Category Archives: science fiction

Firefly by Joss Whedon

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Firefly was Joss Whedon’s first non-Buffy universe show and was an interesting failure. For a show that debuted to poor ratings, had episodes shown out of order and only had 11 of the 14 episodes actually air, it has quite a following. When the axe finally fell on the show, I don’t think anyone would have expected a movie showing up a few years later. And while the show did ultimately fail, it was ultimately a wonderful show that deserves a wider audience.

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The Golden Globe by John Varley

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The Golden Globe is yet another Heinleinesque romp through the imagination of John Varley. Of all the current science fiction writers, Varley is the one who attempts Heinlein like book the most. Many writers love Heinlein, but few attempt to write in a style like the Heinlein juveniles. Varley even named a group of anarchist types in the book as Heinleiners. But did Varley make the book work?

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The God Engines by John Scalzi

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The God Engines is a short novel (novella possibly) John Scalzi that is different in tone and style than his earlier books. Where all his previous novels have been firmly in the science fiction camp, this one treads the line between science fiction and fantasy. But it is still (at its heart) a science fiction novel. So, how does it compare to Scalzi’s previous novels?

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Seth Green and Matt Senreich’s Star Wars Show

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Seth Green and Matt Senreich had a red carpet interview about the Star Wars comedy show they are working currently. They answered several questions before being interrupted by George Lucas while being asked if Yoda would be on the show.

According to Seth, “We’re hard at work on the show right now, full time.”
Matt explained that they’re doing all of the development and production up front and then they’ll be looking for distribution.  They won’t even begin looking for a distributor until the first season is finished, just like Clone Wars, and we shouldn’t expect to see any indication of what the show looks like or what it’s about (aside from what they told me) until after that process is completed.

H/T to IO9

Solar by Ian McEwan

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Solar by Ian McEwan is technically a science fiction novel, but it’s understandable that some people might not view it as such. The book deals with a technological breakthrough as the center of the story and, while the technology is essential to the book, the book is not about technology. The book is a character study that uses the technology to help bring out the true face of its characters. So what is the book about?

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Bitter Seeds by Ian Tregillis

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Bitter Seeds by Ian Tregillis is an interesting mix of magic, demonology and alternate history. Knowing that Hitler was extremely interested in magic and the occult, it makes an great choice to put this story in WW II. The book also has an interesting take on magic, but there are some frustrations in the book as well. So, does the book work or not?

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Ron Moore does Harry Potter (ish) show

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From Deadline Hollywood:

Ronald D. Moore is back at NBC Universal with a new drama project for NBC that has landed one of the biggest commitments so far this pitch season. The project from Sony TV where the Battlestar Galactica developer inked a two-year overall deal in May, is described as an adult Harry Potter set in a world ruled not by science but by magic. I hear the drama got pilot and series penalties totaling close to $2 million.

 To me this sounds like a riff off of Lev Grossman’s The Magicians. But I’m curious how it turns out and does this mean that Caprica is going to be canceled.?

H/T to IO9.com

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

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Slaughterhouse Five is arguably Kurt Vonnegut’s most famous novel. The first chapter is essentially a preface by the author talking about the genesis of the novel. Where many books and stories have been told about Pearl Harbor or D-Day or Hiroshima, less has been written about the firebombing of Dresden. Vonnegut had been a prison of war and kept in an underground slaughterhouse in Dresden during WWII. For this book, he has given Billy Pilgrim his WWII history and a science fiction future. It’s a book about war and life. “Listen: Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time.”

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Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord

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Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord is an interesting type of novel. The story is based on a Senegalese folk tale with tricksters and chaos sticks and wise women both teaching and learning lessons. The book is a slim volume (less than 200 pages) and treads much of the same territory as Neil Gaiman stories, only with an African folk tale instead of European. As someone who isn’t very familiar with African folk tales, it’s a refreshing change and makes me wish I knew more mythology from other areas of the world. So, what is the book about?

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The Dream of Perpetual Motion by Dexter Palmer

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The Dream of Perpetual Motion by Dexter Palmer can be quickly described in two word: Steampunk Shakespeare. The book is an interesting mix of The Tempest and a steampunk setting with using a mad genius inventor in the place of a illusionist/magician. The setting provides an interesting perspective on the original play and provides interesting commentary along the way. But was it done well?

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