Blog Posts

Book Review: The Ark by Patrick S. Tomlinson

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Bryan Benson is one of the lucky few, one of the 50,000 or so humans left in the universe. A descendant of those who built and escaped on a generation ship fleeing a disaster for Earth undreamed up by even the imagination of Irwin Allen, Benson is an ex-sports hero, and now a detective. On the last bastion of humanity, slowly approaching their goal of Tau Ceti, there isn’t a lot of work for the detective  beyond the usual sort of petty crimes one expects. The margin and tolerance for anything greater just isn’t there when all of the species is in one boat, literally. So, when Benson is handed a missing person case  that may not be a missing person, or even an accidental death, but rather a murder, the ex-sports hero will have to become a different sort of hero.

Announcements and Errata, Awards Season

2016 Awards Season (Hugos, etc.): All the Eligible Things from a Year of Skiffy and Fanty!

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It’s that time of year again.  The time when we all show up in a big arena and fight each other with sticks and used socks and the leftover contents of Darth Vader’s fridge for the supreme honor of winning an award. OK.  So that’s not true.  But it is awards season, which means we do have to release a practically mandatory big post of all the stuff we discussed or created that happens to be eligible for something in 2016.  So, here it is:

Blog Posts

Book Review: The Empress Game by Rhonda Mason

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Space Opera machinations, a Princess and Prince on the run, and vicious combat both in and out of the ring mark the plot of Rhonda Mason’s The Empress Game. I’m a sucker for Traveller-style Space Opera, with multiple star-spanning empires and kingdoms and republics, politics between different worlds, intrigue and adventure on far-flung worlds. The Empress Game provides us with an Empire that seems to dominate a swath of the galaxy, but is not alone in its suzerainty. It is the intersection of those polities, or on the boundaries of them, that rich and interesting characters and story can occur.

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

Episode 12. A Christmas Carol (1951; dir. Brian Desmond Hurst): The Terrors of the Past, Present, and Future

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http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/TotallyPretentious012AChristmasCarol/TotallyPretentious012–AChristmasCarol.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSA Christmas Carol (1951) and the Terrors of the Past, Present, and Future! In our final episode of the year, David and Shaun discuss the 1951 classic adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (starring Alastair Sim).  We discuss the film’s influence on later adaptations, its approach to Dickens’ classic, its approach to wealth, the performances, and much more! We also briefly discuss the Star Wars franchise and the problem of spoilers. Enjoy!

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

289. The Santa Clause (1994) — A Torture Cinema Holiday Special "Adventure"

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http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode289TortureCinemaMeetsTheSantaClause/Sandf–Episode289–TortureCinemaMeetsTheSantaClause.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSElf special ops, killer hot cocoa, and reindeer, oh my!  The holidays are here, and no holiday would be complete without a holiday-themed Torture Cinema episode.  In our final episode of the season, we tackle 1994’s Tim Allen venture, The Santa Clause.  From kickass elves to creepy child kidnappings to the wonderful joy of the Christmas spirit, we’ve got plenty to say about this supposedly awful movie! We hope you enjoy the episode! Note:  If you have iTunes and like this show, please give us a review on our iTunes page, or feel free to email us with your thoughts about the show! Here’s the episode (show notes are below):

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

Episode 11. The People Under the Stairs (1991; dir. Wes Craven): Craven’s Legacy and an Unusual Mythic Terror

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http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/TotallyPretentious011ThePeopleUnderTheStairs/TotallyPretentious011–ThePeopleUnderTheStairs.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSThe People Under the Stairs: Wes Craven’s Legacy and an Unusual Mythic Terror David and Shaun return after an unnecessarily long hiatus to discuss Wes Craven’s work, with special attention to The People Under the Stairs.  We cover the film’s history, its mythical themes and imagery, and just what it says about Craven as a director and creator of the horrific and strange. Enjoy!

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