Links please

[sunny]

I am just beginning to get hooked on the fantasy/sci fi film genre. In an effort to obtain a firm grasp of the subject I am looking for links to blogs with in depth analysis and reviews. Fantasy art blogs/sites would also be fantastic. Any suggestions? TIA.

(feel free to make your own link requests in this thread)

[thurnundtaxis]

io9

One of my faves for keeping up with sci-fi genre stuff. There's a nice exclusive there on the upcoming indie film based on PKD's "Radio Free Albemuth" - Very excited about that one am I !

Welcome to the world of Dork-dom, Sunny!

[sunny]

Woot! Thanks!

[JackRiddler]

How about film I'd recommend, no particular order, not a complete list?

The Lathe of Heaven - PBS production. How come they don't make stuff like that any more?!

Zardoz (1974, Sean Connery is the barbarian in a super techno utopia of bored immortals)

Sleep Dealer (Mexico, 2008 - in near future the border is closed and Mexicans work in the US by hooking their minds into the net and controlling robots.)

Pi (Darren Arnofsky's first movie - see also: The Fountain)

2001: A Space Odyssey

Solaris (Russian original)

District 9 (the current cult, veeerrry creepy)

The Prestige (Tesla-based sf)

Liquid Sky (if you can ever find this - 1982 - heroin-seeking aliens invade NY)

Blade Runner (make sure it's Director's Cut, this was a famous case of the studio trashing a movie they didn't understand)

Alien (Only. Okay maybe Alien 3.)

Cypher (Very fun if kind of silly recent one on virtual reality/mind control themes in a corporate feudal future)

The Brother from Another Planet (John Sayles - loved this when it came out while I was in high school)

Gojira (the real Japanese Godzilla - lots of hokum and takes a while to start but the Tokyo destruction is genuinely saddening)

Have to say I liked the new Star Trek (despite gaping stupid at a couple of points) and, yeah, BSG.

I think the Qatsi films of Goddfrey Reggio should qualify for showing the science fiction in the present. (Except that Koyaanisqatsi should be seen only in a theater.)

[sunny]

Jack, I've actually seen most of those, with a slightly more than casual viewer attitude. I love the visuals of 2001 but found the film nearly incomprehensible. I actually own and adore The Prestige, and I've seen all of the Alien films and Blade Runner.

What I'm looking for is in depth (and user friendly) analysis to help me understand the literary traditions and conventions of Sci fi and fantasy, (I know there are differences between the two but I'm not quite clear yet exactly what the rules are distinguishing the genres)as well as the mechanics of creating and maintaining mythologies, so maybe I should be asking for books on the subject. I confess I'm much more interested right now in understanding (and being able to competently analyse and critique) allegorical fantasy material more than straight up sci fi, but I'm open to any resources you guys might want to throw my way. (I knew I should have jumped on the Harry Potter train)

[thurnundtaxis]

O.K. Sunny, now that you've made it a bit more clear. Why not try this:

DePauw University's Journal of Science Fiction Studies

I have a couple of old stray issues that I picked up here and there over the years, so the name came to mind and I checked for a website. Sure enough there is a pretty extensive one. Lots of full articles and abstracts, reviews and such. And be sure to check out the "wormhole" heading for quite a few more links to like-minded publications and websites with a similar scholarly bent .

[sunny]

Okay, now we're talking! thanks again.

[semper occultus]

* amazon link *

sorry - a book rather than a blog - there was a radio series accompanying it here.

In this book Ken Hollings examines several key strands in American culture immediately following the Second World War: the fear of nuclear annihilation, the proximity of space (taking the form of flying saucer panics, alien contact fantasies and the more mundane space race against the Soviet Union), the growth of suburbia and the studies of human consciousness that included LSD research and investigations of "brain-washing". As well as narrating events in these areas during the late 40s and the 1950s, he examines the way in which a society's concerns and self-image were fed back to it through the medium of popular culture, in particular science-fiction B-movies (the image of the feedback loop, of course, itself derives from the new science of cybernetics).

[Joe Hillshoist]

Torchwood Children of Earth is a trip of a series.

I have seen it up to ep 4 and the last one is next Friday night. I have a feeling I can see where its going...

(Who eats the suffering or something very similar.)

Jack, Liquid Sky .... haven't seen it for years. Good movie tho...