Sidetrekked #53, June 2015
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June, 2015 SideTrekked NASA: Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank, seen from Gemini VI, June 4, 1965 - A publication of Science Fiction London - Issue #53 SideTrekked is the official journal of Science Fiction London. ISSN 0715-3007 ISSN Canada Library and Archives Canada 395 Wellington Street Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N4 All regular, public meetings are held at the Central Branch of the London Public Library. 251 Dundas Street London, Ontario N6A 6H9 Club website: www.sflondon.ca The cover photograph is courtesy of NASA's royalty-free image gallery. The photographs from the 2015 Ad Astra convention are courtesy of the vice- president. This edition was edited by the president. Club Executive President: Mark C. Ambrogio Vice President: Ana Tirolese Webmaster: Reinhardt Christiansen Secretary: Terry Brown Treasurer: Doug McKay Editor's Corner – and Update Since the last edition of SideTrekked, released in November of 2014, the club has kept busy with a number of activities, outside of our regular schedule of library meetings. Between Christmas and New Year's (on Saturday, December 27th), a few members ventured to the Silver City movieplex, at Masonville Mall, to see the third Hunger Games movie, Mockingjay – Part 1. "On the other side" of New Year's, the club continued with its revived tradition of having a belated New Year's party, with a potluck gathering – a little later, this year, on Saturday, January 31st. For that occasion, those gathered watched the light-hearted documentary Trekkies, from 1997, followed by two parts of the (impressive!) BBC production My Life In Science Fiction. As of the time of publication, the most recent impromptu movie outing was Tomorrowland, at Rainbow Cinemas, on Sunday, May 31st. In addition to these cinematic socials, members of the club have taken part in two conventions this year. Describing itself as "Toronto's Premiere SF and Fantasy Convention," Ad Astra has held its annual events since 1980, with an impressive list of guest speakers and panellists. This year, a small, but buoyant, contingent represented SF London at the weekend gathering, held April 10th to the 12th. Photos from that event may be viewed in this edition (courtesy of Ana Tirolese). As we are well-aware, not all science fiction conventions require car-pooling or a trip to large cities, such as Toronto. Tony C. Smith, a British national, runs an online/audio magazine, known as Star Ship Sofa: The Audio Science Fiction Magazine. For a couple of years now, this magazine has organized an online convention, known as SofaCon. Through the invitation of Amy H. Sturgis, an American historian and scholar of speculative fiction, SF London was invited to participate in this annual event. On Sunday March 15th, several members of SF London gathered at a community room in Talbot Centre Mall, located in downtown London, to participate in this event. Generally speaking, reviews were mixed: while members were delighted to be able to be able to see David Brin, the noted SF author, speak live, the convention may not have been as engaging as many would have appreciated. With publication of this edition, I would like to extend a personal apology to Carol Wheatland. In the November 2014 edition, Carol authored a film review, on Guardians of the Galaxy. Regrettably, I incorrectly spelled her name, changing it to Whitehead (instead of Wheatland), an error I regret and for which I apologize. Hopefully, this edition will be of interest to members of the club – and others. We are shared online on a efanzine website, efanzines.com, run by a selfless volunteer, Bill Burns. Thanks to Bill for hosting our publication and for bringing together members of the broader SF community. ~ Mark C. Ambrogio David Brin Book Review Burning Paradise, a novel Robert Charles Wilson, author Tor Books, 2013 With Burning Paradise, Robert Charles Wilson's 13th novel, everything old is new again. Wilson once again visits the premise of alien overlords, that he crafted so well with Spin and its two sequels. In fact, if you've read Spin, you'll find many similarities in the grand idea of mankind being controlled by a "maybe" malevolent alien entity. The story opens in the year 2014, in a world very much like our own – but not quite. In his version of Earth, the 20th century has been very quiet, with no world wars or major conflicts. The human race has had 100 years of peace. And the reason for this peace is the presence of an alien entity. This entity, the 'Hypercolony,' so named by those who would oppose them, is unknown to the majority of humans, with only a small group of scientists and their families knowing the truth: that the aliens exist and that they will kill to protect that existence. The narrative centres around Cassie, an 18 year old survivor of the last attack, some 7 years earlier, in which the lives of her parents, members of the secrete society, were lost. She lives quietly in Buffalo, with her brother and her aunt. That peace is shattered when an agent of the Hypercolony, known as a Sim, comes to call. With her brother, Cassie flees to another society member, Leo, the son of the society's founder. What ensues is a road trip to find Leo's father and/or others who can help. At the same time as Cassie is fleeing to parts unknown her uncle has a visitor of his own. He too, with Cassie's aunt in tow, sets out to find Leo's father and some much needed answers. Some of Wilson's characters seem to struggle with "doing the right thing," while others seem almost two-dimensional, merely window dressing for the larger drama. There is a certain predictability to much of the story, with the road trip (that Cassie and company take) becoming tedious, at times. Still, in Cassie, Wilson has a genuinely believable character. She is a strong, resourceful female and this is refreshing. She is a survivor. The book comes to a somewhat predictable conclusion and Wilson has left little room for sequels. But as with most such stories, it is not the conclusion of the journey taken but the journey itself that is the most enjoyable aspect of the story. It will be up to the reader to decide if the ending satisfies their curiosity. Wilson explores a multitude of themes with this latest book. Are we alone? Would we be better off if some alien entity intervened? What is the nature of intelligence? Is the "hive" mind superior to our own "free will" existence? It should be noted that the world Wilson created while modern is not as technologically advanced as ours. One must wonder if this is a not so subtle attempt by Wilson to make a statement about both war and free will and that there is a price to pay for peace. This is not Wilson’s best work but it does give the reader food for thought. By that standard, Wilson has succeeded as an author. ~ Terry Brown Rob Sawyer and Robert Charles Wilson TV-Show Review Mystery Science Theatre 3000 On air, 1988 – 1999 Mystery Science Theatre 3000, known to fans as MST3k, is the often-overlooked comedy classic that gave new life to B-grade movies and box office flops. Originally airing on a small cable network in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the late nineteen-eighties, the TV show spanned eleven seasons, a feature film, and has earned itself a strong cult following of die-hard fans. But what, exactly, is Mystery Science Theatre? The premiss itself is brilliant in its simplicity, but becomes infinitely more complicated when you add in a cast of unusual characters, including sentient apes, mad scientists and belligerent, sarcastic robots. The basic idea is this: bad movies are played on screen in their entirety while a team of comedians (shown in silhouette at the bottom of the picture) make wise-cracks and witty remarks, rendering an otherwise unbearable movie utterly hilarious. No film genre was safe from MST3k. Sci-fi flicks provided ample fodder for the show, episodes featuring movies such as The Amazing Colossal Man, Earth vs The Spider, and This Island Earth – they also worked their magic on short educational films, westerns, spy thrillers and even a particularly bad adaptation of Hamlet. While the show's writers often meant no harm, they have come up against their fair share of critics, many often questioning what right they have to make fun of classic films. While it is true that any movie, no matter how small, demands a large budget, dedicated crew, and often months of hard work, many of these movies would be forgotten if it weren't for Mystery Science Theatre! How many people can say they've watched The Final Sacrifice, Manos: The Hands of Fate, or Godzilla vs Megalon? Very few outside the MST fan base. But for those "in the know," Mystery Science Theatre gives rotten films new life! In certain circles, names such as Zap Rowsdower, Mitchell, and Torgo live on as movie icons and cult heroes, instead of poorly written and badly acted characters in movies that bombed. So what has become of Mystery Science Theatre as of late? While the show ended more than a decade ago, there is an ample supply of free shorts, clips and even full episodes available on YouTube. If your interest has become an obsession, then the show is also available on DVD. Due to its ongoing popularity (and a never-ending supply of drivel, being pumped out by Hollywood) the show has led to several spinoffs staring the original actors.