Saturday, March 25, 2023

And That's A Big Nope From Me.

2022 was such a disappointing year for science fiction in film.

Now I realise someone is going to say, "Yeah,  but what about...?" And then they'll mention Everything, Everywhere All At Once, or Nope.  Sorry, but I didn't have much love for either of them. Nope was just terribly contrived, unoriginal, and not as clever as it thought it was. It reminded me,in a way, of the Abrams' directed Star Trek. He simply showed he wasn't a fan and thathe didn't really understand the Star Trek universe.

Nope showed that Jordan Peele simply wasn't familiar with SF as a genre. There was nothing new, a whole bunch of holes and poor plotting. Similar to Shyamalan's Signs. I loved Peel's other work, but this just showed he didn't get SF.

Everything Everywhere was simply a mess. Confused, pointless, and so full of plotholes you could drive an Enterprise through them. I actually got bored about three quarters of the way through.  The actors' performances were good.  And while I'm thrilled SF and the actors won so many awards at the Oscars, I'm really disappointed this was the vehicle.

Avatar 2 was simply what we expected. Beautifully shot, but ultimately dissatisfying and over-long.

The best SF film I saw in 2022 was Don't Worry Darling. Shades of Philip K. Dick and others. Great performances and direction, and a lot of fun. And that set design. Superb.

And if you enjoyed these other films, than I'm happy for you. But I thought they were well below average,

Here's hoping to a better year for SF in film.

Saturday, March 4, 2023

The Leviathan Awakens

Oh wow! Excited here. It has been a while, after all.
 
Although I sold "The Leviathan Awakens" last year, it was only released yesterday. It's a wonderful feeling to finally see the cover art and my name on the front of The Martian Wave.
 
I really love this story. Thanks, Hiraeth Publishing.

And in case you couldn't guess, mine is the story which includes "a denizen of the deep ocean on a strange planet."
"The Martian Wave features stories of the exploration and settlement of other worlds. In here you will encounter a denizen of the deep ocean on a strange planet; a remote world where nothing much happens—until it does; hallucinations and other labor problems; a remodeling of future Earth; the arrival of not-so-benevolent aliens; and much more!"

Features
Indigo Reviewed by Gustavo Bondoni

Novelette
The Leviathan Awakens by Steve Cameron

Short Stories
Namug by Gustavo Bondoni
Night Patrol by Regina Clarke
Salvage World by David Castlewitz
To Lie with Spirit by Shaun Duke
Ares by Randall Andrews
They Came in Peace by John Darling

Flash Fiction
A Dream of the Universe by Christina Sng
Time Shards by Kathy Latusik

Poems
Cancer: Celestial Crustacean by Maureen Bowden
What Really Happened at Roswell by DJ Tyrer
At the Edge of the Universe by Christina Sng
A Messed-Up Mnemonic by Maureen Bowden
Footprints with Claws by Debby Feo
Space Zoo by Christina Sng