osted under the umbrella of the University of California's Museum of Paleontology, this site seeks to separate truth from the myths regarding these widely beloved creatures of the prehistoric era. Noting that the very word "dinosaur" has frequently been misrepresented in popular culture, The Dinosauria quietly corrects errors and debunks common dinosaur falsehoods, backing up its assertions with evidence from the fossil record and paleontologists' digs around the world.
The Dinosauria is a hardcore science site, in other words, offering a mix of text and plentiful images—photos of fossils, diagrams, information charts—to highlight facts about current researches into dinosaurs and prehistoric ecology. Providing a series of short articles about various aspects of paleontology, the site furnishes detailed references for anyone
wishing to do further reading.
No single Web site can contain all the facts and figures about dinosaurs, of course, and what sets The Dinosauria apart from other contenders is its links page. The references available at this site are encyclopedic, connecting visitors to an extensive library of related material—scientific overviews of dinosaurs, Web pages of interest to young would-be researchers and specialized sites dealing with such topics as dinosaur tracks, theories about dinosaur extinction and the great reptiles' role in mass media. (What it does lack are links to commercial, for-profit sites—those wishing to buy dinosaur-themed toys will have to search elsewhere.)
The dinosaurs and their period of dominance over the Earth loom large in the human consciousness. They are a favorite topic for SF writers—consider Michael Swanwick's recent Bones of the Earth, or the success of Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park in both its print and film incarnations. A site like The Dinosauria filters fact from fabrication,
setting aside poetic license to give readers the core truth of what is known about these creatures—a truth that is, in itself, more than amply fascinating.
— A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—October 6, 2003
ffering reviews of cult and horror movies, anime films, video games and even graphic novels—not to mention a host of feature articles about the entertainment industry—Monsters at Play is a slick and eminently readable site. Serious but never stuffy, this webzine covers offbeat projects and blockbusters with equal enthusiasm.
The monsters mentioned in the site's title are the regular writers for the page, and their devotion to film is obvious. The features section covers a diverse range of topics: There are horror soundtrack reviews, several interviews, accounts of film festivals and shooting reports from the sets of various horror films. A recurring column called Indie Digital Buzz delivers exactly what it promises: the latest scoop on smaller horror movies, even some with budgets as low as $100,000. Increasingly, these pictures are being released on DVD; fans who want to know whether to snap up a film with bargain-basement production values—or to run screaming into the night—will want to check this column faithfully.
Monsters at Play takes justifiable pride in offering reliable, up-to-date content. Their list of horror links is long and offers considerable fun for web surfers, and their forum topics include Asian cinema, game reviews, cult and exploitation films, to name just a few. The site also offers regular contests and giveaways. Its archive of DVD and video reviews is selective and thoughtful. What's more, the resident Monsters post intriguing new articles and reviews almost every day, so dropping in regularly to visit is highly recommended.
— A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—September 29, 2003
his "Farmer's Almanac of Celebrity Worth" is dedicated to keeping track of a subject near and dear to many a fan's heart—how popular are a site visitor's favorite celebrities ... and are they moving up or down the success register? Reducing beloved and belittled Hollywood actors to contestants in a high-school-style popularity battle, Fametracker offers humor, film news, reviews, satire and plenty of delightfully snarky commentary.
Fametracker covers the entire entertainment industry, not just SF. Its best is gathered in its Galaxy of Fame, which includes updates and special fametracking editions in a number of categories—Emmy Awards coverage, the California gubernatorial recall election, upcoming television seasons and a special American Idol edition, to name just a few. The site conducts fame audits of various stars, most recently Bill Murray. In its 2 Stars 1 Slot section, Fametracker defines niches of stardom (check out Battle of the Cruise-Alike Heartthrobs-in-Waiting!) and chronicles the struggles of various actors competing to fill these celebrity voids. Meanwhile, the Hey! It's That Guy! area tracks the rise of barely identifiable actors as they struggle to move beyond being bit players and become household names. (SF fans will be pleased to see articles validating the existences of Adam Baldwin of Firefly and The Lord of the Rings cast member Sean Bean here.)
This site has its share of celebrity gossip and current Hollywood news, of course, and offers forums where interested readers can argue with Fametracker's assertions. The true appeal of this Web page, though, is its writing. Whimsical, witty and irreverent, it never loses sight of the fact that its chosen subject matter is essentially unimportant ... and yet at the same time is hotly debated, online and in real life, by thousands of people.
— A.M. Dellamonica
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