ome people work in space, others just want to play there. The latter can check out HobbySpace.com, which is dedicated to every pastime that intersects with the final frontier.
The site's divided into more than 30 categories, including the more typical hobbies—model rocketry, astronomy and movies—and the more obscure—like GPS navigation, satellite watching and space radio. Each section includes recent news stories about the topic in question, links to related Web sites, information about getting started in the hobby and much more.
Back on the home page, visitors can find regular news blurbs about space-related hobbies, as well as interviews with leaders in the field, such as Peter Diamandis, founder and president of the X Prize Foundation, and Paul Blase of TransOrbital (which plans to launch a private spacecraft to the moon). There are also occasional guest articles covering such subjects as proposals to mine asteroids and thoughts on constructing starships. Overall, the site's an excellent resource for anyone who's passionate about space—and who wants to do something with that passion.
— Ken Newquist
Site of the Week—March 31, 2003
here is nothing quite like a well-researched fan page, one that combines extensive knowledge of an area of SF with respect and genuine affection for its subject matter. The dedication that goes into a page like Barry's Temple of Godzilla is obvious, an effort to be lauded even as a visitor learns more
than they would ever have believed possible about a certain not-so-cuddly creature with a yen for destroying Tokyo.
This Web page contains reviews of all of the Godzilla films, from 1954's Gojira through to the 1998 U.S. picture starring Matthew Broderick. It outlines the monster's complicated history, parallel universes, multiple origin stories and all. It has video clips dedicated to highlighting the various changes—big and small—in Godzilla's look over the past 50 years, as well as sound files dedicated to his roar. It has fan fiction, fan art and data on Godzilla trading cards and toys.
What's more, the Barry's Temple of Godzilla FAQ does not stop at answering basic questions about the movies or archiving a list of Godzilla's many enemies, from Angilas to Titanosaurus. It also offers trivia (Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster was originally written as a vehicle for competing city marauder King Kong) and a reader feedback section. Finally, it provides a tiny section of links to other sites related to the films. A great springboard for anyone interested in a closer acquaintance with Godzilla, this Web page is a labor of love and, simultaneously, serves as a service to fans and researchers alike.
— A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—March 24, 2003
he Encyclopedia of Arda is a tremendous resource for J.R.R. Tolkien's works, providing thousands of entries about the world of The Lord of the Rings.
The site is organized according to indexes, starting with an alphabetical listing and continuing with ones based on race (including men, elves, dwarves and dragons), places (such as cities, natural features and realms) and miscellaneous (featuring animals, plants, events, songs, languages and calendars).
Each individual entry is extensively hyperlinked—for example, the "Battle of Pelennor Fields," which takes place in Return of the King and involves the fight for Minas Tirith, includes hyperlinks for the aforementioned town, Sauron, Gandalf, the Rohirrim and Gondor. Where possible, maps are included, as well as notes about planned updates (including exactly how many updates are planned).
While the site's good as a reference, it has several other interesting features. Its list of "old and rare words" defines all of the obscure English words that Tolkien used in the novels. The "interactive calendar" allows the user to choose a real-world date like "16 March" and get all of the Middle-earth equivalents, such as 24 Rethe by Shire reckoning. Also good are the site's two moviegoers' guides, which dissect the Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers movies, comparing and contrasting the plots and characters with the books.
While the Web version of the encyclopedia is available for free, diehards can choose to buy a downloadable version in Adobe Acrobat format. The offline version includes search tools, interactive tools, bookmarks and a year's worth of updates (a slightly more expensive version features a lifetime of updates).
— Kenneth Newquist
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