R.J. Evanovich's Blog

Grick Speaks

Greetings again. Grick here. Now that Book 4 “The Journals of Brandas” is available, I can explore other things of interest. Mr. Evanovich’s posting on computer sci-fi gaming and Mr. Stamm’s on selected sci-fi book series are most informative (refer to the Sept. blog). This month Mr. Stamm notes newer Sci-Fi movies while Mr. Evanovich weighs in next week on his favorite game. Science fiction naturally appeals to me, since I’m a living part of an ongoing saga in that genre. Such works expand one’s view of the universe and its inhabitants, a perspective from which I think we all can see things more clearly. If you’re looking for a good sci-fi series to read, I can recommend the “Man’s Best Friend” books, in which I happen to play an integral role. And remember, I only look like a “dog.” As those of you who’ve read the books know, I’m something else entirely. Of course, feel free to blog me at your convenience and we can discuss it. That’s all for now. Take care.

Lee On Current SciFi Films

A Sampling Sci-Fi Movies and Movie Series from the past five years. All entries are brief and contain no spoilers.

 

Cloud Atlas – Excellent

Very long but unusual story covering a time span from past to distant future.

 

Looper – Good

Interesting time travel premise, good action and a clever ending.

 

Prometheus – Good

A bit long and convoluted, bailed out by good production and effects.

 

Elysium – OK

Watchable despite the trite social commentary.

 

Ender’s Game – Good

Good concept runs fairly close to the book, if that makes any difference to you.

 

Gravity – OK

First hour is very slow and repetitive. The final half-hour is exciting.

 

Oblivion – Very Good

Interesting story, good production, satisfying ending.

 

Riddick – Good

If you like the Riddick series, you’ll like this mindless action fest.

 

 

Snowpiercer – Very Good

A bizarre concept of civilization preserved on a train is brought off quite well.

 

Edge of Tomorrow – Very Good, almost Excellent

Clever time repetition storyline with good action with formidable aliens.

 

Lucy – OK

Peculiar premise, decent action, nothing profound.

 

Jurassic World – Good

Mostly a rehash of the original “Jurassic Park” movie. Quite entertaining with nice effects.

 

Mad Max: Fury Road – Good

Director George Miller gives a nice try but his old classic “The Road Warrior” is still better.

 

The Martian – Very Good

Quite enjoyable, despite many scientific errors. Nice performance by Matt Damon.

 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens – OK

A weaker rehash of Episode 4, bailed out by good production and effects.

 

The Hunger Games series – Very Good

Good actors and production flesh out an odd premise.

 

The Maze Runner series – OK

The scenario is a stretch, but is executed fairly well. Not up to snuff with “The Hunger Games.”

 

Divergent series – OK

Another not as good, minor league version of “The Hunger Games.”

 

 

That wraps up Part 1 of this months blog. Be sure to check out Part 2 next week that will cover RJ’s favorite computer game.

 

This week we look at science fiction series books with Lee offering a few noted and highly praised scifi series. Bob looks into the the world of science fiction computer gaming. Be sure to sign up on our blog and get a free eBook copy of Man’s Best Friend Book 1 – Binaltro.
Once again LJ Stamm directs our attention to science fiction books. This time he is looking at the scifi series.
LJ Book Reviews
A Sampling of Good Sci-Fi Series, all highly recommended. (No particular order)

Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov
Classic stuff by one of the original masters of modern science fiction and is required reading for any serious reader of the genre. This is quintessential “hard” science fiction, centered on robotics and its place in the future of mankind.

Majipoor Series by Robert Silverberg

There are quite a few books in this series set in the distant future on Majipoor, a giant planet in a far off star system colonized by humans and other alien races over a long history. There are so many interesting stories here that Silverberg has been writing about it for more than 30 years. The first of the books written was “Lord Valentine’s Castle,” an excellent place to start.

Zones of Thought Universe Series by Vernor Vinge

Another outstanding series, one of which, “A Fire Upon the Deep,” was a Hugo winner. There are three books in this series so far, written over a period of about twenty years. The second one, “A Deepness in the Sky,” is a prequel, the first in the chronology, so I would recommend beginning there.

Cyteen Series by C.J. Cherryh

The Cyteen books also boast Hugo awards and many other accolades, all richly deserved. For those of you not familiar with Cherryh, she has done a number of series, both in sci-fi and fantasy, as well as stand-alone novels and shorts. If you do not know her already, I recommend that you get acquainted.

Ringworld Series by Larry Niven

This is another one with several books, written over many years since the initial award winning “Ringworld” in 1970. Niven has done several other series over his long career, all of which I recommend.

Helliconia Trilogy by Brian Aldiss

Classic trilogy about the cultures and adaptations of the native races on a planet whose seasons are many centuries long. Aldiss is a grand master of the genre with a gift for painting worlds and characters with exceptional eloquence.

Gallactic Center Series by Gregory Benford

Excellent multi-book epic begins in the near future and extends many thousands of years into the distance. It chronicles the conflict between organic and machine intelligences. Great characters, ample action and a lot of physics presented in a well written and entertaining style.

 

RJ’s Corner – Computer SciFi Gaming

This week I want to look at Science Fiction Gaming and just a few of my favorites. Some of the reviews will slid into Fantasy Gaming but all have been played numerous times by me. This is a multi part review that will continue in the next blog. The first four reviews are First Person Shooters with the fourth one being more like Sim City.

Fallout 4

This game is the best I’ve played so far. Fallout 4 is the sixth major installment of the Fallout series. I played the first Fallout released in 1997. It was good but the turn-by-turn system was slow and cumbersome.  Well Bethesda Game Studios certainly fixed that problem with later installments ending up with the crème de la crème of the current release. Fallout 4 is set in a post-apocalyptic Boston  in the year 2287, 210 years after a devastating nuclear war. Your character emerges from Vault 111 and must explore the very open world and complete quests. Scavenging and for hire work can help level up your character and give him or her a leg up in this violent world. You can pick companions (Dogmeat, Codsworth, Preston Garvey, Piper Wright, Nick Valentine, John Hancock, and Deacon) to adventure with and my favorite by far is Dogmeat, a friendly German shepherd that proves an invaluable partner. There are several paths to follow which will determine the main story quests to complete. I choose a more independent path and did not commit to a special interest later in the game. This is a must have game and will certainly end up in my computer games Hall of Fame.

 

Far Cry
The original Far Cry was released in 2004 and immediately became my favorite FPS. The story sucked you in and the graphic engine was excellent for 2004. Today it would be viewed as old graphics technology but that does not deter from the story and the immersion you feel playing this game. It helps that the location is a lush Micronesian island. You become ex Special Forces operator Jack Carver searching for a female journalist you were taking to a chain of islands. You were separated when your boat was attacked and destroyed. The pacing is excellent and you feel the environment around you. In some very memorable scenes your adrenaline begins to surge as an actual feeling of claustrophobia washes over you. The Far Cry franchise is well worth following. The 3rd one would have us pondering a philosophic viewpoint questioning “taking up the gun to survive” and how it affects your character. Heady stuff. We’ll talk of this another time. Meanwhile try finding this gem in a second hand store. Or, you could purchase it on Steam. At today’s rate ($9.99) you’d be hard pressed to find a better bargain.

 

Deus Ex – Human Revolution

Cyberpunk meets grand role-playing FPS. This game rocks. Your character is Adam Jensen, an ex-swat officer turned corporate security chief for Sarif Industries, a company on the cutting edge of biotechnology.  An attack on Sarif Industries that apparently kills researcher and Adam’s ex-girlfriend Megan Reed also leaves Adam critically injured. In true Six Million Dollar Man fashion (“….We have the technology. We can rebuild him…”) Adam is rebuilt with some very awesome “augmentations” and becomes more then human. Its six months later and you are Adam who must get on-board quickly. The environment is pretty open and the game play is excellent. The story explores themes throughout game play. Trans humanism, the growing power of the mega-corporation, social stratification and the totally expected “conspiracy” theories are just a sampling of the thick content of this game. The graphics still hold up well on today’s gaming computers. And this one came out in 2011! Fun times. Fun times.

Kerbel Space Program

The Kerbal Space Program is a space flight simulation game with you as the boss of a nascent space program populated by Kerbals. The game features a realistic orbital physics engine, allowing for real-life orbital maneuvers such as Hohmann transfer orbits. And I’ve played this for hours trying to develop the difficult art of rocket and spacecraft design along with earning credits to further you explorations. This is a thick and complex world that requires a lot of effort. Just making it into orbit and returning safely is a nearly herculean task. But once you have accomplished this you can move on to the moon projects. If you followed the US space program you will love this game. Go to the Wikipedia site for the game and read up. You will want this game.

 

That wraps it up for now. Lee and I will be discussing some recent movies and I will continue the gaming discussion. If you have a particular game you’d like to mention, get ahold of me at [email protected] and try your hand at quest blogging.

Until next week.

 

 

Grick Speaks – On Book 4 Release
Hello again everyone. Grick here. It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it? Well, I assure you that the time was not wasted because the long-awaited fourth book of the “Man’s Best Friend” series is now available. It’s called “The Journals of Brandas” and includes a look at what it was like during the dreadful times of the great catastrophe twelve thousand years ago. And of course you are also brought up to date on the happenings of present day in the land beneath the violet sky. I can tell you that misters Stamm and Evanovich have put together a book that was worth the long wait. Some lingering questions are answered even as other mysteries arise, along with the expected bouts of action and romance. I know you will find it compelling and exciting to read, if for no other reason than my prominent part in it. (Please pardon my justifiable pride.) I’ll be posting again in the near future and look forward to hearing from you. Take care.

 

The Journals of Brandas – Man’s Best Friend Series Book 4
The Journals of Brandas is the fourth book in the Man’s Best Friend Series. In this volume Iraline and Alex study the journals her aunt left behind 12,000 years ago which chronicle the times of the great catastrophe that destroyed the Ronalan civilization. The journals reveal answers to some of the questions that have puzzled the awakened ones since revival from their long hibernation. Interwoven between journal entries is the continuing story of the struggles and triumphs of the awakened survivors we’ve come to know in the first three books, assisted by Sandy, Amos, Ryan and their nacker companions Grick and Nix. The fourth novel will be available late May or Early June.
We have also revitalized the blog and should be posting every 3 weeks. For the foreseeable future we are offering a free e-book of Man’s Best Friend Book 1 – Binaltro to any subscriber to our blog. So coming soon will be our reviews on books and movies, scifi gaming and anything that comes to mind. Maybe a report on the status of Half Life 3.

 

Grick Speaks Out On Book 3 Release

Hello once again, Grick here. It’s been a while since we last spoke but I still have great interest in sharing my thoughts with all of you. I’ve heard that “Convergence,” the third book of the “Man’s Best Friend” series, is now available. It’s another terrific recounting of our adventures in my home dimension that I know you will enjoy. Speaking of things to enjoy, I’m already missing many of the treats I found so delectable in your world. Though I’m pretty much a vegetarian, bacon was something I really relished, even after seeing a television documentary illustrating how it is produced (most disturbing, I must say.) Pretzels and beer were also terrific and those soap operas (I think the correct term is “Daytime Drama”) that Amos took such pleasure in chiding me about are something else I miss. One thing that you all should definitely NOT miss is “Convergence.” Well, that’s all for now.

 

Man’s Best Friend Book 3 – Convergence

Sorry for the long period between blogs. Lee and I have spent the last couple of months finishing the third book which included several editing sessions culminating in the final two-day read through marathon. Of course, all of the corrections and changes had to be entered into the master file and re-edited. Not to mention the formatting for paper and eBook formats. Yikes!! I hope all of you have a look at our labors. Go to our web site for links to all the resellers. http://www.binaltro.com

 

This is the cover for Book 3 by artist and illustrator Devon Devereaux. This is an excellent addition to the Man’s Best Friend Series and Devon will be doing the Trilogy cover planned for release Thanksgiving as well as the cover for The Journals of Brandas – Book 4 of the Man’s Best Friend Series due out late Spring of 2014.

Nest week we will have more mini book reviews from LJ and another rant by RJ. Until then please go to the website and have a look.

Grick Speaks

Hi again, Grick here. The other day, I was looking over the lists of science fiction motion pictures that Messrs. Evanovich and Stamm recently posted. I was intrigued by the term “science fiction” and took the time to familiarize myself with the concept. In doing so, it occurred to me that some readers might view the accounts related in the “Man’s Best Friend” series in this way. Of course, as one who lived those adventures and knows that they are factual, the word “fiction” seems misleading to me. Then again, knowing that the very idea of parallel dimensions is not universally accepted in your world, I guess I should not be too surprised that some readers might view it as fictional. That is too bad, of course, because as our faithful readers know, Binaltro is as real a place as any you know in your reality and I only wish you all could see it for yourselves. But, whatever your views on the veracity might be, I sincerely hope you enjoy reading the books, as many of you already have done.

RJ’s Corner

A Great Book Signing

We had a great book signing at the Oregon Coast on Saturday, Aug 17th. Nye Beach Book House hosted the event. Lee was unable to be there so I held down the fort myself. Needless to say, it was fun. Nye Beach Book House in located in the Nye Beach Community of Newport, OR. It is a cool store with lots of nooks and crannies with new and used books. You are sure to find a great read. If you are ever in Newport, Oregon stop in and browse.

Outstanding Book Alert

Rarely do I read a book in a single sitting. I usually like to pace the experience out over several evenings of reading before bed. In this way a great book lasts longer. However, last Sunday morning I sat down to read Old Man’s War by John Scalzi. I finished it that evening with only a few interruptions such as dinner and the like. I cannot praise this novel enough. It is tight and extremely well written.

The protagonist is John Perry and according to teaser, “John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife’s grave. Then he joined the army.” Apparently when someone turns 75, they can enlist and leave earth to defend human colonies. Mankind has made it to the stars and a dangerous place it is. There are too few planets and too many alien races that want them. The Colonial Defense Force needs soldiers. And they don’t want young, inexperienced recruits. They need people with a lifetime of experience and wisdom. Once accepted, the senior citizen recruit is… No spoilers here. You’ll just have to read the book. It is worth it. But don’t blame me for any loss of sleep. This book gets five stars.

More Shameless Self Promotion

We are now selling T-shirts. T-shirts with Man’s Best Friend art on them. “OMG. Is there nothing these guys won’t stoop to in order to slog their books?” Grick was overheard commenting in an unguarded moment. Well the answer to that, Grick, is no there isn’t. The shirts are available in brown or purple with two different pieces of art. Book 1 or Book 2 back covers. Go to our we site binaltro.com and order one today!

Enough for now. Next post will include capsule book review from Lee as well as an RJ Rants on the concept of age division amonst books.

 

RJ Rants  

I have a bone to pick with any author/director/game maker that ends a story/film/game with lameness that leaves the fan feeling cheated. I’m not talking about an ending that you disagree with or even one that you personally feel could have been better. Oh no. I mean the ending that totally irritates you. The ending that you absolutely know sucked. One that the author simply took the easy way out and mailed in the ending without trying to work it out. The kind of ending that makes you throw the book across the room or render the DVD into small plastic shards. But even worse is attending a first run flick with a sub-par ending. Leaving you with the desire to find the manager of the theater and demand your money. In short, a colossal boondoggle of a book/movie/game. In this installment of RJs Rants I will highlight a TV series, a movie and a game to install in my You Call That An Ending? Hall of Shame.

First up is the series finale of Lost. Some may say that this was not science fiction but the series had all the elements of the genre and then some. The fan base followed every episode of every season with great interest and fervor. The followers would blog comments back and forth about the meaning of each turn in the show. Every character in the series had their fans and detractors. Even the show creators followed the blogs and commented on many of the nuances of the series while trying not to give away what would come next. They promised not to cop to the “passengers all died and are now in Purgatory.” Holy bad ending Batman! That would be a dissapointment indeed. But the creators eschewed that path and even claimed that the end would be surprising and novel. This lead to a huge response in the fan base as the final shows ticked down to the end.

What was the end you ask? The entire series was a death dream of Shepards. It was a fever dream while the lead protagonist lay dying on the beach? How was that different from the “purgatory option”? How was that unique and surprising? Almost to a person the fan base continued to insist that the shows writers and deciders would never do anything as lame as “Purgatory!” To take a ground breaking TV series and end it with that finish is beyond understanding. Either the creators of Lost actually thought that their spawn was an original end or they were so creatively bankrupt that they lacked the necessary understanding of irony to end the show with a bang. Either way they suck. And so did that ending. I am sure that late at night in the privacy of their beds, they feel true shame.

Next up is the major award for taking great science fiction and treating it so badly that the author had to sue so that Hollywood would remove his name from it. I am speaking of  Dune. The motion picture directed and so thoroughly screwed up by  none other than David Lynch. I’m not sure if Lynch read or understood the story. I’m not even sure he cared one snippet for the author or the fan base that elevated the Dune Series into a classic. But almost unanimous loathing followed the release of the film. Most fans of Frank Herbert’s epic series gag when you mention this abomination. As a matter of fact as a reviewer I have to plagiarize a review done in a sitcom by quoting, “…not since the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of  1963 has a bomb of this magnitude been detonated above ground…” If the lame script, acting, troublesome editing and poor effects weren’t enough to cause real fans of cinema to step back in shock and dismay there was the ending. A rainstorm on Arrakis! Huh? A rainstorm on the desert planet? And this, after two hours of extremely questionable and inept storytelling? Depending in how fowl a mood I’m in, I can equate Dune as edging out Plan 9 From Outer Space as the worst scifi film ever made. But the ending in particular causes almost every Dune fan to walk away shacking their heads and wondering if the apocalypse is drawing neigh.

Ending this screed on vile endings we turn now to the SciFi gaming world. Fans of “first person shooters” or FPS games have long held the Half-Life franchise in true awe. When Half-Life 2 came out the gaming media hailed it as one of the ten best FPS games ever conceived. I was among that crowd. And since its release I have played this game from start to finish at least 20 times. When Valve, the creators of Half-Life 2, decided to release the next expansion of the story in three separate installments, few of the fan base complained. It was enough to have Gordon and Alex continue on. And let’s face it, if you’re a fan this story unfolded like being inside a movie. To me, that’s what made Half-Life 2 a nearly instant Best Game title holder. Even after Half-Life 2, Episode 2 ended, and what an ending it was, fans waited patiently for the release of Episode 3. And we waited, and waited, and waited and  … You get the idea? Half-Life 2 Episode 2 was released in 2004. Nearly ten years ago! And still we wait for Episode 3. Not that its ever coming. Apparently Valve and its brain trust decided that this franchise is not valid any longer (along with that the fans). However, the fan base still waits for the release. I’m serious. If you surf the web you can easily find references to hoping that Episode 3 will be released. It’s kind of like the two old geezers in the play Waiting for Godot. The third episode will never come, but we wait,  always hopeful that it will show up and we can see the ending. So instead of giving Valve the Hall of Shame award for a bad ending, we bestow upon them the “Oh Shit! We Forgot To End The Series” award for bad endings.

That’s enough vitriol for now. There are many examples out there that belong in my Hall of Shame and every now and then I’ll list some more stinkers in the science fiction genre. If you have any examples you wish to share, send them in and we’ll list them. Bye for now.

News and Such

We got an email from Camille Buckles asking to bow out of the third book cover. Camille created the iconic kark for our series as well as both novel covers and we are very grateful to her. Her design work is taking a bite out of her time and doesnt leave much for freelance work. We understand and wish her the best. Thanks Camille. Be sure to go to her web site, http://camilleb.com to view her work.

Taking over the next two books will be Devon Devereaux. Check out his stuff on http://devondevereaux.com and a couple of the ones here on the blog. I think you’ll like his work. His bio reads “Devon is the artist for The Little Bitch, written by David Quinn, published by sellers books… he has shown in galleries worldwide including Los Angeles and Osaka, Japan.” We look forward to the cover for Convergence and the up coming Trilogy.

Next blog Grick will return and we hope to have a couple of chapters from Book 3 available as a download from our web site. Until then.

RJ Rants  

I have a bone to pick with any author/director/game maker that ends a story/film/game with lameness that leaves the fan feeling cheated. I’m not talking about an ending that you disagree with or even one that you personally feel could have been better. Oh no. I mean the ending that totally irritates you. The ending that you absolutely know sucked. One that the author simply took the easy way out and mailed in the ending without trying to work it out. The kind of ending that makes you throw the book across the room or render the DVD into small plastic shards. But even worse is attending a first run flick with a sub-par ending. Leaving you with the desire to find the manager of the theater and demand your money. In short, a colossal boondoggle of a book/movie/game. In this installment of RJs Rants I will highlight a TV series, a movie and a game to install in my You Call That An Ending? Hall of Shame.

First up is the series finale of Lost. Some may say that this was not science fiction but the series had all the elements of the genre and then some. The fan base followed every episode of every season with great interest and fervor. The followers would blog comments back and forth about the meaning of each turn in the show. Every character in the series had their fans and detractors. Even the show creators followed the blogs and commented on many of the nuances of the series while trying not to give away what would come next. They promised not to cop to the “passengers all died and are now in Purgatory.” Holy bad ending Batman! That would be a dissapointment indeed. But the creators eschewed that path and even claimed that the end would be surprising and novel. This lead to a huge response in the fan base as the final shows ticked down to the end.

What was the end you ask? The entire series was a death dream of Shepards. It was a fever dream while the lead protagonist lay dying on the beach? How was that different from the “purgatory option”? How was that unique and surprising? Almost to a person the fan base continued to insist that the shows writers and deciders would never do anything as lame as “Purgatory!” To take a ground breaking TV series and end it with that finish is beyond understanding. Either the creators of Lost actually thought that their spawn was an original end or they were so creatively bankrupt that they lacked the necessary understanding of irony to end the show with a bang. Either way they suck. And so did that ending. I am sure that late at night in the privacy of their beds, they feel true shame.

Next up is the major award for taking great science fiction and treating it so badly that the author had to sue so that Hollywood would remove his name from it. I am speaking of  Dune. The motion picture directed and so thoroughly screwed up by  none other than David Lynch. I’m not sure if Lynch read or understood the story. I’m not even sure he cared one snippet for the author or the fan base that elevated the Dune Series into a classic. But almost unanimous loathing followed the release of the film. Most fans of Frank Herbert’s epic series gag when you mention this abomination. As a matter of fact as a reviewer I have to plagiarize a review done in a sitcom by quoting, “…not since the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of  1963 has a bomb of this magnitude been detonated above ground…” If the lame script, acting, troublesome editing and poor effects weren’t enough to cause real fans of cinema to step back in shock and dismay there was the ending. A rainstorm on Arrakis! Huh? A rainstorm on the desert planet? And this, after two hours of extremely questionable and inept storytelling? Depending in how fowl a mood I’m in, I can equate Dune as edging out Plan 9 From Outer Space as the worst scifi film ever made. But the ending in particular causes almost every Dune fan to walk away shacking their heads and wondering if the apocalypse is drawing neigh.

Ending this screed on vile endings we turn now to the SciFi gaming world. Fans of “first person shooters” or FPS games have long held the Half-Life franchise in true awe. When Half-Life 2 came out the gaming media hailed it as one of the ten best FPS games ever conceived. I was among that crowd. And since its release I have played this game from start to finish at least 20 times. When Valve, the creators of Half-Life 2, decided to release the next expansion of the story in three separate installments, few of the fan base complained. It was enough to have Gordon and Alex continue on. And let’s face it, if you’re a fan this story unfolded like being inside a movie. To me, that’s what made Half-Life 2 a nearly instant Best Game title holder. Even after Half-Life 2, Episode 2 ended, and what an ending it was, fans waited patiently for the release of Episode 3. And we waited, and waited, and waited and  … You get the idea? Half-Life 2 Episode 2 was released in 2004. Nearly ten years ago! And still we wait for Episode 3. Not that its ever coming. Apparently Valve and its brain trust decided that this franchise is not valid any longer (along with that the fans). However, the fan base still waits for the release. I’m serious. If you surf the web you can easily find references to hoping that Episode 3 will be released. It’s kind of like the two old geezers in the play Waiting for Godot. The third episode will never come, but we wait,  always hopeful that it will show up and we can see the ending. So instead of giving Valve the Hall of Shame award for a bad ending, we bestow upon them the “Oh Shit! We Forgot To End The Series” award for bad endings.

That’s enough vitriol for now. There are many examples out there that belong in my Hall of Shame and every now and then I’ll list some more stinkers in the science fiction genre. If you have any examples you wish to share, send them in and we’ll list them. Bye for now.

News and Such

We got an email from Camille Buckles asking to bow out of the third book cover. Camille created the iconic kark for our series as well as both novel covers and we are very grateful to her. Her design work is taking a bite out of her time and doesnt leave much for freelance work. We understand and wish her the best. Thanks Camille. Be sure to go to her web site, http://camilleb.com to view her work.

Taking over the next two books will be Devon Devereaux. Check out his stuff on http://devondevereaux.com and a couple of the ones here on the blog. I think you’ll like his work. His bio reads “Devon is the artist for The Little Bitch, written by David Quinn, published by sellers books… he has shown in galleries worldwide including Los Angeles and Osaka, Japan.” We look forward to the cover for Convergence and the up coming Trilogy.

Next blog Grick will return and we hope to have a couple of chapters from Book 3 available as a download from our web site. Until then.

RJ Rants  

I have a bone to pick with any author/director/game maker that ends a story/film/game with lameness that leaves the fan feeling cheated. I’m not talking about an ending that you disagree with or even one that you personally feel could have been better. Oh no. I mean the ending that totally irritates you. The ending that you absolutely know sucked. One that the author simply took the easy way out and mailed in the ending without trying to work it out. The kind of ending that makes you throw the book across the room or render the DVD into small plastic shards. But even worse is attending a first run flick with a sub-par ending. Leaving you with the desire to find the manager of the theater and demand your money. In short, a colossal boondoggle of a book/movie/game. In this installment of RJs Rants I will highlight a TV series, a movie and a game to install in my You Call That An Ending? Hall of Shame.

First up is the series finale of Lost. Some may say that this was not science fiction but the series had all the elements of the genre and then some. The fan base followed every episode of every season with great interest and fervor. The followers would blog comments back and forth about the meaning of each turn in the show. Every character in the series had their fans and detractors. Even the show creators followed the blogs and commented on many of the nuances of the series while trying not to give away what would come next. They promised not to cop to the “passengers all died and are now in Purgatory.” Holy bad ending Batman! That would be a dissapointment indeed. But the creators eschewed that path and even claimed that the end would be surprising and novel. This lead to a huge response in the fan base as the final shows ticked down to the end.

What was the end you ask? The entire series was a death dream of Shepards. It was a fever dream while the lead protagonist lay dying on the beach? How was that different from the “purgatory option”? How was that unique and surprising? Almost to a person the fan base continued to insist that the shows writers and deciders would never do anything as lame as “Purgatory!” To take a ground breaking TV series and end it with that finish is beyond understanding. Either the creators of Lost actually thought that their spawn was an original end or they were so creatively bankrupt that they lacked the necessary understanding of irony to end the show with a bang. Either way they suck. And so did that ending. I am sure that late at night in the privacy of their beds, they feel true shame.

Next up is the major award for taking great science fiction and treating it so badly that the author had to sue so that Hollywood would remove his name from it. I am speaking of  Dune. The motion picture directed and so thoroughly screwed up by  none other than David Lynch. I’m not sure if Lynch read or understood the story. I’m not even sure he cared one snippet for the author or the fan base that elevated the Dune Series into a classic. But almost unanimous loathing followed the release of the film. Most fans of Frank Herbert’s epic series gag when you mention this abomination. As a matter of fact as a reviewer I have to plagiarize a review done in a sitcom by quoting, “…not since the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of  1963 has a bomb of this magnitude been detonated above ground…” If the lame script, acting, troublesome editing and poor effects weren’t enough to cause real fans of cinema to step back in shock and dismay there was the ending. A rainstorm on Arrakis! Huh? A rainstorm on the desert planet? And this, after two hours of extremely questionable and inept storytelling? Depending in how fowl a mood I’m in, I can equate Dune as edging out Plan 9 From Outer Space as the worst scifi film ever made. But the ending in particular causes almost every Dune fan to walk away shacking their heads and wondering if the apocalypse is drawing neigh.

Ending this screed on vile endings we turn now to the SciFi gaming world. Fans of “first person shooters” or FPS games have long held the Half-Life franchise in true awe. When Half-Life 2 came out the gaming media hailed it as one of the ten best FPS games ever conceived. I was among that crowd. And since its release I have played this game from start to finish at least 20 times. When Valve, the creators of Half-Life 2, decided to release the next expansion of the story in three separate installments, few of the fan base complained. It was enough to have Gordon and Alex continue on. And let’s face it, if you’re a fan this story unfolded like being inside a movie. To me, that’s what made Half-Life 2 a nearly instant Best Game title holder. Even after Half-Life 2, Episode 2 ended, and what an ending it was, fans waited patiently for the release of Episode 3. And we waited, and waited, and waited and  … You get the idea? Half-Life 2 Episode 2 was released in 2004. Nearly ten years ago! And still we wait for Episode 3. Not that its ever coming. Apparently Valve and its brain trust decided that this franchise is not valid any longer (along with that the fans). However, the fan base still waits for the release. I’m serious. If you surf the web you can easily find references to hoping that Episode 3 will be released. It’s kind of like the two old geezers in the play Waiting for Godot. The third episode will never come, but we wait,  always hopeful that it will show up and we can see the ending. So instead of giving Valve the Hall of Shame award for a bad ending, we bestow upon them the “Oh Shit! We Forgot To End The Series” award for bad endings.

That’s enough vitriol for now. There are many examples out there that belong in my Hall of Shame and every now and then I’ll list some more stinkers in the science fiction genre. If you have any examples you wish to share, send them in and we’ll list them. Bye for now.

News and Such

We got an email from Camille Buckles asking to bow out of the third book cover. Camille created the iconic kark for our series as well as both novel covers and we are very grateful to her. Her design work is taking a bite out of her time and doesnt leave much for freelance work. We understand and wish her the best. Thanks Camille. Be sure to go to her web site, http://camilleb.com to view her work.

Taking over the next two books will be Devon Devereaux. Check out his stuff on http://devondevereaux.com and a couple of the ones here on the blog. I think you’ll like his work. His bio reads “Devon is the artist for The Little Bitch, written by David Quinn, published by sellers books… he has shown in galleries worldwide including Los Angeles and Osaka, Japan.” We look forward to the cover for Convergence and the up coming Trilogy.

Next blog Grick will return and we hope to have a couple of chapters from Book 3 available as a downloadfrom our web site. Until then.

Grick Speaks – Some Shameless Self Promotion

Hello again, Grick here. There’s a rumor going around that the first three books of the “Man’s Best Friend” series will be published as a trilogy volume sometime late this year. This will include the as yet unreleased Book 3, which Amos tells me has yet to be titled by our able chroniclers, L.J. Stamm and R.J. Evanovich. I am told by reliable sources that many more of the questions and mysteries that have arisen in the first two books will be explained in the third. You can be certain of a few unexpected surprises also. Since I already know the story, having lived it first hand, I am anxious to see just how faithful an account they render. In the first two books, Messrs. Stamm and Evanovich have done very well in that regard and I expect them to continue their fine efforts.

LJ On Film – The Top 20 Nightmare Continues

Any list of “Top” anything is bound to be a matter of personal opinion. I have included films that are my favorites and that, in my judgment, have stood the test of time. There are plenty of recent sci-fi films that might seem terrific now, but have yet to stand that test. It is not necessary for a movie to have great special effects and plenty of action to be a classic. If all you want is splashy effects and frenetic action, you’ll be money ahead to stick with video gaming.

Filmmaking is like literature. (If you can remember what THAT is.) The story and the characters are the driving forces. If these two things are compelling, nothing else is needed. The same applies to science fiction. All the fabulous CGI in the world cannot overcome a weak story and dull characters. When looking at story and characters one may be stronger than the other, but every classic has substantial elements of both, along with a strong concept or premise in which to frame it. So here they are, in no particular order. (Ones with * are my “take to a desert island” group.)

* Blade Runner (1982) – This is a great one, both for its depiction of an oppressively dark future and its universal theme of basic survival. Relatively light on special effects, it is far more about characters and ideas.

Alien (1979) – Dark and creepy, this movie features that venerable sci-fi premise of unintentionally finding something you soon wish you hadn’t. The title perfectly captures the overall quality of the film.

Predator (1987) – This is a story notable for its interesting concept of aliens coming to earth on safari to hunt for US, subject to ‘sporting’ rules. It is mostly an action movie, but I don’t hold that against it.

The Andromeda Strain (1971) – It was very techie stuff in its day, depicting the attempt to contain an unknown disease organism from space. Good pacing and performances from a veteran cast makes it all quite plausible.

* Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) – This is the best of all the ‘Star Trek’ movies, regardless of the era. It is an exciting tale with hooks back to the original TV series. And who can forget “KHHAAAANNNN!”

Jurassic Park (1993) – Great effects and an interesting concept make this a good one, even if you don’t like dinosaurs.

The Matrix (1999) – A clever premise about virtual reality is depicted very astutely. I never figured out why some people had trouble understanding what it was all about.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) – Another great concept, cyborgs from the future, is beautifully done, although I wonder why the machines built a T-101 with a German accent. ‘The Terminator’ is also really good, but not as.

* Forbidden Planet (1956) – Every sci-fi fan should be familiar with this movie. If not, their education is sorely lacking. It is one of the all time classics with a timeless story and effects that still look impressive.

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) – One of the great classics that still gives me a shudder when Gort’s visor slowly opens and a sigh of relief when it closes. Capable actors and direction by Robert Wise makes for a good film.

Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) – This is the best of all the ‘Star Wars’ movies, by a considerable margin.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) – The most credible depiction of a visit by friendly aliens yet produced.

Gattaca (1997) – People and their relationships manage to achieve a measure of triumph over their dystopian future world, and that’s a good thing.

* 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) – The first of the ‘modern’ sci-fi films, it remains among the best, with an Arthur C. Clarke approved emphasis on the science. Director Stanley Kubrick did it right. It’s sad to remember that when I first saw this movie in 1968, the near-future it depicted seemed eminently reachable.

Metropolis (1927) – A groundbreaking (silent) film that paints a disturbing picture of the future, it is a somewhat forgotten classic. It is interesting from several perspectives, both as art and history.

The Road Warrior (1981) – This is the best of all near-era post-apocalypse movies. It is a compelling, atmospheric film starring a young Mel Gibson, where REAL cars, not CGI images, collide at high speed.

* War of the Worlds (1953) – A classic with great special effects that still look pretty good today, along with a lot of memorable quotes like, “This type of defense is USELESS against THAT kind of power!”

Back to the Future (1985) – Why not include a little fun along with your sci-fi? The time travel premise works just fine and most of it is pretty well done, except for the bad ‘aging’ make-up on Marty’s parents.

The Thing (1982) – A creepy and disturbing story that director John Carpenter crafted into a classic. Good actors including Kurt Russell and Wilford Brimley don’t hurt either.

Serenity (2005) – While it helps to have seen the prequel TV series (‘Firefly’), it is not entirely necessary to enjoy this movie. It has interesting story and characters along with good effects and action.

p.s. – There are many, many other good sci-fi films out there. Find and enjoy them for yourself.

RJ Corner – OMG! Top 20 Nightmares

I never realized just what a task it is to make a Top 20 list for science fiction films. Discussing it with Lee compounded the problem when it became apparent that an actual numerical list ranking one film the absolute best and counting down from there is sheer madness. I have to agree with Lee on one point: the genre of science fiction cinema is far too vast to boil down into a numerical best list of any size. So we came up with the “If I Were Stranded On A Desert Island” list of 20 films each of us would want to have. The great thing about this list from my point of view is that I can modify it at any time according to my whim and fancy.

RJ’s Desert Island List of SciFi Films Listed Alphabetically

Alien(1979)/Aliens(1986)

Had trouble choosing between these so I made them share the billing. Alien is the classic ‘haunted spaceship film” first seen in old classics like It: The Terror From Beyond Space. Both films use tension like a rapier.

Angry Red Planet(1959)

This one had me squirming in my seat as a child. A tremendous story penned by Sydney Pink.

Avatar(2009)

Bound to be considered a classic of the 21st century. Not only are the special effects stunning, the story is one of corporate greed versus indigenous species and environmentalism.

Beast From 20,000 Fathoms(1953)

As discussed in my previous column this flick was the beginning of dynamation. A great story, written in part by Ray Bradbury, combined with great effects.

Blade Runner(1982)

Film Noir in a science fiction setting. Great story adapted from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick. What’s not to love about this film?

Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Once again a film that questions the beginning of the Cold War. Heavy on characters and plot, the special effects were adequate but the real gem here is the story and the acting. “Gort. Klaatu barada nikto!”

Forbidden Planet(1956)

One of my favorite films. Again, the special effects for the day were stunning and the robot Robie was endearing. Sad what they did with him in a later TV series: Danger Will Robinson!

Jurassic Park (1993)

What grown up kid wouldn’t love this movie? Living dinosaurs. The Velociraptors and the other dinos make this an unforgettable experience. Great story, great acting and outstanding special effects.

M atrix(1999)

An excellent adaptation of the cyberpunk genre in scifi. Well written and well acted. Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) was excellent as the antagonist of the film. “Isn’t that right, Mr.Anderson?”

Men In Black(1997)

A scifi flick with a comedic heart. There are more one liners in this movie that you can shake a stick at. Both Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith are excellent and the effects well done.

Planet of the Apes(1968)

Charlton Heston in any film is good. A scifi one is even better. This is another excellent merging of plot, character and action. A must see.

Road Warrior(1981)

The second of the Mad Maxx post-apocalyptic films with Mel Gibson playing the title character. Outstanding villain in Humungus.

Robinson Crusoe On Mars(1964)

In 1964 America was heavily invested into the Space Race with the Soviets. Good effects and an excellent story line. Good performance by Paul Mantee.

Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan(1982)

Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!!!! What else needs be said?!

Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back(1980)

The scene with Luke and Darth Vader (“Luke. I am your…”) battling in the CloudCity was one of the best swashbuckler scenes from any Hollywood film.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day(1991)

Although the first Terminator was outstanding, the second ratcheted up the francise to another level. Robert Patrick’s T1000 liquid terminator was awesome.

Them!(1954)

This is another film from my childhood scifi/horror fests on Friday and Saturday. Giant ants – again blame nuclear testing – Vs humans. What’s not to like?

Time Machine (1960)

This film was a feast for the mind as well as the eyes. Rod Taylor was superb as George Wells, the inventor of the machine.

2001: A Space Odyssey(1968)

This is the film that started the craft of intense realism:  Special Effects. Stanley Kubrick along with Arthur C. Clarke and Douglas Trumbull set out to make  “the proverbial good science fiction movie.” I think they succeeded.

The War of the Worlds(1953)

This film rocks. Great story, great action, excellent aliens, well acted and cast and beautifully filmed. Well worth the time spent watching an iconic movie.

Missing from my list are a slew of new films. With the test of time I’m sure they will eventually find a place on my list. Many of those flicks are heavy on tremendous special effects and light on character development. My guess is that the lack of (or great cost of) special effects made the older films more dependant on characters and plot and less beholden to the special effects houses.

Iconic films such as 2001, Forbidden Planet, The Day the Earth Stood Still and the Beast From 20,000 Fathoms have become prime examples of the genre at its best with many of them holding their own against the more modern films.

A great many of the films on the list have been relegated to students of scifi cinema. I would urge the younger generation to take a look at these older films and find out that they are treasures to be enjoyed. Most of the older films on the list stand up to today’s viewing without the benefit of multimillion dollar special effect extravaganzas.

So that’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it. Please, send in your list and we’ll put it out there. You can send them to us by email – [email protected] – or you can reply in the opinion portion of the blog. Either way, comments are thankfully solicited. Next post will be LJ’s list.