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ast week, I had the pleasure of reading C.J. Cherryh's latest novel, Explorer. I was happy to see a review of it in [last] week's Science Fiction Weekly, but disappointed in the generally negative tone of the review. Forgive me for indulging in a letter-writing cliche here, but it's kind of hard to believe that Mr. Di Filippo and I actually read the same book.
[Warning: Spoilers ahead.]
For example, the conversations that open the novel, between Bren Cameron, Ilisidi and the two Captains of the Phoenix, far from being a mere recap of events in Defender, actually call into question and raise serious doubts
about the statements and motivations of Capt. Ramirez while he was in command of the ship. They also pose the problem for the others of knowing just where Capt. Sabin's loyalties lie. Finding answers to these questions lies at the heart of the book.
From his comments on Explorer in particular, and the Foreigner Series in general, it seems possible that Mr. Di Filippo simply read them too fast, and missed many of the books' subtleties. The Foreigner novels are themselves examples of the alien atevi's culture. They are written in, and
conform to, the conventions of machimi, the dramatic form by which atevi discuss problems involving man'chi, the instinctive form of loyalty that binds together the individual members of atevi culture. Cherryh uses this device to explore her pre-eminent theme of how power relations are expressed in a society, while at the same time creating dialogue where the mispronunciation or mistranslation of a single word can mean life or death for everyone involved. It is also why I expect that Explorer could very well be the last book in the series. While open-ended in human terms, the story is closed from an atevi perspective, there are no more questions of man'chi left to settle among the major characters.
It's always possible for two people to read the same book and disagree on its worth. It's one of those things that makes life interesting. Over the years I have found Mr. Di Filippo to be an intelligent and knowledgeable reviewer. I have enjoyed his fiction, especially the collection of stories in Fractal Paisleys and Strange Trades. But it is almost always a mistake when a writer, as Mr. Di Filippo does with his stated desire that C.J. Cherryh could be more like Philip Jose Farmer, reviews the book that he or she wishes the author had written instead of the book that is actually in front of them. As you have probably guessed by now, I am a big fan of the entire Foreigner Series. I liked Explorer immensely. For me, the book raised the story to the same level of intensity as Foreigner and Inheritor, my previous favorites in the series. I would urge other readers who have also enjoyed the other volumes in the series to not let Mr. Di Filippo's review dissuade them from reading Explorer.
Greg L. Johnson
popomo@mninter.net
Reviewer Paul Di Filippo responds:
Perhaps my reaction to C.J. Cherryh's Explorer and its predecessors does indeed reflect some kind of prejudice on my part, a pre-formed desire to see Cherryh do something in fiction which she never intended to do, but I don't think so.
Generally speaking, I try to judge every novel on the basis of authorial intention, rather than my desires for a certain kind of storytelling which might not be congenial to the author. In wishing Cherryh had detoured down some kind of P.J. Farmer path, I was only desperately and speculatively trying to salvage some flicker of life out of this particular wreck of a book, not telling Cherryh how to direct her career. I appreciate Greg Johnson's discernment, loyalty and his ability to relish the long, drawn-out maneuverings of the man'chi-obsessed atevi and their human allies. But I simply found Cherryh's alien realpolitik shenanigans redundant and ultimately static and boring. Abandoning prime storytelling virtues such as concision and suspense in the name of recreating an alien artform simply doesn't fly.
After all, it's humans who have to read Cherryh, not the fictional atevi!
Best,
Paul
remember when Star Trek: The Next Generation and reruns of Red Dwarf and Dr. Who seemed like the only options for sci-fi fans on television.
Then came Babylon 5, Farscape, Dark Angel and most recently, Firefly.
Citing low ratings and rising production costs, cable and traditional networks are abandoning some of the finest shows being created. Why are creative, intelligent and well-made shows being driven out for the likes of Crossing Over with John Edward?
Nielsen ratings cannot convey the depths of the fandoms out there. There has to be a new gauge, a new way to prove to network executives that these fan bases provide an avenue for advertising and revenue that they have not explored.
The Internet fan bases for shows like Farscape and Firefly need to be plumbed to their depths. Any exec worth his MBA (and that's not much, in my own opinion) needs to be re-educated and introduced to this amazing thing called the Internet.
Sci-fi fans, more than any other television fans out there, tend to use the Internet with regards to their favorite shows ... connecting with each other all over the world. Fans who have used the Net to discuss their favorite shows are not using it to try to save them.
Sites like www.watchfarscape.com and www.fireflysupport.com show how much these fans have vested in the shows.
These aren't just Internet/sci-fi geeks out there. These are well educated, savvy consumers. No network should ignore that.
Lisa Pett
cashmerepett@hotmail.com
really like Firefly and would hate to see it die a premature death. Like so many other sci-fi shows, Fox seems to pull the plug early. Firefly is different, with its Western theme and storyline. Maybe showing the original pilot episode, which gives more background, would add to the viewer pool. It couldn't hurt, and I for one would like to see it.
Robbie Reis
catmom@innernet.net
haracters, dialogue, story: These pillars make a great entertainment, and Firefly has all of them. Juxtaposing the Western frontier with the "final frontier" works so well, and adds to the grit and human frailty of the characters. How come Firefly's writers can't write for 90 percent of network TV? They sound like real people, or at least the people I know. Every character has something spooky in their past, and that still-hidden skeleton makes them just like the neighbor next door. How often can you get by with a sci-fi show that features a spacecraft that uses no planet-busting weapons?
This show may be too smart for the people who watch network TV today. Maybe Firefly belongs on HBO, where it would get real. Despite this, it's still juicy enough for me to plop in front the tube on a Friday night. Please, Fox, give this great show some time!
Pete Ford
fordiii@attbi.com
he real reason that Firefly is in trouble is that the producers positioned it as science fiction when it isn't. Viewers are probably expecting something like Star Trek.
It's a truism that "space operas" and Westerns are essentially the same genre. Firefly adopts standard Western cliches, twists them around and stands them on their heads, thereby extracting unexpected and thought-provoking significance from what (at first) seems like hackneyed material. Firefly is not a simple adventure story, and it's as far from Star Trek as you can get. Serenity's crew are not out to discover new worlds; their goal is to survive. Firefly is about the human condition. That seems obvious enough to me, and it's been confirmed repeatedly in interviews with [creator Joss] Whedon.
The series is based on the premise of an isolated group of people thrown together in a hostile environment far from externally imposed social and ethical values. Among Whedon's concerns are the moral dilemmas of leadership; the need for mutual trust, responsibility and commitment; and the importance of maintaining some inner source of identity and self-worth in an existential universe where death lurks around every corner. These issues are key concerns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel as well.
In its style, choice of themes, and treatment (including both dialog and visuals), Firefly stands firmly in the Western-movie tradition of John Ford and Howard Hawks, as well as Hawks' war and aviation films (e.g., Only Angels Have Wings). Add a dash of the gritty realism of William S. Hart's early silents. Firefly's literary roots include Sartre (one of Joss's favorite authors) and the sea stories of Joseph Conrad. You can like Firefly or hate it, but let's base our criticism on standards that are relevant to what the show is trying to accomplish.
John Doria
jdoria@csrincorporated.com
n your review for Danger Quest, [reviewer Kenneth Newquist] complains of the lack
of descriptions of specific locales in the game's milieu.
I took the liberty of going to the publisher's Website at www.torchlightgames.com and found that two sourcebooks,
Fog Harbor and Vice Vegas, as well as a technical manual, are going to be published. No date was given, but I thought you might like to know.
Keep up the good work.
Joel Calhoun
jtcalhoun@hotmail.com
Reviewer Kenneth Newquist responds:
I wasn't aware of any additional source books when I wrote the review—they weren't mentioned in the book, and they weren't on the Web site the last time I checked, although admittedly, I hadn't been back there since September. Additional source books would definitely be a boon for the game, so I'm glad to see they've been added to Torchlight's release schedule.
Best,
Ken
fter reading Robert Cusolito's letter ("Enterprise Translation Inconsistent", Issue #290), I felt compelled to voice some thoughts on the issue: Yes, I've also noticed the apparently arbitrary use of the
Universal Translator, but I'm also aware of the dramatic blunder of having Hoshi stop the show dead by
tinkering with the gizmo, wasting precious minutes best used to show her shirtless ... just kidding.
What I'm saying is that maybe the show runners are weaning us off the darn translator in order to move on with the narrative. I also don't want to see Linda "Hoshi" Park ending up like the hilarious character played by Sigourney Weaver on Galaxy Quest, endlessly repeating parrot-like the output of the computer. So, yes, it's not very consistent, but it's already been established that they use it. I recall that even in the days of The Next Generation, people complained about the rushed endings, so I'd rather overlook this minor inconsistency and employ that time on a strong resolution of the week's plot. And speaking of shirtless ... enough with the decontamination scenes! It's just plain silly and awkward! If they must show skin, well ... I understand their reasons, but please find a better excuse!
Pablo del Moral
delmoral@yahoo.com
ere's what we know about Farscape: There is near-universal agreement that it's a well-acted, well-directed and exceptionally well-written show. It has a small but fanatical following. And, finally, it's being canceled not because it's a bad show, but because it cannot expand beyond its fan base.
So one of two things must happen: 1) It must expand its fan base, or 2) advertisers must be convinced that buying ad spots is worth it. The solution that I advocate involves the latter. Since we know that Farscape has a loyal following, why not try a creative solution to the problem? Ask viewers to purchase the products that are advertised.
Just because it has not been done before doesn't mean it won't work. Put a little blurb, asking viewers to purchase the advertisers' products, right before the credits.
It may just be that advertisers would be more likely to choose to spend their money on Farscape slots if they knew that the fans were supporting their products. And fans, obviously, would be motivated to purchase the products that were advertised. Seems like a perfect fit.
Peter Boghossian
pete@boghossian.com
his is a plea from the heart from a still-bereft Farscape viewer to ask if there is any hope of new funding being made available for this superb series.
I read of SCI FI's renewal of Stargate SG-1 ("SCI FI Renews Stargate") and, although your support for this enjoyable program is encouraging to me, it does seem so regrettable that some of these resources could not be made available to enable SCI FI to fulfil its commitment to a fifth season of Farscape.
Compared with the majority of genre shows, it is such a unique, vibrant and thrilling show that for it to end next spring without proper conclusion will be cruelly disappointing to its millions of followers worldwide.
I know it will be sensible for SCI FI to wait until they are able to assess audience figures after the remaining season-four episodes have aired before looking at this again. Please do keep an open mind at that time though, as there is a vast audience (and one highly attractive to advertisers because of their demographics) who are so eager to be able to follow this story to its conclusion and will feel enormous loyalty to SCI FI if they make this possible.
Rita Mulligan
ritamulligan@btopenworld.com
wanted to voice my surprise and great disappointment at the cancellation of Farscape and to ask if it is too late for this to be reversed?
I could not believe the news at first, as I thought the SCI FI Channel held the show in great esteem and had realized it is one of their biggest "draws."
It is widely recognized as a quality show with groundbreaking effects and very high production values. Although not primarily a sci-fi-TV enthusiast, I was very impressed with the cinematic quality of the show and many of the action set pieces could rival any seen on the big screen. I have never missed an episode since discovering it, and have bought all the DVD's and videos.
The breathtaking pace of the action keeps every episode gripping from start to finish and unlike many shows you can never be sure what turn events will take! I am usually inclined to watch mainly romantic drama but Farscape delivers on this, too, with its central focus a love story more convincingly and movingly portrayed than I have seen. High praise but absolutely true.
Apart from the prestige of airing such an excellent show, surely this cannot help but be a profitable part of your lineup? It has a proven track record of consistently good ratings and has acquired millions of loyal viewers throughout the world. The spending power of the Farscape demographic is massive, which together with the shows' award winning profile make a very attractive package for your advertisers.
If SCI FI were to reconsider on this, I strongly believe it will be beneficial to all involved.
Jane Saxby
janesaxby@btopenworld.com
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