Number6's Journal

Okay, so I did wind up going to Fan Expo, but, to my surprise, I went on Friday rather than Saturday. Right up until the day before I wasn't sure which way I'd go, but ultimately I think I made the right decision. No photos, today, I actually didn't take many (or at least, my camera didn't, I thought I took at least a few more than it turns out I did). Maybe I'll add some in on a second post.

But I did accomplish my major mission. But, before I go into detail, I need to do a brief pre-con report. ( Read more... )

So, onto Fan Expo itself! ( Read more... )

Anyway, on balance I guess I'm glad I went, even though it was exhausting and I'm going through various "what I should have said/done" scenarios in my head now that it's far too late. And now I only have to meet two more members of the cast of Firefly in order to complete my signature collection (Adam Baldwin and Ron Glass... three if you count Joss Whedon for creating the series, which I would).

The main reason for not being full is the lack of photos, which I haven't gotten out of my phone. I'll probably do a photo only post. I don't know how good they'll be, and there probably won't be many, so often I saw something I wanted to photograph but the moment I got the camera out and on (even just awakening from sleep mode takes a few seconds... probably should have extended the time in sleep mode before needing a password for the con, too), the moment past. And a little more infuriatingly, the camera quality was pretty good in the viewfinder (still haven't seen how it all turned out) MOSTLY, but sometimes it would be blurry for 10-20 seconds before suddenly clarifying, and in that time the photo I wanted to get disappeared. Also, it kept reverting my settings on zoom and stuff every time it went to sleep. Poor program design. And occasionally I accidentally hit the 'record video' button and didn't realize it and was stuck just recording random travelings for a while until I caught myself. Anyway, I think my best days as a shutterbug lie in the future where I wear Google-Glass type things that just record everything I see into one video that I can snip out individual shots at will. Still, I'm glad I got the phone.

I'm still exhausted today (of course, I worked today, so that may be a big factor in extending it), but we'll see how it goes.

I'll give the long semi-linear story behind the cut, and maybe a bullet-point list of edited highlights at the end.

( Read more... )

Finished: Spin Control by Chris Moriarty
So, I read the first book, Spin State, and I was... mixed on it. I liked a few of the characters and relationships and some of the tech/universe, but I felt it failed a bit on the hard science by including too much 'woo-woo' stuff and forcing a "19th century coal mining town" type situation.

Still, I figured I'd give the author another try, and I'm glad I did. I liked this one much more. Minor spoilers ahead, but nothing really dramatic. ( Read more... )

Anyway, quite an improvement and I look forward to the third book, Ghost Spin, due in 2013.


Finished: Blind Lake by Robert Charles Wilson (reread)

I kind of got a hankering to reread lately, but not just old favorites... instead, I wanted to reread novels that I read once long ago and had somewhat mixed feelings on. So, I chose Blind Lake.

The premise of Blind Lake... well, it centers on a small town that's the center of a big government research project into alien life, thanks to a telescope...ish thing that gives them views of an alien planet and its inhabitants. The town goes through a quarantine, both physical and informational, leaving them to wonder what's going on and their own place in it.

What Wilson tends to do really well is combine both a compelling human drama and a big SF idea, in ways that sort of reflect on each other, not always directly, but echoes each way, and that's one of the strongest parts of this. (some spoilers ahoy) ( Read more... )

All in all, worth the reread, I think. Enjoyed it more than Julian Comstock... not as much as Spin, but probably more than Chronoliths and Vortex.

Finished: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games #3)

So, it's hard to talk about this without spoiling either the first two books (which are probably more likely to be read, or watched as movies, than most of the stuff I comment on), not to mention this one here.

I'll try to keep it short. Same problems I found with the other books in the series. On the plus side: They went a couple different places (storytellingwise) in this one, and didn't make it as 'easy' as I'd feared. And yet... the ending doesn't really satisfy for a number of reasons I don't really want to go into. It's okay, but weaker than the first couple books (aside from a few moments which were strongly affecting, but might still have been misplaced).

Finished: House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds
Another book from Alastair Reynolds, this one a stand-alone one set (mostly) millions of years in the future, and centering on a line of clones that are bigshots in galactic society, but suffer a sudden ambush that decimates (figuratively) their population, the survivors must gather together and try to figure out who attacked them and why, while dealing with where they go from there.

I really think Reynolds does better at stand-alone works. I've usually liked them quite more than his big universe stuff. It's a big book but proceeds along at a nice clip, although the big revelation is a little bit of a letdown, it doesn't matter much. The characters are supposedly clones of a single person but although they keep saying it's a special type of society, it never really sells it... they all pretty much feel like different people who happen to share memories in many cases (unlike the ones in Spin Control who also have slightly different personalities but it actually feels like that's the natural outgrowth instead of us just being told that they're clones even though they're all different people).

Solidly enjoyable, not likely to become one of my favorites, but I might reread someday.

Finished: Schild's Ladder by Greg Egan (reread)

Another in my 'second look' plan, this one by Egan is also set... well, at least millenia in the future, when an experiment expected to confirm fundamental physics creates a new region of space with unknown properties, that's expanding, consuming the galaxy as it does so. The people who come to study it tend to split into two camps, people who want to let it go, maybe even adapt themselves to the new void, because the potential for new knowledge is too great, and those who want to destroy it to preserve the homes of people it would inevitably destroy (but it's growing slowly enough that evacuation is a viable option). The arguments come to a head, obviously.

It's Egan, so the science sometimes gets pretty heavy, even for me, and it's sometimes difficult to visualize exactly what he thinks is happening and why, and the people are all humans who've abandoned many characteristics like, say, growing old, death, and gender (and some have abandoned bodies entirely). Part of the story's theme is on how we can call ourselves the same when we keep 'changing'. (One particular line waxes poetically about how we're all just our imperfect memories of the person we were yesterday, though I can't find the exact quote).

The story does read a little dry, although there are some nice character moments and explorations. Towards the end it does tend to drift off even more into 'too much science'.

However, I do want to highlight one quote I really liked, when somebody responds to a suggestion that they should do something controversial because it's the natural order of things. This is a common tactic (one I've occasionally used myself, even as deriding its use on things I don't agree with), but it's usually wrong and I liked the skewering it recieved here (note: the speaker is using sarcasm, oh and it may constitute some spoilers):( Read more... )

Started: Old Man's War by John Scalzi (reread)
Started: For the Win by Cory Doctorow

So, that's it for books... what else is there? Well, Comicon has been over with, so what's come out of it...? Not a whole lot, actually. A nice Firefly reunion panel. News that DC is going out of their way to screw over fans of Stephanie Brown AGAIN (and AGAIN in favor of Barbara Gordon. I've abandoned DC because they regressed Babs to Batgirl, and this does not make me regret my decision one bit). And, Legend of Korra was renewed for another 26 episodes, beyond the 12 in the first season and 14 in the second. Good. I've said this needs to be happened and I really hope this fixes many of the problems with the first book (which I did like, but it could have been SO MUCH BETTER, even without changing anything fundamental about the plot, but just having more time to play things out and exploring different characters, motivations, and themes).

Otherwise... a bit of news here and there that makes me mildly interested, but nothing that really makes me even remember it a couple days later.

Speaking of cons...

I guess I probably will be trying to make the Toronto Fan Expo this year. They added Alan Tudyk (Wash from Firefly) to the guest list, and I want to meet him and get his signature on my Firefly DVD boxed set box (already containing signatures from Sean Maher, Summer Glau, and Morena Baccarin). Also at that con (but I'll probably not wait in line for any/most of them unless they happen to be short lines): Stan Lee, Gillian Anderson, William B. Davis (Cigarette Smoking Man), Patrick Stewart, John Barrowman (Cap'n Jack), Christopher Lloyd, Norman Reedus (Daryl from the Walking Dead), Jon Bernthal (Shane, the Walking Dead), James Marsters and Juliet Lloyd (Spike and Dru! I'd visit Marsters but at every other con here he's been at I think you needed a special ticket even to get an autograph), John Rhys-Davies (OMG I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE HIM UNTIL RIGHT NOW I HAVE TO MEET PROFESSOR ARTURO! if the line's not too big), Amanda Tapping (Carter from SG1), Jamie Bamber (Apollo from BSG), Joe Flanigan (Shepherd from Stargate Atlantis), Nana Visitor (Kira from DS9)

Pick your five favourite TV shows (in no particular order) and answer the following questions. Don’t cheat by looking at the questions before you pick!

(Just as a note, I'm not claiming these are my 'top 5'. They're just 5 that I do like and happen to choose for the purpose of this meme, since I've probably done it before with my actual top 5).

1. Survivors (BBC)
2. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
3. Avatar: The Last Airbender
4. Stargate (SG1's probably my favorite of them, but I'll restrict this one to SGU unless one of the question demands another answer)
5. Firefly

( Read more... )

Gateworld has an interview with Ben Browder, mostly general history and a little on the series he's working on developing (as a writer), a bit on Farscape and Stargate and his semi-acting rivalry with Nathan Fillion.

Also of interest, to Stargate Altantis fans, one of the producers gave a breakdown of what episodes the 6th season might have had, if it had gotten one. Apparently they were far enough along that they had ideas, even if many were ideas that couldn't fit in the previous year. Some potential spoilers, in that any of the elements there might be reused, and they say some might be factors in the SG:A DVD movie. Most interesting is, to me, (spoilers just for Atlantis finale, not for the future) ( Read more... )

Also related: Joseph Mallozzi's "Best 4 SG:A Episodes I never got to write". Somewhat more detailed.

A couple of the (collective) episodes sound kinda cool and I'm a little disappointed we'll never get to see them. Also they had some ideas I've had, too, proving once again, I should TOTALLY write for Stargate! ;) Anyway, I wish I could tap into parallel worlds sometimes just so I could see all these 'what might have beens!'. Or Nathan Fillion as John Crichton in Farscape!)

Speaking of Fillion, remember Doctor Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog? Well, Whedon has said that it will continue in some form, but he's not sure what the form is. It may not be an internet series anymore. I dunno, I'm in as long as it's not a "I'll continue it as a comic book!", because it has to stay a musical! ;)

Anyway, talking with locker_monster the other day, I mentioned off-handedly that they should get Summer Glau in the sequel, and make use of her trained ballerina skills. The idea was good for a few seconds of amusement, but it also stuck with me and came to me this morning before I left for work. And I have a longish (45 minute or so) walk to work, in which it's generally too dark to read, so my mind tends to latch on any old thing and work on it. I came up with the idea of having all of Doctor Horrible's major enemies being Firefly actors. Yes, I know it's unlikely and impractical he'd ever do anything like it, but amusing (to me, which is all that counts).

So, the product of my thinking on the way to work (and a little bit after), behind the cut. It's just silly fluff, but might be worth a chuckle. I present to you: the heroic counterparts to the Evil League of Evil!

( Read more... )

Edit: Oh yeah, and Doc Horrible fans in Canada, apparently the glitches with Canadian distribution are over and you should be able to reorder from amazon.ca.

Edit2: Although technically my Doctor Horrible ideas isn't a "What I'd Do With..." entry, I'm adding the tag anyway because it's related and it'll make it easier to find it again when I want to reread it. Yes, I like rereading my own ideas, I'm lame.

This week I got just one book.

Astonishing X-Men #22 (bit disappointing, really)

Full reviews up as usual at my comic reviews site for anyone interested.

In books, I picked up Judas Unchained by Peter F. Hamilton, and in not-books, I also broke down and got Serenity: The Collector's Edition. It was the only one I saw at the store. Which I suspect either means it sold really well, or it wasn't ordered very much. Considering I found it in the regular 'Movies starting with S' section, rather than any display for it (and it came out this week, didn't it), I'm expecting the latter. Oh well, hopefully it'll pick up.

I didn't do the full walk, just most of it. After the comic store, it looked like it was starting to rain, and I was running late from work (which was okay, but late), and since I had a DVD and a new comic I figured I'd not chance it (even though my bag is somewhat waterproof), save myself an hour of walking, and take transit. My pre-transit walk was fairly productive though with ideas.

Oh, and didn't really have lunch per se, but had chicken fingers and fries when I got home.

The future of Television, that is...

So, through undisclosed means, I watched two of the pilots for the new shows for the coming year.

Pushing Daisies: A modern fantasy about a man who can touch dead things and bring them back to life.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: A terminator series, set shortly after Terminator 2, with Sarah and John Connor on the run.

I quite liked both of them. Of the two, I think I liked Terminator a little better, but they're both worth a look, and I'll probably be watching both when they start (Fall for Pushing Daisies, January for Terminator). I do have some worries about Pushing Daisies - it's a concept that's good for the pilot, certainly, but I do have a bit of worries about how it'll be able to sustain it long term. But it's by the guy who created Wonderfalls and Dead Like Me, so that's a plus in its favour. In Terminator's favour, it's got Summer Glau!

A little more detailed comments behind the cut... slightly spoilery, but it doesn't reveal any of the 'big twists' (though if you don't already know, I will be talking about who the terminators are played by, so that might ruin a bit of surprise).

Pushing Daisies: ( Read more... )

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: ( Read more... )

So yeah, both of these were on my (relatively small) watchlist for the next TV season, but it's good to see that my first impressions were right on in this case.

Bah, I had most of this written up but a power blip made me lose it. Die power blips, die!

Okay, let's start out with more questions from that interview meme, these ones from monkeykong...

1. You keep a fictional 'alternate journal.' What drove you to writing that story in this format as opposed to, say, a novel? ( Read more... )
2. Least favourite Firefly character? Why? ( Read more... )
3. In the imminent zombie holocaust, how long do you think you would last? ( Read more... )
4. What would your super hero costume be like? ( Read more... )
5. Would you rather be a cult icon or a worldwide superstar? ( Read more... )

Remember, if you want questions from me, post here.

Book Foo:

Finished: The Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmons (Reread)
Started: Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge

Thoughts (some spoilers), selected quotes, and thoughts springing off from the quotes behind the cut.
( Read more... )

Moving on to Dream Foo!

One a cracky crossover with The Office, Doctor Who, Stargate Atlantis, and Runaways. Another is book foo related.
( Read more... )

On my floor, which is wood-panelled, there are a few dark spots, looking like burns or whatever, slightly ovalshaped. There's a big cluster of them in a spot that I don't see on a regular basis, but will occasionally see. Sometimes if I'm not paying attention or I see them when my eyes are a bit blurry or in the middle of focusing, spotting them sets off my OMG BUGS! reflexive reaction before I realize/remember what they are.

Heroes tonight, woot! (That's a general woot, not a comment directed at woot, unless she's also interested, in which case it serves both purposes) Bit of a shame Drive got cancelled, but I can't be too upset, I was only partway interested in it. Enough to keep watching, but not enough to be broken up at it being cancelled.

I've noticed while looking through some LJ entries (and adding tags to a bunch) from long ago year that I write a lot less now than 2 years ago. Huh. I suppose at least part of that is that I save up stuff to do in megaposts like this rather than posting every time I get the urge, though.

I think as of this entry I will be resuming my old habit of choosing my mood completely randomly, regardless of my current mood. Because you people already see too much into my psyche for my tastes! Also, because if I use my real moods I only get to use a few of my mood icons, and, well, that's not as much fun.

First, Dream Foo. Both actual dreams, and lucid dream strategy.
( Read more... )

Anyway, speaking of that last lucid dream, I've been thinking lately of the somewhat flexible nature of consciousness. ( Read more... ) It's also possible I'm just going mad.

Anyway, yesterday I was watching the Canadian classic Strange Brew, and I happened to look up something about it and noticed that it was a loose adaptation of Hamlet (with the McKenzie brothers playing Rosencrantz and Guildenstern). Never heard that before, but I can see it. So, anyway, later in the day I was watching Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars, and my mind wandered (as it often does) to how one might be able to reinvent Farscape in another genre.
( Read more... )

I think I've mentioned before that my brother got himself a PS2 recently, so I've been able to play some. Only have two games at present, Castlevania and GTA: Vice City. Don't much care for Castlevania, but GTA's fun. Anyway, that's not really the topic I'm going for: I was a bit bored, so just did some random thinking on Video Games I'd Like To See: ( Read more... )

So, on Saturday I went to a wedding. ( Read more... )

As mentioned above, my roommates and I have been seriously talking about getting another RPG game going. ( Read more... )

Prison Break, Heroes, and 4400 tonight. Woot. (No, not you woot, just a general woot).

This morning I've been idly considering trying NaNoWriMo 'officially' for the first time, since I don't have school or XET to worry about this November. Normally I just sort of promised to myself that I'd try to write a little more that month. Well, technically speaking I probably still wouldn't be 'official' since I loathe signing up for things, but that I'd actually be trying to do a 50,000 word novel rather than having no specific goal and just continuing to add a little here and there to my short stories or longer term projects. Of course, I still have my alternaljournal to keep up with and November I plan to be a 'mission month', so I'd have to be writing more of that too, to keep up, and that would take time from and not contribute to my hypothetical NaNoWriMo. Hmm. Well, I'll think about it some more.

Oh, and for anyone still wondering - that convention I went to back a month ago where I met Morena Baccarin and theoretically took her picture? Yeah, there'll be no pictures forthcoming, somehow the camera lost all of them (see, I always said my face would break any cameras!). Ah well.