Some Douglas Adams Items
In case you missed it, Waxy has a fascinating story of the lost Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy sequel computer game.
Plus, Neil Gaiman just posted the introduction he wrote for an Adams biography:
I think that perhaps what Douglas was was probably something we don’t even have a word for yet. A Futurologist, or an Explainer, or something. That one day they’ll realise that the most important job out there is for someone who can explain the world to itself in ways that the world won’t forget. Who can dramatise the plight of endangered species as easily (or at least, as astonishingly well, for nothing Douglas did was ever exactly easy) as he can explain to an analog race what it means to find yourself going digital. Someone whose dreams and ideas, practical or impractical, are always the size of a planet, and who is going to keep going forward, and taking the rest of us with him.
The 24-Hour Ohio SciFi Marathon
The 25-Annual 24-Hour Ohio SciFi Marathon is set and ready to go for 19-20 April at the Drexel in Bexley. You can get the schedule at their site, plus the intriguing news that The Day the Earth Stood Still star (and The Fountainhead and other classic films), Patricia Neal, will be attending.
(Hat tip: Film School Rejects.)
Do-It-Yourself Religion
I am posting this link to a recent Reason item about pop-culture religions such as the Jedi purely and solely because I want to have the phrase "a spiritual practice centered around Fred Mertz, Ethel's husband on I Love Lucy" somewhere in my blog. There. Now I'm happy.
The Gawker Sci-Fi Blog is Here
io9, the new science fiction and futurism blog from Gawker Media, is live today. My first light perusal looks promising. Editor Annalee Newitz has an established talent for writing about technology in human terms, and I'm looking forward to seeing how that perspective plays out in blog form. I'll admit I read a vast majority of Gawker Media's blog network (although almost always with many large grains of salt) - but maybe this blog will end up being the one I can enjoy with a clear conscience.
Retro Future: Glorious Urbanism
From Dark Roasted Blend.
The Oppression of Star Trek Fans
As you may have noticed, on the sidebar of my site is a badge from Amnesty International's Irrepressible campaign, which fights censorship worldwide. With each refresh, it displays a new quote from a censored piece of writing. Most of them, expectedly, refer to severe crises of censorship and violation of human rights.
However, there's one quote that keeps popping up that has me mystified:
Star Trek fans are being offered a [sic] "once in a lifetime" opportunity to buy models, props and sets from the show
Who censored this? Why does Amnesty International have to take up the cause of oppressed Star Trek fans who possibly were once denied the opportunity to buy costly bits of memorabilia? I'm very confused.
The 'Worst' of SciFi
Oh my. From Smart Bitches, the funniest thing I've seen all week: Top Worst Lines in SciFi Erotica.
It starts with: "She shivered as he ran his eyes over her. She was almost sorry when he retracted them back into his skull." - and pretty much goes downhill from there.
There's also a few other lists, such as the Top Cases on SciFi CourtTV, which includes: "Death Star v. R2D2: Socket-based sexual assault."
Star Wars Viewing Order
Kottke raised a very important question Friday for geek parents: in which order will you show your child the Star Wars movies? I've actually considered this at great length already. There are a lot of movies, books, and music important to me that I look forward to introducing to my daughter as she grows older, but Star Wars requires a game plan. For example, I intend to show her the episodes in original release order. Not only because the "first" episodes are barely watchable in the first place, but because whatever draw they do have is entirely based on their connections to the originals. However, I'm not going to split hairs about original versions vs. remastered versions. Some of the additions are pretty cool, and, sadly, my own cassettes have been lost to time.
I will, though, take pains to explain that in the real Star Wars, Han shoots first.
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