Book Review: Frank Herbert's 'Dune'

Poster art from the 1984 film adaptation of 'Dune'

Dune is hailed by many as an unparalleled work of science fiction. I've recently finished reading the novel for the first time, and give my thoughts and observations about this epic story.

Behind-the-scenes in the early days of Star Trek: TNG

Since I haven't posted lately (I have several new articles in the works), here's an interesting (but brief) look at the production of TNG in its first season. This segment aired in 1988 as part of the children's TV show 'Reading Rainbow', hosted by none other than LaVar Burton. This is considered one of the first behind-the-scenes features about the then-new series.

'After Earth' - A Review

"Danger is real; fear is a choice."

Only a few weeks after seeing Star Trek Into Darkness, I found myself at the theater once more for another summer blockbuster: Will Smith's After Earth. After recently reviewing Oblivion, I remembered writing this article but never posting it, so here it is (albeit a bit late).

Will Smith plays a strict, high-ranking military general, Cyper Raige, who rarely sees his family and, therefore, has been unable to build a strong relationship with his son Katai (Smith's real-life son Jaden). The pair soon find themselves crash-landed on Earth, long-abandoned a millennium prior after Humanity managed to destroy the environment and pollute the air. Katai soon finds himself on a dangerous mission to retrieve a device to signal for rescue, battling fear, the elements, and predatory creatures along the way.

 In some ways, I can see why some people didn't like this movie. It's definitely not the sci-fi action films Independence Day or I, Robot were, but more of a drama/survival film about a father and son bonding. Even so, this really wasn't a bad movie at all; I think it's just not what people were expecting from a summer sci-fi blockbuster. Kudos to the producers for trying to do something a little original and different from mainstream sci-fi movies.

The producers of the film did an interesting job depicting technology 1,000 years from now. For example, while the interiors of the transport ship definitely has a military feel to it, the technology and aesthetics almost feel 'non-human' or alien. But then again, we have trouble predicting where technology will be in a few years or a decade, let alone ten times that. Overall, I think this gave the setting an interesting flare that's not typical of sci-fi movies set in the far-flung future.

The movie isn't without its flaws, the biggest of which is the writers do a poor job of providing any substantial back story. Many modern films seem to be like that, but it can make the movie a bit difficult to understand. We learn very little about the war humanity is fighting in this future and the alien creatures who are somehow able to 'smell fear'. Fear plays a big role in the film, as Katai is forced to overcome it to complete his mission. The movie is clearly trying to drive home the point that fear is an allusion, something that can be overcome if we work hard enough and are willing to face that which scares us. If nothing else, that's a great take-home message we can all benefit from.

Is After Earth worth seeing? I think so. It's by no means a summer blockbuster, but if you like survival films and sci-fi dramas, I'd definitely say check it out.

'Oblivion' - A Review

"Earth is a memory worth fighting for."

Sixty years after a fierce war with alien invaders, the remnants of humanity prepare to leave a devastated Earth for Titan, a moon of Jupiter. One of the last remaining men on Earth, Jack Harper (Tom Cruise), soon finds his whole life turned upside-down when the crash of a pre-war spacecraft challenges all he believes.

Oblivion is probably one of the best sci-fi movies I've seen in quite a while. It's not a reboot or remake, and beyond the post-apocalyptic setting and alien invasion back-story, it has considerable originality. The visuals are petty spectacular and the story-line complex. It's the kind of movie that leaves you wanting answers until the end. To have all those 'pros' in one film these days is unusual, so it's nice to see the studios get it right for a change. Why the movie didn't get higher marks at the box office is a mystery to me.

Despite being just over two hours long, the film-makers do an excellent job of keeping up the suspense; the movie doesn't at all drag, since the complex and thought-provoking plot has enough substance to fill that entire block of time. It's really one of those movies that deserves more than one viewing to catch all the subtle details. Character development is limited (with the exception of the main character), but for a good reason. Overall, the plot is a nice mix of sci-fi, action/adventure, drama, and even a little romance.

From a technology standpoint, Oblivion does a nice job of portraying futuristic tech, but without being too flashy (for example, the designers stick to using lots of large touchscreens as opposed to holographic displays). The few spaceships we see are practical-looking and well-designed (with the usual dose of futuristic elements, of course).

This movie also has plenty of subtle bits from other sci-fi franchises, but succeeds in using them without being too obvious.You'll have to catch them yourself to see what I mean.

Definitely give Oblivion a try if you haven't already. It's probably the best of the sci-fi films I've seen so far this summer. Maybe there is hope for modern sci-fi after all...

Armageddon 2419 A.D. - A Review

Armageddon 2419 A.D. and The Airlords of Han are two novellas  written by Philip Francis Nowlan and serialized in the late 1920s. Both stories were combined into one volume in the '60's under the former's title. Both books are notable because they're the origin of the Buck Rogers character (referred to in these books as Anthony Rogers).

Like all later incarnations, the story tells of a 20th-century man who wakes up nearly 500 years in the future in a post-apocalyptic United States. Quickly rising through the ranks, Rogers ends up using his long-forgotten knowledge of the past to help a gang of rebels in their fight against the oppressive Hans ('Mongolians', who after several wars, have taken over the globe). Although I'm not a huge Buck Rogers fan, it's interesting to see how the character evolved from this 'old-fashioned' sci-fi adventure tale.

Besides being the origin of Buck Rogers, these novellas are also notable for predicting several technologies that wouldn't exist for several decades, such as the bazooka, paratroopers, and unmanned drones. Other impossible technologies Nowlan invents are too outlandish to be believable, but fit the context of the story and the era it was written in. The author was also way off base in predicting real-world events after the close of World War I, and most of his science has no real basis in fact. Even so, all these elements give the books a very retro-futuristic feel (what's not to like about giant airships armed with distingrator rays?).

If you don't mind reading vintage sci-fi, I'd definitely say give these stories a shot. Both are short, and therefore, fast-paced, telling a fun adventure story in the world of tomorrow (but hopefully not in this reality...). Both stories are in the public domain here in the US, and can be downloaded for free (in several different ebook formats) from Project Gutenberg (here and here).

Continuum: Season 1 - A Review

Continuum is a Canadian time-travel sci-fi series recently ported to the Syfy Channel here in the US. I recently finished watching the first season on Netflix, and plan to jump into the second season when it becomes available online.

In 2077, North America has become a high-tech, high-surveillance, dystopian police state controlled by mega-corporations. The series follows law-enforcement officer Kira, who finds herself transported 65 years into the past (present-day Vancouver) along with the members of Liber8, a terrorist group bent on altering past events for their own purposes. Posing as an operative from a non-existent government agency, Kira joins up with the Vancouver Police Department to bring down the criminals. She gets help from her new partner Carlos and computer genius Alex, whose ties to Kira's own time could change everything.

The series is an interesting mix of sci-fi, police drama, and mystery, as Kira attempts to foil the plans of terrorists while hiding her true identity, all while slowly discovering her being sent into the past was no accident. Episodes often open with a flashback (or flash-forward?) to 2077, where we learn more about Kira's past and that of the terrorists.

From a technology standpoint, the show definitely offers us plenty of eye-candy. Besides all the cool-looking 2077 tech (flying cars, holographic displays, etc.), our lead character runs around wearing a 'super-suit' with built-in computers, a cloaking device, and bullet-reflecting force-field. Kira also has a sidearm that somehow folds out of her suit and brain implants that allow her to analyze everything (any everyone) for potential threats via a floating HUD display.

From a character standpoint, the series makes us wonder which side we should be rooting for, the so-called terrorists, or the so-called law-enforcement officer. Much like the Rebels from Star Wars (or our own forefathers here in the States), the members of Liber8 could be considered revolutionaries, fighting to bring down an Orwellian government where personal freedom and privacy is only an allusion. Kira, a cop whose first duty is to protect the Corporations (and not its citizens), could be considered the bad guy, even though she's clearly a good person at heart and truly believes she's doing the right thing. The lines between good and evil are very much blurred, which adds to the appeal an intrigue of the series.

Overall, I'd definitely say Continuum is worth watching. It's somewhat unique in it's approach to the classic time-travel story, and in an era where good sci-fi is hard to find, it's refreshing to see a somewhat original program. Granted, there's no spaceships or aliens, but to some degree, this is a thinking man's show. It makes one wonder about the very real dangers of incorporating technology into our lives to such a degree that we sacrifice personal freedoms in the process. It makes one wonder about the dangers of mega-corporations, and the very real possibility of them one day ruling the world. There are others, but I'll let you discover them for yourself.

If the producers can keep up the momentum they've already gained and continue writing interesting stories, this show could have the potential to go far. We all know this often isn't the case with most modern sci-fi dramas, but I'll give them the benefit-of-the-doubt and see what happens. Check out Continuum and see the battle for the future begin!

The Return of the Galileo Seven

While I finish up a few other articles, all you fans of Classic Trek will be pleased to know that the full-sized Galileo shuttlecraft exterior mock-up, lost for over 20 years and long thought destroyed, is is now nearly fully restored! Originally built by AMT in 1966 for the first season episode The Galileo Seven (and used throughout the series' run), the restored craft will be put on public display at Space Center Huston later this year.



For those of you who don't know, since Star Trek's cancellation in 1969, the mock-up has changed hands and underwent several attempted restorations, but was ultimately left to decay outdoors in an Ohio industrial yard. There, it was believed to have been bulldozed when the site went bankrupt and was razed.

Eventually, it came into the possession of its current owners, who, with the help of a team of boat-builders, are working to restore the set to its original condition. Restoration is expected to be completed by the end of May.

Complete History:
http://galileorestoration.com/?cat=7

A 'Real' Planet Vulcan?

On this day in 1860, French mathematician Urbain Le Verrier announced the discovery of an additional world between Mercury and the Sun, a planet he named Vulcan (as far as I can tell, no connection to Spock's home world). Based on shaky evidence and an unreliable source in the scientific community, Le Verrier used Vulcan to explain Mercury's eccentric orbit, which he believed could only be caused by another planetary body in close proximity.


In the end, Le Verrier was thoroughly disproved by Einstein and his Theory of Relativity in 1915, 38 years after his death (1877).
 
Check out the complete Wired magazine article here:
http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2013/01/jan-2-1860-gentlemen-i-give-you-the-planet-vulcan/