The Natural and the Unnatural

Verisimilitude in Battlestar Galactica

by Lou Anderson Battlestar Galactica

When it debuted on December 8, 2003, Battlestar Galactica became the highest-rated cable mini-series of the year and the highestrated original program in the Sci-Fi Channel’s history. The series it spawned was declared by Time magazine in the spring of 2005 as one of the six best drama series on television. It won viewers outside the category of SF fans, outside the Sci-Fi Channel’s regular audience, and it raised the bar for the entire genre by bringing a level of sophisticated writing, acting, and filmmaking hitherto only seen on shows like The West Wing or The Sopranos. This is not to say that there had not been earlier examples of science fiction television featuring quality acting, cutting-edge technique, or quality writing, but that the entire focus, the modus operandi of Battlestar Galactica, has been to elevate the art by a carefully crafted appeal to the sophisticated viewer, the new viewing … read more»

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Available Until
Thu 3/28

Dean Winchester: Bad-Ass...or Soccer Mom?

by Tanya Michaelson Supernatural

This is humiliating. [I] feel like a freaking soccer mom.

–DEAN (driving a minivan), “Everybody Loves a Clown,” 2-2

Even casual viewers of Supernatural are familiar with Dean Winchester’s black Chevy Impala, a classic car he loves that was given to him by his father. Symbolic of Dean’s life and … read more»

Available Until
Wed 3/27

The Dangerous Dead

by John Edgar Browningon the House of Night series

Reading the House of Night series is very much akin to reading Zoey’s favorite book, Dracula (1897), for like Bram Stoker’s novel, one will find also in the House of Night’s pages the subtle mingling of folklore and reality with popular fiction. It will probably come as little surprise to readers … read more»

Available Until
Tue 3/26

Introduction: The Psychology of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

by Robin S. Rosenberg, Ph.D., Shannon O'Neillon the Millennium Trilogy

Reading a good book is like undertaking an investigation: as readers we comb through paragraphs and pages, linking pieces of plot and character together to build a coherent, compelling picture of a complete world. When we come to the end of a book and snap shut the cover, we often … read more»

Available Until
Mon 3/25

If Lisbeth Salander Were Real

by Hans Steineron the Millennium Trilogy

Few characters in recent fiction have captured the imaginations of so many in so short a time as Lisbeth Salander, one of the two protagonists of the Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson. A quick web search of her name turns up 1,410,000 results in 0.11 seconds. Comments range from adolescent … read more»