842 posts tagged with SciFi.
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Book: Dune Messiah
The second book in Frank Herbert's Dune series, detailing the events surrounding Emperor Paul Muad'dib, his confederates, and his enemies, in the years following a galaxy-spanning Fremen jihad.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Destiny Rewatch Season 3, Ep 15
An ancient Bajoran prophecy of doom complicates the first joint Bajoran, Cardassian, and Federation science mission: an attempt to establish a permanent communications link through the wormhole. [more inside]
Book: Foundation and Empire: "The Mule"
In the imaginary science of 'Pataphysics there's the concept of the "clinamen", or "swerve". As method in the arts, it can be roughly paraphrased as: "To create art you must first create a system. Once you have the system, you must introduce an anomaly which brings the system into a state of chaos. Then you have art." To put it bluntly, until writing "The Mule", Asimov's Foundation series was a perfect system, described by the imaginary science of psychohistory. Things were moving predictably to a predicted end. But then there came a swerve, in the form of "The Mule", a warlord not predicted by Hari Seldon. And in the titular character, Asimov created one of the most interesting anti-heroes of early science fiction. [more inside]
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Life Support Rewatch Season 3, Ep 13
A fatally-injured Vedek Bareil struggles to stay alive long enough to complete the most important act of his career. Jake goes on a disastrous double date with Nog. [more inside]
Book: Foundation and Empire: "The General"
"The General" is the last of the classic Foundation stories. In it Asimov tackles the central dynamic head on, setting the "living will" of a single human being against the "dead hand" of psychohistory. It should be no surprise, and indeed is no surprise to modern readers, that the long arc of history doesn't bend around brilliant individuals. There are other characters than the titular general, but Bel Riose is the only one that matters. He knows exactly what he's up against, and backs himself to win. He's undoubtedly the purest example of a tragic hero in the series. [more inside]
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Past Tense, Part I Rewatch Season 3, Ep 11
A transporter accident sends Sisko, Bashir, and Dax three centuries into Earth's dark past to 2024, where the United States has attempted to solve the problem of homelessness by erecting "Sanctuary Districts" -- makeshift ghettos for unemployed and / or mentally ill persons. They've arrived just days before a violent incident that will lead to a turning point in Earth's history. Now they must find a way to avoid disrupting the timeline and get back to the 24th century. [more inside]
Mystery Science Theater 3000: TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE Season 4, Ep 4
"Teenage Hoodlums from Another World on a Horrendous Ray-Gun Rampage!" "Before...A Beautiful Girl. One Moment Later...A Skeleton!" Despite the ad lines, the titular teenagers number only two, and one of them is the milquetoast "Derek." Their mission: to prepare Earth for the coming of their lifestock, which naturally take the form of gigantic lobsters. It's a good episode! This is the movie that gives us the infamous "TORCHAA!!" catchphrase, beloved of MSTies everywhere. It's also Mary Jo Pehl's first episode writing! YouTube (1h33m) Premiered June 27, 1992. [more inside]
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Defiant Rewatch Season 3, Ep 9
Commander Riker shows up on DS9, charms the crew and convinces Major Kira to take him on a tour of the station and the Defiant. After she unlocks the Defiant's systems, he stuns her and steals the ship. Sisko assists Gul Dukat on Cardassia Prime to prevent the ship from entering Cardassian territory. [more inside]
Book: Foundation: "The Traders"
The next jump forward in the Foundation storyline takes us well into the second century of the 1000 year plan (which, incidentally, was the original name of the the first book). A merchant from the Foundation on a trading mission to a distant planet runs afoul of local laws and customs. Another trader, Linmar Ponyets, is sent to save him. [more inside]
Book: Foundation: "The Mayors"
Compared to the previous story, there's a lot more going on in "The Mayors". While "The Encyclopedists" is a bit bare bones, this story is painted on a much bigger canvas. Political intrigue, deluded mobs and huge warships flying through space all feature. All of this is familiar from space opera, both modern and contemporary to the Foundation series. But in this story, it isn't the most destructive weapon that wins the day, but the soft power of religious authority. [more inside]
Book: Foundation: "The Encyclopedists"
Science fiction fandom was introduced to the Foundation and psychohistory in a 1942 short story called "Foundation". When it was collected in a book, it was renamed "The Encyclopedists". It is the story of a library on a worthless planet on the far edge of a collapsing empire. And it's the story of a small city mayor who rises to the occasion presented to him by history, becoming one of the most beloved heroes of science fiction, Salvor Hardin. [more inside]
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Civil Defense Rewatch Season 3, Ep 7
While converting the station's old ore processing unit into a deuterium refinery, Chief O'Brien and Jake Sisko accidentally trip an old Cardassian security program, which was set to put the station on lockdown in the event of a Bajoran uprising during the Occupation. [more inside]
Book: Foundation
The Foundation Trilogy is the space epic's space epic. It follows the history of The Foundation for centuries, from its beginnings as a library on a rinky dink planet on the edge of the Milky Way, to burgeoning galactic empirehood. But before there's a Foundation, there's one guy with a plan, Hari Seldon. [more inside]
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Second Skin Rewatch Season 3, Ep 5
Major Kira is kidnapped by the Cardassians and told she is actually an undercover field operative of their Obsidian Order named Iliana Ghemor whose appearance was altered and memory erased. [more inside]
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Equilibrium Rewatch Season 3, Ep 4
Jadzia can't get a song out of her head. And who was that masked man? [more inside]
Continuum: Final Hour Season 4, Ep 6
Series Finale. Kiera and Alec risk everything to stop the future soldiers and their devastating plan. Kellog, despite a loose alliance with Kiera, has plans of his own. All factions clash violently in order to determine which path the future will take. [more inside]
Continuum: The Desperate Hours Season 4, Ep 5
The penultimate episode of Continuum. Despite sharing her agenda with her partner, Kiera pushes Carlos’ patience to the limit as she pressures him for more time. Kellog faces unexpected peril. Carlos reveals all to Dillon. The future soldiers stage a daring raid to free their recently imprisoned leader.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The House of Quark Rewatch Season 3, Ep 3
When a Klingon warrior is accidentally killed in Quark's Bar, Quark becomes the unwilling steward of a Klingon Great House. [more inside]
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Search, Part II Rewatch Season 3, Ep 2
We can't all just get along. Also, Odo's first family reunion becomes rather awkward. [more inside]
Continuum: Zero Hour Season 4, Ep 4
Kellog starts to realize that everything is not as it seems. Alec prepares to meet his destiny.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Search, Part 1 Rewatch Season 3, Ep 1
Season 3 Premiere: Sisko takes an untested Starfleet warship into the Gamma Quadrant in an attempt to find the Founders of the Dominion. [more inside]
Minority Report: Mr. Nice Guy Season 1, Ep 2
Dash and Vega combine their efforts to track down a killer who is in a state of heartbreak. Dash also continues to try and get in touch with his siblings.
Continuum: Power Hour Season 4, Ep 3
Lucas challenges Alec and Julian to man up as authors of their own destinies, so Alec joins Carlos and the VPD in Betty's old position and Julian tries to destroy his Theseus legacy. Kellog meets with Carlos and threatens to pull funding for the entire police force. Kiera and Garza form an alliance and recon the new future soldiers' compound. Is Kiera's trust of Brad putting everyone in danger?
Fear the Walking Dead: Cobalt Season 1, Ep 5
The National Guard's plan for the neighborhood is revealed; Travis and Madison make a difficult decision. A new black male character appears, taking bets on how long he lasts.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Tribunal Rewatch Season 2, Ep 25
The Cardassians arrest Miles O'Brien for working with the Maquis. In the Cardassian judicial system, the accused's guilt is already established and the trial is only an Orwellian formality. [more inside]
Continuum: Rush Hour Season 4, Ep 2
Kellog leverages Alec by exploiting his weakness: Emily. Kiera attempts to negotiate with Kellog, unaware that Liber8 have other, darker plans. Meanwhile Alec, tired of feeling helpless, impulsively sets off to save Emily on his own.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Crossover Rewatch Season 2, Ep 23
Kira and Bashir accidentally cross to the Mirror Universe, where a Klingon-Cardassian alliance rules, Terrans are enslaved, and no one has discovered the wormhole to the Gamma quadrant. A century before, James T. Kirk had made a similar crossover, affecting human and galactic history. [more inside]
Continuum: Lost Hours Season 4, Ep 1
Newly arrived time travelers threaten to destroy Kiera and her alliance with Brad. But can her reignited desire to return to her own time and son be reconciled with the threat they now pose? Alec attempts to take revenge against Kellog. [more inside]
Movie: The Visitor
The soul of a young girl with telekinetic powers becomes the prize in a fight between forces of God and the Devil. [more inside]
Fear the Walking Dead: The Dog Season 1, Ep 3
After they escape a riot, Travis, Liza and Chris seek refuge with the Salazars while Madison defends her home.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Maquis (Part 2) Rewatch Season 2, Ep 21
Sisko tries to rescue Gul Dukat, stop the Maquis terrorists, and prevent a new war with the Cardassians. [more inside]
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Blood Oath Rewatch Season 2, Ep 19
John "Kor" Colicos, William "Koloth" Campbell and Michael "Kang" Ansara return to Star Trek playing their Original Series characters, in an episode inspired by the classic films The Magnificent Seven and Seven Samurai. [more inside]
Mystery Science Theater 3000: WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST Season 3, Ep 19
"The Towering Terror From Hell!" "SEE a Sixty Foot Giant Destroyed...in Color!" When we last saw Col. Glenn Manning, he was 60 feet tall and had fallen into the Colorado River, where we might presume his corpse would have stopped its flow at some point, or at least provided free sustenance for weeks to its aquatic wildlife. But they never found his amazing colossal body! Well that's because he survived, somehow, improbably, even though he was supposed to be close to death from his untimely embiggening. His sister (the first movie said he had no family but no matter) is determined to find out what happened to him. With the short MR. B NATURAL: A magical pixie that gives off mixed gender signals comes to visit a confused young boy and tries to sell him band equipment. The movie's another Bert I. Gordon monsterpiece, and a sequel to the movie featured in episode 309, THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN. It's a black and white movie, but it's color for the very VERY end so they could say that ad up above wasn't a lie. The episode's okay, but tends to languish in the shadow of the short which, in terms of concentrated riffing power, might be the funniest thing the Brains ever did. YouTube (1h37m) BONUS: A real rarity, Mr. B Natural (26m) on YouTube, un-MSTed! [more inside]
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Playing God Rewatch Season 2, Ep 17
While hosting her first Trill initiate Dax discovers a tiny, expanding protouniverse that threatens to destroy DS9 and the Bajoran system. [more inside]
Mystery Science Theater 3000: STAR FORCE: FUGITIVE ALIEN II Season 3, Ep 18
The crew of the Bacchus 3, ex-Star Wolf Ken, hard drinking Captain Joe, vivacious Tammy, suspecious Rocky (again?) and some other guys, have adventures throughout the galaxy, involving a secret weapon, Ken's old girlfriend, and the leader of the Star Wolves. It's another sewn-together movie from episodes of the Japanese TV show Star Wolf. It's got the same great theme music, including a host segment that features it. It's the last of the eight Sandy Frank movies, and it's the last Japanese movie for a long long time. The crew of the SOL wouldn't get another Japanese picture until 816 PRINCE OF SPACE, on the Sci-Fi Channel. YouTube (2h) Premiered November 16, 1991. This movie was also riffed in a KTMA episode, but no known fan copy of it exists. [more inside]
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Paradise Rewatch Season 2, Ep 15
Commander Sisko and Chief O'Brien are stranded on the planet Aurelius, where the human colonists reject technology. [more inside]
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Rivals Rewatch Season 2, Ep 11
Quark feels threatened when a con artist arrives on the station and opens up a competing bar. Meanwhile, Chief O'Brien is determined to beat Doctor Bashir at racquetball. [more inside]
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Second Sight Rewatch Season 2, Ep 9
While noted scientist Gideon Seyetik is preparing for an ambitious project to re-ignite a star, Sisko is intrigued by a woman who keeps disappearing. [more inside]
Farscape: That Old Black Magic Rewatch Season 1, Ep 8
On a commerce planet, Crichton finds himself lured into an alternate reality controlled by Maldis, a being who feeds off negative energy. He is pitted against Crais in a fight to the death, leaving Zhaan to tap into her old darkness to try and help him. [via]
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Rules of Acquisition Rewatch Season 2, Ep 7
Quark represents Grand Nagus Zek in a plot to establish a Ferengi business presence in the Gamma Quadrant. Pel, a young Ferengi, teams up with Quark and they learn that to do business in the Gamma Quadrant they must contact the Keremma, a member race of the Dominion. [more inside]
Farscape: Thank God It's Friday, Again Rewatch Season 1, Ep 6
D'Argo, after threatening the crew with Luxan hyper-rage, is later found docile and happy on a planet and decides to stay. Crichton discovers that the planet's food contains a drug, with the help of a small band of rebels immune to its effects, and must determine a way to convince the others of the truth and the true nature of the drug. [via]
Babylon 5
Is anyone interested in a series of Babylon 5 posts? It's years since I've seen it, and re-watching it with MeFites could be a lot of fun. [more inside]
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Cardassians Rewatch Season 2, Ep 5
Garak investigates the identity of a Cardassian boy abandoned on Bajor. [more inside]
Farscape: Throne for a Loss Rewatch Season 1, Ep 4
Rygel's plot to appear regal backfires when he, along with a much needed part of Moya's propulsion system, are snatched by Tavlecs who possess drug-dispensing power gauntlets. [via]
Farscape: Exodus from Genesis Rewatch Season 1, Ep 3
Moya is invaded by spawning space bugs, which produce clones of the crew. To complicate matters, a Peacekeeper retrieval squad arrives and Aeryn begins to suffer heat delirium. [via]
Humans: Episode 4 Season 1, Ep 4
Laura insists the family take Anita for testing
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Seige Rewatch Season 2, Ep 3
As a Circle-led Bajoran military tries to occupy the station, a skeleton crew led by Sisko fight to reveal the political faction's big secret before they are forced to evacuate themselves. Meanwhile, Kira and Dax lead a mission to reveal the truth about The Circle on Bajor. [more inside]
Farscape: I, E.T. Rewatch Season 1, Ep 2
A Peacekeeper beacon goes off and Moya has to land on an alien planet to prevent its signal being intercepted and Moya being discovered. Crichton, D'Argo and Aeryn leave Moya and explore the planet in search of a substance that can be used to numb Moya's senses so the beacon can be removed but Crichton gets separated from the group and meets up with some inhabitants of the planet who hide him from the authorities. [via] [more inside]
Movie: Advantageous
In a near-future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen and her daughter Jules do all they can to hold on to their joy together, despite the instability surfacing in their world. [more inside]
Farscape: Through the Eye of the Needle Rewatch Season 1, Ep 1
Present day human John Crichton is unexpectedly sucked through a wormhole and flung to "...some distant part of the universe on a ship, a living ship, full of strange alien life forms", where he becomes trapped with a group of escaped prisoners after he accidentally kills one of the local law enforcements. [via]