Site of the Week -- May 8, 2000
he WB's Roswell is one of the more thoughtful entries in the slew of Buffy the Vampire Slayer-inspired teen-angst-meets-the-supernatural TV dramas. Despite uneven ratings, the show has garnered a devoted fan base and a number of good unofficial Web sites, one of the best of which is Roswell: Crashdown.
The site features extensive episode synopses and reviews accompanied by photos, slide shows, spoilers and even transcripts. There are also biographies and large image galleries for the eight leading actors. Fan input is included with amateur drawings, fan fiction, polls, a very busy message board and a Java chat room. The links list is long and includes sites focusing on the real-life Roswell controversy as well as the show and cast. The site is kept up to date with plot twists and behind-the-scenes information. In fact, many of the nuggets and updates betray a sense of urgency born of industry speculation about the show's imminent demise.
Roswell: Crashdown is a great resource for fans and makes a case for the show to newcomers. That's good news for an unusual and distinctive underdog like Roswell.
-- Mark Wilson
Site of the Week -- May 1, 2000
aptain Jean-Luc Picard sends the Enterprise hurling toward interstellar destinations with a motion of his hand and one word: "Engage."
If only it were that easy.
Warp Drive When? explains just how mind-bogglingly difficult it is to travel between the stars, and how humanity might--just might--be able to do it. Written by Marc Millis, the leader of NASA's Breakthrough Propulsion Physics program, the site uses an easy, conversational tone to review the challenges and misconceptions surrounding interstellar travel.
The subjects covered are right out of modern science fiction: wormhole travel, warp drives, negative energy drives and more, but there's none of the technobabble that accompanies the average episode of Star Trek.
Instead Millis goes out of his way to make his subject understandable and to be as honest as possible in assessing current and future star-flight technologies. His news is not all that good--the barriers to interstellar travel are immense, and the technology to overcome them may be beyond humanity's reach. But it's not all bad either. Science's limited understanding means that there could be many methods of interstellar travel just waiting to be discovered.
-- Kenneth Newquist
Site of the Week -- April 24, 2000
The Official X-Files Web Site is one of the few professional sites whose style and substance approach the depth of the series it seeks to promote.
Undoubtedly aware of the fan sites against which it competes, the good-looking site is saturated with information. Its major sections mirror those of fan sites: episode guide, discussion boards, actor and character bios, fan club and news. But where the X-Files site succeeds--and where other pro sites usually fail--is in the extras. The site's designers have access to information fans can only dream of, and they use it wisely.
In the Vault, fans can find interviews with Gillian Anderson from the set of "all things," conversations with the Lone Gunmen about "First Person Shooter" and other audio-video nuggets. The individual episode write-ups are bland--there's none of the passion found on amateur sites--but again, it's the extras that will attract fans. Almost all of the write-ups include stills and video clips, and many of the later-season ones include goodies like research links and staff/actor Q&As.
-- Kenneth Newquist
