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.
— Scott Edelman, Editor-in-Chief
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The Past Should Not Be Terrorized
just read with distress the news that the 20th-anniversary re-release of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial is going to be altered in order to remove a reference to one character looking like a terrorist ("Terrorism Changes E.T.").
What is wrong with people in the wake of the 9-11 events? Are we really so emotionally and intellectually weak that we can't handle one line from a 20-year-old movie? I understand perhaps trying to respect the feelings of those who suffered losses in the tragedy but how is saying that one kid's Halloween costume looks like a terrorist in any way insensitive to their
heartache?
Normally I'm not one for such sappy sentiments, but isn't the message of E.T. one that is uplifting and spiritual in a way that many people in the wake of last month's events need? Doesn't that message far outweigh any painful reminders or perceived insensitivities that one freaking line might
engender?
I really hope that Spielberg and Co. come to their senses and refrain from such poorly-thought-out editorial decisions. I am especially bothered that a director, writer and producer of his caliber would think to do such a thing. Hell, if we start worrying about old movies upsetting anyone, why not remove all references to genocide, abortion, child prostitution, slavery or any of the other hundreds of bad things we humans continue to do to one another? Keeping such references from "sensitive" audiences is not the way to deal with tragedy; rather, we must confront it head on and learn from the disasters, tragedies and mistakes of the past.
Patrick Wynne
pat_wynne@yahoo.com
Editing Yesterday Never Ends
was dismayed to read your news item about a line of dialogue in E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial being changed because of the recent terrorist events ("Terrorism Changes E.T."). While it's certainly Speilberg's right to make changes to his movie, I question the wisdom of changing the past merely to suit the obsessions of the present. What's next? The digital removal of the WTC Towers from the De Laurentiis version of King Kong, perhaps?
Ah well, apparently the mood of the times is that these blatant insensitivities towards future generations from past filmmakers must be corrected. In light of this, I urge all Science Fiction Weekly readers to write in to the studio demanding the removal of all references to terrorism from the Die Hard trilogy.
Stewart Tame
sbt@ans.net
Fox Should Let X-Files Die
n regards to the upcoming Season 9 of The X-Files—they can add all the new actors they want, the powers that be can make all the same promises and lies, but it will never change the fact that the
show is simply past its peak.
The romanticizing of the characters and the convoluted storyline has eroded the integrity of the show. It also didn't help matters to add a pregnancy story arc onto a science fiction show and virtually destroying the lead female character in the process.
Instead of dragging it on and further tarnishing its place in history, Fox would be better off if they cut their losses and develop something new and hopefully learn from the mistakes that were made on The X-Files.
Melodie Cranston
melodyc31@yahoo.com
Galapagos Offers Hope to All
ery good piece on your holiday ("Hope Springs Eternal on the Galapagos Islands"). I gotta go there!
The last-of-its-kind turtle you mentioned can indeed be propagated with methods first developed to aid human reproduction—transfer of chromosomes to an allied, nearby species female. This method has already saved the Asian horse.
Greg Benford
xbenford@aol.com
Now And Again Needs Our Support
e
have just recently discovered the sci-fi series Now and Again and I can't believe that CBS chose not to renew it. This Six-Million Dollar Man meets Moonlighting meets the X-Files is the smartest show I've seen in years, easily straddling the line between humor and heartbreak, action and angst, life and love, miseries and mysteries. The good news, of course, is the SCI FI Channel now has the great opportunity to reward such an inventive show. As the torch bearer and champion of the genre, the SCI FI Channel ought to show the way by supporting efforts at presenting sci-fi material in a new and interesting way. A new season (or a series of TV movies) of Now and Again may yet become SCI FI's strongest statement on the matter, and—who knows—maybe also its biggest reward.
F. Mangubat
filomango69@yahoo.com
Mighty Superman Has Struck Out
y the dawn of the new millennium, Superman has become what Star Trek captains and Jedi Knights hope to be 50 years from now: a cherished myth embodying the heroic ideals of generations gone by. Could it be that the Man of Steel is still relevant? Is the story of Krypton's sole survivor growing up in a small, Kansas town the stuff of ageless Americana? Updating a legendary character is not unlike bringing back the immortal Babe Ruth, Jimmy Brown or Bill Russell and thrusting them into
today's games. And guess what—they'd be stars all over again. All the great ones would. And Clark Kent? Supported by an excellent cast and high production values, the adopted son of Ma and Pa Kent should have swatted a tapemeasure grand slam.
But alas, the writing. It's not the costumes or the F/X or the music that made the character a legend in the first place. It's the writing! There is no joy in Smallville. The mighty Superman has struck out.
Kevin Ahearn
KEVTOMA@aol.com
The WB's Superman Lacks Confidence
he WB's television series Smallville takes us back to a time when the man of steel did not have the full confidence to adopt his individualistic sense of dress and devote his abilities to the good of mankind in full view of the public eye. The depiction of him as a teenager with flaws, doubts and a yearning to fit in and be accepted by society in general and his peer group in particular highlights the fact that, despite all of his special abilities and a life that will be less than ordinary awaits him, he is still only flesh and blood. This point gives the show its own grounding in reality. Also, it is interesting to see how his friendship with the young Lex Luthor will develop over time given the fact of what is known about the tragic future that awaits the two parties with regards to each other.
Julian Gift
lira-b@tstt.net.tt
Buffy's Geeks Got To Go
would like to address the producer(s) of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Get rid of those computer geek wannabe villians immediately! Didn't you learn your lesson with "the Initiative" in the season-before-last? That was the worst idea of the show—until now. I love this show, and I patiently waded through that first season out of "Sunnyday High," and was rewarded by thinking the show got back on track very well. It has also grown tremendously since its early days.
I've always enjoyed the way the show can successfully put horror and comedy side by side. However, this new geek trio is nothing more than irritating. The character of Jonathan was somewhat interesting when he was used in the past, but enough is enough! Please don't go further in this direction; there are so many other issues the show can deal with (such as the concept of yanking Buffy out of Heaven, instead of the Hell everyone was making assumptions about).
Liz Rodie Jones
Thespienne@worldnet.att.net
Rowling's Potter Magic is Moving
respectfully disagree with Anna Dockery's letter ("Potter Is Theme-less Drivel") where she contends there are no underlying themes in the Harry Potter series. I believe the series is more than "just a bunch of drivel for eight year olds."
I began reading the books after my 11-year-old daughter read them. To me, it seems clear that Rowling's storytelling is grounded in classic English myth. While some comparisons with Tolkien come to mind (as Frodo was the reluctant ring-bearer, destined to battle a sleeping evil awakened, so Harry is the reluctant scar-bearer, destined to ... well, you get the idea), to me the most obvious comparison is to T.H. White's story of the young Arthur in the first book of The Once and Future King. Potter even has a Merlin figure to watch over him in the character of Dumbledore (more than once I've wondered if Dumbledore isn't intended to be Merlin).
The stories are humorous and charming, but with a dark undertone that separates them from most children's books. Harry's parents were murdered, after all, and young Harry gradually awakens to the fact that the same evil threatens his own life. At Hogwarts, Harry learns the nature of power, of might and ultimately of evil—much the way Wart, the young Arthur, learns from Merlin's lessons. Granted, Rowling's prose doesn't have the sublime texture of White's, but that's hardly a criticism. Who today is writing prose that can compare to White's? On the other hand, I doubt many children read The Once and Future King. But they might, after being weaned on Harry Potter, be more apt to turn to the likes of White and Tolkien as they grow older. I'd say that's pretty good spell-casting.
Robert Saunders
bsaunders@netacs.net
Potter Enjoyable for Young and Old
arry Potter is themeless drivel for eight-year-olds ("Potter Is Theme-less Drivel")? Very interesting. I sincerely doubt that any eight-year-old child could read the HP novels and understand 15% of what is said. Interestingly, there is both the argument that it is themeless and thematic. The later is probably accurate.
I'm one of those adults who enjoy them—and Ms. Dockery, I have very little time on my hands. I bought the first book for my grandsons and read it first. I've been a fan since.
I came to SF/F late. I picked up the first three Witchworld novels of Andre Norton in the bookstore at Union Station in Los Angeles and read all three by the time the train got to Chicago. I've been reading and collecting the genre since. My feeling is that the HP novels fit quite nicely with my collection.
And PS: I do fail to see why it's necessary for people, whether they like the novels or not, to denigrate the pleasures of others. For someone to use a phrase like, "... it is pretty much just a bunch of drivel for eight-year-olds. Just wanted to let some people know how clueless they are," does nothing to center the argument. It simply demonstrates the lack of manners, maturity and class of the poster.
James Leonard Hobby
jhobby@tnets.net
Fan Seeks Space-Opera Suggestions
ello! I'm currently looking for a good science fiction/space opera book series to get into, and I'm hoping you folks have something good to recommend. The only series I now have and have read is Isaac Asimov's Foundation, while I also intend to go into his Robot series, and Dan Simmons' Hyperion series. I'm looking for something original and that I can be proud to display on my bookshelf. I'm interested in vast, interplanetary journeys and adventures, that go through both colonized and unexplored worlds, where the characters (and the reader) get to meeting exotic and unique alien races. I'm also looking for stuff with psionics/psychic powers. Thanks!
Javie Patag
dreampen@mydestiny.net
I-Man Merchandise Could Save Show
s an I-Maniac, I would like to express my opinions on the show Invisible Man and its renewal. And in doing that, I would like to strongly urge SCI FI to renew it for a fourth season.
This show could go so much farther. There is an unresolved love issue between Claire and Hobbes. Hobbes love Claire, and yet Claire doesn't even know that. We could hear about Hobbes experiences in the CIA. Obviously, Darien still needs a solution to the gland problem. The Official's, Ebert's, and in many ways Claire's pasts are unknown or vague. And Monroe has had hardly any time to develop, and is just becoming a likable character. And there are unkilled/unjailed enemies, like Stark.
Plus the idea of making I-Man merchandise hasn't been thoroughly explored. This could help fund and even raise money of the show, while at the same time pleasing fans like myself. I know I would rush off to buy an I-Man action figure as soon as I heard they were being sold. (May I suggest 6-inch action figures? I already have two sets of those.) You could also try stationary. One time, I tried to make my own I-Man stationary, but it just didn't come out right.
Lily Boyds
scifi_starcrusade@yahoo.com
Andromeda Is Far From Sickly
er the letter titled "Tribune's Sci-Fi is Sinking", LA Solinas says, "Never mind that Andromeda's ratings are sickly for a primetime show with Gene Roddenberry's name and Kevin Sorbo, and likely to get sicklier with every lost regular (ditching regulars is a staple of Tribune's)."
SCIFI.com (not Tribune) is reporting that Andromeda was the #1 rated syndicated weekly series last season and their season opener garnered record numbers. That doesn't sound sickly to me. From where do you get the idea that the ratings are sickly?
Also, let's get one of your "facts" straight. Andromeda is not a primetime show. It's a syndicated show that airs in different time slots all over the country. That makes it hard to compare numbers with a true primetime show that airs at the same time on the same network all over the country like Enterprise. In my case, Andromeda airs at 5PM on Saturday. By no stretch of the imagination is that primetime (though I like it).
And as for the ditching of regulars, I haven't heard even an inkling of that happening. I belong to a listgroup that has two of the writers for Andromeda on it and all we have been getting is positive feedback on how great the whole cast is and the plans for all the cast members. And to state an obvious point that I don't think you get, sometimes the actors just want to move on. They don't want to be on location (Canada or where ever) for extended periods to tape the show or they get tired of their character, etc. It's not always the production company or the producers that get rid of a character.
Obviously your problem with Tribune colors your views of all their shows.
S. Hessong
kaysong@stic.net
New Galactica Has Potential
fter reading this week's letter "Galactica Must Rest in Peace", I feel the need to defend the show.
As the writer of that letter correctly pointed out, the show did in fact have a laughable villain (the human traitor Baltar was cartoonishly evil), heroes who were mostly one-dimensional (except for Starbuck) and inept Cylon bad guys. But why should that preclude a new series that could incorporate
worthy villains, such as sleeker, deadlier Cylons and better-written heroes and storylines?
I disagree that the effects were hokey; I still think they compare favorably with, and at times exceed, the stuff being done today on television. As for its "unbelievable premise" that mankind may have originated from the stars, I find it one of the most intriguing in science fiction. It's also just about the only rational explanation for having humans out in the depths of space (a la Star Wars) who look no different from Earthlings but supposedly originate from some alien planet.
One fan recently said on a billboard that when he watches Galactica today he doesn't see what it was, but what it could have been. I agree. The potential is there for a fantastic space opera. TV writing has greatly evolved during the last 20-odd years, and we Galactica fans think it could not only revive our show, but allow it to thrive.
Ray Grant
RGame8@aol.com
Raise Standards, Not Nitpicks
n reading the letters from those among you who have responded to viewer criticisms of the new Star Trek series, Enterprise, by scolding these viewers for being so-called nitpickers and life-lacking troublemakers, I am compelled to respond ("Newest Trek Should Not Be Nitpicked"). I fear you have oversimplified the issue and—sorry to be the one tell you—have missed the central point of these complaints.
It goes like this: The issue is not whether Enterprise marches to the purist's tune, but rather, whether the standards of good television drama are being upheld or not. Is it a well-written show or not? Period.
Too many shows in recent years have abandoned all notions of good writing in exchange for ratings. Thus we see gratuitous sex, outlandish personal situations, reality TV, crass game shows. People's standards have been compromised to the point that many of you don't know good from bad.
Good science fiction is not made good by sex or technobabble or cute devices meant to boost ratings. Good science fiction is good because it's good fiction. Original Trek was lovingly written, exciting and often thought-provoking adventure fiction set in the future. Think of other legendary sci-fi shows like that: Outer Limits, Twilight Zone, for example. They were great because the writing was great. Enterprise so far, has similar promise, but is bogged down by silly contrivances, and I'm not going to settle for that. That's the point. At least that's my point.
Forget about the words Star Trek and substitute "a good television program" in every one of the letters you have complained about.
Two people rubbing jelly on each other's half naked bodies while discussing the mission is simply a ridiculous piece of writing. No matter what the show is.
The theme song is drivel. It doesn't matter if it's tacked onto a Star Trek series or a wrestling show or even a teenage romantic comedy. It's just a bad song.
Those of us who have taken exception to the various compromises in the quality of the new series are not evangelists, we just want some good TV, man. To myself, those of you who say "Don't complain about the show, just watch it and enjoy it," I say you are apologists. You need to raise your standards.
To those of you who say to the critics, "If you don't like the show, don't watch it," I say: If you don't like the critics, don't read the letters.
Presley Acuna
pacuna@sprynet.com
Accept and Enjoy Enterprise
n regards to those "fans" who complain of the opening soundtrack to Enterprise. Get real, this is the beginning to man's step to exploring space. It should pay homage to all the steps that we took to get there. The old "to go boldly..." was so tacky I think we all were getting sick of it. So, embrace the new, accept a captain who is not so cerebral nor horny but really sees things through eyes that we may have.
Bill Pettinger
spider29a@excite.com
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