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.
-- Scott Edelman, Editor-in-Chief
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Buffy's Relations Aren't So Bold
find myself increasingly irritated by the many fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer who express so much admiration for the "bold decision" to recast Willow as a lesbian. What a daring move in a Hollywood obsessed with homosexuality, where every third show must feature a gay character to prove the liberal credentials of the producer. In fact, the Willow/Tara story is just cheap pandering to the current climate in which lesbian chic prevails among Buffy's core audience.
What I want to know is, why is Joss Weadon so scared of showing a traditional marital relationship? There is not one married couple on Buffy. We have had a human/vampire relationship, a human/werewolf relationship, a lesbian relationship, a human/ex-demon relationship, Giles's apparent long-distance interracial relationship and Buffy's season-long nymphomaniac bed-a-thon with Riley. There have been one-night stands for Buffy, Giles, Xander and even Buffy's mom. Vampire couples. Demon couples. Vampire prostitutes. But no married couples, not one.
As a matter of fact, do married couples even exist in the Buffy universe? Has there ever been a married couple shown on either Buffy or Angel? Every adult appearing on Buffy and Angel is single or divorced. We have heard of Willow and Xander's parents, but they're never shown. I cannot recall a single instance of a married character ever appearing in any significant role on either show.
Perhaps this is the best indicator of the true mindset in Hollywood. The only kind of emotional attachment that is too strange, too perverse and too unbelievable to show is the true commitment of marriage. Now that I find scary.
Dennis R. Spirgen
DennisSpirgen@gateway.net
Star Trek Makes Fans Yawn
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 shows development are taking note.
Having seen the 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 really is bringing the various shows close to--if not Soap status--then 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 in which Australian TV Networks see Star Trek, the shows are aired at 10:30 p.m. or 11:30 p.m. 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 not even worthy of a Sunday afternoon slot. So, the 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 story lines. Go where no man has gone before and stop treading the same old path. Use the wealth of science fiction authors, new and established, that will re-invigorate a concept that belongs in the 21st Century!
Steve Boyce
sboyce@goconnect.net
SF Strings Start to Sting
feel it's time for sci-fi films to take advantage of the current music scene and use them as their music score. Yeah, it's cool to use orchestral string music in sci-fi since Star Wars made it cool. But I feel we should move on. String music used in most of the current movies are getting passe and becoming cliched. Come on, in the most suspenseful scenes, they re-use Psycho-like strings ad nauseum. They should have been minimalistic, like John Carpenter's movies, or a bit more innovative.
I suggest that sci-fi films should use styles of techno, industrial, world music, etc. in a more creative, emotional manner instead of mere string music in a more creative manner. And besides, such styles used can also save a lot of money in films.
But if we all insist on using string music in sci-fi films, we must come up with something more innovative than what is done by John Williams in Star Wars. However possible, music scores should reflect the vision of the films' creators. Blade Runner did that with Vangelis. Why can't we?
Ahmad Zaki bin Zakaria
zayki@tm.net.my
Crusading for JMS' Second Series
second Donnacha Brophy's comments regarding the Babylon 5 sequel Crusade.("Black Scorpion is a Step Back") The well-crafted, well-acted (though short-lived) series deserves a second chance. I just hope JMS and Doug Netter haven't given up in frustration. Given the good ratings that B5 has garnered for the SCI FI Channel in re-runs, I think they will find another proven winner in Crusade. Hopefully, they can still pull the original cast together. It would make a great Friday night
lead-in to Farscape.
Russ Jones
rsjones@ix.netcom.com
Farscape Should Be Flipped
y wife and I are solid fans of Farscape, The Invisible Man, and the new kid on the block, Jules Verne. We have a concern and a suggestion. Farscape is in the process of "pushing the envelope," which, in my experience, is artistic doublespeak for becoming much more graphic and violent; which the series has become. The first season we were able to enjoy with our children, but beginning with the middle of
the second season, we had to begin sending the kids to bed and recording it for later because the graphic violence was causing them to have nightmares.
Your new show, Jules Verne, is inventive, fun, with understated violence and interesting storylines. Its also the kind of science fiction that my six-, eight-, and twelve-year-olds can enjoy with us without having to cover their eyes every five minutes so they can sleep through the night.
My suggestion, for what its worth, is to flip the two shows in the line-up; put Verne at 9 and Farscape at 10. I know my kids would appreciate it. So would I.
Jim Gunn
jandk5@concentric.net
True Science Fiction is Rare
aybe I am "old fashioned," but I have to admit that I have seen things on television and movie screens that, in my opinion, should not be called "science fiction." One major thing that confuses me is how the "horror" of
stories about vampires has suddenly become known as "science fiction." Not to mention shows such as Friday the 13th (both movies and television series), Psycho and many others too numerous to mention, are now classified as "science fiction." Oh! And, if you value your sanity, please don't get me started on how "fantasy," i.e., Lord of the Rings, is considered as "science fiction!" (A quote comes to mind: "There ain't no such thing!") Is there someone out there in "TV-Land" or "Movie-Land" who can explain this to me? Just for information, I do not begrudge these shows/movies their own right, but I do have a bit of a problem when they are given as much "show space" and (seemingly) considered as "true science fiction" is given.
What is "true science fiction," you may ask me? Well, it would fall along the lines (with movies/shows) such as Dune, Farscape, Star Trek, Star Wars and Dark Angel, to mention just a very few. With books, it would be such as the Star Wars books, Star Trek books, authors such as Robert Heinlein, L. Neil Smith, Allen Dean Foster, E.E. "Doc" Smith and Harry
Harrison (though they all did work that I consider as verging on "fantasy," rather than "science fiction"), again, to mention just a very few. How in the world can anyone manage to say that the Harry Potter books and Lord of the Rings are "science fiction" is way beyond me.
I also have to wonder about the books that are being churned out nowadays. I apologize in advance to any who may be offended, but I will say that I could belch out better books than a lot of what I see on the shelves now! Publishers do not read what is submitted, or they just have no experience in reading science fiction, so the public winds up reading drivel that offends the very genre of Science Fiction! What choice do we have? When it comes to a book, there is no "off button," so we are out the money we spent on the book, since re-selling it still means a loss, no matter how you look at it. I would be willing to bet big money that, if someone were to take a "classic science fiction" story/novel (meaning more than 20 years old) and, after making a few changes, submit it
for publication to the major publishers, that it would be rejected on the first go around. Any takers?
Michael McMaster
mcmaster@usa.com
Independent SF Comics Are Best
ames W. Thomas' letter "SF Comics Are Not Unbreakable" brings up some good points about the lack of science fiction originality in comics, but it misses a few, too, whether intentionally or not.
Some of the best science fiction and fantasy stories are still on the comic book shelves; you just have to look a little closer for them. The big two (Marvel and DC) have suffered a bit over the years, but I'm not here to rant on the superhero failings. Nor am I going to try to convince people
that Todd McFarlane does a much better job at making toys than he does at making comics, at least these days.
Rather, it is the independent branch of comics--with titles like Mark Crilley's Akiko, Andi Watson's Geisha, and J. Torres' and J. Bone's Alison Dare--that feed those great gaping maws hungry for science fiction/fantasy tales that any age can appreciate, much like Star Wars did before the great Episode I debacle.
These stories and many others are entertaining but also very intelligent. Even if you disagree with the physics of a story, it is difficult to find fault with the fine craftsmanship of the characters and storylines.
So, gentle readers, instead of sifting through the glut of books provided by the big boys in the industry, I urge you to give the baby brothers and baby sisters a chance. You just might find a gem.
Mayumi Hirtzel
mayumi_hirtzel@yahoo.com
Comics and SF Are Inseparable
always enjoy James Thomas' letters, ("SF Comics Are Not Unbreakable") particularly their ability to provoke thought and rouse me to the point where I feel compelled to write a letter of my own.
I have to agree with him that comics in general could benefit from an influx of new readers--sales have been slipping for many years now. I remain optimistic that the situation can turn around at any time though.
SF and comics have a long history together. The creators of Superman--Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster--started out as science fiction fans. Harlan Ellison and Ray Bradbury were having stories of theirs adapted for comics as early as the fifties. In fact many SF authors have written comic books as well--Eando Binder, Gardner Fox, Harlan Ellison, K.W. Jeter, Arthur Byron Cover and J. Michael Straczynski all leap to mind; I'm sure there have been others. Noted fantasy artist Frank Frazetta worked in comics for years before turning to painting. Writer Neil Gaiman rose to fame as a result of his work in comics. I could go on, but I think the idea is clear.
Part of the problem may simply be the low visibility that comics have these days. It's been ages since I can remember seeing a spinner rack full of titles at the local drugstore. For a decent selection of comics, one generally has to find a comics shop in their area, no small task in some
parts of the country. Furthermore, not all comics shops are created equal, and not all of them will necessarily carry any/all of the titles that one might be looking for. Best bet is to try several comics shops--again, not always an option in some areas. On the plus side, just about all comics
shops carry the Diamond Previews catalog (Diamond is currently the only comic book distributor in the US.) Some shops will throw in the catalog free with purchases over a certain amount, but even if you have to pay for it, it's a good way to browse through what's coming out within the next few months. If something looks interesting, have the shop pre-order it for you (depending on the shop and the price of the item you may be required to pay in advance.) There are also many online comics dealers, but that's not always an option for people.
And fair warning: comic books are just as prone to using sex to sell things as...well, every other entertainment medium really, as anyone familiar with the phrase "nude variant cover" can attest.
As for some of the other points in Mr. Thomas' letter:
While Marvel may have lost the Star Trek license, they weren't exactly the first company to hold it either (that would be Whitman, I believe, who also published Turok way back in the day.) I'm sure the Star Trek license will survive just fine. If Marvel winds up going under due to poor business decisions, well, they're hardly the only publisher in existence and I seriously doubt that the comics market will collapse as a result.
I'm also puzzled by the Marvel titles that Mr. Thomas characterizes as "original." Werewolf By Night, Ghost Rider and Man-Thing all date back to the seventies. Strange Tales dates back to the sixties at least. I suppose "original" isn't necessarily the same thing as "new" though. Some of the character concepts aren't particularly original: werewolves--and even the concept of a werewolf as hero--are a time-honored tradition. I'm not sure if DC's Swamp Thing predates Man-Thing or not, but the comic book character Heap predates both of them, and Heap owes much of his genesis to Theodore Sturgeon's classic short story, "It." As for Generation X, well, I haven't read it so I can't really comment.
As for why movies and video games based on comic books continue to fly, well, there's currently a much larger audience for those forms of entertainment than there is for comic books. Not a happy thought for those of us who are comics fans, but there it is.
"Why is it then that anytime anything is original in comics, it gets cancelled?" Well it comes down to that difference between "original" and "new" once again. Superman is a highly original concept and hasn't been cancelled yet, even after over sixty years of publication. It's the same
with Batman (though he's arguably less original than Superman.) Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four both contain enough variations on the superhero theme to be considered more or less "original" and they're still going strong after about forty years...If by "original" you mean "new," well, new titles get cancelled all the time, usually due to poor sales. Just because something is good doesn't mean it will sell well enough to make it worth publishing. This is no more common in comics than it is in TV shows, magazines, or just about any other form of serial entertainment you
care to name.
I'm curious what Mr. Thomas means by "original?" What was it about the Marvel titles mentioned that made him think of them as more original than the rest? Was it originality in the basic concepts? In the way they were written? What? I'm genuinely curious, and it would help give an idea where you're coming from here. Also, after having written the above paragraphs I'm beginning to realize what a nebulous concept "originality" is...
So, in conclusion: comic books could definitely benefit from an influx of new readers, and here's hoping these letters pique some people's curiosity. And "originality" is a pretty difficult concept to pin down.
Stewart Tame
sbt@ans.net
SF Fans Must Support Comics
must disagree with James W. Thomas' take on the current comic market. ("SF Comics Are Not Unbreakable") Yes, many great titles have fallen, or been brought back in stilted form, but there is a great variety of graphic science fiction available.
Although DC's Helix imprint died, its flagship title Transmetropolitan is still flying its bitter, dystopian flag high. It's a great post-cyberpunk take on culture. Humanoids is currently publishing The Metabarons based on the Jodorowsky/Moebius comic The Incal. This is breathtaking epic space fantasy. Image's The Red Star is another stirring epic full of eye candy and heavy drama.
In the mainstream/superhero genre, Marvel has recently pumped out Grant Morrison's Marvel Boy and the Warren Ellis/Steven Grant re-launch of X-Man, both of which are grand stories about multiple dimensions and mad gods and other fun insanity. Wildstorm brings us Planetary, another Ellis book, which pulls the curtains on the secret history of a super-hero-filled universe. This is fun, distinctly science fictional, stuff.
There is also Steampunk, Violent Messiahs, Dark Minds, Soul Saga, The Authority, as well as upcoming books like Ministry of Space and Just a Pilgrim.
The comics industry is in a slump right now. It would be wonderful if one out of every ten science fiction readers spend 15 minutes in a comic store looking for the kind of adventure and sense of wonder that brought them to SF in the first place. It is there, in all of its high-tech, full color, widescreen beserker glory. All you need do is look for it.
Jeff Patterson
baddayst@javanet.com
SF Won't Raise Your Children
'd like to answer Caryn Wesner-Early's letter ("SF Can Be Torture"). First off, I would suggest that she read earlier letters in this week's batch ... Specifically those letters related to the recent same sex relationship in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Miss Early seems to miss the point that most current SCI-FI television programming is not for children. I would agree that the torture scenes in Farscape are rather intense. I can't speak for Angel because I don't watch it. I definitely would not let someone like my nephew watch this show. The point is that the show is an action/adventure sci-fi show and therefore will have its share of violence and, with a character like Scorpious, torture. That's just the kind of guy old Scorpy is and that's why he's such a diabolical character.
I have grown up watching violent programming, from the old Bugs Bunny cartoons to evening news every night. Because I had a close family and concerned parents, who monitored my television viewing, I ended up a decent, caring, useful member of society, not the gun-toting sociopath that everyone seems to think TV shows produce. The end result--parents, get involved with your kids lives, and don't blame shows like Farscape or Angel or any other action show for your child's morality, or lack thereof. It's your job to raise your kids, not the TV.
Julia Hayden
BluMijet@excite.com
Race May Have No Future
have to comment on this idea about race in sci-fi (particularly Dune and Star Trek). It might be true that different races cast in different roles might attract a wider audience--but is it "futuristic?" Mixed race marriages are on the increase--between Europeans and Asians, European and Africans and Africans and Asians, particularly in countries with huge immigrant populations, like the US, Canada, the UK, etc.
Some futurists predict that in not too many generations the human race will not have separate races at all--read Haldeman's The Forever War and Forever Free. If all of us (living in the now) would not fret about race so much, I doubt the future would worry about it at all.
Patrick Baker
bakerpat62@yahoo.com
Battlefield Earth DVD is Great
just read the review of the Battlefield Earth DVD by Jeff Berkwits and have to agree with him. The DVD, which I saw in the Hollywood Reporter is now the #2 bestseller in the country, is great entertainment and priced right. It brings out much more of the story than I saw in the theater, and the visuals are spectacular. Somehow Jeff was able to see past the histrionics of the mainstream reviewers who rarely can appreciate a good SF film and give an informed review. I am looking forward to watching the full commentary by the director now that I read Jeff's piece. I think "pulp science fiction" is a good description of the Battlefield Earth movie. It's not the book, which is one of the best in the genre, but no director is ever going to capture it all on film. It's too epic and the costs would be
prohibitive.
MalibuH
hugh@authorservicesinc.com
Friday is BS
have been a long time watcher and enjoy most of what the SCI FI Channel offers in terms of movies and original programming. But, they have destroyed a workable and watchable Friday night for me. I enjoyed watching The Invisible Man, Farscape, and Lexx, but now they (except Farscape) are on Mondays and I have to see Black Scorpion as the lead-in program. What was SCI FI thinking? This program is a weak comic strip in live-action and could have done better. It does not provide a real lead-in to a quality program such as Farscape.
I enjoy looking at skimpy clad babes as well as any red-blooded American, but these story lines are lame. This returns me to some poorly produced programs of the early seventies that filled airtime just to have something to show. Why create not a program based on the RAMA concept as an ongoing idea, or bring back Bablylon 5. Even airing the reruns in this time slot is preferable to Black Scorpion.
Farscape on the other hand continues to improve. The ending reminds me of Blake Seven, keeping us guessing from program to program if the main characters might be back. I am sure that Aeryn will return next season (I hope she does), and they will find an end to the Scorpius story. Unlike others, I see good story lines and acting that make this program the best SCI FI has put on the air. Finally, Jules Verne is an amazing concept. My verdict is still out on this one, but I hope the program can keep my interest. One change they need to make soon is get rid of Passepartout. He doesn't really work for comic relief. The Fogg cousins and Verne are enough regulars.
Ted Horton
YeOldebear@aol.com
Farscape Continues to Fly
would like to offer my opinion of the new Friday night line up on the SCI FI Channel. First: Black Scorpion is just plain bad. Since when does campy equal cheesy? I'll freely admit that Michelle Lintel is a very lovely woman, as befits a former beauty queen, she appears to be physically adept and very able to perform in the fight scenes. Also, what heterosexual male doesn't love good looking women in tight revealing clothes. However, that is all that there is to recommend this show. The special effects are laughable, the acting is awful, the scripts and villains are direct rip-offs of the old Batman series. And the fight scenes make the old Batman look like The Matrix. I have given Black Scorpion four weeks to impress me, it has utterly failed to even mildly divert me. Please, programming department at SCI FI Channel: save us all a lot of pain and cancel Black Scorpion now!
Now on to much better fare: Farscape. Once again the show has impressed me mightily. The season-ending four show arc was the best. Well-written, well-acted and perfectly logical. The return of Crias and Talon was a great touch. I hardly approve of the longer story arcs Farscape has given this season, they allow the show to tell deeper, more interesting stories than stand alone episodes. Farscape is hands down the best SF show on TV right now.
The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne holds some great promise. The acting has been good, the stories exciting, and it is nice to see some alternative history on TV. The technology and gadgets have been just right; big, clunky and way over decorated. It is steam-punk. I particularly like the developing relationship of Verne, Passpartout, Fogg and Rebecca Fogg, with the two Foggs acting as Mentors for the younger (more foolish) characters.
Patrick Baker
bakerpat62@yahoo.com
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