"Fantasy is the impossible made probable. Science fiction is the improbable made possible." - Rod Serling, creator, The Twilight Zone

I created this alternate science fiction and fantasy space as I've been a SF&F fan since Day 1 (well, Star Wars did come out when I was born ;) and have missed my weekly TV fixes and trips to the Forbidden Planet comics store in Union Square since we left for Asia in 2006. I never fully appreciated how easy it is to be a fan in the USA what with all those special previews, board game and DVD releases, online transactions and conventions (!) Still, I'm thankful for kindred souls among friends, at work and home, fansites like GateWorld and Winchester Bros, and virtual communities like LiveJournal - to help fill the void here.

Feel free to visit my profile for more info. Meanwhile, thanks for stopping by and drop a note when you can. Journey on! -lis aka lostinspace aka balikpulang.

 

Legend of the Seeker is the latest TV fantasy romp - somewhat based on Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth novels, executive produced by Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert - the men responsible for Xena and Hercules. If you're curious and don't mind some spoilers, check out this site, these reviews and watch the 5 min catch up here:

I admit, it's far from the best TV out there, but the story and acting, mixed with humour, angst and the fantastic New Zealand backdrop, just grew on me over season one. The adorkable Craig Horner and Bridget Regan (two of the co-stars) also bring great chemistry to their Seeker/Confessor relationship - reminiscent of Robin/Marian (let's ignore S3 for now....) and Arthur/Merlin. I'm glad I didn't stop after the rather corny pilot and that I hadn't read the books first, as some parts come across as really horrific fanfic. Bring on season two!

Every summer, I look forward to a "real" holiday = quality time with the hubby and family, stress relief from work, updates on the latest family dramas, and of course, a chance to (finally!) indulge in the latest fandom buzz. 

Around this time last year, we "discovered" Supernatural (solid four season run, tho the S4 arc and ending were somewhat disappointing). We've since watched Legend of the Seeker (surprisingly fun fantasy romp that just grows on you), Merlin and Robin Hood (decent modern takes on two classic stories, occasionally plagued by inconsistent writing), and the Star Wars: Clone Wars animation series (infinitely better than the prequel movies). 

With these shows on (or soon to be on) hiatus, Stargate and BSG over, Doctor Who only showing via telefilms, and my inability to watch Heroes after S2, I was thinking of trying Dollhouse and Castle next, thanks to Joss Whedon's Firefly legacy.

What are y'all watching these days? 

BTW, wouldn't the Star Trek movie make an awesome (prequel/AU) TV series? 

Watching the latest Star Trek movie felt like falling in love all over again....  Star Trek was after all, my first scifi fandom, and I look forward to many more installments (movies, novels or perhaps, episodes?!) with this new yet "old" crew of the Enterprise. 

Don't think too hard about the alternate reality/parallel universe implications, occasional plot devices and technobabble, and you'll be in for a great ride.... with green aliens, red shirts and many other tips of the hat to Star Trek fans. You'll also (maybe) get an answer to the most important question in the movie:  What's Uhura's first name?  :)

Shocking! This is my first post of the year.  Real life has taken over and stifled the geek in me.... until now!  Since reading the Star Trek world premiere reports from Sydney and Austin (lucky bastards, err I mean fellow Trekkies), I've started to hunt for more Trek morsels to tide me over during this one month wait.  Beam me up, Scotty!

Here's some of the good stuff:

One of my favourite modern poems written by Neil Gaiman is now illustrated by Jouni Koponen. Flash version here.  Imaginative allegory about keeping perspective on "the bigger picture" and how our own short-sighted fixations cause us to miss the amazing world beyond ourselves.

While we anxiously wait the conclusion of SPN's mid-season two parter this Thursday, check out these SPN 414 casting sides - MAJOR spoiler warning. There's a section that's almost dedicated to you fans of Win-cest and brotherly conflict! I wonder if Sera Gamble wrote this... ;)

Wow, this is way different -- and better than I expected for the next Star Trek movie due early May 2009. Live long and prosper, JJ Abrams!

Hehehehe. My Bloody Valentine (3D) premieres January 16, 2009 in the US, coming to a screen near you in time for your "Horror in 3D" date. Want more? Set report here and the writer's journal here.

I'd originally planned to post on ways to salvage my waning 3 year relationship with Heroes. So I started a list of "what's dysfunctional" with the show thus far in S3: over-used apocalyptic visions, alter-egos, time travel and good vs evil showdowns, and ultimately, the character abuse with Hiro and sidekick Ando, Tracy/Niki/Jessica/XXX, Mohinder/Maya (WTF!), Matt and Isaac's African replacement, Claire, and yes, even Sylar, Nathan and Peter (whose Petrelli family dynamic and angst quotient pales in light of SPN's Winchesters). Pretty soon, I came to a simpler conclusion - one that I've been in denial about so far - which is, my love affair with Heroes is over. O how far we've fallen from those good old, up close and personal, fangal-gushing days.

I'll even go one step further and make a prediction: I'll be amazed (and frankly, upset) if Heroes doesn't get cancelled this season, esp. if the show continues along this same dreary path. NBC and the 8 million or so faithful Nielsen viewers in the US have clung to the hope that Heroes would regain its glorious season 1 days but I'm not convinced that (1) Even all this goodwill can last so long in these ad-starved, budget-constrained times and that (2) Kring and co actually know what they're doing anymore. Stop making things up as you go! It's frustrating for us and embarassing for you.

A side ratings note, there's not much to watch on Mondays and I think NBC has lucked out with Heroes because of that (and Fox with Terminator). Conversely, I wonder if the CW could switch its programming around, and say air Smallville/Supernatural on Monday nights instead of Thursdays? Yes, I know the CW has been talking up its recent "successes" with Monday's Gossip Girl/One Tree Hill, but why should the network settle for 3-4 million viewers as their "best effort"? If I recall, SPN used to generate ~5 million viewers under the WB's original (Tues, post Gilmore Girls?) schedule. Why not give good shows an even better chance, esp. those with the highest emotional attachment where scheduling changes will not matter as much, even if they don't necessarily fit into the self-imposed "tween girl" demographic? Why not be bolder, smarter and at least assess their weekly line up now that they've seen the competition? Or at least figure out how to sell internet ad space (online streaming, mobile, VOD) when you take into account the youthful target audience and their viewing/consumption habits?

I first came across Ben Edlund as the writer of Jaynestown ("The hero of Canton, the man they call Jayne!") - one of my favourite Firefly episodes. He's since gone on to co-executive produce Supernatural and is responsible for an array of episodes, ranging from good (e.g. Nightshifter) to ones with mixed fan reactions (e.g. Bad Day at Black Rock, Ghostfacers and Hollywood Babylon).

With Monster Movie, Edlund served up one classic treat for SPN fans - and in particular, one very special fangirl, whose story makes me appreciate the episode (esp. a certain major guest star and her lines) and generally, Kripke and team, even more - if that's even possible! ( Amusing spoilery observations )

I did miss the building intensity from the first four episodes but after the constant negative news in the market these days, this was a welcome relief. Besides, judging from next episode's trailer and preview clip, we'll be picking up on that in no time!

IMO, best episode of S4 so far. My head is spinning. Posting this before re-watching it with the hubby - after I do some real work!

( spoilery musings )

404 trailer

Once again, Supernatural continues to deliver. It is so good to be able to watch it along with *most* of the SPN fandom ... and the hubby! :)

( spoilery musings )

403 trailer

Can Supernatural get any better?! Three seasons in, we get angels vs demons and the makings of a bigger mytharc than any of us imagined.

For you spoilerwhores, the casting sides and casting calls for two key recurring characters for Ep 409-410 contain MAJOR SPOILERS.

If you can't get enough of our first (and certainly not last) "new supernatural being," check out these interviews from SF Universe, MovieWeb, Eclipse and TV Guide. Minor spoilers inside but definitely worth a read if you (like me) are intrigued by the show's take on the divine side of things. "Despoilered" versions can be found at spnfencentral

Check out Ep 515 Remnants promo pics from here - big honking spoiler warning!!!

( I have a sudden craving )

It's been an eventful week. There's no better remedy than a classic scifi spoof:

The iPhone 3G launched here on August 22. Let the people rejoice!

Seriously though, for you aspiring iPhoners and smartphone enthusiasts (myself included), just make sure you know what you're getting - or not! - when it comes your way. There's no question it looks and feels great, appeals to the "style conscious" among us, and wisely incorporates some earlier feedback with the 3G, AppStore, ActiveSync and MobileMe functions. However, here's what's missing vs my "ideal mobile phone" wishlist:

1. No (real) keyboard - touch or no touch, there's no tactile feeling, and no horizontal (widescreen) view to help with "touch" typing
2. Still the same old 2 megapixel, no flash camera, no autofocus - don't be fooled by the large (and non-VGA) screen!
3. No video calling or vidconferencing
4. No voice or video recognition and recording
5. No MMS and no SMS forwarding
6. No text editing between emails, messages, notes, websites, etc.
7. No removable battery (though you can replace it - with a fee)
8. Limited bluetooth - only works for calls via an Apple headset. No file transfers with other devices or stereo headsets possible
9. No instant messaging or chat via a built-in VoIP client
10. No Java or Flash support when browsing

Once you get past the hype, there ARE other options out there. Caveat emptor!

NBC Universal's SCIFI channel is officially in Singapore!
Actually as of July 1, but I'm a little slow on my cable viewing.

For Stargate fans, the series (SG-1 and Atlantis) will be showing on TV for the first time here, so we get to redisover the original SG-1 - Colonel O'Neill, idealistic Daniel, eager Sam and golden Teal'c, as well as SGA's stellar beginnings. SCIFI's premiere Southeast Asia season features Eureka, Firefly, Medium, Heroes Unmasked (with new behind the scenes) and SGA as weeknight leads, with reruns of SG-1, BSG, Jericho, Star Trek: TNG, The Outer Limits, Quantum Leap, Xena, Sliders, Mutant X, Andromeda, among others.

SCIFI is available on Starhub Channel 98 as part of the ~$5 monthly "upsize" subscription. This includes a 50% discount for a limited period and access to other channels, such as the equally geektastic AXN Beyond (Supernatural, Moonlight, The Dresden Files, The X-Files, Dark Angel, Buffy, Lost, After World, and even indy movies like Jensen Ackles' Devour!), BBC Entertainment (Doctor Who and Confidential), NBC's Universal and FOX CRIME. So far, these networks have complementary programming, and cover *most* of the cult TV shows, though Farscape and Bablyon 5 are still missing!

Imagination is alive in this part of the world! I hope there'll be opportunities for the networks to engage with local viewers on shows, fan events/conventions, special previews, feedback, etc. For now, I may just watch more TV than I've ever had since I got to Singapore ... and maybe one day, I won't miss the USA that much.

Source: This article and NBCU comments. Cross-posted at sg_ljers, heroes_tv.

So I asked SGA's Joe Mallozzi a related question at his blog... ( and got the following response )

This got me thinking - what with the ongoing Emmy Awards snub - IMO, who are the best cult TV screenwriters out there?

1) Joss Whedon. For sheer creativity, audacity and consistency, and for the Mutant Enemy legacy of Dr Horrible, Serenity, Firefly, Angel, Buffy and soon, Dollhouse.
2) Ron Moore. For reimagining Battlestar Galactica (and scifi) as serious space opera.
3) Eric Kripke. For a fun, gripping Supernatural tale of two brothers and a car, heroes and urban legends - and *not* an average horror-of-the-week flick.
4) Steven Moffatt. The Hugo award winning, newly promoted Doctor Who head writer who gave us Blink, The Girl In The Fireplace, The Doctor Dances and The Empty Child. He also scripted the first Tintin film, at Spielberg's request.
5) Rockne O'Bannon. For conceiving the wonder that was Farscape.
6) Russell T Davis. The quirky mastermind who regenerated the Doctor Who series.
7) Gene Roddenberry (and team). Star Trek. 'Nuff said.
8) JM Straczynski. The driving force behind Babylon 5 - TV series, movies, books et al.
9) Chris Carter (Frank Spotnitz and team). For making us believe that "the truth is out there" in The X-Files, arguably the greatest cult TV show since Star Trek.
10) Tim Kring. To be honest, the jury's still out for me. I LOVED Heroes (in S1) but that love dimmed in their subsequent sophomore slump.

Joss Whedon is a genius. But then again, we knew that already, right?

If you're looking for a good laugh, don't miss this quirky 3-part online musical series about "a low-rent super-villain, the (anti-)hero who keeps beating him up, and the cute girl from the laundromat he’s too shy to talk to." The talented brothers Joss, Zack and Jed Whedon and Jed's fiancee created this indie production during the WGA strike last year.

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog stars Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser, M.D.), Nathan Fillion (Firefly/Serenity) and Felicia Day. The series is streaming LIVE and FREE right now on Drhorrible.com till midnight Sunday July 20th (I assume that's US PST). Of course, money will be made through sales of iTunes downloads, CDs, DVDs (with extras), comics and other tie-ins.

Read more here and here ... and here's the trailer: