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Science Fiction has become a poisoned well . .
7-27-06 | Marc Costanzo

Posted on 07/27/2006 6:49:43 PM PDT by marc costanzo

The essay below was originally written in the early Spring of 2001:

With the passing away of LEXX ends an intriguing albeit tawdry experiment in Sci-fantasy. One that breaks with conventions, or should I say cliches of TV sci-fi of the 90's . The politically correct pabulum, the multicultural indoctrination, the BladeRunner motifs, and not the least; the steroid mutated superbabes that can punch the lights out of men, but never get punched back in return !?

How about creating a new sci-fi anthology with none of the puerile baggage of Rod Serling, Rockne Obannon, Michael J. Stracinsky, etc .. It is time to end their reign of un-American cynicism and fatalism !


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; Philosophy; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: canada; entertainment; fiction; firefly; heinlein; lexx; media; sciencefiction; scifi; serenity; tv; vanity
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To: sionnsar

They were fairly early-on for me too -- though at the time Star Trek in any form was years in the future. I only vaguely remember "After Worlds Collide"; I seem to recall they tried to set up a communist/socialist system that fell apart... but after so many decades it is hard to remember. (Was it intended as a reprise of the original colonists here?)<<

In 'After Worlds Colide' the baddies were Russians and Slavs from Stalinist Soviet Union . .

Needless to say, this a one science-fiction tome that was very rightwing in its' messages - - how atypical !


441 posted on 08/02/2006 11:05:58 PM PDT by marc costanzo
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To: FierceDraka

You want some science fiction that completely throws PC out the window?
Check out SM Stirling's "Domination of the Draka" books.
<<

Interesting !

Can I find it currently in print at the better book stores ?
Can I find it at the local library ?


442 posted on 08/02/2006 11:08:04 PM PDT by marc costanzo
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To: marc costanzo
The first season had a lot of good episodes. That killed the series was when Gerry and Syvia Anderson got a divorce at the end of Season one. These episodes stand out of that season: The cynical War Games, said to be the highest-budgeted single episode of any TV series up to that time, was an overt commentary on humanity's combative nature. Alpha finds itself under attack by an unstoppable alien force that kills much of its population. Yet in another of the series' metaphysical twists, the Alphans are given a second chance at the end, reverting to mere moments prior to the attack so that Commander Koenig (Landau) can rethink his fateful decisions. Dragon's Domain and Force of Life were more typical variations on the alien monster theme, although both took a more metaphysical bent. Dragon's Domain became essentially a retelling of "Saint George and the Dragon", while Force of Life raised questions about what exactly life is, and what forms it could actually take. Voyager's Return was essentially an allegory of whether someone who causes death and destruction in the pursuit of knowledge — whether knowingly or not — can truly redeem himself and/or can be forgiven. It also touches on whether an entire populace is responsible for the actions of one of its members. Death's Other Dominion deals with the question of what price is too much for the advance of medical science; in this case, the search for the cause of an immortality that has already been achieved for reasons unknown.
Even though I am a Trekker, unlike "Star Trek" the personnel on Moonbase Alpha cannot warp to another place. They are stuck on the Moon.
443 posted on 08/02/2006 11:08:14 PM PDT by garbageseeker (It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.”Samuel Clemmens)
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To: ByDesign

As others have pointed out... There are no muslims in the future...

"Actually, I know of one. In Niven and Pournelle's "The Mote In God's Eye" there is a Muslim character. However, even in the future he is duplicitous and conniving."

Add in Dr. "Stinky" Mahmoud in Heinlein's "Stranger In A Strange Land

What about Fedman Kassad (SP? I read it a while ago so I may not have spelled it right). The Colonel in Hyperion? Pretty sure he was a Muslim, but at the same time one of the best characters in an excellent book.


444 posted on 08/02/2006 11:11:57 PM PDT by strider44
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To: marc costanzo

Fred Freiberger also killed Space:1999 like he killed Star Trek:TOS


445 posted on 08/02/2006 11:12:13 PM PDT by garbageseeker (It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.”Samuel Clemmens)
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To: FierceDraka

>>I liked the second-to-last season of LEXX the best, when the redhead who played Xev was all lips, hips, and dead-sexy. The crackhead-looking Xev from the last season, not so much.
<<

Zev or Xev(the first one before German knockout Xeenia Seeberg was Zev, me thinks)

She started to go blond in that second to last season .
Finally got rid of that stupid wig !

Remember that actres who played that character, May ?

Germans produce more than their fair share of beautiful women ! :-)


446 posted on 08/02/2006 11:12:44 PM PDT by marc costanzo
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To: FierceDraka

>>Jerry Doyle's radio show rules. He speaks the truth.<<

I have no complaint against his show, just the opposite .

What I have a beef against is that he claims to be conservative yet he stars in un-American fair as Babylon 5 .

A TV series with a lot of leftwing messages that make it sems that Michael J Stracynski can't get over the 1960's and 70's - - the race riots, the JFK assassination, Viet Nam, racism~

Same leftwing droning that has dominated this genre(TV & movies) for the last 38 years now ! !

I tried to leave a message at Jery Doyle's website and ask him how he reconciles with that . .


447 posted on 08/02/2006 11:18:34 PM PDT by marc costanzo
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To: garbageseeker

Yes these episodes were intense .

War Games ? Was that episode with the males and females on opposite sides of their sun try to nuke each other ?

I often thought that story was blatantly about one of sci-fi's old themes, 'war of the sexes' ~ blah !

Maybe it was a commentary on the Cold War, as well ?


448 posted on 08/02/2006 11:23:00 PM PDT by marc costanzo
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To: garbageseeker

>>Fred Freiberger also killed Space:1999 like he killed Star Trek:TOS<<

I've heard about that !
In the case of Star Drek, the second season,, he did us all a favor !


449 posted on 08/02/2006 11:25:04 PM PDT by marc costanzo
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To: All


"I will not be pushed, shoved, briefed, debriefed, filed, indexed, nor numbered - - I am a free man, my will is its' own" - - 6 of 1 - - - Peter Noonan of THE PRISONER


450 posted on 08/02/2006 11:29:31 PM PDT by marc costanzo
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To: Victoria_R

I'm looking forward to Season Two of the new Battlestar Gallactica coming out on DVD. It'll be on my Christmas list.


451 posted on 08/03/2006 10:55:42 AM PDT by Ciexyz (Leaning on the everlasting arms.)
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To: Ciexyz
I just hope Season 3 doesn't suck.
The ending of Season 2 threw a monkey wrench in the entire format of the series. It could be really good or really awful.

TS

452 posted on 08/03/2006 1:19:17 PM PDT by Tanniker Smith (Without spoilers, do you think (blabberblabber) killed (mumblemumble) or not?)
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To: Tanniker Smith; Ciexyz

The NEW BattleStar Galactica is what I am talking about !

AntiAmericnaism invective, Lefwting messages, paranoia, fatalism, and made in Canada - - -

That is Science Fiction Entertainnment in a nutshell !


453 posted on 08/03/2006 4:00:48 PM PDT by marc costanzo (Canadians = ze French)
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To: marc costanzo
Can I find it currently in print at the better book stores ?
Can I find it at the local library ?

Your best bet is to order online because I'm not sure if the books are still in print.

454 posted on 08/03/2006 5:16:05 PM PDT by FierceDraka ("I am not a number - I am a FREE MAN!")
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To: garbageseeker
He has a radio show? Where is it broadcast?

Jerry Doyle? Here in Indy he's on AM 1430 at midnight.

Here's a link to his site's station-finder page. (pops in new window)

455 posted on 08/03/2006 5:19:56 PM PDT by FierceDraka ("I am not a number - I am a FREE MAN!")
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To: FierceDraka

Thanks


456 posted on 08/03/2006 6:08:19 PM PDT by garbageseeker (It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.”Samuel Clemmens)
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To: FierceDraka

I wish he(Doyle) would explain the obvious contradiction of a man who claims to be conservative and yet participates in a TV show like BABYLON5 that is obviously very liberal-left in its' messages and very un-American in its' dystopianism !


457 posted on 08/03/2006 9:03:06 PM PDT by marc costanzo (Democrats = CommunistCrats)
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To: marc costanzo
I wish he(Doyle) would explain the obvious contradiction of a man who claims to be conservative and yet participates in a TV show like BABYLON5 that is obviously very liberal-left in its' messages and very un-American in its' dystopianism !

Perhaps they offered to pay him

458 posted on 08/03/2006 10:52:30 PM PDT by Oztrich Boy
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To: Oztrich Boy

>>I wish he(Doyle) would explain the obvious contradiction of a man who claims to be conservative and yet participates in a TV show like BABYLON5 that is obviously very liberal-left in its' messages and very un-American in its' dystopianism !
Perhaps they offered to pay him
<<

How shallow !

Participate in leftwing poison because you are payed to do so ....

Then again, I guess he wanted to make his mark in TV acting .

By the way, Jerry Doyle also appeared in an episode in the last season of SLIDERS -


459 posted on 08/04/2006 12:53:40 PM PDT by marc costanzo (Democrats = CommunistCrats)
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To: FierceDraka; DBrow

'The Cold Equations' was done as a Cable TV movie on the sci-fi channel around 1994 or 95 .

Very well done, most of the story was told as a court/trial setting for the main character !
Very downbeat ending !

This story was also done in 1986 as an episode of the New Twilight Zone series that came out in the 1980's . .


460 posted on 08/05/2006 1:21:01 PM PDT by marc costanzo
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