Date: 2009-12-01 12:58 Subject: Begin the Big Whine: Avatar Security: Public

I think what disappoints me about the Avatar aliens is that all this technology has been deployed to create an improved version of the same old man-in-a-rubber-suit effect. Why not make aliens which are impressive but distinctively nonhuman, like Anderson's Ythrians? Or a beautiful environment which is nonetheless unsuitable for humans (e.g. Simak's "Desertion" or Blish's Seedling Stars). And those things were written generations ago. CGI is a pair of 7-league boots that filmmakers are using to take baby steps--even backward steps.

Date: 2009-11-26 04:37 Subject: Meleagridophagia (optional) Security: Public

A happy Thanksgiving to my compatriots; a happy Thursday to all.

Date: 2009-11-21 16:55 Subject: Antisonja the Antimuse Security: Public

Our smallest and craziest cat (Cleo, a.k.a. Antisonja) is helping me write by smashing her face against mine repeatedly and drooling on my shirt. It's not improving my word count, but it does have a certain entertainment value.

Date: 2009-11-17 19:09 Subject: The Stars in Their Discourses Security: Public

The headline for a TPM article today is "Things Get Messier Still at the Wash Times". I wasted a few moments wondering what the metaphor meant--how things could "get Messier"--by being dimly luminous, fuzzy, distant? Then I realized: oh, yeah more messy.

Dimly luminous, fuzzy, distant: that's my cat in a bad mood. Maybe I should nickname him Messier.

Date: 2009-11-15 22:25 Subject: Not Very Captivating Security: Public

Re the new Prisoner: It's a thankless task to recreate a role originated by one of television's greatest, oddest actors in one of the greatest series of all time. So: no thanks to Jim Caviezel tonight. Ian McKellan was pleasantly sinister as Number 2, though.

As my son pointed out, the stuff that doesn't echo the original is kind of interesting. When they fall into remake mode, it just reminds you how much better the original was.

Somnolent pacing and very poorly motivated action in tonight's first two episodes. I might give it another look tomorrow, but unless it improves dramatically I doubt I'll watch to the end.

Date: 2009-11-13 14:55 Subject: Saying What Needs to Be Said Security: Public

The bottom line is that when you’ve got a show with a lead who can’t act and is consistently shown up by her supporting cast and occasional guest stars, you have a problem. When you’ve got a show with a sketchy premise that does not live up to the responsibility of that premise but simply shows us the worst kind of people and then attempts to make us sympathize with them, you’ve got a problem. When the audience has to wait until season 2, episode 5 to see some decent writing, acting, and direction, you’ve got a problem. When television journalists insist that an audience owes it to a creator of television to watch and wait and give a show time to go from crappy to not as crappy as all that, you’ve got a problem.

--K. Tempest Bradford on the demise of Dollhouse at Tor.com

Date: 2009-11-12 01:08 Subject: And Now: This Security: Public

Re tonight's Glee: I was a little shocked by the glimpse into Sue's backstory. It wouldn't be surprising for any other character on TV, but then she isn't. Some more somber narrative tones this episode, but a couple of great wheelchair numbers (including Artie's solo version of "Dancing with Myself"). Looking forward to the return of the "doe-eyed little harlot" and co. next week.

Date: 2009-11-11 12:26 Subject: Omnia Mutantur, Nihil Interit Security: Public

What's all this hubbub and yelling,
      Commotion and scamper of feet,
With ear-splitting clatter of kettles and cans,
      Wild laughter down Mafeking Street?

O, those are the kids whom we fought for
      (You might think they'd been scoffing our rum)
With flags that they waved when we marched off to war
      In the rapture of bugle and drum.

Now they'll hang Kaiser Bill from a lamp-post,
      Von Tirpitz they'll hang from a tree....
We've been promised a 'Land Fit for Heroes'---
      What heroes we heroes must be!

And the guns that we took from the Fritzes,
      That we paid for with rivers of blood,
Look, they're hauling them down to Old Battersea Bridge
      Where they'll topple them, souse, in the mud!

But there's old men and women in corners
      With tears falling fast on their cheeks,
There's the armless and legless and sightless---
      It's seldom that one of them speaks.

And there's flappers gone drunk and indecent
      Their skirts kilted up to the thigh,
The constables lifting no hand in reproof
      And the chaplain averting his eye....

When the days of rejoicing are over,
      When the flags are stowed safely away,
They will dream of another wild 'War to End Wars'
      And another wild Armistice day.

But the boys who were killed in the trenches,
      Who fought with no rage and no rant,
We left them stretched out on their pallets of mud
      Low down with the worm and the ant.

Date: 2009-10-30 00:19 Subject: Startling lines heard on the Halloween episode of "Castle" included... Security: Public

"Crow may have drawn us a roadmap to Morlock."

"The crows would never do that!" I shouted at the screen. "Morlock and them have a deal!" Then I realized... different Crow... different Morlock.

Date: 2009-10-29 00:57 Subject: Three Things, Not Too Wild Security: Public

1. Belated but unbowed, I posted a sort of review of the movie Where the Wild Things Are at the Blog Gate.

2. The Sci Fi Guys Book Review guys interviewed me a while ago for one of their periodic podcasts, and it's up, now. It was a pretty good conversation, I thought.

3. I partook in the latest round of discussions about sf/f, respect and respectability at SF Signal's Mind Meld feature.

Date: 2009-10-26 01:13 Subject: Sun Day Security: Public

1. A new Babel Clash post, this one about the perils and pleasures of live storytelling.

2. An insanely beautiful day today. It was that kind of autumn day you remember wistfully from childhood, thinking, "I must be making that stuff up. No day was as wonderful as that." But today was, smashing my face with gold-leafed glory every time I stepped outside. I was on the bike trail in the hour before sunset, and as I came down the final stretch I was rolling through cool blue shadow while the reddish leaves above me blazed in red sunlight, gilding their unrefined gold.

Date: 2009-10-23 00:41 Subject: Clash on the Barrelhead Security: Public

Babel Clash: Are we living in a pop Golden Age or a Silver Age--and, more importantly, what's the exchange rate?

Date: 2009-10-22 01:36 Subject: Of Mainstream and Slushies Security: Public

New Babel Clash: Respectobiggles of the Mainstream. (Actually, respectobiggles don't come up, but now I wish I'd thought of them. Maybe the next time this perennial topic comes up.)

Date: 2009-10-20 21:27 Subject: Keeping It Unreal Security: Public

New Babel Clash: Using reality, or vice versa.

Date: 2009-10-19 23:51 Subject: Free Is Good Security: Public

Courtesy of Black Gate and Pyr, win a free copy of This Crooked Way, the book that many are calling, "A book about Morlock and some other characters."

Date: 2009-10-19 03:11 Subject: At Night When You're Asleep... Security: Public

...into your blog I will creep. (At least, if you're the Borders Babel Clash blog. Not otherwise, on advice of counsel.) A new entry here, this one with a video subtext, a political surtext, and a pro-fabulistic agenda.

"What do we want?"

"STORIES!"

"When do we want them?"

"AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE, IF IT'S NOT TOO MUCH TROUBLE!"

"'Now!' The line is 'Now!'"

"'THE LINE IS NOW!' THAT IS SO ZEN!"

"Some rabbles just aren't worth rousing."

"GO TO SLEEP! YOU CAN ALWAYS DELETE THIS IN THE MORNING!"

Date: 2009-10-16 01:42 Subject: It's New, It's Big, It's All Over the Place: Philoromhorrmorbpunk Security: Public

More genre-mixing in today's "Babel Clash" post.

Date: 2009-10-15 01:07 Subject: Babble Crash Security: Public

A new "Babel Clash" post now up, this one titled (with classical restraint) "Monster Cowboys in Space!" It's about genre mixing, as far as I can tell.

Date: 2009-10-14 02:54 Subject: Who Gods There? Security: Public

My Blog Gate post of the week is now up, this one a reread of a golden moldy, "The Elder Gods" by "Don A. Stuart" (really John W. Campbell jr).

Date: 2009-10-14 00:55 Subject: Engefluenza! Security: Public

It's not a strain of swine flu, and it's not the dance craze that all the kids are doing. It's my latest "Babel Clash" post, and it's here.