Book Foo, and a bit of other stuff...
Jan. 26th, 2010 03:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
newnumber6Finished: Nebula Award Winners 27, (short story collection)
Started: Machines That Think (short story collection)
Finished: The 1982 Annual Year's Best SF, (short stories)
Since the last two finished books are short story collections, I'll deal with them as one, because it's pretty much the same. It's okay, but no standout. There were a few more iffier stories in the 1982 collection, and fewer 'wow, that was good' ones. The Nebula collection also had a couple interesting essays (including one discussing pretty much each SF movie released in 1992 in detail). So a bit meh, over all.
Started and Finished: The Peace War, by Vernor Vinge
Started: Nebula Awards Showcase 2007, (short stories)
The Peace War was not Vinge's best, but then, it was one of his earliest. I still enjoyed it, but I felt a bit disappointed just by the comparison. I do think the idea was pretty cool (back of the book type spoilers behind cut, along with more detailed thoughts).
The majority of the book is set 50 years after a world-changing war launched by a group of people who developed an 'ultimate weapon'... an impenetrable force field that can wrap any target from a distance, using only a large supply of power to set it up, but once set up, it persists indefinitely. So they can 'bobble' anybody who's a threat to them, and, once they've taken over, do their best to ensure that nobody is able to challenge them, pputting rules on high-density power sources or anything that might lead into research of bobbles, and reducing most of the world to semi-feudalism (there's tech, but it's all low powered but very advanced stuff), and bobbling even large areas if they're found to be involved in banned technology.
But of course, for all that the Peace Authority claims they're doing it for the benefit of mankind, there are those who still work in secret to promote human progress and some plucky super-geniuses and a few unexpected developments lead to an all-out conflict.
Like I said, it's not bad, but it lacks a bit, and I might have liked a bit more detail in the bobbles themselves and all the cool things you could do with them. I suspect at least some of that is due in the sequel, which I'll be getting when I can find it.
What else have I been doing lately? Not a whole lot, really. Starting another extra-depressive phase, as I usually do after Xmas. Have managed to keep up with my writing, even if nothing's really caught my mind on fire. Watching a bit of old movies. Some quick thoughts (spoilers behind cuts)
V For Vendetta: I liked most of it, but a few of my favorite bits from the GN version seemed to have been missing and I have to agree with some of that I've heard that the ending, filled with the population coming to watch the explosion, all wearing V outfits, was a bit weak. But the performances were good and most of the movie was well done.
Wanted: Stupid, but kind of fun in a 'silly actiony' sort of way.
Push: Surprisingly good. It was a little rough over all. It felt like there was a really good movie struggling to get out of there, and it never quite managed it, but it did a pretty good job of setting up an appealing world and even throwing in some cool twists. If you're a fan of 'people with powers in a realistic world', I recommend at least giving it a look. I've heard some people are eyeing it as sort of a Heroes style TV series, and I'd certainly be willing to give that a look. I especially dig the not that unusual but pleasant, to me, idea of there being only a few set "types" of people with powers, who have defined names and limits. Movers are TK, Watchers are precog, Pushers can do mind control, etc. I hope a series continues this rather than just making any possible ability you can think up existing, because that tends to lead to the disease of "pullitioutofyourassitus", where any time you need a plot point you just create a new character with the power you want, and pull it out of your ass. I think, as much as some of the characters in the movie were appealing, I'd also prefer they just focus on the world, rather than any of the characters from the movie. Specifically, because a precog the level of the girl Cassie can work in a movie, but for an ongoing series can bork things up. But then if they keep playing the game with multiple precogs competing and each changing things on their side, even that can work.
Terminator Salvation: Hmm. Kind of mixed. I really think Terminator works best when you leave the post-apocalypse off-screen. Because when it's off screen, you don't have to wonder, "gee, why haven't the machines just won already, because they clearly could." And they don't even do obvious things like rig their facilities so they can flood it with lethal gas in an instant, rather than sending in Terminators.. There were a few nice surprises, though. Anton Yelchin gave a good performance, and there were a few decent plot twists, I liked Marcus actually being a cunning plan of SkyNet rather than just misunderstood robot, and I was actually surprised at the inclusion of Arnie, which I either hadn't heard, or forgot. Well done, both technically and in a good use for it. Hated the ending and the stupid "oh John Connor's heart doesn't work, isn't it handy that Marcus has a human heart for no real good reason, and that can just transplant inside..
I wonder a bit about "where do we go from here" with the Terminator franchise. I mean, I think it's obvious that they're probably going to make more, and they'll probably make more in the post-apocalypse world, too. But like I said, that doesn't really work for me. To me, Terminator isn't about what happens after Judgement Day, it's about a crazy story nobody else will believe, it's about races through city streets full of people completely unaware of what's going on, it's about contemplating destiny vs. free will. The series maintained this, even at a low budget, the new movie doesn't really, it's just "another post-apocalypse". Now, there might be neat things to be done with the idea of expanding beyond the traditional war, making peace with factions of the machines, but if it's just war war war, YAWN.
Another option is just a straight up reboot. This could be doable. Killer robots are still pretty far away in the future, so you can start from scratch and make a new Terminator sent back to kill Sarah Connor, only in the present day. Plan it out a little more in terms of what the sequels would and could be, and while they might never match the original, they might catch some of the spirit. Might be heresy to some of the fanbase though.
I'm going to go suggest 'balls out crazy choice #3'. Take the Terminator franchise SIDEWAYS. Posit that, in addition to their studies of time travel to prevent their destruction, a desperate Skynet launched another initiative... to break into PARALLEL WORLDS. One where Judgement Day never happened at all. The goal being to recreate Skynet in the new world, with each Terminator carrying a piece of it in their skulls. You can include time travel, so they show up in the "present day" instead of alternate 2027s. You could possibly even include John Connor, as a person living an average life with no idea why people are trying to kill him (or, if the reason Judgement day was averted was because of T2, knows, but was certain he averted the apocalypse), just because they have leftover program. Otherwise, you'd probably focus on new people who are in danger because they found out, or members of the resistance who want to make sure Skynet doesn't spread and create an unassailable base on another world to continue the fight on their world. Yeah, okay, so it's a bit silly and goofy and hard to pull off, but I kind of like the idea of a franchise just randomly taking a step to the left (and then a jump to the right).
Anyway, I think that's about it. Time to eat, I think.
Started: Machines That Think (short story collection)
Finished: The 1982 Annual Year's Best SF, (short stories)
Since the last two finished books are short story collections, I'll deal with them as one, because it's pretty much the same. It's okay, but no standout. There were a few more iffier stories in the 1982 collection, and fewer 'wow, that was good' ones. The Nebula collection also had a couple interesting essays (including one discussing pretty much each SF movie released in 1992 in detail). So a bit meh, over all.
Started and Finished: The Peace War, by Vernor Vinge
Started: Nebula Awards Showcase 2007, (short stories)
The Peace War was not Vinge's best, but then, it was one of his earliest. I still enjoyed it, but I felt a bit disappointed just by the comparison. I do think the idea was pretty cool (back of the book type spoilers behind cut, along with more detailed thoughts).
The majority of the book is set 50 years after a world-changing war launched by a group of people who developed an 'ultimate weapon'... an impenetrable force field that can wrap any target from a distance, using only a large supply of power to set it up, but once set up, it persists indefinitely. So they can 'bobble' anybody who's a threat to them, and, once they've taken over, do their best to ensure that nobody is able to challenge them, pputting rules on high-density power sources or anything that might lead into research of bobbles, and reducing most of the world to semi-feudalism (there's tech, but it's all low powered but very advanced stuff), and bobbling even large areas if they're found to be involved in banned technology.
But of course, for all that the Peace Authority claims they're doing it for the benefit of mankind, there are those who still work in secret to promote human progress and some plucky super-geniuses and a few unexpected developments lead to an all-out conflict.
Like I said, it's not bad, but it lacks a bit, and I might have liked a bit more detail in the bobbles themselves and all the cool things you could do with them. I suspect at least some of that is due in the sequel, which I'll be getting when I can find it.
What else have I been doing lately? Not a whole lot, really. Starting another extra-depressive phase, as I usually do after Xmas. Have managed to keep up with my writing, even if nothing's really caught my mind on fire. Watching a bit of old movies. Some quick thoughts (spoilers behind cuts)
V For Vendetta: I liked most of it, but a few of my favorite bits from the GN version seemed to have been missing and I have to agree with some of that I've heard that the ending, filled with the population coming to watch the explosion, all wearing V outfits, was a bit weak. But the performances were good and most of the movie was well done.
Wanted: Stupid, but kind of fun in a 'silly actiony' sort of way.
Push: Surprisingly good. It was a little rough over all. It felt like there was a really good movie struggling to get out of there, and it never quite managed it, but it did a pretty good job of setting up an appealing world and even throwing in some cool twists. If you're a fan of 'people with powers in a realistic world', I recommend at least giving it a look. I've heard some people are eyeing it as sort of a Heroes style TV series, and I'd certainly be willing to give that a look. I especially dig the not that unusual but pleasant, to me, idea of there being only a few set "types" of people with powers, who have defined names and limits. Movers are TK, Watchers are precog, Pushers can do mind control, etc. I hope a series continues this rather than just making any possible ability you can think up existing, because that tends to lead to the disease of "pullitioutofyourassitus", where any time you need a plot point you just create a new character with the power you want, and pull it out of your ass. I think, as much as some of the characters in the movie were appealing, I'd also prefer they just focus on the world, rather than any of the characters from the movie. Specifically, because a precog the level of the girl Cassie can work in a movie, but for an ongoing series can bork things up. But then if they keep playing the game with multiple precogs competing and each changing things on their side, even that can work.
Terminator Salvation: Hmm. Kind of mixed. I really think Terminator works best when you leave the post-apocalypse off-screen. Because when it's off screen, you don't have to wonder, "gee, why haven't the machines just won already, because they clearly could." And they don't even do obvious things like rig their facilities so they can flood it with lethal gas in an instant, rather than sending in Terminators.. There were a few nice surprises, though. Anton Yelchin gave a good performance, and there were a few decent plot twists, I liked Marcus actually being a cunning plan of SkyNet rather than just misunderstood robot, and I was actually surprised at the inclusion of Arnie, which I either hadn't heard, or forgot. Well done, both technically and in a good use for it. Hated the ending and the stupid "oh John Connor's heart doesn't work, isn't it handy that Marcus has a human heart for no real good reason, and that can just transplant inside..
I wonder a bit about "where do we go from here" with the Terminator franchise. I mean, I think it's obvious that they're probably going to make more, and they'll probably make more in the post-apocalypse world, too. But like I said, that doesn't really work for me. To me, Terminator isn't about what happens after Judgement Day, it's about a crazy story nobody else will believe, it's about races through city streets full of people completely unaware of what's going on, it's about contemplating destiny vs. free will. The series maintained this, even at a low budget, the new movie doesn't really, it's just "another post-apocalypse". Now, there might be neat things to be done with the idea of expanding beyond the traditional war, making peace with factions of the machines, but if it's just war war war, YAWN.
Another option is just a straight up reboot. This could be doable. Killer robots are still pretty far away in the future, so you can start from scratch and make a new Terminator sent back to kill Sarah Connor, only in the present day. Plan it out a little more in terms of what the sequels would and could be, and while they might never match the original, they might catch some of the spirit. Might be heresy to some of the fanbase though.
I'm going to go suggest 'balls out crazy choice #3'. Take the Terminator franchise SIDEWAYS. Posit that, in addition to their studies of time travel to prevent their destruction, a desperate Skynet launched another initiative... to break into PARALLEL WORLDS. One where Judgement Day never happened at all. The goal being to recreate Skynet in the new world, with each Terminator carrying a piece of it in their skulls. You can include time travel, so they show up in the "present day" instead of alternate 2027s. You could possibly even include John Connor, as a person living an average life with no idea why people are trying to kill him (or, if the reason Judgement day was averted was because of T2, knows, but was certain he averted the apocalypse), just because they have leftover program. Otherwise, you'd probably focus on new people who are in danger because they found out, or members of the resistance who want to make sure Skynet doesn't spread and create an unassailable base on another world to continue the fight on their world. Yeah, okay, so it's a bit silly and goofy and hard to pull off, but I kind of like the idea of a franchise just randomly taking a step to the left (and then a jump to the right).
Anyway, I think that's about it. Time to eat, I think.
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no subject
Date: 2010-01-26 10:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-29 08:11 pm (UTC)I probably'll watch it again in the near future actually, because I was a bit distracted during the first half of it with other stuff going on in the net world so I didn't fully appreciate a bunch of what they were setting up.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-27 02:46 pm (UTC)Seriously if John and Kate Brewster were in their early to mid 20s in T3, how is it that fresh faced Kate Brewster is pregnant in T4? Ugh. Head explode.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-29 08:08 pm (UTC)It's an annoyance, but I don't think it's fatal on its own. I just treat it sort of like comics, where they have to slide their timeline in order to keep making sense. I just think the last few movies have been not very good (I can like them on base popcorn level, but the first two were that, and good beyond that, too). I also quite liked the series and thought it had a lot to add, despite far too many rough patches for its own good. *shrug*.