Where to begin?

In fairness to no one other than myself, I do tend to keep an awful lot of my editorializing to myself.  For example, when Fox TV announced that there would be more cases explored on The X-Files in 2016, I didn't think it boded well to have Chris Carter back at the helm.  Yes, I realize "It's his baby," but I also realize he was largely responsible for raising the child poorly.  The latest revisitation in prime time really only underscored to me how Mr. Carter might be better served to move along, let bygones be bygones, and maybe do like George Lucas has done in surrendering the keys to the kingdom to essentially "the next generation" for storytelling purposes.

Furthermore, I was one of the lone hold-outs saying that Walt Disney's selection of JJ Abrams to continue those adventures "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" likewise didn't inspire confidence.  As I've often said about JJ, he turns in some of the most interesting eye candy this side of Steven Spielberg (after anything done in the late 80's), but his stories are pure narrative garbage.  Now, I'll admit I did have "fun" with Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (even now, I can't begin to tell you how much I despise the title!), but -- fun aside -- I today consider it little more than "a sterling bowl of puke."  (Sorry, wifey, but I gotta call it the way I see it.)

... and that brings me to Justin Lin.

First, there's absolutely nothing wrong with his Fast and Furious franchise.  Auto films have traditionally been some quality popcorn entertainment.  For any number of reasons, flicks of that sort are packed with some terrific visceral thrills, and -- while I haven't seen all installments -- I can certainly understand why they've performed so well at the box office, especially given a mainstream's audience ability to stay focused only so long as there's pounding music, hot chicks, acceptable hunks, and fast fast cars.

Second, anyone familiar with that franchise knows that its stories and characters have been allowed to evolve (not so much in individual films but over the course of the franchise).  New players have been brought in.  The stakes have been raised.  Bad guys morphed into good guys (or maybe that's really "bad boys morphed into even badder ones").  The formula has been tinkered with creatively, but -- at the end of the day -- the property respects what it wants to be and with great precision continues to be that.

Now ... I'm all for things being fast and furious ... but for the life of me I keep seeing this motorcycle, and that does not bode well.

I don't care that it's written by Simon Pegg.  Yes, he's crafted some interesting stuff, but he's also crafted some not so interesting stuff.  I 'get' that he's a Trek enthusiast (my term, not his), but I've yet really to see any 'respect' from him for the franchise.  Instead, his approach tends to be much like JJ's: "I'm all for making a film I want to see, and maybe that isn't what the fan base wants."

Seriously, Paramount?  Is this motorcycle so important to Star Trek, its legacy, and -- dare I say -- its future that it must continue to thumb its nose at diehard fans?  I get that you don't like us.  I get that you wish we'd go away.  And, yes, I get that you'd rather see us in court (Google the whole Axanar issue) than with our butts in the seats ... but is that the message of inclusion you want to sell?

Apparently, CBS doesn't believe enough in televised Star Trek any more to even risk it on the boob tube as the next incarnation will only get a 'premiere' on the network but then will immediately switch over to a monthly pay service where you even have to sit through commercials for a price.  How sad is that?

I'm all for going boldly in new directions, but -- if I'm required to take a motorbike -- maybe what Dr. McCoy said so long ago really is accurate:

​"It's dead, Jim."

Well ...

Truth is I never was that big a fan of Lost In Space, but somehow I think that Kendra Wilkinson's "homage" (if you want to call it that) will probably have the late, great Irwin Allen rolling over in his grave.  (I know it would me.)  Will her fans even know the franchise exists?  Or will they storm the web asking if this is the start of some new SciFi property?

Naturally, it doesn't help that the song is just -- ahem -- about as close to wretched as can be ... but, as they say, it is what it is.

Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!

Book Review: Crisis of Consciousness (Star Trek: The Original Series)
Author: Dave Galanter

I've heard it said that the dirty little secret to penning franchise novels is that it's never all that easy to impress the fans.  For example, the author has to get the characters right or the entire affair ends up feeling more like some bloated piece of fanfiction than it does a legitimate novel.  And there's also the technology (many call it technobabble), which does tend to fuel a lot of fandom's fascination with particular properties.  Of course, there's always the historical canon any storyteller has to keep in mind: you mistake one world for another, and a whole cavalry of readers will never, ever forgive you.

Dave Galanter’s STAR TREK: CRISIS OF CONSCIOUSNESS is a solid entry into the ever-growing franchise of Star Trek books, though some might find the set-up a bit slow and the resolution a bit (perhaps) too quick for any number of reasons.  Still, unlike so many of the entries in Trek pages over the past decade, it earns strong points for capturing the essence of the TOS Era, giving the trinity of Kirk, Bones, and Spock some of the finest exchanges they’ve seen in print.
 
Essentially, Galanter sets up the premise of yet another Vulcan-spinoff species – the Kenisians – coming to prominence in the Alpha Quadrant at a time when the Federation is on the cusp of sealing up a new treaty with the Maabas, a peace-loving race if ever there were one in Trek.  The Kenisians have a bone to chew with the Maabas relating to a centuries old feud that ends up being more than a bit misdirected, but that doesn’t mean Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise won’t have to man-up and set things right before the Kenisians risk using some ancient weapons technology to destroy much of settled space.
 
What works here are the characters.  Scribe Galanter does a solid job of putting everyone aboard the Enterprise through their paces, including a few rarely seen faces who made guest appearances on the original show.  (I always love it when writers mine oft-overlooked folks as it draws long-time fans, such as myself, more easily into the fray.)  There are a few action sequences which harkens back to the ‘feel’ of those televised 1960’s adventures, so kudos for putting in the time and effort to “get it right” (as they say).
 
What I personally struggled with, however, were two major bones of contention: (A) there’s a late-breaking development involving some space pirates that – while occasionally humorous – smacked more of a writer’s invention than it did any wholly organic to the plot; and (B) Galanter seems to think that Vulcans can just perform the Vulcan mind meld fairly willy-nilly one right after the other.  While Trek TOS canon doesn’t go to great lengths in exploring this form of mind ‘invasion,’ I’m pretty sure that even Gene Roddenberry himself might’ve cried out “Whoa, Nellie” to the author’s few dozen in a row as Spock would more likely have been reduced to quivering mental jelly after the first six.  (I won’t divulge why, but let’s just say it relates to the book’s title, a kinda/sorta play on words.)
 
Still, there was much more to like than there was to dislike, and – as I said – it was by far one of the more interesting Trek reads I’ve had the good fortune to explore in quite some time.  If you’re as much a Trek enthusiast as I am, then there’s plenty to love in seeking out and exploring this particular ‘Crisis.’

Think what you may but so very many of us find the original Star Wars to be the absolute pinnacle of movie magic.  So much has been written about it -- and so much as has been said -- but there's a forthcoming documentary that looks to revisit the magic from the perspective of the everyday workers.  You know the ones?  The ones who toiled behind-the-scenes or only briefly walked across a sound stage, perhaps hidden under a Stormtrooper's helmet.  It's called Elstree 1976 (a reference to the studio's name), and here's the web link in case you're interested in finding it playing at a theatre near you.

Link

Naturally, I encourage you to check out the trailer above, and feel free to sound off in the comments section below.

Happy Monday, peeps, and welcome to a new week!  I'll be in and out of the blog this week as I'm doing some traveling later, but something caught my eye this morning and I thought it relevant to spout off a few words.  I read (yet another) brief interview from X-Files' creator Chris Carter about whether or not his baby -- The X-Files -- would be back for more on Fox TV, and he pretty much said the usual (paraphrasing "Fox wants it, Duchovny wants it, Anderson wants it, so yeah") without really being committal.

When I'd read that Fox was bringing back X for a heavily truncated tenth season, I was one of the few and proud who honestly thought, "No way."  So far as I was concerned, sure, it would be great to have Mulder and Scully back for another go'round, but I'd much rather they spend the time, effort, and money to make another theatrical entry.  Another bout on television really seemed more like a 'been there, done that' idea to me (unless, of course, there were plans for a re-launch along the lines of an X-Files: The Next Generation program, which could have merit).

Also, dare I say that I wasn't all that much of a fan of Carter being the head honcho in charge of a Season 10 effort?  So much of where the show went downhill in my estimation came from Carter's own tinkerings to kinda/sorta undo the established mythology for the purposes of what felt so very much like trying to extend the shelf-life of ideas he'd already stripped down and repackaged in multiple episodes if not multiple arcs: what new could he bring to the table?

The so-called 10th season aired, and (again I hate to say it) I was one of the few and the proud who wasn't impressed.  Don't get me wrong: the relaunch had some nice moments, but they were spread out too far and too few to my liking.  Duchovny and Anderson did pretty well about slipping back into the personas they helped craft over the previous nine seasons; but the stories that made up these six episodes just felt half-baked ... until Mulder got full-baked on screen (which was good for the laughs but just seemed like an 'insert' to this long-time X-Phile).

So, yeah, I wasn't impressed.  I know so, so many ate it up.  I just didn't.

In any event, Carter and company are still hoping to go back to the well and (presumably) deliver some follow-up to the cliffhanger they ended the program on.  Even that felt to me like it was an attempt to guarantee he'd get money for more installments ... but if that's the last I see of Mulder and Scully any time soon then I'm okay with it.

When it comes to discussing Star Wars, what's to honestly be said that hasn't already been said?

For generations of viewers, it's the movie that changed the way movies were made, marketed, and even maligned.  (After all, nothing compares to Star Wars, right?)  It's a ongoing saga that touched so many of us that it's even been christened with its own holiday, unofficial though 'May the Fourth Be With You' may be.  It's shared and celebrated among both the young and old, and -- with the Lucasfilm sale to Walt Disney a few years back -- it's been packaged and plundered to ensure that stories set within its burgeoning framework will continue to delight and distract hungry audiences for decades to come.

The inside tale on the making of the original film -- the one that's been since re-titled "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" -- is its own story within a story, and I won't recount it here, though I'll definitely encourage die-hard fans to get to know the straight skinny as it's equally fascinating. Suffice it to say that back then the only person who really believed it was indeed "somethin' special" was its creator, George Lucas, and thank the stars that he and those around him at the time persevered as the end results continue to amaze moviegoers with each and every chapter.

Like so many of you, yes, I remember where I was when I saw the first installment; and, no doubt, I'll take those memories with me 'til I become one with the Force.  And like so many of you I'll continue to celebrate its characters and its worlds -- the good, the bad, and the ugly -- until I'm old and gray ... for no longer a Padawan will I be.

In that spirit, take a moment today to celebrate Luke.  Celebrate Han.  Celebrate Leia.  Celebrate Chewbacca.  Celebrate Obi-wan or Qui-Gon or even Watto if that's your thing.  Imagine what it would be like to fly your very own X-Wing or command your very own Star Destroyer.  Wave your pencil through the air, and make the hum of the lightsaber.  Join the Rebellion once more or serve the Empire, if you will, and maybe -- just maybe -- even give JarJar a chance.

For the Force is strong with us.  Feel it flowing between you and me and the monitor before you.  It'll continue to be strong so long as you just believe.

Enjoy your Fourth, peeps ... and thanks for reading!

One of my good friends in the wide, wide world of media just made me aware of the SciFi property, Andron, that'll be hitting theatres in New York and Los Angeles on June 3.  Here's the straight skinny on the plot details:

In the year 2154, a group of young men and women awake in a dark claustrophobic maze. They don't remember who they are or how they got stuck inthe Black Labyrinth of ANDRON. The group must learn to decipher codes, understand the  signals  and beat the  tests in  this mysterious  and  bizarre  place.  Out of  necessity  they  struggle toform a bond to survive, while the outside world watches and wagers on their fate.

According to the production details, the flick stars Alec Baldwin (not a fan), Danny Glover (meh, not much of a fan these days), and the ever-lovely Michelle Ryan.  You remember Michelle Ryan, don't you?  She was the Bionic Woman in that program's short-lived reboot, and she also had an appearance aboard the BBC's Doctor Who alongside no less than David Tennant.

​Check out the preview above, and -- as always -- thanks for reading!

Hey, peeps!  As they love to say in Hollywood: "I'm back, baby!  I'm back!"

Truth is: I never really went anywhere.  Longtime readers here at SciFiHistory.Net -- the internet's hardest working SciFi blog -- know that I've never been a huge fan of the mainpage whatnot.  I post things here and there, but -- all in all -- it's the daily stuff I've always tried to put my blood, sweat, and tears into.  However, somewhere back in (roughly) October of last year, a very good friend of my lovely wife asked if I'd be willing to do a contract position for a few months, and it was such a great opportunity I really couldn't pass it up.  As things tend to happen, two months became four months ... then five ... and, well, you guessed it.  It stretched out to be a bit longer.  Good for me, right?  And great for them!

However, now I'm back at it.

Still, there's usually 'Bad News' with the 'Good News,' and the 'Bad News' is that it looks like my desktop PC decided to putter out on me.  Not sure what the rumpus is, but it's acting as if Windows may've been buggered with all of those 'Hey, Please Update To Windows 10' messages (which I didn't do), and now I'm having some recovery problems.  Mostly, this affects my graphics files.  I do have a laptop, but it's somewhat elderly.  My wife has told me it's OK to invest in a new one, so -- when I get around to that -- I'll get back to the spiffy visuals everyone expects of SciFiHistory.Net.  In the meantime?  Well ... squares will be the best you get!  Haha!

I have been updating the daily shots (for those of you who've missed it), and I'll continue plugging away -- even in obscurity -- all for the sake of my own and Science Fiction's posterity.

So -- without further ado -- here's the link for today's highlights:

http://www.scifihistory.net/may-3.html

​As always, feel free to sound off in the Comments.