A funny thing happened on the way to my recent essay about finding books to read. I hit on a way of researching SFF history that is potentially an enormous time sink. Specifically‚ how well-versed am I (and readers in general) in Golden Age science fiction? By which I mean “golden age” in the sense of Pete Graham’s aphorism that “the golden age of science fiction is twelve.” In my case that year was 1973. Inflation was soaring‚ the Prime Minister was a fellow named Trudeau‚ and I had not the smallest familiarity with current fashion. However‚ I did have access to an abundance of bookstores‚ new and used‚ and an allowance measured in books-per-week1. What I didn’t have: any access to SF book reviews2. So‚ lacking that vital information‚ how closely did my reading habits follow those of reviewers? As you know‚ Bob‚ the Internet Science Fiction Database is an internet database chock-full of information about science fiction and related fields. It can be searched in various productive ways‚ one of which is finding out which books garnered the most reviews‚ listed by year and decade. Thus we can easily discover which books were deemed most worthy of review3 in any particular year4. I could‚ for example‚ check to see what reviewers were talking about the year I turned 12. What resulted was a flood of memories equal to any triggered by Proust’s madeleine. The top one hundred reviews are filled with works familiar to me. In fact‚ of that top one hundred‚ I have read fifty-seven5. Many of the books I have not read are familiar to me from all the times I picked up a copy from a bookstore shelf‚ frowned judgmentally‚ and put it back. Lacking access to reviews as I did‚ I can only assume that my reading habits tracked reviews so closely because books that were widely reviewed were much more likely to be granted precious shelf space than books about which no conversations occurred. Books that sold well when new were more likely to turn up used in second-hand bookstores. It is also possible that because far fewer SF books were published back then‚ it was more likely I’d accidentally encounter the books reviewers were talking about. In fact‚ while I can see clear evidence of my youthful reading preferences in the books I overlooked—I neglected works in languages I cannot read‚ works that appeared suspiciously literary or New Wave‚ works by authors whose previous novels I’d disliked‚ books suspiciously best-sellery—the most common reason I can see for having not read the books in the top one hundred is that I never saw a copy. At that time‚ book distribution in Ontario‚ particularly out in the sticks‚ was rudimentary and many books did not make it to Waterloo Region. To be honest‚ I think Graham might have been off by a few years. Looking at the evidence‚ I became convinced that the golden age of SF was sixteen‚ because my hit rate for 1977 is even higher6. I credit high school‚ an environment that did its very best to encourage escapism. Is my experience unusual? If you peruse the ISFDB list of most commonly reviewed books published the year you turned twelve‚ do you see an abundance of familiar faces? If you do‚ which are the ones you remember most fondly? [end-mark] An arrangement that no doubt looked much more cost-effective to my parents when MMPBs were 75 cents rather than the exorbitant buck ninety-five of the late 1970s. ︎I didn’t start buying SF magazines until the April 1977 issue of Analog. Not only did this provide me with access to reviews‚ it provided access to book ads for upcoming books. I still get a little zing when I see an old-time book ad and can and will discourse at length about them to anyone who makes the mistake of engaging me in conversation. If people didn’t want to know about Del Rey or SFBC ads of the 1970s‚ why would they even ask me for directions to Needles Hall? ︎In venues the ISFDB tracks. The 2500+ reviews on James Nicoll Reviews‚ for example‚ appear nowhere in the ISFDB. ︎Hat tip to Dreamwidth user Bolindbergh for explaining this to me. I will be using it to prompt memory when I am trying to decide which books to review for period-specific review projects. ︎Or in the case of Gravity’s Rainbow‚ attempted to read. ︎Just checking 2020 for calibration‚ I note that I’ve only read twenty-nine of the top one hundred most reviewed books of that year. I suspect recent SF gets crowded out by various retrospective review projects. In 2010‚ for example‚ when my employer was sending me lots of upcoming SFF‚ I read forty of the one hundred most reviewed works. ︎The post The Golden Age of SF (But Not the One You’re Thinking Of) appeared first on Reactor.

A new film from Duncan Jones is always something to get intrigued about—even if one tends to hope said film is more Moon‚ less Mute. And Jones’ latest project sounds quite fascinating: It’s an animated adaptation of Rogue Trooper‚ the graphic novel series created by Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons (Watchmen). The cast includes Hayley Atwell (Captain America‚ pictured above) alongside star Aneurin Barnard (1899)—and also features Jack Lowden (Slow Horses)‚ Reece Shearsmith (Foundation)‚ Daryl McCormack (The Wheel of Time)‚ Jemaine Clement (What We Do in the Shadows‚ movie version)‚ Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows‚ TV version)‚ Diane Morgan (Cunk on Earth)‚ Asa Butterfield (Hugo)‚ and Sean Bean (famous for dying in everything). Rogue Trooper‚ according to Variety‚ “tells the story of 19‚ a ‘Genetic Infantryman‚’ who finds himself the sole-survivor of an invasion force. Desperate to track down the traitor who sold him and his comrades out‚ the super soldier is accompanied by three killed-in-action squad mates‚ whose personalities have been stored in his gun‚ helmet and rucksack.” Barnard plays 19; the roles of the rest of the cast have not been specified. Rogue Trooper is published by 2000 AD‚ which is well-known for publishing Judge Dredd. Variety quotes Jones as saying‚ “2000 AD offers a very different flavor of comic action: Political and brutal at times‚ but always with a Pythonesque twinkle in the eye. Dredd (2012) was a taste of what 2000 AD has to offer and now we get to show the world another side of the beast. It is a genuine privilege to be given the opportunity to make Rogue Trooper.” Principal photography on the film is done‚ but Variety notes that it is not expected to be finished until next year. icon-paragraph-end The post <;i>;Moon<;/i>; Director Duncan Jones’ New Film Is an Animated Adaptation of <;i>;Rogue Trooper<;/i>; appeared first on Reactor.

Sometimes‚ there’s a raid of Pals on your base you actually want a chance at catching. Good luck getting a sphere thrown out in time before all of your Pals kill them on sight. However‚ there is a way to prevent this — here’s how to stop base Pals from auto-attacking in Palworld. How to set base pals to not auto-attack: Alarm Bell guide The solution is in an early-game item I overlooked because I didn’t see the point in it. Now I understand when I have nine Pals ready to kill anything on sight working around my base. The Alarm Bell is unlocked early on. It’s under the defense build category and costs five Paldium Fragments and 20 Stones to make. I recommend building and placing one where you can easily run to it. It’ll need to be a quick reaction to toggle it on or off. Once it’s placed down‚ all you have to do is press F when you’re next to it. This will swap from “attack invaders” mode to “focus o...

In Palworld‚ Jetragon is an incredibly fast flying mount as well as one of the strongest Pals in the game. Those who seek one may consider trying to breed one to prevent having to hunt one down. Breeding Jetragon in Palworld For those wishing an easier time getting Jetragon in Palworld will be bitterly disappointed. The combination to breed one Jetragon is… two Jetragon parents. That’s right‚ only they are capable of producing the insane Pal you seek. If you do already have two of these Dragon-type Pals‚ then you’ll need a Breeding Pen to get them to work. It would be mighty surprising if you have two Jetragons and not a Breeding Pen‚ but to each their own. With a male and female Jetragon assigned to the Breeding Pen‚ you’ll need to wait for them to get all lovey-dovey. In the meantime‚ you can work on making a Cake‚ which can be produced from any cooking station aside from the campfire. It requires: 5 Flour 8 Red be...

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is nearly here‚ and while you can get three days of early access to the game if you purchase the $100 Deluxe Edition‚ there’s a trick to get in early without paying extra. It also works for Deluxe Edition owners‚ too. The New Zealand trick is a classic exploit that lets players unlock games a full day ahead of release. It works because most games have regional rollouts‚ launching at midnight in every time zone. New Zealand is the first country where it hits midnight on a new day‚ so it’s the earliest region where a new video game releases. By changing your console’s region to New Zealand‚ you can trick the game into being playable before the clock strikes midnight in your region. If you do the New Zealand trick for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League‚ you can start playing nearly 24 hours early. For Deluxe Edition owners‚ you can start playing at 3 AM PT/6 AM ET on Monday‚ January 29‚ 2024‚ with the New Zeal...

Palworld has broadened its range of Pals by introducing breeding into the mix. By having two Pals of different genders and a Breeding Farm‚ you can create all-new‚ much more powerful Fusion Pals. These are created with certain Pal combinations. The 5 best Fusion Pals in Palworld When looking to create Fusion Pals in Palworld‚ there are certain combinations that will provide much better outcomes than others. Here are the ones I think you should look for. Image: Pocketpair Jormuntide Ignis To breed a much more powerful version of this Pal in Palworld‚ you can breed two of the Jormuntide Ignis. It may seem pointless to breed them if you already have two‚ but remember‚ Fusion Pals are much stronger. However‚ Jormuntide Ignis can only be found in the far west of the map in No. 2 Wildlife Sanctuary. Therefore‚ you will need a flying or swimming mount to get there and be ready for a high-level fight. They are usually between levels 44 and 46. ...

Movies and cartoons in the 80s and 90s are inexplicably linked. While some cartoons were adapted to the big screen‚ either in continuation or as an adaptation‚ many movies also made the jump to the CONTINUE READING... The post 15 More Movies That Should Have Had Cartoons appeared first on The Retro Network.

Rental Return is back for Season 4! In this kickoff episode‚ Adam and Chad Young (Horror Movie BBQ) introduce the new season of interviews with former video rental store employees‚ explore a long closed video CONTINUE READING... The post Rental Return: Tales From The Video Store‚ Season 4 Kickoff! appeared first on The Retro Network.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. An ambitious and over-reaching “anti-porn” bill is currently making its way through Oklahoma’s state legislative system‚ the severity of which threatens to criminalize the act of sexting or sharing intimate photos. The proposed bill‚ known as Oklahoma Senate Bill 1976‚ targets not just explicit porn but even erotic expression‚ and in the process‚ takes an extreme stance against the First Amendment. We obtained a copy of the bill for you here. The bill bans: “any visual depiction or individual image stored or contained in any format on any medium including‚ but not limited to‚ film‚ motion picture‚ videotape‚ photograph‚ negative‚ undeveloped film‚ slide‚ photographic product‚ reproduction of a photographic product‚ play‚ or performance.” The initiated legislation‚ described by Reason as being so “extreme that it could even make sexting outside of a marriage a crime‚” is part of a more significant push‚ intent on broadening the definition of what constitutes porn‚ even at the expense of hard-won civil liberties. State Senator Dusty Deevers Sen. Dusty Deevers (R–District 32) sponsors this proposal. Typically‚ adult pornography enjoys protection under First Amendment rights‚ barring a few exceptions‚ including content featuring individuals who are underage or obscene. This new stringent legislation‚ however‚ aims to navigate around the standard protections and introduce a novel classification of banned material under the dubious label of “unlawful pornography.” Sen. Deevers’ proposed legislation is incredibly comprehensive‚ including both visual depictions and individual images across multiple mediums in its definition of illicit porn. It seeks to forbid not only explicit sexual acts but also anything designed to excite sexual interest‚ such as nudity or the suggestion of sexual activity. The bill extends beyond conventional pornography‚ encompassing a wide array of adult content and establishing a high bar for what is considered having serious literary‚ artistic‚ educational‚ political‚ or scientific value‚ thereby putting sexting‚ and even some social media posts and private messages in its scope. The post Oklahoma’s Anti-Pornography Bill Is a Sweeping Ban on Erotic Expression‚ Sexting appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Texas Rangers Raid “Cartel Island” on Border with Mexico