Odds and Sods

Undersea science fiction seems to go in and out of fashion. I've always had a soft spot for it, perhaps because it's an underappreciated niche in the genre. Series that I am fond of are the Undersea books by Jack Williamson's and Frederik Pohl as well as Peter Watts Rifters books.

I'm not the only one who likes these books, but if they feature talking dolphins, then count out this reader who absolutely hates the concept of intelligent dolphins. He offers a list of offending examples which he calls quasi-comprehensive, yet doesn't include as famous a series as the Uplift books by David Brin which features spaceships piloted by dolpin astronauts. Or would they be more properly called cetaceonauts?

Scientists and science fiction writers like to wonder whether life exists in extreme environments in the icy waters beneath the surface of outer moons of our solar system such as Europa or Enceladus, but they can find examples much closer to home. Just the other day, researchers found shrimp and squid living 600 feet below Antarctic ice sheets in a region where they expected to find little more than microbes yet these higher life forms were thriving.

It just goes to show you that our own undersea world is as mysterious to us as outer space and is an excellent theme for science fiction writers.

Michael Moorcock is one science fiction writer who is no stranger to music, having had an association with the pyschedelic band Hawkwind in the 1960s. He recently offered a list of the music he listens to while writing and it is as eclectic as his own stories.

There are other examples of music and science fiction crossing over. IO9 wrote recently about the sort of science-fiction themed background music that was penned in the 60s and 70s that made its way into countless TV shows and movies. It was avante-garde stuff then and it almost sounds contemporary today.

Even today, science fiction continues to inspire musicians. like this band which cites The Prisoner as its biggest influence.

On that note, I'll sign off with this link to an online Prisoner graphic novel that was created to coincide with the recent AMC remake.

There is no shortage of online communities for science fiction fans, but the folks behind MyOuterSpace.com think that the star power of Captain Kirk can make them stand out from the crowd.

Perhaps it will, but it's a crowded field and I know that I'm not interested in "friending" William Shatner. I don't know how many people will be siphoned away from such sites as Facebook or MySpace, but I'm sure some will be.

Starting an online community takes a lot of work, but technical know-how is not the biggest barrier to entry. With network-building sites like Ning, you can very quickly create a social network of your own centred on any topic like the International Space Art Network did.

The internet is allowing all sorts of fan communities to thrive and we are seeing some fascinating social experiments, such as this attempt to  create a fan-funded science fiction film.

An American physics professor has supposedly drawn up a list of scientific guidelines for scriptwriters so that they don't violate scientific facts a little less often than they do now. He proposes no more than one major transgression per film or TV show. Sadly, a lot of science fiction movies and TV shows violate the laws of science multiple times per half hour of screen time.

But does it really make sense to limit these transgressions to a set number? Why only one? Why not two? Maybe three would be okay if it really made the story more entertaining. As this writer points out, it makes no sense to try to limit these sort of things to some sort of formula.

There are plenty of arguments that bad science in sci-fi stories is hurting real science, but some argue that it's bad education that is leading people to not know their science well enough to write about it accurately.

The professor, who is named Sidney Perkowitz, actually wrote a book a few years back about how Hollywood depicts science in the movies.

I can't decide which record is more impressive. The one that was set by 99 Star Trek fans who established a new mark for the most costumed fans in one place at one time or the record set by another fan who was able to correctly name each TOS episode in order in under two minutes. Here's a video of his record-setting performance:

Considering the amounts of ums and pauses in his speech, I think there's the opportunity to shatter the record. Maybe it could be you who does it.

And frankly, the 99-fans-in-one-place record doesn't sound like such a big deal. I've seen bigger flash mobs like the crazy Star Wars light saber duel in a British shopping centre.

If record-setting isn't your thing, but you do like Star Trek, then how about the new Trek MMORPG? Here's the New York Times review.

It's going to be a while before the next Star Trek movie makes it to the big screen. Zachary Quinto, the man who played Spock in the last film, has said that he's swearing off all things Trek for the next two years. No more movies, no more conventions, no more games. Nada. His last turn in the Trek universe was to do some voiceover work for the new online game. He doesn't even play the role of everyone's favourite Vulcan in the game.

If you can't wait for the next film and need a Star Trek fix, consider listening to the audio episodes of Star Trek: The Continuing Mission. They are very well done and I think that audio is a better format for amateur productions than video because you can't compete with the big-budget effects of the real thing. I'm not the only one that thinks they're good, judging from this review.

If that's not geeky enough for your inner Trekkie, how about this project to modify a toy communicator into a bluetooth-enabled handset?

In honour of St. Valentine's Day, I offer up these links with a romantic theme. Don't worry, they still contain enough science fiction content to stay on topic.

The first is Techland's guide to the top 5 science fiction date movies. These are films that will satisfy fannish viewers, but still have enough of a romance quotient that your average female non-fan will enjoy them. Who knows, it might be a way to convert them over to the fan side of things.

Next up is a list of science fiction's most epic love stories. These are couples taken from both books and movies.There's no mention of my favourite couple, Fox Mulder and Dan Scully from the X-Files, but I suppose their relationship was platonic for too long and not epic enough to qualify.

For romantic science fiction books, this list is a good primer of some of the best. Edgar Rice Burroughs' A Princess of Mars makes the list and it's a good one. I think John Carter and Deja Thoris' courtship was the model for many a subsequent science fiction and fantasy story.

While most of the books listed above feature romances, they aren't romantic enough for fans of science fiction romances, a sub-genre that has a niche following. Those same fans would like to see the sub-genre be more mainstream and one offers these steps on how that could happen.

February is Black History Month so why not spend some time honouring those blacks who have made contribution to science fiction in some form or another?

First off is this interesting list of African-American science fiction authors. My favourite of the ones listed on that site is Octavia Butler. Samuel Delaney gets the most attention, but I've always thought his work was over-rated.

Next up is this list of top black characters in science fiction TV and movies. I'm glad to see that none of Wil Smith's characters are on the list, but give a big thumbs up to Avery Brooks for his role as Captain Benjamin Sisko on Star Trek: Deep Space 9.

So who is your favourite black SF character or author?

The role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons has been with us for many a decade now which means we pretty much take it for granted, but it's hard not to overstate its importance to geek culture. This writer takes a look back at where the game came from and how it survived to the present and what effect it had on our times.

The game has been demonized over the years as being a bad influence on kids, but those of us who played it and grew up to be relatively normal adults realize what a bunch of bull that it is. Too bad no one told that the courts in Wisconsin. They upheld a ruling that that state's prisons can forbid inmates from playing the game because it leads to "gang" activity. Excuse me while I roll my eyes.

The original creators of D&D are now dead and many of their contemporaries are starting to grow older and join them in the Grey Havens. Some are starting to think its important to start preserving their histories before they all die off. Even documentarians are making films about the hobby. And if you like to read fiction inspired by role-playing games that is not written as a marketing tie-in, there's a new anthology inspired by gamers.

So are you excited at the news that Adidas will release a new line of Star Wars-themed running shoes?

Sure, you may think they look cool now, but one day, a photo of you wearing them will probably end up on a website like this and there will be nothing you can do about it.

I suppose the product appeals to a certain demographic of Star Wars fans. Probably the same ones who are dedicated enough to create a fan page to honour Jek Porkins, a Star Wars character so minor that it's amazing he even has a name.

If I had my choice, I'd prefer hanging out with the Star Wars strippers instead of those other fans.