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Herbert's Dune Addressed Diversity
n reference to the letters regarding the lack of racial diversity in the Dune mini-series I recall, from reading Dune, that the Atreides traced their ancestry to ancient Greece, and that the Fremen were descended from an Arab race of zen-sunni wanderers. The book tells of a million worlds and implies that a group whether distinct by race, religion or some other quality could
take a world for its own therefore there is very little room for racial diversity in the tale. The only characters who could be cast as Asian or of African descent would be someone such as the Suk doctor.
Stephen Hutchinson
sph@primus.com.au
Gene Roddenberry Had Race Right
number of people, lately, have complained about the lack of racial diversity in the SCI FI Channel's recent Dune miniseries--even going so far as to imply that the producers intended to display a whites-only future, and went out of their way to exclude minorities. Or that they must be racists
because they thoughtlessly didn't consider minorities important enough to put onscreen. Others sought to nitpick the scientific accuracy of a homogenous gene-pool. (But they don't have any problem with a planet having abundant breathable oxygen and animal life without any surface vegetation?)
Such critics are really looking too deeply into this, and have failed to recognize a vital factor: The realities involved in creating the production.
If I'm not mistaken, the new Dune was filmed primarily, if not exclusively, in Prague, Czech Republic. Since, as all films and TV series do, Dune had a finite budget, and a significant portion went to the truly stunning sets, costumes and visual effects, costs had to cut somewhere. Therefore, casting, especially that of extras, would have to be done locally. The
large number of assorted European accents heard throughout the cast bears this out. I don't have access to the Czech Republic's census figures, but I'd confidently wager that the non-caucasian population of Prague numbers in the high teens at best. Then factor in the amount of those non-caucasian Prague citizens who have gone into show-biz into the pool of actors available to be cast, and the number of potential minority faces in Dune drops practically to nil. No overt racism, or callous ignorance, simply the reality of making a film with local talent in Eastern Europe. Like the rear-projected desert scenes that look like painted theatrical curtains, it's just another aspect of the producers using what they had at hand in order to conserve funding. Were they expected to fly a planeload of minority extras in from L.A. just to be unrecognizable beneath Harkonnen soldier helmets? (Am I the only one who finds the idea of forced busing to desegregate Czech film sets laughable?) George Lucas may have been able to afford doing that in The Phantom Menace, but this edition of Dune wasn't working with anything near that level of resources.
I find it disheartening, especially this close to the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., that people are still obsessing over the color of a performer's skin, and not the content of their character. Would these same people, who pore over every frame of a film looking for non-white faces, and interpreting any lack of same as an intended slight, scrutinize magazine advertisements looking at people's toenails? Would they see a preponderance of short-trimmed toenails a sign that the magazine's publishers are unfairly biased against people with longer toenails, and are therefore making a concentrated effort to insult them? That's preposterous, you say. Well, if it's ludicrous to suggest that toenail length should have any influence on social standing, then why do we continue to allow as similarly random a quality as skin color to have such power?
I enjoyed Star Trek: Deep Space Nine best of all the recent Trek series, and never once throughout its seven-year run did I feel it necessary to look at Avery Brooks or Michael Dorn and say "Look, they're black," or at Alexander Siddig and think "There are still Arabs in the 24th Century," or at Armin Shimmerman and say "He's a Jew under all that latex." I looked at them and I saw Captain Sisko, Worf, Dr. Bashir and Quark, and all that mattered to me was that they were all great characters. For all the hoopla over Kirk and Uhura's inter-racial kiss, I haven't heard word one about Worf and Dax's marriage. That's a good thing, and it's our duty as science-fiction fans to keep that trend going. Whatever his other failings, Gene Roddenberry was unquestionably right that the future must be a place where the color of someone's skin is as irrelevant to daily life as the length of their toenails.
Mike "Mad Kalnod" Dolan
madkalnod@hotmail.com
Dune's Diversity is Accurate
f someone wants to bring up the fact that the Fremen have no access to diverse genes then it should also be pointed out that the rest of the society has had millennium of mixing and changing. With that much time elapsed and with the way humans spread one would expect little difference in physical appearance unless there is another outside influence such as the effects of spice on the navigators.
Later in the Dune series we find out that there are still Jews around, but there is no visible diversity from the rest of the culture about them. Many of the differences in the parts of the culture have nothing to do with race but ability or inside characteristics. The more people complain about unfairness the less others listen, or may even turn against those complaining. The best we can do is be fair to each other and stop crying wolf. I have grown up and never encountered any discrimination towards myself and have not found anyone who considers me different.
Clare Layendecker
mystful@yahoo.com
ST: Voyager Raises Questions
have been a long time fan of Star Trek: Voyager and seen many of the episodes again and again. Each time I see them, I see something new. I have to agree with some of the fans of the show when they comment that the crew doesn't seem like they're a close-knit family as Star Trek: The Next Generation and even Star Trek: Deep Space Nine did. The actors seem wooden while saying "Yes, captain" this and "Aye, captain" that. The show isn't concentrating much on following through on certain details. Such details may appear to be irrelevant to plotlines, but
nevertheless should be answered. Such questions that I have are: "Where is the Borg baby?" When the Borg children were first brought on board, a baby was rescued from the maturation chamber and transported to Voyager's sickbay. Where is it? Also: "When is Seven of Nine going to get her own
quarters?" When she first came on board, the doctor said she would have to regenerate in her alcove for a few hours each day for a while before her human body didn't need it anymore. I would love to see what she would do if she got her own quarters.
Paula Kelsey
trekkerispaula@yahoo.com
Trek's Stories Must Face the Future
ith all the letters being written regarding the state of the shows in the Star Trek franchise, one would hope that the suits controlling the show's development are taking note.
Having seen every series since the original Star Trek was launched, I have to agree that many storyline opportunities are being lost, apparently to maintain a "Don't get too involved" credo that is really bringing the various shows close to soap-opera status or to "Yawn, haven't I seen this before?"
This has not been lost on Earth: Final Conflict and even the lighter weight Farscape. To highlight the esteem that Australian TV Networks see Star Trek, the
shows are aired at 10:30pm or 11:30pm with the preceding sports and news broadcast being constantly allowed to run overtime. At the moment no Star Trek show is on in Melbourne. Yes, Star Trek has become filler programming not even worthy of a Sunday afternoon slot. So, suits in control, take note of your fans, we do have brains and we do know how to use the "Off" switch on our remotes. If you want us, you must feed us with interesting and occasionally challenging storylines. Go where no man has gone before and stop treading the same old path. Use the wealth of science fiction authors--both new and established--that will re-invigorate a concept that belongs in the 21st Century!
Steve Boyce
sboyce@goconnect.net
Trek Must Get Beyond the Borg
n response to Joe Schembrie's "Turn Star Trek upside Down" I must say that I couldn't agree more. The best thing they could do is raise the stakes and jostle things up a tad. The Star Wars universe did it by adding the Vong. Maybe it's time for a new Star Trek race worse than the Borg. Or a race that opposes even the Borg. Let's face it: the Borg have become a joke.
I just read Star Trek: Dark Passions (parts 1 and 2) by Susan Wright and found them more enjoyable than anything in the Star Trek universe in a while. Perhaps Wright should develop the new series. For those who don't know, Dark Passions takes place in the mirror universe. It's a universe of dark betrayals and inner plots. A series in the mirror universe would be great and would give several Star Trek characters from all of the series a chance to interact.
Theodore Wilczynski
toysoldiers_2000@yahoo.com
Sluggy Site Deserves a Sight
was pleased to see that "Sluggy Freelance" has been selected as a "Site of the Week", as this is one of the best on-line comics that I have found. However, Science Fiction Weekly's timing was a bit off as this week (January 15-21) the regular writer and artist are on vacation, and a guest cartoonist has taken over the strip. New readers to the strip should know that this week is not representative of the strip as a whole and should reserve judgement until they can look through some of the archived strips. You won't be disappointed.
David Simmons
dgsimmns@interlog.com
Homosexuality on TV is Nothing New
n response to everyone dogging the Willow/Tara Lesbian relationship on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: It's the 21st century, isn't it time to get over it? Homosexual people/relationships are a part of life, whether we choose to expose it in pop culture or hide it in a back room. It's still there. If you want to keep it real, you have to be realistic. And that means having character's that gay/lesbian
people can relate to. It's not like the writers will actually show characters "in the act" or
being distasteful. I'm sure that everyone out there either has a homosexual person in their family or knows a gay/lesbian person. They've been dealing with this issue on Dawson's Creek as well as Friends for four seasons now, so wouldn't it only seem logical that a sci-fi show such as Buffy be open to it?
While I'm on the subject, I'm really tired of how people have turned cold towards writer/director Kevin Williamson (Scream 1 & 2, Dawson's Creek, I
Know What You Did Last Summer, Teaching Ms. Tingle, and Wasteland) ever since he
came out in an issue of Out magazine. People were fine with him before they knew that, and it hasn't changed his quality of work. I say all that to say this: gay/lesbian/bisexual people are everywhere. They could even be close friends. Get over it people, it's life!
Tony Wallace
toysoldiers2001@yahoo.com
Buffy Slays, But Not for Kids
here did Steve LaFevers ("Keep Buffy for Kids") get the impression that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is intended for
children? The WB airs a disclaimer before each and every episode claiming the exact opposite! (Tonight's presentation is for adult and teen viewers, viewer discretion is advised. Remember?) The show is quite violent, and there's a fair amount of sexuality. Don't get me wrong--I love the show. But I would be reluctant to let children watch it.
I'd also like to note, in response to Mr. LaFevers' comments on the "moral decay" present on the show, that the Buffy/Riley relationship has been much more graphic than the Willow/Tara relationship. In fact, if a parent decided to let his young children watch Buffy, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he took the opportunity to explain homosexuality. Willow and Tara
obviously have a gentle, loving relationship; it's not just about the sex.
But getting back to my initial statements--I just don't understand where some people get the impression that genre shows such as Buffy (and many others) are for children. I wouldn't let children watch Farscape or The Invisible Man either, but I bet there are those who automatically assume that they're kiddie shows. (Heck, if I had my way, even Batman Beyond would air at 10 pm--and perhaps be expanded to an hour long format.) Perhaps it's just
because of how our culture often perceives us: "Oh, you're into comics, science fiction and role-playing games? Did you ever grow up? Do you ever go on dates? Ha ha! Look! Insulting you is fun!" Perhaps some of us have begun to believe what the mundanes tell us. Well, I've got news for you. The viewpoint that casts SF fans in the role of overgrown children is itself childish. I would expect better from the readers of Science Fiction Weekly.
Spencer M. Lease
beyondzine@mindshiftdesign.com
Buffy's Morals Don't Decay
his is in response to the letter entitled "Keep Buffy for Kids". What do you mean the bisexuality shouldn't be broadcast on Buffy?! First of all, Buffy scores its highest ratings with women in the 18-49 years of age. Second, since when is bisexuality a corruption to morals? Just because someone is bisexual, or gay, or anything, does not mean that they are jeopardizing the morals of today's youth. Until the episode "Triangle," Willow had never openly said she was gay. I feel that being any sexual preference is acceptable. I don't feel that it's hurting the youth of today. Teenagers can watch the show and do whatever they want with it. As for those who are under the teenage age, there is a warning in the beginning of the program. And if they don't want to watch, well, they don't have to.
Steph Powers
locac51255@aol.com
Buffy is no Babysitter
'm sure other people are rushing to argue Steve LaFevers opinion ("Keep Buffy for Kids") that
bisexuality/homosexuality is morally wrong, so I'll not bother. Instead I'd like to discuss the issue of whether Buffy should be made a child-safe program.
Lets look at Buffy and see what it is. Buffy is about vampires and a girl
who kills them. We see vampires feeding on humans and having wooden stakes pounded into them, we see long drawn-out fights between the heroes and monsters and we've seen "normal" people being murdered by the bad guys. We've seen good people become evil and commit terrible deeds (from the
simple Angel damnation and redemption to the much more twisted fall of Faith).
Are these suitable subjects for children to be viewing? Not really--yet once again we see that strange bias where people hurting other people is much more acceptable that people loving other people. So in my opinion Buffy is not suitable for children. The next question is: Should it be changed? My answer is that no, it shouldn't.
I think it's disturbing that there is a growing movement out there to make everything "safe" for the kiddies. I'm sorry, but not everything out there is made for children. Why should our entertainment be hobbled because a child might be watching something that's clearly not meant for them. TV is not a suitable babysitter and it's annoying that parents who don't try to control
what their children are watching get offended when the discover their children watching programs designed for adults. Sorry, but it's a parent's responsibility to ensure their children watch appropriate programs, not ours, and not Joss Whedon's.
Donnacha Brophy
donnbro@hotmail.com
X-Files is Past its Freshness Date
espite the increased ratings, I still feel The X-Files is past its prime. I loved the first five seasons, as well as the movie, but since the 6th season the show has been treading water. Too much repetition, too many comedy episodes, a totally confusing mythology arc. I felt the 7th season should have been enough. Chris Carter should have moved them onto a second feature film and kicked The Lone Gunmen into production. Apparently Fox can't let go of a winner.
The new character of John Doggett has not been the savior of the show. We know nothing of his personal life, he seems to have nonchalantly accepted the paranormal, and he's a bland square-jawed character. Maybe he's a contrast with Mulder's "sensitive guy" but there is not enough character there.
Then we have Scully's pregnancy which is brought up when convenient. How she got that way is not addressed, and we didn't even see her talk to her mother after leaving her a troubled message at the beginning of the season. Wouldn't a pregnancy be threaten by such a high stress job?
I've heard that the show will retroactively tell us Mulder and Scully were lovers and he is the baby's father. I was not against a Mulder/Scully romance but it should have been been phased in gradually. Everything we've been given since the film's release has been teasing and now we're going to get a "it happened while we weren't looking?" Lame.
The concepts this season are okay. I liked the metal guy and the guy living days backwards but the Scully/Doggett relationship is, to date, boring. And suddenly Scully has to be the one with the wacky theories after years of her doubting Mulder's, in spite of him being right all the time. She is more hesitant than Mulder but the role reversal is there, none the less, for writers' convenience. If a ninth season drags this on longer, I don't think I'd care about a second film or beyond.
Michael A. Nelson
miskonelsonny@hotmail.com
Black Scorpion Makes Fan See Red
have sat through two episodes of Black Scorpion. What was SCI FI thinking? Were they trying to capture the "15-year-old boy with out a girlfriend" (who will probably never get one) viewing market? The acting is terrible and the scripts are worse. The only thing this show has going for it is a bit of bare skin showing, with lots of high kicks in a thong. The people that OK'ed this show need to find other work. I agree with a writer last week that said that this is the type of show that gives sci-fi a bad name. The SCI FI Channel has had a lot of winning shows over the last few years. Both my wife and I are were overjoyed when the channel came on air back in the '80s and have been avid viewers ever since. Black Scorpion has us thinking maybe the Golf Channel is the place to go for that hour. It certainly could not be any worse. Do not try to rewrite or fix this show! Get it off the air!
On the positive side: The most recent Farscape Chain Reaction was one of the best I have seen. They took us through the entire history of the show and left us off at the four-episode run that they are currently running. It was a great way to bring people into the storyline. I hope SCI FI can keep up this sort of programming in the future.
Bill Wernik
Zathroslikesdirt@yahoo.com
Scorpion Deserves to Be Seen
oger Corman's Black Scorpion accomplishes its mission of being an enjoyable-to-watch action hour offering with eye candy flavor. Its plots may go way past the point of convincing its viewers to suspend their disbelief, but let us not forget that not everything has to be about searching for inner meanings. The show allows us to lighten up and relax especially after a hard day at the office.
Julian Gift
lira@trinidad.net
SF Can be Torture
wonder if anyone else is bothered by a trend I've noticed lately in SF programming. It came into clear focus for me last night while I was watching Farscape, but I've seen it in many other shows as well. I'm referring to the increasing depictions of torture. There are many shows which are excellent and which I look forward to with great eagerness, which I may nevertheless have to stop watching because of torture. Whether Skorpius is suspending John upside down and probing his eyes and brain, or his blue arachnid friend is pulling out the eyes of hapless prisoners, or Angel is suspending some poor demon upside down in some disgusting-looking liquid, both villains and heroes seem to use torture to attain their ends with increasing frequency. I believe this is very bad for kids to watch, and contributes to a feeling of distance from and dehumanization of our fellow beings. I really don't want to do without Farscape, Angel, Roswell, and other such excellent shows, but I'll have to if they don't stop showing torture so often.
Caryn Wesner-Early
CarynW@yahoo.com
There's Moore Inspiration Behind Verne
avin Scott may claim he got the idea (in a blinding flash--give me a break!) for his new series from Verne's having to censor 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but to any reader of Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, it's extremely obvious where the inspiration for this "steampunk" show came from. Yet not one word about Moore's highly popular comic series crosses the lips of Scott in your interview. The look and feel of the production design (the only thing about the show that really works), the idea of using famous fictional characters of the time period (a creatively lazy way to substitute a recognizable name for any actual depth of character), and the whole "Victorian secret agents" concept is straight out of Moore's League. Admittedly, Moore isn't the first one to have these ideas--but it would be nice if the creator of this derivative SCI FI Channel series would acknowledge his "inspiration." It's just too coincidental that right after the comic series finished its extremely successful 6-issue run, Scott came up with the idea for this. For the real thing, I suggest waiting for the feature film version of Moore's League. It's bound to at least have better acting, as well as be a lot more entertaining.
Mark Shaw
sharkmaw@texas.net
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