TalkCast 30 – The Lovely Jess Hartley ReturnsIn a week of interesting genre news, we talked about Flash Forwards’ dwindling numbers. Kick Ass opened and many camps had thier say on good, bad, but no one was indifferent. Joss gets to do a movie with no vamps or cowboy spaceships. Joinning us for the entire show is the charming Jess Hartley. We spent a good amount f time talking about her “Shattered Glass” project. It is such a wonderful idea.
Join us and enjoy!
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Talkcast 29 – A Special half Hour with Chris GoldenIn this Cast we sit down with show favorite Chris Golden to talk about some new projects, Boston ComiCon, Amber Benson and whatever else came along. Chris has been a friend of the show for 6 years and one of our most fun guets. Join us for an unstructured half hour of good conversation.
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Talkcast 28-Boston ComiConTonight we talked about so many thing. It was a rambling affair as we had completed day one of the Boston Con and were totally exhausted. Harrison Ford is going to be in Cowboys & Aliens. Yeehaw! Spielberg developing “future earth” series with discovery. Steven Spielberg to Discover Future Earth.
The Gift going to be made into full length film. The new Doctor Who gets a Hell Yes!
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Trivia For 5.1.10Name the character and actress who was Conner’s mother in the comments to win an exclusive copy of Robin Sloan’s book Anabelle Scheme.
RAH – The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
Mycroft Holmes a computer, Manuel Garcia O’Kelly as a technician and Wyoming Knott as the love interest on a Botany Bay adventure on the Moon. These are but a few of the main characters in this, one of RAH’s best kept secrets. As a guidebook for libertarians, Heinlein brings us a cautionary tale rich in characters and setting and delightful in a cautionary future history.
In 1966, there was enough reason for pessimism. A quick snapshot of the world shows revolution in many disparate forms and RAH brought it to a focus by looking backward to penal colonies of our collective past and extrapolating a future of universal struggle not only on Terra but also on Luna, seen through the eyes of Loonies….. oh, and a self aware super computer.
This novel is one of many in which RAH gives personality to a computer and treats technology as a full partner in tomorrow. Mike Holmes endearing as we the reader watch him grow and mature and become an integral part of the Lunar Revolution and eventually its hero. A quick, seductive and thoroughly enjoyable read, this book is certainly one of my personal favorites.
Keep reading, kids!
Trivia for 4.24.10Answer the following question in the comments to win a copy of “Star Wars Breakbeats” by DJ Suckadelic.
Which actress plays the Red Mist’s mother in KICK-ASS, and which superheroine did she used to play?
RAH – I Will Fear No Evil
In the continuing quest to bring to our readers some of Heinlein’s works, I have decided to focus today on one of his most misunderstood ones (second only to Starship Troopers). In this novel, one written during the latter half of his prolific career, the reader is faced with a series of moral, ethical, and medical dilemmas. In doing this RAH forces the reader to either make certain assumptions or fight against the author the entire time. The premise itself is a simplistic question, where does “self” reside; is it in the mind, the root of intelligence or in the body, the root of all being at the cellular level?
The paradox is discussed within the mind of the protagonist, whose brain has been transplanted into the body of the “other” main character. The duologue between them gives you, the reader, the option to form one of 2 conclusions. One, two separate selves can coexist within one body; or two, there is only one persona alive and it is insane, trying to cope with a situation far beyond its ability. Unlike earlier incarnations of this theme, where the murderous hand of a killer is transplanted on the arms of an unwilling innocent in need of a transplant, this is handled with both a wry humor and skilled storytelling, making the most absurd situations seem more than normal, all within the framework of a dystopian future and a society gone well off kilter.
This is Dome sayin’: Read it, you might actually enjoy the experience.
Charity Auction for Jeanne RobinsonEdit 5.8.2010
Bid on our items now at: Dream for Jeanne Auctions
Edit 4.28.2010
Added the 25th item, DJ Sucklord’s CD.
Edit 4.23.2010: If you would like to add a link on your site to this post in order to help promote the auction, you can use this code:
<a href=”http://www.scifisaturdaynight.com/?p=972″ target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.scifisaturdaynight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/SFSN_charity_auction-copy.jpg” alt=”” /></a>
which results in:
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If you haven’t heard (and by “haven’t heard” I mean “are living under a rock”) or have just joined us, on May 8th we are extremely grateful to have booked the renowned author, Spider Robinson, for our Robert A. Heinlein special. Unfortunately Spider’s wife Jeanne has cancer. As we all know, being ill can be quite pricey and we wanted to do something to help. Instead of raising a small sum of money from our listeners and giving it to the Robinsons we came up with a better idea that could include a great number of people in the community who expressed an immediate desire to be part of our efforts.
HeinleinFor the next few weeks, I will be posting about some of the works of Robert Anson Heinlein, as a run up to our special podcast on May 8th. This podcast will be the Second in our series of Authors Retrospectives, in which we will try to bring a cohesive sense to the body of work of the chosen Author. As we did with Philip K. Dick a few months ago, this next special will bring in author Spider Robinson, who will be able to bring his unique perspective to the man and the Grand Master that was RAH. Our intent in these author retrospectives is to bring to the current public many lost authors, stories and a unique look at the past future.
Heinlein was a personal favorite of mine growing up. His stories were part of what was, at the time, referred to as juvenile fiction; a tag that in retrospect was a misnomer at its very core. From his earliest works to his final notes, Heinlein was a true original. His works span a history of our lives in both fact and fiction and his Grumbles From The Grave, is one of the more endearing books I have ever had the pleasure to read.
One of the first books I ever read by RAH was a collection of two novellas, which seem to have always been linked, Waldo & Magic, Inc. In these two stories, he takes the reader in 2 divergent directions, into two completely different futures. In “Waldo,” we are given a glimpse of the redemption of man through science. In “Magic,Inc.”, we see a future in which the private detective/sorcerer is a revered profession. Read them if you can take the time. See the infinite possibilities that Heinlein had to offer us. Over the coming weeks, I will be posting suggestions for you to read, and books I hope to talk about in the podcast on May 8th. In a world of constant acceleration, read. It’s worth the effort.
This is The Dome, sayin’: Recognize that what he wrote in 1940 that has come true today.
Trivia for 4.17.10Answer the following question in the comments to win a flip folder courtesy of SheldonShirts!
What is the name of the science fiction film with a dystopian future starring Bruce Dern and Huey Dewey and Louie?
