Site of the Week—November 1, 2004
inner of the 2001 Nebula Award for his inventive and thought-provoking novel Darwin's Radio, Greg Bear was writing fiction at the age of 10 and sold his first story by the time he was 15. These were the first steps in an impressive career (mostly in hard SF, though he has written fantasy as well). Bear has, so far, produced more than 30 novels—the most recent of these being a high-tech ghost story called Dead Lines. Along the way, he has won an impressive stack of awards—Hugos, Nebulas, the Endeavor—seen his work translated into 17 languages and even worked as a science-fiction illustrator.
These are the kind of biographical data that are usually best gathered from an author's official site, and Bear's is comprehensive, though not overly gossipy or intimate. Fans can check out his various books, send questions to a blog and even browse through a delightful nonfiction archive of interviews and articles dating back to 1984. These essays range in topic, covering politics, biological science research, SF films, space exploration and plenty more besides.
Like most author sites, Gregbear.com keeps visitors updated on Bear's various convention appearances, signings and readings. It displays book covers and offers links to e-commerce sites where interested readers can purchase his work, and it displays his illustrations and provides links to related sites on the Web. Dedicated fans can sign up for a newsletter; curious readers who've never given this author a try can surf through the book links and see if anything catches their fancy.
Every SF reader's taste is different, and finding writers whose work is interesting and enjoyable can often be a challenge. For fans in search of great new fiction, a writer's Web site like Gregbear.com is one of the best starting points on the Web.
— A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—October 25, 2004
television fan site whose creators are based in Finland, Drakh.net is devoted to the top SF shows from the past decade, from beloved-but-defunct '90s classics like The X-Files to brand-new viewing like Jeremiah.
This site tracks news items about its chosen TV programs, as well as offering mini-profiles of the shows themselves. Some of these profiles hover on the edge of being sketchy, while others have complete cast and episode guides (the site owners are actively looking for more fan writers
to help them catch up). All the profiles list the last episode aired, fan picks for top five episodes and random quotes from the show (these are sometimes hilariously out of context).
Drakh's sensibility is quiet and restrained. Its layout is cool and easy on the eye, and its episode recaps are serious, never sarcastic. The discussion forums have a moderate level of traffic—cheerful chatter about books and music as well as the SF programs that bring this community together. Rather than directing visitors to the zanier side of SF fandom on the Web, the links page on Drakh is mostly devoted to official sites for shows, movies and traditional SF magazines like Asimov's and Analog.
Similarly, Drakh's list of TV shows covered is select: ten new shows, a handful of miniseries and perhaps two dozen canceled programs. There's nothing fringe, nothing slightly fantastic. Looking the list over, fans will see some shows in this TV graveyard that got to fully explore their premise over a stretch of seasons, and others whose runs were cut cruelly short, like Firefly and Birds of Prey. By following only the past 10 or so years of TV, Drakh reminds visitors that the break-out success of The X-Files and the advent of the SCI FI Channel in the U.S. triggered an explosion of top-rate SF TV ... one that may now be ending. Wi!
th reality TV making inroads into narrative television's turf, televised SF may be headed for something of a decline.
But if it is true that a smaller number of good shows are premiering in the SF genre today—and even if an ever-smaller proportion of these fledgling programs survives the cutthroat sensibilities of their parent networks—fans can be sure Drakh will be there, finding the best SF on the air and, with affection and patience, covering it in detail for fans around the world to discuss and enjoy.
— A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—October 18, 2004
poofpark's SF-themed cartoons are classics of the Web, a grab bag of Southpark-esque images that poke fun at Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Stargate SG-1 and a handful of other SF film and TV icons.
These images have an odd flavor, as if they are already somewhat retro: This is what nostalgia for the current decade will look like in 25 years' time, they seem to say. Strangeness of tone aside, the cartoons offer a few minutes of lighthearted fun, poking fun at Indiana Jones, The Blair Witch Project and shows like The X-Files and Star Trek. (Be sure to check the cast portraits in the upper left-hand corner of each screen ... and to click on the link for Cartoons in any sections that don't seem to have images.) Visitors will find themselves hearing Cartman's voice when reading word balloons in any given 'toon.
Aside from the cartoons, there isn't much to look at on the Spoofpark site—its creators had big dreams and a cool design sensibility, but they promised far more than they delivered, never quite getting around to generating much in the way of content. There are some con reports and costume links, though, as well as an FAQ and a guestbook that lets fans read comments from other site visitors.
— A.M. Dellamonica
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