NerdBeach

A Picard Primer

Well, Picard is now officially out (With Season 2 around the corner, on CBS Access, and other online locations worldwide), and in our humble opinion here at NerdBeach we think it is great to see the man back in action. Sure, we could do with a lot less lens flare, but a Picard series, or any new Star Trek, is always welcome at the beach.

Photo Credit: CBS All Access

While we have been along with Star Trek since the start, I know there may be some fine folks that are new to Picard’s universe. And there may others that would just like to refresh their Picard back story as they take in the new show.

For that reason, we have scoured both the web and our memory to present a viewing guide of the previous Trek for your Picard priming pleasure. (And please note that this is not a reflection of favorite episodes, just episodes that are closely related to the back story of the Picard series and its characters.)

Star Trek The Next Generation

  • S1:E1-2 Encounter at Far Point
  • S1:E3 Naked Now
  • S1:E8 The Battle
  • S1:E12 Data Lore
  • S1:E23 Skin Of Evil
  • S2:E6 The Schizoid Man
  • S2:E9 The Measure of a Man
  • S2:E16 Q Who
  • S3:E16 The offspring
  • S3:E26 /4:1 The Best of Both Worlds
  • S4:E2 Family 
  • S4:E3 Brothers
  • S5:E23 iBorg
  • S5:E25 The Inner Light 
  • S6:E9 The Quality of Life
  • S6:E15 Tapestry
  • S6:E26 S7:E1 Descent 
  • S7:E10 Inheritance 
  • S7:E25 26 All Good things

Star Trek Enterprise 

  • S4:E4 Borderland
  • 4S:E5 Cold Station 12
  • S4:E6 The Augments

Star Trek Voyager 

  • S1:E1-2 Caretaker
  • S3:E17 Unity
  • S3:E26-S4:E1 Scorpion
  • S4:E6 The Raven
  • S5:E2 Drone
  • S5:E16 Dark Frontier
  • S6:E2 Survival Instinct 
  • S6:E16 Collective
  • S6:E19 Childs Play
  • S6:E26-S7:E1 Unimatrix Zero
  • S7:E2 Imperfection 
  • S7:E25-26 End Game

Star Trek Films

  • Generations
  • First Contact
  • Enterprise 
  • Insurrection 
  • Nemesis

Star Trek Shorts

  • Children of Mars

The Future According to Film (InfoGraphic)

Science Fiction films often paint a glimpse of the future, and they are not always an optimistic viewpoint. In fact, sometimes the dystopian viewpoint is so prevalent among the different film wares that I have to wonder myself what is ahead. Thank goodness for the positive viewpoint of Star Trek.

But it is still fun to look at the future films lay out for us, and the infographic below brings those future glimpses together in a handy timeline. (I'm amazed at how well everything fits together.) Let's hope that a few get it right, and a few never happen…

via

Dystopia

A dystopia (from Ancient Greek: δυσ-, "bad, ill", and Ancient Greek: τόπος, "place, landscape"; alternatively cacotopia, or anti-utopia) is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four. Dystopian societies feature different kinds of repressive social control systems, various forms of active and passive coercion. Ideas and works about dystopian societies often explore the concept of humans abusing technology and humans individually and collectively coping, or not being able to properly cope with technology that has progressed far more rapidly than humanity's spiritual evolution. Dystopian societies are often imagined as police states, with unlimited power over the citizens

source:wikipedia

Ghost Hunter on SciFi Channel – Why?

The SciFi channel fills a much needed niche in the cable channel jungle, and I will admit that I am a fan.  There are several good shows to watch, and many fun if not exactly quality movies that do entertain.

However, there are one or two shows that really should, in my humble opinion, be put to rest immediately.  One of these is the show known as "Ghost Hunter".

How could a channel supposedly dedicated to Science Fiction and Fantasy be caught up in this horrific reality craze?  I know such shows are cheap to produce (manufacture?), but the failed concept here crosses the line from scientific imagination and curiosity to charlatan tricks (feelings based measurements?) and junk science.  A show that explores and attempts to accurately quantify such things as the possibility of ghosts would be most welcome, but this one empirically misses the point.  When I see popular shows like this I am concerned that we are moving towards a dark age and away from any chance of enlightenment. 

The actors (?) on the show come across as likeable characters, and it is not their fault that the concept and execution is all wrong. If anything the Ghost hunter crew makes the bone rattling bearable.  But it should not have to do so.

There are many other great choices if SciFi insists on doing reality based shows.  Look around for inspiration from such works as Mythbusters, How Its Made, or even Junkyard Challenge.  But stay clear of a show that confuses science fact with junk science.  Or maybe that is the point, that any science at all portrayed in this show is SciFi, in its most subtle form…

Aloha from the Beach,
greg

 

2008 Hugo Award Nominees

Best Novel (382 ballots cast)

The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon (HarperCollins; Fourth Estate)
Brasyl by Ian McDonald (Gollancz; Pyr)
Rollback by Robert J. Sawyer (Tor; Analog Oct. 2006-Jan./Feb. 2007)
The Last Colony by John Scalzi (Tor)
Halting State by Charles Stross (Ace)

Best Novella (220 ballots cast)

"The Fountain of Age" by Nancy Kress (Asimov's July 2007)
"Recovering Apollo 8" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (Asimov's Feb. 2007)
"Stars Seen Through Stone" by Lucius Shepard (F&SF July 2007)
"All Seated on the Ground" by Connie Willis (Asimov's Dec. 2007; Subterranean Press)
"Memorare" by Gene Wolfe (F&SF April 2007)

Best Novelette (243 ballots cast)

"The Cambist and Lord Iron: a Fairytale of Economics" by Daniel Abraham (Logorrhea, ed. John Klima, BantamSpectra)
"The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate" by Ted Chiang (Subterranean Press; F&SF Sept. 2007)
"Dark Integers" by Greg Egan (Asimov's Oct./Nov. 2007)
"Glory" by Greg Egan (The New Space Opera, ed. Gardner Dozois & Jonathan Strahan, HarperCollins/Eos)

"Finisterra" by David Moles (F&SF Dec. 2007)

Best Short Story (270 ballots cast)

"Last Contact" by Stephen Baxter (The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, ed. George Mann, Solaris Books)
"Tideline" by Elizabeth Bear (Asimov's June 2007)
"Who's Afraid of Wolf 359?" by Ken MacLeod (The New Space Opera, ed. Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan, HarperCollins/Eos)
"Distant Replay" by Mike Resnick (Asimov's April/May 2007)
"A Small Room in Koboldtown" by Michael Swanwick (Asimov's April/May 2007; The Dog Said Bow-Wow, Tachyon Publications)

Best Related Book (173 ballots cast)

The Company They Keep: C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien as Writers in Community by Diana Glyer; appendix by David Bratman (Kent State University Press)
Breakfast in the Ruins: Science Fiction in the Last Millennium by Barry Malzberg (Baen)
Emshwiller: Infinity x Two by Luis Ortiz, intro. by Carol Emshwiller, fwd. by Alex Eisenstein (Nonstop)
Brave New Words: the Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction by Jeff Prucher (Oxford University Press)
The Arrival by Shaun Tan (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form (270 ballots cast)

Enchanted Written by Bill Kelly Directed by Kevin Lima (Walt Disney Pictures)
The Golden Compass Written by Chris Weitz Based on the novel by Philip Pullman, Directed by Chris Weitz (New Line Cinema)
Heroes, Season 1 Created by Tim Kring (NBC Universal Television and Tailwind Productions)
Written by Tim Kring, Jeph Loeb, Bryan Fuller, Michael Green, Natalie Chaidez, Jesse Alexander, Adam Armus, Aron Eli Coleite, Joe Pokaski, Christopher Zatta, Chuck Kim.
Directed by David Semel, Allan Arkush, Greg Beeman, Ernest R. Dickerson, Paul Shapiro, Donna Deitch, Paul A. Edwards, John Badham, Terrence O'Hara, Jeannot Szwarc, Roxann Dawson, Kevin Bray, Adam Kane
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Written by Michael Goldenberg, Based on the novel by J.K. Rowling, Directed by David Yates (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Stardust Written by Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn, Based on the novel by Neil Gaiman Illustrated by Charles Vess Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Paramount Pictures)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form (259 ballots cast)

Battlestar Galactica "Razor" Written by Michael Taylor Directed by Félix Enríquez Alcalá and Wayne Rose (Sci Fi Channel) (televised version, not DVD)
Doctor Who "Blink" Written by Stephen Moffat Directed by Hettie Macdonald (BBC)
Doctor Who "Human Nature" / "Family of Blood" Written by Paul Cornell Directed by Charles Palmer (BBC)
Star Trek New Voyages "World Enough and Time" Written by Michael Reaves & Marc Scott Zicree Directed by Marc Scott Zicree (Cawley Entertainment Co. and The Magic Time Co.)
Torchwood "Captain Jack Harkness" Written by Catherine Tregenna Directed by Ashley Way (BBC Wales)

Best Professional Editor, Long Form (187 ballots cast)

Lou Anders (Pyr)
Ginjer Buchanan (Ace/Roc)
David G. Hartwell (Tor/Forge)
Beth Meacham (Tor)
Patrick Nielsen Hayden (Tor)

Best Professional Editor, Short Form (257 ballots cast)

Ellen Datlow (The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror (St. Martin's), Coyote Road (Viking), Inferno (Tor))
Stanley Schmidt (Analog)
Jonathan Strahan (The New Space Opera (HarperCollins/Eos), The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, Volume 1 (Night Shade), Eclipse One (Night Shade))
Gordon Van Gelder (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction)
Sheila Williams (Asimov's Science Fiction)

Best Professional Artist (205 ballots cast)

Bob Eggleton (Covers: To Outlive Eternity and Other Stories (Baen), Ivory (Pyr), & The Taint and Other Novellas (Subterranean))
Phil Foglio (Cover: Robert Asprin's Myth Adventures, Vol. 2 (Meisha Merlin), What's New (Dragon Magazine Aug. 2007, Girl Genius Vol. 6-Agatha Heterodyne & the Golden Trilobite (Airship Entertainment))
John Harris (Covers: Spindrift (Ace), Old Man's War (Tor, pb), The Last Colony (Tor))
Stephan Martiniere (Covers: Brasyl (Pyr), Mainspring (Tor), The Dragons of Babel (Tor))

John Picacio (Covers: Fast Forward 1 (Pyr), Time's Child (HarperCollins/Eos), A Thousand Deaths (Golden Gryphon))
Shaun Tan (The Arrival (Arthur A Levine Books))

Best Semiprozine (174 ballots cast)

Ansible, edited by David Langford
Helix, edited by William Sanders and Lawrence Watt-Evans
Interzone, edited by Andy Cox
Locus, edited by Charles N. Brown, Kirsten Gong-Wong, & Liza Groen Trombi
The New York Review of Science Fiction, edited by Kathryn Cramer, Kristine Dikeman, David Hartwell & Kevin J. Maroney

Best Fanzine (157 ballots cast)

Argentus, edited by Steven H Silver
Challenger, edited by Guy Lillian III
Drink Tank, edited by Chris Garcia
File 770, edited by Mike Glyer
PLOKTA, edited by Alison Scott, Steve Davies, & Mike Scott

Best Fan Writer (195 ballots cast)

Chris Garcia
David Langford
Cheryl Morgan
John Scalzi
Steven H Silver

Best Fan Artist (139 ballots cast)

Brad Foster
Teddy Harvia
Sue Mason
Steve Stiles
Taral Wayne

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Science Fiction Writer

An award for the best new writer whose first work of science fiction or fantasy appeared during 2006 or 2007 in a professional publication. Sponsored by Dell Magazines.
Joe Abercrombie (2nd year of eligibility)

Jon Armstrong (1st year of eligibility)
David Anthony Durham (1st year of eligibility)
David Louis Edelman (2nd year of eligibility)
Mary Robinette Kowal (2nd year of eligibility)
Scott Lynch (2nd year of eligibility)
 
Well, there you have, the 2008 Hugo award Nominees.  There is some great Scifi here from last year.  There are several others I would like to see up there are not, but plenty that I am pleased with being there.  Isn't it great to see that new and quality SciFi is still getting out there?

Aloha from the Beach,
greg