tomFilms is a virtual movie palace, a gathering place for Internet video makers who want to share their productions. With dozens of short films available, this site has offerings that range in tone from dead seriousness to side-splitting hilarity.
The site has a heavy skew to animated pictures, and is not solely SF—romantic comedies, dramas, Flash projects and mature-themed projects are all available on AtomFilms, too. However, the Web page does have an SF section, and it contains several gems. One piece, called Freak Zoo, is about a woman who meets a man on the Internet, agrees to a date and ends
up waiting for him at an extremely eerie zoo. In the slick and brilliantly directed "Grey," an ordinary man encounters his own doppelganger, with tragic results.
The largest draw for many SF fans, though, will certainly be the Star Wars Fan Film Awards. Many of the entries in this collection of Star Wars parodies are not to be missed: the "Star Wars Gangsta Rap," for example, and "Dark Side Switch Campaign," in which Anakin Skywalker explains his reasons for turning to evil. "Jar Jar's Walking Papers" shows a meeting between a certain not-so-lovable alien and his creator, George Lucas, while "Trooper Clerks" combines the Star Wars universe with characters created by Kevin Smith to wittily imagine the goings-on at a Death Stop convenience store.
With such a vast and varied collection of material on offer, AtomFilms can guarantee every visitor some first-rate entertainment—and usually in handy installments of five minutes or less!
— A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—May 12, 2003
saac Asimov's science-fiction legacy is kept alive at Asimovians.com, a fan Web site featuring reviews and discussion of the Grand Master's works.
The site's review section includes more than 40 of Asimov's books and short stories, as well as those written by other authors but set in his universes. Most of his major books are reviewed, namely those from the Foundation and Robot series—but some of his juvenile and non-fiction writings are covered as well. Most books contain multiple written reviews, each accompanied by a 1- to 5-star rating. The quality of the reviews varies. Some are just a few lines, summarizing the reviewer's opinion, while others are lengthy, well-thought-out writeups.
The site is also home to an active message forum. Topics include "Isaac Asimov," "Science, Religion and Philosophy," "Film and Television" and "Science Fiction." There's also a forum dedicated just to Spanish-speaking fans. Recent discussions have included the merits of terraforming, debates over the usefulness of a one-world government and overlooked gems by the Grand Master.
The site offers a few more extras for fans. There's a link section with more than a dozen links to English and non-English fan sites, and members can join Asimovians' 40-person-strong SETI@home team.
— Ken Newquist
Site of the Week—May 5, 2003
ncredible as it may seem, Worldcon is again approaching. The 61st annual celebration of science fiction, in all its forms, will be held in Toronto, Ontario, this August, with guests of honor George R.R. Martin, Frank Kelly Freas, Mike Glyer and, as toastmaster, Spider Robinson.
Year by year, Worldcon sites become ever more extensive, informative and well organized, and the Torcon Web page is the best yet. Everything a potential con-goer will need to know has been gathered on the site: Highlights include information about hotels and restaurants, progress reports, volunteer opportunities, data on the Hugo Awards ceremonies and the detailed information needed for U.S. art show participants bringing art over the border from the United States. Those worried about traveling to Toronto because of SARS can even find information on the disease and links to relevant health officials at the Torcon page.
In addition to dry facts and figures about getting to the convention, the site contains plenty of clues that Torcon is going to be a blast, with idiosyncratic touches such as a featured "ghost of honor" (deceased SF and horror writer Robert Bloch) and a challenge to costumers to create the "businesswear of the future." The information provided on Toronto-area fandom and Canadian fan events shows a vibrant and together community of people who are putting together what looks to be an extraordinary event.
The Torcon page is, naturally, in an ongoing state of change, with new updates being added all the time. As the weeks pass and the convention nears, visitors would be well advised to check back with the site to see what's new—and to renew their excitement about the event itself.
— A.M. Dellamonica
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