Unwinnable

I love dogs and I love stuff about outer space.

For many years, my family owned a dog in some capacity or another, from when I was a baby until I was twenty-one. Because of this, I’ve always been uncomfortable with malicious harm coming to dogs in TV shows, movies, books, videogames and comics. As for outer space, I became fascinated with it pretty like any other kid alive during the 70s and 80s from watching Star Wars, Star Trek, the NASA launches on TV and stock footage from the moon landings, not to mention eating astronaut ice cream. (more…)

All good things must come to an end.

That was my general feeling after the success of J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek in 2009. The blockbuster was effectively the final nail in the coffin for the Star Trek that I had known and loved for so many years. (more…)

My life is often dominated by lonely activities. Every weekday morning, I go to an office where I am by myself most of the day. When I go home, I often spend my time writing and editing alone. I eat alone and watch Netflix or Hulu to unwind. For fun, I play videogames, usually alone. (more…)

Family is thicker than blood, except when it comes to science fiction’s two most popular offerings.

Star Wars and Star Trek could use a lesson in family values. Both franchises feature family members who try to kill each other, have children who are abandoned by their parents (or simply cannot get along with the ones they have) and even siblings who lust for one another. (more…)

On paper, we were Christians. Our mother took us to church every Sunday. We were baptized and confirmed, but in truth we were a family that worshiped science fiction. There was only one Bible on the bookshelf (next to a copy of Cosmos, I might add) but there were dozens if not hundreds of well-worn paperbacks littered around the house. Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke were our saints. Their influence upon us was underlined by creases in cheap paper bindings and dog-eared pulp. (more…)

In 1949, George Orwell wrote 1984 and, with one book, armed us with the lexicon and perspective to understand and describe some of the scariest and most rapid political and social developments of the last century. (more…)

Ah, the 1980s…the global tension, the regrettable fashions and Max Headroom. It all made so much sense to us back then. Now, looking back, it looks as absurd as wearing leg-warmers while standing in line to buy Spandau Ballet records. And yet, at the time, so many of us did just that. (more…)