hen science fiction began its existence as a separate genre in 1926, upon the publication of the first issue of Hugo Gernsback's Amazing Stories, the wildest visionary of that era could not have predicted that someday there would be a glossy, high-tech, high-class museum devoted to this kind of literature in all its forms. Yet today that is precisely the case, thanks to the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle. Having debuted just this year, the SFM has already attracted numerous visitors in the flesh. But for those who can't make it to the West Coast, the SFM has a virtual presence as well, a site that matches the physical museum in attractiveness and interest. About the only thing the SFM Web site doesn't offer is some of Seattle's famous java.
Of course, you can learn all the practical information that would help you plan a trip there. Visiting hours, membership plans and a calendar of SFM events. But the site offers much more. First, I'd be inclined to take the virtual tour of the thematic galleries, ranging from "Fantastic Voyages" through "Brave New Worlds." The galleries are chained together so that one easy click brings you from one to the next. If something you see sparks your interest, you can easily look up associated books and films that will provide further detail on the topics. All in all, there's a wealth of stimulating browsing among the museum's collections and references.
But the SFM site also offers original material. When I visited, they were featuring an interview with Kerry Conran, the creator of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Likewise, the SFM extends feelers out into the larger SF community, offering links to fan groups, writerly groups, gaming groups and allied museums.
All of this fine content is wrapped up in an attractive, very easy-to-navigate package. I think Hugo Gernsback would be proud to see his legacy so handsomely honored.
— Paul Di Filippo
Site of the Week—September 27, 2004
n 1970, Rod Serling created a new TV series, one he considered a logical follow-up to his The Twilight Zone. Switching the focus to horror and the supernatural from the more SF-themed TZ, he created Night Gallery, an anthology of tales whose common link was a collection of spooky paintings. Each of the paintings captured the essence of the story viewers were about to see, "a frozen moment of a nightmare," as Serling put it in his introductions.
This site is a restrained and quirky page devoted to Serling, Night Gallery and the show's peculiar history. In addition to backstage gossip about the various directors and actors who got their start working on the show (Steven Spielberg, for one), the page discusses conflicts between Serling and the studio, and the eventual hacking-up of the 43 original episodes into awkward 30-minute installments for the syndication market. Info-hungry visitors can also read about a Night Gallery book, a 2002 documentary about the series and the trade in forgeries of the original Night Gallery paintings.
This site has all the necessary elements of a good TV site: episode guide, images of all the paintings along with the text of their intros, photos both from behind the scenes and from the show's various stories. There are also a handful of Night Gallery teleplays posted for handy reading, a number of old reviews, sound files of Serling interviews about the show, information about the August DVD release of season one and a trivia quiz for die-hard fans.
— A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—September 20, 2004
uthor David Gerrold may have won the Hugo and Nebula awards for his 1994 novelette "The Martian Child," but within SF fandom he will probably always be best known as the writer of one of the most popular TV episodes of all time. In 1967, Gerrold wrote "The Trouble with Tribbles," for Star Trek, becoming the youngest member ever of the Writer's Guild of America in the process and launching a long career as a professional screenwriter and novelist.
This is just one anecdote available for the reading on the author's official Web site. A wry mix of blog, bibliography and bookstore, the site keeps curious readers up to date on Gerrold's writing, public appearances, hobbies and daily life. There is plenty to keep track of: new installments in SF series such as The War Against the Chtorr, Tales of the Star Wolf and The Dingilliad, not to mention reissues of classics like The Man Who Folded Himself. Gerrold has also written a quartet of nonfiction books, including one on writing, two on Star Trek (one of which discusses the making of "The Trouble with Tribbles" and is available for download as a free e-book) and, finally, a history of computer games called Fatal Distractions.
For readers who are curious about what a successful writer's life is really like, Gerrold's blogs cannot be beat, offering family photos, reading recommendations, a warm, chatty biography, details about his charity fundraising efforts, and even data on the family dogs. The site lists Gerrold's upcoming convention appearances, so that fans can attend a reading or meet him face to face.
This Web page is everything an author site should be—informative, easy to navigate and packed with factoids and images that make it lots of fun to explore.
— A.M. Dellamonica
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