vailable in both English and French, SciFlicks is an attractively laid out and endlessly fascinating treasure trove of data on SF films. Covering older flicks and new releases with equal ardor, the site employs a rigorous (many would say proper) definition of SF, one that largely excludes anything that might arguably be termed fantasy or horror instead. In other words, aliens are in and dragons out at SciFlicks—the movies discussed here must have a scientific premise, however flimsily delivered.
For a Web surfer curious about the breadth of science-fiction cinema, the movie profiles on SciFlicks are superb. They cover all of the important information about a picture without overwhelming the reader with trivia, with a concise, spoiler-free summary, data on directors, producers and actors, and short but thoughtful reviews. Most of the movie guides feature multimedia content, too, in the form of movie images, quotes and sound clips. There is a compilation of Web links related to each film along with information on where a visitor might purchase a video or DVD copy ... or any other merchandise the film has spawned.
SciFlicks has also just inaugurated a database of artists working in the SF genre—actors, screenwriters, directors and even composers are included. The site owners are actively soliciting suggestions as to whom should be included in this archive. The fledgling section of the site spotlights one SF artist each day, with a photo, a mini-profile, an SF filmography and, strangely, a chart of their biorhythms.
Visitors to the site will definitely want to check out the data on upcoming films, too, and perhaps complete their tour of this specialized and informative Web page by adding an entry or two to its vibrant discussion forum, SciFlicks Squad.
— A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—June 9, 2003
n the beginning, writers of fan fiction primarily turned out stand-alone short stories—amateur attempts to recreate professional SF. But today, fan fiction has grown ineradicably linked to the notion of shared universes, as fans write additional scenarios for their favorite shows and books. Star Trek fandom pioneered this transition, with the infamous "slash" fiction devoted to homosexual relations between Kirk and Spock (abbreviated "K/S," and further shortened to "slash"). Now the medium has reached the stage where nearly every professionally produced drama or novel has its own corps of emulators, producing reams of new, unauthorized stories involving their favorites. And FanFiction.Net is the central place to find such works.
The organization, level of detail and ease of use of this site is highly impressive. Eight major categories—Anime, Cartoon, Game, Movie, Book, Misc, Comic, TV Show—form the gateways to thousands of stories, varying in length from a hundred words to several thousand. Each story is given a movie-style rating and blurb on the list screens. Links to each author contain creator profiles. Reviews of each piece are easily accessible. Additionally, nearly 20 regular columnists offer think pieces on the art of fan fiction. Searching and sorting is available as well.
The range and volume of fiction here boggles the mind. Over 15,000 Sailor Moon offerings. Over 75,000 Harry Potter episodes. Nearly 20,000 Lord of the Rings outings. But not only fantastical tales abound. Les Miserables, West Wing and even The Virgin Suicides all have their scribbling partisans. I was surprised and saddened to see that comic books have the fewest adherents, a reflection of their falling sales, I suppose. Even Spider-Man could muster only some 500 entries, although the X-Men achieve nearly 5,000.
Of course, Sturgeon's Law applies to the quality of these fictions. Some reek, others impress. Still, if you're bummed by, say, the cancellation of Futurama, you could do worse than solace yourself with "Quantum Cheap," by TwilightTears.
— Paul Di Filippo
Site of the Week—June 2, 2003
hat is the future of science? This is a question asked in many different ways by science fiction. Writers extrapolate the technology of the future to a wide variety of degrees—Geoffrey A. Landis creates a next generation of tools that might be used on voyages to Mars, while Linda Nagata imagines far-flung nanotech creations so powerful that they render humans virtually immortal ... while changing them so completely they might as well be aliens. Also critical to the genre is consideration of the role humanity's inventions will play in shaping society, for good or ill. Often these visions are dark indeed.
The Academy for Future Science sounds like the stuff of SF: an organization that takes these same concerns about science into the real world, it sets for itself the mission of resolving current global resource problems and building "a new scientific civilization with a positive future in the twenty-first century." This futuristic vision takes the Academy all over the world, where its scientists work (among other things) to improve renewable energy sources, study the development of space law, encourage multiculturalism and participate in archaeological digs.
The site has articles on all research of interest to the Academy: remote sensing, biomedicine and terraforming, to name just a few. Environmental issues are a particular focus of the group and receive a great deal of attention. All of the essays are laced with ideas for writers and readers alike, making for an intriguing afternoon's reading. Perhaps more importantly, the optimistic and science-friendly outlook of this organization is uplifting. Just as the original Star Trek television series offered fans a bright and compelling future to embrace, a visit to this site is emotionally satisfying as well as informative.
— A.M. Dellamonica
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