“I’m just a space cadet. He’s the commander.”
—Bowie fan, 1973
Continue reading ‘Ground Control To Major Stardust: Ziggy’s Tale’
By Cait Brennan
As Doctor Who fans prepared to celebrate the launch of its most anticipated series yet, the show lost one of its most enduring stars. Elisabeth Sladen, who portrayed Sarah Jane Smith, died April 19, leaving behind generations of fans and a legacy as one of the most popular characters in science fiction history.
Continue reading ‘Doctor Who‘s Elisabeth Sladen: An Appreciation’
By Paul Casey
“Do you want to know a secret?”
There has been no show with such a commitment to the mystery as Lost. For six years, the producers and writers held their secrets close and chose to reveal only that which would ensure even more questions. Some have described this aspect of the show as if it were a commonly understood negative, often adding an overstated assertion that the producers were simply “making it up as they went along.” This betrays not only a naïve understanding of the realities of network television, but a fundamental confusion as to the nature of Lost: It is and always was a mystery show.
Continue reading ‘In Defense Of Lost ‘
By Magda Underdown-DuBois
What is it about Kara “Starbuck” Thrace, played by Katee Sackhoff, which excites the fans of Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009) so much? Could it be her singular passion for the thrill of flight and fight? Perhaps it is her rebellion against authority. Or maybe it is something less clear and more ambiguous—her ability to step between expectations and limits and dance between the stars.
Continue reading ‘Falling Between Stars: What About BSG‘s Starbuck?’
By Lisa Anderson
For me, it all started with a gift bag.
An acquaintance of mine runs a paranormal romance* book club. Last year, she gave me a goody bag she had obtained, a reusable tote containing books, bookmarks, pencils, and other gifts. One of the ad fliers included had a starry background (indicating the book’s location in outer space) and featured a sexy embrace between a tough-looking woman in a black tank top . . . and a man wearing glasses.
It took my breath away. I couldn’t recall having ever seen a hero with glasses on the cover of a romance novel before. I’d been intrigued by the concept of Sci-Fi Romance (SFR), but had been burned by my first attempt, putting the book down after the third time the hero threatened the heroine’s life. I decided to give it another try, though, and bought the book from the flier—Rebels and Lovers, by Linnea Sinclair. Now SFR is my favorite romance subgenre!
Continue reading ‘Hey! Someone Got Romance In My Sci Fi!’
Robots have frequently played pivotal roles in science fiction. In Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, the False Maria robot is created to destroy. Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner features several replicants, or biorobotic androids, created as human soldiers and slaves. There is Pris, the “basic pleasure model” and Zhora, an assassin. Both have a predetermined lifecycle of about three years. When the end approaches, both Pris and Zhora turn deadly. There is also Rachael, an even more advanced replicant, who does not even realize she is a replicant.
And then there is Tanith Lee’s 1981 novel, The Silver Metal Lover, which intriguingly combines elements of Metropolis, Blade Runner, and even Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, to weave a spellbinding tale of the other part of the story: What happens when someone falls in love with a robot?
Continue reading ‘The Silver Metal Lover‘
By Michelle Patterson
How I judge whether or not a soundtrack feels organic to its cinematic equal is whether or not it can stand on its own. This does not determine whether or not it is good—the apparent strength of the music isn’t a question—but if it can genuinely remind me of the film when I am listening to it in the quiet of my own bedroom or on the chaotic bus to work.
The clearest role of the soundtracks as experienced in the Tindersticks‘ Claire Denis Film Scores box set is as passive listener. This music stands on its own, without its marriage to the visuals; better yet, it imports another sense of value when associated with an entirely new set of identifiers, all depending on the situation of the listener.
Continue reading ‘Tindersticks, Claire Denis Film Scores 1996 – 2009 ‘
Who is the target audience for Roadkill Rising, Shout! Factory‘s four-disc “official” Iggy Pop bootleg collection? Fans get excited about concert albums; diehards and lifers hoard bootlegs like those suffering from OCD. Certainly the latter will be thrilled by the improved quality of these remastered bootlegs.
However, trying to determine if Roadkill Rising will appeal to non-Iggy Pop fans is an exercise in futility. I can’t imagine not being a fan of Iggy Pop so I am incapable of thinking like one.
Continue reading ‘Iggy Pop, Roadkill Rising . . . The Bootleg Collection: 1977 – 2009’
Reading the press release on Erland & The Carnival‘s latest video made me squirm: “Much like the terrifying conclusion of the film Creepshow, we find our hero, Erland Cooper, buried and overcome by roaches.”
Full disclosure: I am mortally terrified of roaches. Thankfully the ones in this video are the less grotesque “Palmetto bugs” and not the standard horrifying, flying cockroaches that are the state bird of Louisiana.
The song is wonderful and the video is perfectly creepy, especially for those of use who appreciate morbid delights. Enjoy . . . and check out Erland & The Carnival’s excellent Nightingale album (reviewed on Popshifter here) if you haven’t already.
By Christian Lipski
Photos by Deborah Lipski
Aladdin Theater, Portland OR
May 5, 2011
Click for larger image.
Portland’s Aladdin Theater was completely full, with people standing along the walls, pushing the boundaries of its 620-person capacity. The area in front of the stage was filled with chairs, but it was clear from looking at the audience that there wasn’t going to be any moshing anyway. A curious weighting on the older side for some reason, though the show was 21 and over due to alcohol sales. It’s possible that the people who grew up with the acoustic guitar-based singer-songrwiters of the ’70s find KT Tunstall‘s music to be familiar territory.
Continue reading ‘Scottish Sellout: KT Tunstall’