- May the Fourth Be With You -

Celebrate and be merry.

Wear your glitter to honour the memory of our Blessed Space Mom Carrie Fisher.

Carrie Fisher as told by Mark Hamill

First watch from where I've marked until 17:05. Then watch the whole thing. I'm not crying, you are. R.I.P. Carrie Fisher

The Hutt Recommends: the Caves of Steel

The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov
The first of the Robot novels (of which I, Robot is number 0.1).

Simply put, it's a murder mystery set a few thousand years in the future.
   A more roundabout way of describing it would be to say that humans have colonised space and created artificial intelligence. On Earth this means everything from overpopulation, ever imminent starvation and extreme pollution to robots obviously robotic-looking taking over simpler duties in workplaces. Discord is growing. In Spacer colonies it means bureaucracy is king and empathy is dead - humans with any gene defect are euthanised as to avoid the troubles so rampant on Earth - and advanced humanoid robots are the latest secret project.
   Then: murder.
   A Spacer is murdered on Earth and Detective Elijah Baley is called to the scene to solve the murder before the partner he's forced to take on does. I present to you: humanoid robot R. Daneel Olivaw, the latest of Spacer technology. In fact, so recently out of production that nearly no one knows he's a robot (indicated by the 'R' before his name which Baley conveniently leaves out whenever introducing him to anyone seeing as no one likes/trusts robots).
   They set forth on a journey together not only solving the case but also a much deeper political plot.

   This is classic scifi at its best! We're presented to big questions on existence, the fear of tomorrow, what it means to be human, and what makes a good society. It's philosophical and deep yet easy to take in without getting lost along the way or sacrificing the plot only to present some strange view on the human condition.
   Caves of Steel is also obviously a child of its time and being first published in 1954 means that I had a hard time finding any female characters, even more of a hard time finding women with any sort of agency. There's Baley's wife, but she's not of much use to the story. After that the list of female characters abruptly ends and yes, of course that sad fact makes me grumble but I have to admit to preferring this kind of representation in classic scifi (which is barely any at all) instead of the kind I've found to be rampant in a lot of Heinlein's scifi where women are either vapid and useless or manipulative whores (Door into Summer (publ. 1957) and Time Enough For Love (publ. 1973), being the worst of what I've read so far, jeez... I couldn't even finish Time Enough it was so bad). Then on the other hand, I expect so much more out of anything written after the 1980's (thank the gods for Carl Sagan) than I do out of what came before (e.g. the Robot novels). I desperately need people of my generation to be better than their predecessors and write better (ie MORE INCLUSIVE) fiction but that does not mean that I'll excuse bad representation in classic scifi.

The Hutt Recommends: Rogue One

This is good, oh so good.

   A few days ago I decided it was time to take the bull by its horns and watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Despite it being hyped to oblivion and me already knowing the whole movie through what people on the internet have told me I planned to sit through it. Mostly, I wanted to see it just so that I could go watch Rogue One with all the other movies in the series seen and dealt with.

   To be frank with you; I was entirely underwhelmed and a little disappointed. None of the new characters engaged me and none of the old ones held the same power they once did (except possibly Chewbacca). It's a mystery to me how Kylo Ren was expected to be (and then actually became!) such a popular character since all I see is a belligerent 5-year-old brat who's acting out because he's just been told off by his parents. The golden glow of the movie came from Finn and if they had expanded on his story just a liiiiiittle bit more I'd have fallen for it. But they didn't. It was nice to revisit the Star Wars universe again but nostalgia can only take you so far. This is simply A New Hope in brand new (but slightly crooked) wrapping paper and if I can choose which movie I'd rather spend two hours watching I'd go for A New Hope.

   So, slightly discouraged, I headed for the cinema to sit down, crisps and soda in hand, to experience what I thought would be two more hours of mediocre nostalgia-riding scifi. Luckily, I was wrong.
   Something I noticed pretty early on was that I might be a bit bigger a nerd for the Star Wars universe than I initially thought myself to be, because as soon as I saw an AT-ST stalking the streets of Jedha City on screen I squealed like the excited child I had been reduced to. I love Star Wars tech and lore. Mostly lore. I'm a known lore hunter. And there is plenty to be found in Rogue One, because this is a prequel to sequel the previous prequels and lead us towards A New Hope. Still with  me? Good.

   I loved everything about this movie; all the characters, the plot, the locations, the dialogue, the actors, the costumes, the fighting... everything. As uncharming as it must sound, I'm usually not a fan of the whole group of main characters (or their actors) but in this case I was. They are all precious little gems to be protected. Obviously, I spent a whole lot of this cinema experience crying. Rogue One is darker than its Star Wars siblings and all the better for it.

   I guess I can expect it to be a bit of an unpopular opinion but I was relieved to find that Rogue One doesn't focus any particular energy on anyone from the Skywalker family even though some of them (Vader and Leia) make short appearances. In fact, there are a few more recognisable faces popping up here and there: Grand Moff Tarkin, Bail Organa and Admiral Raddus to mention three I remember from the original trilogy, but they are still the side characters they always were. I am rather fed up with watching Skywalkers mess up the galaxy, it was about time to let other characters' stories shine and be heard. 
   I loved this movie much more than I thought I would.

The Hutt (kind of) Recommends: The Rapture of the Nerds

The Rapture of the Nerds: A Tale of the Singularity, Posthumanity, and Awkward Social Situations by Cory Doctorow and Charles Stross.

In our future post-Singularity society our main character Hew attends a party at a friend's house. It's odd, mostly because Hew is a miserable luddite of a Welshman among people who've embraced the technology brought to Earth by the uploaded consciousnesses now gathered in the Singularity (basically a huge cloud of a supercomputer encircling Earth). He wakes up in a bathtub with a vague memory of a great party and having met a wonderful leather-clad woman with a shaved head. After being violently threatened out of the house by his friend he returns home to find that he's been arbitrarily selected for jury duty to assess new technological advances to determine their possible usage for what remains of the human race.
Showing up for jury duty turns out to be the least of Hew's problems.

WARNING: some profanity ahead.
From the very first page my brain asked the question "what the fuck am I reading?" and I continued to ask that same question throughout the entirety of the novel. It's absurd, there's no other word for it, but in a very good way. Well, partly. Well, mostly. I really don't know. It's been weeks since I read the damned thing and I'm still not entirely sure.
It has a lot of references to other works of scifi, among them the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Star Wars, the Discworld series and Doctor Who so of course it intrigued me. But plenty of references to other people's good work shouldn't be the only memorable thing about a book. I remember liking our main characters Hew and Bonnie (the shaven-headed woman at the beginning of the novel) but the story itself failed to catch hold of me. Of course I turned the pages because I wanted to know what was going to happen next, but more to the point I wanted to know how and if the story could get even more absurd and how the hell one could finish a story like that.

I also remember having many short outbursts of rage over the fact that our authors seem to equate certain body parts with a certain gender. Throughout the book several characters use modern technology to change bodies; from one body with a pussy and boobs to one with a flat chest and a dick or the other way around, and even though we find out that the character in one of these cases clearly identifies as male but happens to have a body with a pussy at the time they still refer to him as 'she'. It might seem petty but it fucking irritates me. On the other hand, I'm a part of the 'feminazi mafia' so maybe I'm one of the few to react to that.

Overall, I liked the novel but also feel that it got lost in itself, got unnecessarily complicated and slowed down at some point in the last third of the book. It's worth reading the book just for the conversations between Hew and Bonnie though.
Bonnie is fucking awesome.

Problem

I still find it strange that some people find it to be "unrealistic" to have people who aren't white and/or straight in works of the fantasy and sci-fi genre while dragons, trolls, aliens and talking snowmen are just fine.

Must be Thursday

The Hutt (kind of) Recommends: Ender's Game

I just recently started reading more scifi than fantasy much thanks to “A Guide to Navigating NPR’s Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books” and yet another list called “100 Best Sci-Fi Books”. (I read Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 two weeks ago and suddenly know what all the fuss was about when he died back in June this year. He did some excellent work. I will read more of his books once I can wrap my stubby fingers around them.)
But now:
   In 1985 Orson Scott Card had his scifi novel Ender’s Game published based on his short story from 1977 (but really nursed at the back of his mind as early as 1967) and by now it’s become kind of legendary. I started reading it about a week ago only to find out that the movie’s released in theatres next year. Sadly, I doubt that even the scifi-savvy Harrison Ford can do justice to a book this amazing. Basically, I believe it’s still too surreal and complicated to adapt from book (and comics) to film. I say this only having read the first book of the Ender Wiggin series.

   In a distant future when humans have expanded their habitat further out into the galaxy and even beyond that, they are threatened by an insect-like alien they call “buggers”. It’s been 70 years since the humans defeated the buggers and drove them back into space but the fear of a future attack still hangs heavy on everyone’s shoulders. To outwit and delete the buggers for all time the humans need good soldiers, and even better commanders, which leads them to recruit the most gifted of Earth’s children for vigorous training in Battle Schools situated in space.
   Andrew ‘Ender’ Wiggin isn’t just gifted; he’s brilliant – perhaps even too brilliant. Nonetheless, he’s chosen for Battle School at the tender age of six. Wihtout having arrived at Battle School the violence and mind-games commence and will only grow worse the further into his education he gets. Little does he know of the plans for him to be human kind's saviour...

   This book has a good story evolving in a fascinating and compelling way. It has many interesting characters and they’re allowed to be ugly and evil (which most of them are). Ender is of course über awesome and the term “kill your darlings” comes to my mind more than once in one reading session. An author is only as good as the flaws it gives its characters. I like Ender’s Game but Ender doesn’t really have flaws bigger than his small stature, sometimes bordering on stupid stubbornness and his young age.
   As a finishing note I think the book is interesting since it mirrors a conflict that’s been officially buried since 1991 when the Wall came down. There’s a lot of talk of the Warsaw Pact and the conflict between the USA and the USSR which was actually what pulled me in to begin with. My interest in both politics and scifi makes this book even better (same goes for Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” and Orwell’s “1984”). But that’s the brilliant thing about scifi isn’t it? It’s supposed to be a kind of commentary on society – what we’re afraid that it’ll become or want it to be.
I wonder what people will read into our stories in 50 years.

P.S. Don't actually buy the book. If I've convinced you about Ender's awesomeness, then download it or buy a second hand copy. Don't see the film at cinemas either. Don't give this man any money. Excellent author, horrific person. Sadly, Orson Scott Card produced the film so he'll be given some of its proceeds. So again, don't allow him any of your money. Thanks.

5 reasons to see Misfits

• The story. Five young offenders are given community service but after being struck by lightning during a hail storm they're nothing but normal. Even though the whole thing with "young-person-develops-superpowers" has been done a million times before, Misfits revives it and adds a new twist.
• The look of it. It’s gritty and solid suburban concrete surroundings through and through.
• Nathan. This Irish little annoying bastard is the most hilarious person I’ve had the joy of encountering in a tv show in the last couple of years. Just full of great insults.
• Simon. He’s the shy big-eyed freak with the camera. A mental breakdown waiting to happen.
• Nathan. No, wait. I’ve said that already. Oh well... He's an inspiration to me.

"What if we're meant to be like superheroes?" - Simon
"You lot... 'superheroes'... No offense but in what kind of fucked-up world would that be allowed to happen?" - Nathan

Damn you IMDb

I was doing some reading up on Firefly on IMDb and so stumbled upon the information that if I like Firefly I might like... Space - Above and Beyond from 1995.

WRONG!!

Like, omg, it's awful. The pilot is 1,5 hours long and I've only got that far but the level of pretentiousness was driving me insane. They can't possibly have thought that it was a good idea. It's pure 90's CGI (hideous) and fashion (appalling) and with all them $5 000 000 per episode I don't see how that can be.

Oh well.

I'll just watch Cowboys & Aliens again. Much better. 

#lovingscifi

Autumn is here and as long as it's dry, still and sunny I'm fine with it.

But what can be better on a sunny day than being inside a convention centre and sharing that claustrophobic happiness with thousands of other nerds? Not much I tell you, not much.
The Swedish movie Arn: The Knight Templar had lots of props on display and since I quite like the movie I checked it out.

There were also other props. In the picture below: Harry Potter, Silence of the Lambs, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark among others.

I caught a pig-like creature hugging a snowtrooper on picture as well... She's got a nice new bag on her. Hmm. "Pure Evil Since '77"? You bet!

Same pig-like creature with an unknowing stormtrooper.

Here's what I know about the Star Wars costumes: Yes, they're very warm. Yes, they're very expensive. Yes, it's funny as hell walking around in them.


I'm just regretting not getting a picture of Jenette Goldstein when I got her autograph. Dang it. She even gave me compliments on my English! Awesomes.

Multitasking

I’m a bookworm.


On average, I’m reading three books at the same time. I have one by my bed, one on audio when I’m gaming by the computer and one on my mp3 for when I’m at work or walking the dogs. I’m reading a horror short story collection by the bed, listening to Neil Gaiman’s American Gods by the computer and listening to The Harper Connelly Mysteries by Charlaine Harris at work and during walks.

Harris wrote the Sookie Stackhouse series that led to the tv-series True Blood starring (among others) the very talented Canadian actress Anna Paquin (who’s not only married to her True Blood colleague Stephen Moyer but also received an Oscar at the tender age of 11 for her part in The Piano). So far, I’ve stayed away from the Stackhouse novels because I like the tv-series (who can’t like Alexander Skarsgård?) so much but figured that Harper was safe to spend some time with. Good choice. I like Harper Connelly. I’m listening to the third book now. Awesome. Recommended.

Annars då? Dagarna går sakta såhär efter en fantastiskt lyckad helg. Det kan vara så att jag blivit attackerad av en förkylning men jag föredrar det framför magsjukan som gick på jobbet när jag jobbade 12-timmarsdagar. Kan vara dags att sova men jag vill inte. När jag kollade senaste Castle-avsnittet (det sista för tredje säsongen) upptäckte jag hur trött, sliten och medelålders Nathan Fillion (också en otroligt duktig kanadensare) ser ut. Då slog det slog mig att jag aldrig kommer att få se honom i rollen som Mal Reynolds igen. ALDRIG. Då kom tårarna. Jag skyller allt på att jag är trött.

It’s not an easy thing to lose hope. There’s no button to pound now Wash. No miracle.

Lil' Cthulhu

If I ever get children they're going to watch The Adventures of Lil Cthulhu before going to school in the mornings.

Kirk vs. Tanis

I'm reading the Dragonlance trilogy as I'm writing (it's an audiobook, very convenient) and have reached the third book by now. At first I had great difficulties to accept one of the heroes of the series since he was just... such a Marty Stu. I'm talking about the unstoppable red-haired Tanis Half-Elven. With time, I've begun to feel a certain appreciation toward Tanis but it took some time (quite the reverse from how I felt about Tasslehoff Burrfoot whom I liked from sentence one). Now I sort of know why.
Tanis is based on James Tiberius Kirk. From Wikipedia: "In the beginning, Margaret Weis had problems depicting Tanis Half-Elven in the novels. Tracy Hickman finally told her "He's James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise." After that explanation, Margaret had no more troubles while writing about Tanis."
My issues with Captain Kirk are insoluble I'm afraid.

Dagens namn

Idag har Artur och Douglas namnsdag och vad är det första jag tänker på? Jo, Liftarens Guide till Galaxen förstås.
Douglas Adams och Arthur Dent.
Det är den 13de. (1+3=4, 3-1=2) = 42.
Om man bara försöker så kan allting bli mycket roligare än det verkar vara vid första anblick.

The Empire = Awesome

Contrary to what many people think, I like a lot of things.

Things like entertaining tv series...

A good book... An amazing movie... Yes, there sure is a lot to love in this world. Just imagine what else could be told through pictures of Star Wars characters.

I love being a geek.

Guilty pleasures

I present to you a few instances where I was caught in the act (so to say) at The Scandinavian Sci-Fi, Game and Film Convention...

...with a humongous pile of comics.

...and with the Biker Scout (before the memorable kiss).

Under pressure

I’ve been terrified of my blog since Valentine’s when I logged in and glanced at my visitor stats. They were quickly racing skywards at five times the speed of before. Since that I haven’t dared to write anything. People might expect something witty and I’m just not capable of that. Being crushed underneath your self-made expectations is the worst a person could ever suffer from. It’s also very common.

But let us leave that and focus on art instead. I’m going to mention Diablo III.



No, I’ll spare you a dive into yet another rant about the dawdlers of Blizzard but instead I’ll hand you a link to what Diablo III could have looked like. Judging from what I see and what I can read, it looked much like Diablo II and since that’s not what the fans wish for it had to be altered. All honour to Diablo II but it needs more than a touch of make-up to be pretty and interesting again. 3D and more flashing dabs of colour might be exactly what’s needed. Also, there’s “hope” that Blizzard releases Diablo III later this year. For their sake, I hope that particular piece of info is correct.

It’s less than a week until The Scandinavian Sci-Fi, Game and Film Convention in Gothenburg and for the first time I’ll be there both days of the duration of the convention (leaving time to see friends I haven't seen in ages) because for the first time since I started going in 2008 I’ll get my salary before and not after the convention. Double awesome.

Btw, boiling water is hot and steam is hotter. Two of my fingers on my right hand are scalded and (was) blistered (before they popped). Right now, my anger isn’t about that it happened at all or that it’s constantly stinging but that it’s my right hand and not the left. I could have lived with it if it had only been my left hand. My right hand is too valuable for this.

And btw2, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is an awesome (and hilarious) movie. See it.



Notice that Edgar Wright who also directed the tv-series Spaced and the movies Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead is directing this. Amazing man.

Concerning music

I enjoy a lot of things. Two of them are anything steampunk and Panic! At The Disco. So when they're combined I'm kind of thrilled:



Speking of thrilled, it's also a bit like when the new Glee episode combines Michael Jackson and Yeah Yeah Yeahs:



Music's what makes the good life good.

Speaking of music, is it anyone but me who thinks that the music in House M.D. is starting to have a strange similarity to the music in Firefly?
Hm. Maybe it's just me.

The truth about the bible

This video is from the (epic) sci-fi series Red Dwarf episode 2 of season 2 - "Better Than Life":



This sort of puts into a joke what I believe about the Bible. I calmly explained this and more to a Jehovah's witness the other day and we peacefully agreed to disagree. Yes. I'm weird.