by Jane | Feb 13, 2015 | Write Here Write Now
Kiera Cameron has one job — to protect the city of Vancouver in the year 2077. But when she travels back in time to the year 2012, along with a group of terrorists escaping their execution, she has two jobs: (1) to keep the terrorists from changing history and (2) to get back to 2077 and her husband and son.
Continuum is a Canadian science fiction series that I recently discovered on Netflix. At first, I was dismayed by the premise. The protagonist is Kiera Cameron, a “Protector” in 2077, but the Vancouver in this universe is a police state run by big corporations. Keira is outfitted with bionic devices in her eyes and brain that allow her to keep one step ahead of the criminals, as well as a special suit with such abilities as deflecting bullets, emitting electric shocks, and making her invisible. In the first episode, she is seen taking down a man on a subway, telling him to report to a location within 24 hours for punishment. If he doesn’t — well, let’s not go into that here.
The terrorists, on the other hand, want to change the current state of affairs and take down the corporations. Their methods are horrendous; for example, blowing up buildings and killing thousands, but their goals seem right. So who to root for?
Early in the first episode, Kiera and the terrorists are transported to 2012, where she continues hunting them, and in the process makes contact with Alec Sadler, the young computer genius who will, in the future, develop the technology she is currently using. Having already started some of his work, he can talk to Cameron through the device in her head and help her in tracking the terrorists. Later, she forms a relationship with the Vancouver Police, posing as a Federal agent, and helps them fighting this group known as Liber8.
The action on the show switches between the present and flashbacks (flash forwards?) to 2077. From these, we gain more insight into Kiera and her attitudes, the society she was born into, and the reasons she and the terrorists are in the past. In the present, Kiera is getting her first experience with the human rights we now enjoy. Will this change her? If so, and she changes history for the good, her present will change and she may never see her family again.
Continuum is a very engaging series. In addition to Kiera with her allies the VPD, and Liber8, the terrorist group, there are other groups and individuals in the mix, and the viewer is kept guessing as to their motives and whose side they are on. This intricacy of plot, along with excellent writing and acting, is what has kept me watching. There are three seasons now on Netflix, but the fourth and final season is scheduled to be aired sometime this year on Showcase in Canada. The first three seasons also aired on Syfy in the US, but there is no report as to whether they will air Season 4. If not, I hope it will go directly to Netflix, so I can see how it ends. If you’re a scifi fan, Continuum is well worth your time.
by Jane | Feb 9, 2015 | Write Here Write Now
Hollow City by Ransom Riggs is the second book in the series Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children. When the book opens up, the children have escaped the island and the wight who tried to kill them. They are in two rowboats, heading toward the Welsh mainland, but their teacher and ymbryne Miss Peregrine is permanently in her bird form. Their goal is to find another loop (a place where the same day is repeated over and over) and get its ymbryne to return Miss Peregrine to her human form. Having left their own loop, they find themselves traveling across World War II Britain – first stop, London. Along the way, they meet other peculiars, as well as wights and other monsters.
Hollow City is a fast-moving adventure, where the children, led by Jacob from the present, learn many things about their peculiar world while on their quest. Above all, Jacob must constantly wrestle with the question of whether to stay with the peculiar children or return to his own world.
As in Riggs’ first book, there are many antique photographs used throughout the book, some from the original and some “new”. These add to the eeriness of the story. The first book was about Jacob, how he discovered the peculiar children, and decided to stay with them. Hollow City is about how he helps them in their quest for safety from the wights, but ultimately about his own decision.
An excellent book, Hollow City should be read at night by a roaring fire. And a talisman to keep the wights away.
by Jane | Jan 31, 2015 | Write Here Write Now
Firefly is a wonderful TV series that debuted in 2002 and unfortunately, only ran for 14 weeks. The plot revolves around a crew of space pirates, plus a companion (high-priced call girl), priest, and a fugitive brother and sister. The brother is a doctor, which the ship Serenity really needs, but the sister is really wacked out due to experimentation performed on her by the evil Alliance. The crew consists of Captain Mal Reynolds, pilot Wash Washburne, his wife Zoe, who served with Mal during the civil war against the Alliance, bad boy Jayne Cobb, and mechanic Kaylee.
Kaylee is a naïve, friendly woman played by Jewel Staite (who also played Dr. Jennifer Keller on Stargate Atlantis (a much different role) and is my favorite character. Other actors of note on the series are Nathan Fillion, the captain, who now plays Castle on the series of the same name; Ron Glass of Barney Miller fame playing the priest; and Adam Baldwin as Jayne, who now plays the first officer on The Last Ship (which I reviewed last fall). There were also two appearances by Mark Sheppard, who now plays King of Hell Crowley on Supernatural (which I have also reviewed here). On Firefly, he was a weasley criminal with whom the Serenity crew had business dealings.
The show boasted complex characters, thieves with a conscience, and the promise that none of them might be what they seemed. Although Gene Roddeberry called Star Trek “Wagon Train to the Stars”, Firefly comes much closer to that idea. It also has probably the best them song in sci fi tv history.
When I first learned of the series, I wasn’t sure I could watch it, knowing that there were only 14 episodes, but it was well worth it. The wacked-out girl, River Tam, annoyed me a bit, but that was part of the fun. The action grabbed me, as did the personalities. If you haven’t seen it, go watch it on Netflix. Good times.
by Jane | Jan 23, 2015 | Write Here Write Now
Nancy Kress’s Dogs is a cross between The Stand, Cujo, and a terrorist thriller. There is even a touch of Needful Things near the end of the book. That being said, Dogs is not a supernatural thriller, like Stephen King is known for, but more of a psychological one.
Dogs start going crazy and viciously attacking everyone, including their owners, in a small Maryland town. The locals suspect a virus, and when the Feds gets involved, the town is closed off and all dogs rounded up or killed. These practices throw the town into a turmoil and sides are formed with deadly intent.
Meanwhile, an ex-FBI agent has a lead on who might have started the virus. As an ex-agent, she has no status, but her search takes her overseas and puts her in deadly peril, as well as pitting herself against her old agency.
Dogs is a complex thriller, focusing not only on terrorism and federal agencies, but also on people who love their dogs. It explores how far people will go for their pets, as the line between right and wrong becomes blurred. Read the book, and you will become embroiled in the issue yourself. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be reading more Nancy Kress in the future.
by Jane | Jan 10, 2015 | Write Here Write Now
I recently saw the movie Into the Woods. I found it amazing, enchanting, darling, and hysterically funny. I’ll admit, I was at times the only one in the theater laughing, though it was a small crowd, including a lot of kids. Maybe they didn’t get the jokes. Believe me, it was funny.
It had an amazing cast — Meryl Streep as the Witch, Johnny Depp as the Wolf (who sang my favorite song in the whole movie), Chris Pine as Cinderella’s Prince, James Cordon as the Baker (an incredibly funny man in whatever he does), Tracey Ullman as Jack’s Mother, and Emily Blunt as Cinderella.
I saw the movie partly to resolve for myself the discussion on Facebook about the film. Many people reported being disappointed. I think the only people who might feel that way were those who were comparing it to the stage play. Surely, Bernadette Peters would have played the Witch much differently than did Meryl Streep, but Streep’s portrayal worked well on screen.
There also were people who were upset that Little Red Riding Hood and Jack (of Jack and the Beanstalk) were played by children in the film, rather than by adults.
Excuse me?
Putting adults in the roles of children may work on stage but not on film. Movies are known for being more realistic than a play could ever be. Adults playing children would just be weird. Granted, my only experience with the stage play was part of a TV production years ago. I saw enough to be intrigued, but not enough to be jaundiced. I would also say to those people to take the movie for what it is and not to focus on the differences with the play.
Into the Woods is a great film, and I’m not the only one to think so. Both the film and Emily Blunt have been nominated for Golden Globes. I’m planning to tune in Sunday night to see what happens. But either way, and whether or not you have seen the stage play, I’d advise you to see the movie. I could see it again. And again. And again.
by Jane | Jan 5, 2015 | Write Here Write Now
The Falcon Throne is Karen Miller’s first book in a new fantasy series called The Tarnished Crown. The book tells of two rival duchies — one led by deposing bastard Roric, and the other by a dying duke with an evil, ambitious heir named Balfre. Roric is unsure of himself and makes many mistakes, including his consideration of a betrothal with a foreign duchess’s daughter. In addition, Liam, son of the duke deposed and killed by Roric, though believed dead, is waiting his opportunity to kill Roric and retake the duchy.
Meanwhile, Balfre plots and schemes not only against Roric’s duchy, but also against his own family. There is magic involved, of course, as in any good fantasy novel, but this time, most of it stems from a witch who seems to be serving all sides, but really has her own, unseen agenda.
This is a marvelous epic tale of three families and well-told. It’s the first of Ms. Miller’s books that I have read, but it won’t be the last. I really enjoy her writing style. It is neither too verbose nor too elementary. She weaves a great story from multiple perspectives, allowing us to understand everyone’s motives, desires, strengths and weaknesses.
The Falcon Throne is well worth a read. It will keep you entertained throughout. The ending, while not precisely a cliff-hanger, positions the story well for the next book. Let’s hope it comes out soon.
by Jane | Dec 22, 2014 | Write Here Write Now
Joseph Portman is a normal teenager in a normal family. Almost. When he was a child, he listened raptly to his father’s tales of a house on a Welsh island where he lived as a child. Joseph assumed he simply meant an orphanage for displaced children. After all, his grandfather had gone to live there in the 1930’s and was a Polish Jew. But there was more to the story.
What Joseph did not believe were his grandfather’s tales of “peculiar children”, children with special powers feared and disowned by society. So when his grandfather died ranting about monsters and Joseph caught sight of a strange-looking creature in the woods, Joseph thought he was losing his mind.
Joseph’s psychiatrist agreed with him, but thought he could get better by visiting the island of his grandfather’s youth. But when Joseph gets there and starts exploring, he realizes that his grandfather’s tales were not imaginary after all.
In Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs weaves a wild tale of discovery and danger in a place no one would ever believe existed unless they had been there themselves. But the most remarkable thing about Riggs’ book is that it was inspired by old photographs that he had found at flea markets or borrowed from collectors. More than forty of these photographs appear in the book. These are all very eerie and depict some very strange children (or in some cases, adults). It’s worth getting the book just to see these photos.
The book is a page-turner, as the reader wants to know what will happen to Joseph and the peculiar children. The photos are startling. Combined they make up a must-buy book.
by Jane | Dec 8, 2014 | Write Here Write Now
One of the best anthologies I have read in recent years is entitled The Time Traveler’s Almanac, edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer. Every story deals with time travel, but in very different ways, some involving situations not ordinarily thought of as time travel. Authors such as Douglas Adams, Isaac Asimov, and Ursula LeGuin have contributed, along with a host of other well-known science fiction and fantasy writers.
As I’ve said in earlier posts, I generally get bored after reading two or three stories in an anthology and have to turn to something else, but this book kept me turning pages from one story to the next to the next.
As a writer, I’ve been inspired and encouraged to learn that time travel, one of my favorite story elements, can be dealt with in so many different ways. I experienced humor, sorrow, fascination, and awe in those pages. If the idea of time travel interests you at all, I advise you to pick up a copy of The Time Traveler’s Almanac immediately.
by Jane | Nov 22, 2014 | Write Here Write Now
Last week I described a retrospective I had seen on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Today, as promised, I am going to discuss a retrospective on the tv show Supernatural. This retrospective was seen at the beginning of Supernatural’s 10th season and was a lot of fun. But first, my own experience with the tv series.
I had watched Supernatural for the first two or three seasons, then for some reason, got out of it, only catching a show now and then. Eventually, I forgot it was even on the air. But I was reminded of it by a friend at a science fiction club meeting and decided to revisit it on Netflix.
I started at the beginning, recognizing most of the episodes, then as I keep watching, got into new material. I was surprised not only at how good it had gotten, but also how funny it could be. Dean Winchester, played by Jenson Ackles, is especially funny, with his wisecracks and tough boy attitude. Meanwhile, his brother Sam, played by Jared Padalecki, provides the perfect contrast. As brothers, they take care of each other, but also get into a lot of scraps, as do most family members. They just do it while hunting demons, ghosts, vampires, and the like.
The retrospective touched on all these things — how it started out as a horror show but grew to be more about the brothers, added humor, and so forth. It also mentioned how not only was there Dean’s everyday humor, but the show occasionally made fun of itself and its fandom, in what they termed meta-shows.
Like the Star Trek retrospective, there were interviews with the cast and crew. I enjoyed watching Ackles and Padalecki provide their insights on the show, as well as my two favorite regulars — Misha Collins, who plays angel Castiel, and Mark Sheppard, who plays demon Crowley. Regulars from past episodes also showed up and talked about their experiences.
I really enjoyed this retrospective. I have heard that the 10th season is supposed to be its last, but the retrospective seemed to be saying that it could go on for a while. I certainly hope so, since I am into it more now than ever before.
Having binge watched the first nine seasons, it’s now difficult to wait a week between episodes, but I’m surviving. As long as the Winchesters are out there protecting us, I will survive.
by Jane | Nov 15, 2014 | Write Here Write Now
I recently had the occasion to watch retrospectives of two television shows — Star Trek: The Next Generation and Supernatural. The first of these was streamed by Netflix as its last show for the TNG series. It was shot during the final episode and hosted by Jonathan Frakes. Very informative and entertaining, the retrospective showed clips from throughout the series, as well as behind the scenes action and interviews with the cast and crew. I enjoyed the retrospective so much, I wished it could have been longer. It even got into Deep Space 9 a little and mentioned the “new” series currently in production — Voyager. (As an aside, having just watched the final episode of TNG, “All Good Things”, a two-parter that brought things full circle, I must say that it has to be one of the best finales ever. Now back on topic.)
I enjoyed the retrospective largely because I really like learning about what it takes to make a hit show like Star Trek. As a teen, I read The Making of Star Trek, an insider’s view to how the show was conceived, produced, and sent to our TV screens week after week for three seasons. Now a book entitled These are the Voyages — TOS: Season One graces my coffee table. It’s a rather hefty volume at 648 pages (including the appendices) and I haven’t started it yet, but I’ll be sure to let you know what I think of it when I do. And as I’m sure you’ve realized, it is the first volume in a series of books about TOS. It will take me some time to get through them all.
I had intended to talk about the Supernatural retrospective here as well, but I will postpone that until next time. This post is already a little long, and I have quite a bit to say about Supernatural and my experience with that series. Until then, I will recommend to you the TNG retrospective. I’d like to know what you think.
