Site of the Week -- May 29, 2000
ead Cthulhu still lies dreaming ... but if he ever wakes up he'll probably want to surf over to Weirdass.net.
The site is built around a daily comic that puts a science fiction spin on H. P. Lovecraft's tales of cyclopean madness. The comic features beautifully drawn artwork coupled with computer-generated effects, and is filled with references to Old Ones, sunken cities, and other staples of the Cthulhu mythos. But instead of fixating on crumbling New England mansions, Weirdass.net spices up its Lovecraftian lore with healthy doses of late 20th-century mythology. The "Starry Ones" story-line is an excellent example--it combines the infamous "gray" aliens, alien abduction and a variety of ancient and sometimes horrifying races.
Weirdass.net maintains an extensive archive of stories, all of which are told in the classic one-to-four-cell comic format. This means that, although the site is updated regularly, the story advances at a crawl. A multi-panel "Sunday" comic each week would be a welcome addition to an otherwise excellent strip.
-- Kenneth Newquist
Site of the Week -- May 22, 2000
ne of the most frequently asked questions on science fiction and fantasy discussion boards is "Have you read any good books lately?"
The Internet Science Fiction/Fantasy List gives 100 answers to that question.
The list polls genre readers--at last count more than 2,700 of them--via its Web site and compiles a weekly list of the most popular books on the planet. An extended version of the list, showing every book that received at least two votes, is compiled every five weeks. There's also a short stories section that's updated every two weeks.
Books and stories are ranked using diffused averages, which is basically a way to make sure that a book with one vote that's ranked with a 10 doesn't automatically appear at the top of the list.
The site itself is bare-bones basic--no flashy graphics or technologies--but it gets the job done. Anyone looking to find a few--or a hundred--good books for their summer vacation would do well to visit.
-- Kenneth Newquist
Site of the Week -- May 15, 2000
While Mystery Science Theater 3000 may be trapped in reruns, its spirit continues on at Dueling Dialogue, a site dedicated to mocking some truly awful movies.
The premise is similar to MST3K: each week a picture from a science fiction (or related genre) movie is shown on the site. A sample caption is given, and then the fun begins. Visitors post their own lines, and the winning entry--along with a few honorable mentions--is chosen.
The results can be hilarious. In issue #110, "Napoleon Solo" from the 1965 film The Spy with My Face stands naked with a gun in one hand behind two frosted glass shower doors. One caption reads: "Don't ask me where I keep this. Just don't ask."
The wisecracks range from the inspired to the stupid to the gross, but most will elicit a good chuckle. It's a worth a visit for anyone who enjoys heckling cheesy films.
-- Kenneth Newquist
