I Came, I Gamed, It Reigned

Hello lovelies! Blossomsoft Games made something yummy. You should taste it. Really. It's the most fun I've had in rpg yet - and you know how much I play ;)

Eternal Eden is a hit, and (great news!) Elder, its intrepid designer, just announced an Eternal Eden II! I drool. If it's just a repeat with a slightly different story line, I'll still be thrilled. The humor, the mind games, the pretty pictures - it's just like crack for crows (a great band name, btw). I kid.

If you haven't played yet and you want to, go here. Elder is very accommodating. If you have Vista issues, he has a fix. Trust me - I have issues. He was great! And if you're an "I don't want to do it all by myself" gamer, there's one of the best walkthroughs I've ever read, thanks to over_cloud9, waiting to accompany you ;)

Kickin Gaming!

Watchmen: The Things a Hubby Noticed

{{{SPOILERS!}}}



The first comment he made: "If I see another schlong, I'm outta here."

His biggest beef: "The "heroes" offed a bunch of innocents and pointed fingers at the wrong guy."

Followed closely by: "They killed the best character in the end!"

One redeeming quality: "Blow-Your-Mind fight scenes!"

Secret redeeming quality: "Hot chick - Hot sex scene."


This is what happens when my hubby sees a movie before me. Did I warn him it was based on a graphic novel and would be too weird for him. Yes. He could've seen Taken or whatever. Does he ever listen to my movie advice? Uhmm, No.

Could he have a point reguardless?

Yes. Yes he could.

The Dark Side of Description: Evil Adjectives In Sci-Fi

Adjectives can be evil in any genre. Evil adjectives are never more powerful than Lightside adjectives, but they are the easier, more beckoning. *wink, wink* There are certain modifiers that should, in this bloggers opinion, get the user flogged if used in science fiction. Whether you are a fan fic newbie or an award-winning author - please, I beg you, stay away from the darkside of description!

As lists seem to be required in all blog entries now, here's mine - Five descriptions that should never be seen in science fiction literature:


*

1. "Futuristic City." Ouch. If the characters travel in time and land in the future, any city they land in will be a "futuristic" city. Description of places yet to be seen should feel organic. Is there pink grass in this future? Are all the buildings topped with minarets? This, by the way, goes for any future object, spaceship, ray gun, etc. Is it dusty, rusty, musty - throw a reader a bone!




2. "Metal Robots." Ermmm - duh. A robot automatically portrays a thing made of metal. The only reason to stick a one word adjective in front of the word "robots", is to differentiate from that preconception. How about organic robots or ceramic robots? Robots made of individualized heavy water molecules, Eh? If the point is that these bots are shiny and silver then say so. Can you type "C-3P0?"


3. "Super Powers." We get it. Joe's a super hero. But calling his laser vision a "super" power in every paragraph gets old. And simply saying someone has super powers leaves the reader feeling vague-ish. The best way to describe an ability that's beyond the range of the average human is to let that power unfold before the readers eyes. Does Joe feel a little feverish? Do his eyes itch? What's happening? When his crush is suddenly in peril, does the bad guy he's staring down spontaneously burst into flames? Ooooh! That's handy!







4. "Aliens From Outer space" Oy! Albeit, I don't see this one very often, but when I do, the groan fest is never ending. I understand that "aliens" can mean people from another country (ie: "illegal aliens") but you are writing science fiction, for Spock's sake. We know the aliens are from outer space! Name those poor aliens! Are they Vulcans? Are they Outerspace-ians? Maybe the little green men hail from Uranus? Wherever your aliens were brewed, they deserve a home of there very own.




5. "Faster-Than-Light, Warp, Hyper Drive." This future tech needs a new face. Battlestar Gallactica calls it "FTL." Acronyms are a start. Star Trek made "Warp Drive" famous, so if you write fan fic, you're stuck with that specific appellation. But if you are inventing your own universe, at least try for a new name for the light speed concept. Doctor Who simply calls them engines and travels in time, totally avoiding the issue. Does your future society fold space, create a bubble outside normal time and space? Is it Fold Drive or Bubble Drive or Super-Fast-Fun Drive? Understanding the mechanics of your future tech will most likely give you an out for the typical "warp" drive conundrum.



*Screen capture of Libria courtesy of Marta on the Equilibrium fansite.

Five Things That Would Improve the Twilight Series

***Note: I adore the Twilight books Every one of the following suggestions changes something I absolutely loved about the series. They truly are my guilty pleasure. Nevertheless, as a writer, I have to admit that there are a few ways in which the Twilight series could be made *gasp!* better. (I roll my eyes, realizing that someday someone is going to be doing this to my books) I think it's time for a critique from one of those rabid fan girls everyone loves to satirize. ***



1. Start Bella off as the typical teen. Let her go out with Mike and tick Jessica off. Have her give in to Tyler’s persistence, all the while loving that she’s getting all that positive attention. Sure, show us that Edward hates it and secretly covets her. I am certain a clever girl like Miss Swan would soon notice Mr. Cullen’s deep affection and grow out of the flirty attention-grabbing teeny-ness.

2. Make the Cullens mythical creatures - Yes. Vampires - No! Granted, the fact that vampires are fictional to begin with, makes their mythos seem wide open for re-interpretation. However, that does not mean people will love you if you completely slaughter it! Perhaps the Cullens could be “night walkers” and would only become full-fledged vampires if they made a constant diet of humans. That would leave Jasper with some awesome back-story. Maybe if he were still sporting fangs from his “bad days”, he would seem more menacing and less plain ole weird. If the Volturi actually had fangs and burned in sunlight, the final battle in Breaking Dawn might have been more fight and strategy, less talk and cry.

3. Keeping # 2 in mind, imagine that first “are you a vamp” talk in the shiny Volvo. It would have been even more intense if part of the conversation included explaining the difference between vegetarian, sparkling night walkers and pointy-toothed, flammable vampires. Let’s skip the whole soul/no soul conflict all together by having these creatures realize by their very images who does and does not have a soul.

4. Keeping #s 2 and 3 in mind, Bella would have to be a disturbed little thing to want to join the Cullen Clan - to risk fangs and eternal darkness to be with her love. How’s that for more depth? Instead of a moan fest in New Moon, Bella could have lost all her friends due to complications from Prozac. ;)

5. Super hot teenage male goes 108 years without sex? Come on, Edward! Does Undead = Eunuch? If my immortal soul were on the line, I’d hope to have incredible moral fortitude, too; but let us have at least one slip up in a century to give the story some reality. At least he could have a few snog fests with those vamp gals from Alaska. Give Miss I-Hate-Small-Towns a run for her money!

A Good Month to Anime

April 2009 marks the release of FOX's live action Dragonball project. The new trailer looks great to me, but fans of the anime hit are reportedly a little less than impressed. According to articles on imbd.com and dbthemovie.com, FOX apparently got all the action wrong. While I am a long time fan of Chow Yun Fat and James Marsters, and have high hopes for Emily Rossum in leather and purple hair, I have to worry about the fate of a film that can't even draw it's own fan base.

Personally, I love the look of Justin Chatwin as Goku. We all know looks aren't everything; but if the movie flops, can't I at least keep the pics on my desktop?




P.S. One question for the film makers: Why do we have to put the word "Evolution" as a subtitle for every action flick out there? I mean, really! Is this like the early ninties obsession with "Extreme?" Oy!

Immortals and Immortals that Bite

Two things: What I did while I was away and what I found when I got back.



Last things first. I opened up my new Internet connection on my new computer today and found the most exciting rumor. Highlander is back? According to fancast.com, SCIFI Wire, and Joblo.com, that is a distinct possibility. Yippee? I don't know. While the mention of Highlander is enough to make this long time fan drool on my mouse, this has the potential to be extra stinky with a side of Rotten Tomatoes.

Hey, and actor Kevin McKidd is possibly attached to the project. As an actual Scotsman, he has the potential to bring some real life into the character (Is it Connor or Duncan?). The writers of the recent box office hit, Ironman (you've heard of it, right?) are reportedly doing the writing for this shindig. Here's hoping all of the evil rumors about Hollway and Marcum are just that.



Well, what did I do while I was lost and alone in no Internet land? They're called books - amazing, huh? Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, the Star Wars Young Jedi series, a little Ben Bova, and -the breakout hit of my blackout days - The Twilight series! I know. I'm a tad behind. Eight books, eight days, and two read-throughs. It was a real party and I am now a really big fan of Stephanie Meyers'

The new trailer came out a few days ago. I was thrilled to see that the film seems to keep with the spirit of the book fairly well. I was a little disappointed not to see Jacob in there, but I can understand if they had to wash over his small part in the first book because of time constraints. I can understand, but I'll still be pouty. ;)

The biggest thing that perturbed me, and it's wierd, is the fact that James isn't desheveled enough. Am I the only one that pictured him a lot more...ermmm...dirty? He's supposed to have been running across the US with no lodgings, or change of clothes, or shower. But he seems. . .pretty in the trailer. Mean, but pretty.


Twilight in HD

Whedon Drops the Hammer

. . . like he always does. Your watching along, giggling school girl-like in front of your monitor and wondering if the fun will ever, ever stop. Then "Bang!" it happens - the kitschy superhero comedy you were thrilling to turns into some super serious social commentary. I mean, I hate to ruin the movie (don't worry, it's ruin-proof) in oh so cliche fashion, but....she dies in the end.

What? Wait...Why am I surprised? Isn't this why I watch Joss Whedon merchandise? Why, yes it is! I wasn't really expecting anything less from Dr. H's Blog. So how is he still able to shock me like this?

I suppose he's my kind of creator. Please understand, I hate joining fan clubs. They're usually creepy and smell of sweaty junior highers who haven't bathed since they lined up for the attraction last week. But I can't help it. The more I watch Act III of Dr. Horrible, I get this strung out sensation of intimate deeper meaning, while, at the same time, strongly suspecting that his work has no deeper message than what the characters do right in front of my face. It's almost enough to SQUEE. (I said almost - don't push it.)

If you enjoy good screen candy, this is for you. If you want your fiction to have a message - also for you. If you're more like my favorite line from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and you "don't give an ass rats," you still have a comfy place in Whedondom.

(Note from the author, editor, and post master [because they're all me]: I wrote this at 1 am, so feel free to let me know just how kooky and badly written it really is. Seriously. It'll be a good laugh when I wake up. I kid - I'll make corrections as they're needed. Thanks. *cheesy grin and wink here* )

The Secret Pavarotti Compartment

Watching the second act of Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, I came to an old conclusion once again. Everyone in Hollywood must have a secret Pavarotti compartment on them. Unlike old Hollywood, where you had to proclaim your ability to sing, dance, and act on your resume, new Hollywood asks that you hide your vocal abilities until some talented and enterprising creator (such as Joss Whedon) asks to borrow them for a project. Judy Garland and Gene Kelly would have been a bundle of surprises in modern Hollywood.

I first saw the SPC principle at work when my college dorm mates forced me to watch Moulin Rouge. I hated it. But I couldn't take my ears of Ewan McGregor. Obi wan can sing? Well? Get out! Then there was the musical Buffy episode. That was a whole new revelation. Joss Whedon writes musicals? Decent musicals? No way! Now there's Dr. H and his fabu Sing-Along, and the strange sensation of Mal Reynolds (yes, I know - his real name is Nathon Fillion) performing his chords out.

So what other performers are hiding gold in the Secret Pavarotti Compartment. What would Stargate SG-1 have been with a musical episode? I would certainly have loved to hear Daniel Jackson angsting in song for all his lost loves, and wouldn't Sam Carter have a perfect swan song in "Why Do All My Love Interests Die?" Of course the coup de gras must be Col. Jack O'Neill singing the jazzy number "Magnets: The Answer is Magnets."

The Rave About Soundwave

I talk about the Decepticon Soundwave's reported appearance in the second Transformers movie on No Hiatus tomorrow. In the article I make some not-so-kind comments about the robot's geeky eighties persona. The monotone voice. The tape cassette altermode. The red, white and blue color scheme. How could I resist? I can't help but wonder What's the Rave About Soundwave?

Soundwave was the intelligence guy on the original cartoons. He ran around seeking information for Megatron to then go and destroy. I suppose that's the ideal job for such a robot. In some comics and toons he was Megatron's right hand bot (instead of StarScream as it was in the movie) and could be even darker than his boss.

Under those descriptions, I think we have a pretty juicy character. I can see why Roberto Orci and crew would want him on board for Revenge of the Fallen. But just in case they haven't already thought of it (don't worry, they have) here are three ways to make Soundwave not a mountain of cheese:

1. Get rid of the monotone. Sorry, but I can't even take those monotone answering machine vocals seriously. Please, give Soundwave a voice!

2. Bring his design into the twenty-first century. That shouldn't be a problem. The production design team for the first movie already did that with Prime, Megatron, and the rest. I can only hope they abandon the "All-American Decepticon" color scheme.

3. Alternate altermodes. Let's face it - half the technology that Soundwave transformed into in the 80's is now totally obsolete. Do they even make those microcassete recorders anymore? Maybe it will be a digital camera or a Black berry. Hmm, I smell product placement.

Unequaled Brain Power

Equilibrium fans welcome you...to use your brain!

I originally looked up the Equlibrium fansite in order to research a story. What I found was an intimate group of e-friends who's IQs easily out-matched mine. Smart fans from around the world had somehow instinctively converged on this one spot, celebrating Kurt Wimmer's slightly-less-than-popular, post-apocalyptic flick.

At first, it was like finding lost relatives. It was amazing to be apart of a group who appreciated good science fiction as much as I did. But then I read more of the forum posts. The majority of the discussions involved the psychology, history, and philosophy of the human race (the cream of Wimmer's themes). There was actually a thread entitled "History and Philosophy." Even the younger users seemed to have the utmost of insight when it came to the human machine and it's portrayal in Equilibrium. My immediate thought: "I'm waaaayyy out of my league."

Can it be true? A fandom that includes no "What's your fav paring!!!!!" thread? No "OMG THE LEADING MAN IS SOOOO HOOOOTTTT!" I'm in shock. I have nothing to loathe on this site. No teenie bopper antics to turn my nose to nor shake my head at! How will I ever survive?

I stayed on and read a bit - participated in a few writing threads - and found a modern day classroom. If you're ever there, may I suggest the writings of user Aedh. He is, after all, the "Resident Evil Genius."

Where Can I Get a Sword?

Did you know that you can watch every episode of Highlander anytime at Hulu.com? I just found out this week. Guess what I've been doing ten hours a day. Nerd Alert!

Yep, I've been having the ultimate Highlander marathon with my good friends Duncan MacLeod and gimpy, old Joe Dawson (my fav). Highlander was another one of those uber-hero shows that were so popular in the nineties. There was also The Legendary Journeys of Hercules and Xena: Warrior Princess, both of which were subjects of my girlhood "homework parties" on weeknights. Don't tell Mom, but no homework ever got done during an episode of Hercules, Xena or Highlander.

These were perfect heroes. In the nineties, Mary Sue and Gary Stu reigned triumphantly. The creators of Highlander and the like, managed to build an atmosphere in which the perfect man/woman could exist. These heroes kept going until all others had given up or fallen. They never turned down the wrong path, but for the rare occasions when it was the right thing to do. And most spectacularly, all of their opponents either came over to their side after a heart-felt chat, or died for their misguided ideals. (Which usually turns into a light show on Highlander. Oooo, pretty!)

In the case of Hercules and Xena, we have a viable background in the Mary's and Gary's of Greek Mythology. Have you ever read the Iliad or the Odyssey? There's Odysseus and Achilles just to start! And of course in Highlander you're dealing with immortals that may have lived during those glory days, and therefore pulled that mentality of honor, nobility, and dogged perfection of character into the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Totally realistic? No. Without cheese? Definitely not. I'm saying they have a basis in the literature and culture of old.

So, for the rest of the summer, I plan to watch dazzling sword fights and enjoy the never ending parade of unlikely scenarios and impossible heroes. In my noggin, they are all real. That's the way the world should work.

Horrible In A Good Way

If you do nothing else this year (how lazy of you), check out Joss Whedon baby Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. (Please, pardon the review cliche) I fell out of my desk chair snorting at this Sci-Fi esque musical event. I have never been this impressed with Neil Patrick Harris - ever.

Oh so kitschy villain, Dr. Horrible, is horribly attracted to Penny of the laundrymat, but Penny is in love with Captain Hammer, Horrible's nemesis. Throw in Moist as the sidekick who's super power is the ability to make things damp. Fat Monkey, that's good stuff!