Greenflame » Science Fiction http://www.greenflame.org Jottings on science, religion, technology, pop culture and faith from the Antipodes. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:25:08 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Biblioblog Carnival February 2012 : The Last, Best Hope for Biblioblogdom http://www.greenflame.org/2012/02/02/biblioblog-carnival-february-2012-the-last-best-hope-for-biblioblogdom/ http://www.greenflame.org/2012/02/02/biblioblog-carnival-february-2012-the-last-best-hope-for-biblioblogdom/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:34:00 +0000 stepheng http://www.greenflame.org/?p=2368 Amanda MacInnis (AKA ‘Cheese-Wearing Theology’) puts together an biblioblog carnival organised by Babylon 5 quotes and themes. See

Biblioblog Carnival February 2012 « Cheese-Wearing Theology.

Hat tip to James McGrath – The Biblical Studies Carnival: The Last, Best Hope for Biblioblogdom.

]]> http://www.greenflame.org/2012/02/02/biblioblog-carnival-february-2012-the-last-best-hope-for-biblioblogdom/feed/ 0 “The Ballad of Russell and Julie” – Doctor Who http://www.greenflame.org/2011/11/09/the-ballad-of-russell-and-julie-doctor-who/ http://www.greenflame.org/2011/11/09/the-ballad-of-russell-and-julie-doctor-who/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:49:55 +0000 stepheng http://www.greenflame.org/2011/11/09/the-ballad-of-russell-and-julie-doctor-who/ Yep, this works for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giaMRyn47Xg

(with John Barrowman, Catherine Tate and David Tennant)

Hat tip to: Dr Who – Maggi Dawn.

(See also – Doctor Who – Cast & Crew Special – YouTube)

]]> http://www.greenflame.org/2011/11/09/the-ballad-of-russell-and-julie-doctor-who/feed/ 0 Star Trek meets LHS http://www.greenflame.org/2011/10/17/star-trek-meets-lhs/ http://www.greenflame.org/2011/10/17/star-trek-meets-lhs/#comments Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:41:10 +0000 stepheng http://www.greenflame.org/?p=2312 I love Star Trek, and have a soft spot for the Legion of Superheroes, but this could go horribly, horribly wrong.

How will the Legion of Superheroes meet the crew of the Starship Enterprise? Author Chris Roberson fills us in.

]]> http://www.greenflame.org/2011/10/17/star-trek-meets-lhs/feed/ 1 Trek links http://www.greenflame.org/2011/09/09/trek-links/ http://www.greenflame.org/2011/09/09/trek-links/#comments Fri, 09 Sep 2011 01:35:35 +0000 stepheng http://www.greenflame.org/2011/09/09/trek-links/ It’s the 45th birthday of Star Trek so a couple of links from io9 are in order:

]]> http://www.greenflame.org/2011/09/09/trek-links/feed/ 0 “H+” web series http://www.greenflame.org/2011/07/27/h-web-series/ http://www.greenflame.org/2011/07/27/h-web-series/#comments Wed, 27 Jul 2011 11:23:47 +0000 stepheng http://www.greenflame.org/2011/07/27/h-web-series/ Sentient Developments posts the trailer for the upcoming “transhuman” series from Brian Singer. See Sentient Developments: Trailer for “H+” web series

More details over at Bryan Singer’s Post-Apoc, Webjacked Web Series ‘H+’ Debuts at Comic-Con | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

See also: Bryan Singer beams the internet straight into your brain, in the trailer for H+.

]]> http://www.greenflame.org/2011/07/27/h-web-series/feed/ 0 All things green http://www.greenflame.org/2011/06/28/all-things-green/ http://www.greenflame.org/2011/06/28/all-things-green/#comments Tue, 28 Jun 2011 10:58:43 +0000 stepheng http://www.greenflame.org/2011/06/28/all-things-green/ After waiting for somewhere over 30 years I finally got to see a Green Lantern movie on the big screen. And as a fanboy of longstanding I have to say my feelings about it were pretty mixed.

On one hand I think they got some things right – the aloofness of the Guardians, Sinestro’s focus at bringing order at all costs, the diversity of the Corps, Jordan’s confidence tempered by his father’s death, the alieness of Oa, and even Carol Ferris. Plus I think some of the CGI worked well. And the little things for the fanboys and girls – like Carol’s ‘Sapphire’ call sign, the green boxing glove construct, and Sinestro’s yellow ring.

What didn’t work so well was that it felt like two movies joined together – the space focus is a key point of the GL mythos, but it felt like they didn’t really think they could take it off Earth for most of the movie. So we ended up oscillating badly between the two. Secondly, the ‘training’ sequence was so abrupt it didn’t make sense at all – in the comic books it takes several months at least – which would make Kilowog’s comment at the end of the movie about training more real. Two villains didn’t work – either could have worked, but Parallax really should have been embodied in some way (like the big yellow insect thing in the comics). And marketed really badly too.

Interestingly, I’ve recently rewatched the first DVD animated Green Lantern film – Green Lantern: First Flight – and I have to say I think it works better in terms of the plot than the new movie. I also watched the new animated film Green Lantern: Emerald Knights which came out a week to two back. That too caught the spirit of the comic books, though not all of the stories in it were as strong as each other.

I’ll buy the DVD when it comes out, and in the meantime hope that if they ever make a sequel they get back out into space more and give Kilowog and Sinestro way more screen time.

In the meantime, here are some links from the GL universe:

]]> http://www.greenflame.org/2011/06/28/all-things-green/feed/ 5 Handy flowchart http://www.greenflame.org/2011/05/14/handy-flowchart/ http://www.greenflame.org/2011/05/14/handy-flowchart/#comments Sat, 14 May 2011 11:33:06 +0000 stepheng http://www.greenflame.org/2011/05/14/handy-flowchart/ We don’t get Netflix in NZ, but the chart is still helpful for picking a science fiction DVD set to watch :-)

See Handy flowchart helps you decide which science fiction series to watch next on Netflix

]]> http://www.greenflame.org/2011/05/14/handy-flowchart/feed/ 0 More religious science fiction http://www.greenflame.org/2011/03/10/more-religious-science-fiction/ http://www.greenflame.org/2011/03/10/more-religious-science-fiction/#comments Thu, 10 Mar 2011 08:48:37 +0000 stepheng http://www.greenflame.org/2011/03/10/more-religious-science-fiction/ Gabriel Mckee over at SF Gospel has a link through to the Eric James Stone’s “That Leviathan, Whom Thou Hast Made,” published in the September 2010 issue of Analog. I went downtown in September/October to find a copy of this issue after seeing a note about it a blog somewhere. Didn’t end up finding the issue, so I’m glad I can read the story here for a while.

(Found the blog link over at io9 – The key to presenting religion in science fiction)

]]> http://www.greenflame.org/2011/03/10/more-religious-science-fiction/feed/ 0 Supervillains and Space Opera http://www.greenflame.org/2011/03/09/supervillains-and-space-opera/ http://www.greenflame.org/2011/03/09/supervillains-and-space-opera/#comments Wed, 09 Mar 2011 11:13:41 +0000 stepheng http://www.greenflame.org/2011/03/09/supervillains-and-space-opera/ Having spent the last few months immersed in pop culture related to angels, vampires and wizards (see below), it’s time to return to the superhero and space opera genres. (If I have time later this year, then I’d been keen to whip out a paper on the theologies found in angel fiction).

51uoeKTJnzL._SL160_.jpg
In particular, I’ve been reading comic book related material that explores what happens when things turn to custard and the heroes don’t win. (Think Megamind (which I enjoyed) but with much, much darker overtones). Mark Waid’s writing explores this in several different ways – from the anarchy of unrestrained power in Kingdom Come, where the older heroes like Superman and Wonder Woman cease their roles, to the darkness in Empire with it’s triumphant villain, through to Irredeemable (which I’m currently readings) where the ‘Superman’ character goes rogue. All interesting explorations of power and its use and abuse.
I’ve also picked up Austin Grossman’s novel ‘Soon I will be Invincible‘ which also looks like it will explore some of the same themes.
And, when I’m done with that it’s a return to Neal Asher’s Polity universe with ‘The Technician’ and ‘The Gabble and other stories’.
Should all be good for the train ride to and from work.
]]> http://www.greenflame.org/2011/03/09/supervillains-and-space-opera/feed/ 0 Detailed Map Of Battlestar Galactica’s Twelve Colonies http://www.greenflame.org/2011/01/25/detailed-map-of-battlestar-galacticas-twelve-colonies/ http://www.greenflame.org/2011/01/25/detailed-map-of-battlestar-galacticas-twelve-colonies/#comments Tue, 25 Jan 2011 05:54:35 +0000 stepheng http://www.greenflame.org/2011/01/25/detailed-map-of-battlestar-galacticas-twelve-colonies/ Looks good. I may order the poster for my office.

Detailed Map Of Battlestar Galactica’s Twelve Colonies

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