ans of the SF classic film The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) owe much of their enjoyment, whether they realize it or not, to the work of one Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975). It was the eminent composer Herrmann who scored that film's evocative music, of course, just as he did for The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) and Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959); for numerous Twilight Zone episodes; and, most famously, for several Alfred Hitchcock films, including Psycho (1960). But this list hardly exhausts Herrmann's extensive credits, as you will see for yourself if you visit the homepage of The Bernard Herrmann Society.
Here you'll encounter interviews with the composer, as well as critical appreciations of his work. The reminiscences of his friend Elmer Bernstein, "the last active film composer from Hollywood's Golden Age," are particularly illuminating. You'll be apprised of the latest recordings available, be able to view photos of the man and learn about upcoming Society plans for promoting the work of the artist some deem the world's greatest "composer for films." (Herrmann disliked the term "film composer.") And there's a lively forum for online discussion of the music as well. About the only thing missing from this well-designed and easy-to-navigate site are sound files so that you might sample the music itself. But I suppose copyright issues preclude such tasty snippets. You'll just have to rent one of the many films Herrmann scored, sit back and enjoy!
— Paul Di Filippo
Site of the Week—November 17, 2003
ight now, only government employees and the very rich can go into space. But if the organizers of the X-Prize get their way, all of that's going to change.
The $10 million prize will be awarded to the first private team that successfully launches a three-man team on a suborbital flight twice in two weeks in the same spacecraft. The prize draws inspiration from the aviation prizes of the 1920s and 30s, one of which—the $25,000 Orteig prize—provided the impetus for Charles Lindbergh's heroic first transcontinental flight. This time around, the X-Prize's organizers are hoping its multimillion-dollar purse will provide the impetus that jump-starts the space tourism industry.
The foundation's Web site backs up its mission with an array of tools. Spaceflight fans can check out profiles of each of the prize's 20-odd contestants. These profiles provide a brief explanation of how a given team plans to reach the X-Prize's required 62.5-mile altitude and photos (or artistic renderings) of the various spacecraft. The sheer diversity of the designs is amazing—there are straightforward rockets, combination gliders/rocket planes and even a flying saucer.
Elsewhere on the site there's an education section, which offers downloadable projects for kids and adults, a design project for university students and the EGGS Prize, in which middle-school kids compete to launch a water-powered rocket with an egg payload to an altitude of 98.4 ft. The "Images and FAQ" area answers questions about the prize and presents 10 pages' worth of photos for download. And, of course, there's always the "Rules" section for those who want to take a shot at the prize themselves.
— Ken Newquist
Site of the Week—November 10, 2003
osted by authors Bruce Sterling and Jon Lebrowsky, the Mirrorshades Postmodern Archive is a gateway to endless Internet thrills and mind-twisting sights. Home to the forward-looking Viridian Design Movement as well as the Dead Media Project (the latter catalogs the lives and deaths of various types of information and entertainment media), the archive also has a Cyberpunk section, one whose links and articles offer insight into just what that subgenre of SF is—and isn't.
A quick glance at Mirrorshades will show that it has a strong interest in deflecting Web surfers to even cooler Internet climes. The archive provides links to sites covering a range of topics, from antique phonographs to ghosts. Its Guide to the Web offers endless browsing on no particular theme—visitors can ride it to a story co-written by Sterling and Paul Di Filippo, or just as easily check out the photos of abandoned and demolished buildings that make up the Fabulous Ruins of Detroit.
In its bookstore, Mirrorshades provides links to all of Sterling's books, naturally enough, but its true virtue is the other featured titles—both hosts have provided lists of their favorite works of science fiction and other writing, in every case providing a blurb that spells out what's compelling about a particular publication.
Mirrorshades does not lean on flash or other high-end graphic trickery to dazzle its guests. Rather, this site is mostly about prose: articles and interviews in which a reader can get lost; tasty, laughter-provoking rants; and a platform for locating a host of other thoughtful and entertaining matter once the site's own textual treasures are exhausted.
— A.M. Dellamonica
Back to the top.
