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San Francisco, 5:08 PM
Sun Nov 29
11 posts in the last 24 hours
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11/27/09
11/27/09
11/27/09
As much as Battlestar shat the bed at the end, there was enough awesome to make up for it. I wouldn't trade Roslin, I wouldn't trade Starbuck, I wouldn't trade Donna Noble or Rose Tyler or the Doctor, I wouldn't trade the Planet Express crew. Hell, given the awesome that was Children of Earth, I probably would think twice before trading in the Torchwood team. I would love it if Firefly came back, but to suggest that it was better than all of the shows that we've had in the past seven years seems overreaching, to say the least.
11/27/09
Firefly was the adventures of Han Solo in the Cowboy Bebop universe.
Entertaining? Yeah, for about 8 of 13 shows.
Original? Earth-shaking? Genre-defining? Worthy of unflagging devotion by legions of obsessives?
Umm... no.
11/28/09
"but I don't understand when people hold it up as the end-all, be-all of modern science fiction. "
Vulcanized, you ignorant slut, it was believable.
11/28/09
11/28/09
Seriously though, I do.
11/27/09
and i do miss TSCC and what cool stuff would have happened if we got season 3.
11/26/09
11/26/09
11/26/09
11/27/09
11/27/09
11/27/09
As I matured, so did my tastes.
I must ask, did you read Twilight? I haven't, and that's another reason for me not to hate upon it. I've read plenty of stuff that is shit, lots of stuff that I wouldn't recommend and lots of stuff that I rave about, ad nauseum. I can recommend things that I don't care for to people who will care for it and recognize that the books I really think are smashing may not be suitable for all audiences. There is no right answer and consensus is often a mob reaction. Just sayin', ya know
11/27/09
I'm sorry your daughter isn't inherently into reading, though. When I was oan older teen, I was reading Thomas Hardy and Gabriel Garcia Marquez for fun-- still some questionable messages, but at least there, the desire to question the characters is there.
The books I was most obsessed with, we tended to chat about.
11/27/09
11/28/09
I have enough confidence in our parenting skills to know that she is reading this series as FICTION, and not as a Life Manual.
That and the fact that she's not as obsessed with Twilight as I was with Dune at her age.
11/28/09
I am getting tired of the vitriol that is being directed at the Twilight books here on io9. I really think that many people are underestimating the intelligence of today's youth. The kids know that it is romantic fiction and many of them, my daughter included, have turned away from the books the more that they get hyped. The hype is a turn off for kids as well as adults.
My daughter has read and enjoyed the Twilight books, but now she has moved onto other YA fiction and more mature books like Little Brother, Catching Fire, Oryx and Crake and The Stand.
I am currently reading Diana Gabaldon's latest. Do I think that I will find true love in the 1700s in the Scottish Highlands? No, but sometimes it is fun to read about the heroic Jamie Fraser. Historical fiction and time travel works for me! (She was inspired to write about a Scottish character after watching an episode of Dr Who) I generally read hard science fiction but sometimes a little romance is not a bad thing.
11/26/09
And yeah, the story, replete with space marines, an ancient, declining race of superscience and telepathic powers, and evil hive-mind insects, is somehow NOT tired and dull. Can't wait.
11/26/09
11/26/09
11/26/09
For every finger pointing at a stupid sci-fi fan, there are three pointing back at a snob, and a thumb indicating the direction your nose should be pointing to.
The sci-fi snobs are the reason that some of the more "cerebral" films never make it--because you're snobby about them too. You nitpick to increase your own sense of superiority, deliberately missing films that are smarter than TF2, and the entire genre suffers, because studios are convinced that fans won't support those films.
Case in point: V getting four episodes. (I realize it's a t.v show--but you get my point.) I don't fault the "unwashed masses" for seeing Transformers. I fault the snobby, sci-fi elitists for making the projects they claim to love so difficult to get off the ground.
Quit giving the rest of us a bad name. I would have liked to see another Watchmen type film. Thanks to you guys, it ain't gonna happen.
This holiday season, I'm thankful that all the previously mentioned films were successful, because it shows that despite your best efforts, entertaining movies can still be successful. Some of the time, at least.
11/26/09
11/26/09
11/26/09
All I was getting at is that the success of Transformers is not a good argument to suggest that moviegoing audiences are looking for smart, quality* films, while the success of films like The Dark Knight, Star Trek, and District 9 does tend to suggest that. There are plenty of valid reasons to have gone to see Transformers 2, most of them having to do with the "pure escapism" angle. I don't have any issue with that, and I don't criticize people for liking the movie. Life's way, way too short to go around hating everything, and I generally try to enjoy as much entertainment as I can.
My entire (and admittedly very unscientific) point was just that the success of those three movies suggest there is a place for intelligent science fiction movies not only to survive, but to thrive. The success of the Transformers movies, which I think are generally agreed to be openly (even proudly) stupid movies, stands as a counter to that, and I felt I should address that. Although I suppose I could argue the generally lukewarm to negative word of mouth for Transformers 2 might support my claim that audiences are starting to expect more from their science fiction.
*Yes, that's a really vague term to use.
11/26/09
As a genre fan, who actually enjoys a wide range of films, big-budget or low budget, I guess I get a little insulted when my "taste" is questioned just because I liked one movie. I'm a fan of creativity. TF2 was a trainwreck to a lot of folks, but to me it was a fascinating trainwreck (if that makes sense). I think it's been taken at face value, when in my opinion, it's actually a bit subversive, and in a good way.
It was not the greatest film of all time, but it wasn't the worst either.
But beyond that, there's just a sense of elitism in the fan community and for some reason, it just bugs me. Star Trek for instance... was that movie not bashed unmercifully ever since we got the first images of the cast on set? There's no consensus that it was a successful film from an artistic standpoint... lots of ST fans think it's just a bubblegum version of a show that raped the memory of Gene. JJ hate is pretty equal to Bay hate.
And you can extend that to TDK and D9 as well.... some think TDK was one of the most overrated films ever, and some think D9 is just a hodgepodge made up of scenes of sci-fi classics it was ripping off. But one thing we have in common is we love this stuff in general... and we have more in common than not. I think fans forget that sometimes.
So.... basically just letting off steam. Seems to me genre fans can sometimes be their worst enemies. Attack the show, not the viewer I guess is my main point.
Take care.
11/26/09
11/27/09
That being said, I've been attacked by friends/acquaintances numerous times for saying I hated Transformers. Apparently being a 20-something male means I have to love robots punching each other, explosions, and mediocre acting or I'm not a man or something. Jesus, how do nerd movies like this turn people into alpha male jocks, lol?
11/27/09
That's why a good show like V can suffer... the execs in charge see a quality sci-fi show and draw all the "wrong" conclusions. They think it's too spaceshipy or alieny. And, look at the reviews it gets here. It gets totally destroyed by reviewers--and they say the same thing "no one wants to make good sci-fi anymore, horrible writing and acting, what an insult, blah blah".
They must be tired of watching Bladerunner on continuous loop to compensate.
11/27/09
And, alpha males aren't really guys that make fun of everyone else. They're guys that are confident and happy, and that makes everyone want to be around them because they exude positive energy (not to go off topic though).
11/27/09
Anyway, the essential point is yeah, people shouldn't be judged on whether they like or dislike one movie, taste is completely subjective. It's weird to me how the pack mentality reveals itself through media formats, as if our tribes are now selected as much by our entertainment as nation or belief system.
11/27/09
Good point. Anything to separate us. Someday it will be based on chewing gum preference.
11/27/09
I'm sure that on the Barbie collectors boards there are folks calling any Barbie that isn't Malibu Barbie a piece of crap and anyone who doesn't feel the same way is a philistine...I've said too much.
11/27/09
11/28/09
OK, poking fun, but I do agree that most of these turns on sites like this have a big up their asses.
I didn't like Transformers 2 because it was a piece of shit with robot heaven and ridiculous attempts at comic relief. I saw it though, didn't I. I went and saw that movie indeed.
11/28/09
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11/28/09
And if Transformers 2 taught us nothing else, it taught us that robots have robot genitalia as evidenced by all of the baby robot leg humping...all of the disturbing unnecessary leg humping.
11/28/09
11/26/09
Thankfully, things picked up in the second half of the season.
11/26/09
redeemable for 3 intranet tub uncloggers
11/26/09
I'm also thankful for the other Alastair, Reynolds - although I'd be more thankful if I didn't have to wait so long for a USA mass-market paperback of "House of Suns".
I'm thankful for the animated film "9". It was too short, and not perfect, but still beautiful.
I'm mostly thankful this year for being exposed to Iaiaiiaain Banks and the Culture universe, which I now am absolutely convinced I live in, and it makes me feel better and even more human.
Lastly, I'm thankful for io9, for reminding me that the infinite is fun as well as wondrous.
11/26/09
11/27/09
We just got the comic, which despite patchy artwork, is still very farscape story and humour wise.
11/27/09
11/26/09
11/26/09