MetaFilter posts tagged with scifi and SF

If you wouldn't like living that way (in the lowest status slot in the pecking order), you're doing it wrong.

The Whelk — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:47:48 -0800

Metafilter's Own Charlie Stross asks the question; " You, and a quarter of a million other folks, have embarked on a 1000-year voyage aboard a hollowed-out asteroid. What sort of governance and society do you think would be most comfortable, not to mention likely to survive the trip without civil war, famine, and reigns of terror?" engrossing commentary follows. (via)

U.K. science fiction Golden Age?

zardoz — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:31:10 -0800

The stories of now. An essay by Kim Stanley Robinson on the remarkable pool of SF talent currently working in the U.K.

Science Fiction VS Scifi

GavinR — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 03:34:03 -0800

Harlan Ellison tears up the debate and J. Michael Straczynski speaks up on the topic. Oh, yeah there is also Herb Solow as well and his wife Yvonne (WTF) speaking on the subject "Science Fiction" over "SciFi". None of them saw SyFy coming back in 1997, that's for sure! (SLYT) Also, here is the Newsweek article mentioned at the start of the segment.

When Steam Wasn't Punk.

The Whelk — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:41:54 -0800

The Brazen Android by William Douglas O'Connor, is a 19th century science fiction story based on the myth of the Brazen Head, a steam-powered head that told fortunes. It's available as an audio book from the Internet Archives. (Via)

Rules for Time Travelers

BitterOldPunk — Thu, 14 May 2009 10:07:57 -0800

Rules for Time Travelers [Spoiler? alert.]

Nebula Best Short Story Nominees 2008

Artw — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:29:41 -0800

StarshipSofa has podcasted all of the Nebula Best Short Story Nominees for 2008, following on from podcasting all but one of the 2008 BSFA short story nominees. Previous StarshipSofa.

While I lay dreaming of you...

KokuRyu — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:36:08 -0800

The Earth Dies Screaming [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] (IMDB listing) As the film opens, people all over Britain are mysteriously collapsing, apparently dead: Trains careen off their rails; cars crash into walls; commuters drop to the ground where they stand. One blogger's opinion... Directed by Terence Fisher Score by Elisabeth Lutyens UB40 Tom Waits/28 Weeks Later mashup

Too bad the guy was only thirty eight - just two years older, he'd have been worth three times the points...

Artw — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:43:52 -0800

Did you grow up anticipating sports where death would be likely, if not certain? Almost certainly played by convicts, possibly with robot limbs? And which would be even more likely to have chainsaws and flamethrowers not usually found in the sports of today? Those We Left Behind’s look at Future-sports of the past, in videogames, movies and comics is for you!

Gentlemen, We Have Wood

DU — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 04:51:04 -0800

Johnna Klukas makes science fiction wood carvings, sculpture and furniture. She has also detailed her techniques (with more "coming soon").

The Walking Dead

Artw — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 17:20:59 -0800

Warren Ellis on the grim future of science fiction magazines. Some of the previous posts he mentions, and response to one from Cory Doctorow (unsuprising short summary: Blogs!). Jason Stoddard on 5 small things and 5 big things Science Fiction can do to improve its image.

Speaker for Himself

Artw — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:43:03 -0800

Orson Scott Card on gay marriage, which he says "marks the end of democracy in America". Not everyone is too happy about that.

A Web of Geeks, Every One of Which Knows a Lot about Something

Navelgazer — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:32:38 -0800

Vegging Out vs. Geeking Out. Romance as the MSG of film. The bifurcated careers of Lucy lawless, Sigourney Weaver, and Hugo Weaving. Characters making smart decisions vs. stupid decisions. Neal Stephenson discusses Sci-Fi/Speculative Fiction as a literary genre at Gresham College. (Warning: requires Flash 9)

Captain Kirks Alien Mysteries

Artw — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:00:05 -0800

With all the crystal skulls, nazca lines and such at the box office these days now might be the ideal time to reacquaint yourself with the theories of Erich von Däniken. What better way to do it than by watching William Shatners Mysteries of the Gods ( Pt. 1, Pt. 2, Pt. 3, Pt. 4, Pt. 5, Pt. 6, Pt. 7, Pt. 8, Pt. 9, Pt. 10)(MULTI LINK YOUTUBE SHATNERFEST)

Slipping towards the Singularity

adrianhon — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 04:54:37 -0800

The current issue of IEEE Spectrum devotes itself to the sci-fi genre du jour, the Singularity. Neuroscientists such as Christof Koch and David Alder talk about our understanding of the brain and quantum computing, John Horgan argues that it's just too difficult to recreate consciousness in a computer any time soon. Robin Hanson writes on the Economics of the Singularity, and of course, Vernor Vinge - the person who originally postulated the Singularity - tells us how to spot its approach. You can also download a poster (PDF) showing who's who in Singularityland, and there are some interesting further papers and resources provided as well. The Singularity has been covered on Mefi before (1, 2).

God Emperor of STFU

Artw — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:59:10 -0800

7 Reasons Why Scifi Book Series Outstay Their Welcomes

Dan Dare and the Birth of Hi-Tech Britain

Artw — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:39:53 -0800

Dan Dare, pilot of the future, scourge of the Venusian Mekon menace, and modernist architectural inspiration?

Rapid Offensive Unit Xenophobe will no doubt be pleased

Artw — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 23:00:35 -0800

Edinburgh author Iain M. Banks, creator of the post capitalist space faring society The Culture and it's oddly named ships, has long been the UKs top science fiction writer, but has never had more than a toehold in the US (in part through lack of availability, in part due to lack of promotion and in part due to some pretty awful covers. That could change: Matter, his latest, has been heavily promoted in the US and sports a cover nearly identical to the UK edition. This week Orbit are releasing US editions of the two earliest Culture novels, with the third following in July, which could mean a complete release of all the novels in the US in order. More Banks: Slashdot review of Matter Guardian Books author profile Interview in The Australian The odd story behind a Banks interview in The Sun Iain Banks and Ken MacCleod (audio/video) The Banksoniain fanzine National secular society: Honorary Associate: Iain Banks Iain M. Banks' "Culture" references in Bungie's Halo Why I write - Iain Banks Iain Banks on clean, green living Iain M. Banks’s Consider Phlebas and T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land

The Whedon cultist block vote swings it

Artw — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 19:36:14 -0800

Sci-Fi Shakespearean standoff: Magneto vs Pickard vs that guy from Serentity.

Borag Thungg Earthlets!

Artw — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 09:55:59 -0800

30 years of thrillpower! British weekly comic 2000ad celebrates it's 30th aniversary. Previously discussed here, current Tharg Matt Smith interviewed, special birthday Prog. Splundig vur thrigg!

A Webzine of Astonishing Tales

stavrosthewonderchicken — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 00:18:57 -0800

Flurb! Issue 2 of the Webzine of Astonishing Tales -- edited by Rudy Rucker, featuring 'demented and counter-cultural' stories from luminaries of the cyberypunkery like Charles Stross, John Shirley, Mark Laidlaw (who also wrote the story for Half Life 2), Richard Kadrey, one of MeFi's favorite snark-targets, Cory Doctorow and others besides -- is out. [found via the RU SIRIUS podcast] [Previously: Issue #1]

A day to be thankful for resublimated thiotimoline.

escabeche — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 09:57:11 -0800

Think you get a lot done? Isaac Asimov (pronounced like "has, him, of" without the h's) , who would have turned 87 today, wrote or edited over 500 books, including science-fiction novels, introductions to organic chemistry (a field in which he held a professorship at B.U.) , indispensable anthologies of early science fiction, jokebooks, guides to Shakespeare, and collections of lively essays on science that have introduced thousands of people to the pleasures of thinking hard about the universe. He also found the time to write a few essays and write postcards to his fans. His story "Runaround" , from his 1950 collection I, Robot, is the only piece of fiction I know centered on the properties of a differential equation. His Foundation Trilogy was given a special Hugo award in 1966 as the best science fiction series of all time; a movie version, to be written by Jeff Vintar and directed by Shekhar Kapur, is currently in development. Previous AsimovFilter: here, here, here. Feel like a slacker yet? Stop reading MetaFilter and get to work!

3D Starmaps.

loquacious — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 08:16:52 -0800

Planning a jump to Barnard's Star? Making the Kessel Run in 11 parsecs? You'll need maps. Also available in a solid state format from Bathsheba Sculpture. (Previously)

GeneModPuns

srboisvert — Sat, 24 Jul 2004 06:29:09 -0800

Genie Corp: The Splice Of Life. Creature Comforts [via BoingBoing]

Rare Science Fiction

starscream — Mon, 24 Nov 2003 10:43:22 -0800

Looking for that rare science fiction first edition? The Barry R. Levin Science Fiction & Fantasy Literature store just might have the volume you seek.

Jeff Vandermeer

inkeri — Thu, 30 Jan 2003 03:21:55 -0800

Jeff VanderMeer is not only a great author of weird sf, and a creator of the mysterious city of Ambergris, but has an alternative official site where he makes merciless fun of himself and the whole idea of author web pages. The site includes bad poetry, a secret subsite of the "webdesigner" Garry and a strange alien baby project, just for starters.....