Issues

I've realized since the start of the new direction that I haven't really expressed what it is that I am going to focus on exactly.  Broadly I am going to write about and report on things of Science Fiction nature, but more purposefully I will be discussing issues of writing Science Fiction.

During the course of my transformation I hope to share some interesting news in television, film and books to which I will have posted under the label "Sci-news" on the Irregular Features list to the right.  Also under that list I hope to have a bunch of short stories, links to great articles and websites, and the occasional interview with an author or screenwriter about the subject.  Keep your eyes peeled for such awesomeness!

I also hope to do some wicked awesome reviews of television shows, feature films, and sci-fi novels under the respective labels to the right under Regular Features.  To explain to you exactly what I hope to accomplish with those reviews, I want you to firstly know that I am not a scholar and I am not a critic.  Sure I've taken classes on film theory and history, and sure those classes have influenced me along with the reading I have done on the subjects, but in no way am I any good at keeping all that stuff in my head.  I'm terrible at it if you must ask, so I don't think I will discuss those things to great lengths unless the right mood hits me (or if I remember something valid in a moment of brain clarity).

A few subjects that I am interested in learning about, and hope to explore in my reviews are the following:

• God:  The treatment of god in science fiction.  The development of the idea of god and the destruction of that idea.  The concern for or lack of concern for as well as the prevailing theory that god is destroyed by science (which I do not believe).
• Cheesiness:  We all know that most sci-fi movies and books have an element of cheesiness to them.  This fascinates me and I'm intrigued to find out why that is and how to avoid it.  Or if it's possible at all to avoid it.
• Randomness and Irony:  A lot of things going wrong, or a lot of things going right.  I want to explore how these random actions or events influence the characters and plots.  It might also be fun to find some outlandish examples of these things effecting the outcome of the plot.
• Sexuality:  This doesn't interest me as much.  I get it, we're sexual beings, we have desires.  I also get that nerd generally like sci-fi and nerds have a lot of pent-up sexuality.  What I'm interested is in how sexuality effects the characters and plot.  Also how it is misappropriated or thrown into a story for titillating purposes rather than genuine ones.
• Violence:  This is another topic that doesn't interest me as much, but it is fairly prevalent in sci-fi, so I think it's a valid concern.  What I want to figure out is how violence can influence the characters as motivation or how violence is an instigator for change.  I don't really care how it is misused or overdone, although I know it is, I just want to focus on what useful purpose it has in story (if any).
• The Technical:  This is something I am fascinated with because of my production background.  I want to exalt those that have done a good job and discuss the effectiveness of great technical work.  I also want to discuss how bad or outdated technicality can bring you out of the story and disrupt the experience.  Some technical aspects to look at are - Sound, Cinematography, Directing, Music, Acting, Editing, etc.  (In books, we can look at the technical aspects of writing - grammar, format, etc.)
• Effects:  I am also fascinated by visual effects (VFX) and special effects (SFX).  There is a distinction between the two - visual effects are generally a trick of the camera or added computer effects within the frame.  Special effects involve more practical use of robotics, animatronics, prosthetics, plastics, explosions or other things to create an effect.  I believe science fiction has driven this industry for several years and it is a great thing to comment on and discover.
• Themes & Cliches:  Finally, I want to keep in mind recurring themes, cliches, plots, and characters from science fiction.  We can talk and discuss about these things at great length in the comments section and hopefully we can all get really good at spotting these things throughout the litany of recurring elements in this wonderful genre.

So now that you know a little bit more about what we're going to focus on in this blog, what do are you interested in exploring?  Maybe there is something I need to learn more about and add to the list.  Comment below!