Gravity Lens Weblog

Friday, April 1

I was getting worried, but Locus has finally posted their April Fool's material, including the news that Charles Stross has attained posthuman status, and a review of the DVD of the Star Wars Holiday Special (Platinum Edition).

The April Fools' tradition continues with James Randi announcing this year's Pigasus Awards among other subjects in his weekly column.

It is April. The God of the Month is Abrasax. The Molecule of the Month is Serotonin.

Comic Book Stuff: BBC reports on the U.S. Army's plan for using comics in the mid-east.

Jeet Heer and Kent Worcester give us a brief history of criticism against comic strips.

SF Crowsnest informs us that there's an audio adaptation of Luther Arkwright available.

I had planned a big April Fool's makeover for the site today, but taking a chunk out of my thumb and much traveling for a relative's funeral curtailed my plans. In the meantime here's the Museum of Hoaxes Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time.

Star Trek.com delivers the usual April Fool goods, including the column Your Mirror Universe Twin and You, a list of rejected show pilots, news of a British Trek remake, and a revival of the classic Klingon Eye for the Starfleet Guy.

Here's an excellent parody of Boing Boing.

Tales of Future Past gives us a tour of the concept of Future Man and travels to the futuristic year 1980 with a remembrance of the show UFO.

Thursday, March 31

Assorted Items: The Nameless Dread: Family Circus cartoons + Lovecraft quotes.

Exclamation Mark links to the beautiful 19th century Trouvelot astronomical drawings.

Kurt Amacker of Cinescape pens a love letter to the American comic book shop.

Wednesday, March 30

The Mondolithic Image of the Week is the apocalyptic The Day Everything Died. Kenn from Mondolithic chimes in on the Trauma-Pod story from yesterday with this cool robotic medical station called Dr. Michael.

I've been thinking about some of my favorite spaceships, and have decided to start categorizing them by function and body type. I'll start with good old explorer ships, which are usually long and thin. Good examples are 2001's Discovery, its Buck Rogers rip-off the Searcher, and Gerry Anderson's Altares from Day After Tomorrow and Space: 1999's Ultra-Probe. Other long ships include the Earthforce Explorrer Class ship, the vampire vessel from Lifeforce, the Event Horizon, the Valley Forge, the Ark from The Starlost, Lexx, and the U.S.S. Cygnus from The Black Hole.

I also like Mondolithic's Wayfarer, which hangs proudly on my wall (among other works).

Tuesday, March 29

Scott Edelman of SciFi Weekly echoes my sentiment that Star Wars has to stop.

Future Medicine: Better Humans tells of brain cells grown from hair stem cells, while Geekpress links to this story of the high-tech medical cocoon called the Trauma-Pod.

Behold the bandaged glory of my wounded thumb!

Man, it's a bitch to type. I hope to get an upgrade to the weird techno-thumb of Arishem the Judge from the Celestials.

Here's Steve Oedekerk's Thumbs! website.

Monday, March 28

A nasty cut on my thumb will curtail my typing today. However I will add a new item to my holiday gift list: the horrific Apron of Flesh.

Sunday, March 27

Nominations for this year's Hugo and Prometheus awards have been announced.

Friday, March 25

"The crucial data an alien will need to get you back to Earth is die-stamped into these dog tags." (Via James Randi.)

This year's inductees to the Science Fiction Hall of Fame have been announced.

As we witness more and more science fiction tropes becoming reality (like ultra-powerful computers and robotic security guards), it's a little freaky to learn that one of the president's advisors has based her bioethics policies on things she saw on Star Trek.

This is apparently quite common.

Time for a refresher in Beettam and Geigen-Miller's 10 Laws of Bad Science Fiction.

Boing Boing links to this awesome Hellraiser Lament Box case mod.

Thursday, March 24

Little People: Munchkins, Jawas, Ewoks, the Mole Men, Hobbits, Dwarves, the Guardians of the Universe, the Keebler Elves, the Time Bandits, Pip the Troll, Tom Thumb, Oberon, Puck, Jacob Marlowe, Balok, the Shadout Mapes, Mxyzptlk, the Little Man from Another Place (not to be confused with "Samson" Leonhardt), and Dr, Loveless. Possibly Mr. Spacely.

(Dan on the Comment Board reminds me that I omitted the Oompa-Loompas.)

(I also left out Master-Blaster. I hang my head in shame...)

Recommended Readin': Sign On San Diego profiles author Harlan Ellison.

James Sime of Comic Book Resources reports on Marvel Comics' return to 7-11 racks.

Geekpress links to this BBC story on how bad email habits perpetuate spam.

Wednesday, March 23

Sorry for the light posts this week, but things have been a little hectic at work. Everyone's free to suggest links.

Assorted Items: Warren Ellis links to this cool Solar Death Ray.

Bill Nye is returning to TV. Time to brush off the Bill Nye The Science Guy drinking game.

And it's time to revisit Cap'n Wacky's Gallery of Unfortunate Easter Cards.

Tuesday, March 22

Comment Board regular IAmAGoldenGod posts this story about NASA developing water-reclamation suits. Dune fans already know how stillsuits work. Here's the Technovelgy page with the explanation.

Interviews: SciFi Weekly talks with horror writer Brian Lumley, Comic Book Resources chats with artist Dave Gibbons, and UGO sits down with Todd McFarlane.

Coudal instructs us to go to this site, click of Table of Contents, then open "08: A Strange Love" to see really cool pictures of the sets of Dr. Strangelove recreated with household items.

Monday, March 21

With not one but two film adaptations of War of the Worlds being produced, Cinescape reports that Killraven may be getting the big screen treatment.

Sunday, March 20

Joe Rao of Space.com explains why Spring begins today.

Friday, March 18

Something Awful's Photoshop Phriday pits science fiction against fantasy.

Locus reports on the death of author Andre Norton.

Adventure on (and beneath) the sea: Here's a piece on the concept of using large kites to drag ships across the ocean. Here's the website for Posiedon Resorts, who are planning to build luxury hotels underwater. Check out the virtual tour, which gives you an idea of what the rooms will be like. There is a similar resort called Hydropolis planned for Dubai, and you can already spend a night (or get married) at Jules Undersea Lodge in the Keys.

Thursday, March 17

Lotsa Science Stuff: A particle accelerator experiment may have created a black hole.

Sing along with the ditties found at PhysicsSongs.

New Scientist gives us a list of 13 Things That Do Not Make Sense. (via SF Signal)

BBC Science reports on Hitachi's recent unveiling of the "world's fastest robot." Is it me or does it look like Tintin?

On the TV Land Awards they gave a lifetime achievement award to character actor Charles Lane, who was in everything. He's 100 years old, and, according to him, available for work.

Wednesday, March 16

Talking Comics: Kurt Amacker of Cinescape discusses the return of collector speculation to the comic industry, while Bulent Yusuf of Ninth Art looks at the recent rash of comics pitched as educational tools.

UGO has posted a feature on the Coolest Cars in Fantasy Entertainment. It's not bad, but there are quite a few unforgivable omissions. There is no entry for Grandpa Munster's Dragula, although the Rob Zombie song of the same name is mentioned. Gerry Anderson alone gave us the Spectrum SPV, Lady Penelope's Fab 1, Supercar, the various pod vehicles from the Thunderbirds, and that thing that Joe 90 drove around in. Also absent are Green Hornet's Black Beauty, Speed Racer's Mach 5, the shapeshifting Hong Kong Phooey Mobile, the Jetson's car, and the assorted vehicles from the Logan's Run series. There are also no Bond vehicles. I am personally offended that they left out H.R. Pufnstuf's police car, not to mention Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. There's no sign at all of the Wacky Racers or Death Race 2000.

And how can they include Christine but not The Car? Herbie but not Wonderbug? The ZZ Top car but not the Monkeemobile?

Also, if they hadn't limited themselves to cars they could have included the Landmaster from Damnation Alley as well as Ark II.

High praise goes out to whoever can find me a photo of the Zeus from The Magic Christian.

UPDATE: Several folks have written in to remind me of the HomerMobile, Speed Buggy, and Mr. Bean's car.

While researching the above post I discovered the invaluable Movie Car Chase Database.

Tuesday, March 15

With St. Patrick's Day approaching, let's get in the blarney spirit with a checklist of SF and fantasy set in Ireland, an essay on the Irish in space, and a visit to Irish SciFi News.

On this year's holiday list: the Sideshow Collectibles 12" Metaluna Mutant!

Assorted Items: SciFi Weekly links to the Center for the Study of Science Fiction.

The 2005 Bloggies have been awarded.

And you've probably seen this, but I love the idea of Chocolate Deities.

Monday, March 14

I've gotten some of the bandwidth issues out of the way for the time being. Want to send a big thank you everyone who wrote in with suggestions, and extra kudos to my "arch-nemesis" Philip Shropshire of the excellent Three Rivers Online for going so far as to set up a refuge site for me. You'll also notice that I now have a donation button over there on on the side, where one could (if so inclined) make a small offering to this humble site.

In fact I'll go so far as to call this a fund drive...

Eye of the Goof links to Jay Pinkerton's raunchy retelling of the origin of Superman.

McFarlane Toys has a new feature on the upcoming second line of Conan figures. You gotta admit the King Conan on a throne is pretty sweet.

James Patrick Kelly's latest On The Net column at Asimov's calls for the Hugo Awards to create a number of website categories, and makes recommendations for each. No, yours truly is not mentioned, but our friends at SF Signal are.

Sunday, March 13

Got to see the 2005 edition of The Animation Show last night. Highlights include the night-marish Ward 13, the new Bill Plympton toon Guard Dog, Blur Studio's SF vignette Rockfish (QT File), and the disturbing Fallen Art. Highly recommended.

Saturday, March 12

Hop aboard the Mystery Train: In comics you've got The Mysterymen, Mister Mystery, Mystery Incorporated, Mysterio, and Mister E. There's also The Mysterons, The Mysterians, Question Mark and the Mysterians, Rey Mysterio Jr, Madam Mysteria, and "Big Daddy" Roth's Mysterion '63. And we can't forget Mystery Meat. Are you ready for your Mystery Date?