Science Fiction

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Video Game Review: Civilization: Beyond Earth (2014)

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At the end of all of the Civilization games, one of the classic winning endings is not to conquer the rest of the world or overawe the other civilizations with alliances and treaties; rather, it is to build a ship and send it to the stars. What would happen when that ship reaches its destination?  In the Mid 1990’s, Sid Meier, creator of the Civilization franchise, explored that in Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri, a turn-based strategy game with a transhumanist narrative, contacting and, in one of the win conditions, joining with Planet. It is probably the biggest budget videogame to ever explore transhumanism and science fiction, and one of the few to meld an external narrative into a strategy game. Now, Civilization: Beyond Earth treads into those waters again. Created by Firaxis, Beyond Earth takes the chassis of the Civilization V engine, with its one-unit-per-hex design, and transplants it onto an alien planet.

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

247. On the Blogs — Bloggers Discuss Their Roles at LonCon3 w/ Foz Meadows, Patricia Ash, Liz de Jager, Shaun Duke, and Erin Underwood

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http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode247OnTheBlogsBloggersDiscussTheirRolesAtLonCon3/SandF%20–%20Episode%20247%20–%20On%20the%20Blogs%20–%20Bloggers%20Discuss%20Their%20Roles%20at%20LonCon3.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSBooks, blogs, and weird emails, oh my! This recording from LonCon3 features Foz Meadows, Patricia Ash, Liz de Jager, Shaun Duke, and Erin Underwood talking about book blogs, YA, book promotion, and much more.  Though the panel was originally meant to focus entirely on YA book blogging, we took things in a more general direction. Here’s the panel description: Bloggers have become an integral part of YA book promotion. How do authors find these bloggers? Why should readers trust their opinions? What are the best book blogs out there right now and what makes them so useful? 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): Episode 247 — Download (MP3) Show Notes:. The Panelists: Foz Meadows Foz’ Twitter Erin Underwood Erin’s Twitter Liz de Jager Liz’s Twitter Patricia Ash Patricia’s Twitter Shaun Duke Shaun’s Twitter Our new intro music is “Time Flux” by Revolution Void (CC BY 3.0). That’s all, folks!  Thanks for listening.  See you next week.

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

246. Canadian SF at LonCon3 — #WorldSFTour

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http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode246CanadianSFAtLonCon3/SandF%20–%20Episode%20246%20–%20Canadian%20SF%20at%20LonCon3.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSSpace hockey, Martian curling, and Quebec, oh my!  Recorded at LonCon3 / Worldcon, this panel on Canadian SF features the voices of Eric Choi, Kate Heartfield, Ira Nayman, Hayden Trenholm, Caitlin Sweet, and Marjolaine Lafreniere.  They tackle Canadian publishing, the history of Canadian SF, thematic differences, and more. 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): Episode 246 — Download (MP3) Show Notes:

Blog Posts

Diversity in SF Film: Things to Come (1936)

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This is my third post on diversity in Science Fiction films. I started with Metropolis (1927), and then skipped two decades to The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). Largely, my reason was that there weren’t any options for the 30s or 40s available on Netflix. Apparently, there aren’t very many SF films within that twenty year period.[1] I’ve decided to skip Frankenstein — although the novel is one of the first, if not the first, SF novels — because the classic film has more in common with horror than SF. I feel much the same about King Kong. Therefore, I settled on Things to Come (1936), which is based upon the H.G. Wells’ novel published in 1933 entitled The Shape of Things to Come. I know I’m risking a bit of confusion by going backward here, but I felt it was too important to skip. Also:  keep in mind that I don’t think I read the novel. At least, I don’t remember having read it.[2] So… Things to Come.

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

245. The Philosophical Mecha Panel at LonCon3

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http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode245ThePhilosophicalMechaPanelAtLonCon3/SandF%20–%20Episode%20245%20–%20The%20Philosophical%20Mecha%20Panel%20at%20LonCon3.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSThe robot, the human, and the inhuman, oh my!  Recorded at LonCon3 / Worldcon, this panel features David G. Shaw, Madeline Ashby, and Shaun Duke discussing mecha, the self, and the other compelling philosophical questions raised by the very notion of mecha. Here’s the panel description: When is a giant robot more than just a giant robot? Many of the best and most famous anime — such as Evangelion, Gasaraki, or Flag — use the mecha as a tool to explore politics, philosophy, and the human condition. What is the conception of the human explored in such series, and how is it mediated by technological experience? 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): Episode 245 — Download (MP3) Show Notes: The Panelists: David G. Shaw Madeline Ashby Shaun Duke Our new intro music is “Time Flux” by Revolution Void (CC BY 3.0). That’s all, folks!  Thanks for listening.  See you next week.

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

243. The Marvel Cinematic Universe Panel at CONvergence

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http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode243MarvelCinematicUniversePanelAtCONvergence/SandF%20–%20Episode%20243%20–%20Marvel%20Cinematic%20Universe%20Panel%20at%20CONvergence.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSKickass heroines, Marvel-ous universes, and ants, oh my!  Recorded at CONvergence, this panel on the Marvel Cinematic Universe is akin to a blast from the past.  Featuring the voice talents of Lyda Morehouse (a.k.a. Tate Hallaway), Allyson Cygan, Shaun Duke, John Seavey, and Neil Anderson, the panel discusses the current Marvel film canon, upcoming projects, and our hopes for the future (some of which Marvel has kindly answered). Here is the panel description: Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier have been out, and Agents of SHIELD, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Defenders, and Ant Man are on the horizon. How do they all compare? What do you want to see next? 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): Episode 243 — Download (MP3) Show Notes: The Panelists: Lyda Morehouse / Tate Hallaway Lyda/Tate’s Twitter John Seavey Neil Anderson Allyson Cygan Shaun Duke Shaun’s Twitter Our new intro music is “Time Flux” by Revolution Void (CC BY 3.0). That’s all, folks!  Thanks for listening.  See you next week.

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