NPR reporter Jamie Tarabay turned to Buffy the Vampire Slayer to help her cope during her tenure in Baghdad. Trust Yav. It’s definitely worth a listen.
“Women don’t like science fiction,” again
A New York Times article on the Sci-Fi Channel – well, a passage about how the network attracted more women – sent io9’s Annalee Newitz on one mother of a rant:
If there’s something keeping women away from enjoying science fiction, it’s not spaceships. It’s not “aliens on some far-off planet.” It’s the fact that people on our very own planet keep telling us that women aren’t supposed to like science fiction. It’s a self-confirming prophesy, because the more that scifi creators are told this, the more they imagine that their audience is all boys. So they write rich, believable male characters and boring, cookie-cutter lady characters. They organize conventions with panels devoted to shit like “the hottest women of science fiction” and nothing devoted to female heroes — or the kinds of hotties that straight women might want to see (i.e., men).
Can I get an amen, ladies?
Indy rides again – to good reviews!
The official crop of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull reviews are growing, and so far, so good – 80% on Rotten Tomatoes!
Out this week: Legacy
Diamond says to look for Legacy #24 to be on comic store shelves on Wednesday.
The Clone Wars rated by MPAA
Poll: Your opinions on Invincible
If the early votes are any indication, this seems to be a love it or hate it book. (The poll over at the Expanded Universe livejournal community is showing a similar range of reactions.) Vote in our poll under the cut or on the sidebar. (And keep in mind this one is running for two weeks, instead of the usual one.) Continue reading “Poll: Your opinions on Invincible“
Leader of Jedi Church steps down
Barney Jones is feeling ‘detached’ from the Welsh church he helped found:
The church has 30 members locally and the “faith” has thousands of supporters worldwide. But Barney’s brother Daniel, 21, who helped found the British branch, said he was now “detached” from it.
He said : “Barney can’t hack it. We are getting mobbed by people in the street but some are poking fun.”
The aim is to have a community without bias or prejudice and apply the wisdom of Jedi characters in the Stars Wars films.
A church official declared: “The church is a force for good. We’re in the middle of sorting out a structured training programme. We’re aiming to bring the Jedi way of life to the masses.”
(via)
J. W. Rinzler on The Making of Indiana Jones
Lightsabre conducts an interview with J. W. Rinzler, who wrote The Making of Indiana Jones, which covers all four films, and also talks about the joys of having to manage media books for not one but two movies coming out in a year (Crystal Skull and The Clone Wars).
Turn around, bright eyes: What does Tatooine Ghost really tell us about Invincible?
Warning: Nearly every link in this post contains gigantic Invincible spoilers.
Last night at #eu‘s Invincible chat, a few people recalled passages from Denning’s Tatooine Ghost that seem to be deliberately referenced in Tempest and Invincible – and they lead to a very intriguing theory about what the events of Legacy of the Force actually prevented.
Crazy fan theory? Or layered foreshadowing of the first order? No matter what, there’s a hell of a fanfic plot bunny in there if anyone wants it.
Names named: Secret apprentice, Jabba’s son
NZ Gamer revealed that Vader’s secret apprentice in The Force Unleashed is Starkiller, a name drawn from the early drafts of the first Star Wars script. Now, is that first name, last name, or both? (They also reveal why TFU is a no-go for the PC.)
UPDATE: EUC contacted LucasArt’s Adam Kahn, who told them:
I can confirm that “Starkiller” is the Secret Apprentice’s code name in the game, but we haven’t revealed his real name.
EU Cantina also spotted a little something: Jabba’s son, who plays the role of kidnappee/plot point in The Clone Wars, is given the name ‘Stinky’ by the Amazon.co.uk summary of Watch Out for Jabba the Hutt!. Indeed.