I pride myself in being a connoisseur of fine, mature and smart science fiction. I allow myself some kitch in other genres, but I like to think that my science fiction is universally of the cerebral brand. Thus, it may confuse you when I declare that I have become something of a fan of the SyFy show Sanctuary, an offering known less for transcendent genius narratives than for its cliched writing and often linear narratives. Continue reading Review: Sanctuary (TV show)
The following is a mostly spoiler-free review.
I have never been a fan of Jane Espenson. She’s written for a lot of science fiction TV shows, including Star Trek: The Next Generation and Battlestar Galactica (the new one). She has shone occasionally, as in the brilliant Buffy The Vampire Slayer episode, “Conversations With Dead People“; though I suspect her co-writers reined in her tendency to write sloppy, over-emoting fan fiction. (Sorry, Jane, that’s how I feel.) When I learned she would be the show runner for Caprica, it was one more reason not to watch that now cancelled show. Continue reading Review of Torchwood: Miracle Day
My condo is squeaky clean tonight, which is a sure sign that I have a mountain of work to get done and am procrastinating like mad. Part of my master procrastination plan is re-watching old skiffy TV shows. The past couple of days have seen me re-watch the entire 5 season stretch of Stargate: Atlantis. And let me tell you, it was an enjoyable experience. Continue reading Return to the Stargate
My original intent with this article was to list the top science fiction events of the year. But a few problems quickly arose: Continue reading TV Science Fiction in 2010
I am willing to grant Lost Girl a Mulligan. A good ol’ fashioned reset has happened before now. An actor changed. A premise shifted. Hell, entire seasons have been explained away as a dream. Lost Girl still has a chance to redeem itself and several options to choose from. Continue reading Review: Lost Girl
During a visit to the University of Toronto when I was an undergraduate student there, one of the most underrated science fiction writers of the mid-20th century, the magnificent Harlan Ellison, told an inquirer that one could learn everything one needed to know about the art and science of writing by reading the collected works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Continue reading Review: Sherlock season 1
Warning: the following contains spoilers for the series finale of Lost.
I’ve written many times that the finest television series finale I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching was that of Babylon 5. “Sleeping In Light” was emotional brilliance, effortless profundity that shone past its limitations of crappy special effects and pedestrian acting. It worked because its writer, JMS, understood the nature of what he had created: a character study defined by archetypes. Those needing didacticism were disappointed by the episode’s lack of exposition regarding a couple of dangling plot threads. Those of us attracted to the esoteric were more than pleased. Continue reading Review: Lost Finale- “The End”
Warning: this article contains many spoilers for the series finale of Battlestar Galactica, titled “Daybreak”
In a few days we, the humble viewers of television, will bear witness to the final few hours of the best science fiction TV show presently on broadcast American television: Lost. The excitement is palpable. But, sadly, I am reminded of another much anticipated skiffy finale, not so long ago, that left many people either disappointed or ambiguous. Continue reading Review: Battlestar Galactica Finale "Daybreak"
Top Ten lists are always two things simultaneously: lame and fun. Lame because their innate subjectivity renders the exercise supremely pointless. Fun because… well, because we are hierarchical beings who suffer from a pathological need to rank everything from shoes to past Presidents to TV shows to excretory experiences. Continue reading The Top 10 Greatest American Science Fiction TV Shows
(This article was originally a blog post.)
The nominees for the 2010 Hugo Awards were announced this week. If you don’t know, the Hugos are the premier science fiction awards, the Pulitzer for the nerd set, if you will. I won’t mention the novels or short stories, since few of you have heard of them. Rather, let’s look at the dramatic entries, bot long and short form. Continue reading The 2010 Hugos
