An alternative to the (alleged) Sci-Fi Channel

Add this to the list of all the deep unsolvable mysteries of life: why the (supposed) Sci-Fi Channel offers programming that sci-fi fans hate. At least, most fans I know hate it. I hate it. Best-case scenario: when the seasons of the few shows I do watch coincide, I might, I [...]

Kress sheds some (alien) light on human nature

After loving Nancy Kress’ Sleepless series (Beggars in Spain and its follow-ups), and Probability series, I thought I’d backtrack and try one of her earlier books. After writing some fantasy early in her career, she moved on to science fiction, with her first such novel being An Alien Light, published in 1988. And [...]

Science fiction movies: worse than other genres?

SF author John Scalzi recently wrote an article titled With Sci-Fi Movies, Classic Does Not Equal Good at his Sci-Fi Scanner blog on the AMC website. (I learned of it via crotchetyoldfan, who gives his own take on the matter here.
Scalzi’s basic argument is this:
But what makes science fiction different than every other genre [...]

How much can you read in a year?

I’ve noticed there are a lot of people out there in the literary portion of the blogosphere engaged in a “50 book challenge” — an effort to read 50 books in a year. I’m not sure where it started, but it’s a great idea and a great challenge. Especially for those of us [...]

The world ends with a heavy dose of satire

I can’t remember ever reading a novel with such a serious message, presented in such a humorous way, and layered with so much satire you could cut it with a knife. This Is the Way the World Ends is James Morrow’s 1986 apocalyptic warning about the dangers of nuclear arsenals and the philosophy of [...]

Sci-fi in music: The Dream Sequencer by Ayreon

Here’s the story: in the 22nd century humanity finally manages to wipe itself out in a massive world war…. Earth is dead, with not a single person left alive. A few colonists on Mars have enough supplies to last a few more years, but slowly they die off as well. This is [...]