Off the Bookshelf: Analog, V for Vendetta, Hard SF Renaissance

A round-up of what I’m reading now, including the May issue of Analog, the graphic novel V for Vendetta and scifi anthology The Hard SF Renaissance. Analog Science Fiction and Fact, May 2005 The first issue of my Analog subscription features the start of the four-part serial “A New Order of Things” by Edward M. … Read more

Radio Active #26: SciFi Publishing, Cthulego, Treasure Tables, Rama

Radio Active #26 offers a well-rounded podcast, with some updates on the ongoing “Nuketown Beta” project, followed by an editorial on the sorry state of science fiction publishing, particularly with regards to using technology to promote their wares. There are also three sites of note, including the podcast Most People Are DJs, the Cthulhu-inspired LEGO … Read more

The Nowhere Man Finally Gets Somewhere

Way back in 1995, just after I graduated from college, the fledgling network UPN launched with two notable scifi shows: Star Trek: Voyager and Nowhere Man. Voyager went on to a seven-year run that took Trek technobabble to new heights, while its sibling Nowhere Man struggled to complete a single season and then disappeared into … Read more

HorrorClix Tries to Scare Up a Hit

According to Gaming Report, WizKids is returning to the Clix-mechanic with HorrorClix. It’s a collectible game in which you control a horde of undead and/or supernatural monsters who are either out to protect or eat innocent bystanders (“protect” them? That reminds me of the great t-shirt with the tagline “Cthulhu Saves … For Later!”). According … Read more

Getting Past a Fear of Girls

A short film, Fear of Girls — about two stereotypical uber gamers — is circulating around the geek community. The ten-minute film tells the tale of two “advanced” gamers who are a cut about your normal geeks, which means they do stuff that would freak out regular gamers, like role-playing sex or dressing up in … Read more

Gazing Skyward with Stellarium

Stellarium is an open source sky simulator that allows you to view the constellations as they appear from any place on Earth, at any time you choose. It’s a beautiful piece of software, with fantastic sunsets and night skies (as you can see from the screenshots). I’m still exploring it — I’m still not sure … Read more