Archive for the ‘Science Fiction’ Category
Monday, November 30th, 2015
The Desert and the Blade by SM Stirling
The latest in his Change series. This trilogy is the coming of age story of the Crown Princess of Montveil and her companions, which includes the young Empress of Japan. The forces of evil were defeated in North America by the late High King, but won in what used to be North Korea. Evil doesn’t want Reiko to obtain her own magic sword (Orlaith already has her father’s magic sword), which is the conflict of the novel. Of course there are battles, including one bloody huge one against hordes of eaters under the sway of an evil sorcerer. A good read, in which characters introduced in the last novel are grown, and new allies are introduced. It also sets the stage for the next giant novel in the series.
Monday Book Pick Archive
Tags: Alternate Universe, book, Monday Book Pick, S.M. Stirling, Science Fiction, SciFi
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Friday, November 13th, 2015
Jupiter Ascending
It’s Friday the 13th, but I’m not going with the horror genre. First I’m not a big fan, and I just listed some classics in the Halloween movie list. Going with some finest kind Space Opera instead. Jupiter Ascending from the Wachowski clan, and it has what you expect. Reality isn’t what is seems, excellent special effects, and lots and lots of action. My quick take on the film, a Dune/Soylent Green cross over. I can see why it didn’t do well in the theaters. Too complex, competing members of the same Royal household, overseen by a large and uncaring bureaucracy. It would be helpful to have a score card in order to keep track of who was working for which faction, with the changes of loyalties listed. I kept track of it all, but then I’ve read Dune about a half dozen times. Plot aside, it was also a visually stunning movie, with dog fighting space fighters flying amid Chicago’s sky scrapers, massive space vessels, and lots of aliens and human hybrids. There were giant flying lizard men, elephant and mouse human cross overs, and some clockwork androids. There was even a goth Asian chick riding a hover bike. One of the main characters was a human/canine mix that literally lost his wings. If you are a huge SciFi nerd like I am, you’ll like this movie.
Friday B-Movie pick archive
Tags: Friday B-Movie, Movie, Science Fiction, SciFi, Space Opera
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Tuesday, November 3rd, 2015
Yet another Star Trek series is coming in 2017 on CBS All Access. Those last two words are the interesting part of that sentence. The premier will be on broadcast TV, the rest of the series will be on their streaming video service. My guess is that they figure that SciFi nerds are more likely to be cable cutters anyway.
The article really doesn’t say much about the show itself. That’s pretty much limited to “… introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizations, while exploring the dramatic contemporary themes that have been a signature of the franchise since its inception in 1966.”
This will bring the number of Star Trek TV series to an even half dozen.
- Star Trek
- ST: The Next Generation
- ST: DS9
- ST: Voyager
- ST: Enterprise
- ST: To Be Announce
The original series was the best of the shows. TNG was good when it wasn’t being preachy. DS9 did it’s best work when it did what Babylon 5 did previous season. I called ST:V ST:Lost in Space, which it should have been. I liked Enterprise. Especially in the third season, when they told some excellent multi-show story arcs.
If I had to guess, I’d say this new series will have more influence from the last two movies (third in the works).
Tags: Science Fiction, SciFi, Star Trek, television
Posted in Science Fiction, Star Trek | 1 Comment »
Monday, April 27th, 2015
Predestination
Movie version of the classic Robert A. Heinlein short story, “All You Zombies.” Remarkably true to the story, down to the dialogue, with an added layer of complexity added to make the story movie length. A very well made movie based on perhaps the best time travel story ever written.
Friday B-Movie Pick Archive
Tags: Friday B-Movie, Movie, Robert Heinlein, Science Fiction, SciFi, Time Travel
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Monday, March 30th, 2015
A Call to Duty by David Weber and Timothy Zahn
This is the first book in the Manticore Ascendant series, which is a prequel series to the Honor Harrington series. It takes place in the early days of the Manticoran Star Kingdom, when the Manticoran Navy was not so powerful or well funded. It took a couple of chapters to get me hooked, but one it picked up, I didn’t want to put it down.
Monday Book Pick Archive
Tags: Baen, Baen Books, book, Honor Harrington, Monday Book Pick, Science Fiction, SciFi
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Monday, January 26th, 2015
Roswell, Texas by L. Neil Smith
This is a graphic novel, set in one of L. Neil Smith’s Libertarian universes. In this reality, Santa Ana was killed by a long range rifle shot from the Alamo, allowing the people in to escape, and the Republic of Texas to survive. Flash forward to 1947. There is a mysterious crash near the Texas town of New Mexico. Four Texas Rangers are sent to investigate, along with various military units and spies from various nations, including the California Republic, the Third and Half Reich, and a much smaller United States. It’s a fun read, and Ranger William Bear doesn’t just get the girl, he gets the girl.
Monday Book Pick Archive
Tags: book, Comic, Graphic Novel, Libertarian, Monday Book Pick, Science Fiction, SciFi, Time Travel
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Monday, January 12th, 2015
The Cosmic Computer by H. Beam Piper
Originally published as “The Junkyard Planet” in 1963, and based on a short story (“Graveyard of Dreams”) first published in 1958. This is the story of a planet down on its luck. Poictesme experienced a boom when it was a major military HQ during the System States War. When the war ended, the Terran Federation couldn’t even afford to ship their gear home. Bases and Logistical centers were sealed up and all the military personnel left packed on transports. The planet’s economy takes a major hit. They are reduced to two major exports. The first is a local mellon prized for the brandy made from its juice. They can sell it for centa-credits a barrel, which is what the rare interstellar trader will pay for it. The brandy made from the juice sells for several credits a glass on Terra. Their other export is military surplus they dig out of old Terran Federation bases, which they are also paid in single digit centi-credits on the credit. A group of leading citizens pool their money together and send one of their own, young Conn Maxwell, to far off Terra. He is to study computer systems at a major university and learn all he can about the legendary Terran Federation military super computer, Merlin. After being told by impeachable sources that Merlin was a myth, Conn returns home with a plan to bootstrap the economy with a search for Merlin. His hope is that by the time the planet is producing its own starships and engaging in interstellar trade (instead of having middlemen dictate prices to them), the group of ‘leading citizens’ will realize that they don’t need Merlin. Then the unthinkable happens and throws a giant monkey wrench in Conn’s plans.
Monday Book Pick Archive
Tags: book, H. Beam Piper, Monday Book Pick, Science Fiction, SciFi
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Monday, December 8th, 2014
Pirates of the Timestream by Steve White
Jason Thanou is back (26 Aug 2013 Book Pick) for round three. This time is it in the golden age of Pirates. His team links up with Captain Henry Morgan while they battle it out with time traveling Transhumanists! Even worse, he has to deal the uncaring bureaucracy of his own government.
Monday Book Pick Archive
Tags: Baen, book, Monday Book Pick, Science Fiction, SciFi, Time Travel
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Monday, November 24th, 2014
The Many Deaths of Joe Buckley by Assorted Baen Authors & Barflies
This is raw meat for Baen fans. The complete collection of all the ways Baen authors have killed long time Barfly Joe Buckley.
Monday Book Pick Archive
Tags: Baen, book, Monday Book Pick, Science Fiction, SciFi
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