xplicitly modeled on the mordant, wacky and subversive Church of the Subgenius, The First Church of Shatnerology finds its inspiration in the life and works of one of the greatest authors/thespians and singers/pitchmen of this or any era, Mr. William Shatner, aka Capt. James T. Kirk. Drawing just as many details and jokes from the life and odd times of Shatner as from the Star Trek hagiography, this site constructs a postmodern theology out of such seminal "miracles" as bad toupees, bad vocal performances, bad Shatner books and bad Shatner movies that time forgot.
Upon reaching the main page of this venerable site, you are greeted with solemn organ music, setting the ironic tone for the rest of your baptism in Shatnerology. A complete discography and filmography allow you to purchase all the holy texts before you move on to sampling the other wonders of the religion. Watch a couple of RealPlayer clips of Shatner singing. Meditate over some Shatner haikus. Exclaim over doctored artwork revealing the deity himself without his wig. Examine photographic proof that the One True Shatner can perform miracles—the famous scene of Capt. Kirk cradling an armful of Tribbles is labeled "Our glorious Leader brings a collection of TOUPEES to life!"
Some of the stuff that has accumulated in the nearly nine years this site has existed is only tangentially related to the original series. The phone pranks that the secretive Pope of Shatnerology shares with us here have zero connection with the sacred church itself. Still, the chance to read 115 zany reasons why Kirk was a better captain of the Enterprise than Picard is not to be passed up.
— Paul Di Filippo
Site of the Week—June 3, 2002
n online magazine devoted to the SF field, scifidimensions really covers it all, cramming current events, reviews and even a little political discussion into its virtual pages.
Beautifully designed and boasting extensive archives of old issues, scifidimensions is very nearly an SF library unto itself. Everything a visitor might expect to find is here, and it's all indexed in a way that makes searching a joy. There are convention listings and reports, for starters, along with contests and streaming audio interviews with author Peter David, the Lone Gunmen cast and other well-known personalities. The magazine's commentary section tackles issues surrounding evolution, genetically engineered foods and science in modern society, to name a few. There are reviews—book reviews, movie reviews and comics reviews—even one for a theatrical production of Moreau in Atlanta! There are regular features, too, like "Suspended Animation," a column on the comics industry written by Michael Vance.
Eschewing the forums which are popular in other pages, scifidimensions nevertheless invites readers to join in the fun wherever they can. They maintain a lively letters page, where fans debate
past articles, Hollywood's approach to adapting SF novels and the existence of UFOs, and the possibilities for using cloning technology to treat infertility. The site sponsors an annual fiction contest. The commentaries end with questions intended to solicit a response. The ultimate message?
Come and see what scifidimensions has to offer ... and then, rather than passively accepting it and moving on, tell them what you think!
— A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—May 27, 2002
he genre of SF romance, according to this Web page, includes any work of fiction that blends a romantic plot or subplot with SF and fantasy elements, whether they are futuristic romances, romantic ghost stories or something in between.
The sponsor of the Sapphire Award for the best science-fiction romance of the year, SF Romance also offers a newsletter, a book catalog and over a hundred book reviews. While only portions of newsletter back issues are available online (full versions can be acquired for a nominal fee), the
articles a visitor can read are packed with delights and useful information—interviews with authors like Wen Spencer and Ann Bishop, articles on whether writers interested in this type of work should select a romance critique group or an SF-based one, and a must-read article called "Futurehunk!"
The book reviews range from the succinct to the loquacious, covering an impressive number of recent works. Anyone interested in trying out a few SF romances would do well to browse here. The story descriptions are specific, providing an excellent guide to this blended genre of fiction while simultaneously showing its range and flexibility. And, after selecting a few titles, visitors can catch a link to an online bookstore for easy ordering.
Covering all bases possible, SF Romance also maintains a superb links page and a long list of resources for new writers. By combining a deep love for romantic speculative fiction with exhaustive amounts of relevant data on such works, this page scores high points both for informing visitors and for entertaining them, too.
— A.M. Dellamonica
Back to the top.
