Site of the Week -- May 10, 1999
nyone can grill a steak, but it takes a special kind of chef to fry a
tribble. Luckily, enterprising cooks can find directions for delicacies ranging from chicken-fried Godzilla lips to chunky Ewok stew in the pages of the Science Fiction Cookbook.
For fried tribbles, this online cookbook requires a combination of phaser burns and exposure to a molecular accelerator chamber. The final concoction can be complemented by an optional vegetable medley.
Those looking for real-world versions of futuristic recipes won't find them here--these creations are done strictly tongue-in-cheek. The entrees can be sorted by author, ingredient and genre/world, and fans will quickly notice that the cookbook is missing some memorable recipes. While there are directions for werewolf roast and barbecued Jawas, chefs can't wash them down with a nice Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster.
Such oversights may be resolved in the future--the Science Fiction Cookbook encourages visitors to add recipes of their own.
-- Kenneth Newquist
Site of the Week -- May 3, 1999
ewcomers to Larry Niven are easily baffled by the numerous novels, short stories and collaborations that this prolific SF author has written. Luckily there is the Known Space Web site, an unauthorized guide to Niven's work that pays particular attention to stories relating to Known Space, the timeline that includes Niven's Hugo Award-winning novel Ringworld.
The site is maintained by Niven's fan and has been online for more than three years. It details both Niven's published and forthcoming works, placing them in context and also rating them as introductory material for Niven tenderfoots. The site also contains a Known Space chronology; extensive lists of related Internet sites, newsgroups, and mailing lists; and a large gallery of artists' interpretations of Niven's many races, machines and worlds. Niven neophytes should make this Web site their first stop on the Internet.
-- Mark Wilson
Site of the Week -- April 26, 1999
ure, this site is little more than an episode guide with sound effects. But fans would have to do some deep diving to scope out a better online reference to the classic SF TV series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.
The main page has five Voyage links, one for each season's yearly
episodes and one for the 1964 Voyage film (this link didn't work). While the writing on the Guide is not exceptional, it was done with the ardor of a true fan. As such, it has a fresh and enthusiastic voice that actually breathes life into the staid and standard episode guide format. Beware, however: the background sound file of a pinging sonar might break some browsers.
-- Tamara I. Hladik
