Endeavour crew recreates 'Star Trek' movie poster

The only problem is the poster is from the "relaunch" of Star Trek, not the original, best series!

MSNBC: Endeavour crew recreates 'Star Trek' movie poster
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The six astronauts flying on NASA's final flight of the space shuttle Endeavour are a serious bunch, but they've got a fun streak too. Case in point: The astronauts apparently like the science fiction franchise "Star Trek" enough to re-enact its most recent movie poster.

Creating custom mission posters based on popular movies has long been a tradition for NASA shuttle and space station crews. [Gallery: NASA's Most Offbeat Mission Posters]

But while past mission posters have recreated the film versions of "Ocean's Eleven" or the Matrix and Harry Potter movies, the six-man STS-134 crew of Endeavour chose something a bit more space-y: the 2009 reboot of "Star Trek," directed by J.J. Abrams.

"That was my idea!" Endeavour mission specialist Drew Feustel told SPACE.com.

Feustel said he had seen the movie during a previous spaceflight, when he launched on Atlantis in May 2009 to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.

"That movie came out basically the day we launched and we were fortunate to have that movie uplinked to us on orbit," Feustel said. "I really liked the movie. I thought it was pretty neat."

Endeavour's STS-134 astronauts are slated to launch aboard shuttle Endeavour from here at Kennedy Space Center on Monday at 8:56 a.m. EDT (1256 GMT). It will be the last voyage for Endeavour before the orbiter is retired. [Photos: Endeavour's Final Mission]

Advertise | AdChoicesAdvertise | AdChoicesAdvertise | AdChoicesSpace, the real final frontier
Feustel said he suggested the latest "Star Trek" film as the theme for the STS-134 poster, and the rest of the crew agreed.

But Feustel's crewmate Greg Chamitoff remembered it differently.

"I kept trying to remember whose idea that was, and I think it might have been mine," Chamitoff said in an interview.

Regardless of the origin of the poster idea, the crew seemed to unite behind the concept.

"A lot of us are ["Star Trek" fans]," Chamitoff said of the Endeavour astronauts.

The poster features the six astronauts looking stoically ahead, their faces each in half shadow, with a dark background and "STS-134" in Star Trek font underneath. Leading the crew, in the James T. Kirk position, is Endeavour commander Mark Kelly.

"It's a pretty close approximation," Feustel said of the finished product. "It looks pretty cool; we like it."

NASA and "Star Trek"
The poster is not the STS-134 crew's only connection to the famous science fiction TV and movie franchise.

In May 2005, mission specialist Mike Fincke appeared as an extra during the final episode of the show "Star Trek: Enterprise." He visited the set during vacation, along with fellow astronaut Terry Virts, who also appeared in the episode. Fincke played an NX-01 engineer on the fictional starship.

The International Space Station's Expedition 21 crew (the current crew is Expedition 27) also donned Star Trek uniforms for their mission poster in 2009.

On Endeavour's last mission before the orbiter is retired, the space shuttle will visit the International Space Station to deliver spare hardware and a new $2 billion astrophysics experiment to search for exotic particles.

In an odd side-note, Kelly and Chamitoff also have another movie-themed poster under their belt. Both astronauts were on the crew of NASA's STS-124 flight to the space station in 2008. That crew's choice of a film to emulate: "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." Kelly commanded that mission on the shuttle Discovery.

The mission's new name, according to the poster? "STS-124 and the Order of Discovery."

Wonderfest Attracts Thousands To Louisville

WLKY.com: Wonderfest Attracts Thousands To Louisville
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Hundreds of science fiction and horror movie buffs turned out for a blockbuster of an expo this weekend.

The 22nd Annual "Wonderfest" gave movie and TV geeks a plethora of pieces of media history to check out.

The expo feature movie memorabilia and pop culture merchandise that spanned several genres and decades.

"It covers everything. If it's science fiction, fantasy -- it's here. You can find stuff here you wouldn't even believe exists," Sci-Fi fan David Hodge said.

The event had a life-size replica of the "Lost in Space" robot and full size heads from characters from popular horror films.

It even had two former "Bond" girls.

Actors Caroline Munroe and Martine Beswick starred in three James Bond movies between the two of them. They were among the featured guests from Hollywood.

The behind-the-scenes crowd got some exposure, too. Special effects legend Lorne Peterson enthralled the crowds with his work on all the Star Wars films.

"It's pretty amazing to have that effect on the world. To have the things you did, people talk about when they grow up and they're inspired by that type of thing. For a model maker, I don't know if there's any equivalent," Peterson said.

Visitors to the expo came from as far away as New Zealand and Japan.

One of the show's biggest attractions was the model contest. More than 500 entries were on display for visitors to admire.

No, you are not losing your mind.

If there were posts here yesterday that you read, which are not here today, it's because...they're not here.

Blogger.com, the platform that hosts this blog, was down for much of yesterday afternoon and all night...just coming up now (11 am mountain time.) And all posts made yesterday have disappeared.

Supposedly, those posts will be restored. I'll give them a day to do so, and if not, will re-post them tomorrow.

Sorry for the inconvenience!

It's the 4th Annual Fantastic Plastic "I Can't Go to WonderFest" Sale!

I received a press release from Fantastic Plastic, and share it here:

It's the 4th Annual Fantastic Plastic "I Can't Go to WonderFest" Sale!
Every year, hundreds of fantastic modeling enthusiasts descend on Louisville, Kentucky for WonderFest, a weekend long extravaganza of science-fiction, movie, TV and fantasy modeling.

http://fantastic-plastic.com/onlinecatalog.htm

And every year, thousands more fantastic modelers bemoan our inability to travel to Louisville to join in the festivities -- and maybe score some great new model kits.

To provide a quantum of solace to those unable to make this annual pilgrimage, Fantastic Plastic presents its 4th Annual "I Can't Go to WonderFest" Sale.

For the next two weeks, you can enjoy deep discounts throughout the Fantastic Plastic Virtual Museum Store On-Line Catalog. Savings are as much as 30% on many of our most popular kits, while supplies last.

NOTE: Discounts apply to Fantastic Plastic Models products only. Unicraft and Masterpiece Models kits are not included.

The 4th Annual Fantastic Plastic "I Can't Go to WonderFest" Sale runs from Monday, May 9 through Sunday, May 22.

This is our one and only sale of the year. Don't miss out on these "fantastic" savings!

And for those attending WonderFest -- have a great time! (Oh, and you can buy at these discount prices, too!)

WATCH THE SKIES!!!

- Allen B. Ury
fantasticplast@aol.com

Why The End Of Stargate Universe Means Bad Things For Syfy

Sharing a sample post from a website called Spin Off Online:

SpinOffOnline: Why The End Of Stargate Universe Means Bad Things For Syfy

Saturday, May 7th, 2011 at 6:30am
by A moment of silence, please, for Syfy’s SGU: Stargate Universe, which finishes its run with Monday’s episode, “Gauntlet.” Not only am I personally sad about the show’s cancellation, I also think that it’s bad news for Syfy overall. After all: Where are the network’s science fiction shows now?

Sure, I like Being Human, Warehouse 13 and Haven as much as the next man – Well, unless the “next man” happens to be my wife, who really loves Haven – but I’m not sure how much claim to being science fiction either show has, with all three shows (Being Human and Haven especially, Warehouse 13 slightly less so) being more supernatural than science fiction. With the cancellations this year of both SGU and, earlier, Caprica, the network formerly known as SciFi finds itself leaning on Eureka and Sanctuary as its sole science fiction dramas. How did that happen?

(And don’t get me started on the prevalence of the network’s “reality” shows like Ghost Hunters, Destination Truth or Marcel’s Quantum Kitchen. For all the flack that the network gets for its wrestling coverage – and, admittedly, I’m not sure that it gets enough – I feel as if the increasing amount of reality shows goes relatively unchecked. When obvious rip-offs of existing, non-genre-related shows – Hollywood Treasure or Face-Off, say – make it on the network, I feel like something’s gone wrong with the commissioning process.)

It’s all about ratings, of course; SGU gets less bang for its buck than Sanctuary (It doesn’t help that it’s a more costly show to produce), and so the network has to go where the money is. But losing SGU – a show that I’ll admit didn’t really find its footing until the second season, even though I think there’s a lot to like in the first – feels like a mistake that could have been avoided had the network tried to wait out another year, despite ratings. It’s not just the “The show was getting better!” thing (Although it was, he whines, hopelessly), but also… Syfy doesn’t have a space opera show anymore. Is it just me that that feels… wrong to, somehow? Shouldn’t a science fiction network make a point of having a show set in space, just because?

I know, I know, I’m old fashioned: Science fiction doesn’t just mean space, and there’s more to Syfy than sci-fi, anyway (Hence the name change, after all). But even as I look forward to the new shows that Syfy has coming up – particularly Alphas, which I’m hoping will end up being Heroes done right – I feel as if something is missing without that essential outer space element, and Blood and Chrome is still some distance away. Maybe someone can shoot Myka and Pete into orbit in the next season of Warehouse 13 for an episode, just to stave off my hunger for orbital action.

Graeme McMillan

Sam Moskowitz's The Immortal Storm

Sam Moskowitz's book The Immortal Storm, a history of science fiction fandom, was published in 1954.

Table of Contents
Preface
List of photographs
1. Introduction
2. Gernsback and the first all-science fiction publication
3. The beginning of organized fandom
4. The emergence of the first true fan magazine
5. The Fantasy Fan
6. William H. Crawford aand his contemporaries
7. Secondary fan publications: The TFG and its followers
8. The Science Fiction League
9. The New ISA and The International Observer
10. Other Happenings of 1935
11. The SFL-ISA Showdown
12. The Decline of the SFL and the ISA's Bid for Power
13. The Science Fiction Advancement Association
14. Other local groups of the time
15. The last days of Fantasy Magazine
16. Further clubs and projects of 1936
17. The first convention and the death of the ISA
18. The Dark Ages of Fandom
19. The Rise of British Fandom
20. Renaissance
21. The New Order Progresses
22. The Fantasy Amateur Press Association
23. The Third Convention and Michelism
24. The Aftermath
25. The Wollheim-Moskowitz FEud
26. The Background in Early 1938
27. The Factions Align Themselves
28. The First National Science Fiction Convention
29. The FAPA Elections of 1938
30. The Development of Michelism
31. The Greater New York Science Fiction League
32. Fantasy News and New Fandom
33. New Fandom's Rise to Power
34. The Opposition Crumbles
35. The New Fantasy Magazines and their Influence on Fandom
36. The Role of the Queens SFL
37. Amateur Magazines of the Period
38. Minor Dissensions
39. The Great Drive Toward the Convention
40. The Character of the Opposition
41. The First World Science Fiction Convention
42. Opinion Rallies
43. Breasting the Undertow
44. The Second Philadelphia Conference
45. The Illini Fantasy Fictioneers
46. The Futurian Comeback
Epilogue
Index

A Literary Shape-Shifter

Wall Street Journal - Life and Culture: A Literary Shape-Shifter

By ALEXANDRA ALTER
Like his genre-bending novels, China Miéville defies easy categorization. With his shaved head, row of earrings and sculpted arms, the 38-year-old British novelist more closely resembles a bodyguard or mixed martial artist than an author who studies linguistic philosophy and holds a Ph.D. in international relations from the London School of Economics.

He leapfrogs between literary categories, playing with the narrative conventions of police procedurals, Westerns, sea adventures, urban fantasy and even romance. His 2000 novel, "Perdido Street Station," won British literary prizes in two separate categories, science fiction and fantasy. "City & the City," his take on classic noir, reads like a mash-up of George Orwell and Raymond Chandler—a murder investigation leads a detective to a secret mirror city that is hidden from ordinary view.


Getty Images

China Miéville leapfrogs between literary genres, from Westerns to science fiction.
"I once said I wanted to write a novel in every genre, and I feel duty bound now to do so," he said.

His latest novel, "Embassytown," marks his first foray into straight science fiction. The novel, due out in the U.S. on May 17, takes place on a distant planet that sits on the edge of the known universe. What starts as an intergalactic space romp turns into a meditation on language. Human colonists have developed tenuous relations with the locals: the Ariekei, a winged, insect-like race with two mouths that speak simultaneously. To communicate with them, humans have bred test-tube clones who can speak the double-layered language. Relations grow complicated when the Ariekei, who are incapable of describing something that does not exist, learn to mimic the human capacity for lying.

Mr. Miéville says he first came up with the idea of an alien race with two mouths when he was 11. He resurrected the concept a few years ago when he decided to write "classic interplanetary science fiction," in the tradition of novelists like Ursula Le Guin. Mr. Miéville invented fragments of the alien language ("suhaish" and "ko," said simultaneously, mean please), and read linguistic theory by philosophers such as Paul Ricoeur and I.A. Richards.

An early draft of "Embassytown" read too much like a doctoral thesis on linguistics, so Mr. Miéville refocused his efforts on what he does best: twisty plots, monsters and "spectacle candy." "Embassytown" is filled with fantastical elements such as "gun-animals" and other creature-machine hybrids, and unappetizing sounding futuristic food, like "nutrient-rich pabulum" and "sheets of meatcloth."

Marketing an author who bounces among genres can be tricky, particularly as Mr. Miéville's publishers seek to promote him as a mainstream writer. "We want an element of whatever genre he's focused on, but more the thinking should be upscale, literary and slick," said Del Rey publisher Scott Shannon of the packaging of Mr. Miéville's books. "There's no big rocket ship on the cover."

Mr. Miéville's U.K. publisher is rereleasing eight of his backlist titles with a "unified" modern look to help rebrand him as an author who might appeal to any reader, not just genre fans. "Now that he's established himself as a name, people recognize that what they're getting is a China Miéville book," says Tor U.K.'s editorial director, Julie Crisp. "It doesn't matter if it's science fiction or fantasy or crime or a Western."

Mr. Miéville says he hopes the more generic look will help his books find a broader audience. "The genre audiences are very, very loyal," he said. "The difficulty is reaching beyond to people who say, 'I never read that sort of thing.' "

Introducing Koldcast Web TV Network

Here's the URL:
http://www.koldcast.tv/

Some of the shows available:

14 Hours to a Championship
88 Hits
A3 Night Life
After Judgement
American Heart
Anarchy For Breakfast
Animation Block
Anyone But Me
Assisted Living
Beverly Hills Salon
Bewildering Life
Blue Movies
Boxtick America
Brooklyn is for Lovers
Bumps in the Night
Bunny Hug
California Kickin
Celeste Bright
Casanovas
Central Division
Chick
Copy & Pastry

and dozens more in all genres.

BoomCHickBoom

Web TV series Haywire Ep 7 Now Available

http://www.koldcast.tv/video/the_usual_suspects

About the show:
http://haywireseries.com/
Monroe, NY. A burst of light. Area-wide power outages and the complete failure of all electronic devices. All within line-of-sight of the burst are affected. Their minds short-circuit. Their thought processes scramble and become a never-ending loop. Accomplish what you were doing when you saw the light. Then do it again. And again. And again. ANd if something gets in your way?

Does Trog Really Deserve Its Poor Reputation?

Trog (1970) was the last movie made by Joan Crawford.

I confess that it's not the type of movie I'd usually watch - but it had Simon Lack in it, an actor whom I've come to like, so I rented it. Like all of Lack's films after WWII, he doesn't have a very big role - about five minutes of screen time and only a few lines. (He plays Colonel Vickers, and shows up at the end of the movie after Trog has kidnapped a girl and hidden in his cave.)

All the reviews of this movie that I've found, trash it. But I think there's a little bit of sexism involved...not to mention hatred of Joan Crawford (who supposedly was not quite all there in the top story when it came to raising her adopted kids was concerned.)

Admittedly Trog is a cliche-fest. Trog is a smaller version of King Kong, or a hairier version of Frankenstein. He lives in a cave, peacefully on his own, until a couple of spelunkers find him. He kills one of them. Then, he is taken from the cave - Joan Crawford's character, Dr. Brockton, stands tall and shoots the charging Trog with her hypo rifle.

Dr. Brockton tries to teach him civilized ways, and is making progress, but evil Michael Gough's character wants him killed. Gough breaks into the lab, trashes it, releases Trog, and then returns to his car, only to be killed by Trog. Trog then kills a few other people - who attack him first - sees a little blond girl whom he takes a liking to (in a strictly non-sexual way, I hasten to add) and takes her to his cave.

Dr. Brockton shows up at the cave with a police officer and the Army. Despite orders not to, she goes into the cave and brings out the little girl, whom Trog gives to her voluntarily. She begs Vickers to let her go back in with her hypo gun, but the military and police will have none of it. They are going to kill Trog.

And they do.

Trog is a sympathetic character, for all that he kills a few people - only those who attacked him first. And Crawford's performance is hardly "stone face". She portrays a woman who is confident in herself and her abilities. She had a nice wardrobe, yes, and she uses it - some critics have slammed her for this. If her character had been played by a male actor one wonders if he would have received quite the same criticism.

So...Trog. Not as bad as we've been led to believe...if you like these types of movies, anyway!

Beware Email Blasts that Request Charity or Provide Warnings

If you're like me, you have friends and relatives who send you, and everyone else on their list, emails about cancer-afflicted children who have written poems that they want forwarded to everyone you know (I received this one yesterday) or warnings that your cellphone number is about to be sold to a gazillion advertisers and there's nothing you can do about it. (Received this one about three weeks ago.)

And of course, they are all frauds.

When you receive an email like this, the thing to do is go to your favorite search engine - I use www.google.com, and type the topic in and do a search on it. Usually Snopes.com debunks the warning emails - most of those have been floating around for years, and you'll also find these charity requests debunked on a variety of sites.

It's a pity, really, that there are people out there with so much time on their hands that they try to think up these things and then see how long they have an internet shelf life...all too long, apparently.

So just a tip, if you ever receive a request - especially for a charitable donation - do your research on it first - in particular if it comes from Nigeria! They are all frauds.

New Sci Fi Models from Fantastic Plastic

I get monthly newsletters from Fantastic Planet, sharing news on their new model kits, and I'll start sharing them here.

We close out April with a lot of exciting news and stuff from the Virtual Museum of Flying Wonders. Please read on...!

http://www.fantastic-plastic.com

JUST RELEASED: The C-31 "Dragon" Assault Ship in 1:144

After some delay, we're proud to announce the formal release of the 1:144 C-31 "Dragon" Assault Ship from James Cameron's 2009 blockbuster "AVATAR.". Featuring 105 pressure-cast pieces, this is by far the most complex kit we've ever produced. The kit was created in CAD by Scott Lowther and cast by Masterpiece Models. The model is 11 inches long when completed. The C-21 Dragon is available now in the Virtual Museum Store for $169.95 plus shipping.

NOTE Due to a combination of high demand and long production time on this kit, please allow one to two weeks for delivery.

Click the box art above for photos and details.

JUST RELEASED: The X-71 Super-Shuttle from "Armageddon" in 1:144

Our second April release is the X-71 Super Shuttle from Michael Bay's 1998 megahit "Armageddon" starring Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck. Most of us still remember our disappointment with Revell's 1998 version of the X-71-- which was little more than a standard Space Shuttle with a bunch of doo-hickies slapped onto it. Well, it's taken more than 13 years, but sci-fi modelers now have a chance to build the real X-71.

Mastered by Alfred Wong based on dozens of photos of the actual SPFX miniature and 1/2 scale mock-up, this 37-piece all-resin kit faithfully reproduces the lines, proportions and details of the X-71 orbiter. Decals by JBOT allow you to build either the "Freedom" or the "Independence." Landing gear are also included.

The X-71 Super Shuttle is available now in the Virtual Museum Store for $90.00 plus shipping. Click the box art above for photos and details.

RE-RELEASED: The BSG Colonial One Presidential Transport in 1:350

Back by popular demand is our Colonial One Presidential Transport kit in 1:350. Originally released in 2006, this kit has been out of the Fantastic Plastic catalog for the three years. Mastered by Alfred Wong and cast by Mana Studios, the kit includes 19 pieces, including a rotocast main body. Decals are my Microscale.

The 1:350 Colonial One Presidential Transport is available now in the Fantastic Plastic Virtual Museum Store for $80.00 plus shipping. Click the box art above for photos and details.


COMING IN MAY: The BSG (TOS) Eastern Alliance Destroyer in 1:288

Our May release is the Eastern Alliance Destroyer from the 1978 "Battlestar Galactica" (TOS) episodes "Greetings from Earth," "Baltar's Escape" and "Experiment in Terra." This 21-piece kit was mastered by Alfred Wong and cast by Millennium Models International (MMI). Decals are again by JBOT.

More than 12 inches long when completed, the Eastern Alliance Destroyer is priced at $75.00 plus shipping. To reserve your copy, email us at FantasticPlast@aol.com. Click the photo above for additional details.

"Private Sale" Continuing - Act Now!

We're continuing to clear out our final inventory of "Private Sale" kits. Remember, these are kits NOT AVAILABLE to the public through the Virtual Museum Store. And when they're gone, they're gone. If you want any of these limited castings, you have to contact us directly at FantasticPlast@aol.com. Here's what's left:
Royal Cruiser (3 remaining) 1:288 - $75.00 plus shipping
Royal Yacht 1:288 - $55 plus shipping
Stand-Up Fighter 1:144 - $55 plus shipping
Two-Man Fighter Bomber (1 remaining) 1:144 - $48.00 plus shipping

Lesbian writer Joanna Russ dies, aged 74

HayNZ.com: Lesbian writer Joanna Russ dies, aged 74
Writer and critic Joanna Russ has died in Arizona after suffering a series of strokes.

Science fiction publication Locus Magazine has confirmed the 74-year-old died peacefully in hospice care in Tucson. She first suffered a stroke in February and was admitted to care in April after a further series of strokes.

The lesbian writer first came to prominence in the late 60s in a science fiction world largely dominated by men. She is lauded as being one of the most outspoken authors to challenge male dominance in the field, and is generally regarded as one of the leading feminist science fiction scholars and writers.

Russ was best know for The Female Man, which was published in 1975. She suffered from health problems including back pain and chronic fatigue syndrome, which reduced her writing output.

Sci-fi plays eschew the tech, explore the big issues

STLToday: Sci-fi plays eschew the tech, explore the big issues
Remember that scene in "Alien," when the space creature emerges from someplace inside John Hurt?

Or how about the fight in "The Matrix," when Keanu Reeves is suspended in midair?

For that matter, think back to that incredible scene in "Star Wars" when our heroes blew up the Death Star.

Could any of that happen onstage?

No chance. The special effects that give science fiction its adrenaline jolt in the movies and on television depend on technology.

But in live theater, technology usually means something a lot simpler.

Remember that cocktail table that rolled down the stage by itself in "Titanic" last summer at the Muny? On stage, that constitutes a special effect. Heck, when the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis staged "Dracula" in 2007, audiences were knocked out when a woman seemed to levitate. It was definitely impressive, but that play opened in 1924. You can't exactly call it cutting-edge.

Maybe that's why, even though science fiction is a popular entertainment genre, you don't see a lot of it on stage: Movies and TV can do it better. Nevertheless, two plays with strong sci-fi elements are running here this week: "Intelligent Life" at HotCity Theatre and "Dark Matters," a Stray Dog Theatre Studio Workshop production.

There's no question that they are fiction. Science is another story.

But maybe, says Annamaria Pileggi, they just aren't science fiction the way we usually think of it today. To find more apt comparisons, think of science fiction TV programs from years gone by, like "Star Trek" or "The Twilight Zone."

Those shows used conventions of science fiction as a way to look at other issues: interpersonal relationships, social responsibility, love and loyalty and honor.

Some playwrights today are doing practically the same thing: not writing hard science fiction, but using science fiction conventions to set the stage for issues they want to explore.

That's how Pileggi sees "Intelligent Life," the comedy she's directing at HotCity. In the play, a band of fringe-of-the-fringe characters who call themselves the Utah Alien Chasers think they have found their grail when they encounter a mud-stained boy dressed in a dinosaur costume. Is he from Earth — or someplace else?

"It's not a wannabe movie," said Pileggi. "It is meant for the stage.

"It's about the interaction among these people and how little it takes to get somebody to believe what he or she wants to believe. I think what Lauren (Dusek Albonico, the playwright) has done is quite smart. This is a play about faith." Two years ago, "Intelligent Life" was a finalist in HotCity's Greenhouse New Play Festival.

Albonico — a Washington University alumna from St. Louis who now lives in Santa Fe — told Pileggi that the idea for the play came from her own experiences. No, she does not chase aliens. As a Catholic, however, she was always aware that she believed things that other people in her classes did not. What does that mean, she wondered? To push the question a little harder, she took it to extremes, giving her characters really strange beliefs to insist on — and making them funny.

There's nothing funny about Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's "Dark Matters" — and nothing very high-tech about it, either. "We do a few things with lighting," said the director, Justin Been. "But the heart of the play lies in the family. Science fiction is just a catalyst to bring up other points."

Set at a remote house in the mountains of Virginia, Aguirre-Sacasa's drama starts with the missing woman. Her husband and their teenage son do all they can to find her, but she's gone. Then, just as suddenly as she vanished, she returns — speaking of strange visitations and other-worldly beings.

"It's more about the thought of aliens than the presence of aliens," Been said. "The people in this family have secrets that test their relationships when they have to deal with them. It isn't humorous but it is suspenseful."

Stories of people who believe things that others dismiss have been told before (Ibsen's "An Enemy of the People," Shaw's "Saint Joan," and, closer to home, Deanna Jent's stage adaptation of C.S. Lewis' novel "Till We Have Faces," closing Sunday at Mustard Seed Theatre). Stories of families confronting secrets are legion (Miller's "Death of a Salesman," Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex"). These aren't just legitimate themes for the stage, they are favorite ones. Science fiction offers just one more way to examine them, through a lens that theatergoers don't often get to look through.

South African author wins Arthur C Clarke award

Guardian.co.uk: South African author wins Arthur C Clarke award
Lauren Beukes honoured with top science fiction prize for her novel Zoo City, set in an alternate Johannesburg
South African author Lauren Beukes has won the UK's top science fiction prize, the Arthur C Clarke award, seeing off the favourite, Ian McDonald, with a story of the criminal underclass in an alternate Johannesburg.

Published by the tiny UK press Angry Robot, Zoo City beat not only McDonald, but also the US National Book award winner Richard Powers and the Guardian children's fiction prize winner Patrick Ness.

Speaking after the "unexpected" result, Beukes said she felt "like Gwyneth Paltrow – but I promise I won't burst into tears".

"I had a speech prepared and it was curse you McDonald," she said. South Africa, is an "an incredible place to live ... and write about", she added. "It's really where science fiction is. It's in the developing world, it's first world, it's third world – the way we use technology is different to the way it's used elsewhere. This book is about magic and technology and it's very special to be here."

Described as "Jeff Noon crossed with Raymond Chandler", Zoo City tells of the festering Zoo City slum, where psychic criminal guilt takes the form of an animal familiar and where Zinzi December, looking for missing pop starlet Songweza, uncovers secrets that the local crime lord and dark magician wants to stay hidden.

According to judge and author Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Zoo City was the "clear winner".

"Zoo City filters brutal social honesty through a stunning imagination to produce a world recognisably ours and obviously different," he said. "The plotting is tight, the characterisation strong and the writing superb."

Chair of judges Paul Billinger agreed, describing the novel as a book that "realises the enormous potential of SF literature, and as a piece of social commentary it is unsurpassed in the field".

Beukes wins £2011, and becomes the ninth woman to take the Arthur C Clarke prize since Margaret Atwood first won it 25 years ago. She was presented with the award last night (Wednesday 27 April) by China Miéville, who last year won it for a record-breaking third time with his novel The City and the City.

The author later revealed on Twitter – whose users she had earlier thanked for their advice "on good places to dump a body in Johannesburg" – that "those are red wine stains down the front of my dress in the Clarke award photos".

McDonald, meanwhile, might have missed out on the Arthur C Clarke to Beukes, but he can comfort himself with the fact that his tale of a near-future Istanbul, The Dervish House, beat the South African author to the British Science Fiction Association award for best novel on Tuesday – an award he has now won with each of his last three novels. McDonald was also shortlisted for the Hugo best novel prize earlier this week.

"It seems extraordinary to think that Ian McDonald has won [the BSFA award] for each of his last three novels until you read him, and realise he really is that good. The Dervish House may even be his most complete achievement, vigorous and enthralling," said Niall Harrison, editor in chief of Strange Horizons. The BSFA prize is voted for by members of the British Science Fiction Association.

BBC America announces 'The Fades' and explains its science-fiction fixation

Los Angeles Times: BBC America announces 'The Fades' and explains its science-fiction fixation
It may be royal-wedding week in the U.K., but BBC America has its eye on spookier things: The network just announced that it’s co-producing a new supernatural drama called “The Fades,” to premiere January 2012.

Written by Jack Thorne (who wrote for the U.K. versions of “Skins” and “Shameless” as well as co-writing the Shane Meadows movie “This is England ’86”), it stars Lily Loveless and Daniel Kaluuya (who both starred in the original U.K. “Skins”) and features a plotline about a boy who sees spirits.

This comes on the heels of last week’s announcement that the channel would air 80 hours of 2003 sci-fi classic “Battlestar Galactica,” which originally ran on Syfy, starting June 18. Not only that, but the recently announced upcoming slate also includes the new series “Outcasts,” described as a “frontier sci-fi drama” about power struggles and sex in “a new post-Earth era” (premieres June 18) and the spooky fall 2011 drama “Bedlam,” about an apartment building haunted by its former inhabitants -- patients in a lunatic asylum. These new shows will join existing programs such as “Doctor Who” and “Being Human” on BBC America’s “Supernatural Saturday block.”

So is BBC America trying to compete with Syfy to become the geek network of choice?

According to Perry Simon, general manager of BBC America, it’s just a matter of focusing on what they do well. “Science fiction is a staple of British television -- there’s rich history of it, and they do it very well. As a result, BBCA has gotten a steady pipeline of quality British science fiction, and we have over the years wanted to deliver it in coherent fashion, which led us to brand 'Supernatural Saturday.' "

Some fans expressed surprise about the signing of "Battlestar Galactica,” which has no English angle (except for a few of the actors, who artfully disguised their British accents). Simon pointed out that “Galactica” joined “Star Trek: the Next Generation,” which has been in reruns on BBC America for a while. But the bulk of the programming, he promises, will be “British science fiction.”
Even the British shows may be getting a little American action, though: The season opener of “Doctor Who” found the Tardis landing in the U.S. And that may give it a boost here -- the show’s season premiere this weekend nabbed it almost 1.3 million viewers, up from last season’s opener.

Simon says the Doctor’s American setting partly “grew out of conversations about how to grow the franchise in American audience” -- but that more than anything it was creative excitement on the part of “Doctor Who” producer Steven Moffat. As he told EW, “We had an idea, and it seemed cool, so we did it.”

‘Doctor Who’: Longest-running science fiction TV show kicks off new season stateside

Columbia Spectator: ‘Doctor Who’: Longest-running science fiction TV show kicks off new season stateside
Doctor Who, the world’s longest-running science fiction television show, returns to the small screen on Saturday, April 23, with a bang—literally.

One of the most popular shows in Britain, Doctor Who is a cult favorite in America. The show follows the adventures of the Doctor, a 908-year-old time-travelling alien, known as a “Time Lord,” from the planet Gallifrey. The Doctor has two hearts, and instead of dying, he regenerates into a new form—hence the ability for different actors to play him—with the same memories and similar quirky characteristics.

Matt Smith plays the 11th incarnation. He gives the Doctor an incredible range.

Steven Moffat, the show’s head writer, once remarked that though Smith is the youngest man to ever play the Doctor, it seems like he is the oldest. This simultaneously old and young Doctor is delightful to watch on-screen and appears to be portrayed by Smith with ease.

The Doctor voyages throughout the universe in a TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space) that disguises itself as a blue police call box from 1960s Britain. He is the last of his kind, after he destroyed his home planet and his race in the Time War. The Doctor travels with a human companion, saving the universe—and usually humanity—from sinister aliens such as the Daleks, the Cybermen, and the Weeping Angels.

[Today], the new season begins with the first of a two-part arc entitled “The Impossible Astronaut.” It is the first episode in the 48-year history of “Doctor Who” to film principally in America.

The show opens with Amy (Karen Gillan), the Doctor’s current companion, Rory (Arthur Darvill), her husband, and Dr. River Song (Alex Kingston)—a mysterious woman from the Doctor’s future—receiving envelopes telling them when and where to meet.

They head to Utah, where the Doctor awaits their arrival. There, they meet Canton Everett Delaware III, a former FBI agent. Within the first 10 minutes, a fan-favorite character dies, and it comes as such a surprise that shrieks of anguish were heard at the episode’s screening.

Delaware tells the remaining company to travel to Washington D.C. in 1969, and there the adventure truly begins.

Nixon makes a delightful appearance, and as this is a British show, it is full of American stereotypes. Whenever given the possibility, an American whips out a gun and threatens to shoot something, and the only logic given for this trigger-happiness is that they are Americans. Typical.[And true!]

Consequential Strangers, by Melinda Blau and Karen Fingerman

This book is off-topic, but it's so interesting that I thought I'd share it.

There's an old saying, "I shall only pass this way but once, so any little good I can do, let me do it now, for I shall only pass this way but once."

We pass strangers every day - each one of them has their own problems and preoccupations. A smile from you might change their life - so might a frown or a casual insult (such as sneering at their weight, or something of that nature.)

It costs nothing to give someone a friendly smile, and you never know what it might accomplish as the stranger at whom you smile goes on to struggle through his or her day.

Consequential Strangers: The Power of People who Don't Seem to Matter, but Really Do, by Melinda Blau and Karen Fingerman
W W Norton and Co, 2009
219 pages, plus Appendices, notes and index. No photos
Library: 155.927 BLA

Description
They punctuate our days, but we take them for granted: our barista, our car mechanic, a coworker, a fellow dog lover. Yet these are the consequential strangers who bring novelty and information into our lives, allow us to exercise different parts of ourselves, and open us up to new opportunities. They keep us healthy and are invaluable when we're sick. They fuel innovation and social movements. And they are vital in times of uncertainty.

In their unprecedented examination of "people who don't seem to matter," psychologist Karen L. Fingerman, who coined the term "consequential strangers" collaborates with journalist Melinda Blau to develop an idea sparked by Fingerman's groundbreaking research. Drawing as well from Blau's more than two hundred interviews with specialists in psychology, sociology, marketing, and communication, this book presents compelling stories of individuals and institiutions, past and present.

A rich portrait of our social landscape-on and off the internet-it presents the science of casual connection and chronicles the surprising impact that consequential strangers have on business, creativity, the work environment, our physical and mental health, and the strength of our communities.

Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction - The Birth of a Notion
1. The Ascendance of Consequential Strangers
2. The View From Above
3. Beyond the Confines of the Familiar
4. Good for What Ails Us
5. Being Spaces
6. The Downside
7. The Future of Consequential Strangers
Epilogue: The Postscript is Personal
Appendix I: 20 Questions
Appendix II: The Occupation Test
Notes
Index

Terrarium (2003)

12 astronauts volunteer to pioneer a colony, on a newly discovered planet. They awake from their frozen 15 year sleep to discover that the ship has crashed and that they are trapped in their cryotubes. To make matters worse, a hairy beast breaks in and begins devouring them, one by one...

On a whim, I did an Image search for "science fiction movie" and the first result was for Terrarium - a movie from 2003 that starred Tim Daley (not to be confused wth Tim Daly!) and Jason Hall.

An independent, low budget production.

It has a website: http://www.terrariumthemovie.com/

Doctor Who Theme on Car Horns

I wonder what would happen if someone caught in a traffic jam tried to start playing this theme on their car horns. Would other drivers pick it up or not realize what was going on.

And could the babies be trusted to cry on cue?

Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Vincent Price's Birth

St. Louis is getting ready for Vincentennial, the Vincent Price 100th Birthday Celebration this May. Pirate Picture’s Wyatt Weed, writer/director of the St. Louis-lensed vampire opus Shadowland, shot this promo film for the event.

This is a longer version of the promo film that ran before films at the recent St. Louis International Film Festival. Vincentennial is a Film festival celebrating the career of Vincent Price in conjunction with an exhibit of Price artifacts and memorabilia and is being presented by Cinema St. Louis. Legendary director Roger Corman will be in St. Louis to kick off the event. The schedule for the film festival will announced in a couple of more weeks. Details can be found here at We Are Movie Geeks.com, the Vincentennial Facebook page (Here), and at www.vincentennial.com

The Green Hornet - Seth Rogan version

Last week, the SciFi channel showed a marathon of Green Hornet shows - the ones with Van Williams as Britt Reid and Bruce Lee as Kato. It was fun watching a show I hadn't seen in 30 years, and yes, Lee's Kato was definitely the star of the show - we all watched it for his martial arts prowess.

I went to see Seth Rogan's Green Hornet today, and ... it was okay. I could have done without some of the language, and there were a couple of villains-after-death closeups that I could have done without...but...it was okay. And young people today are so immured to bad language...they probably wouldn't even notice it...which is both good and bad.

Anyway, it opens 20 years earlier, with Britt Reid being brought to his father's office at the Daily Sentinel. He was involved in a fight at school, but his dad won't listen to him when he says that he'd tried to help a little girl who was being bullied by some boys. His father destroys his super hero action figure.

20 years later, Britt Reid has forgotten about helping people, and is more interested in drinking and bedding women. He still lives in his father's house, but in a kind of apartment over the garage. Not quite sure how he gets his coffee, but in the morning when he wakes up there's a coffee cup by his bed with a cool flower in it in foam...

Anyway, his father dies of a bee sting, and Britt inherits the paper. For some reason Mike Axford - a crusading reporter in the actual Green Hornet stories, is here the executive editor of the whole paper, and instead of being played by an Irish actor - Axford = Irish, he's played by Edward James Olmos. That's fine, if you want Reid's second in command at the paper played by Olmos, go for it. But don't call him Mike Axford. Indeed, why not give him a Hispanic or Latino name of some kind?

Anyway, Olmos has very little to do in the movie so it's a moot point.

Reid has fired all his dad's employees from the house, so the next day he doesn't get his coffee. It is Kato, his father's chauffer, who made the coffee, so Reid hires him back. (Why Reid has never met Kato is a mystery that's never broached.) They get to talking about Britt's father, and then don masks and go out to the cemetery to vandalize his statue.

After doing this, Britt sees a couple being mugged and tries to go to the rescue, but fails. Kato intervenes and saves the day, and their dual identities as crime fighters is established.

Cameron Diaz as Lenore comes on board, she has a degree in journalism but is hired as a secretary. However, Reid uses her research skills to plot his plan as the Green Hornet. He pretends to be a villain because if he's a good guy, the bad guys will just say, "Stop messing with us or we'll kill some innocent people," but if he's a bad guy, they can't say that because he won't care about innocent people.

So it goes, and it's all right for the most part except for the ending. Of course it has to be a "spectacular" ending, so the Black Beauty is seen zooming through the halls of the Daily Sentinel. It's here that two graphic deaths take place. The initial deaths are fine, but then the camera stays on the aftermath longer than is necessary.

Cameron Diaz does a good job with what she's given. It's refreshing to see a character who doesn't fall in love with her boss - Britt tries to kiss her and she slaps him. She's the "mastermind" ...or at least she is to grow into the role.

If there's a sequel, hopefully they'll expand on that - she plots the activties of the Green Hornet and Kato, they just carry out her bidding.

Anyway, Kato is "da man" with his martial art skills. Seth Rogan is a comedian, but his acting is all right in this. His character is just an irritating one. I really liked the villain...no one ever thinks he's scary, until he's just about to shoot them. Well played by Christopher Waltz.

18-20 FEb, 2011: Mega Doctor Who Convention

From the Gallifrey 2011 website
Welcome to the website for the 2011 Gallifrey One convention, Gallifrey One's Catch 22: Islands of Mystery.

Gallifrey One is North America's largest fan-run Doctor Who event, and the longest-running annual Doctor Who convention in the world. We have tons of confirmed guests announced, great programming events, panels and other fun things to take part in at our next convention!

If you've never been with us, check out the About Gallifrey One page and our Photo Gallery from past conventions. Also, feel free join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter! We also feature Online Registration for the event, and you can find out about everything from the program to our dealers room and art show, the masquerade, our autograph & photo sessions and much more here at the website. Feel free to drop us a line via email if you have questions, too!

Gallifrey 2011 Theme Days
February 8, 2011 • Categories: Program
Each of the three days of this year's Gallifrey 2011 convention will feature special themes, and we encourage everyone to be part of the fun by participating in these events:

Friday is Tropical Adventure Day! Wear your Hawaiian shirts, your board shorts, grass skirts - anything to take part in the island celebration. (Anyone visiting the convention on Friday with something tropical will receive a complementary lei to wear, too!) We encourage you to get creative, too!

Saturday is Doctor Who Costume Day. Get out your Doctor Who, Torchwood and Sarah Jane costumes and wear them proudly. Scarves, brainy specs, trainers, fezzes (that's right... after all, fezzes are cool), bow ties (ditto), stalks of celery -- it's all to get into the spirit of things, and we want your Doctor Who costumes shown off all day long.

And finally, Sunday is very special... Sunday, February 20 is in fact an annual holiday in the far distant Islands of Mystery. They call it Island Awareness Day in that far off land. To show your Island Awareness, wear something special related to one of the 22 Islands of Mystery... a costume, a hat, a shirt, anything that relates to the Islands of Mystery. Need a list of the Islands? Check out the Islands page on our website.

We hope you will join us by participating in our theme days!


Here are the guests - subject to travel, weather, health, etc.
Peter Davison
Janet Fielding
Sarah SUtton
Tracie Simpson
Matthew Waterhouse
John Leeson
Frazier Hines
John Levene
Gareth Thomas
Cush Jumbo
Paul Lasey
Meill Gorton and ROb Mayor
Ian McNeice
Gareth Roberts
Philip Olivier
Sarah DOuglas
Jane Espenson
Doris Egan
Phil Ford
Joss Agnew
James Moran
Daniel Logan
Daphne Ashbrook
Virgnia Hey
Rick Sternbach
Gareth Skelding
Gary Russell
Jason-Haigh-Ellery
Clayton Hickman
Barbara Hambly
Tony Lee
Len Wein and Marv Wolfman
Mathew Dow Smith and Blair Shepp
RIchard Starkings
David Gerrold
Denton Tipton
C. Andrew Nelson
Javier Grillo-Markuach
Jose Molina
Wendy Pini
Nancy HOlder
David J. Howe
Lars Pearson and Christa Dickson
Richard Dinnick
David Wise
Lynn Marie Thomas
Robert Smith
Graeme Burk
Darin Henry
Dr. Arnold T. Blumberg
Courtland Lews
Kevin Grazier
Trina Ray
Steve Bartlett
Robert Gounley
Jim Busby
Sarah Milkovich
Bill Ernohaezy
Sam STone
Paul J. Salamoff
Audry Taylor
Aime Major Steinberger
Arne Starr
Craig Miller
Daryll Frazetti
Eric Hoffman

Band
Tanuki Suit Riot

Podcasters:
Dr. Who Podshock
Radio Free Skaro

Her Universe - tees and stuff for fans of Star Wars

http://heruniverse.com/

Expensive t-shirts - $35! - but with designs to appeal too women,and the t-shirts are fitted.

Seems to be all Star Wars designs right now...

PR: ADMIRALTY: Volume 4 of the Collected Short Works of Poul Anderson

NESFA Press is proud to announce the publication of ADMIRALTY: Volume 4 of the Collected Short Works of Poul Anderson.

See http://www.nesfa.org/press/index.html for ordering information. Price is $29

Introduction by David G. Hartwell, edited by Rick Katze; cover by John
Picacio; cover design by Alice N. S. Lewis.

Details of the book will be found at
http://www.nesfa.org/press/Books/Anderson-4.html

"Admiralty: The Collected Short Works of Poul Anderson" (volume 4) continues the series of presenting the best of his fantasy and science fiction stories published over a writing career of 50 years. It includes "Admiralty", a story in the foreseeable future when man has colonies on other planets and is in conflict with an alien empire, "Goat Song", the Hugo and Nebula award winning story about a man's determination to bring his lost love back to life, "Operation Changeling", a world where magic and demons co-exist, "Delenda Est", a story of the time patrol and the choices that must be made to keep our existence intact, "The Adventure of the Misplaced Hound", co-written with Gordon R. Dickson, where the aliens are living on their own planet, a portion of which is created as Victorian England with Scotland Yard and Sherlock Holmes, "Marius", which shows that the only thing we learn from history is history, and the delightful “Inside Straight”, in which an understanding of poker defeats an invasion.


Table of Contents
Introduction by David G. Hartwell
Admiralty
Among Thieves
Delenda Est
Eutopia
Goat Song
Gypsy
Holmgang
Home
Horse Trader
Inside Straight
Kyrie
Lodestar
Marius
Murphy's Hall
Operation Changeling
Quixote and the Windmill
The Problem of Pain
Sister Planet
The Adventure of the Misplaced Hound
The Barrier Moment
The Bitter Bread
The Pugilist
The Star Beast
Poul Anderson
Poul Anderson won 7 Hugos and 3 Nebulas over his career. He was named "A Grand Master" by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 1998.

John Picacio
John Picacio is a World Fantasy Award winner, and has also received three Chesley Awards, and six consecutive Hugo nominations.

PR: HAL LEONARD RELEASES BATTLESTAR GALACTICA SONGBOOK

Cool New Piano Solo Folio Showcases Noted Composer Bear McCreary

(MILWAUKEE) – Variety called composer Bear McCreary’s score for Battlestar Galactica – the award-winning series on the SyFy channel from 2004-2009 – “the most innovative music on TV today,” and NPR said it “fits the action so perfectly, it’s almost devastating: (it’s) a sci-fi score like no other.” Hal Leonard Corporation is proud to publish the first-ever songbook featuring the music from the series.

McCreary himself was heavily involved in the creation of this special collection, personally translating his acclaimed, world music-infused orchestral score into fantastic piano solo arrangements. The intermediate to advanced-level songbook contains 19 selections in all, and as a bonus, also simplified versions of “Roslin and Adama” and “Wander My Friends.” There is a note from the Emmy-nominated McCreary, as well as a biography.

The music from Battlestar Galactica has a rabid following. No fewer than six soundtrack albums have been released to date, all selling well and enthusiastically praised by critics. There have also been several live concerts featuring the music. In 2008, more than 1,000 fans attended two sold-out shows at The Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles, with some fans flying in from as far as England and Australia. Last summer, McCreary conducted the world premiere performance of the Battlestar Galactica Symphony, as part of the renowned Fimucite Film Music Festival in Tenerife, Spain. A ballet based on McCreary’s scores for the series premiered in 2009, performed by the dancers of the Theaterhagen in Hagen, Germany.

McCreary comments on the Hal Leonard Battlestar Galactica songbook, “At last, fans can now be a part of the musical process themselves and experience the score as I first did: with fingertips touching the ivories.”

A must for the show’s multitude of fans, the Battlestar Galactica Piano Solo folio (HL00313530, ISBN 978-1-61780-367-3) retails for $16.99 and is available at music stores nationwide, or through Music Dispatch (www.musicdispatch.com, 800-637-2852). www.bearmccreary.com/blog

About Bear McCreary
Bear McCreary holds degrees in composition and recording arts from the prestigious Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. However, he attributes his professional training to his mentor, the late film music legend Elmer Bernstein. By the age of 24, McCreary launched into pop culture with his groundbreaking score for Battlestar Galactica. McCreary’s other composing credits include Disney’s Step Up 3D, and several hit series, including The Walking Dead, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Caprica, The Cape and Eureka. McCreary’s swashbuckling score for Human Target featured the largest orchestra ever assembled for a television series in history, and earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Main Title Theme.

About Hal Leonard Corporation
Founded in 1947, Hal Leonard Corporation (www.halleonard.com) is the world’s largest music print publisher, producing songbooks, sheet music, educational publications, reference books, DVDs, CD-ROMs, children’s music products and more. In its more than 200,000 available publications, the company represents in print some of the world’s best known and most respected publishers, artists, songwriters and arrangers. Hal Leonard is headquartered in Milwaukee, WI and also has domestic offices in Winona, MN; New York; and Nashville; and offices abroad in Australia, Belgium, China, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

College of Sci Fi Knowledge Radiation Theater Quizbook

The Thunder Child is proud to announce our first book for the Kindle: The COllege of Sci Fi Knowledge, Eye Sci Fi edition (that means movies), with an emphasis on what I like to call "Radition Theater" - science fiction movies from 1950-1962 that featured giant bugs, giant women, shrinking men, and our first explorations of the universe.

The Quiz Book is profusely illustrated with stills and posters and features over 200 questions on a variety of topics

In the Beginning - identify movie from its opening lines
The Secrets of the Krell - trivia
They All Have Families - production people
A Star is Born - actors
That Was Probably Very Clever - quotes
The End? - identify a movie by its last lines.

And many more!

This Quiz Book is on Kindle - but don't despair if you don't have a Kindle. You can download - for free - an emulator for the PC (and read the book on a much larger screen which is very nice!) and on various smart phones.

And the price of this amazingly colossal book is only $1.99.

So - here's the thing to do. Make one night a week a Radiation Theater night, and watch one of these great filims - most of them are available viw Netflix, Amazon or even YouTube. In order to decide who gets to watch what - who has to make the popcorn, who has to clean up, have a contest with this quiz book, choose ten questions at randoms and whoever gets the least questions right - has to do the winner's bidding.

Below is the URL.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LX0DN6?tag=theeuropeansilen&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=B004LX0DN6&adid=10CF8PZWE67PHMNEJDNA

PR: Koldcast ads the web series Haywire to is line up

Monroe, NY, January 28, 2011 – The horror/sci-fi web series Haywire is set to join the line-up of KoldCast TV, one of the world’s top destinations for original web-based programming. The collaboration will introduce Koldcast’s ever-growing international audience representing over 200 countries to the world of Haywire.

In addition to viewing episodes on the Koldcast website (www.Koldcast.tv), Haywire’s growing fan base will soon be able to enjoy the series in full HD on their televisions through any of Koldcast’s apps offered on the likes of Boxee and Roku. With the expanse of the Koldcast network, more viewers than ever will get a taste of the emerging series.

"Haywire is a twisted, gruesome suburban nightmare” offered Koldcast VP of Network Programming Marti Resteghini. “Not only is it a great horror series but a clever satire as well."

ABOUT HAYWIRE
Haywire is a horror/sci-fi web series produced by Lights Out Film Group (www.lightsoutfilmgroup.com). The series focuses on the effects of a strange light on the suburban town of Monroe, New York.

Jon Pertwee in The Curious Case of Santa Claus, pt 1

One Step Beyond: Wesley Lau in Mask

LikeTelevision Watch Movies and TV Shows



From the I Like Television website. A young Wesley Lau (most famous as Andy Andeson on Perry Mason), plays a pilot who parachutes into the desert of Egypt. Then, strange things start to happen.)

The Making of the Creature from the Black Lagoon

Watch Haywire: an indie sci fi/horror series

Three episodes are now available at Youtube, with new eps added on a monthly basis. The film company, Lights Out, is located in New York, and is looking for storefronts to film in front of or houses to film in. If you'd like to be a part of filmmaking history, give 'em a call! (And especially do so if you want to try out your acting chops.)

http://haywireseries.com/?page_id=42
Haywire is the saga of the effects of a strange phenomenon on the population of the small Hudson Valley town of Monroe, New York. It's horror and sci-fi with a nice peppering of drama, comedy and action for your viewing pleasure.
"Monroe, New York. A burst of light. Area-wide power outages and the complete failure of all electronic devices. All within line of sight of the burst are affected. Their thought processes scramble and become a never-ending loop. Accomplish what you were doing when you saw the light. Then do it again. And again. And if something gets in your way?"

Haywire episode 1: The Gardener


Hawire episode 2: The Beaten Path


Haywire episode 3: Return to Sender

January Conventions

The Thunder Child has updated its science fiction convention pages for 2011. We've got two pages, one that lists conventions by date, and the other that lists conventions by location.

Below are the conventiosn for January. (That we know about. If you're holding a convention and its not listed below (or at our pages), email us and give us all the details.

http://thethunderchild.com/Conventions/USCalendarByDate.html

Remember that all the info provided below is for information only. Check the convention's website to verify dates, times and costs. (The Thunder Child isn't responsible for any info in error! Verify!)


January 14-16
RustyCon 30
"A science fiction & fantasy convention"
Seattle Airport Marriott
3201 South 176th Street
Seattle, WA
www.rustycon.com/

January 14-16
MarsCon (Williamsburg, VA)
"Southeastern Virginia's Premiere Relaxi-con"
Holiday Inn Patriot
3032 Richmond Road, Route 60
Williamsburg, VA
www.marscon.net/


January 14-17
Arisia '19
"New England's largest and most diverse science fiction and fantasy convention"
Westin Waterfront Hotel
425 Summer Street
Boston, 02210, MA
2011.arisia.org/


January 21-23
Confusion
"Brought to you by the Stilyagi Air Corps"
Detroit Marriott Troy
200 West Big Beaver Road, Troy, MI
www.stilyagi.org/

George Reeves Adventures of Superman

Over 10 years ago, TVLand aired an Adventures of Superman marathon, starting with the Phyllis Coates episodes. To my rage, the Haunted Lighthouse episode wasn't among them, and indeed, they'd skip every two or three episodes, so they weren't showing the full set.

Annoyed, I never did watch the tapes I'd made .... so it's not until today, some ten years later, that I'm finally watching all these episodes, one after the other, as I transfer them from VHS to DVD-R.

And what fun they are. I must say that yes, the first season is the best, and it's too bad Phyllis Coates has been succeeded in everyone's minds by Noel Neill...indeed, I don't think Coates was ever invited to any of the Superman reunions...at least not if Noel Neill was going to be there.

Anyway, much as I do like Neill, the Coates episodes were simply superior TV, for the most part.

Now, this is a great website you must visit if you're a fan of George Reeves' Superman shows.

http://www.jimnolt.com/

It has everything. The website owner is the author of a Superman companion book, that I've reviewed at The Thunder Child website. I can't give you the title now as, since I've moved, all my books are packed away, but as soon as I find it, I'll give it another blurb.

Merry Christmas

A video, which my Kindle readers can't view, unfortunately.

The New Seekers singing "I'd like to teach the world to sing"

(Go to Youtube and do a serch on the song if you'd like to hear it.)

Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming

Just watched this while recording it from VHS to DVD-R. I do enjoy it, although it would be a lot betterif a few minutes were cut, for example the guy spending 5 minutesto catch his horse, and the two women in the motorcycle...but for most of its length its a great movie and I admit the penultimate ending has me teary-eyed.

It's always something

My mom has "free" antivirus protection on her Dell...and it's done her no good at all. She's now infected with something that prevents IE and Firefox from being able to get online, even though she's connected to the internet.

I thought I had put Panda Cloud Virus on there, but apparently not. Not that I know if Panda works, either. It was a suggestion of my brother's. On my computer, I pay for Norton, which seems to work just fine.


My mom is in her 70s, and doesn't know enough to not download stuff sent by strangers, or not open emails from people you dont' know. When I looked at her computer today, she had something called Magnetic...something... as her default IE homepage. I got rid of that and put it back to Yahoo mail..and that's when the probem started.

All malware and virus devisers should be shot on sight!

Ah, memories

For the last 3 or 4 days I've been transferring my VHS tapes to DVD-R. I've got over 200 VHS tapes, so this will probably take me a couple of months at least.

But it's fun, I'm watching a lot of shows I hadn't watched since I taped them, 20 - 1- years ago... Perry Mason, Combat!, Doctor Who (Tom Baker, and Jon Pertwee) the Avengers with Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman) and so on.

Fun fun.

Of ocurse what I'm going to do with 200 expendable VHS tapes I do not know. I've tried to give them away on CHeyenne Freecycle, but no one's expressed an interest.

1950s Horror Theatre from Comedy Break

Uploaded at YouTube. 3 episodes of 1950s Horror Theatre, and then an Easter Egg at the end. Do not touch that dial.

1950s Science Fiction Theater from Comedy Break

comedy Break was a syndicated comedy skit series from 1985-1986, which starred the Comedy duo of Mack and Jamie (Mack Dryden and Jamie Alcroft). Kevin Pollak was on board for the whole series, the female supporting actor changed, I think it was Marla Frumkin first and then Jan Hooks, with Maggie Roswell subbing for Hooks on one occasion.

One or more of the writers for this showw must have been a fan of science fiction, because there were a few of these 1950s Science Fiction Theater (with Kevin Pollak doing a great William Shatner/Captain Kirk impression), and a few 1950s Horror Movie Theater (which were really science fiction spoofs, filmed in color) and one hilarious sendup of Plan 9 From Outer Space.

Press Release: GET A MOUTHFUL OF MURLOCS FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

New Stein Showcases Legendary Denizens of the Deep From Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft®

SAN DIEGO, CA (December 13, 2010) – Taverncraft, a subsidiary of 3 Point Entertainment LLC, today announced they have begun shipping the latest addition to their Epic Collection stein series based on Blizzard Entertainment's massively multiplayer online role-playing game, World of Warcraft®. The new stein, entitled RAWGRLRLRLRRLGLRL!!!, features Azeroth’s wildly popular denizens of the deep, the murlocs, illustrated by premier fantasy artist Matt Cavotto. The stoneware stein features numerous murlocs throughout, including Winterfin Oracle, Bluefin Murloc and Murloc Tidehunter, and is topped with an exclusive murloc-themed solid pewter lid.

“Murlocs are among the most popular monsters within World of Warcraft, and we always knew a murloc stein would be a great addition to our line-up,” said 3 Point Entertainment President Jerry Bennington. “They're wily creatures with a fun reputation, and this collectible stein, which is perfect for holiday gift-giving, is a great way to express your love for these unforgettable characters."

RAWGRLRLRLRRLGLRL!!! is the fifth release in the Epic Collection series of World of Warcraft steins. Previous steins in the series include Blood of the Horde, Alliance United, Rise of the Lich King, and Charge of the Great Dragonflights.

Each Epic Collection stein stands over 10” tall, is handcrafted from authentic fine-grain stoneware, and features panoramic bas-relief sculpting and a solid pewter lid. The new RAWGRLRLRLRRLGLRL!!! stein can be purchased at www.taverncraft.com for $99.99 / 81.99 EUR each, with the other World of Warcraft Epic Collection steins currently available for the same price.

Press Release: TAVERNCRAFT LAUNCHES NEW LINE OF PREMIUM MARVEL ETCHED GLASSES

Glasses Feature Deep-Etched Iconic Images of Legendary Marvel Super-Heroes

SAN DIEGO, CA (December 14, 2010) – You've read about their exploits in your favorite comic books. You've watched them on the silver screen. Now you can also share a drink with the world's greatest super-heroes! Taverncraft, a subsidiary of 3 Point Entertainment LLC, today announced they have entered into an agreement with Marvel Entertainment Group to create steins, tankards and mugs, plus a unique line of deep-etched glassware, all featuring iconic Marvel Comics super-heroes. The initial wave of 16 oz. pint glasses and 25 oz. glass steins are available now from www.taverncraft.com and feature Spider-Man, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk and Captain America.

"Fans who are used to standard silk-screened steins and glasses are going to be in for a pleasant surprise," said 3 Point Entertainment President Jerry Bennington. "The deep etching really brings out the detail in the characters, and offers a dimensionality that you just can't get from simply applying an image onto the surface. Whether buying a set for yourself or as a holiday gift, fans will be able to see and appreciate the high quality and unsurpassed durability of our Marvel deep-etched glasses and steins."

Pint glasses are packaged in two-glass sets and retail for $29.99 plus shipping and handling. Each 25 oz. glass stein is packaged individually and retails for $29.99 plus shipping and handling. Additional information, images and ordering details are available at http://www.taverncraft.com.

TOAST THE HOLIDAYS WITH NEW THE HOBBIT™ STEIN

Smaug Legend 1

Smaug Legend 2

PR: Taverncraft Introduces Two Versions of the Smaug™ the Magnificent Stein

SAN DIEGO, CA (November 17, 2010) – Taverncraft, a subsidiary of 3 Point Entertainment LLC, today announced that they have begun shipping the first stoneware stein in their ongoing collectible drinkware series based on the literary masterpieces The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Smaug the Magnificent, illustrated by world-famous fantasy artist Matthew Stawicki, is available in both Epic and Legendary editions. Ordering information and detailed photos are available at www.taverncraft.com , with holiday delivery in the contiguous United States guaranteed if ordered prior to December 15, 2010.

"The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy are among the most influential books in literary history, and we're thrilled to be part of that legacy," said 3 Point Entertainment President Jerry Bennington. "From the incredibly detailed, panoramic bas-relief imagery to the pewter lid with its 'One Ring' motif, fans will cherish this hefty stoneware stein. Whether buying one for yourself or as a holiday gift, it's perfect for any Lord of the Rings devotee."

Each Smaug the Magnificent stein stands over 10” (25.4 cm) tall and is handcrafted from authentic fine-grain stoneware. The steins showcase panoramic bas-relief sculpting and a sculpted pewter lid featuring the legendary "One Ring to rule them all." The Smaug the Magnificent Epic Collection Stein is available for $99.99, while the Smaug the Magnificent Legendary Collection Stein is priced at $169.99. The Smaug the Magnificent Legendary Collection Stein is limited to 500 worldwide, features an 18K gold-plated "One Ring" lid and hand-painted gold trimming throughout the image and handle.

The stoneware Smaug the Magnificent stein joins Taverncraft's popular line of deep-etched pint glasses and glass steins featuring iconic artwork of the most popular taverns in Middle-earth. Information about the entire The Hobbit product line-up, including the Smaug the Magnificent stein, is available at http://www.taverncraft.com .



Inn of the Prancing Pony Mug



Hobbit Legend

View The Lady and the Tiger...Moth graphic novelette

I've put it up at YouTube. Remember to see the whole thing (the rest of the story is told in prose form) you can purchase it for the Kindle from Amazon.com for the extremely low price of $1.99!!!