attleTech Universe is a fan-driven news and community Web site committed to tracking every aspect of its namesake science-fiction setting, from the tabletop game to the latest Xbox arcade shooter.
The site's home page is given over the news, a recent sampling of which included a blurb about a new "Classic BattleTech" column discussing upcoming tabletop game releases, an announcement about MechWarrior 4 computer game upgrade and a quick hit about two new maps available for Xbox's MechAssault 2.
Venturing beyond the home page reveals aspects that diehard fans will love. There are the obligatory discussion forums but in a interesting twist, the site rewards those who post to them with "C-Bills." These bits of imaginary currency can in turn be used to purchase real-world BattleTech stuff, like miniatures, decals and books. The forums are well-trafficked, and offer visitors a place to arrange online and offline games.
The "Site Regiment" section is attempts to re-create a fictional BattleTech regiment using painted miniatures. Fans sign up to paint a particular regimental mech, photograph it and upload the photos to the site. Each mech has a C-Bill bounty that the fan earns when the project is completed, and as with forum posts, these C-bills can be used to buy more BattleTech products. Completing the site is its image gallery, which includes photos of its members' completed mech projects, fan artwork, screen shots taken from computer games and downloadable desktop images.
—Ken Newquist
Site of the Week—March 14, 2005
s science fiction has matured over its long decades of literary life, appreciation of its merits has grown beyond geeks and fanatics to include researchers serious about proving its scholarly merits.
Located at the University of Kansas, the Center for the Study of Science Fiction offers resources for casual and serious genre researchers, with a focus on written science fiction. "A Basic Science Fiction Library" gives librarians a lengthy list of authors and books designed to give readers an excellent foundation in science fiction. While oriented towards academics, it's also perfect for anyone who is looking to expand his understanding of the genre's history.
The "Science Fiction Youth Program" page presents suggestions for getting young people interested in reading speculative fiction. It includes SF reading lists, essays on teaching science fiction, links to SF resources and much more. There is a page dedicated to the annual Campbell Award for science fiction, which is presented at the center's own University of Kansas, as well as one for the "Campbell Conference," an academic gathering held alongside the award ceremony. Rounding out the site is information about the university's annual SF-related academic programs, including workshops on writing and teaching science fiction.
—Ken Newquist
Site of the Week—March 7, 2005
ince their release, The Matrix and its sequels have been the subject of endless debates among those who loved them, those who hated them and those who are still trying to figure out exactly how the heck Neo shut down the sentinels in Reloaded.
The Dictionary of Matrix provides all sides with plenty of ammunition, exhaustively researching and chronicling the minutiae of the films, comic books and video games. The opening section offers entries for main and side characters, places (both real and unreal), hovercrafts and occupations. There's also a "symbols" area, which discusses the importance of certain numbers, names, times and even license plates in the movies.
The "Matrix Universe" section presents an alternative way to drill down through the Wachowski brothers' cyberpunk mythos. Entries are available for every Matrix-related product released, from movies to comic books, and provide information like taglines, cast lists and trivia. Where possible, links to the source material is given.
The dictionary is set up as a "wiki," meaning that anyone who visits the site can add or expand an entry. Those who'd rather debate than write can check out the dictionary's online forum, where fans pick apart the intricacies of the series, and try to answer its remaining questions.
—Ken Newquist
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