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Film Review: Shank (2010) — A (World) SFF Film Odyssey

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Most of you haven’t heard of Shank.  On some level, that’s probably a good thing.  Though low-budget can sometimes produce remarkable results, Shank is a film which suffers from a feeling of inexperience, overexertion, and disjointedness.  Set in a depression-rattled London in 2015, Shank follows a ragtag group of young men who are trying to earn enough money to do…something.  It’s never made clear exactly why they need to raise the money to go wherever they’re going, and this fact becomes irrelevant when Junior’s (Kedar Williams-Stirling) brother, Rager (Ashley “Bashy” Thomas — the UK rap artist), is murdered by rival gang leader, Tugz (Jerome Holder).  His dreams crushed, Junior sets off on a journey to get revenge, bringing along his family of gang members:  Kickz (Adam Deacon), Craze (Michael Socha, who looks suspiciously like Jake Gyllenhaal), and Sweet Boy (Jan Uddin).

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

#19. Babylon 5 (S1D5&6: Eps 17-22) — A Shoot the WISB Subcast

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http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/ShootTheWISB19Babylon5ReWatchEps1722/Shoot%20the%20WISB%20%2319%20–%20Babylon%205%20re-watch%20%28Eps%2017-22%29.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSTime traveling space stations, psychics, and metamorphoses, oh my!  Shaun, Mike, and Paul join forces to discuss the final episodes of the first season of Babylon 5.  In other words, we’ve covered the entire first season.  Phew!  Hopefully, you enjoy our thoughts as much as we enjoyed watching the show! We also really want to hear what you think!  So feel free to watch along with us! Spoiler Alert:  the following podcast contains spoilers for the film being reviewed; if you wish to see the film without having it ruined for you, download this podcast and save it for later. Download the episode here. [audio http://archive.org/download/ShootTheWISB19Babylon5ReWatchEps1722/Shoot%20the%20WISB%20%2319%20–%20Babylon%205%20re-watch%20%28Eps%2017-22%29.mp3] Show notes (info about our contributors can be found on the about page): Babylon 5 (IMDB) Episode 17:  Legacies Episode 18:  A Voice in the Wilderness (Part 1) Episode 19:  AVoice in the Wilderness (Part 2) Episode 20:  Babylon Squared Episode 21:  The Quality of Mercy Episode 22:  Chrysalis Comment away!

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

203. Stephanie Saulter (a.k.a. The Jeweler) — Gemsigns (An Interview) #worldsftour

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http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode203InterviewWStephanieSaulter/Sandf–Episode203–InterviewWStephanieSaulter.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSGenetic mutations, civil rights, and pandemics, oh my!  Stina and Shaun join forces to interview Stephanie Saulter about her novel, Gemsigns, which was released yesterday in the United States.  We talk about imagining changing cultures, technological advancements, religion, civil rights, and how all of these things are tied to her incredible sf novel! You U.K. folks can get Binary, the sequel, right now.  What are you waiting for?  Go.  Now.  Why are you still here?  GET!  There’s a Waterstones somewhere near you.  Don’t come back until you have both of the books in hand (OK, so you can come back without it, but we recommend the “buy books now” option). 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 203 — Download (MP3) Show Notes: Stephanie’s Website Stephanie’s Books Stephanie’s Twitter Jo Fletcher Books You can also support this podcast by signing up for a one month free trial at Audible.  Doing so helps us, gives you a change to try out Audible’s service, and brings joy to everyone. 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

202. Highlander II: the Quickening (1991) — A Torture Cinema “Adventure” w/ Mike Martinez

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http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode202TortureCinemaMeetsHighlanderIIWMikeMartinez/SandF%20–%20Episode%20202%20–%20Torture%20Cinema%20Meets%20Highlander%20II%20w%20Mike%20Martinez.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSImmortal weirdos, amazing suits, and hoverboard sword battles, oh my!  Shaun, Jen, and Julia are joined by special guest, Michael J. Martinez, to discuss Highlander II: the Quickening, the officially forgotten Highlander sequel…about which we’re now going to remind every Highlander fan via this episode. Note:  This episode was recorded live.  However, viewers of the video file will not have heard the skit, which appears at the front of the mp3. We hope you enjoy the episode! (This episode was selected as a result of the perks on Shaun’s Worldcon fundraiser.  Please support our efforts to bring the Skiffy and Fanty Show and the World SF Tour to Worldcon!  Every little bit helps.) 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 202 — Download (MP3) Show Notes: Highlander II: the Quickening (1991)(IMDB) Mike’s Website Mike’s Books Mike’s Twitter You can also support this podcast by signing up for a one month free trial at Audible.  Doing so helps us, gives you a change to try out Audible’s service, and brings joy to everyone. 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

201. The Hugo Awards (A Discussion w/ Justin Landon and Natalie Luhrs)

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http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode201TheHugoAwardsWJustinLandonAndNatalieLuhrs/SandF%20–%20Episode%20201%20–%20The%20Hugo%20Awards%20w%20Justin%20Landon%20and%20Natalie%20Luhrs.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSControversies, award changes, and the Hugos, oh my!  Justin Landon and Natalie Luhrs join Shaun, Paul, and Jen to discuss the recently announced Hugo Award nominees — the good, the bad, and the awesome. We hope you enjoy the episode! (Please support our efforts to bring the Skiffy and Fanty Show and the World SF Tour to Worldcon!  Every little bit helps.) 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 201 — Download (MP3) Show Notes: The Hugo Award Nominees Staffer’s Book Review Justin’s Twitter Radish Reviews Natalie’s Twitter Trading Rosemary by Octavia Cade You can also support this podcast by signing up for a one month free trial at Audible.  Doing so helps us, gives you a change to try out Audible’s service, and brings joy to everyone. 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.

Blog Posts

IDIC and the problem with gatekeepers

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When I started writing what I loved (science fiction) in about 2007, I didn’t have the impression that science fiction was US-centric. In fact, I thought that science fiction was like Star Trek’s philosophy of IDIC. Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations. Wasn’t science fiction supposed to be like that? I mean, I did submit stories before and one even got published. That was in 2000, when I was fresh out of university, armed with a postgraduate degree. So, when I started writing in 2007, I thought it was still peachy, and a writer like me — a writer from Southeast Asia — would be easily accepted. My steampunk story “A Matter of Possession” was published by Crossed Genres in 2010 in their issue on alternate history. It was my first entry into an interesting scene (I couldn’t use ‘community’ — didn’t feel much of it, though). I realized, to my shock, that people like me, people living outside the United States, had (still have) difficulty getting their stories published. The gatekeepers of serious science fiction were standing at the gate and barring entry to those trying to find their way in. Often, the accepted stories were written by white men. I wondered who made the gatekeepers gatekeepers? Who had set the rules and regulations? Is science fiction going to be a pub where unwanted and unwelcome folk are kept outside the window, desperately staring in while the accepted cliques mingle, laugh and have fun? Who chooses who will write our future(s)?

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