Archive July 9 - July 19 2003
Saturday, July 19
The latest print issue of Discover has a feature on slide rules, the "first nerd tool." Their website links to The Qughtred Society for slide rule preservation. They also have a story about theories of interstellar travel penned by a man with the unlikely name of William Speed Weed.Friday, July 18
This Comicbook Resources report from Comic Con about several upcoming Wildstorm projects has the first confirmation that there will indeed be a Volume Three of Alan Moore's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.Cool Thing of the Week: Cory Doctorow posted this neat photo of a Korean subway car that sports giant lava lamps as part of its design.This week's space science stories read like a Jack Kirby comic, full of cosmic vagabonds, colossal dark matter structures, and a mysterious world being touted as "the oldest, most distant planet" (let's hope it's not alive).Mark your calendar: On Sunday, August 31, SciFi Channel will be showing a day's worth of Mothra and Godzilla movies, including Godzilla vs Megaguirus, which I have yet to see.Retro Stuff: Among the rapidly growing number of online homages to the mag- nificent trappings of yesteryear archived at Retrolounge are a nice gallery of 70's design, a pictorial history of Go-Go boots, a tribute to the iconic Futuro House, and a collection of forgotten girlie magazines.Thursday, July 17
Science Fiction Stuff: Newsarama talks to David Brin about his upcoming graphic novel The Life Eaters. IGN FilmForce reports there may be word on a poss- ible future Farscape project as early as this week. Babylon 5 fans may want to follow Sci- Fi.com's link to The Shadows' Office of Information. Rather humorous.Assorted Items: Watch the skies, dear readers, for the Flyborg has escaped. While trolling around Neil Gaiman's website I found this cute autobiography of Cthulhu. From Galvin P. Chow comes this creepy-yet-accurate comparison of the parallels between Fight Club and Calvin & Hobbes. Here's a neat site dedicated to the wonderful world of three-wheeled cars. Monster Zero reports that the new Mothra twins have been cast. Finally, to all my male friends who, like me, are hurtling through the shadowy terrain of middle-age: Give yourselves a hand.Recommended Readin': Chet Raymo of the Boston Globe reminds us that there's no such thing as faith-based science. Julian Sanchez examines the battle to end senior discounts at Reason Online. Gina Treadgold of ABC News tells us the story of the first flag on the moon. The Atlantic has an interview with Western Canon defender Harold Bloom. Paul Makovsky sings the glorious praises of the cluttered workspace at Metropolis.Wednesday, July 16
The latest print issue of Locus is all about comics. Guest edited by Charles Vess, it features essays by Neil Gaiman, Colleen Doran, Bryan Talbot and Harlan Ellison. There's also a big interview with (say it along with me, now) Alan Moore (who's on the cover). I've often complained that comics are not sufficiently promoted to the science fiction/fantasy crowd. Locus itself critiques relatively few comics, with the heroic exceptions of reviewers Philip Shropshire and Claude Lalumière. Whether you read comics or not, you should buy this issue.Assorted Items: Metafilter breaks the sad, sad news that the Lovecraftian musical A Shuggoth on the Roof has been cancelled due to legal threat of copyright infringment. From the "what the internet was made for" file comes the Online Index of Character Actors, the Official George Barris custom car site, and the self- explanatory Thrift Store Art.com. Finally, gaze in lustful wonder at the Dodge Tomahawk Motorcycle.Tuesday, July 15
I've just discovered the wonderful Luciferous Logolepsy, a collection of over 9,000 obscure english words.Derek Kruk of Slush Factory interviews Kurt Busiek about his new Cliffhanger mini-series Arrowsmith, as well as other projectsFrom the Cognitive Science Conference in Sydney, Australia comes this bit of news: "Studying the mechanisms of religious belief could lead to a better understanding of what goes on in the minds of people with psychiatric delusions."SciFi Weekly has an interview with author David Brin. SciFi also has some new links, including the B-Movie tribute site Atomic Monsters and the strangely addictive Diary of Samuel Lee: A Blog from the 25th Century.Cathy Young looks at Ann Colter's dropping popularity in a piece called "None Dare Call it Stupidity" over at Reason Online.Monday, July 14
Science Fiction Stuff: Cinescape reviews Dan Simmon's new novel Illium. Locus reports on the Campbell and Sturgeon Awards. The Alien Online has updates from writer Ken MacLeod and others. At Comic Book Resources Beau Yarbrough has a preview of Keith Giffen and Colleen Doran's Reign of the Zodiac.Recommended Readin': Darian Leader of Calender Live seeks out the meaning of art. Daniel Dennett chimes in on the Bright movement at the NY Times. Over at Better Humans George Dvorsky looks at the underpinings of reproductive rights, as well as the state's role in them. Nobel Proze winner Sydney Brenner says biological evolution is obsolete. Wil McCarthy discusses the wild potential of invisi- bility in Wired's special Super Powers issue. Kathleen Parker of the Orlando Sentinel praises blogs.The enjoyable Gospel According to Mark (thanks for the link, brother) found this collection of vintage mexican wrestling movie posters. Readercon roughly marked the halfway point of my activity-intensive six week "brain binge." Fortunately the second half of this self-induced overload skews more towards entertainment rather than intellectual pursuits. Wednesday brings us new Hip Flask and Girl Genius comics. The tour of Porcupine Tree and Opeth orbits my vicinity a few times this week, as does the Blue Man Group. There's also a big Scottish Festival as well as a Fetish Fair Fleamarket I will try to attend. From the Mailbag: Big thanks to Geonn Cannon, who found me a picture of the Librarian Action figure. Daniel Kovach likes the Amazing Colossal Links Page and shamelessly plugs his site of wild-looking artistic pyrex sex toys. Friend Dave Hibsher (who claims he's a daily reader, yet Lens is still not on his links page) in- forms me that there is a European Free State Project similar to the one in this country. He also points me toward the art of Michael Newberry.Sunday, July 13
I forgot to mention that CGI "documentary" The Future is Wild is back on Animal Planet all this month.Speaking of TV, has your favorite science fiction television show been can- celled? Yesterday at Readercon I was introduced to The Viewer Consortium, a non-profit organization looking for ways to facilitate greater viewer involvement in programming. Check out their site and spread this around.Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock and China Mieville are among the many contributors to The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric & Discredited Diseases, due out this October from Night Shade Books.Friday, July 11
In a dull mood? Try these links: the Museum of Coat Hangers, the Museum of Moist Towelettes, and The Buttonarium.If you are more curious about the challenges ahead for Transhumanism in our culture, read this compelling piece by William Sims Bainbridge.Comic Stuff: Newsarama has previews of CrossGen's upcoming pirate comic called El Cazador as well as Garth Ennis & Glenn Fabry's Thor: Vikings. Joe Crow of Revolution SF looks back at the embarrassing TV special Legend of the Super Heroes. Metafilter posted a link to this sweet Golden Age Comic Cover gallery.Assorted Items: NME hints at a possible Pixies reunion. Cinescape reviews the long-delayed Cryptozoology action figures. Thanks (again) to Better Humans columnist and fellow Alan Moore fanatic Philip Shropshire for the kind words. He considers Gravity Lens a "must read." Finally, three words: Yoda in Ireland.Added: Accoutrements, the company that makes biblical and historical action figures, is putting out a Librarian figure (I'm looking for photos). James Sullivan of SF Gate appreciates the return of album cover art. I am bummed that I will not be able to attend this month's Lebowskifest in Kentucky. We have a new scientific term: Super-WIMPS.It's another crazy weekend as I head to Readercon for some science fictional mainlining and promotional flyer carpet bombing. Looking ahead, I am considering signing up for the Blogathon in two weeks. If anyone has any ideas, write me.Thursday, July 10
The newest print issue of Rue Morgue has a preview of the Fantasia Film Festival taking place in Montreal starting next week. The festival's site, aside from sporting some nifty retro promotional art, has the kind of eclectic links page I love to browse through.Weird Science: Ron Bailey of Reason Online discusses the feasibility of human genetic engineering. International Space Station Science Officer Ed Lu has posted a blog from orbit. It is nice to know that in the future robots will be both soldiers and artists. A perusal of the web unearths such strange and futuristic company sites as Transdimensional Technologies, Personal Flight Systems and American Antigravity. And lastly, you gotta love a science story that begins with the words "strange events on distant pluto..."Wednesday, July 9
The very nice website for the Science Fiction Experience, due to open in Seattle in 2004, is now up and running.Comic Stuff: Disinformation reviews Warren Ellis' upcoming SF book Switchblade Honey. Newsarama previews David (not Davey) and Goliath. I am one of many readers who think John Byrne's earlier work is far superior to his more recent stuff. Now, Mr. Byrne responds to us.
