SFDG

Meeting for 2010: Odyssey Two

2010-03-25T15:56:00.001-04:00

On March 25 2010 we met at the Bloomington Barnes & Noble to discuss 2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke. Raja had pushed heavily for it.

Here are the votes in the order they were given:

Lisa 8
Abe 8
Chris 3
Damien 8
John Gallman 5
TC 7 ("and I'm being generous")
Raja 10

Chris felt that the book had too many long descriptions and was like a textbook. John Gallman kept hoping for fighting to break out among the crew. By contrast, Raja said that, in his opinion, Arthur C. Clarke wrote five books that were closer to perfect than not; 2010 was the fifth and last.

Our next Barnes & Noble meeting will be on April 22 2010 to discuss Isaac Asimov's The Caves of Steel. Gregory suggested David Brin's The Practice Effect after that, and the group agreed to discuss it on May 27.

(Posted 2010-03-26 16:05 EDT)

Meeting for Friday

2010-02-25T13:57:00.001-05:00

On February 25 2010 we met at the Bloomington Barnes & Noble to discuss Friday by Robert A. Heinlein. Chris had suggested it after we read Saturn's Children (see below).

Here are the votes in the order they were given:
Chris 4
Dru 6
Raja 6
Jeff 9 (compared to our usual non-Heinlein; compared to other Heinlein it would be lower)
Emily 4
Lisa 8

Lisa arrived well after the start of the discussion.

Raja noted that while he didn't enjoy the book as much this time, he found it to be very compelling reading. (You can see his lengthy review on Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17208.Friday .) Some others agreed that the book was more enjoyable the first time you read it.

Our next meeting will be on March 25 2010 to discuss 2010: Odyssey Two, by Arthur C. Clarke. We chose The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov for April 22, thus completing the triple crown. (Asimov, Clarke, and Heinlein are often referred to as "The Big Three" in fandom; the most important SF writers of the 20th century.)

(Posted 2010-03-07 14:06 EST.)

Meeting for Cordelia's Honor

2010-01-28T16:19:00.000-05:00

On January 28 2010 we met at the Bloomington Barnes & Noble to discuss Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold. Raja had wanted to discuss a Bujold SF book from the Vorkosigan universe for some time, but there had been problems selecting one. Ultimately the group decided to begin at the beginning.

Here are the votes in the order they were given:

Damien 10
Abe 9
Raja 9
Dru 8 (well, 8.5)
John 6
Jeff 3 for Shards, 10 for Barrayar
Chris 9
Emily 6

The next week, we saw Elizabeth at El Norteño. She gave Cordelia's Honor a rating of 10. At that time, Abe noted that he gave Cordelia a 9 "so nothing would have a score higher than Hyperion" ;-)

(posted 2010-02-25 16:19)

Meeting for Saturn's Children

2009-11-19T19:30:00.003-05:00

On November 19 2009 we met at the Bloomington Barnes & Noble to discuss Saturn's Children by Charles Stross. The book had been suggested by Gregory, Abe, and Raja.

Here are the votes in the order they were given:

Abe 7

Emily 8

Chris 7

Dru 8--no, 2--no, 5

Lisa 4

Jeff 4 (though the discussion made him suggest lowering to 3)

Raja 4

(Raja insisted on giving his vote last.)

The book was not terribly popular. Gregory and Raja loved the astronautics, though they had concerns about whether shipping bulky bodies around the Solar System was the best way to do things. Raja liked the planetary science as well; it reminded him of John Varley's work. Unfortunately, the characters weren't as good as Varley's, and Raja resented the time spent with the characters.

Gregory apologized; he'd complained in the past about other members' seeming obsession with books consisting of vampires and sex ... and this book seemed to mostly consist of robots and sex.

Several people said that the book started out reasonably well but got too confusing by about halfway.

(One other complaint of Raja's is that the book, like the middle section of Accelerando, presents people with incredible computational riches frittering them away simulating low-computational lifestyles (i.e., ours). Raja compared it to aristocrats playing at being peasants and found it insulting.)

After the meeting, Jeff suggested Heinlein's Friday--the putative model for this novel, and promised Chris he would be good if she would ;-). Rather to Raja's surprise, Friday will be the book for our February (25th) 2010 meeting.

Meeting for Dracula

2009-10-30T20:51:00.008-04:00

On October 29 2009 we met Bloomington Barnes & Noble to discuss Dracula by Bram Stoker. The book was suggested by Emily (since the meeting was just two days short of Halloween).

Here are the votes (in the order they were given):
Abe 7 (who didn't reread it recently but remembers it pretty vividly)
Raja 9
Chris 8 (though she was 19 pages from the end)
Dru ~9 (though on this re-read she was just up to Lucy's death)
Lisa 9
Emily 10
Jeff 10 (He would have given it 9, but he thought it deserved a 10 "because Stoker made Heinlein-haters like a typist who 'thinks like a man.'")

Many people praised the book for its vivid descriptions.

Lots of people like Mina, though they would have preferred better praise from Stoker's characters than "She thinks like a man." Raja brought up several possible complaints, but considered them nitpicking, given how strong the book is. ("It's been in print continuously for 112 years now.") One plot hole people disliked was Harker's escape from Dracula's castle at the end of Chapter IV. Raja also brought up the strange fact that Lucy got three (!) marriage proposals in one day—Raja was expecting something sinister behind the coincidence—but Dru and Chris didn't find it unreasonable.

Gregory didn't read the book; he expected it to be a standard Gothic, e.g., "a woman is whisked away from her home town by her marriage; her husband sets her up in a dark, gloomy castle, and she becomes convinced that her husband is trying to kill her." It was pointed out that the first four chapters of Dracula actually do follow this pattern—but instead of a young bride, the role is taken by naïve young man Jonathan Harker(!)

It was also pointed out that, for the time, the book incorporates cutting-edge hardware (phonographic recorders) and medicine (transfusions). Modern readers wonder how Lucy survived four different blood transfusions from four different men—her blood type must have been AB positive (the "universal recipient")!

Meeting for Furies of Calderon

2009-06-26T10:24:00.003-04:00

On June 25 2009 we met at the Bloomington Barnes & Noble to discuss Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher. The book was suggested by Lisa Bradley.

Here are the votes (in the order they were given):

Lisa 9
Jeff 7
Raja 9
Emily 7
Dru 8
Chris 6

Raja liked it a lot; he said that apart from some clumsiness in the first 20 pages or so, the author did a very skillful job of storytelling. He said Butcher was a professional entertainer, and we could use more of those. The only reason Raja didn't give the book a 10 is that, ultimately, it didn't feel like it was about anything more than solid storytelling.

Chris found the world and vocabulary confusing for a while.

Gregory didn't care for the book until the Trial of Wits, which changed certain things, and made for a very interesting relationship between two of the characters (one of them oblivious).

Heinlein's fan mail answer

2008-09-10T06:13:00.000-04:00

Do you wish you could send RAH some fan mail? Well, you can get an answer from him! I'm pretty sure you can figure out which box he would have checked...

Book for June: Tea with the Black Dragon

2007-04-12T11:01:00.000-04:00

The members present chose Tea with the Black Dragon as the SFDG book for June 21 2007.

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Meeting to discuss The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester

2007-04-12T10:34:00.000-04:00

All votes:

Alek: 10
Chris: 3
Dru: 5
Jeff: 2
Lisa: 8
Raja: 10
TC: 10

Book for March: Wasp by Eric Frank Russell

2007-01-21T14:09:00.000-05:00

Our book for March 29 2007 will be Wasp by Eric Frank Russell. It's currently out of print, but it's what the consensus arrived on. It is available as part of the omnibus Entities, linked below. It's also widely available through http://abebooks.com/ (a search for "Wasp" as the title and "Russell" as the author turns up 92 results). Click the title above to do the ABEBooks search.

If you want to buy the omnibus, here it is:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Is Back: The Complete Joss Whedon Q&A | TVGuide.com | TVGuide.com

2006-12-08T09:43:00.000-05:00

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Is Back: The Complete Joss Whedon Q&A | TVGuide.com | TVGuide.com About Buffy, season 8 (in comic book format) with a few pages'preview that reveal what's the deal with Buffy & the Immortal!

Book for February: Bellwether by Connie Willis

2006-11-21T15:19:00.000-05:00

Our book for February 22 2007 will be Bellwether by Connie Willis.

Book for January: Spin

2006-11-21T15:12:00.000-05:00

Our book for January 18 2007 will be Spin by Robert Charles Wilson.

Book for November: Camouflage

2006-09-22T10:37:00.000-04:00

Our book for November 16 2006 will be Camouflage by Joe Haldeman.

Meeting to discuss The Ophiuchi Hotline by John Varley

2006-09-21T10:42:00.000-04:00

Coming soon.

Timeline of "Eight Worlds" stories

2006-09-15T08:55:00.000-04:00

A downside of reading The Ophiuchi Hotline is that it's the capstone of the Eight Worlds, a long series of stories. For anyone who wants to read the stories in order of internal chronology, there's a good fan-created timeline available at

http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Rampart/3870/timeline.html

Nitpicks: The first stories don't really belong in the Eight Worlds; the list should really start with "Options". If you scroll down, you'll see a note from John Varley explaining this; Varley blames himself for not making it clear enough in the stories. Also, Steel Beach and The Golden Globe are recent novels that Varley doesn't believe really fit into the series.

Book for October: Accelerando

2006-08-19T15:12:00.000-04:00

Our book for October 19 2006 will be Accelerando by Charles Stross.

Dedaimia asked Borders to get 6 copies.

It's also available as a free eBook from the author at http://www.accelerando.org/.

Meeting to discuss Dread Empire's Fall: The Praxis by Walter Jon Williams

2006-08-17T16:00:00.000-04:00

Votes:
Alek: 9
Chris: 8
Dedaimia: 9
Dru: 8
Jeff: 10
Raja: 9
Sarah: 4

Book for September: The Ophiuchi Hotline

2006-08-17T11:02:00.000-04:00

Our book for September 21 2006 will be The Ophiuchi Hotline by John Varley.

Meeting to discuss The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells

2006-07-20T17:48:00.000-04:00

All votes:

Chris: 9
Dedaimia: 10 ("for a lifetime achievement award")
Jeff: 9
John: 9
Lisa: 9
Raja: 10
Sarah: 10
TC: 9*

* TC did not finish in time for the meeting, but gave the book a "9" at the next meeting.

Most members who were present really liked the book, and were somewhat surprised that it held up so well (after all, it was first published about 108 years ago). Several people pointed out that this book originated many SFnal ideas still in use today (Jeff said it was like the first "boy meets girl" story).

Video

Video clips of several SFDG members giving their opinions of (and votes for) the book can be downloaded from

http://moria.uits.indiana.edu/sfdg/uploads/theWarOfTheWorlds.wmv

You will need a username and password to download this Windows Media Video file. The username and password have been posted to the mailing list.

Audio

An audio recording of the meeting can be downloaded from

http://moria.uits.indiana.edu/sfdg/uploads/warOfTheWorldsMeeting.mp3

As with the video, you'll need the username and password to download this file (or stream it in your browser, if you have Quicktime).

Book for August: Dread Empire's Fall: The Praxis

2006-06-27T09:11:00.000-04:00

Our book for August 17 2006 will be Dread Empire's Fall: The Praxis by Walter Jon Williams.

Meeting to discuss The Disappeared by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

2006-06-22T14:04:00.000-04:00

All votes:

Abe: 6 (and 3, 3, 6 for the later novels)
Chris: 8
Dru: 8
Ignacio: 6*
John: 8
Lisa: 8
Raja: 7
TC: 8
Tracy: 6

* Ignacio sent his vote by email later (September 2).

TC Bradley's summary statements were echoed by several other people. Overall, it was considered to be a professionally written and fun book, though Tracy pointed out that certain core aspects really didn't stand up to close examination, and Raja complained that the setting was underused, and he would have trimmed a section or two. Almost everyone wished the author had spent more time examining and explaining the alien races (though TC wouldn't want the book to grow too much).

John Gallman posted the following to the mailing list (since he wasn't able to attend):

I thought it quite good, a professionally told yarn. One cares about the characters, some of them, anyway. My only complaint is that both alien civilizations had the same kind of claim on humans. Seems to be there should have been different issues (than trying to retrieve "criminal" humans. I'd read another book by her. This one I didn't feel the need to scan. Grade of 8.

Video

The video of TC Bradley, Chris Stanley, and Raja Thiagarajan giving their votes and opinions can be downloaded from http://moria.uits.indiana.edu/sfdg/uploads/theDisappeared.wmv . This is a Windows Media file (so I assume it can only be played with Windows Media Player running on Windows). You will need to log in and give the password in order to download this file; the login name and password have been posted on the mailing list.

Audio

The audio recording of the group discussing The Disappeared can be downloaded from http://moria.uits.indiana.edu/sfdg/uploads/theDisappearedMeeting.mp3 . As with the video, you will need the correct login name and password.

June: Disappeared

2006-06-05T18:16:00.000-04:00

Our book for June 20 The Disappeared : A Retrieval Artist Novel (Retrieval Artist Novel) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (and not collection of stories: The Retrieval Artist and Other Stories (Paperback)).

Meeting to discuss Old Man's War by John Scalzi

2006-06-03T22:02:00.000-04:00

I audio-recorded the meeting, and also video-recorded people who were willing to give their votes "on camera".

All votes:
Abe: 8
Alek: 9
Chris: 8
Dedaimia: 9
Dru: 9
Jeff: 8
John: 7
Lisa: 7
Raja: 8
TC: 8
Tracy: 7

The consensus seemed to be that this was a fun book, despite the high body count, but perhaps a bit lightweight.

Old Man's War by John Scalzi

2006-04-23T14:45:00.000-04:00

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Our book for May 25 2006

The Golden Compass discussion

2006-04-23T13:19:00.000-04:00

We met on April 20 2006 and had a lively discussion on The Golden Compass. We also talked a bit about the other books in the trilogy; largely because Abe really disliked the end of the series.
Votes:
Abe: 8
Alek: 8
Chris: 8
Damien: 7
Dru: 7
Jeff: 4 ("2 for being under 400 pages, 2 more because it could have been worse")
Lisa: 6
Raja: 7 (and 9 and 8 for the other two books respectively)
Sarah: 10
Tracy: 10

Coalescent

2006-03-25T09:43:00.000-05:00

We met on March 23 2006 and had a lively discussion of Coalescent by Stephen Baxter.

Votes:
Abe: 5
Alek: 7
Chris: 8
Dru: 6
Jeff: 2
John: 5
Raja: 6
Tracy: 2

Some people (Alek, Gregory [who doesn't vote], and I think Ignacio) really liked the thread set in the past, and were bored (or annoyed) by the present and future threads. Raja found the whole book bloated, but enjoyed the present and future threads--when the science ideas finally showed up!--more than the past thread.

The Golden Compass

2006-03-02T12:40:00.000-05:00

Our book for April 20 2006.

Nova

2006-03-02T12:11:00.000-05:00

We met and discussed Samuel R. Delany's Nova on February 23.

Votes: Alek: 5
Chris: 8
Raja: 10
Sarah: 6
Tracy: 7

One interesting tidbit: As is pointed out on the Wikipedia page for Nova, the current (Vintage) edition includes a new passage about Prince Red and Brian. (Possible slight spoiler in the link).

Our next meeting will be on March 23 to discuss Coalescent by Stephen Baxter.

Reach for a Battlestar

2006-02-13T09:02:00.000-05:00

Reach for a Battlestar
Wil McCarthy on the physics of Battlestar Galactica.

VALIS

2006-01-26T19:30:00.000-05:00

Our book for January 26, 2006.

votes:
TC 7
Dedaimia 5
Alek 2
Tracy 10
Raja 10
Ignacio 10

Science Fiction News of the Week

2006-01-18T10:53:00.000-05:00

Science Fiction News of the Week: "Serenity Might Fly Again? " Did you already buy your copy of Serenity?

Robert Sheckley

2005-12-13T16:45:00.000-05:00

Sci Fi Wire -- The News Service of the Sci Fi Channel: "SF author Robert Sheckley, who wrote scores of novels and several episodes of the original The Twilight Zone TV series, died in New York on Dec. 9 after undergoing surgery for a brain aneurysm in November, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Web site reported. He was 77. "

Nova

2005-11-18T13:53:00.000-05:00

Our book for February 23, 2006.

Blackthorne To Play Dresden

2005-11-11T15:47:00.000-05:00

Serenity

2005-11-06T09:41:00.000-05:00

Halloween party, 2005

2005-10-30T11:43:00.000-05:00

From Eerie to Bloomington...

Southern Vampire

2005-10-28T19:05:00.000-05:00

"a new HBO series based on Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire book series"

Pattern Recognition

2005-10-20T19:30:00.000-05:00

Our book for October 20 2005 was Pattern Recognition by William Gibson. Peter Kuchera facilitated the meeting, and John Gallman attended for the first time in a while.

Pattern recognition
John 8 (for effort)
Dru 8
Chris 5
Peter 7
Alek 6
Raja 5
Ignacio 3

Ignacio was misled by the cover art to believe Cayce had black hair and maybe looked like an asian girl. But then he looked up (warning: Link Not Workplace Safe!) Jane Birkin, to whom Cayce is compared in the first pages of the book.

Which Serenity character are you?

2005-10-17T18:28:00.000-05:00

GF Moment (Kung Fu Monkey)

2005-10-15T23:01:00.000-05:00

Kung Fu Monkey: It's a "Global" Frequency now ...:

(...) One quick story: There's a sequence in the show, when Aleph gets everyone on the Frequency, and they figure out what the problem is. All these citizen-experts, pitching in to save strangers' lives. To get a good feel for the timing, all the actors were kind enough to show up on that shoot night (Aimee shot separately) at 3 am and do their parts LIVE. So it played out, just like on the show -- the call went out, people responded, voices chiming in, all in one, long flawless take ... like it was actually happening.

It was incredible, one of those alchemical moments were it stopped being television, stopped being a performance, and actually took us to another world.

Nelson calls "cut". I step into the set, basically this glorified warehouse, and realize that there's a weird silence. Cast and crew are spooked. Some people are tearing up, I actually hear a little sniffling. I turn to one of the show staff and say "Hey, you okay? What's wrong?"

And she bursts into tears. "I was just ... what if it were real? Wouldn't it be beautiful if people could really ..." And she fades out, wipes her eyes. Whispers: "It would just be so amazing if it were real."

That's right. For two glorious minutes in a waterfront shed in Vancouver, the Global Frequency was real. And it destroyed people. For just the chance at that, I'm glad I tried.

Recalibrating DC Heroes for a Grittier Century

2005-10-13T11:42:00.000-05:00

Interesting piece in the New York Times (!) about the big shakeup underway in the DC Universe right now. (It's got a minor spoiler if you haven't read the "Sacrifice" crossover.) As far as I can tell, after the end of "Infinite Crisis", DC plans to jump the storylines forward a year, then have a 52-issue weekly comic to backfill.

52, the weekly series that begins in May, will be a story-telling and production challenge. A weekly series leaves little room for delays in writing, illustrating or printing, and the "real time" concept means no inventory story can be dropped in to fill a gap in the narrative.

The commitment of resources "scared a lot of departments," Mr. DiDio said, adding, "This is not just an editorial risk; it's a company risk."

Superman is a Dick? (Mike Miksch @ nationallampoon.com)

2005-09-29T22:59:00.000-05:00

Superman Gone Bad?

Interview: Neil Gaiman and Joss Whedon

2005-09-28T16:40:00.000-05:00

TIME.com Print Page: Arts - Movies -- Interview: Neil Gaiman and Joss Whedon: "Joss Whedon and Neil Gaiman may well be the two most interesting people creating popular culture right now. Whedon is the man behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and he wrote and directed the science fiction film Serenity, which opens Sept. 30th. Gaiman created the instant-classic comic book Sandman, and he's the author of the new novel Anansi Boys, out this month. He has a new movie, Mirrormask, which also opens Sept. 30. They chatted on the phone together�chaperoned by TIME's Lev Grossman�about their work, their fans, their Klingon bodyguards and, of course, Timecop"

Thanks Raja!

The Gunslinger

2005-09-23T10:46:00.000-05:00

The votes from Yesterday's meeting
Dedaimia 5
Dru 5.5
Lisa 9
TC 8
Raja 8
Alek 7
Ignacio 6
Peter 8
Michael 8
Jason 7
Dan new version: 8; old version: 7
jeff 10
Kate 1.5

Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1)

2005-09-23T08:05:00.000-05:00

Our November book will be
Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1), by Jim Butcher. The discussion is planned for November 17 (week 47!).

According to scifi.com, it's being developed for TV:

Dresden Files (working title) SCI FI, in development
Erik Dresden comes from a long line of wizards. He also happens to be a detective who sees the world a little differently. When
otherworldly forces are at hand, Erik is on the job, whether it involves consulting for the police or following his own cases. Based on
the novels by Jim Butcher, this two-hour movie and backdoor pilot will be executive-produced by Nicolas Cage and Norm Golightly of Saturn
Films. Morgan Gendel has been tapped to write the script.

Odyssia through Ilium/Olympos: 1,000-year love affair ...

2005-08-29T03:23:00.000-05:00

Who needs answers when you have questions?

Attempts on I/O timeline (total spoliers)

I find idea of ODYSSIA aka CIRCE'S WORLD very intriguing: "the first ever grown-up erotic SF novel using every possible SF trope and protocol to tell a serious tale" -- i.e. the full history of Odysseus-Circe's 1,000-year love affair." ... even if it is not true who cares?

Other gems are hidden in this thread and in this forum ... it's not TV it is Forum ...

Ilium-related artwork

2005-08-27T10:39:00.000-05:00

(a similar note was posted to the mailing list)

François Baranger did a nice illustration of the end of Chapter 37. You can see it at http://www.francois-baranger.com/paintings/ilium1.htm . (Or click the title link above.)

There's also a small version of this image on the first Gallery page of Dan Simmons's official web site. I prefer the large version because you can see details. On the gallery page, there's also an image of Mahnmut and Orphu (halfway down the page on the left); IMHO, it's too cutesy, but your mileage may vary.

Ilium

2005-08-26T16:21:00.000-05:00

(Raja's report)

We met and discussed Ilium at Borders last night. Thanks to Peter for providing the cookies (and probably keeping the Buddhist group at bay ;-). Thanks to Dedaimia for running the meeting.

A new person, Pat, showed up and watched the meeting. She said she would come to our next meeting ;-).

Votes were as follows:

Abe	9
Alek	9
Dedaimia	9^*
Dru	8
Ignacio	9^***
Jeff	4^**
Kate	8
Michael	9
Raja	10
Simms	10

^* Dedaimia initially voted 5 on the grounds that Ilium was "half a novel" and that after finishing Olympos, she would probably give "the complete novel" a 10. Raja objected to this, so Dedaimia changed her vote to 9 ;-).

^** Jeff initially voted a 6 but changed to a 4 to be consistent with Dedaimia ;-).

^*** Ignacio messaged his vote to Raja on September 7 2005:

(21:25:47) Ignacio: not a 10 because it didn't end

(21:26:47) Ignacio: The story of Deaman and Harman doesn't tie with the others...

(21:26:47) Ignacio: so i don't agree with your assessment it was a good ending point ;).

Abe and Alek had also read Olympos (and occasionally let slip a point from the later novel).

Gregory hadn't finished the book (and sent Raja an email the night before griping about it), but had started to really enjoy it and definitely planned to finish. Many people objected to the ending (Jeff said that he'd finally gotten to the point that he was enjoying it when it suddenly became "To Be Continued"), though Dru and Raja argued that it was a fitting end. Dru pointed out that the book ends at a point of "freedom"; most of the lies and deceptions have been seen through, and the characters are free to do as they wish. Raja pointed out that the penultimate chapter ends almost exactly along the lines of the first sentences of the book (in the Author's Note before the novel starts).

Dedaimia, who teaches the Iliad professionally said that Simmons had done an excellent job of keeping true to the original characters.

Most members of the group really liked the book; everyone Raja asked said they would read Olympos (and he asked everyone except Jeff and Dru).

Vader in Israel

2005-08-24T05:55:00.000-05:00

Vader: "Do I look like someone that smokes Light?" Huh tuff Huh tuff
(subtitles may be hard to read)

21st Century Writers

2005-08-17T21:52:00.000-05:00

Here's a bit of amusing satire written by game designer Allen Varney in the mid-1980s. Fans of Heinlein, Varley, and Spider Robinson take note ;-)

Stanislaw Lem on the Web

2005-08-01T08:07:00.000-05:00

Alek posted this to the SFDG mailing list.

delta thrives | set the controls for the heart of the sun

2005-07-31T09:30:00.000-05:00

Is it a blog? a comic? a short story? Thanks, Alek!

September: The Gunslinger

2005-07-30T09:18:00.000-05:00

I is for Interview

2005-07-22T09:49:00.000-05:00

An interview with Ray Bradbury that I learned about thanks to my friend Chris...

Our July book: Gridlinked, by Neal Asher

2005-07-21T19:47:00.000-05:00

July 21
Votes:
Ignacio 5

If Dr. Seuss wrote for Star Trek: The Next Generation...

2005-07-17T11:05:00.000-05:00

Ignacio stumbled upon this while not writing his dissertation :-P .

Picard: Computer, how long til we die?

Computer: Eight minutes left to say goodbye.

Which Science-Fiction Writer Are You?

2005-07-16T17:11:00.000-05:00

Many of the members of the group have taken the test; we have a Gibson, 3 or 4 Clarkes and 2 Clements, (including me, Ignacio).
Thanks to Chris for sending the link!

BEDTIME-STORY CLASSIC: The Owl and the Pussycat

2005-07-13T07:11:00.000-05:00

The Owl and the Pussycat: "They dined on mince and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon"

For those reading Gridlinked.

Fountainhead Earth

2005-07-11T18:11:00.000-05:00

The novel was later made into a musical, Fountainhead Earth: A Saga Of The Year 1950, starring John Travolta, with a budget of $100 million, drawing $45.20 at the box office. It opened on 3249 screens simultaneously in the United States, with its first run lasting almost two showings.

FireflyMovie.com - News

2005-07-09T18:05:00.000-05:00

FireflyMovie.com - NewsJoss Whedon says: "Summer did read for Kitty in X3. I know because she called me and mentioned she was going to and did I know anything about the character (there were no 'sides' to study -- they had to get them when they came in). So the girl I turned into sort of a superhero in my movie was going to read for the character that most influenced ALL my girl-heroes, Kitty Pryde. "

"Summer would make a wonderful Kitty. (And I don't say that lightly.) As long as it doesn't interfere with SERENITY II: RICARDO MONTALBAN'S STILL PISSED -- or, much more importantly, SERENITY III: SO VERY NUDE. "

Safety and legal considerations for Human Torch operating ATV

2005-07-09T15:45:00.000-05:00

From FANTASTIC FLOP!
Why the Fantastic 4 Human Torch ATV (with Light-Up Headlights!) is the Worst Movie Tie-In Toy Ever
by Wm. Steven Humphrey:

(...) Has anyone told the Human Torch that it might not be safe to sit on top of a gas tank when one is on FIRE? Nice message to send the kids, assholes!

As you know, the Fantastic 4 lives and works in New York City--where driving an ATV is ILLEGAL. According to section 4-14, subsection 1 of the NYC municipal traffic code: "In order to provide for the maximum safe use of the expressways, drives, highways, interstate routes, bridges, and thruways, and to preserve life and limb thereon, the use of such highways by pedestrians, riders of horses, and operators of limited use vehicles [ATVs] and bicycles is prohibited." (Yes, I actually looked this up.)

The Fantastic 4 Human Torch™ ATV also has "light-up headlights!" Good thing, because there's nothing more useless than "dark-down headlights."

What does the freaking Human Torch need with headlights anyway? HE'S ON FIRE!
(...)

Schlock Mercenary

2005-07-04T08:51:00.000-05:00

Damien posted to the mailing list:

Thanks for the party, Simms!

At it, I'd mentioned a much-recommended SF web comic. Here's the URL:

http://www.schlockmercenary.com/

Has Dyson spheres!
Has dead Dyson spheres!
Has AI!

-xx- Damien X-)

Note: The storyline starts at http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20000612.html

Free E-books (in case you missed it)

2005-06-26T17:55:00.000-05:00

I've just now found and started looking around on this list from Baen Books. Authors include (an abbreviated list):

Andre Norton
Lois McMaster Bujold
David Drake
Michael Flynn
Dave Freer
Mercedes Lackey
Keith Laumer
Murray Leinster
Larry Niven
Jerry Pournelle
David Weber

And, thanks, Ignacio, for the invite to share on the blog :).

-tcb

Ilium, by Dan Simmons

2005-06-24T18:19:00.000-05:00

For the meeting of August 25, 2005

Lord of Light

2005-06-23T19:30:00.000-05:00

Votes:

Raja 8
Jim 6
Randy 10
Lisa8
TC 9
Jeff 3 (very generous)
Judy 8
Dedaimia 10
Dru
Alek 10

The Lord of Light Company

2005-06-22T21:42:00.000-05:00

This is a fascinating website that gives glimpses of the never-completed film version of _Lord of Light_, including artwork and designs by Jack Kirby (!) and a story about the CIA's involvement (!!)

Kung Fu Monkey: It's a "Global" Frequency now ...

2005-06-20T23:39:00.000-05:00

Global Frequency was a 12 issue comic series written by Warren Ellis, and apparently it was turned into a pilot for TV.

Episode iii, the backstroke of the west

2005-06-17T17:20:00.000-05:00

Abstain from drinking any kind of beverage while reading this....

Definitions of Science Fiction

2005-06-10T10:43:00.000-05:00

Here's a web page that includes several definitions of SF from various writers and editors. It's missing some of my favorites (IIRC, Damon Knight said "Science Fiction is what Science Fiction editors buy" ;-) but it has some interesting ones I hadn't seen before.

Star Wars Revelations

2005-06-08T17:19:00.000-05:00

May the Force be with you, young pedawan!

Ha ha... pedawan!

Earth abides

2005-05-19T19:30:00.000-05:00

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Votes:
Chris 6
Peter 9
Raja 10
Judy 6
Alek 8

The Darth Side: Memoirs of a Monster

2005-05-06T17:21:00.000-05:00

The Darth Side: Memoirs of a Monster

From Raja, via the Space Opera group.

Kunk Fu Hustle

2005-04-23T07:02:00.000-05:00

Science Fiction Weekly Interview: "Can you explain the overall theme of the movie?
Chow: I beat him up [laughs]. I win, that's it."

Emprise

2005-04-21T19:30:00.000-05:00

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The votes:
Jenny 1
John 4 (but he skimmed through it!)
Alek 9
TC 8
Lisa 8
Raja 10
Ignacio 6
Chris 7

Laser-controlled headless zombie flies

2005-04-14T13:46:00.000-05:00

!!!

Sin City beats out ILM to be first all-digital film with full color resolution

2005-03-26T14:54:00.000-05:00

Some of the technical/computing details behind Robert Rodriguez's upcoming film version of Sin City. They're using a lot of Linux, and this is the first film to use a full 4:4:4: Y'CbCr color space (beating out a small company called Industrial Light and Magic).

Ship of Fools

2005-03-24T19:30:00.000-05:00

Ship of fools
Dedaimia 2
Raja 3
Jim 6
TC 5,
Dru 5
Jeff 2
John 5
Judy 7
Alek 4
Chris 4
Ignacio 7
Jeny 4

Battlestar Galactica Podcast

2005-03-10T09:10:00.000-05:00

Ron Moore is also posting audio commentary on Battlestar Galactica episodes in MP3 format. As of this writing, the commentary for episode 9, "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down", is up, along with instructions on how to play it along with the episode. I haven't listened to this commentary yet since we haven't gotten to Episode 9.

(If you aren't familiar with the term, the Wikipedia says,
"'Podcasting' is making audio files (most commonly in MP3 format) available online in a way that allows software to automatically download the files for listening at the user's convenience." In this case, you can also download the file a la carte.)

I'm very impressed with the way Ron Moore is embracing the Web to improve fans' enjoyment of the show.

Battlestar Galactica Blog

2005-03-10T09:01:00.000-05:00

Ron Moore, creator of the new Battlestar Galactica TV series, is keeping a blog. I think it's real cool; like JMS during Babylon 5, Moore is answering some questions, and refusing to answer some others (e.g., "Why 33?"). He also has some nice comments on written SF (including a big thank-you to Harlan Ellison for a comment Ellison made during a Convention panel); why it's not the end of the world that Star Trek is currently off the air (like me, he grew up during the era when Trek belonged only to the fans); and even a note admitting to spot of bad writing in the Miniseries:

Good catch by an attentive member of the audience.

Damn you.

Vinge Signs New Book Deal

2005-03-09T10:35:00.000-05:00

You have to scroll down for the article.

TrekUnited.com � Latest News � Investors in space flight industry contribute $3,000,000 to TrekUnited

2005-03-07T17:12:00.000-05:00

"Money pledged to fund a fifth season of Star Trek: Enterprise"

Halcyon : New Bloomington-based pulp SF magazine

2005-02-27T12:27:00.000-05:00

There was a front-page article about this in the Friday Herald-Times. A Bloomington "history buff" named Derek Kagemann is editing and publishing a 99-cent pulp magazine named Halcyon. You can buy copies at several local retailers.

As it said in the H-T:

Science fiction exists in abundance, just not the kind Kagemann wants to do.

Pulp science fiction harks back to the 1930s, '40s and '50s. Writing by H.G. Wells, Ray Bradbury, H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard exemplifies the style: good meets evil, and good typically ends up the victor.

The writing is focused on storytelling, with heroes that are simple, explains Richard J. Maloney, whose 5,000-word "The Black Sands Acquisition Company" appears in Halcyon.

The heroes "are easy to identify and easy to root for," said Maloney, 19, an IU English and history major.

P.S. The Herald-Times has a website, but you can't read articles unless you subscribe for $6 a month.

The Sparrow

2005-02-24T19:30:00.000-05:00

The votes given during the meeting were:
John 9
Dedaimia 10
Peter 9
Jenny 8
Jeff 3
Dru 8
Raja 8
Alek 6
Judy 8
Chris 6
Lisa 6
Jim 7
Ignacio 6

Whedon Wooed For Wonder (woman)

2005-02-21T21:19:00.000-05:00

"Joss has a great idea"

Serenity Comics Due Soon

2005-02-21T21:17:00.000-05:00

"Dark Horse is putting out a three-issue prequel to the movie Serenity "

WFIU: Movie Reviews with Peter Noble-Kuchera

2005-02-18T08:42:00.000-05:00

Thanks Julie!

Vintage Phoenix in the local news...

2005-02-18T08:41:00.000-05:00

Sci Fi Weekly Interview with John Varley

2005-02-03T18:43:00.000-05:00

Ignacio dropped me a line about this a while back; it's a very good interview in which Varley talks about his upcoming books (Mammoth and "Red Lightning"), his probably-will-never-be-published first novel (Gas Giant), why the Eight Worlds differs from Anna-Louise Bach's universe, and (in passing) his opinion of the current U.S. President ;-).

Peter @ WFIU

2005-01-21T09:01:00.000-05:00

"My movie reviews will be on WFIU Tuesdays at 3:09 pm and Fridays at 9:02 am.
Cheers,

Peter"

The time traveler's wife

2005-01-21T01:05:00.000-05:00

The time traveler's wife
Dedaimia 10
Jeff 3
Jenny 8.5
Peter 9.5
Dru 6.5
Chris 11
Ignacio 3
Judy 10
Julie 8 (not present at meeting)

While messaging Raja the next morning, Ignacio said, "Jeff and I agreed it was quite good, but NOT SF. John thought it was repetitive and couldn't finish it."

Noxon on "Point Pleasant"

2005-01-18T11:22:00.000-05:00

"it incorporated elements of Peyton Place, The O.C., Carrie and The Omen. 'It's got all of that and, after the first few episodes, we'll be leaning even a little bit more toward Twin Peaks,' Noxon said. "

Ninja Wizards?

2005-01-13T23:16:00.000-05:00

That is what is needed in LOTR sequel ...

EarthNotSee?

2004-12-16T14:55:00.000-05:00

Earthsea in Clorox by Ursula K. Le Guin
(via Neil Gaiman's Journal)

The Probability Broach, the comic

2004-12-16T13:55:00.000-05:00

Spotted earlier today at vintage Phoenix...

scifi

2004-12-13T09:48:00.000-05:00

Alek blogs from an island in the Pacific ocean...

Assault on Autism/ Reading "The Speed of Dark"

2004-11-20T09:27:00.000-05:00

The link in the title leads to an article on autism Raja posted. Here are the votes from the meeting:

The speed of dark
John 9
Chris 8
Jeff 8
Dru 8
Judy 7
Raja 9
Dedaimia 7
Ignacio 8
Julie 9
Alek 7

Elizabeth Moon on autism

Gravitational Waves (Part 1)

2004-11-20T09:12:00.000-05:00

When Gregory posted this to the group I was a bit puzzled as to why someone might find it funny; then I realized the author is serious about it!

Shoulders of Giants

2004-11-05T18:32:00.000-05:00

Gregory's book, which we won't be discussing in February.

Wired 8.04: Why the future doesn't need us.

2004-10-07T11:43:00.000-05:00

An article about the Singularity, Moravec, etc.