anity and civilization. The nature of modernism. The legacy of the Enlightenment. The Star Wars universe's fatal flaws. U.S. trade imbalances and the death of mercantilism.
These are just a few of the topics that science-fiction author David Brin delves into on his personal blog, Contrary Brin. The writer of Startide Rising, The Postman and Kiln People uses his blog to ruminate about current events, post rough drafts of his latest essays and keep fans apprised of his current projects.
As the blog's name implies, Brin isn't one to avoid controversy. The man hates Yoda, and drew the ire of millions of Star Wars fans with his 1999 assault on the inherent contradictions, anti-modernist themes and undemocratic nature of Lucas' famous space opera. In his nonfiction book The Transparent Society, Brin acknowledged privacy in the public sphere is declining but advocated that everyone—especially those in power—live equally public lives.
These themes, as well as others from his novels and nonfiction, find a receptive—and thoughtful—audience on the blog. Most entries easily see a dozen to two dozen responses from visitors, which Brin reads and responds to. This back-and-forth is fascinating to watch, and as a fan, it's great to have a chance to interact with an author on a serious, nonsuperficial level.
—Ken Newquist
Site of the Week—April 25, 2005
omepage of the official Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Appreciation Society, ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha is a clearinghouse of information on Douglas Adams and his infamous SF "trilogy," as well as lesser-known projects like the Meaning of Liff dictionary and the computer game Starship Titanic.
For devoted fans—especially those based in the U.K.—this site is a launch pad for Adams research, offering Web links, an events calendar, an author biography, a bibliography of his work and data on Hitchhiker's spinoff projects.
The Appreciation Society publishes Mostly Harmless, a print fanzine whose back issues include Adams-related media reviews, reports from the set of the upcoming Hitchhiker's movie, feature articles, puzzles and interviews. Current and older issues of this 'zine are available through the site; Society members can also purchase other treasures: two-headed "Beeblebears," T-shirts, DVDs and even jewelry.
The people behind this site clearly prefer to meet in person whenever possible, using the Web page as a point of contact but carrying their activities outside the Internet. Even with that in mind, the site could use a bit more material—its level of detail is far from exhaustive, and unlike similar organizations, it refrains from offering excerpts from Mostly Harmless or other tantalizing goodies that might induce visitors to join up.
That said, ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha is an informative and beautifully organized Web page and well worth a visit, especially with the movie's release date looming closer every day.
—A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—April 18, 2005
he number of classic SF TV shows being released on DVD increases on an almost daily basis, expanding fans' chances to catch overlooked treasures of the past. As a result, sites like the U.K.-based Cult TV International—Web pages that celebrate the rich history of televised SF—are more of an asset all the time, bringing fresh interest to old programs by helping interested viewers discover previously unseen shows, revisit childhood favorites and explore the programs that influenced the more recent crop of SF hits.
Many cult TV sites concentrate on the oldest of the old—series from the '60s like Adam Adamant Lives! and The Prisoner. Cult TV International doesn't ignore these mainstays by any means, but the site also contains listings for newer shows: Buffy and Angel, for example, Smallville and the reimagined Battlestar Galactica. Each listing describes the show's concept and characters as well as providing cast information, photos and, in many cases, episode guides.
Cult TV International was revamped and updated in March and is still adding new content. Its discussion forums are shiny and uncluttered—good posting sites for fans who find breaking into established communities a struggle—and its review section currently contains a lone essay on what defines a cult TV series. The Links and Chat sections are still under construction. In the Polls area, visitors can vote for their favorite Doctor Who regeneration, Starfleet captain and incarnation of James Bond.
Up-to-date, informative and dedicated to spreading the word about both famous and obscure genre TV programs, Cult TV International only promises to get better as its site renovations continue.
—A.M. Dellamonica
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