The Letters to the Editor department is intended to be a forum for our readers to express their own opinions and ideas. While we appreciate the many complimentary letters we receive each day, you won't find them on this page. Instead, you will find letters that go beyond or even contradict what we have written, letters that offer a different perspective and provide a different view of science fiction. If you would like to submit a letter, please use our feedback form or send a message to scifiweekly@scifi.com.
-- Brooks Peck, Editor
SCI FI Is Declining Rapidly
hen I first got the SCI FI Channel I was glad that finally, after years of
begging and pleading with my cable company, I would finally be able to see
quality science fiction and science programming. Over the past year or so,
however, the quality of programming on the SCI FI Channel has gone into a
rather sharp decline. Not only has the SCI FI Channel canceled programs like
Sliders and Mystery Science Theater 3000, but it has either stopped showing some of its better older
programs or has moved them to either very early or very late hours. In
addition it has replaced these with series like Lexx (which is a truly
horrible program). Worse yet it has added, Tales From The Crypt, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and
Xena: Warrior Princess (which aren't even science fiction but fantasy--and third rate fantasy
at that) to the lineup. To make matters even worse the SCI FI channel has now
added good vs. evil (one of the worst TV programs ever made) to its lineup. Very soon the only program on the SCI FI Channel that will be worth watching is Farscape.
To say the least I am rather disgusted with the turn away from quality
programming that the SCI FI Channel seems to be taking. I can only urge the
programmers to drop the USA Network trash like Hercules, Xena and good vs. evil and go back to good science fiction like Farscape. Maybe they could even negotiate
with TNT and try to get the rights to produce the Babylon 5 spinoff Crusade.
Fredric P. Conrad, Jr.
FredPAC@aol.com
Thanks For The Ham In Frequency
just wanted to say thank you for mentioning, in your review of the movie Frequency, that the father and son used amateur radio, (ham radio) to communicate.
Almost every other column or ad on TV as well as the Internet does not mention that ham radio is used in the movie! I am an amateur radio operator and think this is a real dump on ham radio as a whole. When the police, fire, EMS and all the other services go down in an emergency, ham radio is all that is left. And by the way, if emergency services go down, so do cell phones! We do our work for free and still the media forgets about us. In a disaster, we are the only link on the planet for communications.
Tom McDermott KC8MGR
kc8mgr@arrl.net
Women's TV Is A Myth
really had to respond to Sean Huxter's Issue No. 158 letter, "'all things' Not For Males." I really get tired of this sexist drivel like men wanting guns, and "babes in Mylar" and women wanting "character and intrigue". The fact that it is demeaning to men and women equally isn't much of an improvement. There have been sappy stories like Field of Dreams written for a largely male audience while Thelma and Louise was about car chasing and girl power. Okay, that's a bit of an oversimplification but it is certainly a less radical one.
In TV there was the show Homicide: Life on the Street. Yes, it had cops, guns, and attractive women, but the women were smart and the characterization was usually quite high. Because of this it was put on Lifetime for awhile, but to say it is a "woman's show" I think is highly unfair. Also Lifetime wanted it because it showed strong, complex women of action. The truth is, I think the depth of characters was an attraction to the men and women who watched, and the action was too. There was also Sports Night, once again very much about traditional male interests, yet strong on character, usually. One of my favorite episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation was the character study episode "Inner Light." This was not a "woman's" episode, as I've known just as many male as female viewers who liked it.
I think what makes some believe myths about "women's" or "men's" TV is Hollywood. Targeting immature people, men and women, is often preferred because they are the ones who spend money most freely. In a capitalist society that makes good sense, but the problem is when people think that the pop culture or what sells represents reality. It is important to remember that at best it represents the reality of Ivy League educated preppy writers. At worst it tends to represent the wants and desires of the people with more money than sense. I think most women want plot as often as men do and aren't all about gothic intrigue. Likewise the movies, TV episodes, etc. that mean something to men at least have something to say about the human condition or even a character that they identify with. I'm not saying men and women like exactly the same things, I just think simple stereotypes on gender does no one any good.
Theodore Sanders
TSanders@sff.net
X-Files Is Male-Centric
hree cheers to C. Arneil for having the guts to express his or her thoughts on Gillian Anderson's episode and the current state of The X-Files in the letter "The X-Files Has Become A Joke." The show has lost the uniqueness and magic that made it stand out in the early seasons.
And those fans who have elevated Gillian Anderson's episode to biblical status should be more concerned about Gillian being the first and most likely only woman to direct for The X-Files and only the sixth one to write an episode.
Debra Neron
deeneron@netscape.net
The X-Files' Joke Is On You
kay, now let's be honest. How many of us have had an experience in our lives
that, while it doesn't completely change us for the rest of our lives might
make us look at something in a way we hadn't before? Yeah, I see all the
hands. I'm wondering if we would include the person who
called "all things" one of the worst episodes of The X-Files.
Chris Carter, over the cource of the run of The X-Files has proven himself to
be a sneaky guy. He has ensnared all of us in a world that we become so
involved in we get a bit rattled by a humorous episode or one that gives
us the creeps at three in the morning (everyone has one). And with "all
things" I think he proved himself to be sneaky once more.
It was a humanizing side to Scully's life that we, as viewers, hadn't
had a chance to see much before. It showed her as a woman who could and has
loved. And a woman who was shaped by one of the people in the episode. Every
one of us has a person like that. Someone who affected us. And, in regards to how well Scully has endured what the conspiracy has thrown at her, it was
interesting to see where some of her strength has come from.
So, in regards to those of you who think that The X-Files is a joke, I
have one thing to say. The joke's on you, courtesy of Chris Carter.
J. Untch
JUntch6905@aol.com
X-Files Parodies Itself
illian Anderson and David Duchovny should leave the writing to
professionals and stick to acting, or at least not use
The X-Files as a practice ground for script writing.
It is time to let a series die when it has become
just a parody of its former self. When the actors
take over the directing and writing roles, the show
almost aways suffers. Look at M*A*S*H before and
after Alan Alda took over.
Greg Surman
surman@ix.netcom.com
Baxter Isn't First Double PKD
t was nice to see your coverage of the Philip K. Dick Award in
Issue No. 158, but while Stephen Baxter has won two PKD awards, he is not the
only author to have done so. Both Rudy Rucker and Tim Powers have won
twice. Rudy Rucker won the first PKD award in 1982 for Software and
he tied in 1988 for the sequel Wetware. Tim Powers won in 1983 for
The Anubis Gates and in 1985 for Dinner at Deviant's Palace.
Brent Heustess
heustess@mail.utexas.edu
Roughnecks Consigned To TV Hell
only recently became aware of Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles.
Unfortunately the show seems to be consigned to television hell with it's
early morning slot instead of the prime time adult slot it so richly
deserves. How SCI FI programming management ever reasoned this
show was only good enough to rate such poor viewing time slots as it has
received from them in the last year is beyond me. This show would be an
excellent candidate for the 7-8 p.m. ET viewing time slot in a manner similar to the old The Twilight Zone series.
Bob Dalton
bob.dalton@digitallogistics.com
Try Some Different SF Dishes
've been a fan of science fiction and the related genres for a very long time, and I'd just like to comment on the increasing fragmentation of the fan base among the younger generations. Anime fans think fanac should just be about anime, Xena: Warrior Princess fans don't want to hear about The X-Files, Alien franchise buffs give you a blank stare when you mention Forbidden Planet. To paraphrase Auntie Mame, "SF is a banquet, and most young SF fans are starving themselves to death!" I hereby challenge all minutely focussed fans to branch out--tune into something (in any medium) outside your specialty! There's an awfully big multiverse out there--don't be content with your own little pebble of the asteroid belt!
R.L. Collins Christopher
r.l.c.christopher@excite.com
Jar-Jar: A Four Step Plan
ith the announcment that Jonathan Hales will be doing final touch-ups on the Episode II script written by Lucas, I have recently been thinking of perhaps the thorniest issue in the history of the Star Wars saga: Jar-Jar Binks.
At the mere mention of his name, I know that a lot of you are rolling your eyes in disgust. For the record, let me say I actually kind of liked the goofy Gungan. Though he is hardly my favorite Star Wars supporting character, I will admit that he made me laugh a few times during The Phantom Menace.
And I love the Gungans as a concept. Lucas created what I thought was a very interesting race of beings, as well as the society that surrounds them.
However, I also understand why he didn't catch on with a lot people. And since it is confirmed that Jar-Jar will be returning in Episode II (like it or not), rather than spouting off a lot of negative criticism I've decided to put down some suggestions on how Lucas and Hales can improve the character of Jar-Jar. Maybe he will never be likable in some people's minds, but perhaps he will be deemed tolerable by said people.
1. Give Jar-Jar a purpose. One thing I noticed in The Phantom Menace was the fact that he seemed to be just a tag-along. Other non-human supporting characters have always had a purpose that served the interests of the good guys. Chewbacca was co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon as well as the "muscle guy." C3P0 was fluent in six million forms of communication. And R2-D2 has pulled our heroes' fat out of the fire more times than can be mentioned. Jar-Jar needs to be useful to our heroes in order to explain why they have him around.
2. Tone back the accent. I think a big reason why people didn't like Jar-Jar was simply they couldn't understand him.
I know that the Gungan accent is established, but Captain Topus and Boss Nass were far more easily understood than Jar-Jar. If he merely talked a little more slowly, I think people would be less frustrated with him.
3. Give him a wider range. It seemed that Jar-Jar had only two emotional states: scared and goofy. Even Chewbacca had greater range than this, and he didn't even have the benefit of speech or facial expression. It's hard for an audience to feel anything for him if he's only a two-note character. With CGI being what it is, I'm sure Industrial Light and Magic can give him a greater degree of emotion than what we saw in The Phantom Menace.
4. The Clumsy Factor. Jar Jar is clumsy. That's what he is and I don't think Lucas is going to write him any other way. But keep in mind that the next film takes place 10 years later. Unlike the droids (which are static characters) Jar-Jar actually has the capacity for change and growth. Maybe he is clumsy, but he doesn't have to be as clumsy as he was in The Phantom Menace. You can even play around with the audience's expections: You know he's going to trip up at some point, just not where or when. Also, not everything he does to help out the heroes has to be accidental. The more times he takes deliberate action to do good will go a long way towards wiping away at least some of the negative image he has inspired.
The fact that Lucas brought another writer on board suggests to me that he knows he was hitting a few sour notes in the last film. I still can't wait for Episode II, and hope it will be a film that everyone can enjoy together.
Max Gremlin
MaxGremlin@yahoo.com
Voyager Is My Inspiration
very time I read the letters to the editor,
someone is forever bashing Star Trek and Rick Berman. For crying out loud, if
you don't like it, then don't watch it. I happen to love Star Trek: Voyager the best of all
the Star Trek series, because for once they have a woman in charge. I've
seen how having men in charge has screwed up our country, so this is one show
that gives a woman a chance to be in charge and do things from a female
perspective. It's an inspiration to me to see a female captain, just as it was
for the blacks to see Uhura on the bridge back in the '60s. Maybe this kind of
series is exactly what this country needs to encourage women that they can
lead just as well, or better, if given a chance. It may be a series like Voyager
that is the prelude to having a woman president someday. I guess I shouldn't be
surprised that so many guys have a problem with Voyager. Maybe your real problem
isn't with the storylines but with your male egos.
Dawn Clark
dclark5@bitwisesystems.com
Face It, Trek Is Finished
he ongoing debate over which/what/whose Star Trek should
replace Star Trek: Voyager is getting boring. Which, curiously enough,
is what the Star Trek franchise is--boring.
Trek fans need to look beyond Excelsior and Sulu to the other
SF universes currently in production and support those. Star Trek is finished--finally. It has run its course. And that is a good thing.
T. Francis
tomf@neca.com
Where Are The Excelsior Fans?
keep seeing letters about this large fan base that wants a new show
based on Sulu, but I can never find anything else on the Web about it.
If this is such a large group, why are there not dozens of sites and
hundreds of boards out there? With almost every other topic on the net
you can get drowned by such things, but I just never seem to run across
anything about Sulu and the Excelsior. Why won't these twits just give
it up? There isn't any large fan base that wants this show, it's just a
few hundred letter-writers. And they are getting a little monotonous.
Instead of writing letters to ezines and magazines, the should write to
the producers who make those decisions. I think that most Star Trek fans
would like to see something new. I know I would. I'm not sure exactly
what, but I think that a time travel Trek in the 29th century would do
good. That way the old characters could still be seen to make such
people happy.
Kyle Kirkpatrick
kylejk@webtv.net
