Born on this day in 1916, Arthur C. Clarke is renowned around the world for his written works in science fiction. Most folks are familiar with his series of books involving the world of "2001: A Space Odyssey," but Clarke's "Rendezvous with Rama" (1972) and "The Fountains of Paradise" (1979) have the distinction of winning both the Nebula and Hugo Awards for Best Novel in the respective years when they were eligible. Additionally, he was a driving force behind three television programs investigating paranormal phenomenon despite becoming a skeptic to things that go bump in the night later on in his life.
Though he's no longer with us today, his words live on to inspire no doubt many generations that will follow.
Though he's no longer with us today, his words live on to inspire no doubt many generations that will follow.
As much as I was modestly entertained by that newfangled Battlestar Galactica, I really enjoyed the charm and chemistry of the original players far more. (So sue me!) The original's Colonel Tigh was played by Terry Carter (above left), and Carter was born on this day in 1928.
If you're a legitimate sci-fi fan, you may recognize the face ... but you'll definitely know the name. Philip K. Dick because a published author in 1952, and, after that, he produced an astonishing amount of material throughout the next three decades. Despite his amazing record, he was often known to scrape from one writing assignment to the next, mostly because he worked for some low-paying publishers who paid little more than an advance fee for whatever he was penning. However, he achieved a bit of financial security when the producers of Blade Runner -- who co-opted his premise from "Do Androids Dream Electric Sheep?" -- paid him a respectable premium for the rights. Sadly, he never saw the film as he died not long before it premiered.
Though he's no longer with us, Dick was born on this day in 1928.
Though he's no longer with us, Dick was born on this day in 1928.
Funny lady Joyce Bulifant strutted her comic stuff in a recurring guest spot aboard TV's Weird Science, a spin-off of the movie of the same name. Bulifant was born on this day in 1937.
Another long-time veteran of the big and small screen is actor Terence Knox. He's made appearances in such genre hits as V, The Twilight Zone (updated version), Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, SeaQuest 2032, and The Burning Zone. Knox was born on this day in 1946.
Veteran character actor Ben Cross brought a welcome splash of gravitas to playing Sarek in JJ Abrams' rebooted Star Trek (2009). Cross was born on this day in 1947.
Xander Berkeley has one of those faces you recognize, and that's mostly because he's had appearances in all kinds of films and TV shows, including Gattaca, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and The X-Files. Berkeley was born on this day in 1955, and he has to be one of the hardest working people in the showbiz.
Screenwriter Shane Black briefly got the chance to play onscreen as Hawkins in 1987's Predator and again as Donnelly in 1993's Robocop 3. Otherwise he can be found behind-the-screen occasionally even directing (2013's Iron Man 3). Black was born on this day in 1961.
While he's certainly not well known for his work in the realm of Science Fiction, Jon Tenney has still managed to squeeze in small roles aboard Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Radio Free Albemuth (2010), and DC Comic's Green Lantern (2010). Tenney was born on this day in 1961.
The great Melanie Smith has attached herself to some quality genre properties. Star Trek fans probably know her best for playing the Cardassian Ziyal (above left) aboard Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but she's also had roles in Trancers III (1992), The Adventures of Brisco County Jr., and UPN's Nowhere Man. Smith was born on this day in 1962.
In 2008, Benjamin Bratt helped headline a remake of the SciFi classic The Andromeda Strain for the A&E Network. Bratt was born on this day in 1963.
The lovely Miranda Otto -- best known for her turn as Eowyn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy -- also crossed over into the sci-fi genre with a brief appearance in Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds (2005). Otto was born on this day in 1967.
Though her IMDB.com profile makes it appear that she's possibly retired from the acting business, Christina Cabot did make an appearance in the Marvel cinematic universe: she played Major Kathleen Sparr in 2008's The Incredible Hulk. Cabot was born on this day in 1969.
Jonathan Scarfe (above center) chewed scenery as the commanding survivor aboard Syfy's Van Helsing in its inaugural season on the popular cable network. Scarfe was born on this day in 1975.
Good looker Krysten Ritter headlines Marvel's Jessica Jones on Netflix for the streaming service (sorry, but I'm not up on that franchise). Ritter was born on this day in 1981.
Hunky Theo James helped Shailene Woodley take charge in 2014's Divergent and its 2015 sequel Insurgent. IMDB.com reports that his character, Four, is onboard for the franchise. James was born on this day in 1984.
Though she's probably better remembered right now for her work in The Chronicles of Narnia saga, Anna Popplewell did have a prominent role aboard Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn (2012). Popplewell was born on this day in 1988.
It isn't every day that SciFiHistory.Net gets a featured a SciFi/Musical, and thank goodness for that 'cause I hate musicals ... but on this day back in 1986 (in Japan), Vicious Lips came alive on the silver screen. This sprang from the mind of B-Movie master Albert Pyun, and here's the plot summary from IMDB.com:
"A band finally gets the opportunity for that breakthrough gig if they can make it to an "in" club on another planet in time."
"A band finally gets the opportunity for that breakthrough gig if they can make it to an "in" club on another planet in time."
Lest we forget that Science Fiction from time to time truly embraces its campy roots, let me remind readers that Beach Babes from Beyond found an audience on this day back in 1993. Here's the premise from IMDB.com:
"An intergalactic babe borrows her dad's T-bird ship to do a little planet-hopping with her two friends, but they run out of fuel unexpectedly, and must land on Earth. They land on the California coast, where they have fun and a few close encounters with some guys. One of the guys' Uncle Bud, who just wants to meditate and hang out, is being threatened with condemnation of his beach house unless he puts some money into repairs. The alien babes offer to enter the bikini contest with their way-out designs to try and win the money he needs, but they are hampered by the garment designer who will stop at nothing to win."
"An intergalactic babe borrows her dad's T-bird ship to do a little planet-hopping with her two friends, but they run out of fuel unexpectedly, and must land on Earth. They land on the California coast, where they have fun and a few close encounters with some guys. One of the guys' Uncle Bud, who just wants to meditate and hang out, is being threatened with condemnation of his beach house unless he puts some money into repairs. The alien babes offer to enter the bikini contest with their way-out designs to try and win the money he needs, but they are hampered by the garment designer who will stop at nothing to win."
On this day in 1994 (in Germany), the SciFi/Crime thriller New Crime City was released. It starred Rick Rossovich and Sherrie Rose, and here's the plot summary from IMDB.com:
"In the year 2005, the government has sealed off Los Angeles and turned the city into a massive prison called Crime Zone. Criminal Tony Ricks is given one last chance. In exchange for his life and a chance at freedom, he must journey into the Crime Zone to recover a deadly biochemical device threatening the entire world."
"In the year 2005, the government has sealed off Los Angeles and turned the city into a massive prison called Crime Zone. Criminal Tony Ricks is given one last chance. In exchange for his life and a chance at freedom, he must journey into the Crime Zone to recover a deadly biochemical device threatening the entire world."
For all intents and purposes, I think Walt Disney's real experiment begins right here with the theatrical debut of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016). The Force Awakens built on some already established characters and expanded the existing mythology in such a way as to draw in established fans; even writer/director JJ Abrams' went so far as to say that film was meant to be made specifically for the fans. Rogue One, by comparison, branches off into its own corner of the George Lucas universe. Here's the film's plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"The Rebellion makes a risky move to steal the plans for the Death Star, setting up the epic saga to follow."
"The Rebellion makes a risky move to steal the plans for the Death Star, setting up the epic saga to follow."
- For my thoughts on Rogue One, follow the link right here.
On this day in 1959, Men Into Space aired "First Woman on the Moon." This served as the eleventh episode in the program's only season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"It is decided to conduct an experiment to see if women could handle the rigors of spaceflight and living on the Moon. The plan is to send a woman to the Moon for 90 days. Initially she doesn't cope very well through a lack of training or projects to complete. Eventually she comes up with a novel set of activities to try and show her value to the mission."
"It is decided to conduct an experiment to see if women could handle the rigors of spaceflight and living on the Moon. The plan is to send a woman to the Moon for 90 days. Initially she doesn't cope very well through a lack of training or projects to complete. Eventually she comes up with a novel set of activities to try and show her value to the mission."
"A Most Unusual Camera" exploited the popular 'What if?' motif so common to the best of The Twilight Zone's episodes. The program first aired on this day in 1960, and it featured three crooks who find a camera with the uncanny ability to photograph the future.
On this day in 1966, The Time Tunnel aired the fourteenth episode of its only season. "Night of the Long Knives" saw the agents meeting up with Rudyard Kipling, while their counterparts in the future are experiencing technical difficulties finding where and when the men have disappeared!
On this day in 1981, The Greatest American Hero aired "The Lost Diablo." This served as the seventh episode to the program's second season, and here's the plot summary from IMDB.com:
"Bill learns of a lost gold mine and tricks Ralph and the kids into helping him search for it."
"Bill learns of a lost gold mine and tricks Ralph and the kids into helping him search for it."
On this day in 1998, UPN's Seven Days aired "Sleepers." This served as the tenth episode of the program's first season, and here's the plot summary from IMDB.com:
"Several Agents are hypnotized into killing highly important Scientists then committing suicide after the murders. Frank is sent back to stop the man hypnotizing them, known as 'Father.'"
"Several Agents are hypnotized into killing highly important Scientists then committing suicide after the murders. Frank is sent back to stop the man hypnotizing them, known as 'Father.'"
On this day in 1998, Star Trek: Voyager pitted the crew of the Voyager against a race of telepathic aliens who control a particular region of space.
On this day in 2013, Fox TV's Almost Human aired its sixth episode. The adventure was titled Arrhythmia, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Kennex and Dorian respond to a suspicious death at a hospital where - before having a fatal cardiac arrest - a man claimed someone was trying to kill him, and inexplicably knew his exact time of death. As the investigation unfolds, a black market for vital organs is uncovered in which bio-mechanical hearts can be resold and remotely "shut off." As the team fights to find the pulse of this 2048 tech-centric crime, Dorian reconnects with a decommissioned DRN."
"Kennex and Dorian respond to a suspicious death at a hospital where - before having a fatal cardiac arrest - a man claimed someone was trying to kill him, and inexplicably knew his exact time of death. As the investigation unfolds, a black market for vital organs is uncovered in which bio-mechanical hearts can be resold and remotely "shut off." As the team fights to find the pulse of this 2048 tech-centric crime, Dorian reconnects with a decommissioned DRN."
On this day in 2014, Syfy aired Part 2 of its ambitious SciFi miniseries Ascension. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the summary for this installment:
"Lorelei's killer is exposed, while the truth behind Ascension's purpose is revealed."
"Lorelei's killer is exposed, while the truth behind Ascension's purpose is revealed."
