The Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Spy, and Superhero Genre

[Smokin Joe]

BTW, that REALLY was one of the finest analyses I've read anywhere of those issues and factors in my 50+ years of studying the topic.

Thanks, Quix!

[Ghost Bear]

For fans of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files urban fantasy series, here's a good interview of Butcher done at this year's DragonCon, focusing on the next book, Peace Talks, as well as some other things Dresden-related:

. . .

At Dragon Con in 2013, I sat down with Jim to hear more about book fifteen of the series, Skin Game. It was a delight talking with Jim and getting to learn the latest on a world I’ve grown to love. And now, fortunately, I’ve gotten to have that experience again – this time, at Dragon Con 2016 and with book sixteen, a.k.a. Peace Talks. Jim shared all kinds of great information on what we’ll be seeing in this latest Harry Dresden adventure – as well as a couple of tidbits about Dresden-adjacent character stories that will be coming our way soon. So read on to find out all the juicy details! And, if you are so inclined, you can also watch the interview here.

. . .

ESW: Jim, Skin Game left us with so many characters with potential storylines that could be the next focus. The next book is titled Peace Talks. Please tell us about how everyone sits down, holds hands, and has a little peace talk. What are we going to be seeing?

JB: For the past several years within the storyline there’s been a lot of unrest in the supernatural world, because some lunatic destroyed the Red Court of vampires, who were one of the major players in the supernatural world. As a result of that, a power that has been lying low and quiet for a long time has started asserting itself into the vacuum that the Red Court left behind.

ESW: And that is the Fomor? I was wondering when we were going to see more about what they’re doing.

JB: Yes; who are not just the Fomorians of legend; but the Fomorians got driven back into the sea long ago, so they’ve been collecting the refuse from all the other pantheons of bad guys who’ve managed to survive whatever conflicts were going on at that point. So they’ve been causing a lot of trouble, and they’re getting everyone together for peace talks. They want to establish themselves and they’ve requested a summit.

ESW: So they’re the instigators of this.

JB: They are.

ESW: Because so far from what we’ve seen of them, they’re mostly just hostile.

JB: Yes, they’ve been universally hostile and suddenly they show up and say “Let’s sit down and talk.” And everybody’s like “…Okay. We’ll do that.” So of course Harry’s going to be involved in it. Generally speaking, it’s going to be a meeting under the Accords. All these different powers, all these supernatural influences are coming to Chicago. Harry gets to see that coming and say, “Man, I feel bad for whatever city that’s going to happen in. Because nothing could go wrong with that!”

. . .

ESW: Yes! I was going to ask, because at the end of Skin Game we have Maggie, who is so precious, and Mouse (who is so gigantic), and now Harry kind of seems to be settling into his role as a dad. What’s going on, is she still with the Carpenters?

JB: The way that Harry’s going to set it up is, he’s going to keep Maggie all summer. During the school year, she’s going to go to a boarding school in town, St. Marks Academy for the Gifted and Talented; it’s sort of where the supernatural folks all send their kids. And my intention is, in the next few years I’m going to write kind of a young adult series about Maggie Dresden at the Academy. She’ll be there with Mouse; because she seriously does have all kinds of problems and issues that are challenges for her. She’s got bad social anxiety; she’s got several phobias – which are understandable given her past.

ESW: I can imagine! And does she have, also, some special talents – I would assume?

JB: Well, she’s got Mouse, who’s kind of like the super-assistance dog. But really her main talent is that when everything’s on fire and people are screaming, she’s completely normal. You know – being Harry Dresden’s daughter, it’s like, “Oh, chaos. I feel a little more comfortable and secure for some reason.” And then the kids all have this pantheon of monsters that they have to deal with, that you don’t remember after you become a grown-up. So as the kids age out of school, they forget – they can’t interact with the monsters anymore. They don’t remember that they were there. It’s just like, “Oh, that was a game that we used to play when we were kids.”

. . .

Much, much more at the link:  http://www.comicmix.com/2016/09/26/emily-s-whitten-dresden-files-jim-butcher-talks-peace-talks/

[sneakypete]

Star Trek  (TOS, ENT, TNG), SG1, SGU, Firefly, BSG (old and new), Farscape, and Buck Rodgers are my favorite Sci-fi shows. I'm sure I missed a couple.

@kevindavis

I liked Firefly and Far Scape,but not the others so much.

I also like Dr.Who. You probably guessed that from my icon,though.

[kevindavis007]

@kevindavis

I liked Firefly and Far Scape,but not the others so much.

I also like Dr.Who. You probably guessed that from my icon,though.

@sneakypete


I kinda guessed it!! LOL


I'm a David Tennat Dr Who fan.. I tried watching Smith and Calpardi, but I couldn't get into those guys.

[sneakypete]

Oh yes, Babylon 5 was my favorite show of the 90s.

My current favorites, I think, are the Arrow-verse shows on The CW: The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow.

@Ghost Bear

Well,if that is considered to be sci-fi,you should probably check out the tv show "Gotham".  There are some people there flat acting their ASSES off. Last year one of the kids from Shameless was on,and stole every scene he was in. Amazing actor.

[Ghost Bear]

@Ghost Bear

Well,if that is considered to be sci-fi,you should probably check out the tv show "Gotham".  There are some people there flat acting their ASSES off. Last year one of the kids from Shameless was on,and stole every scene he was in. Amazing actor.

Well, according to Amazon the superhero genre is classified under Fantasy, but whatever... I just consider Science Fiction/Fantasy to be one big grab-bag. 

And yes, I've been watching (and enjoying) "Gotham" since the first season. It's done some interesting playing with the Bat-Universe characters and settings.

[Ghost Bear]

I'm a David Tennat Dr Who fan.. I tried watching Smith and Calpardi, but I couldn't get into those guys.

I've read that every Dr. Who fan has a favorite Doctor, usually the one featured when they started watching the show.  I had never watched Dr. Who at all (growing up in an area where it wasn't available) so when I read that they were replacing David Tenant with Matt Smith, I thought it might be a good time to start watching. I caught the last few episodes featuring Tenant, and then watched all of the episodes featuring Smith. He became my favorite, so much so that when he left and Peter Capaldi took over, I lost interest in the show and stopped watching it.    Each actor brings their own 'vibe' to the character, and I just couldn't get into Capaldi's take on it.

[sneakypete]

From Gal Gadot's Twitter feed, a first look at the promotional poster for the 2017 Wonder Woman movie:



Oh, and a teaser trailer released at San Diego ComicCon:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lGoQhFb4NM

@Ghost Bear

Hmmm,I can't quite put my finger on it,but there is something about that poster that me like bunches.

[geronl]

I'm a David Tennat Dr Who fan.. I tried watching Smith and Calpardi, but I couldn't get into those guys.

Smith was a lighter, funnier Who, as such he did a fine job. Had some great episodes. Capaldi should have become a darker Who, which he was here and there. The last couple of episodes were top-notch.

[geronl]

@Ghost Bear

Hmmm,I can't quite put my finger on it,but there is something about that poster that me like bunches.

Wonder Woman with a sword.... is this like Batman carrying an Uzi

[Ghost Bear]

Wonder Woman with a sword.... is this like Batman carrying an Uzi

I'm guessing you didn't see the movie Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice? She used both a sword and shield in that one.

[sneakypete]

BTW,since this is October,I think it is time to remind everyone of my all-time favorite Sci-Fi movie,The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

There is something seriously wrong with anybody that doesn't like that one. I own a DVD of the original movie (it was just remade),and play it every Halloween.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiToZVLlmZY

IMHO,Tim Curry was just a LITTLE too comfortable with that role to even get another lead. The fact that he didn't get an Academy Award means he was robbed.

He did show up on a multi-episode series of Criminal Minds where he played a psycho-killer,though. Scared the hell out of me. If you ever get a chance to watch those episodes,do it.

LET THERE BE LIPS!

[sneakypete]

Smith was a lighter, funnier Who, as such he did a fine job. Had some great episodes. Capaldi should have become a darker Who, which he was here and there. The last couple of episodes were top-notch.

@geronl

I agree. I liked Smith,but the new Doctor,and the new Doctor's babe are really promising. Can't seem to find it anywhere on PBS anymore,and I don't get BBC.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

I've read that every Dr. Who fan has a favorite Doctor, usually the one featured when they started watching the show.

Blah, blah, blah.

The real question is Amy Pond or Clara Oswald?

And yes, the correct answer is "both".

[sneakypete]

Wonder Woman with a sword.... is this like Batman carrying an Uzi

@geronl

Yeah,that's must be it,the sword. 

[sneakypete]

Blah, blah, blah.b

The real question is Amy Pond or Clara Oswald?

And yes, the correct answer is "both".

@InHeavenThereIsNoBeer

I have to admit to getting a little dizzy for a moment there when I read the word "both".

[Ghost Bear]

BTW,since this is October,I think it is time to remind everyone of my all-time favorite Sci-Fi movie,The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

There is something seriously wrong with anybody that doesn't like that one. I own a DVD of the original movie (it was just remade),and play it every Halloween.

IMHO,Tim Curry was just a LITTLE too comfortable with that role to even get another lead. The fact that he didn't get an Academy Award means he was robbed.

He did show up on a multi-episode series of Criminal Minds where he played a psycho-killer,though. Scared the hell out of me. If you ever get a chance to watch those episodes,do it.

LET THERE BE LIPS!

Did you see the live stage production that the BBC produced last year? That was quite fun to watch! 

[Ghost Bear]

Blah, blah, blah.

The real question is Amy Pond or Clara Oswald?

And yes, the correct answer is "both".

Eh, preferred Pond here. Clara felt like a near-Mary Sue to me.   

[sneakypete]

Did you see the live stage production that the BBC produced last year? That was quite fun to watch! 

@Ghost Bear

No,dammit!

It was just remade and is going to be show on Fox in late November. From what I have seen on the promo,they are sticking to the original characters and story line. They had better be careful about how they redo Magenta though,or I might be coming after them. She rates right up there with a 30 year old Ann Margaret in my book,and some days tops the list.

BTW,for those of you who don't know,it was Magenta (Patricia Quinn) whose lips are seen singing the opening number.

[Ghost Bear]

@Ghost Bear

No,dammit!

It was just remade and is going to be show on Fox in late November. From what I have seen on the promo,they are sticking to the original characters and story line. They had better be careful about how they redo Magenta though,or I might be coming after them. She rates right up there with a 30 year old Ann Margaret in my book,and some days tops the list.

BTW,for those of you who don't know,it was Magenta (Patricia Quinn) whose lips are seen singing the opening number.

Huh, looks like they've put it up on YouTube. This link was on the IMDB page for the production:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIPckPtYmXk

[geronl]

@geronl

I agree. I liked Smith,but the new Doctor,and the new Doctor's babe are really promising. Can't seem to find it anywhere on PBS anymore,and I don't get BBC.

You can find episodes online if you know where to look.

[geronl]

Eh, preferred Pond here. Clara felt like a near-Mary Sue to me.   

If they had a real nice budget they could have made the "impossible girl" chase through time last a season. Of coursing finding people who look, sound and act enough like the old doctors would have been nearly impossible.

I liked both but they had no idea what to do with Clara after the Impossible Girl thing ended, in some episodes she had completely different personalities. It was weird.

[uglybiker]

What's a Radio Picture?

[geronl]

What's a Radio Picture?

an early description of television maybe, since it uses radio waves


Then again, didn't RKO make films... I dunno 

[uglybiker]

I take it you've never seen Rocky Horror Picture Show, have you?