Site of the Week -- Feb. 7, 2000
rtist John Marshall isn't one of those starry-eyed optimists who expect
social equity will be an automatic byproduct of the invention of the warp
drive. Space Station Homeless is his well-set-up, tongue-in-cheek
look at those who lag behind in a spacefaring society, illustrated with
cleverly executed mock-ups, paintings, and composite images.
And because it's in the form of a nonexistent science fiction show's
official Web site, it's got a second level of parody as well. It hits all the
stops, from the run-down of the characters to a tour of the decrepit space
station. There's even an episode guide and a genuine gift shop with T-shirts
and posters.
The site takes an unusual idea--projecting today's underclass into the final
frontier--and runs with it. Its chief appeal lies in the excellent and
numerous images of the unfortunate astronauts and their cobbled-together
equipment. Some are inspired, like the ex-cosmonaut holding up a sign that
says he'll work for food and air, or the depictions of space "gangstas" and
debris collectors with rocket-powered shopping carts. Overall, this witty
and iconoclastic site encapsulates a side of space travel that only visitors
to Mir have given much thought.
-- Mark Wilson
Site of the Week -- Jan. 31, 2000
arthprime.com documents the television series Sliders so exhaustively, it borders on being obsessive-compulsive.
While other genre fan sites often include episode reviews, few can rival
Earthprime.com's level of completeness. The reviewers pay
excruciating attention to each episode, starting with the plot and then
analyzing every prop, every line of dialogue, and every possible series
connection. There are behind-the-scenes notes, brief alternate "history
lessons" and enough details to make even die-hard fans' heads spin.
The "Travel" section tours worlds the Sliders have visited, and makes for a
nice refresher. "Earth 211" chronicles an alternate reality where
Sliders became a hit and is still going strong. This section--which
includes write-ups of episodes that never were--rounds out the site nicely.
The FAQ and Cast sections of this generally well-designed site aren't
finished yet, and a few of the "other sites" links don't work, but the high quality of the other sections makes up for these minor faults.
-- Kenneth Newquist
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
