J. Michael Straczynski has a new biography out. He’s been someone I’ve followed, knowing and unknowingly, through the years. The first time I recognized his name showing up was in episodes of The Real Ghostbusters. But one thing will always be tied to JMS in my memory: Babylon 5 and its ill-fated successor, Crusade. The… Continue reading The Quality of Character
Category: General Thoughts
Happy Frelling Anniversary
I discovered one of my favorite TV shows, Farscape, by accident. And frell me dead, I'm so happy I found it. If TV science fiction was either contemplative neoclassical prog rock (Looking at you, Star Trek: TNG) or southern-fried Americana (Stargate SG:1), Farscape was Space Ritual era Hawkwind, complete with Lemmy stoned out of his… Continue reading Happy Frelling Anniversary
City Wolves On The Prowl
***WARNING! Werewolf: The Apocalypse Neepery Incoming!**** A while back, I saw a post where someone mentioned their first encounter with White Wolf RPGs, specifically Vampire: The Masquerade and it's LARP adaptation. The person (and if it's you and you read this, let me know!) saw a friend with a bandage over their neck and a… Continue reading City Wolves On The Prowl
Collaboration Nation
I'm opening with this image for two reasons. First, the gentleman who designed one of my favorite iterations of the Cybermen passed away. He did an amazing job bringing the silver giants into the 80's and was instrumental as a production and costume designer for many other classic British SF shows. It also highlights the… Continue reading Collaboration Nation
Sanctuary Between the Shelves
I made myself a small promise this year: I would write more blog entries. At least two a month. I'd also try and do some kind of quasi-podcast. There may be a test of this coming up. But this means I must generate more content! So, I've decided to use some of my time at… Continue reading Sanctuary Between the Shelves
Violent Ends or Failing Downwards
Allow me to write, just a touch, about recent dreams I've had. Mostly within the last few weeks, as the holiday season came closer and closer. Mind you - these are the ones I remember. The sensation for others still remains. Let me see if you find a common theme. And for clarity, I'll be… Continue reading Violent Ends or Failing Downwards
Community is a Machine
“Community! Jesus, you guys are kind to yourselves. Community.” This was one of my favorite moments in Three Days of the Condor. It’s a moment where Joe Turner (Robert Redford, in one of his best performances), a lowly CIA researcher, finally gets to ask station chief Higgins (Cliff Robertson) who could hire the man that… Continue reading Community is a Machine
Nostalgia for Dystopia
One of my ongoing gags with friends is saying, “This wasn’t the cyberpunk dystopia I was promised. There’s supposed to be more neon and cyberwear.” A recent video takes on Cyberpunk and its reliance on visuals essentially created in the 80’s and, if I had to give it a tagline, it would be my cyberpunk… Continue reading Nostalgia for Dystopia
Our House, In The Middle of Our Street
Today, I'll be discussing Madness. Not the band, although they're brilliant and you need to dig into their back catalog. No, I'm going to be talking about this madness called being a writer. I'm making a distinction between being a writer and being an author. An author is a writer who's been published a significant number of… Continue reading Our House, In The Middle of Our Street
Having Trouble Finding the Holy Mountain
Today is a day of odd confluences. This morning, after waking up to another rejection, I turned to Twitter for a rant I was rather sure only one person would read. I've included an edited version below. I remember hearing a podcast where JMS (of Babylon 5 & Sense8) told a story of being a… Continue reading Having Trouble Finding the Holy Mountain
Biomechanoid Blues 