VD reviews, episode guides, celebrity interviews, entertainment news and feature articles are just a small sampling of the riches to be found on Memorable TV, a continually growing encyclopedia on television shows from all around the world.
The great appeal of this page is that it aspires to cover absolutely everything. It doesn't even specialize in science fiction, instead including everything from sitcoms to game shows. Despite this wide scope, Memorable TV is an especially good resource on classic SF television from the United Kingdom. Wildly popular or utterly obscure: the Memorable listings will probably have the show if anyone does. Each of its entries offers a short overview of a given TV series, listing vital program information on performers, air dates, producers and the basic series concept. This same loving treatment is given to shows produced all over the world (though, ironically, this site's American SF database is currently one of its least extensive archives).
Memorable TV always has a half-dozen contests on the go, and visitors can enter to win DVDs and books by surfing the site and then answering a question about its contents. The site is somewhat laden with advertising, and its affiliation with an online DVD store means that many of its entries are linked to e-commerce pages. Even so, the site remains an informative and enjoyable listing of international television, dishing the dirt on programs an interested fan might never hear of anywhere else.
— A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—July 12, 2004
n my science-fictional youth, Chesley Bonestell (1888-1986) was everywhere. An accomplished painter and pioneer in the realistic depiction of astronomical scenes—with and without human presence—Bonestell was acknowledged as the founder and master of "space art." His work appeared on the covers of numerous SF magazines and books, as well as in educational contexts. Amazingly, for most of his life he worked in an era where only ground-based telescopes provided any hard data for his visions. No automated probes sent back hi-res pictures for inspiration and technical accuracy. Still, his empathy with and knowledge of strange planets and suns and moons allowed him to conjecture realistically. True, his rockets look retro to 21st-century viewers, and his human figures were always a tad stiff. But the majesty of his paintings and their embodiment of the human spirit of exploration endure. Today, his name is carried forward in an annual award for the best such art.
You can learn all this and more by visiting the Web site of Bonestell Space Art, the Web presence of a foundation set up more than 30 years ago to maintain Bonestell's legacy. Here you'll encounter a rich gallery of his paintings and some personal images of the man himself. You'll find links to sites that sell Bonestell prints and also the massive coffee-table volume recounting his career, The Art of Chesley Bonestell. And you'll encounter the recipe for Bonestell's favorite cocktail! I had a bit of trouble loading his biography (in PDF format), and there's a dead link that's supposed to bring the visitor to an "interactive gallery." But overall, the site offers a lot in useful form, not the least of which is a jump to the homesite of the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists, where you'll encounter many contemporary heirs to Bonestell's marvelous accomplishments.
— Paul Di Filippo
Site of the Week—July 6, 2004
n educational site for novice astronomers of any age, Windows to the Universe shines a spotlight on all Earth and space sciences, exploring and explaining everything from geology and climate change to celestial events in the farthest reaches of the universe.
With illustrated articles, multimedia games and extensive image galleries, this site offers an in-depth study of the Earth, our solar system and—literally—everything else. New articles and resources are being added all the time—the latest additions include an overview of ozone, images of Saturn's moons and an explanation of astronomical units and measurements.
In case this all sounds too dry, visitors looking to play instead of study can try out the games on this site, like "Make Your Own Alien" or "Junk in Space." Check out the Windows to the Universe listing of space movies and related TV shows, too—it runs alphabetically from The Abyss to the 1966 film Zontar, the Thing from Venus. This film and TV listing comes complete with cast lists, plot descriptions and links, where available, to a movie or show's official site. Also, in its art section, the Web page provides a gallery of images of famous scientists and links to poems about mythology and space.
Windows to the Universe divides its archive of articles into three levels of complexity: Some can be read and understood by younger visitors, while others are more in-depth. It is also laced with fascinating links to museums and other science sites. With a gorgeous design and a top-notch search engine, it is a joy to visit as well as an education.
— A.M. Dellamonica
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