Published in Views of Other Planes·7 hours agoMember-onlyStar Trek: Discovery Episode Review — Season Three, Episode Four “Forget Me Not”There is a sin some writers commit that I call “Grand Touring.” This is when a fantasy writer, or less often a writer of space fiction or space opera, writes plot for the sole purpose of showing off a cool piece of worldbuilding they made earlier. It’s a major temptation…Star Trek3 min readStar Trek3 min read
Published in Views of Other Planes·7 hours agoMember-onlyReview: Esprit de Corpse by Ef DealAh, steampunk. It can be wonderful, or it can be all aesthetic and no substance. Ef Deal’s solid debut novel definitely has substance, although it does show that it’s a debut. (Mine was pretty rough around the edges too). This is steampunk with dark fantasy elements, bordering on horror, and…Steampunk2 min readSteampunk2 min read
Published in Views of Other Planes·1 day agoMember-onlyVideo Game Review: I Was A Teenage ExocolonistI don’t often do video game reviews as I tend to spend my play time on a couple of MMORPGs I am sadly addicted to. Every so often, though, somebody sends me something for Nebula consideration…that will actually run on a Mac ;). I always appreciate this. The latest offering…Video Games5 min readVideo Games5 min read
Published in Views of Other Planes·2 days agoMember-onlyStar Trek: Discovery Episode Review — Season Three, Episode Two “Far From Home”In the first episode, we see how Burnham arrives in the future. In this episode, we see what happens to poor Discovery. A rather bruised and battered starship arrives in a future in which the Federation is no longer a power. Saru seems to predict this, smartly suggesting they stay…Star Trek2 min readStar Trek2 min read
Published in Views of Other Planes·2 days agoMember-onlyStar Trek: Discovery Episode Review — Season Three, Episode Three “People of Earth”What do you do when you are 900 years in the future and nothing you believe in still exists? You go home. For much of the Discovery crew, that means Earth. And with the spore drive, that’s an easy hop back to the Alpha Quadrant. Except that Earth is not…Star Trek2 min readStar Trek2 min read
Published in Views of Other Planes·3 days agoMember-onlyStar Trek: Discovery Episode Review — Season Three, Episode One “That Hope Is You, Part 1”900 years or so in the future, and Michael lands, without Discovery, on a planet that is absolutely, 100% not Terralisia. Oops. It’s unclear where and exactly when she is, but it appears that 900 years in the future from Star Trek is Star Wars. I jest…but only a little…Star Trek2 min readStar Trek2 min read
Published in Views of Other Planes·4 days agoMember-onlyQuantum Leap Episode Review — Season One, Episode Nine “Fellow Travelers”The music episode. Guest starring Deborah Ann Woll, who can definitely sing (and has theater experience), as pop singer Carly Farmer. Ben finds himself in the body of her bodyguard (and sort of boyfriend), Jack. Carly is in danger and the obvious suspect is her “crazy” sister, Jamie. But things…Television2 min readTelevision2 min read
Published in Views of Other Planes·Jan 20Member-onlyRetro Review — Quantum Leap Season One, Episode Five“How the Tess Was Won”Okay, so he’s not a cowboy, he’s a vet. One of the patterns of early Quantum Leap is that what Sam is really there for is something he completely misses while he focuses on what he thinks he’s there for. For example, in episode three, he’s really there to leave…Television2 min readTelevision2 min read
Published in Views of Other Planes·Jan 19Member-onlyRetro Review — Quantum Leap Season One, Episode Four “The Right Hand of God”One of the interesting things about the original Quantum Leap is that it is one of the most openly religious speculative fiction shows produced that is not religious fiction (such as Touched By An Angel or The Good Place). Sam openly believes in God. And God may be the force…Television2 min readTelevision2 min read
Published in Views of Other Planes·Jan 19Member-onlyReview: Confluence by Nyri A. BakkalianDisclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review and award consideration purposes. I’m always intrigued to find cyberpunk written by people with origins outside western Europe. Nyri A. Bakkalian is American-Armenian, and one of her protagonists is also Armenian. However, this book is steeped in Japan…where Bakkalian lived…Science Fiction2 min readScience Fiction2 min read