Top 5 Science Fiction Mothers (in Film)
In celebration of Mother’s Day, I offer to you all my favorite science fiction mothers. There are a few lists of mothers in science fiction, but this will be one of the only lists that narrows things down specifically to heroines who are also mothers (of which there are very few) and who can be found in fim. I gave myself a few rules for the selection process: Heroine will be defined as a woman who achieves (or attempts to achieve) physical or intellectual goals either as an equal member in a group, a leader, or on her own. A mother will be defined as a woman who either gives birth to and participates in the raising of children OR a woman who adopts (de facto or literally) a child and participates in their raising. They must actually be heroines while being mothers. It doesn’t count if she was a heroine in her younger days, and then stopped being one when she got pregnant and had kids. It also doesn’t count if she wallows in despair because she lost manly man, gives birth, and then decides to die (I’m looking at you, Padme Amidala). Here’s my list: #5 — Sarah Jane Smith (Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures) Saves the world a bunch of times? Check. Has a genius kid who’s slightly obnoxious, but still lovable? Check. Has a wicked super computer? Check. Is completely and utterly capable of being a badass while handling the responsibilities of being a parent? Check. One of my favorite Sarah Jane moments: reminding Davros in “Journey’s End” with little more than the tone of her voice that she was there in the beginning, on Skaro — sort of like rubbing salt in an open wound. There’s a reason Sarah Jane Smith remains a favorite among Whovians. It’s because she’s awesome. #4 — Dr. Beverly Crusher (Star Trek: The Next Generation) An accomplished doctor on a powerful exploration ship full of menfolk with enormous egos? Yup. But she holds her own, telling her Captain what’s what from time to time and resolving all manner of medical anomalies brought aboard by her intrepid crew. And she has to handle all of that while being the mother of a genius son, Wesley. Imagine trying to do best by your son while in an official “military” post. Now imagine trying to handle being separated from your son in an increasingly hostile galaxy. Yet Crusher handles all of that with extraordinary strength. #3 — Sharon “Athena” Agathon (Battlestar Galactica) Not many mothers have to survive the disgusting levels of violence thrown at Sharon Agathon. Being a cylon, she’s hated by what’s left of the human race, because her people nearly wiped humanity out. She’s hated so much that she’s kept in a prison for most of her life — where she is beaten and almost raped — and has her half-human/half-cylon baby stolen away from her (supposedly “dead”) by people who think Hera (the baby) will destroy the ragtag fleet of leftover human ships. But she perseveres, fighting with all her might to save her daughter and her family. She’s a lot like… #2 — Sarah Connor (The Terminator Series) What list of SF moms would leave out Sarah Connor? With two enormous weights on her shoulders — the looming threat of the sentient robot apocalypse and the responsibility of raising the savior of mankind — she’s the kind of mother we all can respect. Sure, she’s not perfect — after all, she’s sort of mental and homicidal — but so is everyone else. Without her strength and determination, John Connor wouldn’t exist and humanity would be screwed. #1 — Ellen Ripley (The Aliens Series) She may not be a “traditional” mom, but she does essentially become a surrogate in Aliens and then a much more creepy mother in Alien Resurrection. But we’ll focus on Aliens, where Newt Gingrich’s future cousin, who is also named after an amphibian, is taken under the wing by one of the greatest would-be-mothers in the science fiction universe. And what happens when the greatest female heroine in science fiction becomes a surrogate mother? This: I rest my case. Who would you add to this list and why? ——————————————- Runner up: My mom. She may not be a space ninja or whatever, but she does live in an alternate reality in her head. Plus, she’s my mom and had to deal with me through my teen years. Somehow she survived. Kudos to her. And happy Mother’s Day.
Top Five Female Authors of Science Fiction and Fantasy
A while back, Larry over at OF Blog of the Fallen posted this list of fives. I’ve decided to turn each into its own post on my blog, with one modification: all of them will be specific to science fiction and fantasy. Hopefully nobody will have a problem with this change. First up, as the title suggests: Top Five Female Authors of Science Fiction and Fantasy Kage Baker I was saddened when Baker passed away last year. She was not only a gracious author who indulged this silly fan by answering questions for an interview, but she was also a writer of amazing works of fiction across multiple genres. The House of the Stag is still one of my favorite novels of all time and is sure to stay in my top ten for the foreseeable future. I loved the book so much that I am hesitant to read The Anvil of the World because I know it will be the last time I get to read something fresh and new from the world that sucked me in and never let go. One day I’ll read it, but when I’m done, I won’t be happy with myself. Then again, maybe I will be… (Reviews: The House of the Stag and The Empress of Mars) Elizabeth Bear One of the things that I love about Elizabeth Bear is her willingness to challenge the conventions of the genre. Her stories deal with issues of sexuality and gender in unique and intriguing ways, particularly Dust and Carnival, two of my favorite works by her (I like Dust best). I love traditional stories as much as the next guy, but I also love to see different kinds of characters put on the center stage, whether they’re gay, transgender, or somehow “non-normative” (for lack of a better term). I also appreciate that Bear does not write stereotypical takes on such characters. Not every novel with gay people in it is erotica, folks! Seriously! (Reviews: Dust and Carnival) Octavia Butler I read Butler’s “Speech Sounds” and Parable of the Sowers in an African American science fiction class at UC Santa Cruz (where I got my B.A.). We might have also read another of her short stories, but I can’t remember. In any case, that class changed everything for me. It showed me that I could pursue my interest in Science Fiction Studies without fearing that I might get shunned by the academic community and it exposed me to Octavia Butler, who still influences me as a writer and academic today. If you haven’t read Butler’s work, you must do so immediately. She is one of the greatest science fiction writers to walk the face of the Earth! Nalo Hopkinson Hopkinson is, like Butler, one of the most important writers of the 21st century, and certainly one of the most important female writers of SF/F. Her Caribbean-infused novels (such as Brown Girl in the Ring and Midnight Robber) are prime examples of the breadth of the speculative fiction genre. Not only can SF/F be about grand adventures in space or fantasy lands, but it can also about intense forays into culture, colonialism and its lingering effects, and the postmodern human condition. It’s little surprise that she is one of the two authors I focused on for my M.A. thesis (the other was Tobias S. Buckell, but he’s a boy, so he’s not a part of this list)(P.S.: the degree should arrive on my doorstep sooner or later). All I hope is that she keeps writing and influencing the genre, showing the world that SF/F does not have to deal with traditional western curiosities, but can stretch outward to talk about the world at large. Susan Beth Pfeffer Pfeffer may be somewhat new to the genre world, but her YA post-apocalypse novels are some of the best YA fiction out there. They’re emotional character journeys told in epistolary format where children have to cope with situations that force them to grow up fast, because the childlike world they once took for granted no longer exists. I’ve loved every single one, and word is that there might be a fourth in the series, which should tie up some loose ends and explain what happens to the two families (maybe). As an indicator of how much I love Pfeffer’s work, I’ve reviewed all three of her science fiction novels (Life As We Knew It, The Dead and the Gone, and This World We Live In) and interviewed her three times (here, here, and here — notice how I get better at that whole interviewing thing each time). There you have it. They’re mostly new names, I’m afraid. This has to do with the fact that I am not well read in female authors pre-1990 and most of the authors from the New Wave and the Golden Age period are simply not my favorites (Le Guin is good, but I’ve only really enjoyed one of her books — The Dispossessed). Feel free to check out my marked up SF/F Mistressworks list to see how poorly read I am; I am embarrassed… Runners up: Lauren Beukes (review: Zoo City; interview here), Karen Miller (reviews: The Innocent Mage and The Awakened Mage; interview here) and Jo Walton (reviews: Farthing and Ha’Penny). I love the work of all three of these authors, but I have to pick five. It’s hard to make these three Runners Up, but it has to be done. Who are your favorite female authors of science fiction and fantasy? Let me know in the comments! I’m always hungry for more writers to read!
The SF Mistressworks Meme
I got this from Ian Sales, who has also done a 21st Century Mistressworks Meme (I’ll have to do that one later). The following list is taken from here. You know how it works: bold those you’ve read, italicise those you own but have not read. Feel free to post your own marked up list on your blog or Facebook page. Leave a link in the comments! Here’s mine (after the fold): 1 Frankenstein, Mary Shelley (1818) 2 Herland, Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1915) 3 Orlando, Virginia Woolf (1928) 4 Lest Ye Die, Cicely Hamilton (1928) 5 Swastika Night, Katherine Burdekin (1937) 6 Wrong Side of the Moon, Francis Leslie Ashton (1951) 7 The Sword of Rhiannon, Leigh Brackett (1953) 8 Pilgrimage: The Book of the People, Zenna Henderson (1961) 9 Memoirs of a Spacewoman, Naomi Mitchison (1962) 10 Witch World, Andre Norton (1963) 11 Sunburst, Phyllis Gotlieb (1964) 12 Jirel of Joiry, CL Moore (1969) 13 Heroes and Villains, Angela Carter (1969) 14 Ten Thousand Light Years From Home, James Tiptree Jr (1973) 15 The Dispossessed, Ursula K Le Guin (1974) 16 Walk to the End of the World, Suzy McKee Charnas (1974) 17 The Female Man, Joanna Russ (1975) 18 Missing Man, Katherine MacLean (1975) 19 Arslan, MJ Engh (1976) 20 Floating Worlds, Cecelia Holland (1976) 21 Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang, Kate Wilhelm (1976) 22 Islands, Marta Randall (1976) 23 Dreamsnake, Vonda N McIntyre (1978) 24 False Dawn, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (1978) 25 Shikasta [Canopus in Argos: Archives], Doris Lessing (1979) 26 Kindred, Octavia Butler (1979) 27 Benefits, Zoe Fairbairns (1979) 28 The Snow Queen, Joan D Vinge (1980) 29 The Silent City, Élisabeth Vonarburg (1981) 30 The Silver Metal Lover, Tanith Lee (1981) 31 The Many-Coloured Land [Saga of the Exiles], Julian May (1981) 32 Darkchild [Daughters of the Sunstone], Sydney J van Scyoc (1982) 33 The Crystal Singer, Anne McCaffrey (1982) 34 Native Tongue, Suzette Haden Elgin (1984) 35 The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood (1985) 36 Jerusalem Fire, RM Meluch (1985) 37 Children of Anthi, Jay D Blakeney (1985) 38 The Dream Years, Lisa Goldstein (1985) 39 Despatches from the Frontiers of the Female Mind, Sarah Lefanu & Jen Green (1985) 40 Queen of the States, Josephine Saxton (1986) 41 The Wave and the Flame [Lear’s Daughters], Marjorie Bradley Kellogg (1986) 42 The Journal of Nicholas the American, Leigh Kennedy (1986) 43 A Door into Ocean, Joan Slonczewski (1986) 44 Angel at Apogee, SN Lewitt (1987) 45 In Conquest Born, CS Friedman (1987) 46 Pennterra, Judith Moffett (1987) 47 Kairos, Gwyneth Jones (1988) 48 Cyteen , CJ Cherryh (1988) 49 Unquenchable Fire, Rachel Pollack (1988) 50 The City, Not Long After, Pat Murphy (1988) 51 The Steerswoman [Steerswoman series], Rosemary Kirstein (1989) 52 The Third Eagle, RA MacAvoy (1989) 53 *Grass, Sheri S Tepper (1989) 54 Heritage of Flight, Susan Shwartz (1989) 55 Falcon, Emma Bull (1989) 56 The Archivist, Gill Alderman (1989) 57 Winterlong [Winterlong trilogy], Elizabeth Hand (1990) 58 A Gift Upon the Shore, MK Wren (1990) 59 Red Spider, White Web, Misha (1990) 60 Polar City Blues, Katharine Kerr (1990) 61 Body of Glass (AKA He, She and It), Marge Piercy (1991) 62 Sarah Canary, Karen Joy Fowler (1991) 63 Beggars in Spain [Sleepless trilogy], Nancy Kress (1991) 64 A Woman of the Iron People, Eleanor Arnason (1991) 65 Hermetech, Storm Constantine (1991) 66 China Mountain Zhang, Maureen F McHugh (1992) 67 Fools, Pat Cadigan (1992) 68 Correspondence, Sue Thomas (1992) 69 Lost Futures, Lisa Tuttle (1992) 70 Doomsday Book, Connie Willis (1992) 71 Ammonite, Nicola Griffith (1993) 72 The Holder of the World, Bharati Mukherjee (1993) 73 Queen City Jazz, Kathleen Ann Goonan (1994) 74 Happy Policeman, Patricia Anthony (1994) 75 Shadow Man, Melissa Scott (1995) 76 Legacies, Alison Sinclair (1995) 77 Primary Inversion [Skolian Saga], Catherine Asaro (1995) 78 Alien Influences, Kristine Kathryn Rusch (1995) 79 The Sparrow, Mary Doria Russell (1996) 80 Memory [Vorkosigan series], Lois McMaster Bujold (1996) 81 Remnant Population, Elizabeth Moon (1996) 82 Looking for the Mahdi, N Lee Wood (1996) 83 An Exchange of Hostages [Jurisdiction series], Susan R Matthews (1997) 84 Fool’s War, Sarah Zettel (1997) 85 Black Wine, Candas Jane Dorsey (1997) 86 Halfway Human, Carolyn Ives Gilman (1998) 87 Vast, Linda Nagata (1998) 88 Hand of Prophecy, Severna Park (1998) 89 Brown Girl in the Ring, Nalo Hopkinson (1998) 90 Dreaming in Smoke, Tricia Sullivan (1999) 91 Ash: A Secret History, Mary Gentle (2000) Needless to say, I have failed miserably. In my defense, I own books by a lot of the authors on this list, but not the ones listed. Leigh Brackett, Mary Gentle, Virginia Woolf, Andre Norton, C. L. Moore, Tanith Lee, Lois McMaster Bujold, Elizabeth Moon, Elizabeth Hand, and a number of others. That might make my failure on the list a little easier to swallow. In any case, how did you do?
Top 7 Repeated Science Fiction Phrases or Words That Have Become Annoying
Remember when it used to be relevant to say “repeated like a broken record” or something like that? Yeah, neither do I. But people sure sound like one these days, what with Twitter making it easier and easier to repost every “nifty” thing you’ve ever seen alongside blogs and picture sites used for the same purpose. Some of those “nifty” things have become plain annoying, shoved into the rest of us like smelly hand-me-down socks made by a dead aunt or Santa. Maybe I’m being a little harsh, but I’ve seen the following seven phrases/words peddled around more times than I care to count, and I’m just about sick of them: 7. “May the fourth be with you.” It’s only funny if a child says it. But children aren’t the ones saying it on Twitter. And it’s not cute. It’s not even clever. It’s the kind of thing you laugh at when your kid says it, just like the time they told you that silly knock-knock joke about oranges and apples that you’ve heard a thousand times before. I get it, though. The fourth of May is Star Wars Day, but let’s at least pretend that real clever people run the SF/F world. Hell, you could even say your child said it so you can get away with posting it twelve times on your Twitter account… 6. “All this has happened before. All this will happen again.” It’s an old saying picked up by Ron Moore for his re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica. And for a while, it was a creepy way of saying fate was about to screw everyone over in the show. But then people started using it to refer to their day-to-day lives, and mundane things like getting cheap American coffee from a parasitic coffee company…until, finally, people just started saying it for no reason at all, sucking all the life out of a phrase and killing its immense mythology. Good job, newbs. 5. “Reality is for those who can’t handle Science-Fiction.” No, it’s not. Reality is for people who write or read science fiction, because without a sense of reality or an understanding of how the now functions, one can’t actually write science fiction. Sure, you can come up with some kind of bastardized SF/F hybrid, but you’ll never approach the greatness of true geniuses in the field (if we’re going with the pretentious version of things). Still, it’s a nice try at saying something approaching smart. 4. “Politicians should read science fiction, not westerns and detective stories.” You know what politicians should read? The frakking U.S. Constitution (or other relevant document if they’re not American politicians). You know what else they should read? Facts. I don’t think science fiction is high on the list of things politicians should be familiar with. Don’t get me wrong; I love SF and think everyone should read it, but our politicians don’t suck because they don’t read my favorite genre. They suck because they’re idiots. 3. “When I die, I’m leaving my body to science fiction.” I thought this was a cute phrase for the first few days. But then everyone and their ancient relatives (the crusty ones with bad manners) started posting it on their Twitter accounts, usually with an exclamation point to drive home their pathetic attempt at a geeky badge of honor. Listen up, folks. You don’t get your geek badge by being annoying. That’s not how it works. First, you have to sell your soul to a Batherian bloodmonk. Second, you have to kill your first dragon while in a spaceship made of solid diamonds. And third, you have to name the primary cast members of at least three different SF/F movie or TV properties. I don’t make the rules. That’s just the way it is… 2. “Science fiction is dead/dying.” You know why science fiction is “dying?” Because every other week some asshole says it’s dying and people start to think it is. It’s called propaganda, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think people who say SF is dying are part of a group of literary elites trying to kill SF from the inside. I wouldn’t put it past them. They’re a vicious bunch… 1. Anything with “punk” attached to it. The “punk” in Cyberpunk used to mean something. It really did. Now people shove it onto every term they want in order to sound hip. The problem? You end up pissing on all those who legitimately engaged with the “punk” dynamic. I don’t care much for pissing on literary geniuses like William Gibson or Bruce Sterling or Jeff Noon or Richard Calder, or even folks who pioneered the Steampunk genre way back before it was Steampunk. But the whole “punk” thing has gotten out of hand. How about we attach “ism” to subgenres instead? Steamism, Dieselism, Undergarmentism… See? That sounds better… That’s my list. What annoying science fiction phrases or words have annoyed you recently or in the past?
Top 6 SF/F Soundtracks of 2010
Last year was by far one of the best years for movie soundtracks, not just in terms of “good music,” but also in terms of experimentation on the part of composers (as some of my choices below will show). The year prior, of course, was a good year too, but 2010 really grabbed me, with some composers playing a greater role in the merger of source material with musical material. I don’t know if this is a “new” thing, but it sure is something I haven’t noticed in past years from major pictures (the experimentation on the part of composers seems to have been centered on “blockbusters” in 2010; whether that means anything is up to the music critics to figure out). Here are my top five picks for 2010 (in no particular order)(after the fold): Inception (Hans Zimmer) One of the best science fiction films ever made has the luxury of having one of the most important and (I hope) influential soundtracks ever written. Hans Zimmer certainly has a lot of detractors, but his use of layers, his manipulation of audio to produce a variety of effects (then replicated in various ways for the body of the musical narrative), and his unflinching willingness to experiment to the extreme (see the behind the scenes stuff for The Dark Knight) are prime examples of why he his one of the best composers living today. I’ve written plenty about the soundtrack here and here, in case you’re interested. My other posts about Inception are here and here. Tron: Legacy (Daft Punk) One of the biggest surprises for me was the announcement that Daft Punk would be scoring the soundtrack for Legacy. I was apprehensive about the duo, because as much as I love their music, I had a hard time imagining it forming the background of a film like Legacy. The result, however, blew me away. Legacy‘s soundtrack is a clever mix of heavy electronic rhythms and traditional orchestral scoring (some of which is then manipulated by the duo–who are, of course, known for their audio manipulations). The soundtrack is actually quite clever, since it mirrors the intersection and conflict between two worlds (the real world vs. the Grid). Hopefully we’ll see more soundtracks from Daft Punk in the future; they’ve clearly got a knack for it. My reviews of Legacy can be found here and here. How to Train Your Dragon (John Powell) Light. Bubbly. Fun. Despite the film’s flaws, I loved How to Train Your Dragon, and the soundtrack is no exception. It brings out the spirit of adventure that made How to Train Your Dragon such an enjoyable film. Then there’s “Sticks and Stones” by Jonsi (the end title piece), which is one of the happiest songs I’ve heard in a long time (which might explain my love for it in times of annoyance or sadness: it has a way of lifting one’s spirits (sort of like the movie, right?)). I recommend the soundtrack if you want something uplifting. It might even make for good walking music! Here’s my review of How to Train Your Dragon. The Last Airbender (James Newton Howard) First things first: the movie was bloody awful; so awful, in fact, that it might very well be the end of M. Night Shamalamadingdong’s career. A good thing? Maybe. But the music for the soundtrack, while somewhat simple for a Howard score, sets up the epic scenario better than the actual film. It is suspenseful, fun, and (sometimes) quite beautiful. There are a number of great little themes at work here, and if a second movie is made, perhaps we’ll hear these develop (if we’re lucky, maybe someone will tell Shamalamadingdong he can’t write or direct the next in the series). I think Howard could have been more ambitious with his use of themes/instruments from non-European cultures, but considering the near-gutting of practically all of the representations of non-European cultures from the original series for the movie, I suppose it’s unfair to blame Howard for the oversight. In any case, the soundtrack is a good mood-setter and well worth listening to. (Note: Loopdilou and I will be reviewing The Last Airbender as part of our Torture Cinema feature at The Skiffy and Fanty Show next month.) Skyline (Matthew Margeson) I didn’t see the movie and have no intention of doing so. The soundtrack, however, is dark and suspenseful. It’s like listening to David Arnold (Independence Day) one moment and Graeme Revell (The Chronicles of Riddick) the next. There is plenty of beauty here, too. The melodies shift from chaotic to idyllic (as would be expected of an action-oriented science fiction film) and the overall feeling is a mixture of excitement and wonder. I suspect we’ll see much more of Margeson in the future, particularly for genre films. Book of Eli (Atticus Ross) One of the more experimental works of 2010 (along with Inception), The Book of Eli is a mixture of dissonance and ambient chill. It’s like John Murphy’s Sunshine merged with Jerry Goldsmith’s The 13th Warrior. It’s not easy to listen to, just as Schoenberg’s 12-tonal melodies aren’t for most audiences, but Ross has done a fine job creating the necessary atmosphere the post-apocalyptic film needed, with just the right amount of beauty to seep in through the cracks. Not for the faint of heart, sure, but still worth a listen. ——————————————————– Those are my selections. So, what am I missing? What are you favorites for last year?
5 Traits of Highly Successful Sci Fi Authors (Guest Post by Edward Stern)
Readers enjoy science fiction because of the varied worlds of which the genre consists. Sci-fi can mean almost anything. Imagination is endless, and the more imaginative an author is, oftentimes the more readers cherish their work. However, there are definitely some common strands in the genre as a whole, and certainly some commonalities amongst its most successful authors. Highly successful science fiction authors like Ray Bradbury or Philip K. Dick all share traits in their works that make them so well received. When writing your own pieces, incorporate these 5 traits of highly successful sci-fi authors to make a particularly marketable piece, no matter where your ideas take you: Go Somewhere New The most successful sci-fi novels take readers somewhere they have not been before and will not see in the real world. Successful authors write about the future, alternate presents, galaxies far, far away, or sub-cultures existing in the present but well away from the public eye. Be imaginative, and be unique. Literature is the greatest form of escapism. Create In-depth, Intricate Worlds One of the reasons Dune appeals so much is that Frank Herbert crafted such a fascinating and complex society in the series. Readers not only want to be taken somewhere else, but they want to understand where they now are and to learn about these worlds and continue to imagine them further; whatever world or reality is created, it is 3-dimensional. Such depth allows for fans to become obsessive as well, and engage with these stories as more than just novels. Touch on Current Themes Though successful sci-fi writers do take readers to fantastic new landscapes, these worlds are based in real reality and the issues of the time. There is something recognizable about the new situations encountered, no matter how imaginative the creatures or the technology. The very best sci-fi explores current themes (and especially fears) through literary drama. Have Appeal Outside of the Hardcore Sci-fi Community The most successful sci-fi authors reach readers who do not generally read science fiction. How do they reach these readers? By crafting really good stories that cannot go ignored, and that play on the greater public’s enjoyment of whimsy and imagination. Science fiction isn’t always for everybody, but by creating tight plots, vast worlds, and compelling story arcs, the most successful authors have been able to reach readers — and lots of them — outside of the hardcore sci-fi community. Create a Series The most successful sci-fi authors did not just write one book about one subject and then move on. Instead, they created series so that readers could continue to follow and grow with the characters and events they fell in love with in the author’s first novel. Creating a series allows for authors to further explore the dense, lively, complex worlds of their imaginations, and allows readers to keep coming back for more.