From Battlestar to Battlestar

by Richard Hatchon Battlestar Galactica

My journey from the original Battlestar Galactica to the re-imagined version is as epic and vast for me as the distance between two Battlestars in totally different quadrants of space. Metaphorically speaking, the era and decade in which each show was produced and the changes in our culture and world politically, sociologically, and philosophically mirror many of the changes and evolutions in my own life and the lives of millions of human beings sharing this magnificent planet called Earth. Technological breakthroughs, twenty-four-hour news stations like CNN and FOX, along with edgy reality programs and provocative and informative talk shows like Oprah and even Jerry Springer, have all pierced the veil between our navet‰ and wishful imaginings, and reality. We can no longer pretend not to know; we have grown accustomed to delving into the core issues of the day and exploring the darker, more conflicted side of our own nature. … read more»

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Fri 7/10

James Bond: Now More Than Ever

by Bruce Bethkeon James Bond

He’s been called an embarrassing relic of the Cold War who should have been forcibly retired and put out to stud a generation ago, when the Berlin Wall fell. He’s been called a fascist, a racist, a neocolonial imperialist, and at the very least a shameless sexist, if not an … read more»

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Thu 7/9

The Majesty of Maggots

by Elizabeth Engstromon CSI

Gil Grissom always sees the big picture. While the local police officers in some backward Nevada town stand around scratching their heads and staring at the headless corpse, Gil gets squinty-eyed, looking around at everything but the obvious. Then he pulls out a pair of tweezers, moves in close, and … read more»

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Wed 7/8

Challenging the Gods

by Rosemary Clement-Mooreon the Uglies series

I should have known the Prettiverse wouldn’t be pretty.

Any book that starts out by comparing the sky to cat vomit is probably not going to be full of unicorns and rainbows. Not unless the unicorns are surgically engineered special police and the rainbows are really the artificial light reflecting off … read more»

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Tue 7/7

Dollhouse Lives!

by Jane Espensonon Dollhouse

Introductions for books of this sort often discuss why the
show in question elicits so much devotion and accommodates
so much analysis. But I’m starting to feel that a good enough
answer is just “It’s a Joss Whedon show.”

Whedon shows are challenging, full of compelling characters,
… read more»