What Local Quality Authors?

It is understandable for the New York Times to look down upon Los Angeles and refer to it as a small city when writing articles about humorous counter-academy film awards. I can understand how Bob Harris, writing for the NYT can say, "And last week, the Golden Raspberry Awards, invented by a small-town California film buff, announced its Razzie nominations for worst movies." Mr. Harris is, after all, writing for the local paper of a city where the only thing bigger than its population is its ego about its importance.

Typical of articles written from a distance by someone looking down one's nose at an inferior Mr. Harris is incorrect in his assertion that the Golden Raspberry's were invented by a small-town California film buff." As Cathy Seipp points out writing about Razzies found John JB Wilson, "while it's true that a short while ago he moved to Cerritos (not a small town, but part of Greater Los Angeles/Orange County's sububran sprawl), he started the Razzies around 30 years ago while living in Hollywood. Then for many years he lived in the Valley, also part of the city of Los Angeles." But one can't expect someone in New York to have any respect for the West Coast and its offerings, it is (you should know) the center of American culture. Or should that be Culture?

Regardless, it is still understandable that a city 3833 miles away might not know the particulars of what that other city might have to offer. What isn't understandable is that the Los Angeles Times suffers from the same anti-Angelino disease. It is a newspaper that has almost without exception, in recent times, failed to understand and appreciate the city around it. To quote Fritz, "The Los Angeles Times is the last place to know what is going on in Los Angeles."

Let me give you an example. When former Runaways drummer Sandy West died last October the Los Angeles Times obituary was a wire-service story. It wasn't until December that the Times did their own in depth article. One might think that timely in depth coverage of the local community might be one way that the Times might increase readership.

In an effort to be more like the New York Times the Los Angeles Times began a Sunday magazine. The magazine is good, but it lacks some quintessential must read component. Essentially, it contains material that ought to be in the regular paper and lacks anything uniquely Angelino. One might think that if one is imitating the New York Times one could take a page from their book and serialize a novel by a local author. The New York Times is currently serializing a novel by Michael Chabon as their newest "Sunday Serial." The "Sunday Serial" features work by popular genre authors, though it is interesting to note the snobbishness of the NYT Chabon press release which claims that, "The selection marks a departure for The Magazine, which previously has featured genre fiction writers." What do you call a writer who has written a Superhero novel and whose most recent writing, the very one being serialized, is reminiscent of Robert Howard and dedicated to Michael Moorcock? Personally, I call him a genre fiction writer. But I guess when he's won the Pulizer (for the aforementioned Superhero book) and is from New York he's called a non-genre writer.

Why doesn't the Los Angeles Times run a serialized novel by one of our own local Southern California genre authors? I am certain that it would draw an audience. Why am I not reading Tim Powers' next book in the LAT? How about Stephen Barnes, Jerry Pournelle, Harry Turtledove, David Brin, Raymond Feist, J.V. Jones, Vernor Vinge, or even Cory Doctorow (I may disagree with him about intellectual property, but I like his writing)? We could even ask Mark Salzman, among many others, for non-genre writing.

I would postulate, I'd have to test it, that the LAT doesn't think of the Los Angeles area (and Southern California generally) as a place where authors of merit are to be found. It is likely that they think of Los Angeles as the place where broad entertainment aimed at the lowest common denominator is created and that Art is the purview of other cities, places like New York, Paris, and London.

Don't take any of the above snarkyness to be actual attacks at New York City, it is a wonderful place. I just don't like how Angelinos undervalue the city, and community, where they live. Since moving to Los Angeles, technically the Crenshaw District, in 2000, I have fallen in love with this crazy town. Though I have to admit, it is a little like a geode. It looks rough and ominous on the outside, but when you crack it open you can see all the glittering quartz. Hidden treasures are what Los Angeles is all about, but if you want to find those treasures you aren't often best served by the Los Angeles Times. You have to dig.

The Obligatory Meme to Make Up for Sketchy Posting Post

SF Book Meme

If it's good enough for Tenser the Archmage, it's good enough for me.

1. Science fiction, fantasy, or horror?

The best way for me to answer this question was to look over at my bookshelves and see what I own more of with regards to speculative fiction. The hands down winner is fantasy.

2. Hardback, trade paperback, or mass market paperback?

Depends on the author. If I really like the author's writing, or I know the author, hardback is the only way for me. Otherwise I will go with the Mass Market due to space considerations.

3. Heinlein or Asimov?

I like Asimov a lot and I like Heinlein a great deal. Both authors sold out when they tried to "unify" their fictional narratives; one of the single largest wastes of time was the merging of the Foundation and Robot series. I'll keep my psychohistory a human creation if you please. That said, I think that I would choose Heinlein. He has writings for all of my moods. Do I want a kitschy fantasy yarn in the "skiffy" mold? Glory Road here I come. Do I want speculative fiction with political undertones? The Moon is a Harsh Mistress makes for a nice read. Heinlein could write more styles and like the Giving Tree has something for every stage of life.

4. Amazon or brick-and-mortar?

I purchase about 60% of my books at brick-and-mortar stores. I rely on Amazon primarily for the stuff I don't want the clerks frowning at me for purchasing (I am unusually susceptible to shame, Plato would be proud), and when I am looking to save money on Hardback copies.

5. Barnes & Noble or Borders?

There was a time when I would have said Barnes & Noble because of their "lounge" atmosphere, but that seems largely absent now. The local Borders has a better layout for non-ghetto fiction, but the B&N is better for my SF&F.

6. Hitchhiker or Discworld?

Discworld hands down. I like my humorous fantasy and mourn that there isn't more of it. Kids today, am I really that old geez, aren't often aware of the wonderful Compleat Enchanter series, which breaks my heart. Too many of the modern authors take themselves way to seriously, as do too many of the readers.

7. Bookmark or dogear?

A business card or a receipt.

8. Magazine: Asimov's Science Fiction or Fantasy & Science Fiction?

I have subscribed to both in the past, but I currently only subscribe to F&SF. If you include others though, you can add Realms of Fantasy (the People of F&SF mags) and Locus.

9. Alphabetize by author, by title, or random?

Alphabetize? That's for bookstores and libraries. I use the "genre pile" method. I do at least try to keep authors together if not in alphabetical order.

10. Keep, throw away, or sell?

I could build a house with my books and I would never throw away what could be donated to charity or sold.

11. Year's Best Science Fiction series (edited by Gardner Dozois) or Year's Best SF Series (edited by David G. Hartwell)?

I'll let you know next year, I haven't purchased either in the past.

12. Keep dustjacket or toss it?

Keep.

13. Read with dustjacket or remove it?

On, it makes a great bookmark.

14. Short story or novel?

Novel. I read very few short stories. They are hard to do well and I am often disappointed. I am very sick of the "suprise twist" convention most fall into. I will read them from an author I admire, or by recommendation.

15. Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?

Harry Potter, but if pressed for what "young adult" fantasy series I prefer, it'd be Lewis hands down.

16. Stop reading when tired or chapter breaks?

When tired.

17. "It was a dark and stormy night" or "Once upon a time"?

"It was a dark and stormy night" is just bad writing; "once upon a time" is convention. I'll take convention over poor craftsmanship. When isn't a stormy night dark? If it isn't that is a more interesting opening.

18. Buy or borrow?

Buy like crazy. Have you read Polysyllabic Spree? That's me in a nutshell.

19. Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation, or browse?

Browse, recommendation, and then reviews. I like to find new things and really like brick-and-mortar for the ability to read book backs.

20. Lewis or Tolkien?

This seems a false dichotomy in many ways. I like both. Lewis for his allegory and his willingness to lift imagery from any source. Tolkien is a worldsmith who created an internally consistent milieu based on Anglo Saxon and Norse mythology. Lewis had humorous word play and Tolkien wrote poetry I skip when rereading. In the end...Tolkien.

21. Hard SF or space opera?

Space Opera, hands down. Anything too rooted in current scientific understandings will collapse under future scrutiny. No one cares that the world isn't hollow or that Deja Thoris can't exist, it is the imagined qualities and the characters that matter in Space Opera. And today's Hard SF that has science that becomes outdated, but has imaginative settings and memorable characters becomes tomorrow's Space Opera.

22. Collection (single author) or anthology (multiple authors)?

I really like both, but anthologies featuring authors I enjoy have introduced me to new authors. On the other hand, a P K Dick collection doesn't have the variable quality of some anthologies. Anthologies are deeply dependent on their editors. Chris Roberson's Adventure anthology was a fun read that introduced me to many new authors.

23. Hugo or Nebula?

Hugo.

24. Golden Age SF or New Wave SF?

I like both, but the preachy nature of much New Wave SF which often confuses progressive political screeds for cultural criticism sometimes turns me off as a reader and the conservatives are just as bad. I didn't like Terry Goodkind's oppressive inclusion of Objectivist philosophy in Wizards First Rule and when Cory Doctorow writes about intellectual property I want to run down to USC and strangle him.

25. Tidy ending or cliffhanger?

Finish the story, don't leave it up to me. When a book, or series, is done, it is done in my mind. If the author leaves unanswered questions, I will leave them unanswered and not speculate about them.

26. Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?

Lunch and nighttime.

27. Standalone or series?

I love a good standalone story, but being able to comeback and see what has been happening in the lives of characters I like. This is like asking Movie or TV series. A well made movie doesn't require a sequel, but a well made TV series deserves to continue.

28. Urban fantasy or high fantasy?

While I disagree with Michael Moorcock's Marxist critique of high fantasy as "bucolic bourgeois banality," I do tend to favor Urban Fantasy. Some of the folks over at Tenser's blog got up in arms about what he considered Urban Fantasy, so let me give an example of what I mean. I consider Fritz Lieber to be the master of Urban Fantasy. For me, Urban Fantasy is fantasy which takes place in an Urban environment and deals with the moral issues of industrialized society and high density living.

29. New or used?

New if it is new, used if it is out of print. Unlike Cory Doctorow, I like to see the authors I like get paid. I also like to see the people who got them published get paid, and the people who work at the little printing presses, and the people at the bookstores. New, it is hard enough for an author to make a living off their writing without a secondary market.

30. Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?

Like I have the hubris to claim to have "discovered" something. The Future of the Mass Audience by W. Russell Neumann. It isn't fiction, but it is a great speculation of what the future of entertainment will look like. It was written in 1991 and is a fairly accurate look.

31. Top 5 favorite genre books read last year?

I always hate "Top X" lists, but here are five I enjoyed:
Dzur by Steven Brust
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Chinatown Deathcloud Peril by Paul Malmont
Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon
Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson


32. Top 5 favorite genre books of all time?

Here are five genre books I think everybody should read.

King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany
Elric of Melnibone by Michael Moorcock
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Dune by Frank Herbert
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein

Everyone should also read:

Beowulf
The Iliad by Homer
The Nibelungenlied
Hans Christian Andersen
The Brother's Grimm

33. 5 favorite genre series?

What is the obsession with top 5s?

I have enjoyed the following:

Thieve's World edited by Robert Asprin and Lynn Abbey
Wild Cards edited by George R.R. Martin
The Drizzt Series by R.A. Salvatore (totally mainstream, I know, sue me)
The John Carter Series by Edgar Rice Burroughs
The Eternal Champion Saga by Michael Moorcock
and I'll add that the Chalion series by Lois McMaster Bujold will likely be up there when I am finally finished with the series

34. Top 5 favorite genre short stories?

Don't read enough short stories to provide a good list.

The Future Appears to be Behind Schedule

On January 12, at the Telvision Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena, the Sci Fi Channel made two announcements that made cinerati's editor squeal with joy. Sadly, it appears that they are behind schedule on the release of one of products.

The first was the announcement of a new 22 episode series based on Flash Gordon featuring the classic character along with his dastardly foe Ming. SCI FI's representatives at the TCA described the new series stating, "Stellar adventures and heroic battles mark this inventive new take on the perennial science fiction classic." I am excited about the prospect of the series, but the "inventive new take" statement makes me reticent to run around giddily while squealing for joy, I am still squealing for joy. I hope that RHI Entertainment and producers Robert Halmi Sr. (Earthsea) and Robert Halmi Jr. (Farscape), remember to include the Plantetary Romance tone of the original concept. It was the Planetary Romance aspects, and not the SF elements, which really set Flash Gordon apart from Buck Rogers and similar SF serial.



Fans of Space Opera films should note that it was the original concept, and not some "inventive new take," which inspired George Lucas to create Star Wars and that the inclusion of Planetary Romance goddess Leigh Brackett in the screenwriting process of The Empire Strikes Back added to the tone of that film. I am hopeful, but skeptical given the dark tone of the new Battlestar Galactica, that the show will capture the wonder of the earlier narrative. Sadly, much of modern SF seems to think that "darkness" equals narrative complexity and forgets that hopeful utopian views of the future can be just as deep an analysis of today's problems. For every George Orwell and Aldous Huxley, there is an Edward Bellamy and Jules Verne.

As for the future being late, SCI FI promised to bring their deep entry into internetelevision to the internet on January 21, and I have yet to see hide or hair of the project. SCI FI already has their "shallow" entry into internetelevision, you can watch the most recent Dresden Files online and watch a good amount of Battlestar Galactica footage online (including online exclusive material), but I was anxiously awaiting their deep entry. SCI FI announced their broadband destination site (what I call internetelevision) SCI FI Drive-in at the TCAs claiming that it would launch on January 21st giving access to "cult films, serials, campy documentaries, and trailers...includ[ing] such films as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligare and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, not to mention the original Flash Gordon serial" (geeee!) Sadly, the only mention of SCI FI Drive-in I have been able to find on the SCI FI site are in the forums (booo!).

The Holy Words Will Be Obeyed!

These words are not just for the Yangs, but for the Com's as well.

You Know You Have Fallen into the Abyss of Gaming Geekdom When...

You order a movie from Netflix because, David Parlett, the author of "The Oxford History of Boardgames" was a game staging consultant for the film. I have finally stepped over that line and should be receiving Onegin from Netflix tomorrow afternoon. The Rotten Tomatoes crew, including Roger Ebert, don't think highly of the film about a bored St. Petersburg aristocrat played by Ralph Fiennes. Ebert found the film elegant, but with a dead center.

That's too bad. I have had a stream of disappointing movies in my mailbox lately. Not that this actually affects the reason I am going to watch the film. I am watching it to see what a game of Faro ought to look like when it is being played.

I am such a geek.

It's a Snap

I have now added a feature to the website which gives a preview window for any hyperlink you put the cursor over. For example, if you put the cursor over these words you will see Matt Forbeck's site. I chose that website because it was at that site where I was first introduced to the feature. You can apply this function to your website by visiting the Snap website and following a few simple steps.

Please feel free to hover over any hyperlink on this page, maybe even the following...

Unlocked Wordhoard
Rickety Contrivances
Order of the Stick
and naturally,
William Shatner or even...ShatnerVision

Doc Savage Lives!

The Man of Bronze had been out of print for fifteen long years. Those who wanted to introduce a new generation of readers to the simple pleasure of this pulp icon were forced to share prized copies of fragile paperbacks, hoping that the pages wouldn't fall out of the binding when the book was returned. It was the dilemma of the nostalgia fan. Do I recruit a new pulpster, risking the demolition of my valued tome, or do I promote the books praying that there are copies at the local used bookstore?

What to do, what to do?

Thankfully, Nostalgia Ventures has decided to make such difficult decisions moot. Starting mid-year 2006 Nostalgia Ventures has been reprinting the adventures of Doc Savage, and the Shadow, for fans new and old. So far the series of "Double Novel" reprints has four Doc Savage tales and six gripping Shadow narratives. A complete list of the books can be found at the Nostalgia Ventures website or at the Vintage Library

Some may find it confusing why I have such an affection for the pulps. They are often sexist, they are often xenophobic, and the wordsmithing of the texts often leaves something to be desired. My answer to all the objections is, "that is all beside the point." To the first two comments I would point out that the xenophobia and sexism of the pulp is a great lens through which to view the times in which the stories were written. I would also point out that the stories are often not as sexist as some covers might lend one to believe, though there are times when the stories are more sexist than the covers suggest. The stories I am most fond of tend to fall into the less sexist camp.

As for the xenophobia, I think it is important to see popular portrayals of other cultures from one's own past. How can we understand the obstacles that face us when talking to people from other cultures, who are often familiar with the ways they have been depicted in our entertainments, unless we are familiar with those representations? It should be pointed out that not all of the inaccurate portrayals of other cultures are xenophobic, sometimes they are quite the opposite (xenophilic) even when they are equally inaccurate in their portrayals.

What really matters to me about these stories is that they are so often entertaining. The word crafting might be weak, but the structures are sound and the pace exciting. If you like action, it is hard to dislike the pulps. Think of them like television, or direct to video movies, because that is the niche they filled. They were popcorn entertainment filled with the biases of the era in which they were written. Feel free to criticize those biases, but enjoy the ride as well.

A Care Package from a Dear Friend

When I arrived home from work the other day, I was greeted by a small parcel sitting in front of my screen door. I hadn't ordered any Amazon packages recently, at least not any unreceived Amazon packages, so I quickly looked at the return address. To my pleasant surprise, the box had been sent by my dear friend Jay. I hurriedly opened the package to see what treasures lay within, since Jay has a keen knowledge of many of my obsessions. The trove was better than expected. It was filled with fantastic fiction of the sort I adore, and included two extraordinary gems.

So what did Jay send?

Glad you asked.

• Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert Heinlein (1981 Ballantine edition)
• Time Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein (1974 Berkley Medallion edition)
• Farnham's Freehold by Robert Heinlein (1965 Signet edition)
• Tales from the White Hart by Arthur C. Clarke (1966 Ballantine)
• Justice, Inc. by "Kenneth Robeson" aka Paul Ernst (1972 Paperback Library)
• The Hate Master by "Kenneth Robeson" aka Paul Ernst (1973 Warner Paperback Library)
• The Fantastic Island by "Kenneth Robeson" aka W.Ryerson Johnson and Lester Dent (1966 Bantam books)
• The Sea Magician by "Kenneth Robeson" aka Lester Dent (1970 Bantam)
• The Stone Man by "Kenneth Robeson" aka Lester Dent (1976 Bantam)
• A Gent from Bear Creek by Robert E. Howard (1975 Zebra Books)
• Son of the White Wolf by Robert E. Howard (1978 Berkley Medallion)
• Pirates of Venus by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1979 Ace)
• The Mask of Fu Manchu by Sax Rohmer (1966 Pyramid)
• The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu by Sax Rohmer (1965 Pyramid)
• Tower of Zanid by L. Sprague deCamp (1963 Airmont)
• Day of the Giants by Lester del Rey (1964 Airmont)
• The Cactus Kid by Tom West and Kansas Guns -- Abridged by Paul Durst (1959 Ace Double Book)
• Winter Range by Al Cody and Pistol Whipper by Lee Floren (1960 Ace Double Books)
• The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (1962 Crest Book)

I want to take a moment to highlight the two Sax Rohmer Fu Manchu novels, The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu and The Mask of Fu Manchu. I am a fan of this particular member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and am a proud owner of The Romance of Sorcery. Jay and I watched one of the old Fu Manchu movies, The Mask of Fu Manchu to be specific, starring Boris Karloff when we were in a film class together as undergrads. I was shocked at the film's ending when Nayland Smith throws the Sword of Genghis Khan into the ocean.
Smith's disdain for an artifact from Chinese history, admittedly one which could be used for world domination if it fell into the wrong hands, was a perfect example of British Imperialism and attitude of superiority. I wouldn't have been shocked if Smith's action was shown in a negative light, but it is shown as a good and necessary action. The boat scene, combined with my love of many Hong Kong martial arts films which show the other view of British Imperialism, has led me to swirl an idea in the back of my head. I eventually want to write a story where both Manchu and Smith are the villains.
The idea is still in a primordial state, but I think it is a pretty good one. It is admittedly high concept, and very much influenced by Marvel Comics' Master of Kung Fu, Grant Stockbridge's The Spider: Master of Men, Lester Dent's Doc Savage the Man of Bronze, and Jet Li's Wong Fei Hung (who would be anachronistic, but cool). If I can find a way to throw in Sun Wu Kung, I'll do that too. Hmm... maybe as "The Avenger," both are shapeshifters of a sort.
I have always found the Chinese nationalism of films like Once Upon a Time in China and Drunken Master II very compelling. I can only wonder what it would be like to have another culture pilfer the treasures of my nation's past to sell them as mantle placements.

As for the gems, A Gent from Bear Creek is a collection of Robert Howard's Breckinridge Elkin's stories which can be hard to find. Howard's name equals only Conan to some readers, but those people are really missing out on some good yarns. One of the joys of the Elkins stories is Howard's attempt to capture vernacular in the writing. It's not an easy thing to do without coming off as ridiculous. Manly Wade Wellman does a great job of it in his John stories, and Howard does a pretty bang up job himself, in part because it makes the "tall tale" aspect of the stories all the more convincing.

The other gem is the novel that one of my childhood favorite science fiction films is based on, The Day of the Triffids. In all honesty, I only have vague memories of the movie (similar to my Asphyx memories), but I really liked the movie as a kid. Hopefully, the novel will rekindle those memories and maybe even add some new ones.

Thanks Jay.

NCC-1701X "The White Rabbit"

I am a huge fan of the Original Series of Star Trek, but even I have to admit that many of their acting troupe moments are bafflingly hilarious. Think about the "bomb" in I,Mudd. Let that scene play around in your mind for a moment. Pretty bizarre isn't it? I won't even go into how strange it was watching William Shatner playing a woman possessing Captain Kirk's body in Turnabout Intruder. Shatner's performance in that episode is the root of all Shatner impersonations.

Don't believe me? Watch the episode.

Somebody in the interwebonetosphere decided to to a mash up of moments of bizarre behavior and drinking in Star Trek and make a music video for Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit. The result is magical.



Thanks to both Tenser (the blogger, not the mage) and Chris Roberson for the recommendation.

Music Geeks of the World, Unite!

Michael Hirschorn’s article in the January/February 2007 issue of The Atlantic attempts to illustrate the coming direction and shape of the digital music evolution. In an analysis that will warm Christian’s heart, he notes that iPod’s best days, like Colonial Williamsburg, are behind them. The end of what Hirschorn calls the “end-to-end” system is nigh.

The meat of Hirschorn’s analysis:

There is order to the madness. If you accept as an article of faith (and I do) that the existence of digital media means everything will eventually become available everywhere for a price that will approach zero, you can start connecting the dots. I’m currently faced with an arbitrary choice: if I want to walk around with my music in my iPod, I have to interface with the closed iTunes system and purchase songs at 99 cents a pop (or, for non-major-label offerings, go to eMusic.com); if I want to enjoy new music, learn about music from people who’ve built cool user pages, and generally share in the communal joys of critical discrimination, I have to leave iTunes and sniff about online. It is surely only a matter of time before that problem is solved.

What I find odd about Hirschorn’s article is that he does mention any of the “all you can eat” systems found through Yahoo, Napster, or Rhapsody. I’ve been very happy with my Rhapsody system where I can download an unlimited number of songs to my device, a SanDisk Sansa e280, for one low price. Now, I can’t burn any of those songs to a CD, or continue to use them after I stop paying my subscription fee; I’m essentially renting my music, but the price is so low that I see it as a fair exchange. Rhapsody integrates some of the community aspects that Hirschorn lauds in his article. Subscribers can put together playlists for other to download and I can see what is being downloaded by people who share my musical tastes.

Some of the new web-tools that Hirschorn thinks are harbingers of the revolution include:

Hype Machine

iLike

Last.fm

Daniel Craig Nominated

Daniel Craig was nominated for best actor by BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) for his work in Casino Royale. The movies The Queen and Casino Royale lead the field in nominations.

Casino Royale is a good time!

I was fortunate to see Casino Royale over the weekend. I heard some scuttlebut regarding this current Bond not being "Bond" enough. This complaint was mainly that the actor did not fit e thConnery, Moore, Bronsan mold of the suave Bond. This is true. But I found this film to be the best of the Bond series.

Daniel Craig as Bond is a bit of thug, recently coming off service in the SAS and being elevated to the coveted "00" status. He is a blunt and tough, he lacks refinement but he is a good character. Casino Royale is one of the few attempts to make Bond a person, there is an actual attempt to give him a past. It is simply better thought out than the other Bond films.

The action scenes reminded me of "The Bourne Supremecy" in their graphic quality and realism. That being said, I really would recommend this movie. I thought it was simply outstanding.

There are a couple of plot problems that make you scratch your head, but I won't get into that for those that want to see the movie. When talking to a friend of mine about this movie, he said something I agreed with. "Casino Royale is a great action film with an engaging hero who just happens to be named James Bond". Two thumbs up.

Elvis, David Bowie, Some Other Famous People, and Me

Today is January 8th, and every American knows that today is Elvis' birthday. There will be Elvis movie marathons. Some people will watch Clambake, others Bubba Hotep. People will sing Viva Las Vegas. There may even be sightings of the (would be) 71 year-old rock icon.

Not as many people know that today is David Bowie's birthday, he turns 60 today. I have always thought that David Bowie got the raw deal in the birthday commemoration department. He's had a prolific career and has influenced a lot of modern musical artists. He's even made some pretty good movies, some weird one's as well. But Bowie's birthday falls on January 8, the same day as Elvis, "The King of Rock and Roll." Who can compete with that? If his birthday fell on January 9th, Bowie might get some play on TV and radio. After all, Bowie is way cooler than Nixon, but alas his birthday is on the 8th and will forever be in the shadow of "The King."

Bowie isn't alone in living under the birthday shadow of the King, here is a short list of people who share Bowie's tragedy:

1. Bart Starr -- Football Great
2. Bob Eubanks -- My Least Favorite Part of the Rose Parade
3. Stephen Hawking -- That Scientist Guy
4. Robby Krieger -- Light My Fire
5. John McTiernan -- Die Hard with Elvis
6. Jason Giambi
7. Soupy Sales

There are others, but I don't want this post to last forever.

I almost forgot, I also bask in the shadow of Elvis.

Movies: Now for Gamers by Gamers

In the second issue of their customer newsletter, The Strategic Review, the upstart gaming company TSR claimed that the inspiration for the company was the "satisfaction in creating and/or publishing a good set of game rules." Brian Blume put a great deal of emphasis on the fact that TSR was a company of gamers who would make games for other gamers. In other words, TSR was a company that produced games "for gamers by gamers."

It was a battle cry that the company was compelled to make due to two things. First, the rapid rise of success TSR experienced was making some people, who are particularly "precious" about their interests, question whether TSR was "genuine" or "corporate." Second, TSR had set itself apart from a good deal of the gaming hobby. TSR's roleplaying game D&D would have long term negative affects on the wargaming industry, as it existed in the late 70s, and TSR quickly set their own gaming convention GenCon against the industry standard Origins convention. There is a long editorial in the April 1976 issue where Gary Gygax responds to Don Greenwood, the New Products Manager for Avalon Hill (one of the sponsors of Origins) at the time, who claimed that Origins was "the national convention."

TSR was a company establishing its identity and place in the world of gaming and it wanted to make sure that its audience new that TSR was a company "for gamers by gamers." In the 1980s, a computer game company by the name of Interplay also used this battle cry in the promotion of its products.

Members of a niche audience, in this case gamers, have a desire that the products designed for and destributed to them are made by members of the niche audience. This may sound like an exclusionary attitude, and in some ways it is, but it is also a good defense mechanism. After all, is it fair to ask a gamer to only be able to purchase "games by people who disdain gamers but what their disposible income?" I think not. Often those who are best able to make a product for a desired audience are those who have an appreciation for the product in the first place, Joss Whedon's run on the X-men comes to mind as a perfect example of a for x by x synergy.

I have been keeping track of one upcoming product "for gamers by gamers" and was alerted to another just the other day. There was one difference this time, both of the products are upcoming movies. That's right, some gamers have decided to make movies "for gamers and by gamers."

The first of these film projects is the Midnight Chronicles which is being funded by Fantasy Flight Games, the people who designed the world in which the film(s) will take place. The Midnight setting is a game world Fantasy Flight Games designed for use with the Dungeons and Dragons roleplaying game. The setting is a typical Tolkeinesque setting, with one significant alteration. In Midnight the bad guys won the big war and the setting is about what happens after "the Dark Lord" has been victorious. What isn't emphasized enough in the film clips/discussion is the reason the Dark Lord won, which is what I think actually makes the setting an interesting adaptation of the cliche. The Dark Lord's victory was secured when the "heroes of the age" sided with him instead of battling against him. The what if of the setting isn't just, "what if Sauron won?" The question is actually, "what if Aragorn, Boromir, and Gandalf sided with Sauron?"

The Fantasy Flight project is already deep into production, and has produced both a short and long trailer. By the discussions on the site, it appears that the hopes are more to make the Midnight Chronicles into a SciFi channel original series than into a single movie. The film(s) are being shot on HD and are being entirely produced by Fantasy Flight Games.

The second project, which I am equally excited though more worried about (more on that below), is the news that a movie inspired by the Brave New World roleplaying game is on the way. Reactor 88 Studios, a group of independent filmmakers in the Chicago area, have begun work on the project. The work is still in the early stages, but Brave New World is a roleplaying game with a devoted audience. Brave New World was a superhero roleplaying game created by Matt Forbeck which featured a dystopian present day America. The tag line for the game was "superpowered gaming in a fascist America." The setting was dark, but no completely hopeless. The game itself featured "functional" mechanics, unless you wanted to know exactly how much your superstrong character could lift, and one of the best innovations in the history of gaming, website's devoted to the milieu's resistance. Brave New World was in many ways a precursor to the modern Alternate Reality Game, in that it attempted to use existing communications media to further immerse gamers into the world environment. The game faced tough competition in the Hero Games dominated superhero rpg market, in addition to other pressures from a changing rpg marketplace.

I am excited about both of these projects because they are inspired by the hobby that I love. Both these projects have the potential to increase exposure, in a positive non-creepy way, to the roleplaying hobby and demonstrate the creative and inventive natures of those who participate in the hobby. I just worry about quality.

When it comes to game design, by gamers for gamers is a good philosophy. I don't know if the same maxim holds true for different entertainment media. Fans of Dungeons and Dragons the game shouldn't forget that Courtney Solomon claimed to be a fan/player of the game when he was promoting his Dungeons and Dragons movie. Integrity and a respect for the target audience are certainly necessities for quality in a gamer targeted movie project, but so is talent. In fact, directorial/creator talent is the single most important attribute necessary in the production of entertainment. So far the Midnight project looks like it is being done by people who are proficient at what they are doing, though some of the acting is suspect. I worry more about the Reactor 88 project, only because I have yet to see what their work looks like. I am limited by what I have seen of their website, which I hope isn't an omen of what their film will be like. To be fair, it is highly possible to be a talented filmmaker who only has limited web-programming skills so it isn't the best criterion with which to judge.

Gamers can be a forgiving, if hard to access, audience. Sales of the rough, ragged, and sometimes insulting "The Gamers" were enough to warrant a sequel and special edition. Though I prefered Gamers the Movie, if only because it was directed by a classmate of my wife's who I know is a real gamer. Gamers the Movie featured rendered environments and special effects that dwarf The Gamers and a score by Battlestar Galactica's own Bear McCreary, that and the fact that the Sound Editor, Wes Kobernick, plays in the Eberron game I DM. Speaking of USC student films, if you ever get a chance to see Fist of Iron Chef go immediately. It may be one of the single best student films ever made, that and it was a selection for 2005 Taipei Film Festival.

Cool Animated Gifs

Supermarket of the Stars

"Success Is The New Failure". Illeana Douglas gives up her Hollywood career to work in a local Supermarket. However as word gets around that Supermarket employment is the new fashion statment other celebrities start to materialize. Co-starring Jeff Goldblum, Jane Lynch, Ed Begley Jr and if you look hard enough Gene Wilder.

Illeana Douglas has created a series of short videos where she plays herself having decided to quit acting and work in a supermarket. Justine Bateman, Jerry Mathers, and others, co-star. The cameos are the best: whom can you recognize? Find the first video below:



The Daily Reel has a great story that includes a story about Zeitbyte (another video hosting service).

Transformers Trailer

For Gen-X...'nuff said.+

All He Has Is the Power Cosmic!

But somehow...it is enough!

Fantastic 4 Teaser Trailer

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A Glimpse Into My Home Library

I was reading science fiction author Chris Roberson's blog (Roberson's Interminable Ramble) the other day and he provided a link to Lou Anders' website. I am currently reading a collection of pop culture essays edited by Anders, so I clicked on over to the Anders' neighborhood. While browsing the site, I noticed an interesting inset on the sidebar of Anders' site which displayed some random books from Lou Anders' library. I knew I had to have a similar offering on my site as soon as possible.

I have been listing things that I am reading/watching/playing in my left sidebar for some time, but I don't update it as often as I should and it is usually sadly out of date. Case in point, up until I change the entry later today, this site says I am "reading" Darkly Dreaming Dexter. This is false. I finished reading the book some time ago, but haven't updated the site to include one of the books I am currently reading. Everyone who stops by this blog to see what I have to say deserves better than this, so I have decided to add a listing of random books from my library on the left sidebar. This will be in addition to the too rarely updated windows with peeks into what I am reading/playing/watching.

The feature is made possible by the Library Thing service. Library Thing is a combination of a database and a social networking site. It's like MySpace for bibliophiles. Instead of having a page that features one song you like and a video clip, you can amaze the world with your collection of literary wonders. Well...you can at least meet people online who share similar tastes in books, which leads me to some of the best things about the site. I earlier mentioned how much I like the Pandora online radio service because it makes musical recommendations based on your musical tastes. Library Thing has two similar functions, a book recommender and a book un-recommender. Unlike Pandora, these recommendations aren't based on an algorithm and the tags/decriptors of an elite reviewing staff, rather the recommendations are based on the selections and tags created by users of the site. Also unlike Pandora where you can listen to music online, you have to buy the book if you want to read it. This is only a small drawback which can easily be overcome by the social networking aspect of Library Thing. Is there a user with a high degree of similarity to you? You can email/post a message to that user asking why they like/dislike a particular book you are interested in reading.

It's a cool site with cool functions. Now if I can only get the discipline to enter more books...

Even if I can't, the "random books from" function already has a decent number of books from which to choose.