Time travel has been on been on my mind lately, and in that context, nostalgia. As someone who meditates, and who, at one point, was… The post Time travel is human nature appeared first on mark a. rayner.
Continue readingTag: science fiction
mark a. rayner: Earth’s Gravity, But Not the Kind You Think
If you’re not already familiar with Earth, by David Brin, then in a weird way, I envy you. You have got some great science fiction… The post Earth’s Gravity, But Not the Kind You Think appeared first on mark a. rayner.
Continue readingmark a. rayner: Amazing Stories loves Alpha Max
So, once upon a time there was this incredible maniac. He invented stuff like The Isolator and was really into home brewing radio sets. Oh,… The post Amazing Stories loves Alpha Max appeared first on mark a. rayner.
Continue readingmark a rayner: 42: win and wear the ultimate answer!
The ultimate answer in sterling silver form: 42 I thought this would be a cool thing for fans of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy… Continue Reading42: win and wear the ultimate answer! The post 42: win and wear the ultimate answer! appeared first on mark a rayner.
Continue readingmark a rayner: What is dark comedy and why do we like it so much?
There I was, on stage, leading the entire audience and cast in a barn-burning, Christ-crunching rendition of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life. It… Continue ReadingWhat is dark comedy and why do we like it so much? The post What is dark comedy and why do we like it
Continue readingmark a rayner: Dystopic stories – why are we obsessed?
And let’s face it, we are obsessed. Our media are laden with the dystopic. Some of our most popular stories are based on horrific cultures,… Continue ReadingDystopic stories – why are we obsessed? The post Dystopic stories – why are we obsessed? appeared first on mark a rayner.
Continue readingScripturient: Why Science Fiction Matters
In the past two years, we’ve watched all the Star Trek series (on Netflix) from start to finish, and all the ST movies (on DVD). We just started watching the Battlestar Galactica series on Blu-Ray this past week (which we had seen some years back, but with long gaps between
Continue readingScripturient: War for the Planet of the Apes considered
Pierre Boulle never imagined War for the Planet of the Apes, the latest film in the remade franchise. In fact, it would be fair to say the author of the original book never imagined any of the series, from the first in 1968 to the latest, released in 2017. They
Continue readingThe Political Road Map: Politics in Cinema
May the fourth be with you and May you enjoy this post and share it throughout the galaxy! To say that cinema has become a favorite past time of people is to greatly under appreciate its impact on our society and our lives. I always find it interesting how the
Continue readingmark a rayner: William Shatner’s Inaugural Address
(After Winning the First Post-Two-Party Presidential Election) Friends, Americans, Countrymen! Lend me your ears. I come to bury our two-party system, not praise it. I stand before you today, not as a conqueror, not as pop icon, but as your President. …
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: George Takei – On Star Trek and Society
Science fiction is one of those genres that can inspire genuine hope for the future. Gene Roddenberry’s idea was well ahead of its time, let’s hope we can live up to some of the ideals he put forward as to how 23rd century life would be like. Also, I had
Continue readingSketchy Thoughts: Imagining the Cosmos: Utopians, Mystics, and the Popular Culture of Spaceflight in Revolutionary Russia
This essay investigates the explosive Soviet interest in space travel during the New Economic Policy (NEP) era of the 1920s, as expressed through amateur societies, the press, literature, painting, film, and other popular culture. In recovering an obscured history of the roots of Russian cosmonautics, it shows how the cause
Continue readingKersplebedeb | Kersplebedeb: Imagining the Cosmos: Utopians, Mystics, and the Popular Culture of Spaceflight in Revolutionary Russia
This essay investigates the explosive Soviet interest in space travel during the New Economic Policy (NEP) era of the 1920s, as expressed through amateur societies, the press, literature, painting, film, and other popular culture. In recovering an obscured history of the roots of Russian cosmonautics, it shows how the cause
Continue readingSketchy Thoughts: THOSE MYTHOLOGICAL MEN AND THEIR SACRED, SUPERSONIC FLYING TEMPLES
From this anxiety of imitation, it is a short step to seeking authenticity in texts from the past, even if one of those texts is itself a modern imitation. The effect is further magnified by a narrowly instrumental education, the shrinking of public debate, the subservience of media to business
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: Why do lit-ah-rary types look down on SF
So what is it about science fiction that causes “literary” types to look down upon it? Like any genre, SF has its bad and good. No scratch that, like any writing, there is both bad and good. I’ve read plenty … Continue reading →
Continue readingSketchy Thoughts: How come so many UK leftists are Trots?
In Terry Bisson’s interview with Ken MacLeod in The Human Front (PM Press, 2013), there’s this great answer to Bisson’s question “How come so many UK leftists are Trots?” : Short answer: because Trotskyists in Britain moved fast on the CP’s crisis in the 1950s, and moved with the times
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: Lucidiva™ — Side effects
Common side effects include heavy breathing, panting, hyperventilation, lack of peripheral vision, excessive screaming, painful hearing and nasal discharge that may look like rice pudding. Sorry, but it happens. You should probably enjoy flatulence if you want to take this … Continue reading →
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: It Always Seems Like A Good Idea At The Time
…but who can forget the Borg and the Cylons? Will Google eventually forget its motto, “Don’t be evil”? Recommend this Post
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: Poor career decisions
The alien on the right is thinking: “My agent is so fired.” The one on the left? He’s just experimenting with his knobs. Alltop loves a good knob experiment!
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