admit to sharing Sister Clarice's interest in apotheosis, though we in the real world would call it extropianism, or singularity, or transhumanism. How about the impact of technology on people? Well, I tend to think that the show tends to look at science and technology as dirty words, and it seems to me that although they do try to show both sides of the argument, they stress the statement that high technology dehumanizes and debases the players more than it brings folk together (it should be noted that this has been said about many things over the past few years, and psychologists have pretty well debunked that, even though the myth persists). Social differences are, to me, the most important and interesting things that the show addresses, and Caprica does a great job of showcasing these issues.

To wrap up: If you aren't watching, catch up On Demand or online and watch tonight!

Gaming: AT-43 A New Option Part 3

2010-03-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

The Armies

Like most wargames, AT-43 pits different kinds of forces against one another in battle. These forces range in scope and style of play from the hordes of Red Blok to the high tech sophistication of the Therians or Cogs. One interesting thing is that each army has a number of different factions which determine the force organization and the extra advantages and disadvantages at your disposal. Since the Army books are now available for free on Rakham's website, I am going to only briefly describe each force and its playstyle so you can begin to think about what army fits your personal ideals.

Cogs
One of the few actually alien forces in the current AT-43 group, the Cogs rely on cloning and high technology to obtain dominance on the field of battle. Though their forces are few in number, their cloaking shields, which allow them a cover save even in open terrain, make them pretty hard to kill. Cog Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) are basically giant robots with highly sophisticated weapons. With their technological superiority well established, the Cogs can easily reach out and punch someone, or run up and slaughter their enemies in brutal assaults.

One of the big disadvantages of the Cogs is their reliance on going first. A Cog commander generally wants to wager as much as he or she can to ensure they have the initiative each turn. Why? A Cog commander has lots of long range, accurate shooting units, which should be leapfrogged one in front of the other to give inactive units the benefit of cover from shielded units out front.

Kharmans
Another alien species, well another non-human species at any rate, is the Kharmans. If you have seen the movie Planet of the Apes, you have the basic idea of how the Kharmans work. The primary discipline of the Kharmans is to hit hard and fast. Kharman troops are brutal in close combat, with a number of long range artillery support troop options, and many troopers have the ability to lift even Type II AFVs. Kharman AFVs are hover-bikes with great maneuverability and speed, very much unlike the walker variants of the other race. Kharmans love a static enemy against whom they can use their best advantages.

While speed and maneuverability are great assets, it should be pointed out that the Kharmans don't have it all their way. The greatest disadvantage that the Kharmans have is a dearth of units. The average troop unit is 2-4 men, smaller even than the Cogs' units, and there are not anywhere near as wide a variety of special weapons available to most of those troop choices to give the the punch they need to deal with heavy AFV opposition. Kharman AFVs are incredibly fragile, trading armor for speed, and are suited more to smashing troops than vehicles.

ONI
One of the most recent additions to the AT-43 universe, Oni Corporation is possibly also one of the strangest. Unlike the two other human factions, Red Blok and UNA, Oni forces are mercenaries and can be incorporated into any other army list, giving the less flexible armies a more potent stable of options. Oni troops come in two flavors: plain old humans and Zombies! That's right, Oni uses virus Zombies with guns and weapons that turn opponents' units into more virus Zombies. In spite of this major advantage in the ability to increase your forces with a volley of Zombie Gun blasts, Oni is a bit lite on diversity. Oni AFVs represent the first wheeled vehicles in the game, but while they are fairly hardy, they are nowhere near as versatile as the walkers of other races. One other interesting point in the Oni's favor is that some of their AFVs are also transports, allowing you to get the normally pokey zombies to the front lines more quickly and keeping your OniKorps mercs alive a bit longer.

So far as I have seen, the only real disadvantage of the ONI is that their AFVs are incredibly expensive compared to the slightly more survivable options of other races. They are easily immobilized as they have only one structure point for propulsion, and generally only get one or two shots a turn. While all of their vehicles have the mechanic ability, a decent volley of UNA missiles or Red Blok rockets will shred them pretty quickly.

Red Blok
My personal favorites in the AT-43 universe, the collectivist forces of Hades and the Red Blok, are basically space Commies! Red Blok has the worst technology in comparison to the other races, but this is more than made for by the massed numbers that the collectivist forces can put into the field. Red Blok troops have little in the way of defenses, aside from numbers and medics, and their weapons really rely on volume of fire to make up for their lack of accuracy. Where the Red Blok shines, however is in their Type III infantry and AFVs. Both are extremely capable and can fill multiple roles far better than their UNA counterparts.

Red Blok's primary disadvantage is in the fragility of its Type I and Type II troops, and their lack of any real assault elements. While this may not seem a particularly big problem, all it takes is one enemy assault to teach you not to get too close to your enemies. Another big problem is the Red Blok infantry's lack of survivability against pretty much anything. Even the weakest of enemy guns will easily mow down large numbers of Krasnye and RPG Soldaty.

Therians
While I have fought many battles against the Therians, and do not own enough of them to field a coherent force, I have to admit that the Morphos are probably my second favorite army. They are a tough nut to crack, with the strongest and most powerful troops in the game, coupled with the best AFVs. Couple these incredibly tough units with Hero units that are well nigh immortal, and you have an army that can pound even the toughest units into the dirt.

All this comes at a pretty hefty price, though, as the Therians have to pay a high cost per unit for their fancy ray-guns and immediate repairs, and regeneration. The Therians use up leadership points faster than you can blink, and anything that restricts their leadership will cripple their ability to do all the fancy tricks that their nano-machines make possible. Of course, even without the nano-shenanegans, the Therians are still the biggest bad-boys around, so beware!

UNA
The United Nations of Ava, or UNA, are the good guys (unless you are a space commie), and their forces are built to be effective in all situations. Their troops can be put through their paces in pretty much any role from anti-personnel to anti-AFV, and their effectiveness is unquestioned. Their AFVs, however, are fairly lackluster, with only a few good Type I and Type II choices in the field. UNA has some pretty competitive heroes, though, and an army with Captain Newton at the front can pack a pretty nasty whallop.

The main disadvantage of the UNA: a lack of effective vehicles. The UNA Fire Toad is probably the best AFV in the game, but the problem is that most of the other AFVs fill functions that can be better done with infantry. Another issue with UNA is a definite need to have more and more Type III infantry units to combat the more survivable armies.

So those are the current armies at a glance. For more information on each individual army, please visit the Rakham corporate website at http://games.rackham-e.com.

Book Review: The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny by Simon R. Green

2010-03-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

The latest entry in Simon R. Green's John Taylor series brings us again to the depths of the Nightside, the secret twisted heart deep below the streets of London, where John Taylor is faced with a series of difficult and horrible choices. Yeah, I know what you are thinking: What else is new? Well, this is the first book where events of Green's newer Drood series (The Man With the Golden Torc, Daemons Are Forever, and The Spy Who Haunted Me) actually impact the Nightside.

For those of us, like myself, who have been reading Simon Green since the days of Hawk & Fisher, we all know that Green's various universes, with the exception of the Hawk & Fisher universe, are intertwined. Often characters from Drinking Midnight Wine or Shadows Fall or even Deathstalker will make appearances in the Nightside, or among the Droods, but generally these are specific to the events of the story itself. In the case of this book, Green links events discussed in The Spy Who Haunted Me with the ongoing action dealing with Walker in The Good, The Bad, & The Uncanny. While I do not wish to give any spoilers for either book, I will say that there is something going on with Walker that effects the events of both books, and the bridging of the two series likely means some very exciting things on the horizon for both.

OK, on to the book itself. Like most of Green's stories, this one starts off with a tangential mission that will be tied into the main story later in the book. That is the point at which this story departs from the standard Green formula. Unlike most of his works, The Good, The Bad, & The Uncanny, contains not one but three different mysteries to be resolved. The initiating action of the story leads into an Elf hiring John Taylor to escort him to a fairy gate at the edge of the Nightside. This takes up a full third of the book and introduces a bunch of excellent new characters like Ms Fate, the Transvestite Avenger. Next up, Larry Oblivion hires Taylor to help find his brother, who was last seen helping John Taylor during the Lilith War (Sharper Than A Serpent's Tooth). In the midst of this investigation, Walker keeps popping up and trying to seduce the unflappable and incorruptible Taylor to take his job as spokesman for the Authorities of the
Nightside.

THAC0: 6
While not the absolute best of the series, I have to say that this is a strong departure from the standard John Taylor formula, and a great book on its own. My only real issue with the book is that reading the newer Drood series is pretty much required. Of course, if you are a fan of Simon Green, then you have likely already done that, but if you are simply a fan of the John Taylor series, there will be a great deal of information missed without access to the other books. Still this is a great book and a worthy addition to the John Taylor series.

Week at a Glance: March 22 to March 29

2010-03-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

Life continues and evolves here on the East coast, and things are really starting to get interesting for the Science Fiction Society of Northern New Jersey. We have reformatted and re-jiggered our website to showcase more of what makes us unique, and the excitement of a variety of new concepts is sweeping over us as we continue our spring cleaning.

And now for the Week at a Glance:

In SFSNNJ Club News:
Tuesday 3/23 at 7:30 PM we meet at Uno's Chicago Grill in Wayne NJ (South Route 23) for Themes of the Fantastic, where Jim Spinosa and Bill Wagner will guide the group through a discussion of Youth in Science Fiction!
Friday 3/26 at 8 PM Modern Masters will be meeting at Borders Books & Music in Ramsey Interstate Shopping Center to discuss C.J. Cherryh's Cyteen.

In the Movies:

Alice in Wonderland continues to dominate at the box office, even though a slew of new titles came out last weekend. Two new genre movies coming out this week are Hot Tub Time Machine and How to Train Your Dragon. With Clash of the Titans in 3D and more coming soon, this looks like it could be a big year for movies.

On DVD & Blu-Ray:

The Men Who Stare At Goats hits the small screen, along with a huge number of Horror movies this week. Zombies of Mass Destruction, and Dread join the ranks of the After Dark Horror Festival offerings on DVD, and the film adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Fantastic Mr. Fox joins Toy Story and Toy Story 2 on the animated front. You can also catch Ian McKellen in The Prisoner, and watch vampires in The Lair Season 3.

In Video Games:
Just Cause II emerges this week, along with Settlers to entice PC Gamers with interesting concepts. Red Steel II thunders onto a Wii near you, while Nintendo DS players can work their wiles in WarioWare. In Xbox 360 and PS3 releases, we have a new Prison Break game as well as Quantum Theory, a new SF TPS apparently in the vein of Gears of War and the like.

In Books:

The big new release in Books this week is Walter Mosley's Known to Evil, the second book in his new Leonid McGill mystery franchise. Another series entry for the week is Peter Hamilton's The Temporal Void, the third book in the Void series. If you are looking for a more romantic story, check out Rebels and Lovers by Linnea Sinclair. For fans of first person shooter video games, Peter David's new HALO book, Helljumper, hits the shelves this week. The end of the week will see the release of Grand Central Arena by Ryk Spoor.

TV & Movies: Paley Center Caprica Panel

2010-03-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

For those in the know, Wednesday 3/17 I was at the Paley Center for Media with my friend Craig Hatler to watch two preview episodes of the hit SyFy show Caprica, and to enjoy a panel discussion with actors and production staff after the previews. I want to give a quick shout out to Tony Tellado, past guest of the SFSNNJ, who was there for his podcast Sci-Fi Talk (http://www.scifitalk.com/).

If you have not been following the show, it is a prequel series to the multiple award winning Battlestar Galactic series. The story, which details the struggles of two families, the Adamas and the Graystones, in the aftermath of the deaths of Dr. Daniel Graystone's (Eric Stoltz) daughter, Zoe Graystone (Alessandra Torresani), and Joseph Adama's (Esai Morales) wife and daughter. Graystone, a brilliant cyberneticist who had developed a massive virtual reality internet, is in the midst of developing Cylons for a military contract when he discovers that his daughter has created an artificial version of herself. Adama, who is a lawyer for the Tauron mob, in which his brother Sam Adama (Sasha Roiz) is a high ranking enforcer. The show deals with all manner of social issues including gender and sexual orientation, drug abuse, family tragedy, religious schism, terrorism, and morality. Featuring a stellar cast and great writing by veteran writers like Ron Moore (Star Trek TNG, Battlestar Galactica), Jane Espensen (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and Remi Aubuchon (24), and a stable of great directors and cinematic talent, Caprica is a force even greater than the series that spawned it.

I am going to say right off the bat that if you are looking for spoilers, look elsewhere. We were asked very nicely by Mark Stern, EVP of Development for SyFy, not to leak any information about the episode content for episodes 108 and 109, which air tonight and next Friday, and I intend to honor that request. This article will be focusing on the panel, however there is one thing I will say about these upcoming episodes: if you have not been watching, catch up and watch these! I have to say that these will likely be the most talked about pieces of TV to come down the pike! Anyway, on to the panel.

The panel included:
Ron Moore, Co-Creator & Executive Producer

David Eick, Executive Producer
Esai Morales, Actor "Joseph Adama"
Alessandra Torresani, Actor "Zoe Graystone"
Magda Apanowicz, Actor "Lacy Rand"
Sasha Roiz, Actor "Sam Adama"
Mark Stern: Executive Vice President of Development for the SyFy Channel
David Bushman, Curator of the Paley Center for Media, and Moderator of the Panel

The event started off with rousing applause for the two episodes that we just screened, and that I am definitely not going to talk about, and David Bushman introduced the panelists. The first topic was on the differentiation between Caprica and Battlestar Galactica, and David Eick was quick to point out that Caprica is a major change in tone and context from BSG, and was more akin to "Dallas in space, where the robots are the oil." Everything from that point on was raucous and fun.

Here are some random quotes from the panel with a few notes on the topics:

Question: What is it like operating in a show with no absolute moral authority, like Adama and Roslin were in BSG?

Sasha Roiz: This world is so morally ambiguous my character actually comes across really well.
Esai Morales: Well, it's not really Battlestar, we are reverse engineering our characters as we go, here.
Esai Morales: You have to keep in mind that no one is evil all the time, no one is good all the time either.
Magda Apanowicz: It is more like reality because we have to keep choosing between really bad choices all the time, and we mostly just make bad choices because they are the least bad.
Alessandra Torresani: She (Zoe) has been betrayed by everyone, but she grows and changes and evolves in every scene and every episode.
David Eick: It's like we are dancing on the edge of the precipice, and the fact that we could fall off is exciting.
Esai Morales: What's great is that it gives the audience the chance to decide for themselves who is right or wrong.
Alessandra Torresani: Yeah, you can root for a different character in each episode!

Ron Moore: People are complicated, and a tendency of TV is to simplify the characters. We wanted these to be more like real people.

Question: How was the casting process?
David Eick: You really need to get lucky with actors and with casting. You can't have a firm idea of who is who until you start looking at parts.
Mark Stern: Whatever they said they liked, they got!
Ron Moore: Casting and writing are organic processes, they grow out of what you are doing.
Sasha Roiz: Well, I initially auditioned for Lacy, the best friend! Seriously, I was up for the part of Tomas Vergis, but got cast in as Sam Adama, and yeah, I'm a thug. They must have liked me though, 'cause next thing I knew I went from guest star in the pilot to regular.
Esai Morales: I started to look around at all these other high profile actors, and I got angry. You have to get angry for doubting yourself at times like that.
Magda Apanowicz: I hate auditions, and I was getting my wisdom teeth pulled the next day, so I figured I would get the pain of one over quickly so I could suffer through the other.
Alessandra Torresani: I cheated, during my network test I discovered that the director and I shared a love for the LA Lakers, so I think he made me look good.

Question: Do you get flack about the religious elements of the show?
Mark Stern: They never question the important stuff, we really don't get much flak about it.
Esai Morales: I get some flak because I have a few fundamentalist relatives. The thing is they don't understand if they are being insulted or not. It just confuses them.

Other random stuff:
They kept shifting who would play Tomas Vergis. Jane Espensen had suggested James Marsters, but they decided they liked him better as Barnabas (a decision I have to agree with). Mark Stern observed that you have to be careful in dealing with characters that are linked to certain aspects of pop culture, like James Marsters and Patton Oswald.

We will be seeing a lot more of Tauron and Geminon in the next few episodes.

Amazing Stories of the 1950's was a major source of inspiration for the V-World game New Cap City, in which much of the virtual action takes place.

Smoking is in the show because they want it to look like a stylized 1950's era, but with super high tech stuff.

Esai: I was very upset because smoking is bad and kills people!
Sasha: Hey, Sam is bad and kills people too, you don't seem to have much problem with him!

Gaming: AT-43 A New Option Part 2

2010-03-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the second part of my in-depth look at Rakham Entertainment's AT-43 system. Last week we took a quick look at the Universe of AT-43, so this week, let's take a look at the rules.

The Rules

Thankfully, the rules of AT-43 are very simple, easy to learn, and contain almost no ambiguity (even though some of the earlier translating work was a bit spotty). While the British sensibilities for flavor pepper 40K’s rules, the French need for simplicity and clarity make this a much easier game system to work in (even if the fluff is slightly ridiculous).

Like 40K, AT-43 works on points-based missions and scenarios, though there are a lot fewer models in a 2000 point army here than in 40K as most basic infantry squads run about 200 points or more. Terrain is handled using a combination of flat terrain maps, 3-D structures and models (mostly the ubiquitous shipping containers), and in many cases, weather can be more destructive than any other force in the game. Once the scenario is determined, the forces are assembled, and the terrain established, the mission can begin.

Now, that we have addressed terrain, we should look at the anatomy of a game round. Each Game Round is divided up into phases, with each phase containing a unit’s full suite of activations and abilities. Phases include activation, moving, shooting, and assaulting, during which units can be given orders, referred to as combat drills. An interesting concept here is that the unit can be utilized in any way the player desires, so long as the Assault command is the last thing that the unit does. What is nice about AT-43 is that each phase includes only one unit’s activation per player, and players go, in order until all units have been activated (at which point a new Game Round starts).

Prior to the beginning of each game round, all players take the cards representing their various units, turn them face down left to right in the order they wish to activate them, and count the number of activations. This number is added to the leadership score of the army’s commanding officer to determine your leadership points (LP) for the round. Players can wager up to their highest ranking officer’s Leadership in LP during the initiative test, and then players go in order from highest to lowest with each player taking one activation, in order from left to right, and continuing until no more units remain inactive.

Unit activation is easy, though not as straightforward as 40K. Each unit that has an officer (i.e. a character rank 1 or higher) can be activated for free. Units that have no officer can be activated by spending a leadership point. Once activated, units may act out their phase, receive drills, and capture objectives, etc.

All units move in centimeters, and may move only up to their maximum move unless they are running (in which case they cannot shoot, but can still make assault attacks if their run leaves them close enough to use them). Unlike 40K, in this system you can shoot, then move; move then shoot; or move-shoot –move, thus allowing more flexibility for the squad. This flexibility means that a squad in cover can always jump out and then back again to narrow down the range. In addition, rough terrain is not random, like in 40K, but rather the unit simply moves doubles the distance traveled over the terrain. For example, if a Red Blok Krasnye Soldaty unit with a 14cm move wishes to traverse a 4cm area of terrain, they treat that area as being 8cm for measuring purposes, which leaves them with 6cm of move once they arrive on the other side of the terrain.

Shooting is resolved in a similar way, however instead of cm, we use Rackham’s customized range bands (found on the obverse of the official rulers, each one is equal to 10cm) and the dread Universal Table of Resolution (UTR). Unlike 40K, where weapons have arbitrary fixed ranges, in AT-43 we measure squad leader to squad leader, determine the range band, subtract accuracy, and look at the value on the UTR. We then role the appropriate number of d6’s, and any of these that roll equal or greater than the number on the UTR are considered impacts (against which cover saves apply if the targets are in cover). Once impacts are calculated and cover saves made, the shooters then attempt to damage their targets by taking the weapon’s strength and subtracting the unit’s defense and getting an appropriate value on the UTR, then rolling (unless the shots are auto-kills).

Assault in 40K is a completely different animal from AT-43. While 40K gives you an extra assault move to close with an enemy, AT-43 works it so that you can use your movement in whatever increments you want to end your unit within 2.5cm of an enemy unit for close combat. Keep in mind, though, that only models within 2.5cm of an enemy model can attack in close combat, and defenders don’t get to hit back until they activate.

Book Review: The Codex Alera Series by Jim Butcher

2010-03-17T07:51:00.000-07:00

I have always enjoyed Jim Butcher's work. When I first read Storm Front, I knew that I had something special in my hands, and I have continued to devour his Harry Dresden stories ever since. In 2004, though, Butcher came out with something new. New? Different? Fantasy?! Well, I was unsure about whether this would work or not, but I figured 'How bad could it be, it's Jim Butcher?'

When I opened up Furies of Calderon, I was prepared for the standard, run of the mill, fantasy story told in the vein of J.R.R. Tolkien, with a lone character who can use magic set amidst a mostly mundane populace (much like Harry Dresden himself), but thankfully, that is not what I got. The series started off with great a whole batch of great mysteries, political plots, and vicious infighting, then accelerated through the ensuing books to include wars, aliens, intrigue, assassinations, and so much more. What separates this from books like George R.R. Martin's or Tolkien's is the fact that everyone in this universe uses magic, save the protagonist, Tavi of Calderon, who does not have any Furies to help him.

Great writing, amazingly diverse characters, and a setting that is as much a mystery as the plots that the characters are spinning like master weavers typify these books, and fans of high fantasy and mystery will be duly rewarded for taking the plunge into the world of Alera. What is most intriguing is the evolution of Tavi from Furyless freak to Leader of the Free World. You really need to follow the story to see how amazing the mind of Tavi of Calderon is, and how special the people around him are. From his Aunt Isanna and Uncle Bernard, to his friends among the cursors, to the villainous Fidelias and the scheming First Lord Gaius Sextus, the characters that populate the world of Alera are amazing and complex.

THAC0: 3

Whether you are a fantasy aficionado or a mystery maven, there is more than enough meat on the bones of the Codex Alera series to satisfy even the most distinguished of palates. The style is easy and accessible, with characters that are easily recognizable and distinct without being cartoonish, and the wit and humor that exemplifies the Dresden Files. If you are looking for something a bit to the left of the ordinary fantasy, then I suggest stopping here for a visit.

News: Rackham Entertainment moving in a new direction?

2010-03-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

For a long time now, it has seemed that Rackham Entertainment, the French the French miniature modeling company in competition with Games Workshop (GW), was content to follow slavishly in the footsteps of their British rivals. With Rackham's Confrontation sales flagging in comparison to GW's Warhammer Fantasy Battles (better known in the community as WFB), and their new AT-43 system unable to get much traction against the entrenched Warhammer 40000, it seemed as though Rackham was at risk of going into the long spiral to oblivion. Enter new executive management, though, and all of that seems to be changing.

Until recently, Rackham has been content to follow GW's standard business practice and release armies and army books in a long thought out scale, hoping to make money both on the models and the books. Unfortunately for Rackham, while model sales have been OK, the sales of rules system sets and army books have not. Why? Well, the reasons are manifold, but the primary reason is that folks buy Rackham's models to proxy in other game systems like Warhammer 40000 or WFB. While this was an easy trend to spot, the real question was what to do about the problem. Rackham forwarded their gambit to overcome this loss at the beginning of March, and I have the feeling that this very well may do the trick of turning things around for them.

The beginning of March saw major changes come down the pike for Rackham's website. It went from fairly bland and clunky to sleek, exciting, and well integrated, but a new frock could not save the company by itself. The most important change to Rackham's new site was a section offering the rules for FREE. That's right, all of the rule books, all of the army books, all of the supplements, all for free. Now anyone can pick up Confrontation or AT-43 without having to spend money on the books, and can use those models they bought for a new game.

The main question now is: Is this too little too late? In spite of the lamed economy, GW is posting profits and sales increases, so obviously there is a market out there with money to spend on pushing small models around the table. Rackham's system is well developed, simple in its design, and well thought out in its execution, but will that be enough to offset the major advantages of GW? Of equal import is the question of something wargame players refer to as 'codex creep'. Rackham's most recent new armies have seen a massive scaling up of power in contrast to the original release armies. Does this mean that an entire new rules set is on the way, or that the older armies will be getting newer army books? Only time will tell, but I know that I will be watching with great anticipation.

If you would like to learn more about Rackham Entertainment or AT-43, keep your eyes on this blog on Thursday when Part 2 of my AT-43 series will come out.

Week at a Glance: March 15 to March 22

2010-03-15T06:17:00.000-07:00

For those who are unaware, the NJ/NY area was pummeled by a major storm over the weekend. This did not keep many of us from braving the elements to chat with Jackie Kessler over at Raider Books in Suffern, but the aftermath has left us all with a variety of problems. Part of the area here is without power, meaning that my brother and sister-in-law are crashing on my bed for the duration of the emergency, and updates to the website will likely be... delayed for a bit. On a more positive note, since I have both power and internet access, blog posts will still go off as scheduled.

Now for the week at a glance:

In SFSNNJ Club News:

Our regularly scheduled Films to Come event will be going on as planned at 7p on Wednesday 3/17 in the newly set up Events area in Borders Ramsey. Special thanks to new General Manager Alicia Clouder, Josephine Brown, and all the rest of the fantastic staff at Borders Ramsey for setting up that great area! We appreciate all that you and the staff do for us!

Saturday 3/20 is the regular day for BJ Pehush's Call of Cthulu game, however with Lunacon and several other events set to go off this weekend, the game may be delayed. Look for further discussion on this at our Forum (the link is in the margin).

In the Movies:

Alice in Wonderland remains at the top of the heap in the box office, however there are a few great genre films coming to theatres everywhere this Friday. Look for Repo Men, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and IMAX: Hubble 3D at your local venues.

On DVD & Blu-Ray:

Blockbuster hits The Princess and the Frog and Twilight: New Moon makes their way to small screens everywhere this week, as do Astroboy, The Fourth Kind and Ninja Assassin. Popular TV series Breaking Bad's second season also makes its way to DVD & Blu-Ray this week.

For Video Games:

This week is a big one for PS3 owners as God of War III hits the shelves. Nintendo DS owners can look for the new Pokemon: HeartGold and Combat of Giants: Mutant Insects titles to emerge onto the scene. PC Gamers can let out the breath that they have been holding as Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising finally arrives, along with the anticipated Metro 2033 and Wings of Prey.

For TV:

Not much in the way of new shows at the moment, but look for new episodes of Chuck and Spartacus: Blood & Sand as well as a second start for V, as they re-air the series premier. Hopefully it will do better this time!

TV & Movies: Basic Cable TV Roundup

2010-03-12T08:09:00.000-08:00

Amazingly I have been watching TV for quite some time (shocking, I know), and I have to say that I have never been quite as impressed with the medium as I have been of late. Basic cable has finally matured into a venue for excellent programming, and as such poses a bit of a dilemma. Why, you ask? Well, mainly because there are so many worthwhile shows to watch that determining which ones will be 'appointment TV' is becoming more and more difficult, especially since many of the best shows are on opposite one another. So, what are my appointment TV picks for basic cable?

Burn Notice
For those not in the know, Burn Notice is basically an updated version of The Equalizer. An ex-spy named Michael Westin (Jeffrey Donovan) is stuck in Miami, his home town, when he is shut out of the intelligence community. His only allies are Fiona Glenanne (Gabrielle Anwar), a gun-running mistress of mayhem who dated Michael during a job in Ireland; Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell), a former Navy Seal with ties to the FBI; and his dear old mum, Maddy Westin (Sharon Gless). Together they are trying to get Michael's reputation restored, learn who burned him and why, and helping folks all along the way. The show is well written, exciting, and brilliantly executed by everyone from the actors to the production staff. Some trademarks of the show include Michael's constant expository voiceover, where he explains the ins and outs of spycraft; character descriptions that appear when characters outside the main recurring cast are introduced (ex. Gilroy: Freelance
Psychopath); Sam Axe's fun-loving demeanor (ex. his target shooting trick where he shoots patterns that look like Martini glasses); Fiona's constant admonitions that Michael could solve problems more quickly with properly applied violence (ex. "In my experience, if something seems to good to be true, it's best to shoot it just in case."). Find out more at http://www.usanetwork.com/series/burnnotice/.

Caprica
Fans of Battlestar Galactica rejoice, for the evolution of the toaster from domestic appliance to frakking world killer is here! Seriously, though, this is a brilliant show with a huge number of encapsulated, yet interconnected, lives and stories, and an ever-expanding view of life in this futuristic society. Those who did not care as much for the direction of BSG after the first two seasons (like me, for instance) will still enjoy the universe that Ronald Moore is spinning out for us. Learn more at http://www.syfy.com/caprica/

The Closer
You really gotta love this ensemble cast, and Kyra Sedgewick's brilliant performance as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson-Howard just put the cherry on top. Every aspect of this show is tight, from writing to direction to performances, and the quality of the show is something that I doubt even HBO could match. The average episode deals with the Major Crime unit run by Deputy-Chief Johnson investigating a crime while Brenda deals with a cornucopia of personal issues (moving, sick pet, arguing with fiancee/husband Fritz Howard, etc), and culminates in Brenda trying to outwit the criminal to force a confession. If you have not been watching this one, you can check out episodes on http://www.tnt.tv/series/closer/.

Dark Blue
While I don't necessarily consider this 'appointment TV', I have found myself tuning in to this one as often as not (it initially benefited from being on after The Closer which is a far superior show). That being said, I would highly recommend this show for anyone looking to fill the void left by the departure of The Shield. The cast may need a bit of an overhaul, though, as the only character and actor with any interesting bits is Dylan McDermott as Carter Shaw. still there is a lot of potential there.

In Plain Sight
I have been eagerly awaiting the return of In Plain Sight since the dramatic season finale last May. This show follows the exploits of US Marshalls Mary Shannon (Mary McCormack)as she and her partner, Marshall Mann (Frederick Weller) as they try to keep witnesses stashed away in Albuquerque, NM, safe from those who would do them harm. Add a dysfunctional alcoholic mother named Jinx (Leslie Ann Warren), an irresponsible sister (Nichole Hiltz), and a sexy fiance (Christian de la Fuente) to a high-stress job, and it is a recipe for disaster. Fold in some crazy co-workers, high maintenance witnesses, hostile FBI agents, and a hot and cold relationship with the local detectives, and you have a recipe for success. The show will be coming back strong with new episodes on 3/31, but you can find out more about the backstory at http://www.usanetwork.com/series/inplainsight/index.html

Leverage
Another TNT hit, Leverage is a series about a group of criminals led by a former investigator, whose sole mission in life is to balance the scales for the little guy. Part A-Team and part Robin Hood, the Leverage team is made up of a Hacker named Hardison (Aldis Hodge), a Hitter named Elliot Spencer (Christian Kane), a Grifter named Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman), a Thief named Parker (Beth Riesgraf), and the Mastermind, Nate Ford (Timothy Hutton). Witty and urbane, the show is wonderfully quotable and quirky, with a heart and soul that makes you really root for the 'bad guys'. As Parker says during "The Bank Shot Job' "Sometimes bad guys are the only good guys you get." You can find out more on http://www.tnt.tv/series/leverage/.

White Collar
What makes this show different from Leverage? Well, it is another show about a criminal doing good, but in this case, Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) is working with FBI agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) to thwart villains and protect the little guy. A great supporting cast of fun characters, a good stable of writers, and great acting make White Collar a show to watch. Charming, sexy, and witty, though it has a fun heart, this a lot more serious a show than Leverage. Learn more at http://www.usanetwork.com/series/whitecollar/index.html.

Now these are just a few of the shows that I really enjoy on Basic Cable. Look for more on the Regular Network lineup next week , and an article on pay cable the week after. Those looking for some other interesting shows should check out Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Men of a Certain Age, and Archer for an entertaining time.

Gaming: AT-43 A New Option Part 1

2010-03-11T10:19:00.000-08:00

Three years ago this December, French company Rackham introduced a new science fiction game system to the world: AT-43. When first I heard rumors of a game that had Rackham models, pre-assembled and pre-painted, I was interested. As much as I do enjoy assembling and painting 40K models, for me the most important part of the game has always been fighting battles on a tabletop. The question became, then, would this upstart system be as good as 40K, or would I be using the models as IG and Necron proxies?

The Universe

The game AT-43 is set 43 years after the great Trauma, which is a totally unhelpful frame of reference for those of us struggling to figure out what the game is about. One learns of the history of the Trauma and the universe around it only through the reading of the Army Books (the main rule book being pretty well devoid of fluff), as each group seems to have a different idea of what is going on. Considering that some of these races are at least borderline psychotic I am going to give a general overview from the ‘humans’ point of view.

The world is Ava, and the people of Ava know that their ancestors must have come from the stars. Why? Well there are these great big pyramids full of super-high technology in the arctic, and since nobody on their world could have built them, there is no fossil record of other species with high tech, and no evidence that the humans of Ava are related to the rest of the biosphere’s evolutionary path it seems pretty obvious. Reasoning this through, the scientists of Ava started a crash program to reverse engineer as much technology from these pyramids as they could to advance their civilization and reach for the stars, which they had determined were their birthright. The United Nations of Ava was born and it began to colonize neighboring stars quickly.

Their first colony, Hades, was a hellish world rich in minerals which the UNA used as a sort of Botany Bay colony. Unfortunately for them, the people of Hades revolted and formed the Revolutionary Collective of Hades and the Red Blok. Many of the UNA’s colonies, as well as half of the nations of the world of Ava, joined the Red Blok and UNA and their Red Blok enemies began fighting a war comprised of a bitter series of brush battles, sabotage, work stoppage actions, civil riots, propaganda, espionage, and unremitting psychological warfare. This all came to an abrupt halt with the Trauma on Ava.

While the ‘humans’ were progressing away, the Therians (humans from the planet Earth who had long ago experienced singularity and evolved into the trans-humanist state of purely mental beings living in machines) were merrily going about their business and waiting for technology and industry to reach a certain level on Ava before they enacted the next part of their devious plan. Did I say devious plan? Well, I guess ‘devious’ is as good a word as any (though in the case of the Therians, moronic, foolhardy, insane, nonsensical, or rabidly stupid would do as well for descriptions). You see, in the many millennia since their transcendence from fleshy beings to computer constructs that use nanotechnology, the Therians have become obsessed with their own mortality. Sure, they could conceivably live until the heat death of the universe, but how would they survive after the heat death of the universe (never mind that fact that this would not occur for trillions of years). Their brilliant plan to escape the icy fingers death, therefore, was to encase as many stars as possible in Dyson Spheres, where they could live through the end of time in comfort and style. By the way, did I mention that they decided to cheat and seed thousands of worlds around the universe with life and technological scraps so humans could evolve quickly and become high tech societies and damage their planet to the point where it can easily be converted into the beginnings of a Dyson Sphere? Yeah, they did that too. Great plan, huh? Thus it was that the Therians attacked Ava, setting off the Trauma, and opening up a can of worms that is the setup for the present day’s actions.

The Trauma, as the name implies, devastated Ava, but the UNA and Red Blok were able to beat back the Therians and their simian allies, the Kharmans (whose point of view I am leaving out because it is frankly not that important). How did the super-evolved, high tech Therians get beaten? Well, let’s just say that playing seven hundred billion hours of Star Craft 2 and Dawn of War 3 do not make insane technologists into generals. Although the Therians were forced to flee, a huge factory ship, the Damocles, was sighted, and the UNA began assembling troops to go forth and destroy it before it could get close to Ava. Red Blok, who received the brunt of the damage to Ava during the Trauma, turned back to lick its wounds and continue undermining the UNA, fighting the Kharmans, and picking off any stray Therians that happen by. The Kharmans are continuing to… seek the bushido of zen bananas or some such nonsense (they have a subservient philosophy which stresses knowing their place in the universe and serving the Therians because the Therians uplifted the Kharmans from basic apes). What of the Therians? Well, they are busily updating their Facebook status to “Annoyed: at war with UNA” and writing long pieces of tedious poetry on their Live Journal sites while they occasionally actually fighting the invaders on Damocles.

Yes, it is a very strange future, but then again, they are French.

Book Review: The Dreaming Void by Peter Hamilton

2010-03-10T10:49:00.000-08:00

As a long time admirer of English science fiction writer Peter F. Hamilton, I try to keep up with his work as best I can. The problem is that with all of the books I have to read for SFSNNJ events, I have found myself falling behind. Why am I telling you this? Well, mainly it is to explain why I am reviewing an older book instead of a newer one, but it is also an attempt to give you a bit of background to this particular review.

Now, a little bit of background about the book. To start off with, The Dreaming Void is a second series set in the Commonwealth Universe. While you do not need to have read Misspent Youth, Pandora's Star, or Judas Unchained, they will help to enrich the story if you have the time to read them. All of the technology, philosophy, and history of those books is handled in The Dreaming Void as commonplace (i.e. it is a fact of life and handled through conversational exposition rather than tedious info-dumps). Still, I highly recommend reading them as they will definitely give a depth of philosophical and historical content to the events chronicled in this book.

Moving along to The Dreaming Void itself, here we have an excellent example of why I love Peter Hamilton. Brilliantly written, with a panoply of distinctive and interesting characters, The Dreaming Void picks up 1200 years after the conclusion of Judas Unchained. In this time, humanity has begun to transcend into post-physical status (if you are unfamiliar with the concept of transhumanism or the Singularity, let me know and I will devote an article to it at some point), and have been studying the universe for quite some time. In the midst of all of this, a researcher named Inigo, who was assigned to Centurion Station and is watching a bizarre phenomena called the Void at the center of the Milky Way slowly expand and swallow stars, begins dreaming of life forms inside of the Void. After sharing his experiences through networked neural processors called the gaianet, a religion springs up with the desire to enter the Void and join the humans already there in their blissful existence. When Inigo disappears, and the religion starts to prepare for its pilgrimage into the Void, agents from around human and non-human space begin their attempts to stop it, for they fear this Pilgrimage will trigger a cataclysmic expansion of the Void, causing it to devour most of the Milky Way.

What makes this book so great is its massive complexity. Characters both inside and outside of the Void are separated by vasts gulfs of space, society, and philosophy, so as we progress find ourselves confronted with an almost prismatic array of diversity, with every character being equally memorable and understandable. One complaint I have in this book is that there is no clear cut 'villain' presented (with the exception of the Cat, who is just a plain old vanilla sociopath following orders). Realistically, you can understand and sympathize with all of the groups and characters in the story, and though the Living Dream's leadership and the Accelerator Faction of A.N.A. seem like they could be the 'bad guys', their motives are not in any way 'evil' and their methods are no less distasteful than the agents of other factions. I suspect that as the story evolves in books two and three we will have a real villain to contend with, however The Dreaming Void is effective as it stands without the presence of a major foil.

THAC0: 9
While this is an intelligent and exciting book, with a lot of character development and action, it does require a great deal of patience and a desire to trek along for the long haul. Those who love Hard Science Fiction will love the technological aspects of the story, but even if that is not quite your thing, the characters and action will keep your interest, as will the mystery and exploration.

Movie Palaces to make a return?

2010-03-09T07:20:00.000-08:00

My father and I were talking about movie theatres and cable the other day, and I have the feeling we might actually be wrong in our prediction. Here is the gist of our discussion:

The Situation:
Ticket prices keep going up and DVD releases keep coming faster and faster (it is now an average of 4 months between theatrical and DVD releases for most films), theatres are already complaining about the fact that they hardly see any profit on the films that they show (they make money in concessions not tickets), DVD prices and rental fees keep dropping, there is now a 3D TV coming on the market, and the average American household's buying power is shrinking.

The Prediction:
With these indicators, my father and I agree that it is more likely that theatres will increasingly regress into 'evening out' places with massive showpiece events taking the fore while minor releases get pushed straight to immediate DVD release. Why? Well, most of the gimmicks that draw crowds to the theatres are now fairly cheaply and easily replicated in the home (with the exception of IMAX and 3D), if there is a problem with the viewing at home, you can always fix it and start over, you have no need to sit with an obnoxious crowd whose members cannot shut up during the film (as seems to happen to me about 50% of the time, a fact that those who saw Surrogates with me can attest to), you can spend $.50 on popcorn instead of $6, and you never have to worry about parking, where to eat before or after, or whether you will be shot by Joe Chill in the parking lot (though this last mostly just applies to people with the last name of Wayne).

If you really look at it, movie theatres today are in the same position as live theatre was a hundred years ago, at least in my father and my opinions.

Week at a Glance, March 8 to March 14

2010-03-08T08:46:00.000-08:00

And we are back...

OK, so I plan to update on weekdays while I am out of work, and here is the start of a new era. Look for daily updates, likely until I get back to work.

So, this week in the Science Fiction Society of Northern New Jersey:
Monday 3/8: Suspense Central with Moderator Aurelia Long discusses An Audience For Einstein at Borders Books and Music in Ramsey, NJ
Tuesday 3/9: Wake for Nicholas Polyniak, beloved father of Alan Polyniak at the Allwood Funeral Home in Clifton, NJ
Wednesday 3/10: Drawing a Crowd with Moderator Tim Cook discusses Super Kids at New Moon Comics in Little Falls, NJ
Saturday 3/13: Face the Fiction presents author Jackie Kessler at Raider Bookshop in Suffern, NY.

For details on these events, check out the calendar at http://www.meetup.com/science-fiction-society-northern-nj/.

On TV this week of Science Fiction and Fantasy on TV:
ABC: Though technically not SF or Fantasy, a new episode of Castle premiers tonight at 10p, and of course Lost is on Tuesday at 9p
CBS: Nothing really genre here except the Big Bang Theory on Monday at 9p
FOX: Human Target has a new episode this week on Wednesday at 8p
NBC: Chuck keeps on keeping on Monday at 8p with a new episode
SyFy: look for this week's new episode of Caprica on Friday at 9p
USA: The season finale of White Collar premiers in Tuesday at 10p

This week there are no new genre films among the big box office releases, however there are still a lot of genre films still out in the theatres around the country.

New this week:
Green Zone
Mother
Our Family Wedding
Remember Me
She's Out of My League

Genre Films still out at the theatre:
Alice in Wonderland
Avatar
The Crazies
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Shutter Island
The Wolfman

New books out this week:
Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
The House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognanni
Wisdom: From Philosophy to Neuroscience by Stephen Hall

Regenesis by CJ Cherryh

2009-05-18T19:41:00.000-07:00

Many years ago I read a little book by author CJ Cherryh. This book was about growing up as the clone of a really famous person who had recently died. Sadly for our young clone, she was being raised in the grand tradition of The Boys From Brazil, and everything that happened to her predecessor was re-enacted upon her in excruciating detail in an attempt to recreate the original's personality in a new body. The book was Cyteen, and the experiment was a great success, but the story did not end there: twenty-one years later, we have a sequel to the Hugo award winning novel.

Regenesis starts us off mere weeks after the close of Cyteen, and for those of us who plowed through Cyteen more than a decade ago, this is an issue that may be a bit of a sticking point. At any rate, the story picks up with Ari II, the clone of the brilliant scientist, Ariane Emory, consolidating power and trying to discover who her friends and enemies are in a mish-mash of personal and professional politics that for an almost dizzying web around her. While this may sound like it is going to be a confusing labyrinth, rest assured, Ms Cherryh will deftly guide you through the tangled skein of alliances surrounding the prodigy and her coterie, and we can watch as Ari II and her friends slowly uncover the plots against Reseune with great interest. What is more intriguing still though, is the primary plot: Ari II must do all this while still trying to find the real mastermind behind the plot to kill Ari I.

I know what you are thinking: Hold the phone, didn't they solve that little mystery at the end of Cyteen? Well, apparently they were wrong, communism is just a red herring and the Sandman killed Uncle Ben by accident. Actually, it really isn't as bad as you think: Dennys Nye is still guilty, though not as guilty as originally thought, it's just that there is a larger conspiracy running in the background, and the military is to blame. Yes, that's right, the military is attempting to do some social engineering of their own by manipulating everyone into their own schemes of political and social control of the Union.

At this point, I bet that you are thinking that I must really have disliked this book, and herein lies the rub: as convoluted and unbelievable as the things I have just described will likely sound, in this book they really work! I have to hand it to Cherryh, I was turning every page, eager to find out more. When taken out of the context of the story, these events seem byzantine and woefully far-fetched as behavioral and social patterns, but Cherryh takes the threads and binds them together like a master weaver working a loom to produce a rich tapestry of character study, because that is what Regenesis really is at its heart.

THAC0: 15
This is a dense and difficult book, but well worth the effort that reading it entails. If you didn't read Cyteen you can likely get through Regenesis, but it is going to be rough going. This is not for the novice Science Fiction reader at all.

Turn Coat by Jim Butcher

2009-05-14T06:24:00.000-07:00

There is magic in the written word. Some authors can conjure wonders and terrors from every page they write, enchanting us with their prose much as a wizard would with a spell. One such warlock of the written word is Jim Butcher, National Bestselling author of The Dresden Files and Codex Alera series. Sadly, even the greatest of magicians occasionally flubs a trick.

Turn Coat, the most recent addition to the Dresden Files series pits Harry Dresden against his fellow wizards in a who-dunnit where he is trying to save the life of his chief antagonist among the Wardens, Morgan. Morgan, the paragon of morality and conservative feelings in the White Council has been accused of the murder of a prominent member of the Senior Council, and only Harry can help him. That's right, the Warden who has wanted to put Harry down like a rabid dog is forced to turn to Chicago's only wizard listed in the phone book for aid and comfort against traitors in the society of wizards. Sounds interesting and exciting, right? Well... sadly, it falls a bit flat.

The story itself is pretty standard, and Butcher does a great job of working with the characters, but there is something missing from this book. I can only look at it and think that what is missing from this book is a sense of spontaniety. What exactly do I mean by that? Well, in the past it always felt as though Harry was being pushed around by all of the major characters in the story and flying by the seat of his pants as events unfolded around him. This time it felt more like Harry was in control and pulling the strings to make everyone move like puppets on a string. Gone was the sense that most of the other characters knew something that Harry didn't, gone was the sense of fighting to work through a tangled web, and gone was the sense of one lone man fighting against the rising tide. Yes, Harry Dresden has always seemed to rely on his web of friends and associates, but in this book they seemed largely ineffectual and not terribly impactful; even Karrin Murphy and Thomas seemed to barely even be there.

So, what does this mean? Well, for starters it does not spell the end of the series. Every author, no matter how good, has the occasional off book. Perhaps part of the problem is that White Knight was so good that any book following it would pale in comparison. That being said, Turn Coat felt from the outset like it could have been a whole lot more than it was, and though there was quite a lot of fantastic drama and a fantastic plot, this really just did not feel like a Dresden novel. As far as it goes, though, it is still a great book.

THAC0: 12
Fans of Harry Dresden will like the most recent installment and will be looking for the next one as eagerly as I am, but less strident fans may decide to stop here.

Helix by Eric Brown

2009-05-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

The Earth is dying. Desertification, climate shifts, plagues, civil unrest, and war have wiped out most of humanity, and with less and less of the planet available for use in agriculture, humanity heads towards a crash. As a last ditch effort, the human race builds an ark staffed with the leading minds in all the fields needed to make a colony on a new world work. Sounds pretty standard, right? Guess again.

The colony ship crash lands on a constructed world that makes Niven's Ringworld look like a kid's toy, and the crew has to find a hospitable place for the 'cargo' to live while trying to survive the depredations of hostile environments, aliens, and technology that is beyond comprehension. Add to that the internal strife amongst the multi-national crewmembers, and you have the kind of pressure-cooker situation that can only lead to great drama. Wait a moment, though, because that is only one half of the story.

Meanwhile, on one of the levels of the Helix, one of the native races, which exists in a sort of perpetual Victorian level of technology, is undergoing some social disruptions. A powerful dirigible manufacturer is bucking against the constraints of the restrictive and dogmatic church that rules his homeland, and longs to explore the world. When they encounter another alien species, it throws their entire religious conceptualization of the universe into chaos and disorder, forcing the dirigible magnate to side with the aliens against his own people.

Now the story is as old as Rendezvou with Rama or Ringworld, but this is a great and powerful form for the classic story. Helix combines both concepts with a superb sense of character and story that are hallmarks of the Eric Brown style of science fiction. The characters, whether human or alien, are real and honest: just plain folks who do not seem forced, archetypical, or unrealistic. Much like Kethani, Helix explores more than just the normal tropes of science fiction, it turns the genre on and kicks it up a few notches. At once a bold human interest story and an action adventure story, Helix has something for every reader.

THAC0: 5
Unlike Kethan, which is more of a philosophical study in vignettes, Helix is a science fiction story in the grand traditions of the genre. Love, hate, life, death, morality, and survival are all on the board of fare, so buckle up and enjoy the ride.

*Note: I am grading things based on the old system of 'To Hit Armor Class 0' or THAC0 from Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. The idea is that the lower the number, the lower you need to roll to score a hit. In terms of my grade, the THAC0 is the number I believe, on a scale of 1-20, that I think this will be a hit with you, the reader. 1 means that I think that pretty much everyone will love this book/movie/show and 20 means that almost nobody will like it.

Kethani by Eric Brown

2009-05-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

It is a rare thing these days to find a science fiction novel that does not, at its heart, contain something sinister or subtly horrible about the unknown. Most science fiction these days focuses either on interstellar war, alien occupation of Earth, or vast conspiracies to enslave man or destroy the fundamental human spirit of adventure. With the melding of mystery and suspense tropes into mainstream science fiction, the genre has become at once becme a darker and more suspect place than at any time in its past. That is, until recently.

I must admit that I had never heard of Eric Brown before picking up his novels Helix and Kethani about two weeks ago. They seemed interesting and what few reviews were quoted on the cover seemed respectable rather than the normal hodgepodge of writer testimonials seen on most paperbacks, and so I decided to pick both books up. I read Helix first and found it entertaining, enjoyable, and imaginative, but generally typical of the type of action story made popular by Arthur C. Clark in Rama (though I think that Helix is a far more ambitious concept and a better book for it). When I picked up Kethani, though, I prepared myself for more of the same, but what I found was far more interesting.

Imagine, if you will, a world where an alien race has mysteriously appeared on Earth to give the human race functional immortality and the keys to life among the stars. Now imagine seeing the changes wrought by that action written across twenty years and seen through the eyes of common folk living out on the moors of Yorkshire in England. OK, now that you have that firmly in mind, imagine a series of individual stories told by members of a group of men and women who meet every Tuesday at the local pub to discuss life, the Kethani, death, ressurection, and their own personal stories of the world as it evolved.

This is far from the simple story one would suppose, however. No, there are no sinister evil plots, the resurrection technology does not turn folks into soylent green, there are no horrors from beyond, people are not experimented on or coerced into doing anything, and no, it is not a cook book. What complicates the story is what complicates common, ordinary, everyday folks: life, love, death, and decisions. The story is filled with personal anecdotes about a race coming of age and coming to grips with the changes engendered by the Kethani's gift. There is suspense in each story, but it is a suspense born of hopefulness rather than fear. Even the two great mystery stories in the book are less whodunnits and more along the lines of how do people cope with life and death in a world with immortality by proxy for those who choose to avail themselves of it.

430 pages of deep thought, philosophy, and high concept science fiction await you if you pick up Eric Brown's Kethani, and if that sort of thing appeals to you as much as it did to me, then I highly recommend that you grab a copy and gobble it up.

THAC0: 10
While this is a great book, not everyone will enjoy the stories, and the lack of action, adventure, or suspense really make this more a story for fans of philosophy, character development, and secular humanism than anything else.

*Note: I am grading things based on the old system of 'To Hit Armor Class 0' or THAC0 from the old Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. The idea is that the lower the number, the lower you need to roll to score a hit. In terms of my grade, the THAC0 is the number I believe, on a scale of 1-20, that I think this will be a hit with you, the reader. 1 means that I think that pretty much everyone will love this book/movie/show and 20 means that almost nobody will like it.

Tune in tomorrow when I review Helix, and keep your eyes open as I try to actually provide reviews all week long (after all, I have read a lot of books since January).

Review: Soon I Will Be Invincible by Justin Grossman

2009-01-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

For many of us, the world of comics is a strange and wonderful place filled with garishly beautiful pictures of muscular men and robust young women battling behemoths or vanquishing villains. In spite of its glorious technicolor, comic books and the entirety of the super-hero genre, seems somehow to be locked into a somewhat black and white mentality. Heroes are always the wunderkind who will save the world, or the damsel, from the manic machinations of morally-bankrupt megalomaniacs. The question is, who will save us from the overly formulaic super-story? Enter Justin Grossman.

Soon I Will Be Invincible is a study in contrasts. Told in alternating points of view, the novel follows budding New Champion member Fatale, a cyborg with some nifty gadgets, and Dr. Impossible, the world's smartest super-villain. Grossman does a great job shading in the shades of grey with these two unlikely protagonists, and the humor of the book cannot be denied, but what is it that sets Soon I Will Be Invincible apart from the other super-hero novels that have hit the stands in the last few years? Well, the answer is as complicated as the Rube Goldbergian super-science weapons that Dr. Impossible usesto try to take over the world, but it can simply be boiled down to the following: This is not a Villain Apologist piece.

What exactly do I mean by that, though? Well, in John Gardner's novel Grendel, for example, we are made to feel sympathy for the poor, misunderstood monster. This is what I mean by a Villain Apologist piece (Jaws wasn't evil, he was just hungry and it is a shark's nature to stalk lonely swimmers... right). At any rate, Grossman does not go out of his way to paint Dr. Impossible as a tragic figure (in fact, Dr. Impossible beats himself up and constantly second-guesses his decision to be a villain), and the fact that he is so smugly superior, obnoxious, and blinded by his own personal issues really keeps you from feeling that this is a misunderstood genius. Part of what makes this so much fun is the fact that you spend the entire book thinking that Dr. Impossible is the biggest stereotypical jerk villain on Earth, but he is just so interesting that you never want his sections to end.

On the flip side, you have Fatale. Now here is a character that starts off as fairly dull and uninteresting, and starts to shine mainly because the alleged super-heroes around her are an even bigger batch of jerks than Dr. Impossible on his worst day. The massive egos battling amongst themselves in the New Champions make for some entertaining fodder, but the simple fact that Fatale, the newest and least experienced of the lot, is the smartest, most observant, and generally most diplomatic person in the group makes for an interesting story.

OK, so here you have the two protagonists, each plagued by doubts and worries, wondering what it all means, and set up on opposite sides. The question is: how is it all going to work out? The answer is the one person that ties the whole story together Lily. The transparent woman from the future acts like a combination shepherd and traffic cop through the story, bridging the gap between heroes and villains, and her ultimate revelations at the end of the book put everything into perspectiveon both sides of the aisle. The question we must ask now is why? You will need to read the book, because I am certainly not answering that one here!

With all that said, most of you are asking, "Will I like this?" The answer, my friends, is that if you have ever thought that a super-hero film or comic book was silly or unrealistic, wondered why the villain was so predictable, wanted to watch the hero get his butt kicked, or just wanted a laugh at a super-hero's expense, then you will probably like this. Whether you love or hate comic books, this story will flat out knock your socks off with its zeta radiated goodness.

THAC0: 5

*Note: I am grading things based on the old system of 'To Hit Armor Class 0' or THAC0 from the old Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. The idea is that the lower the number, the lower you need to roll to score a hit. In terms of my grade, the THAC0 is the number I believe, on a scale of 1-20, that I think this will be a hit with you, the reader. 1 means that I think that pretty much everyone will love this book/movie/show and 20 means that almost nobody will like it.

Review: The Third Lynx by Timothy Zahn

2008-12-17T07:57:00.000-08:00

When last we left Frank Compton, he had successfully destroyed the Modhri and saved the universe... or so he thought. Races, chases, intrigue, murders, and a few good old switcheroos will leave the reader looking for more, and our friend Mr. Zahn delivers in a fantastically fun way.

Timothy Zahn's second entry into what I refer to as 'the Galactic Railway' series picks up almost exactly where the first book, Night Train to Rigel, left off. The first book, a charming story of an interstellar railway system run by beings known simply as 'The Spiders', used many Hitchcockian tropes to take our hero and his companions into a dangerous conflict with an alien called the Modhri. The second book is no less a life or death struggle, and contains no fewer surprises and references to Hitchcock than the first, but here the story ends in its similarity. Where in the first book, much of the story was spent on discovering who and what the villains of the piece were, now Frank is secure in his job working for the Spiders and their masters, and the Modhri is much diminished in power with its major colonies having been destroyed.

This is, by no means, the only difference to the two books. While Night Train to Rigel was heavily invested in Hitchcock references, The Third Lynx is more of an homage to Dashell Hammet's Maltese Falcon and Poe's Purloined Letter. Although the referents may be different, this in no way detracts from the story, and in fact it makes the book even stronger. The Third Lynx has a distinctly more noir feel to it, and it carries through with all of its ideas with a panache that beggars the imagination.

THAC0: 6

*Note: I am grading things based on the old system of 'To Hit Armor Class 0' or THAC0 from the old Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. The idea is that the lower the number, the lower you need to roll to score a hit. In terms of my grade, the THAC0 is the number I believe, on a scale of 1-20, that I think this will be a hit with you, the reader. 1 means that I think that pretty much everyone will love this book/movie/show and 20 means that almost nobody will like it.

In & Out on 12/15

2008-12-15T06:21:00.000-08:00

Another exciting week is over and a new one is just beginning. Last week saw action, adventure, excitement, and a distinct lack of Dewey decimal system usage by the Librarian as well as a whole lot more.

To start, last week had the distinct honor to have three fun SFSNNJ events in it. Suspense Central started the week with a visit from author E.J. Rand as we discussed his award winning first book Say Goodbye. Next was a holiday edition of our comics discussion group at New Moon Comics, Drawing a Crowd. Last (and most important) was our annual Face the Fiction Holiday Party featuring the NJ Devil Hunters Society and folklorist Sandy Schlosser (I won't go into how wonderful both groups are here since there is a much better review already written on our forums).

I managed to miss most of the cool TV entries last week, but I plan on catching up when I have a chance. For those that saw them, the new Heroes, Sarah Conner Chronicles, and 11th Hour were supposed to be good. I managed to catch up on an episode of Fringe that I missed, but was disappointed as they seem to be copying scripts from Strangeworld wholesale. TNT released its (alleged) final chapter in the Librarian series, but it seems likely that as interest has not abated in this franchise, there will be further films, though I have the feeling that they will be without Noah Wylie (I haven't seen it yet, so I cannot comment further).

In the theatres, The Day the Earth Stood Still yawned its way to the top. With a depressing $30M in boxoffice for the weekend, it is a massive let down from the $70M+ entries of both Quantum of Solace and Twilight from just a few weeks ago. Strangely both Twilight and Bolt seem to be holding their own in the 3rd and 4th slotseven after two weeks, though their box offices are distinctly unimpressive.

Coming up this week? New episodes of Sarah Conner and Chuck, and not much else on the tube. In theatres, expect to be excited by the Tale of Despereaux and we can look forward to Valkyrie and The Spirit coming next week. In the SFSNNJ< we will be at Panera on Route 17N in Ramsey on Wednesday for Films to come, where we can talk about the best and the worst of 2008 and beyond!

Review: Nightlife by Rob Thurman

2008-12-10T06:27:00.000-08:00

While browsing around the Borders in Ramsey the other day I stumbled across just such a book, and so I read through the beginning of the book. Ms Thurman, you had me rooted to the spot. I immediately bought all three of the current series (Nightlife, Moonlight, and Madhouse), and I did not even make it to my car when a friend of mine pilfered book one from my Borders bag. Considering that I am the literary version of a crack dealer in our group, I graciously allowed my friend Ann Marie to steal book one and read it ahead of me. First taste is free and all that.

So, you are asking, why all the excitement? Well, it is no mystery that there is a lot of modern fantasy going around night now. It started with characters like Anita Blake and expanded with the success of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files and Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood series which had both great books and TV shows. Now, the publishers cannot put out enough of these kinds of books. Authors like Simon Green are at the top of their game with this style, and newcomers like Mark delFranco are wow-ing readers across the board, but how do you separate the gold from the dross in this ever-expanding genre? Reviews, help, but it is more trial and error than anything else.

Now, on to why this book and series is so spectacular. Nightlife is the story of two half-brothers, Caliban and Niko, who are on the run and hiding out in New York. Sons of a gypsy fortune-teller, none know who Niko's father is, but Caliban's father is a monster. Not a John Wayne Gacy or Ted Bundy type monster, but a fangs, claws, and glowing red eyes kind of monster. A monster who wants his son for some reason known only to him. Enough about the set-up, though, let's get to the meat of the matter.

Nightlife is a great character study, and a wonderful introduction to the world that Rob Thurman is working in. Strangely, for a first book, Nightlife seems more like a second book, concentrating on character and story development more than the formulaic origin story that most first books tend to fall back on. Sure, the origin story is in there, but it is carefully woven into the narrative in flashbacks, and does not take up any significant part of the book. The main thrust of the story strikes directly into the relationship of the two brothers, and highlights all of their worst fears and horrors. The ensemble cast of Cal, Niko, and their new friend Robin Goodfellow (who remains my personal favorite) try desperately to do their parts in a story that is lager than any one of them. The fact that they all undergo massive changes and character development in the course of this book is a testament to the amazing work that Thurman is putting out.

If you are looking for style, substance, relatable characters, and horrifying scenes, then this is your one stop smorgasbord.

THAC0: 3

*Note: I am grading things based on the old system of 'To Hit Armor Class 0' or THAC0. The idea is that the lower the number, the better this is at being an actual hit in terms of game mechanics. In terms of my grade, the THAC0 is the number I believe, on a scale of 1-20, that I think this will be a hit with you, the reader. 1 means that I think that pretty much everyone will love this book/movie/show and 20 means that almost nobody will like it.

In & Out on 12/8

2008-12-08T13:36:00.000-08:00

Well, I apologize for the week off, so this will be an expanded, extended, exciting edition of In & Out for this week (actually I am lying through my teeth).

As December rolls into full blast, many shows go on hiatus, many groups go into hibernation, and many activities get put off in favor of Holiday celebrations and other fun stuff. Due to last week's hectic work schedule, the only thing I got to see was Heroes, and right now, I am even blanking on that. I do remember seeing the beginning of 11th Hour and was suitably unimpressed by that one (had something to do with the Bends). No noteworthy film releases last week, though the release of The Transporter 3 brought back memories of deja vu as we all watched Jason Statham perform the exact same film for the 3rd time.

What is coming up? Well, tonight at 8pm Deadly Ink Press's celebrated and award winning author EJ Rand will be joining us for burgers and murders at Fuddruckers in Paramus. We will be discussing his fantastic book Say Goodbye and maybe getting some glimpses into the sequels. Should be great. We also have continuing game campaigns, and, of course, the absolutely fantastic SFSNNJ Annual Holiday Party, which will feature folklorist Sandy Schlosser as well as members of the Jersey Devil Hunters Society. Details can be found at http://www.sfsnnj.com in the Face the Fiction section.

On the big screen, Keanu Reeves will be commanding the robot Gort to wipe humanity from the face of the Earth in the remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still. I plan on re-watching the original so I can see how far the new one falls short, since it seems to be a significant change in tone and concept from the original film (at least in the trailers).

Who knows what else the future holds? Not me, I'm way too busy!

Review: Paul of Dune

2008-11-26T08:01:00.000-08:00

Very rarely will I review an item I did not like. I much prefer to recommend things that I think are good and ignore things that I think are dreadful. In the case of Paul of Dune I am torn. While this was not a great book, neither too was it so awful that I would refuse to mention it. Perhaps, my review should simply be that I was disappointed by its mediocrity.

Paul of Dune is essentially a bi-polar book. There are two stories being told here, and while one is contemporary to the time period between Dune and Dune: Messiah, the other story is a flashback from the period prior to the original Dune series. The real meat (i.e. the enjoyable part of the story) is the tale of the initial transition of the House Atreides into the role of Imperial leaders and the beginnings of the Jihad. Sadly, the rest of the story is a tedious, unnecessary, and blatantly stupid subplot about Duke Leto getting married to the daughter of Armand of Ecaz.

Wait, you are saying, didn't we already do this? Yup. Remember the tedious prequels in the Houses of Dune series? Yeah, there was that really ridiculous War of Assassins between House Moritani and House Ecaz, and Leto's betrothed was murdered. Apparently she had a sister and Duke Leto was going to go through the marriage plans with the new girl, relegating Jessica to the role of 'the bit on the side'. All I can say is, "Why?" There is no apprent motivation or reason. Most of the rest of this subplot is equally ludicrous.

Meanwhile, we have a pretty good story about the Court of Paul Muad'dib and his Jihad. We watch as Gurney and Stilgar try to ride the tiger of the fanatical Jihadis, showing us exotic battlefields and amazing scenes. The Court scenes are equally impressive as we watch Alia earn her props as a political insider and leader in waiting. One thing that I really liked is the portrayal of loyal and noble Irulan, and her relationships with her estranged family who are exiled to Salusa Secundus. The scenes with Shaddam and Wensicia are well done, as are many of the scenes between Hasimir Fenring and Paul. Sadly, the whole education of Marie Fenring among the Bene Tleilax is handled poorly and resembles the flashback in structure and style (i.e. poorly thought out and badly plotted).

So, what do I really think about this one? It is good, but it is basically two different books badly welded together with only the thinnest of plot devices. It seems fairly certain that the flashback sequences were likely supposed to be a last novel in the Houses series, while most of the Jihad-era material was obviously inspired by Frank Herbert's original notes and story outlines. Fans of the Dune books will enjoy this latest entry (for the most part), but will likely skim through the flashback sections since they are the literary version of The Phantom Menace.

THAC0: 14

*Note: I am grading things based on the old system of 'To Hit Armor Class 0' or THAC0. The idea is that the lower the number, the better this is at being an actual hit in terms of game mechanics. In terms of my grade, the THAC0 is the number is believe on a scale of 1-20 that I think this will be a hit with you, the reader. 1 means that I think that pretty much everyone will love this book/movie/show and 20 means that almost nobody will like it.

In & Out 11/24

2008-11-24T10:38:00.000-08:00

Well, ithas been another crazy week with a ton of really cool things going in and on and around. In the SFSNNJ we celebrated the works of Ian Fleming during Tripping the Write Fantastic at Borders Garden State Plaza with an in-depth discussion of Fleming's books and the Eon movies, and at Films to Come we talked moview, movies, movies late into the night.

In film, Twilight hit the box office like a ton of bricks, and though the Blonde Bond managed to hold onto the number 2 slot it's box office draw dropped more than $50M dollars coming in barely ahead of Disney's Bolt. Fans of animated pictures were evenly divided between the aforementioned Bolt and Dreamworks' Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa.

On the television, fans of True Blood watched the season finale and reveled in the conclusion of the story. Though several aspects were changed for better TV storytelling, the first season was remarkably close to the first book, and the end of the season pretty much mirrors the start of the second book. Kudos to the cast and crew for a brilliant series, and for following Ms Harris' story so well!

This week we have a holiday that is throwing the works off, but we do have a topic discussion on Tuesday, Themes of the Fantastic at 8pm at New Moon Comics in Little Falls. Tonight on NBC is another new Heroes episode, however there is a lot of dead air on TV, and no new or notable SF-related films coming to the theatres. It looks like this might be a good week to sit back and study up on Star Trek for the May movie.

Chapter 1 - Stars End

2008-11-20T21:13:00.000-08:00

They called it the frontier. It wasn't. A frontier is more than just the edge of the map, it was the jumping off point for exploration, it was vital, alive, and dynamic. Sure, most frontiers were hardscrabble, desolate, and not terribly impressive, but it couldn't be argued that people still wanted to go there. This place was none of those things. Sure it was the edge, but it was more periphery than frontier. There was no further expansion from here because there was no place to expand to. Nobody wanted to come here, in fact most people wanted to leave, and the word dynamic could hardly be applied. All in all, it was less a frontier than backwater, and although it lay on the outermost edge of our galaxy it could hardly even be considered a border area.

The place was the Lupus Cluster, better known as the Wolf Worlds, a nomme de guerre that seemed more than aptly appropriate. Located far in the Galactic north, anti-spinward of the great human capitol at Terra, this meager cluster of stars huddled together on the underbelly of the Milky Way, clinging to the local galaxy like piglets to a sow. Now that I think about it, that is probably the most apt description of this backwater pesthole I am likely to find. Not that the small star cluster was all bad, it did have its high points.

I stared again into the empty shotglass on the table. The liquor that it had formerly held was the obvious fuel for my ruminations, and now that the last drop was drained, I felt that I should probably stop philosophizing about what a crummy place the Wolf Worlds were and get on with my business. Having taken my liquid courage to dhore me up, it was on to work.

Looking up from my empty glass I scanned the bar once again. I already knew what was there, but it didn't hurt to reconfirm it. Three slender humans sat at one table, a happy looking sat at another, the third was taken up by an arguing pair of bhur'tashk, and the bar held tulosh and another three humans in addition to myself. The short, blond haired lass behind the bar caught me looking one of the humans at the end of the bar, quirked an eyebrow and asked in the local dialect if I wanted to send him a drink. I smiled and replied, "Not my type."

The blond bartender pulled a serving wand out from under the bar, and moved to refill my glass. Before she had even half completed the action I had my hand held over the glass in the universal sign of 'no more please', and it was then that I realized my blunder. My hand, my dominant gun hand, was now way out of position, sloppily held to prevent the refill of my drink by a woman who was obviously doing this for just such a reason.

I cursed, trying to pull myself back into position as my target, gun in hand began to draw on me. I recognized what was going to come next, and instead of straightening up to at least try and draw, I dove away from the bar, deeper into the restaurant. Well, at least I tried to.

I must have telegraphed the move a bit too much, and the bartender, who I was beginning to suspect did not work here at all, reached out and grabbed my wrist in a vice-like grip. The bones grinded together painfully, and I fell back against the bar.

Desperate to get out of my quarry's line of fire, I grabbed at the nearest patron with my free hand. Luckily, it was the young tulosh, whose canine features were already snarling into an ugly rictus as he grabbed at his pistol. Without paying any heed to the action around him, the seven foot tall, black caninoid swiped backwards at me, and I pulled my captured wrist up and into the line of attack, hoping the bartender would release it to avoid being clawed. She did, and I got lucky again as the swipe hit me on the armorweave instead of the flesh.

The big alien completed his swing, turning to face me, and I, finally free, dove for the floor as my target opened fire with a Teiger Mark IV flechette pistol. Nasty weapon, that, and probably illegal as all hell for a civilian to be lugging around. Luckily I had a Yanov 51 long pistol, and it was even now clearing its holster as my mark started to spray monofiliment needles across the area of the bar that I had recently occupied. A few shot whistled into the angered tulosh, and a few hit the bartender. I was just thankful that none hit me.

I hit the floor with a thud, the Yanov finally up and out, and I returned fire. I knew where the dumb bastard was standing, and while I couldn't see him, I could bet on where he was moving to to get a better position to end my life. Not likely, pal. I pulled the long pistol's trigger twice, and two bursts of fire belched from the gun. The first blew a hole clear through the bar, the second cut my target off at the knees, literally.

There was screaming all around me as I rolled onto my back to plant one into the face of the snarling bartender. As I continued to shift my aim, the tulosh decided that though his honor my be wounded, taking on a crazy human with a Yanov long pistol was a bit more than was necessary to restore it. The tulosh were many things, but suicidal was not among their racial traits.

The room was a whirling mass of chaos as I rose from the floor and yelled, "Everyone get down on the floor. I am an Imperial Arbiter, on official duties, and I will judge disobedience harshly."

Things quieted down pretty fast right about then. Nobody really wanted to mess with an official Arbitration, and the scary though of being held accountable by a man who was judge, jury, and executioner was more than these civilians wanted to face.

My target was wimpering and scrabbling in vain for the Teiger that he must have dropped when he fell. I stared hard into his eyes as I rounded the bar, raised my pistol, and solemnly intoned, "Arbiter Ramilles Jones hereby passes sentence of death on Charles Onassis for the crimes of treason, assaulting an officer, and other various and sundry vicious acts in keeping with his obviously low character," I paused a moment, pulled the trigger, and continued, "Gods, I need a drink."

Sadly, the bartender was already dead. Figures. Another day in the life of the long arm of the law...

Review: Event by David Lynn Goleman

2008-11-19T21:20:00.000-08:00

First, I apologize for the late posting of this, normal work excuse to follow.

When I see a tale set in modern times with a strong conspiracy-theory backdrop, I generally roll my eyes and await the trite and overdone Black Helicopter/Evil Government Cover-up/Waco/Ruby Ridge ranting that is endemic to the genre of speculative fiction. Luckily for me, this particular book is not done in that vein. At all. In fact, Event, attempts to humanize and explain why some of these things need to be taken care of with discretion. Don't think that David Lynn Goleman is going to handle you with kid gloves, though, because this is an author who likes to sucker-punch the reader with great surprises and really amazing ideas.

The first question that you are likely to ask is, "What is Todd talking about?" Well, I am talking about the first book in the Event Group series by David Lynn Goleman. This first story is a traditional series opener that sets the scene and the stage for the upcoming drama by throwing the new guy in the group into the deep end of the pool. Anyone who has seen a TV series on the SciFi channel (Sanctuary, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Farscape, Strangeworld, etc) is familiar with this formula and knows how it goes. Luckily, Mr. Goleman has seen those shows too, and knows that we knows how this is supposed to play out, so he tries to have fun with it and make it entertaining. Thankfully, he succeeds. The SciFi channel wishes it could put together a show so thoroughly engrossing as this book was.

At any rate, what about the story? The novel Event takes place in contemporary times and features characters who work for a secret department in the US Government, Department 5656, which is (on paper) an adjunct to the national archives. The real task of Department 5656 is the acquisition of artifacts and the learning of history on a grand scale so we can avoid that fate warned of by Santa Ana. From Noah's Ark to the corpse of King Arthur, the Event Group, as Dept 5656 is known, collects it all; sending super-scientists and US Armed Forces Special Ops teams on globe-trotting adventures. According to the leaders of the Group, no other nation has the same kind of set-up, and one of the tasks of the Group is not only to preserve these ancient relics, but to learn from them and study them, keeping them secret if they may cause too great an uproar in modern society.

Of course, all this leads us to one of their finds that 'got away': the debris and alien artifats from Roswell, NM! Sorry, no real spoiler here, the book starts of with the stealing of the Roswell artifacts from the Event Group team in 1947. The question is: what does that have to do with the plot of the book? Well, history has a way of repeating itself, and apparently the crash at Roswell was no mere accident, but the opening shot in a planned invasion. The original crash is replicated by the aliens in exact detail, with the sole deviation that a wing of US Navy F-14's open fire on one of the two flying saucers, causing both to crash. What happens next is a fast-paced, high impact thrill ride that will leave you gasping for breath at the end of each chapter.

If you are looking for a book with good solid science, action, adventure, monsters, depraved aliens, friendly aliens, more monsters, gun battles, car chases, espionage, big monsters, assassinations, strip clubs, archeology, spelunking, fighter planes, high tech gadgets, more nifty science, and more monsters, then this is the book for you. If you don't like those things, then perhaps I could recommend something a bit tamer.

THAC0: 5

*Note: I am grading things based on the old system of 'To Hit Armor Class 0' or THAC0. The idea is that the lower the number, the better this is at being an actual hit in terms of game mechanics. In terms of my grade, the THAC0 is the number is believe on a scale of 1-20 that I think this will be a hit with you, the reader. 1 means that I think that pretty much everyone will love this book/movie/show and 20 means that almost nobody will like it.

In & Out on 11/17

2008-11-17T06:22:00.000-08:00

Well, this past week saw two great events for the Science Fiction Society of Northern New Jersey as Suspense Central discussed Breakaway by Joel Shepherd and Drawing a Crowd discussed a plethora of super-hero secret agents. Both events showed a lot of interest, and cool writeups can be found on the SFSNNJ Yahoo Group.

In the box office, James Bond shot his way to the top with over 0070 Million Dollars as Quantum of Solace made its debut. While there was a lot of nay-saying about Daniel Craig as the Blonde Bond, the proof is in the pudding. The only concern we are seeing now is 'Is Bond becoming too much like Bourne?' Since the new series has lost the emphasis on gadgets and nifty gizmos, its appearance has become somewhat similar. Having not seen Quantum of Solace yet, I can only say that Casino Royale seemed a faithful retelling of the original story (where things made sense, they kept them, and where they didn't make sense they were changed and updated), so I can only hope to say the same about this one.

On TV, new episodes of Heroes returned with a vengeance, and we saw a bit more back story on the main cast, and True Blood keeps up the awesome pace. Though many have complained about the sort of bland storylines we are getting in Heroes, I am still enjoying the show, and watching how the back story shaped up was an interesting idea in the last episode. On another front, Fringe continues to entertain, though I still maintain that Strange World was a better series. True Blood is yet another unstoppable Alan Ball/HBO juggernaut and I hope that we get 10 seasons of this, following the books as closely as they can, and inspiring the redoubtable Charlaine Harris to even greater heights!

In Gaming news, last week saw the announcement by Topps that it would be discontinuing its popular WizKids brand. This means that popular games such as HeoClix, HorrorClix, and others will no longer be put out by Topps. If no other companies evince any interest in these products, then they will sadly pass into memory. At present, only Wizards of the Coast really has the capability to take over the WizKids brands seamlessly, but the question is: would they? Wizards recently decided to cancel its D&D Skirmish game in favor of producing miniatures solely for support of its Role-Playing Game product, Dungeons & Dragons 4.0, so the question must be asked.

As we enter the third week of Secret Agent Month, the SFSNNJ is gearing up for some more fun and excitement. This week we have a great line-up for all you spy-lovers. Monday there are new episodes of Heroes and The Sarah Conner Chronicles. Tuesday we present Tripping the Write Fantastic at 8pm in Borders at the Garden State Plaza discussing Ian Fleming, master of the espionage novel and creator of Bond, James Bond. Wednesday, Barry Weinberger leads a discussion of film at the Borders in Ramsey at 8pm, and will undoubtedly discuss the Blonde Bond's new movie. Thursday, join our Heroes and Rogues gaming group for a round of D&D Miniatures Skirmish at New Moon Comics in Little Falls, NJ. Friday has new episodes of a plethora of Science Fiction shows like Ghost Whisperer, Sanctuary, and Crusoe (which isn't really SF or Fantasy, but is a lot of fun) as well as gaming at Reality's Edge in North Arligton and New Moon Comics in Little Falls, which both regularly present Friday Night Magic. See you around!

New Frontiers at the SFSNNJ

2008-11-12T10:20:00.000-08:00

Greetings Friends,

As you can see it has been a really long time since I have had a chance to update this Blog, and I apologize for that. Sadly, work has been pushing me a lot harder than I would like, and I have needed to take a break from writing here. Luckily, my time is now my own again, and I am hoping to begin updating regularly starting on Friday, starting with some new ideas. Starting 11/17 the schedule will be:

Mondays: Week to Come, Week in Review - where I discuss SFSNNJ events and other topics that affect the SF community including movies, TV shows, books, DVD releases, and more. I will also feature an abbreviated Todd's Top Ten like I used to.

Wednesdays: Reviews - where I review a book, movie, TV show, or SF-related topic. I will try to keep this in-line with what is going on in the SFSNNJ, but I don't guarantee anything,

Fridays: Story - A new serial story series (sorry to those who were enjoying the old one, but I have been away from it for too long and have lost momentum there).

Here's to hoping that I can keep up with this. To the FUTURE!

She, Robot

2008-05-21T06:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the future. It is a time when humanity is divided over the questions of technological ethics and the concept of biotechnological research. Factions vie for prominence across the length and breadth of the stars, and the war between the League and the Federation has widened the rift between opposing doctrines. Welcome to the future as envisioned by Joel Shepherd.

Joel Shepherd, a native of Australia, brings us an interesting vision of things to come in the far future. The most interesting thing: people are still fighting over the same things that they are squabbling over now. Do humans have the right to create truly artificial life? Today the argument is over cloning, in Shepherd's Cassandra Kresnov series, the issue is General Issue Artificial Humans, better known as GIs.

So what is the big deal about GIs? The issue is less clear than one would assume. The League believes that technology is technology and is a tool for the betterment of man, while the Federation believes that technology must be used responsibly. The core disagreement over GIs is that the League views them as tools and the Federation views them as people who have no say in who and what they are. The Federation has banned the use and development of GIs and GI -related technology, while the League uses their GIs to figh the war.

OK, so now that we understand the crux of the disagreement, it is time to focus on the key character in this series: Cassandra Kresnov. Cassandra is a high designation League GI that has gone AWOL in order to defect from the League and become a productive citizen of the Federation. Cassandra pretends to be a normal human and emigrates to the Federation world of Callay where she interviews with a series of biotechnology firms hoping to get a job. Unfortunately for Cassandra, her secret is know to members of the Federal Investigations Agency, and she is abducted and experimented on only to be rescued by Callay's own SWAT Lieutenant Vanessa Rice.

Although placed under arrest due to her biomechanical nature, Cassandra, tries as hard as she can to help and cooperate with the Callay Intelligence Agency (CIA). Eventually, while enroute to hearings being held to determine her status, Sandy gets her chance to shine. There is an assassination attempt on Callay's President, and the only reason that it does not succeed is because Cassandra is in the right place to thwart the attempt. The action and intrigue spin out of control from that point on, with Sandy and Vanessa taking the lead in guiding Callay through a series of momentous crises.

The inherent question of the series: a philosophical analysis of the classic 'I think therefore I am' statement goes deeper into than one might think. The pivotal decision that comes before the players in this little drama is whether or not a GI which can think for itself can really rebel against all of her programming and become something else. There is a great scene early in the book where Cassandra explains that she likes art, and when asked why, she in turn asks why anyone likes art: it makes her feel. Cassandra has all the benefits of being a superstrong android (though she hates that term), and could probably give the Terminator a run for its money, but she really wants to give up war and fighting for a more peaceful existence.

Philip K. Dick asked Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and caused quite a stir, but Joel Shepherd asks: can an android be more than the sum of its programming? Can a machine evolve? If it does, will it be more like us, or less? With the Terminator series of movies we have seen the evolution of machine intelligence as a frightening Frankenstein's monster paradigm. Shepherd shows us that maybe, just maybe, we can make something more human than human. It is a great concept, a great series, and a great question.

Top Ten Rebels

2008-05-19T07:34:00.000-07:00

Whether they are storming the capitol on Coruscant, leading the Fremen against the Sardaukar, or just plain running for your life to escape a mandatory death sentence, there is something about a rebel that makes us all sit up and take notice. It doesn't matter who, how, or why, we love our rebels and we admire their guts in standing up against the forces of oppression to fight for what they believe in. This month the Science Fiction Society of Northern New Jersey salutes the rebels in all of their glory, and so I give you the top ten Rebels of all time!

10 - Madmartigan - Scoundrel, thief, and heroic swordsman, Madmartigan burst onto screens in the 1988 Ron Howard fantasy epic Willow and made an indelible impression on all of us. In the battle against the wicked Queen Bavmorda, nothing could be done without this grinning paragon of self-interest, and in the novels that followed the film (Shadow Moon, Shadow Dawn, and Shadow Star by Chris Claremont) Madmartigan continues to flourish and rise to ever greater prominence.

9 - Lady Sula - The Praxis is truth, and this pauper turned high Lady through identity theft knows it only too well. It is through the Dread Empire of the Shaa's dogmatic devotion to the Praxis that 'Lady Sula' maintain the charade of her nobility, but when the last Shaa dies and the Dread Empire fractures into warring sects, Lady Sula fights for the very system that kept her down as a child. Her role as the leader of the loyalist guerillas on rebel occupied Zanshaa marked her as a brilliant mind, an able leader, and one of the few examples of conformist rebellion available.

8 - Cassandra Kresnov - Domo arigato Miss Roboto! The League General Issue (GI) artificial human, Cassandra Kresnov is clever, beautiful, and very deadly. Designed for war, built to lead other, lower designation GI's, and sent on mission after mission with death and destruction all around her, Cassandra rebelled against her creators and fled to the anti-GI Federation. Although most Federation citizens view her as nothing more than a machine, Cassandra has found some acceptance on the world of Callay, where the debate over her rights and life have taken a far different tone. Joel Shepherd weaves an intriguing series of well-thought out espionage stories featuring a brilliant cast of diverse characters.

7 - David Valentine - What do you do when aliens who suck blood and life energy conquer your planet? David Valentine (E.E. Knight's Vampire Earth series) joins the ranks of Free Humanity and fights the good fight against the conquerors. The problem is that it is not just the aliens that he must deal with. The Quislings (humans who assist the Kurian Overlords and their Reapers) are the biggest threat that Valentine must face, and killing humans is a far different prospect from shooting Bug-eyed Monsters. Brilliantly written, this story highlights people, places, and story in a way that is hard to forget.

6 - Sten - Alan Cole and the late Chris Bunch brought us the convict turned spy turned soldier turned pilot, turned politician turned rebel named Sten. Set in a far future ruled by the Eternal Emperor whose monopoly on AM2 (a newer, more powerful version of Anti-Matter) guarantees him rulership of the universe. Sten starts off as the Emperor's loyal servant, confidant, and friend, but eventually the Emperor changes (after he returns from the dead following a successful assassination attempt), and Sten is forced to overthrow the man who once ruled with wisdom and intelligence. Sten is a great character whose life and times are as amazing as you are likely to find.

5 - Merlin Athrawes/Nimue Alban - Why is it that aliens are always wiping out the human race? In this new story from David Weber we still have no answer to that question, but we do know that Humans, much like cockroaches, are hard to stamp out. After the Terran Confederation falls to the Gbaba (and the races is presumed to be extinct) one lonely, backwards colony is left to carry on the fight. The problem is that the colonials abandoned all technology in an effort to hide from the bloodthirsty aliens. Nimue Alban takes on the identity of Merlin Athrawes and begins to establish new technology on the Luddite world, rebelling against the Church and the governments of this planet.

4 - Roy Batty - "Why come to Earth? That's unusual..." says Rick Deckard of the Replicants that have attempted to wrest the secrets of their incept dates from their inventors in the film version of Philip K. Dick's classic novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (Blade Runner). Batty is a rebel with a cause: he wants to live more than the four years allotted to him, and will stop at nothing to break out of the role that has been forced on him by construction and programming.

3 - The Rebel Alliance - Star Wars' key players in the fight to overthrow the tyranny of Emperor Palpatine and the Galactic Empire is probably the most well-known organization of insurgents ever. From the fight to destroy the first Death Star to the battle of Endor, Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, Lando, C-3PO, and R2-D2 lead the battle and strike a blow for freedom.

2 - Owen Deathstalker - Who is the most dangerous man in the galaxy? A paunchy historian with a family history of political plotting and betrayals, that's who. At the start of the series, Owen Deathstalker is a middle aged historian who wants nothing more than to be left alone. Unfortunately, his family has information that the Empress wants, and so she has him outlawed, hoping that he will lead her to the secrets that he does not even know that he knows. Big mistake. This action leads to the largest uprising in the Empire of Humanity's history, and the overthrow of Lionstone XIV. Simon R. Green weaves a fantastic tale where space opera meets H.P. Lovecraft.

1 - Paul 'Muad'dib' Atreides - Another reluctant rebel, the visionary prophet Paul Atreides, the Kwiszatch Haderach, is the epitome of the desert revolutionary. Leading his Fremen against the Harkonnen invaders and their allies, the Imperial Sardaukar, Paul must use his visions of the future to shape a new, better Empire. Frank Herbert's exciting novel, Dune, tells the tale in a larger than life way that makes one think about the truth of the prophecies and the power of one important substance. The spice must flow!

Update

2008-05-16T08:13:00.000-07:00

Greetings to all of you out there. I apologize for my lack of updates, but my job has unfortunately kept me very busy. Luckily I am planning on resuming proper updates next week. In the mean time, to fit in with our Rebels and Revolutionaries theme I will bring you an exciting 'What If' scenario from Star Wars a New Hope (we discussed Star Wars Infinities on Wednesday so it is fresh in my mind).

What if Tarkin had waited until his scouts reached Dantooine to destroy Alderaan? The story would have unfolded much differently. Luke, Han, Chewie, Ben, and the droids would have landed on Alderaan just before the news of the lack of a base on Dantooine reached Tarkin. The Grand Moff then decides to show Leia that he is serious by destroying Alderaan's moon (a move that would still cause the deaths of millions as well as a having a massive impact on Alderaan itself). He would then turn to Leia and calmly explain that her homeworld would be next if she was not more forthcoming.

Meanwhile on the planet, the heroes, along with Bail Organa and some loyal retainers make a run for Yavin. The Falcon is heavily damaged during the escape, but manages to make it to Yavin well ahead of the Death Star's scout ships. The defenders attack the scouts and one is captured, revealing that Princess Leia is a captive aboard the Death Star. The Rebels realize that they have very little time to act and dispatch a commando squad aboard the Millenium Falcon (Han and Chewie having been paid handsomely for their services and promised more money for the rescue of the Princess) with orders to rescue the Princess and cripple the battlestation while the rest of the rebel forces prepare to evacuate.

Tarkin determines that the Princess is too valuable a hostage to keep around and prepares to transfer her to Coruscant under the direct supervision of Darth Vader. As they are preparing the transfer, the surviving scouts return announcing that the Rebels are on Yavin IV. Seeing that the Princess has been truthful, Tarkin immediately orders that a course be set for Alderaan. At this point the Falcon arrives, and Vader advises Tarkin to take the ship aboard as he has sensed the presence of Obi Wan Kenobi and believes that he is aboard the ship that escaped the system earlier and had been reported as blasting out of Mos Eisley. The Death Star captures the Falcon, and Obi Wan remains on the main deck to distract Vader while the commandoes and heroes hide out below in the smuggling hold. Ben springs into action, engaging in a running duel with Vader as he draws off the Imperials into the cargo bay and then deeper into the station. The Rebels infiltrate while all eyes are on the Jedi vs Sith duel with one team going to disable the power systems for the tractor beam, a second going to sabotage the superlaser, and the heroes headed to free Leia (after all, Han has a contract to execute).

The commandos execute their plans and head back to the Falcon, as do the heroes, and they arrive in time to watch Obi Wan die at the hands of his former apprentice. Luke is sad. The bombs detonate, causing minor damage to the reactor and the superlaser, but Tarkin is now enraged and orders the Death Star to Yavin to exterminate the remaining Rebels. Vader, angry that Obi Wan tricked him away from the Falcon, and pushes the technicians as quickly as he can to repair the planet killing weapon. As he pushes harder\, he realizes that he sensed another presence during the fight: his son and daughter! Finally understanding that Palpatine had lied about his wife's death, Vader suffers a crisis of conscience and Obi Wan appears to explain the facts of life to him (including the fact that Yoda is on Dagobah). Vader realizes his mistake and determines to finish the job that the Rebels started and sets several thermal detonators around the station. When they arrive on Yavin, Vader launches his TIE Fighter and detonates the bombs, crippling the Death Star's defenses and opening the way for his son and the Rebels to attack the station, finally destroying it.

Vader joins the Rebels, reveals the truth to Luke and Leia, and offers to help them overthrow the Emperor. He provides them with training, unfortunately, once a Sith, always a Sith: Vader secretly plans to kill Palpatine and assume the throne with his children at his side, so he trains them in the Sith arts. Vader and the Rebels manage to get to Coruscant and into the Imperial presence, eventually defeating the guards and the Emperor. Vader reveals his true ambition to his children, and they decide to follow his advice (after all, he is father and mentor), and they rule the Galaxy as one big happy family. Han Solo, who has been paid a whole lot of money, pays off Jabba and has more than enough cash remaining to fix the Falcon up better than new.

Top Ten Anime

2008-04-07T06:35:00.000-07:00

Animation month continues, and in spite of my irregular posting schedule, I really am trying to keep up. I hope to be able to return to regular Monday/Wednesday/Friday postings this week, though I am not holding my breath for obvious reasons. This week our Drawing a Crowd comic, manga, and anime group will be focusing on a classic, Akira. Given that, I thought that maybe this week, I would look to the far East for inspiration, and focus on the world of Anime for my Todd's Top Ten.

Top Ten Animated Science Fiction Characters

2008-03-31T11:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the gates of April. This month it is an all Anime extravaganze at the SFSNNJ, with the topics ranging from Anime and Manga, to original novels that were adapted to the screen and much more. While I am not as much of an Anime fan as some of my friends (you know who you are), I do still know a few things. This list will feature characters in books and films that have made the leap to animated features and TV shows.

10 - The crew of the Enterprise - That's right, Star Trek the animated series. It was fun, it was cool, and it went where no TV show could. When Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the rest of the crew made the transition into the 2D world, it was with great fanfare and cool episodes, proving that even Shatner could be animated with style.

9 - That Rats of N.I.M.H. - Robert C. O'Brien's brilliant tale of rats who have been given near human intelligence by tinkering human scientists made the leap from page to screen in the 1980's, and showed us that we needed to take responsibility for our curiosity. Although the Don Bluth film changes many elements of the story from the book, it is never-the-less still an excellent adaptation of this powerful story.

8 - Fiver and Hazel - Richard Adams tale of the hardships of a group of rabbits attempting to start afresh after the destruction of their warren made its bog screen debut to much interest, and managed to show that the British are able animators as well as voice actors. Well treated and respectful of the original work, the film version of Watership Down is considered a classic even today.

7 - Rowf and Snitter - Plague Dogs by Richard Adams is another brilliant film adaptation of animals with human traits. Even more different from the book, the movie version of Plague Dogs features an ending that is far bleaker, but actually a bit more satisfying than the ine in the book.

6 - Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne's classic fat little stuffed bear made the leap to the screen care of Disney Studios, but is the animated version truly superior to the original Shepard illustrations? Many say yes, but the truth is that both are excellent pieces of art in their own right, and the animated Disney version remains as popular today as it was in the 1960's.

5 - Arthur Pendragon and Merlin - Another animated classic brought to us by the talent at Disney, The Sword in the Stone, and one of the more classically inspired stories of its time. Disney's treatment of the classic tale of young Arthur growing up to the point where the mere boy pulls the sword from the stone to claim his birthright is fun and inventive.

4 - Neo - The Matrix has spawned a huge number of professional and amateur animated shorts and features. The version that springs most to mind is the DVD collection entitled The Animatrix, which featured a myriad of new works by noted directors and voice actors.

3 - Juan "Johnny" Rico - Many people disparaged the film adaptation of the classic science fiction novel by Robert Heinlein, but Starship Troopers really found its niche when it transitioned into an animted series called Roughnecks. Though there are still many deviations from the book, and the politics of the universe are mostly glossed over, it is still a great version of this classic story.

2 - Taran - While most people find it odd to have the hero fo the story be a Wizard's assistant pig-keeper, it is this youth that makes the story so interesting in Lloyd Alexander's The Prydain Chronicles. While the Disney feature film conflates several characters and books, condensing them into the animated film, The Black Cauldron, it was still a great, fun fantasy film with some monumentally scary moments for kids. While it does not follow the story set by Alexander, it does follow the tone and style of Alexander's original works.

1 - Bilbo Baggins - Try topping the animated version of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, I dare you. Well drawn, well voiced, and very faithful to the original story, The Hobbit shows how wonderful a faithful adaptation of the original work.

Dread Empire's Fall

2008-03-24T07:54:00.000-07:00

OK, it has been a while since i actually did a three update week, but I swear that I am going to get back into the habit of doing this the right way.

Recently I had the opportunity to read through the current three novels of Walter John Williams' Science Fiction series Dread Empire's Fall. These books have been winking at me from the shelves of teh Science Fiction section for a while now, but I have been hesitant to pick them up, if only becuase I did not want to fall into another giant SF series. Luckily for me, I bought the first two books at Borders in Wayne during their store closing sale.

The series takes place about ten thousand years from now. Humans and several alien species have been living under the rule of an alien species calle the Shaa for milennia. Any sources of innovation and free thought have been ruthlessly suppressed for generations, and the Shaa have employed horrific weapons to ensure the continued obedience and loyalty of their servant species. Over the Empire's 12,000 years, the ideals of the Shaa, as embodied in a document of law called the Praxis, have become the ideals of the client species. Unfortunately, the last of the Shaa has decided to end its immortal life (presumably the rest of the Shaa had done so over the course of time leading up to this point).

The problem is that the Empire is kind of like a bonsai tree, and has been shaped and molded to the specifications of the Shaa over many generations. The vacuum of power left behind by the last Shaa has been filled by the bureaucratic Convocation of Peers, who rule as any collective would. one of the client races, the Naxids, decides that it is up to them to restore a proper heirarcy with one species on top, taking the place of the Shaa in the Empire. As they were the first conquered species, the Naxids decide that they are best equipped to run the Empire.

This series follows the course of the Rebellion of the Naxids and the careers of several very interesting characters. All of the story is told following the exploits of Gareth Martinez, younger son of a very welathy, but not prestigious family of Peers from the Empire's furthest provinces, and his on-again off-again lover Caoline, Lady Sula, last survivor of the high ranking Sula clan, whose Peerage is second only to two or three other families of humans. The rub is that Sula is not quite whom she says she is, and Gareth is an overly romantic fellow who does not understand the problems that the Lady Sula seems to have with their relationship. Set against the backdrop of this vast war (which is the first war ever fought between fleet of similar technology as well as the first combat that the fleet has seen in over 1000 years), the romance, politics, and interpersonal maneuvering make this series really stand out.

Throughout the series we watch as the political wrangling of the Convocation, which is attempting to run the war themselves, and whose armchair general practices lead the Empire into blunder after blunder, and we can see exactly how the galaxy has come to this dreadful pass. Through the techings of the Praxis, everyone knows that one the tried and true ideas of old are worthwhile and practicable, and thus the tactical innovations practiced by Lord Martinez and Lady Sula are looked at with disdain as being one step short of heresy. It is interesting to watch as the political interplay unfolds in the story, and how the characters are treated by an Empire that should be very grateful to have their service.

I tore through these books very quickly, and that is a testament to how much I enjoyed them as well as the ease and accessability of the writing. Walter John Williams has done an excellent job, and I look forward to reading some of his other works when I have some more time.

Top Ten Disaster Scenarios

2008-03-24T06:49:00.000-07:00

Whether it is plagues, giant asteroids, demons, alien weapons, nuclear war, or undead menace, the Apocalypse is never complete without its own special brand of horrible happenings. Over the years we have seen movies and books portray cataclysmic events in ever more interesting fashions, but still the method of our destruction remains pretty much confined to a few plausible choices.

10 - Alien Invasion - I think that most of us are picturing the incredibly ridiculous movie Independence Day on this one. It is not the only example of Aliens committing genocide and wiping out the human race, but it is one of the most prominent (and also the silliest in many respects). Say what you like, but this one is an all time favorite, and whether you are talking about The Arrival, Titan AE, or The Thing it all pretty much amounts to the end of the world if the aliens win. The problem is that no matter how advanced, smart, or powerful the aliens are, they will always be outwitted by the clever monkeys of Earth.

9 - Climate - OK, well, if you missed the movies The Core and The Day After Tomorrow, then you have yet to see the idea of ecological/climatological disasters at their finest. Though it is hard to convincingly see the idea of the planet itself as being the method of our destruction, many have posited this idea in fiction and in real life. Check out John Brunner's The Sheep Look Up for a good example in literature.

8 - Religion - Look out, here comes Jurgen Prochnow with the memos of the end times. Seriously, though, whether we are talking about Constantine, The Seventh Sign, or End of Days, the idea of biblical revelations has been a popular one in film and in print. Luckily for us, the gods have not yet decided to destroy the world, so Ragnarok is postponed for yet another day (sorry Thule Society).

7 - Outsiders and Beings of Madness - Call them what you like, but the Elder Gods scenario (much like the religious end of days scenario) has been one in many stories and films. From HP Lovecraft's work on the Cthulu mythos through movies like Hellboy, creatures from beyond the comprehension of many have always been a threat to the continued survival of mankind.

6 - Evolution - I am sure that the Neanderthals are laughing themselves silly over this one, but there have been a number of really great stories and TV shows about the evolution of humanity to its next step, and how that next step will eventually destroy modern man much as we destroyed the Neanderthals. My favorite example of this one is the TV show Prey which did not last anywhere near long enough to reach its cool prospective payout, but other good versions of this idea are things like X-Men, Firestarter, and Scanners (don't laugh).

5 - Frankenstein's Monsters - Man has a talent for inventing the method of his own destruction. Sometimes the destruction is more along the lines of a transhumanist concept, like the one in Netwon's Wake by Ken MacLeod, but more often it is something akin to the Terminator franchise. The issue here is, to quote from Jurrasic Park, "God creates dinosaurs, God kills dinosaurs, God creates man, man kills God, man creates dinosaurs..." "Dinosaurs eat man, woman inherits the Earth..." Killer robots, genetic experiments, and such will always be a staple of disaster stories.

4 - The Chain Reaction event - Much like the ecological and climatological stories, the Chain Reaction story relies on massive changes to the Earth usually brought about by things that are beyond our control. Unlike Climate-style disasters, Chain Reaction events are not the fault of humanity, but rather a more natural turn of events. Films of this type include such things as Sunlight, and similar themed movies and books.

3 - War - Although the Cold War is long over, the idea of war being the end of all life on Earth has still not disappeared from the collective unconscious. Although we are no longer balanced on the knife edge of mutually assured destruction, films like those in the Defcon series, as well as movies like The Day After, By Dawn's Early Light, and Failsafe still have a massive impact (just look at the TV series Jericho if you don't believe me).

2 - Meteors/Comets/Impact Events - These are always a lot of fun because in the long run there is really nothing we can do to stop a massive chunk of rock from hitting the Earth (assuming we even see it coming). Frankly my favorite of these films is Deep Impact which treats the subject seriously and works hard to make the story and the characters believable. Still, there is something to be said for the plethora of meteor disaster films.

1 - Plague - The Stand is but one of many stories that revolve around a world destroying plague. This idea has been around for a very long time, and will continue to have impact. Given disease scares like Avian Flu, Ebola, and others, the idea of the global pandemic is still topical and still really frightening. The long and the short of it is that this one is numero uno on the End of the World list because it will always be a potential problem, and is so common an occurance that it scares us all deeply.

Chapter 7 - Maiden Voyage

2008-02-29T08:42:00.001-08:00

It didn't take me long to settle into the routines of the ship. After all, most ships are run in the same manner, it is only their tasks that are different. Over the next few days we prepared for an extended patrol, taking on provisions and some new crewmen, and I learned quickly the names that matched with the faces of officers and men.

After a week, a courrier arrived from Secretary Brill with orders. Allain managed to snag the poor fellow before he got to the capatin, who was curled up with his book on his bunk, and opened the orders without even bothering to consult with the old man. I smiled as we looked the document over.

"Hmm, seems simple enough. I guess the Secretary wants to test us on something simple to make sure we can work together," mused the young 2nd officer, "what do you think?"

Although I was well aware that this would not be the simple milk run it appeared, something in me wanted to reassure Allain and not unduly alarm him or the crew. I grinned and said, "Well, let's see if we can't show her what the best ship in the Free Cities can do. Mr. G'vaud'zshen, lay in a course for Miryor, we sail with the tide. Oh, and we need to get there as quickly as possible, so we will need to cut through the reefs."

Several of the sailors blanched at the thought, but none spoke up or commented, and with that, we embarked on one of the most unusual voyages that I have ever sailed upon.

Our orders were simple, make for Miryor with all due speed, and cut throgh the Wreckage Reefs. The reefs had always been a problem, there were a number of small islands concealed in the maze of reefs, and while some were innocent 'Tweener colonies, others were havens of pirates. Most ships avoided the reefs unless they were well armed, or had very good maps of the area. Of course the only folks with really good maps were pirates, so the possession of such charts could get you hung in some ports.

G'vaud'zshen beckoned to me from the chart table up near the tiller, and I walked across the aftcastle and climbed the stairs up to the poop deck. Allain did not follow, instead heading forward to begin the process of securing the ship for sailing. The burly Tulosh was poring over charts when I reached the main deck chart table. It always amazed me that the chart table was up on the deck instead of in the captain's quarters (where it was on most other ships), but this table had been ensorcelled by Saravoy himself and was proof against wind and weather. I had seen G'vaud'zshen leave the charts sitting on the table with no weights to hold them down during a windy day and the pages never even fluttered.

"You know that this is foolish, yes? We will be set upon the moment we enter the reefs, and the pirates will know the area far better than we. Our main advantage of speed will be negated."

I nodded slightly, but I was already coming up with a plan. "I am counting on it, old dog. Not to worry, I have a plan."

G'vaud'zshen grunted a chuckle, amused at my nickname for him. I had adopted it during our frequent games of narra in the officer's rack, and he seemed pleased that I took the time to find something less cumbersome than his true name.

"It seems like you say that every time you are losing at narra, so I will remain skeptical," retorted the navigator as he began to do the calculations that would enable us to sail with the tide in six hours.

I hurried back to the forecastle, hoping to catch Saravoy while he was on deck, and as luck would have it, the Ylvani Magus saw me coming and waited.

"I have the feeling that you are about to ask me to do something stupid. You have that look that humans get when they are about to ask a stupid question or demand an impossible action. So, what is it that you want me to do?"

"Well, it's fairly simple, really. In fact, it is so simple that I wouldn't bother you with it, but I needed it done right, so I came to you..."

The frost elf puffed up immediately at my knowledge of his obvious importance, and I seized the moment to ask my question. "I know that you have the ability to shape fire into usable constructions, so what I wanted to know is whether or not you can use your magical connection to fire to make the ship do something kind of like you did with the chart table on the poop deck."

Saravoy looked puzzled, and slowly responded, "How do you mean?"

"Well, you know how the chart table repels wind, rain, snow, and such?" he nodded, still confused, "I was wondering if you could make the hull of the March Harrier repel the reefs. This way we can still maneuver without fear of shoaling ourselves and damaging the hull."

I was pleased to note that the wizard found himself dumbstruck by the suggestion. His mouth worked slowly, as though he were chewing the problem, and he eventually replied, "I think... that might work. Basically, if I could enchant the keel it would push the ship away from any reefs in its path. The only real problem will momentum."

OK, now it was my turn to be confused, so I responded with a forthright question which beggared explanation from the wise mage, "Huh?"

The normal look of barely concealed condescencion clouded the Ylvani Yelin's face as he continued, "If the ship is going too fast and the keel tries to alter the course to avoid a reef, it will tear the ship apart. I think that i may have a better idea, though. Give me about ten hours and I can get it working."

"How will we know it works?" I asked incredulously.

"If we are drowning, then it failed, Arissa," barked the Ylvani in reply as he stomped off, down to the cargo area.

Several hours later we launched from our berth at the docks in Dahlon, and began to sail out of Saint Esta's Cove and into the seas that separated the various islands that were home to the Free Cities. Our maiden voyage had begun.

Top Ten Fantasy & Horror Couples

2008-02-25T07:56:00.000-08:00

As this is the last week of Romance Month, I wanted to give one last Romance list. Today's list is a bit strange, relying on fantasy and horror more than Science Fiction. Here we have some great love affairs that could not be stopped, even by death, and a number of lovers whose attentions any young lady would shy from...

10 - Harry Dresden and Detective Karrin Murphy - Although Harry and Murphy have yet to discuss their true feelings for each other, it seems plenty obvious where their relationship is going. The problem that stands in the way of true love: a curse that Harry will 'Die alone'. Of course, Murphy would not be the first girlfriend of the Wizard Harry Dresden (she is proceeded by Elaine Mallory and Susan Rodriguez). Check out these books and follow the love affair from the beginning: Storm Front, Fool Moon, Grave Peril, Summer Knight, Death Masks, Blood Rites, Dead Beat, Proven Guilty, White Knight, Small Favors.

9 - Robin of Loxley and Maid Marion - He is an altruistic Saxon noble who lost his lands and titles, she is a beautiful Norman Lady... well, at least in some versions of the story. Though there are many permutations of this story and these characters, it is in the various modern versions of this fantastic myth that has brought us the love affair between Robin Hood and his Maid Marion (original versions of the Robin Hood mythos had different women or none at all).

8 - Begarion of the House of Riva and Ce'Nedra Borune - When the Belgariad starts, young Garion is a farm boy with few, if any, talents to recommend him, but fate leads the boy to gather strange allies in the most unlikely of places to combat a great evil. One such ally is the daughter of the Tol Nedran Emperor (Ran Borune), and the love that grows between Ce'Nedra and young Garion, who later becomes Belgarion when his talent for magic is revealed, is as inevitable as the eventual defeat of Torak, god of the Angaraks, at Belgarion's hand.

7 - Gareth Radnor & the Lady Cosyra - Chris Bunch's stand-alone novel of piracy and the slave trade in a sweeping fantasy world features the unforgettable love affair between the Corsair Gareth Radnor, a man consume by the desire to destroy the Linyato Pirates, and the Lady Cosyra, who abandons a life of riches and privelege in order to help the man she loves on his dangerous quest. A wonderful story, by a master storyteller, Corsair shows us an unusual swashbuckling adventure and a love story that stands the test of time.

6 - Sookie Stackhouse & Bill Compton - Psychic Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress at a crummy diner in Louisiana when she meets the love of her life, Bill Compton. The only problem is that Bill is a Vampire who has recently moved back into local family estates now that the undead have moved out of the coffin and into the spotlight. Funny and engaging, it is great to watch the romance unfold with this truly odd couple (Dead Until Dark, Living Dead in Dallas, Club Dead, Dead to the World, Dead as a Doornail, Definitely Dead, Altogether Dead, From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris).

5 - John Taylor & Suzie Shooter - The Nightside is alive and kicking, and the strange relationship between John Taylor and the infamous bounty hunter Suzie Shooter (sometimes known as Shotgun Suzie, and sometimes known as "Run for your life, it's her") is in full bloom. Though the sparks are there from their first meeting in Simon Green's Something From The Nightside, it isn't until later in the series that their love truly comes to fruition. Unfortunately, like everything else in the Nightside, the fruit of their love is bittersweet at best.

4 - Count Dracula & Mina Harker - Another classic couple, these lovers are the stuff that nightmares are made of. Count Dracula loves Mina Harker with all of his non-beating dead heart, and Mina returns that love right up until the end (when Quincy Morris kills the immortal vampire). No matter how many permutations or changes are made to the story, this couple is a definite stand out, no matter what others may say.

3 - Captain Khaavren of the House of Tiassa & Countess Daro of the House of Tiassa - These characters from Stephen Brust's incomparable Phoenix Guards series of books share a life and love set against the backdrop of cataclysmic tragedy and disaster. Khaavren, Captain of the Phoenix Guards under Emperor Tortaalik, first meets his future wife as she is being dismissed from service as the handmaiden of the Empress bare hours before the destruction of the capital city during Adron's disaster. As a retelling of the classic Dumas story of the Three Musketeers, these novels are wonderful in their style and content.

2 - Captains Hawk & Isobel Fisher (a.k.a. Prince Rupert & Princess Julia) - As guards in the city of Haven, this husband and wife team stand for truth, justice, and kicking the ever-loving snot out of villains. Investigators, enforcers, and Captains of the city guard, Hawk and Fisher are the best of the best, and they are given the worst of the worst assignments. From their introduction in the first novel of the Darkwood (Beyond the Blue Moon) as extra expendable Prince Rupert and the distressing damsel Princess Julia, this fantasy couple has cut a swath through their enemies and embraced their love time and again. Simon Green, master of fantasy and horror, gives us one of the best married detective series of all time.

1 - King Arthur & Queen Guenivere - The love of Arthur and Guinevere is epic in its scope, and even in the versions where Lancelot steps between them, their love is still incontrovertible. From The Morte D'Arthur to the modern Hollywood interpretations, Arthur and his young bride are the very definition of romance and love in fantasy.

Honorable Mentions: I am in love with a few romances that I did not get a chance to put in here, and will list them separately. I did want to draw attention to Jackie Kessler's characters of Jezebel, Paul, Daunuan, Lillith, and Lucifer. These are all great romantic characters as are many of the characters in the Anne Rice Vampire novels. The reason that they did not get listed is that there is so much romance and so many couples that it was hard to determine who to list and where.

Walk like a Ghost

2008-02-21T08:30:00.000-08:00

Since is it still Romance Month, I will continue on with our theme of love with another review of a book we did recently for our Modern Masters discussion group, Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott.

This book is very hard to place in any one niche. It is modern fiction with supernatural elements, but has quantum physics, historical research, animal rights, chemistry, biography, murder, horror, and a great love story. It is such a strange blend of things that one hesitates to classify it as any one genre (which is why it is shelved under regular fiction).

The story of Ghostwalk is told as an open letter or journal of the main character (Lydia Brooke) to her lover (Cameron Vogelsang), and is basically an explanation of the events that lead up to the rather shocking ending of the story. What starts out as the research project of a lifetime turns into a haunted, bizarre story of a woman trying to survive in the face of some awful truths. What exactly does that mean, you ask. Well, I shall enlighten you.

Following the death of Elizabeth Vogelsang, an historian specializing in the late 17th century, Lydia Brooke is commissioned to finish Elizabeth's controversial biography of Sir Isaac Newton and his work as an alchemist. When she is approached by her ex-lover, Cameron, to do the ghostwriting that would allow the project to be completed, she sees it as a way to help her dead friend and (subconsciously) to get close to Cameron again. Though her friends counsel her against taking the job (fearing that the all-consuming relationship with the married man will resume), she does so anyway.

This all seems normal enough as things go, but as time passes, and Lydia becomes more and more engrossed in the narrative, things become stranger and stranger around her. Suddenly it seems as though the 17th century is intruding into the modern world, and the ghosts of the past are not some insubstantial things, but rather physical beings whose ominous threat pervades Lydia's whole life. Soon, a series a murders that Elizabeth had researched are being replicated in the modern time, and the idea of ghosts goes from uncomfortable fantasy to horrifying reality.

One thing that has struck me as exciting about this story is that it seeks to treat the idea of paranormal phenomena, specifically ghosts, in a very scientific way. The idea that 'ghosts' are nothing more than quantum paired observations that exist independent of time (i.e. they are linked by space and observation regardless of time) is intriguing to say the least, and the idea that a series of murders (that did happen and are speculated about by the Historical Societies interested in the period) could form a potent focus for observation makes the idea of 'living history' more and more of a frightening prospect.

As much as this story is a supernatural, occult, physics, and historical piece, though, it is primarily a romantic love story about two people who are so deeply obsessed with each other that their primal feelings overcome their own good sense. This unfortunate circumstance leads to the deeply tragic ending of the book, and the destruction of Lydia's personal life. At the end, Lydia is left with the knowledge of the truth, which is cold comfort for her sacrifices.

Brilliantly written and innovative, Ghostwalk is probably one of the most notable books of 2007.

Top Ten Science Fiction Romances

2008-02-18T07:49:00.000-08:00

Romance Month continues with the SFSNNJ, and to continue to promote this fun and exciting topic. Today I will be listing the best romantic couples in the realms of Science Fiction. These are characters that define true love and romance, and show love in a new and exciting light.

10 - Staffa kar Therma & Chrysla - Trained to be the ultimate defender of his homeworld, and conditioned with psychological triggers, Staffa kar Therma was to be the greatest general of his day. That was, until he fell so in love with his psychological programmer, Chrysla. When he was told of her death, Staffa went mad and left his homeworld, eventually returning as a conqueror (Requiem for the Conqueror by W. Michael Gear & Kathleen O'Neil Gear). Unfortunately, Chrysla was not dead, and Staffa is told that he has killed her during the battle, precipitating another bloody rampage and a journey of self-discovery. Staffa and Chrysla's doomed love is all the more potent for the disasters it creates.

9 - Hilfy Chanur & Tully - Hilfy Chanur, neice of Pyanfar Chanur, Captain of the merchant vessel Chanur's Legacy fell in love with their human refugee, Tully, during their long captivity and torture at the hands of the vile Kif, Akkiktimakt. Though this love could never be requited (mainly due to the difference between the Human and Hani species) it was a source of much angst and anguish betwixt the two (Pride of Chanur, Chanur's Venture, Kif Strike Back, Chanur's Homecomingby C.J. Cherryh).

8 - Captain Laurent Zai & Nara Oxham - They say that opposites attract, and nowhere is that more evident than in the unlikely love affair between Capatin Laurent Zai and Nara Oxham in The Risen Empire by Scott Westerfeld. Although divided by all conceivable divides (politics, religion, and personality), their love flourishes and grows, even in the icy depths of Nara's Antarctic home.

7 - Phaethon Prime Rhadamanth & Daphne Tercius Semi-Radamanth - Driven mad by his love for Daphne, Phaethon is sentenced to having his memories redacted to such an extreme state that he can no longer be sure of who and what he is. In the end, he learns that his love for the real Daphne has been overshadowed by his love for a specially designed AI of Daphne, which is who he truly loves, though he thinks that it is the original that he fell in love with. A truly strange set of affairs. (The Gold Age, The Phoenix Exultant, The Golden Transcendance by John C. Wright)

6 - Han Solo & Leia Organa - The greatest romance in the Star Wars universe is that between Han and Leia (in spite of what people think, Anakin is a stalker and Padme is a co-dependant girlfriend). Even Carbon Freezing cannot keep these lovebirds apart, and their love stands as a testament of their times.

5 - Duncar Reever & Cherijo Grey Veil - No greater love hath a man than that he lay down his life for another, and in this series by S.L. Vielh we witness Duncan placing himself in harms way again, and again, and again, and again. This is especially impressive considering his wife is nearly immortal and regenerates faster than most people heal little scrapes and boo-boos. Romance oozes from the pages of this wonderful medical series. (Stardoc, Beyond Varellan, Shockball, etc.)

4 - Captain James T. Kirk & U.S.S. Enterprise - 'Nuff said. This one needs no explanations. No green princess or beautiful scientist will ever compete with Jim Kirk's love of his starship.

3 - Sauscony "Soz" Valdoria & Jaibriol II - When Catherine Asaro introduced us to this doomed couple in Primary Inversion, we knew that we were onto something special. Their love for each other transcended the bounds of war and hatred between their Empires and found unity in purpose and hope on a small backwater. One could only wish the best for them in spite of the obvious problems that they would encounter.

2 - Owen Deathstalker & Hazel D'ark - When a man loves a woman he does what he can for her whenever he can. Owen and Hazel have a great reciprocal relationship, and have saved each others' bacon more times than anyone could keep track of. The problem is that when Hazel believes Owen to have died, she uses her maze enhanced super-powers to begin the destruction of the universe becoming... Well, that is a story for another time. (Deathstalker, Deathstalker Rebellion, Deathstalker War, Deathstalker Honor, Deathstalker Destiny, Deathstalker Legacy, Deathstalker Return, Deathstalker Coda by Simon R. Green)

1 - Paul 'Muad'dib' Atreides & Chani Liet-Kynes - Another couple that needs no introduction: Paul and Chani are the clock by which Science Fiction romances are set. Dune by Frank Herbert showed us a love that pushed the boundaries of space and time, and would only come to be tested and resolved over and over again.

Da Gears

2008-02-13T08:33:00.000-08:00

OK, so this in keeping with this month's theme of Romance in Science Fiction, Tripping the Write Fantastic will be covering the works of the notable writing couple of W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neil Gear. As a prelude and preview for next weeks discussion, I have decided to spend some time here on the blog reviewing some of my favorite books by the Gears.

The Anasazi Mysteries: Although not, strictly speaking, science fiction or fantasy, this series is notable as a magnificent mystery told in two different parts. That's right, there are actually two concurrent mysteries going on in each of the books, one ancient and one modern, as archeologists Dusty Stewart and Maureen Cole unearth relic of the past and try to make sense of a horror story unfolding before their eyes. Meanwhile, 800 years before, Catkin, Browser, and Stone Ghost try to unravel the fresh mystery of bad spirits and murder in their tribe. Brilliant work all around, with a heart stopping climax in The Summoning God.

Forbidden Borders: This trilogy of stories opens an obviously far future humanity that is trapped in a rather limited section of space. Walled off by strange super-beings, these humans have fought war after war until only two super-powers and one major mercenary commander remain. The series is amazing in its scope and detail, and was the first set of Gear books I ever read. To this day it remains a favorite.

Starstrike: The nations of a pitiful backwater planet called Earth find themselves drafted by pacifistic aliens to fight an aggressive foewho apparently does not know that war is about to be declared on them. Every nation must send its best unit to work together with the Ahimsa to end the threat. Though the political scene is admittedly dated, it is still a fun story, and, for those of us who were alive at the time, will recall us to the height of the Cold War and its paranoia.

People of Spider: OK, now imagine a future where most of humanity lives either on Space Stations or Planets. Now imagine that the space stations are ruled by Managers, vastly powerful space-adapted humans with immense brain power capable of running the star-spanning space empire. Now imagine that they run into spiritual psychics descended from Navajo who were stranded on a small world by the last prison ships of the Soviet Empire of the 21st Century. Fun, huh? It gets better, and weirder.

These are a few of my favorite series by the Gears, and I hope that you pick them up and enjoy them too!

Chapter 6 - The March Harrier

2008-02-08T08:34:00.000-08:00

In spite of the Secretary's statements, I had to cool my heels for nearly three months, waiting for the March Harrier to return, hidden in Dahlon and moving about every few days. The time spent was arduous and tedious. I was unable to leave my bolt holes to visit family or friends for fear of running afoul of the Polinoy clan in the first month of my stay in Dahlon. After that, my few visits with the people of my life before I sailed with the Wavestrider were somewhat strained, and I found myself unable to really connect with the people I had known before I went on my long journey. Thus it was with a certain amount of relief that I found out that the March Harrier had come into port.

In addition to relieving the ennui of life ashore, the arrival of the Harrier meant that I could finally get to work. Time and tide wait for no man, and they sure as Saint Esta's bronze breastplate wouldn't wait for me! I grabbed a last cup of vressa from Damal's bakery and headed to the port. The sight that greeted me was everything that I expected and more.

The March Harrier was a beauty, a masterpiece of nautical design and an examplar of the graceful architecture that made Merlani and Dayrin ships second only to the Varyag among Human nations. The ship was large, a good sized caravelle, with gracefully sweeping masts festooned with the gleaming ivory color of furled sails. The grayish elven ropes of the rigging played a sharp contrast to the white of the sails and the dark, almost black, stain of the wood. She looked lean and hungry, a kind of sea-going predator that ships like the Wavestrider feared to cross. She was like a sheepdog sitting amidst the flock, a hunter guarding the sheep.

The deck bustled with activity and I got no closer than a half-score of paces when I was stopped by a rather odd man with weathered skin, salt and pepper hair, and a somewhat distracted look about him. He was dressed well, and seemed to be looking for me when I caught sight of him. He was obviously a member of the crew, and equally obviously was there to greet me.

"Arissa Uleira?" he asked cautiously.

"Yes, sir," I replied almost automatically, and he smiled.

"My name is Galldi, Alain Galldi, and I am the second... actually, now I guess I am the first mate on the Harrier."

He looked rather sheepish as he made the correction, and I wondered what exactly he meant by it. Perhaps the former first mate had been released or retired, I mused as he guided me up the gangplank and onto the caravel's deck. I almost missed the explanation as Galldi started rambling on.

"...they never liked each other from the start. The skipper thought that Iblis was too soft and Iblis thought the captain was too strict. It was going to come to a head eventually, but I never thought that they would actually duel on the deck at sea. They fought pretty hard, so you see, the old first mate and the captain killed each other in the duel and well... Baron Moravese couldn't save them, and we were too far from shore, and... there you have it. Our new Captain arrived just before you did. He seems... different..." the first mate's narrative trailed off with a sort of non-committal shrug, but by now I was too busy taking in the faces of my new companions to care that much.

Galldi walked me around the deck and showed me the ship himself, introducing the officers as he went. The first officer started with the cargo master and shipwright, a stout red-headed Dwarf who went by the odd name of Tex, which was short for Tekeshak "Oarbreaker" craghs'Eruksel ghorfs'Thrumsul. I figured Tex was a heck of a lot easier to remember, so I stuck with that. The dour dwarf seemed to consider the idea of socializing with others distasteful, and began muttering about the lack of proper diet, too few dishes featuring beans, and the stupid quartermaster who couldn't brew proper ale or stew a proper plate of beans. Tex was obviously a master at what he did, but equally obviously was far too obsessed with beans.

The next member of the crew was a portly Merlani, who Galldi claimed was Baron Maximus Moravese de Fornice of the city-state of Tunde, and a member of one of the ranking Patrician families there. Baron Moravese provided the air of cool competence that one would expect of a ship's surgeon, and it seemed obvious that in addition to his mundane skills as a healer he was a skilled shaman as well. Convivial and friendly, I chatted openly with him about life in Tunde, and the differences between our cities until Galldi maneuvered me away. The Baron seemed like a good solid sort, and was obviously an asset well worth having around.

After moving away from Baron Moravese, Galldi escorted me over to a hulking figure up near the tiller. Another non-human, the ship's helmsman and navigator was a raffish Tulosh named G'vaud'zshen. Nearly seven feet tall, the jackal-like humanoid looked graceful and deadly, even standing still on the poop deck reviewing charts. Friendly but terse, G'vaud'zshen indicated that his responsibilities for the ship precluded a lengthy discussion at present, however he would be happy to chat later, once Arissa was settled in and the new patrol routes were plotted in. With a flowing bow, the Tulosh resumed his arithmetical calculations.

As Galldi prepared to resume the rounds of introductions the Quartermaster appeared on deck with rations for all those currently working. The man was introduced as Otahr Taylin, and he sized Arissa up without skipping a beat. Pleasantly cheerful with the crew, Otahr began asking quick and pointed questions the moment the crowd of hungry sailors dispersed. It did not take me long to realize that this was no simple cook, and though his food was excellent it would be a mistake to underestimate this man. His thick brogue took some of the sting out of the questions, but it became clear all too quickly that this man was a trained investigator. The two saparas strapped to the Atvaran's back also put paid the idea that this cook was only dangerous to cold meats. For a purser or quartermaster to be so well armed indicated certain other tasks were also within his sphere of influence.

Moving on from Otahr Taylin we came to the ship's mage, a slim Ylvani Yelin sorcerer named Uliel Akatri. Quiet and reserved, Uliel did not speak much until I asked him about the smallish ballista he had been working on. At that point Galldi grimaced and it became almost impossible to shut the mage up. Apparently the devise was a magical apparatus that used something Uliel called "sympathetic magic" to increase the potency of... alright, I got completely lost in the abstruse theoretical ramblings of the Yelin spellcaster. Mumbling my acceptance of the theory, I gratefully allowed Galldi to guide me away from the sorcerer before he could get his second wind.

Next was the Sailing master, a whip thin Gnome named Haska Running Stag, who grunted noncommittally and barked abrupt orders at the men and women in the rigging as they re-tied and adjusted the rigging for port. Though she didn't say much, I got the feeling that we would get on just fine so long as I did not gainsay her or try to tell her how to do her job.

Last on the tour of introductions was the Captain, Byrne Haut. Captain Haut, Galldi explained, had been a merchant and a privateer for years, and really wanted nothing more than to retire. He had made it clear to Galldi that Arissa and Galldi would be running the ship, he was not going to do more than be a glorified passenger. The man barely looked up from the book he was reading to wave his first and second officers out of his office. Bedraggled and unkempt, it was a wonder he was allowed to command a ship at sea, let alone one of the stature of the March Harrier.

Galldi finished the rounds and the tour, and I looked back at the odd assortment of men and women and thought to myself: This was going to be one hell of an interesting cruise.

Top Ten Writing Teams

2008-02-04T06:01:00.000-08:00

February is Romance month at the SFSNNJ, and to celebrate I am going to do a top ten list of the best pairs ever in the writing field! Socrates defined love in many terms, and some of these couples are romantic, some are familial, and some are the love of friendship.

10) Lily and Dash: Yes, Dashiell Hammett and Lillian Hellman. They were a great couple and brought us some of the greatest mystery stories, and that is that!

9) Stephen and Dal Perry: Not a romantic couple, but a great father/daughter team who have separately brought us some fantastic SF novels, and are now collaborating on a number of other projects. Check out The Gangster Conspiracy if you don't believe me.

8) Susan Cooper and Hume Cronyn: Although they have many collaborated on stage plays, this husband/wife team is responsible separately for a number of great SF items. Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising series is still a classic, and Hume Cronyn's roles in Batteries Not Included and Cocoon rate up there as great science fiction films.

7) Verner and Joan Vinge: Although they have never actively worked on the same project together, this husband and wife team have separately brought us some amazing Science Fiction stories. Check out Joan's Winter Queen and Vernor's A Fire Upon the Deepas great examples of this couple's talent.

6) Frank and Brian Herbert: This father/son duo worked together to bring us the later books in the Dune series, and Brian later completed his father's grand vision of work. Each worked separately on the Dune series but it was truly a generational labor of love.

5) J.R.R. and Christopher Tolkien: Another pair filled with familial love, Christopher Tolkien continues to edit and work on his father's work. As a side note: I personally dislike the way Christopher Tolkien handles J.R.R.'s works, but there is no doubting that the Chris Tolkien editions are valid.

4) David & Leigh Eddings: This couple made high fantasy soar far above the clouds with their epic series and stories. From the Belgariad to their recent Elder Gods series, this husband and wife team know how to tell a great story. I highly recommend both the Elenium series and the stand alone novel The Redemption of Althalus.

3) Chris Bunch and Alan Cole: One of the best writing teams in the history of Science Fiction, these two friends collaborated on everything from episodes of Quincy MD to pornography to some of the best loved SF and Fantasy adventure series ever. From The Far Kingdoms to the realm of the Eternal Emperor in Sten, Bunch and Cole have created some true classics of adventure SF.

2) David Weber and John Ringo: another pair of good friends writing great stories. These two cannot work together often enough for me. Though their output is infrequent, it is always worth the wait. Separately they are great writers, and together they are a juggernaut. I dare you to read March Upcountry and disagree with me.

1) W. Michael & Kathleen O'Neal Gear: This husband and wife are the featured writers for this month's Tripping the Write Fantastic, and they are a fabulous team. From historicals to mystery, fantasy to Science Fiction, these two represent the best that the genre has to offer. Pick up a copy of Requiem for the Conqueror and tell me I am wrong. Try reading the People of Spider and tell me that it is not brilliantly written and ingeniously imaginative.
I guarantee you will love these two writers and all of their works from The Bone Walker to Raising Abel to Dark Inheritance.

Chapter 5: A Strange Conversation

2008-02-01T09:56:00.000-08:00

Fendy Brill was not at all what I was expecting, I thought as she ushered me into the house, and down a hall to the sitting room. Brill had become Secretary of Dahlon about ten years ago, when I was a girl of about twelve. Having served as councilwoman on the city council for nearly twenty years, she was the senior member and thus it fell to her to take up the mantle of secretary when Hector Messala decided he no longer felt like running the city.

Dahlon politics were simple: nobody wanted the jobs, so whoever could be persuaded, connived, or bullied into taking the job was forced into it. We Dahlonese are a fractuous lot, and we will be damned if anybody is going to tell us what to do, and that includes other Dahlonese. The city itself is divided into seven sections called departments, each forces a resident to serve on the city council which maintains the barest minimum of security necessary to stave of pure anarchy within the confines of the city. The secretary was called upon to arbitrate disputes and arguments and ratify the council's decisions, but otherwise had little real power. As it was, even the ombudsmen on the streets had more power than the secretary, if only because they had more freedom.

The main thing that bothered me about Fendy Brill was that she was a whole lot older than she appeared. Although she looked to be in her mid to late forties, with graying hair and crow's feet around her eyes, the truth was that she was nearer to seventy years old. To say that she was aging gracefully was an understatement, and some citizens had joked aloud about where she kept her phylactery. It may have been in bad taste, but it was still kind of amusing... until, or course, one was sitting in her parlor.

As I eased myself into the chair across from the secretary I had to remind myself of why I was here. There was really no alternative, and I did not relish the idea of more piracy on the high seas. Of course, there was the distinct probability that the secretary was going to have me do something even worse, but there was no way to stop that. I was looking at my only way out, so I started to speak.

"Skip it, I already know the high points. You signed on with the Polinoy clan three years ago and have not enjoyed their leisurely life of larceny, so now you are here begging for protection and a job. I got the story from the Tyrennhian already, he warned me that you would be along and why. Oh, don't worry, there is nothing you could have done. After all, the weaselly little turd can read minds," growled Brill acidly.

In spite of her brusque manner and growling voice, I found myself liking the assertive old woman seated before me. Before I knew it a shy grin was creeping across my face as the alleged leader of Dahlon continued.

"Unfortunately we need the little scumbag to figure out what in the seventeen shades of the deep is going on here. You will make a good addition to our little sewing circle, assuming the Tyrennhian is not as full of drekh as he normally seems. Given what he knows, and what I know, it is fair to say that your role will be crucial in figuring out what the hells is happening here. Now, since I am pretty sure our Tyrennhian friend told you next to nothing about what's going on, I will fill you in.

"About a year ago I started noticing a strange pattern of shipments going from our fair city to the city of Miryor in the west. One ship, the Wandering Lover, seemed to be making regular runs with barely profitable cargoes. Now this is not too unusual, but the thing that stunk like a slillikul in heat was that the crew had an awful lot of spending cash for folks who were barely making ends meet...

"Piracy?" I asked with a hollow feeling.

"Nah, somebody would have caught them in the nets long before were that the case. Besides, that scow can barely float let alone menace a merchant ship into submission. I figured they were smuggling goods to Miryor, but I could not figure what or why. Then this Tyrennhian shows up, claiming to be an honest sailor with some information. I may not be old enough to remember the worst of the occupation, but I remember one thing really well: Imperial Lictors."

The hollow feeling had grown like mold in a damp cellar. There was no way in the world this story was going to end well. Suddenly I was beginning to wish I had stayed with the Polinoys, at least there the motivations were less murky.

"Anyway, this 'simple seaman' shows up with information on shipments of weapons that are being smuggled from Vrendisium, in the Tyrennhian Imperium, to Dahlon. His problem was that he could not keep track of the shipments once they left the holds here in Dahlon. All he knew is that they were not destined for this city. The two of us have been watching the trade lanes from Vrendisium to Dahlon for months waiting for a break, and I am guessing that is where he caught you in his little web."

I was a bit overwhelmed and confused by the brutal honesty of the secretary, but one thing was obvious about the entire episode: I had leverage here. They needed me for something, and I now that I understood the mechanics of the situation I would see to it that my services were well compensated. Apparently some of Savago's piratical cunning had rubbed off on me.

"I don't see what any of this has to do with me. If your Lictor friend read my mind, then he must know that the Wavestrider was a pirate, not a smuggler. I cannot give you information that I do not have, so I have to wonder: what is it I can do for you?" I hedged cautiously.

Secretary Brill looked me over a moment, then nodded curtly to herself, "Come off it, you aren't stupid, so don't pretend to be. I may be old, but I know enough to recognize when somebody is trying to get over on me. You know that we need you to run tracking and interference to trace the shipments, and we know that you need us to get away from the Polinoy clan. It would be too dangerous for us to send you out right now, too many eyes on the docks, so I am going to offer you a berth on my privateering vessel, the March Harrier. You can learn a lot from Captain Haute, and you should be able to build yourself one hell of a reputation away from the Polinoy unless I miss my guess. So, what do you say?"

It's not natural...

2008-01-30T09:57:00.000-08:00

Charles Stross, Jaspar Fforde, Peter Hamilton, Hal Duncan, Ken MacLeod, Ian M. Banks, and so many other great notable British Science Fiction writers have produced some of the best examples of SF in the last few years, in many cases redefining the genre and shattering expectations. Most notable among these illustrious names is Simon R. Green, the author responsible for such magnificent characters as Owen Deathstalker, Hawk & Fisher, and now John Taylor. In this post I will review Simon's latest novel, Unnatural Inquirer, which follows the exploits of John Taylor in the Nightside.

As this is a continuing series, it is very helpful to understand the nature of the setting first and foremost. The Nightside is a secret, magical city deep within the rotten heart of London (and yes, that is a stock phrase from the series). While it is always 3AM in the Nightside, time passes normally (at least one presumes it does) outside the borders of this fantastic city. Available here are the fruits of every sin, vice, and perversion, as well as magic, mystery, gods and goddesses, tropes, myths, legends, horrors from beyond, and monsters too dreadful to imagine. Sounds like fun right?

Enter John Taylor. For those of us who have been following his career from the beginning (Something From the Nightside, Ace Books 2003), we know that John Taylor is a man with a gift: he can find things. This makes him a pretty good private detective, and a nasty force to be reckoned with. John Taylor is a good man in a pretty vicious world, and in the Nightside even the best men most be hard and horrible on occasion.

OK, so now that we know what the background is, let's look at the story of the Unnatural Inquirer. As the name suggests, the story is centered around a Nightside tabloid of the same name. This particular rag has hired our intrepid hero to locate a fellow named Pen Donovan, who has allegedly made a recording of a transmission from the afterlife. This is notable in that nobody (even the gods and goddesses on the Street of the Gods) knows what, if anything, happens when you shuffle off the mortal coil. The higher and lower planes are a complete mystery (and yes, the pagan gods are inferior to the God/Devil in these stories though they are more powerful because the God/Devil are not allowed to interfere directly in the world due to a detent while the pagan gods can do as they please). When Taylor is hired, he is saddled with the unfortunate side-kick Bettie Divine, demon girl reporter, who is looking for trash to scoop for her paper as well as followng the main story wherever it leads. Chaos ensues.

Now, for those of us who love a great detective story, this is a fantastic example of Chandlerian noir if ever there was one. The thing that makes this series (in general) and this book (in particular) stand out is the supernatural element. This element is pervasive in some other series (Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, Charlain Harris' Dead in Dixie series, and Mark del Franco's Unshapely Things/Unquiet Dreams), but in the Nightside, this magic takes on a whole new tenor. While Green's universe owes a lot of its style to Lovecraft, his fast-talking, affable characters and witty dialog hum along providing a depth that even the great HP himself would envy. These books are easily accessible, and they all contain a certain number of twinge inducing scenes. Unnatural Inquirer has all the elements of a great detective story as well as all the makings of both classical and surreal horror, and science fiction.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Note: although this is a part of an over-arching series, it is fully capable of standing on its own.

Top Ten Space Operas

2008-01-28T07:46:00.000-08:00

OK, well I am back, finally. For those who were wondering where I had gone, it is a combination of work, moving, and my father being in and out of the hospital. Now that life has stabilized, I can get back to the important stuff, like updating this blog on a regular basis.

Today is Monday, and that means that is time for a Todd's Top Ten list. This week, as the SFSNNJ's Multi-media month draws to a close, we turn our attention to the exciting realm of Space Operas. Whether in print or on screen, the Space Opera is a staple of the genre. Let us look at the best of the best...

10) John Grimes: These venerable stories by A. Bertram Chandler are a load of fun, and the future life of John Grimes, and his career in the galaxy at large, are a joy for readers of all ages. When reading these great works, it is very apparent that many of the great explorer characters of the genre owe a great deal to John Grimes, and that this prototype of the Hornblower in Space concept still stands on his own after all this time.

9) McCade for Hire: Bounty hunter Sam McCade is a mercenary bringing law to a lawless universe in this fantastic far future realm by William C. Dietz. McCade is quite possibly the most intelligent and fantastic character to grace the lower levels of society. Brilliantly written, and with a framework that makes sense for the inclusion of a bounty hunter, the McCade series stands out as one of the best thought out space operas in the genre.

8) The Pride of Chanur: It is very hard to write realistic aliens, but CJ Cherryh has made her career on the backs of the truly alien. The Pride of Chanur series follows the crew of a Hani (feline aliens) merchant ship in a region known as Compact Space. The neat thing is that this is a first contact story from the aliens' point of view, and the narrative is not told from the perspective of the only human character (Tully) but rather from the view of Pyanfar Chanur, captain of the ship. The aliens are very well drawn and the action is fantastic.

7) The Lensmen Series: E.E. "Doc" Smith is widely recognized as one of the founding fathers of modern Science Fiction and the Space Opera, and the Lensmen series remains a beloved classic for many reasons. High adventure and great characters are the hallmarks of this sweeping series, and those who have not read the books, should add them to their must read lists.

6) Sten: From the death of his family in the first book to his rebellion at the end of the series, the Mantis Team leader Sten has been a fantastic example of Space Opera if ever there was one. Chris Bunch and Alan Cole brought us this magnificent series (which was recently republished, by the way), and the amazing stories of Sten and his companions would make Ethan Hunt and James Bond turn green with envy.

5) The Prince: The planet Sparta may be the one hope for a renewed humanity as the current interstellar government collapses. The Prince follows a mercenary company hired by some very smart people to protect the world of Sparta and ensure that they will be able to pick up the pieces when the government finally does collapse. Jerry Pournelle and S.M. Stirling collaborate for a great storyline.

4) Night's Dawn/Confederacy: Peter Hamilton tells a Space Opera like no other. This one includes possession by the souls of the dead in a far future universe, and the scale of the story is nothing short of epic. It is really quite amazing what you can do with all the dead men of history to work with.

3) Honor Harrington: David Weber's iconic Captain Honor Harrington is one of the most widely read characters in the SF Genre. The Honor-verse (Harrington fan slang for the universe that the stories take place in) has been written about by many authors in the various short story collections, and in 10 novels by Mr. Weber himself. If you go to any bookstore you are likely to see 2-3 shelves of Weber's books, and much of that will be Honor Harrington's stories.

2) The Uplift Series: David Brin's seminal works on the life of humanity in a great, ancient intergalactic civilization features Earth in the role of minor backwater in the seas of galactic politicking. Startide Rising is one of the greatest works of SF ever produced, and the whole series rides a wave of excitement and exploration from beginning to end. Highly recommended.

1) Deathstalker: Simon R. Green is probably the best writer out there, and the strange far future of the Empire of Humanity showcases the best of his talent. Majestic prose and sparkling dialog bring this story to life as we follow the exploits of Owne Deathstalker and a rag-tag band of rebels and super-humans in their bid to overthrow the Empress Lionstone XIV. Wonderful is the only way I can describe this series, and there is not enough praise in the universe to lavish on it. Read these!

SFSNNJ 2007 Year in Review

2007-12-31T06:12:00.000-08:00

Greetings Earthlings,

Well, 2007 is finally winding to a close and what a great year it has been. We have seen notable and ignoble efforts in the field of Science Fiction grace the silver screen, we have witnessed a deluge of new books, and we have gotten to meet a number of great friends who share our love of the genre. Let's recollect and take a quick tour of this past year...

January: This month marked two firsts for the SFSNNJ: our featured guest speaker, Kenneth Eng, was a no show, and we introduced the Hillsdale area to our new Medium Screen Classics event. On the Kenneth Eng front, it seems a boon that the insane Asian racist did not show up, as his antics throughout 2007 have been anything but laudatory (he was fired from his job at AsianWeek Magazine for an article entitled "Why I Hate Black People" and eventually arrested for menacing in Brooklyn when he threatened a mother and daughter with a hammer). Chris Hasselkus and Barry Weinberger worked hard and brought us a line-up of films for our viewing pleasure at the Hillsdale Library. This library, already the home to That's Science Fiction, played host to a run of Unfaithfully Yours and Citizen Kane as the inauguration for this event.

February: We played host to super-blogger and author Paul Levinson this month, and boy what a great event that was. Paul talked at length about his new novel, and thoroughly enchanted our modest gathering. As one of the lucky few to get their hands on the book, I got a chance to get mine autographed and to read it all the way through. All I can say is that this is a fantastic page-turner with none of the pitfalls one expects of a time-travel book. It is one of the most carefully and well-thought-out books that I have read this year, and there are no strings left dangling. February also saw Medium Screen Classics graduate from single shows to festivals as we ran a Godzilla marathon and a double-feature of the Directors editions of Alien and Aliens. It should be noted that although I love the Alien franchise and the Predator franchise, I am not so huge a fan of the cross-over movies.

March: In like a lion and out like a lamb... a mutant mega-lamb with laser eyes... OK, maybe not... Anyway this month was an interesting one as we played host to Natalie Danford, author of Inheritance. Natalie is a great literary critic, with many interesting stories to tell about the field, and a great book to discuss. Having read Inheritance myself, I can wholly recommend it, and say that it would be a good idea to have some tissues handy.

April: You know what they say: April showers bring hordes of the undead... What? They say that where I come from. Just wait and you will see. Anyway, April brought a visit from the jolly bearded man from Iona College: Dr. Kim Paffenroth! What a stimulating and engaging discussion we had, as the good Doctor discussed the fine points of Zombie lore and we talked about his new book Dying to Live. This is truly the most intelligent Zombie story around, and I highly recommend anybody who loves horror to go out and read this one.

May: Another first for the SFSNNJ as noted radio host Ken Gale joined us to talk about comic books, radio, and the state of the arts. What a great night this was as we were trapped in the basement of the Bergen Mall, with Madeline taking pictures of strange statuary, Sandy Schlosser wondering how many ghost stories were waiting to be told in the creepy confines of the basement, and many others exploring the bowels of the Bergen Museum of Science and Technology, which was kind enough to host our little group.

June: Our return to the renovated Borders Garden State Plaza store was heralded by the arrival of best selling author "Dallas" Jack Ketchum. Jack discussed new works, old works, violent pornography (get your mind our of the gutter, he was referring to a quote from the Village Voice regarding his book Off Season). Remy took notes, most of us grew frightened. Having read Off Season for the first time, I have to say that Dallas certainly has a way of making the reader feel ill at ease. Possibly one of the scariest books I have ever read, if only because the monsters are all humans.

July: It's our Anniversary! That's right, in July we marked the official 1 year anniversary of the SFSNNJ with a dinner out to the great Westwood, NJ eatery The Iron Horse. What a fun time we had there as food was consumed and members chatted socially around the room. It was our chance to thank everyone for all their hard work and horseplay throughout the past year, and we took it. July was also graced by guest speaker Erroll Martins, author of Pell Provence, a rather strange story of a man who destroys worlds.

August: Unfortunately for the world, the Newport Jazz Festival falls in August, and thus I missed out on Face the Fiction's special guest, Sarah Beth Durst. This wonderful new Fantasy author so captivated the audience that Borders nearly sold out of her book. Her new, expensive, hardcover book. Now that is what I call a draw! I have not yet had the chance to read Into the Wild, but considering what I have heard (and read on the author's blog) I am excited to do so. I should also point out that Ms Durst has been corrupted by the heady power of the SFSNNJ's microphone.

September: Clayton McNally is a horse of a very different color. A military Science Fiction writer and martial arts expert, Clayton regaled us with tales of writing, reading, reviewing, and more. He explained the exciting world of working for small press publications, the ability to determine page-layout more for himself, how to produce a commercial for the SciFi Channel, how to juggle 13 projects at the same time, and the mechanics of visiting his daughter in NJ. We were left exhausted and happy by the end of that event!

October: Yet another first for the SFSNNJ as we gathered a panel of authors to discuss the state of mystery, suspense, and intrigue at the Borders Garden State Plaza. Jackie Kessler, author of Hell's Belles, Ken Isaacson, author of Silent Counsel, and Brian Wiprud, author of Tailed, joined forces to form a literary juggernaut the likes of which could easily have destroyed Voltron. Seriously, though, the panel waxed eloquent on a number of subjects, starting by going in order, and then going the tag team route as they worked with the audience. I have now read all three books, and though they are very different from one another, they are all equally excellent works.

November: S.J. Rozan came to us from the heart of New York City to discuss her new anthology, Bronx Noir, as well as many of her prior works. A great mystery writer, if SJ is a good a basketball player as she is a writer, then Shaq better beware. Though she only really read from Bronx Noir, SJ got the attention of a number of bookstore shoppers when we began discussing her novels Winter and Night and Absent Friends. It was a pleasure hearing this Bronx native talk about murder and the city, and Bronx Noir should grace everyone's shelves, as it hs some of the best mystery short stories I have seen in a while.

December: It's a party! December is always a time to kick back, relax, and take a break from the routine of the rest of the year, and as such we lighten the load for the month to let our friends relax. Face the Fiction holds its annual Holiday Party in December, and Sandy Schlosser was again our honored guest. Sandy, who is a wonderful and fantastic member of the SFSNNJ, is the author of the Spooky series of books, and also a contributing commentator on the Supernatural series DVDs. Her insights into folklore and mythology are great. A new addition this year, Sandy had many of the regular members read from various spooky books. Gene read a story from the forthcoming Spooky Wisconsin about trapeze artists and ghosts. Dean read a story from Spooky Maryland reminiscent of Poe's The Telltale Heart. Madeline read a story of witches from Spooky New England. I read the story One Last Head from the book Spooky Michigan, and Sandy read several stories, including the story of the Jack-o-lantern, and finishing up with a tale of Christmas from the Pennsylvania Dutch. A grand time was had by all!

And that, in a very small nutshell, was 2007's highlights from guest speakers and some special events. For more in depth views of each month, please review our archived Monthly newletters on the SFSNNJ Yahoo Group.

Chapter 4 Laws & Orders

2007-12-07T11:27:00.000-08:00

"Guards, arrest that woman!"

I recognized the voice, there was no way I couldn't. The smarmy little Tyrennhian fink had found me. All that effort, all that time, all the planning completely wasted because of one officious little Imperial officer. If I could have, I probably would have exploded in sheer annoyance at the unfairness of it all.

I turned slowly to face my captors and was stunned to see Arrenus standing alone. There were no guards anywhere in sight, and it seemed to me that the Tyrennhian was snickering at my obvious shock. Questions whirled in my mind as I tried to analyze the situation. What was he doing? Was he working for Savago, or himself? Was he going to turn me in? He couldn't arrest me himself, this was Dahlon not Tarn Frientum, so what in the 17 hells was going on?!

I must have said the last aloud, because the Tyrennhian guffawed a moment and then muttered something about 'women with spirit' in Medarin. He had an odd look on his face, and my mind was rapidly catching up with the situation. The other people on the street had stopped staring when they realized that there wasn't going to be an arrest and were starting to disperse as the officer from the Proconsul's Writ approached me.

"Sorry, it was too good an opportunity to pass up," chuckled the Tyrennhian, "I know, I know, you have a million little question, eh? Perhaps we should get out of the street and talk a moment. I mean, unless you really want to stand out in broad daylight and wait for Savago's clan to find you..."

The obvious rhetorical nature of the last statement put my teeth on edge. This simply would not do, however I had little choice but to step off into the little cafe with the Tyrennhian. I noticed the man in truth for the first time as we sat down. Medium height, medium build, with a rather bland face, the only thing remarkable about him was the number of campaign rings braided into the Ningul at the back of his head. It was obvious that he was a seasoned veteran in spite of his apparent youth and junior rank.

"Let me explain before you get angry. I am an officer in the Tyrennhian navy, yes, but I am also a member of the Proconsul's inner circle. I have been looking for an ally here in the Merlani Free Cities, and when I saw you with those pirates, I knew I had found one. I will help you out and protect you from the pirates, all I ask in return is that you help me out with a bit of a problem."

I started to object with a sinking feeling in my gut. Was he going to ask me to betray my people? I could expect such from a Tyrennhian. I doubt he had ever fought an honest fight in his life, and betrayal would be second nature to him.

"I know that you have no reason to trust, me, but I sent a runner ahead to Secretary Brill to let her know that you were coming. She should be able to help you out and get you work to keep you away from the Polinoys. While I know you don't trust me, I am pretty sure you are going to trust the Secretary, and I am sure that you will see the necessity of what we are doing when she explains what is going on."

Shaking my head in disbelief I started to speak, only to be hushed by Arrenus. The Tyrennhian simply pointed at a small house down the block and nodded, "I will meet you here when you are finished with Madame Brill."

"You're making an awfully big assumption, Tyrennhian," I said through gritted teeth.

"I sincerely doubt it," he said as he smiled knowingly.

Angry and confused I got up and walked as quickly as I could to the house that the Tyrennhian had indicated. When I knocked on the door a middle-aged woman in rich robes of muted purple and green answered. Cocking an eyebrow she said, simply, "Took you long enough. Come in, we have a lot to talk about."

Suddenly I got the feeling that my day was not about to get any better.

Chapter 3 - Escapes & Escapades

2007-11-30T06:05:00.000-08:00

For the next three years I toiled aboard the Wavestrider and fought in many engagements and raids. Though not a Varyag myself, I was accepted by the crew and immersed in their language and customs. The bold pirate ship under the command of Savago Polinoy became my home and family, and like most willful children I could not wait to run away and escape.

From that first fateful raid on the Tyrennhian cargo ship, I knew full well that I would need to escape from the Wavestrider. The problem was, how to do that without getting caught by either the pirates or the local law enforcement. While I knew that I would likely need to wait until they were back in a familiar place, I also realized that it was unlikely that we would return to my home any time soon. So it was that I bided my time until the Wavestrider was once again making for port at Dahlon. Unfortunately, life does not care for the machinations and plans of the living, and so fate intervened before the Wavestrider could reach the Merlani Free Cities.

As the Polinoy clan ship sailed quickly towards its destination they did not realize that an enemy lay along their path. When it was too late for the Wavestriderto alter her course, the massive Tyrennhian Quinquereme appeared out of nowhere, her invisibility removed by the stone her forward onager had just lobbed over the Wavestrider's deck.

Unprepared for the surprise attack, Savago had a moment to stare, open-mouthed and in shock, at the massive Imperial warship almost directly ahead of him. A voice boomed over the deck demanding that the Varyag heave to and prepare for boarding. The Wavestriderwas doomed if they tried to resist, so Savago complied with a speed worthy of the Freiji, the Aspect of the Swift Current.

After a few moments Imperial Marines were boarding the smaller pirate ship from the Tyrennhian warship. The Quinquereme was massive for a warship, but not as big as the heavy Septiremes and Decares that the Tyrennhian Imperium was capable of fielding. I noted the difference in size casually and professionally, comparing this ship to the enormous bulk of the Kraken, a Tyrennhian Decares that had come to Dahlon for trade and diplomacy in my youth. Though smaller, this ship seemed as deadly as her larger cousin.

Taking a quick look at the Quinquereme also gained her the ship's name, written in blocky Medarin on the hull beneath the forecastle. This ship was the Proconsul's Writ, a name that immediately filled me with dread. The ship was a patrol and customs ship renown for catching pirates in just the manner in which the Wavestrider had been captured.

While I mused over the inherent unfairness of it all, a young Tyrennhian officer looked quizically at me and cocked an eyebrow. In Galari, the language of my homeland, he asked, "Whatever is a Merlani doing on a Varyag ship?"

"Working her passage," replied Savago tersely in Medarin to show that he had understood the question and was having none of this nonsense. Vigo looked tense, and two more officers joined the boarding party. The oldest of the officers bore the badges of a Quinquerarch, and was obviously the captain of the Writ.

"I suppose, then, that yours is a cargo ship, Master Varyag," asked the Quinquerarch in a somewhat bored tone.

"Aye, she is that, Captain, and dare I ask why you are stopping merchant ships at sea in the middle of nowhere?" replied Savago angrily. Though he was obviously bluffing, he played the angry and affronted merchant with all the skill of a seasoned actor.

"I see. Then you should have no trouble providing me with proper manifests for a complete customs inspection, eh?" was the Tyrennhian's retort.

Fortunately for us, Savago was no fool, and Vigo and Yssa were forgers of great skill. The ship had papers for every piece of cargo in its hold, and the papers would all pass muster as being legitimate bills of lading and transport for the cargo. Also, as luck would have it, while much of the cargo was contraband in the Imperium, it was perfectly legal in our listed port of call, Dahlon.

The inspection took three hours, as the Tyrennhians were convinced, rightly so as it turned out, that we were all pirates. The young officer, whose name was Septimus Arrenus, kept looking at me the whole time. Though I detested the Imperium for what it had done to my homeland, I had to admit that the young naval officer was really rather dashing in an odd sort of way, though the odd hairstyle affected by Tyrennhian soldiers was kind of off-putting.

In the end, the Wavestrider was allowed to continue on to Dahlon under close escort, thus preventing Savago from filling the rest of his hold on the way to Dahlon. It was obvious that the Tyrennhian knew that the Polinoy ship was obviously a real pirate, but without proof, the law-abiding military of the Imperium would not do anything about it. It took ten days to sail to Dahlon with the Proconsul's Writ dogging us every step of the way.

When we reached Dahlon, my first action was to perform my normal duties and assist with the loading and unloading of the cargo. Much of the time we were under observation by Tyrennhian soldiers or sailors, to the obvious annoyance of the stevedores working the docks. As soon as that was done, I looked to one of the stevedores and told him that one of the Tyrennhians had said something about re-conquering the dirty Merlani scum in this crummy little city. The stevedore quickly spread the word, and the next thing you knew there was a massive fight breaking out between the dock workers and the Tyrennhians. Using the fracas as a diversion, I slipped away from the docks and up into the city proper.

I realized first off that I would not be able to go home right away, and that Deroone Verthur's shop would probably be the first place anyone with half a brain would think to look for me. Understanding that my options were severely limited, and that the mix of different coins in my purse would only last for so long, I made my way as quickly as I could to the south end of town.

Assuming nothing had changed, I knew that the current leader of the Dahlon Secretariat, Fendy Brill, could be found there. It was risky, but I knew it was my only chance for survival and escape. I almost made it to Brill's home when those words that every right thinking woman hates to hear: "Guards, arrest that woman!"