Search found 137 matches

by caliban
Sat Mar 08, 2008 6:52 pm
Forum: Literature and Cinema
Topic: Fantasy universes and worlds
Replies: 40
Views: 256369

When you're finished with Master and Margarita I'll be curious about your final verdict. I'll reserve mine until then. It did seem almost word-for-word, except for the very end, where it seemed to add some extraneous material. Some of it I would have to check against the text. I'll have to get the T...
by caliban
Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:03 am
Forum: Musings and Chats
Topic: Tell the Spartans...
Replies: 24
Views: 155532

Congratulations on both!
by caliban
Sun Feb 03, 2008 3:36 am
Forum: The Poetry and Prose of Science and Science Fiction
Topic: Icarus Beach: a teaser
Replies: 16
Views: 136579

More good news: Locus magazine's 2007 recommended reading list includes "Icarus Beach." Only two stories out of Analog last year made it.

Woo-hoo!

Now I gotta finish those other stories and send them out.
by caliban
Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:08 pm
Forum: Literature and Cinema
Topic: Science fiction/fantasy film recommendations
Replies: 21
Views: 180873

I agree the film was a disappointment -- far from Jackson's LotR films and from Cuaron's and Newell's Potter films, which brought at least a spark to the viewing process. We really loved the books, but the film is such a wet blanket that I doubt we'll even get the DVD. And to nuance the response to ...
by caliban
Wed Jan 16, 2008 12:27 pm
Forum: The Poetry and Prose of Science and Science Fiction
Topic: Of the Sith: An Essay
Replies: 9
Views: 93715

In both the Jedi doctrine and the Christian precepts, there seems to be an important bias against strong emotions. My guess would be that Lucas took this not from Christianity but rather from Buddhism, which in many forms also preaches detachment and, again in simplistic terms, against strong emoti...
by caliban
Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:04 am
Forum: The Poetry and Prose of Science and Science Fiction
Topic: Of the Sith: An Essay
Replies: 9
Views: 93715

Eloise, Christianity understandably arouses strong emotions in many people, both positive and negative, from swooning devotion to anger, because of its complex history. In particular people who have a strong negative reaction to Christianity certainly have good reason, because of the many black mark...
by caliban
Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:14 pm
Forum: The Poetry and Prose of Science and Science Fiction
Topic: Of the Sith: An Essay
Replies: 9
Views: 93715

Thanks for a thought-provoking essay. I think as I get more experienced, if not wiser, the "pure evil" villains become not only less interesting but also less believable. In Harry Potter, Voldemort was frankly less compelling and frightening than Dolores Umbridge, because there are Umbridg...
by caliban
Sat Jan 12, 2008 11:50 pm
Forum: The Poetry and Prose of Science and Science Fiction
Topic: Icarus Beach: a teaser
Replies: 16
Views: 136579

good reviews

"Icarus Beach" has garnered some good reviews. Most important to me is Gardner Dozois saying he almost included it in his Year's Best Science Fiction anthology: If I'd had just a little more room, I would have used "Icarus Beach," which struck me as the best story in ANALOG this ...
by caliban
Mon Dec 31, 2007 5:46 pm
Forum: Musings and Chats
Topic: Happy New Year
Replies: 2
Views: 33964

Happy New Year

Happy 2008 to everyone. May it bring health, happiness, and peace to all of you and to the whole world.
by caliban
Sat Dec 15, 2007 1:32 pm
Forum: The Poetry and Prose of Science and Science Fiction
Topic: Creationism, Intelligent Design, and Evolution
Replies: 33
Views: 236006

Excellent and useful analysis of the Gonzalez case. In particular, there were three damning items: 1. Gonzalez's publications had fallen off; none of his students finished their degrees; he had failed to get grants. All of which justify not giving tenure. 2. Gonzalez included his book "The Priv...
by caliban
Sat Dec 08, 2007 11:14 am
Forum: The Poetry and Prose of Science and Science Fiction
Topic: Creationism, Intelligent Design, and Evolution
Replies: 33
Views: 236006

Yet another outrage

Here is another news item to get upset about. The director for science curriculum in Texas was forced to resign for forwarding a notice about an anti-creationism talk. Read the article here , (and especially the memorandum therein attacking Ms. Comer) for details, but in essence the accusation is th...
by caliban
Fri Nov 02, 2007 8:25 pm
Forum: The Poetry and Prose of Science and Science Fiction
Topic: The Two Cultures of Science Fiction
Replies: 1
Views: 35062

The Two Cultures of Science Fiction

People here might find this interesting: On The Fix, an online SF review site, there is an essay on the divide between "hard" and "soft" SF , made in analogy to C.P. Snow's classic lecture/essay on The Two Cultures (science and the humanities). This essay was written in large par...
by caliban
Thu Oct 11, 2007 3:09 pm
Forum: Literature and Cinema
Topic: Doris Lessing wins the Nobel Prize for Literature!
Replies: 2
Views: 38708

Doris Lessing wins the Nobel Prize for Literature!

Her "Canopus in Argos" series used a lot of SF tropes, and in interviews she has defended SF both in its classic form and for its social vision. (see http://www.dorislessing.org/boston.html ) HB: You're also open to science fiction, and write about how parochial literary fiction is by comp...
by caliban
Thu Oct 11, 2007 12:08 am
Forum: The Poetry and Prose of Science and Science Fiction
Topic: Icarus Beach: a teaser
Replies: 16
Views: 136579

It's here!

www.analogsf.com

There is even more of the story posted online... Plus the cover!!
by caliban
Sat Oct 06, 2007 1:12 pm
Forum: Musings and Chats
Topic: Happy Birthday Athena!
Replies: 12
Views: 91991

Man, nobody keeps me informed about these things! Where's a good time machine when you need it?

Happy birthday, belated, and many more!

Calvin