Tag: science fiction

not that there’s anything wrong with that

Riffing off Crusader’s post decrying excessive ecchi, Steven ruminates on fan service and puritanism:

Seriously: I have to wonder whether some of this publicly expressed revulsion is externalized revulsion at the realization that deep down, a part of them is liking what they’re seeing. Many of the most militant Puritans, historical or modern, condemn temptation in others because they feel tempted themselves and refuse to admit it.

I have no doubt that some of the publically expressed revulsion towards fan service may be a closet temptation reflex, but it should be noted that some is not. In my case, looking at animated naked women doesn’t do that much for me. Plus, having two daughters also colors my views. I simply avoid fanservice-laden titles, and don’t really concern myself whether there is too much or not. I’ve got a watchlist a mile long and it’s managed to stay almost entirely fanservice-free. It’s not hard.

As Steven points out, the market caters to what people want, of course. But since there’s a lot of anime out there that is worth watching and which isn’t full of ecchi, one must conclude that this too is what (some) people want. I’ll probably never watch Najica Blitz Tactics, but that’s ok since it gives me time to try out Moyashimon and Glass Fleet. And if someday the fanservice quotient in anime becomes too high, then there’s plenty else to keep me occupied. I’ve still got to eventually work my way through Farscape, Red Dwarf, etc. I haven’t felt any angst about 2007 being a bad or good year for anime because on the whole I can’t consume it nearly fast enough to matter. As time goes on the backlog will only grow. If anything, applying a no-fanservice filter to my anime has really made anime a manageable hobby!

A ‘Rip’ in Time

A childhood favorite author, Madeleine L’engle, most known to the likes of us for her “Wrinkle in Time” series, died–or as she might put it, Xed–last month at the human age of 88. I only know this because I started re-reading the series last month–for the first time since Aziz reminded me of it almost ten years ago–and looked her up out of curiosity. A more incredulous person would attribute it not to mere coincidence.

To anyone who’s never read this series, I urge you to do so. Yes, they are children’s books, but like many, they are packed with timeless scientific, philosophical, and humanistic principles. Space, time, creation, destruction, love, loathing, existence, perception, consciousness, identity, communication, interconnectedness, personal significance in an infinite cosmos…it’s all there, the intangible made tangible in these stories and characters.

The entire Quintet (I only thought there were three books!) was re-released this past May, so there’s no excuse. They include:

A Wrinkle in Time

A Wind in the Door

A Swiftly Tilting Planet

Many Waters

An Acceptable Time

They’re made out of meat

I read this short story by Terry Bisson when it was first published in Omni. It’s possibly the greatest scifi short story ever written. A teaser:

“They’re made out of meat.”

“Meat?”

“Meat. They’re made out of meat.”

“Meat?”

“There’s no doubt about it. We picked up several from different parts of the planet, took them aboard our recon vessels, and probed them all the way through. They’re completely meat.”

“That’s impossible. What about the radio signals? The messages to the stars?”

“They use the radio waves to talk, but the signals don’t come from them. The signals come from machines.”

“So who made the machines? That’s who we want to contact.”

“They made the machines. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Meat made the machines.”

“That’s ridiculous. How can meat make a machine? You’re asking me to believe in sentient meat.”

It gets better. Much better. The phrase “singing meat” is used. Bisson has made the full text of the story available on his website and if you haven’t read it before, now’s the time. Seriously. NOW is the time. Go on. Go.

What, still not convinced it’s worth your click? One more excerpt, then: Continue reading “They’re made out of meat”

interview with Greg Bear

this is a pretty wide-ranging interview, worth reading in full. But one thing that leaped out at me was this Q&A, because not many people are aware of Bear’s work in the Star Trek and Star Wars universes.

Aberrant Dreams: You are also one of the few writers that come to mind, having written in both the Star Trek and the Star Wars universes. At every science fiction convention, there is always a panel about Star Wars verses Star Trek. If you found yourself on that panel, for which side would you bat?

Greg Bear: Well, there wouldn’t have been a Star Wars without a Star Trek. I’m sure even George Lucas would admit that. If you go back to the lineage of interstellar travel and space opera, you’ll find two sides of the equation.

I think Star Trek adheres to the more seriously extrapolated side, despite some of the sillier episodes. It was more of a universe you could imagine yourself living in with fewer fantasy elements.

Star Wars came along and mixes in so many different elements. There are pulp films, samurai movies, Arthurian legend, and science fiction, and it’s all planted in a thoroughly convincing science fiction designed universe. It was a flavor that no one had quite seen before, and it was also done with tremendous conviction and love. At that time, Star Wars became a kind of crossover bridge for science fiction and fantasy. I think is still is to this day, while Star Trek and science fiction are more closely aligned. Its universe is a little more convincing.

Ultimately, it depends on your feeling of the moment. If you want rip-roaring action and that sort of thing, I still like Star Wars. I’ve been a Star Wars fan ever since 1977. I don’t follow all of the novels and all of the off-shoots—it would take a lifetime at this point. I certainly haven’t done that with the Star Trek novels, either, and I’m not even that familiar with the more recent Star Trek series.

He also discusses transhumanism and his forthcoming book about the middle east and the west.

Gedo Senki: Legend of Earthsea

Studio Ghibli is producing an anime version of Ursula K. LeGuin’s classic science fiction series, The Legend of Earthsea. It is being directed by Moro Miyazaki, son of the legendary Hayao.

For a fan of science fiction alone, this would be incredibly exciting news. As a fledgling otaku my anticipation can now extend along the anime axis as well! Of course there is no guarantee that the junior Miyazaki is as talented as the father, nor is there any guarantee that a piece of literature will survive the transition to film. Bicentennial Man was a real stab in the heart for Asimov purists, and I’ve ranted on the H2G2 movie before. But there are successes – witness the glory that was Blade Runner (an adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?). I think that the anime format suits the subject matter far better than live-action and have high hopes indeed.

Most of those high hopes being fed by what I’ve already seen of the film, of course. You can view the trailer as a Flash movie at Ghibli.net or at YouTube.

There’s also a production blog (translated by Nausicaa.net).