efore Enterprise and his tenure as Capt. Jonathan Archer, Scott Bakula had another mission: to put right what once went wrong. For four seasons of Quantum Leap he did just that, time-travelling through the lifetime of Sam Beckett and helping ordinary people put their ruined lives back on track.
Quantum Leap—The Accelerator Chamber is a well-organized fan site for the 1989 series which offers all the information a dedicated Leaper—or someone newly interested in the oft-syndicated show—could wish. An episode guide and two FAQ lists (one with spoilers, one without) are only the beginning. There are photographs, actor biographies, information about the Quantum Leap comic book, sound clips and the inevitable drinking game. There are also links to fanzines and fan fiction sources dedicated to the show.
With the program's cancellation now about a decade in the past, it should come as no surprise that The Accelerator Chamber is updated fairly infrequently. Its links page is a particular disappointment in this regard, pointing fans to a handful of tempting pages that no longer exist. Even
so, this site provides an exhaustive list of ways to get in touch with other Leapers, and most of those resources are still extant. As such, The Accelerator Chamber is an excellent gateway into the Quantum Leap universe, a definite first stop for those interested in Bakula's career and earlier series.
— A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—November 12, 2001
t's very rare for an author with only two books published (and a third in the queue) to inspire so much fervor among his readers that unofficial Web pages devoted to his work spring up. Yet such is the case with the young U.K. writer China Miéville, whose second book, Perdido Street Station, recently won the prestigious Arthur C. Clarke Award.
Miéville's blend of gothic fantasy and science fiction has captivated readers waiting desperately for new hybrid forms to emerge from the sometimes stultifying genre landscape, and one such fan named G. Black now seeks to share his enthusiasm via Runagate Rampant. This page takes its name from a broadsheet of political agitation described in Perdido, and while its contents do not foment rebellion as did its namesake, they still offer plenty of solid information on Miéville and his writings.
Here the interested reader can learn about Miéville's upcoming novel, The Scar, while also reading a biography of the author, interviews with him and reviews of his earlier works. Tidbits of news relating to Miéville's career, such as his contribution of a foreword to the collected stories of M. John Harrison, are also proferred. While the graphics are minimal and persistent popup ads a bit of an annoyance, this site is essential for tracking one of the brightest luminaries in the field. While not quite as rich or dense as the Official Jonathan Carroll Homepage, G. Black's helpful tribute is much appreciated.
— Paul Di Filippo
Site of the Week—November 5, 2001
he "mission statement" at Rocketship Video, penned by the pseudonymous "Mr. Wonderful," is a nostalgia-drenched paean to a vanished era and its products, namely the pre-Star Wars science-fiction output of Hollywood's sleazy dream factories—all those gloriously gimcracky, sense-of-wonder-expanding movies whose only home after brief runs at B-movie houses was the boob tube in the wee hours of the night or on Saturday mornings. Plainly damaged in a good way by repeated childhood exposures to these films, Mr. Wonderful has now made it his quest to get videotaped copies of them into the hands of as many fellow fanatics as possible.
Dissemination of these pop culture icons is the sole noble purpose of his site. Here you may first rummage through informed reviews of such features as The Brain from Planet Arous or Mars Needs Women. Then you may proceed to the in-site store and order discounted copies of these tapes for your own enjoyment. But don't rush out of Rocketship Video without examining other departments. You'll be able to read onscreen in clear reproductions entire issues of old comics from the "space craze" era of the early 1950s. Print them off and you have a cheap reproduction of a rare collectible!
According to Mr. Wonderful's timeline of Rocketship Cinema, history ended in 1977 with the advent of George Lucas. But that sure leaves a large Golden Age to explore, rich with lunar cat women, queens of blood and interstellar teenagers.
— Paul Di Filippo
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