Site of the Week -- Dec. 14, 1998
ocus Online is the Web version of Locus magazine, the leading print publication that covers the SF book industry. This site touts itself as providing "news, reviews, resources and perspectives of the science fiction field," and that's exactly what visitors can expect to find here. The information is broken down into a variety of sections and subsections, such as the News area, which includes Main Stories, Data File, Media Refractions and Aether Vibrations. While the labeling is often confusing--sometimes news about SF book awards appears in Main Stories, while other times it runs in Data File--what it amounts to is a hodgepodge of material that should provide at least one thing of interest to every SF literature fan. The site's various areas are updated sporadically, but in any given week there are usually two or three new things to see and read. While this site won't replace the real-world version of Locus anytime soon, most SF fans will find that it's certainly worth a bookmark.
-- Craig E. Engler
Site of the Week -- Dec. 7, 1998
ruising through cyberspace like an immense Borg cube, Trekweb assimilates Star Trek news and reviews and collects them on this immense Web site. While Trekkers may defend their favorite series like clans warring over a sacred truth, Trekweb doesn't play favorites. The Deep Space Nine and Voyager areas are equally comprehensive, including episode guides, interactive polls and news. Unfortunately, the original series, Star Trek: The Next Generation and the various Trek movies aren't covered.
The site is bound together by discussion forums and a Trek news wire, which includes juicy rumors and inside tidbits. The site's bookstore sells books in conjunction with Amazon.com, and there is a sub site at www.st-insurrection.com where gossip about the latest Star Trek movie is posted.
The overall design of Trekweb is user friendly, and visitors are always given no-tech/high-tech options before entering any of the site's major areas. Overall this is a good site that will get better once it posts information under the now inactive links for the older series and movies.
-- Kenneth Newquist
Site of the Week -- Nov. 30, 1998
hree-hour work weeks. Talking dogs. An endless supply of sprockets. It's a 1960s view of the future, and it lives on at the Jetsons Unofficial
Home.
This fan-created Web site reintroduces visitors to the classic cartoon The Jetsons via a "Meet the Family" gallery and a FAQ page. There's a guide to The Jetsons movies and a games section reviewing Jetsons-themed computer programs for a variety of operating systems. The episode guide features both the classic Jetsons--circa early 1960s--and the "next generation" variety from the 1980s on a page summarizing every installment.
In the trivia section visitors can also learn useful things like George and Jane's anniversary date (June 2) and the name of Astro's girlfriend (Jazzibel). The download area includes a number of Jetsons files, but in a unique twist it offers them for almost every platform except Microsoft Windows.
Anyone who's ever muttered "Rutt-ro" will get a chuckle out of this site and its quirky, but fun, take on the First Family of the Space
Age.
-- Kenneth Newquist
