Site of the Week -- Jan. 24, 2000
uthors, even science fiction authors, have been slow to embrace the Web.
They could learn a lot from Orson Scott Card.
The moment visitors arrive at Hatrack River, they know they've
reached a home page that actually feels like a home. The main menu--with
links like "Uncle Orson's Writing Class" and "Lost Books Column"--quickly
shows this is more than just a promotional site. In the "Writing Class," Card, author of Ender's Game, Alvin Journeyman and the recent Ender's Shadow, gives answers to writing
questions. In "Lost Books," columnist D.D. Brooks reviews forgotten classics
of science fiction, and elsewhere Card fans can read a few of his short stories.
The site's interactive elements really shine: there's a bulletin
board where people can role-play life in the "Battle School" of Ender's Game, as well as other Card universes; and in the writers' groups new and old scribes work to improve one another's stories.
All of these elements help build a community feel, and introduce Card in a way that a novel's dust jacket never could.
-- Kenneth Newquist
Site of the Week -- Jan. 17, 2000
cience fiction literature is so rich and varied--and its
writers so prolific--that even for the most avid reader there's always
another milestone work or subgenre-reinventing classic out there yet to be
read.
Scifan.com is an easy-to-navigate clearinghouse of the best titles in
science fiction, past and present. The listings are organized by theme,
such as post-apocalypse, robots, sex and military. Most themes have a brief
introduction and list of relevant titles (fiction and
nonfiction), as well as links to Web resources. Some of them include essays on that topic's
history and relevance. Each book title is linked to its page at Amazon.com, encouraging people to actually read the books.
Another section is given over to classics, with several essays that explore what makes a true classic. Accompanying these are lists of the greatest, near-greatest, famous, and critics' favorites, plus a combined list of ultimate classics--all created through an ambitious consolidation of polls, awards, and other sources. Lastly, there are sections that cover writing SF, series and sequels, and e-books.
As it continues to expand its content, Scifan.com will become and ever more useful resource for anyone who wants to explore the vast and variegated treasures of SF literature.
-- Mark Wilson
Site of the Week -- Jan. 10, 2000
ever give up, never surrender is the motto of all Questerians, those
passionate fans of the long-canceled TV space opera Galaxy Quest. And after two decades, their loyalty has finally paid off: A Quest film is in theaters.
Travis Latke's Galaxy Quest Page follows the "return" in fanatical detail. Like the movie it's based on, the page is a parody of--and loving tribute to--all the fans who ever stood by their favorite science fiction show and never let it die. Although actually created by DreamWorks, this isn't some slick, Flash-filled site. Instead it's built as a fan would build it--with lots of brightly colored letters, animated GIFs, spelling mistakes and SHOUTING WITH CAPS!
The site has a mock interview with Gwen Demarco (the "actress" who played Lt. Tawny Madison), a blissfully naive article about the show's commander, thoughtful analysis of five episodes, a screen saver and--of course--a full episode guide. It certainly makes up for the underwhelming Amazon.com-sponsored page featured at www.galaxyquest.com.
-- Kenneth Newquist
