Eureka 4.04 – The Story of O2 (Review)

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Jul 312010

Last Week

Last week was zombie apocalypse at GD when an experiment with nonlethal weapons went awry. Tess discovered what was going on with Carter and Alison and left. The acting was beautiful with all the restrained and unrestrained rage.

This Week

Carter goes off to visit Zoe in Harvard while Eureka celebrates Space Week – or the unlikely story that made Jo Lupo move in with Carter.

While Sheriff Carter rebound with Zoe over an invisible cat and the usual parental platitudes the youngsters in Eureka race to the moon. Alison’s son Kevin is one of the contesters in the race.

They even get a visit from the General in charge of Eureka. A Doctor Ramsey uncovers his plans for a Mars colony. He has invented a way to oxygenate the colony without a dome. The substance for doing this is central for the story thus the name; O is the scientific abbreviation of oxygen.

There was a Star Wars moment there when Zane arrived on his rather spectacular flyingbike. The General isn’t happy to see him to begin with so that when Zane returns and crashes the bike into the general’s car apparently intoxicated the general demand that he be deported away into prison again. Jo Lupo stands up for him to give him ‘due process’.

Eventually they start to put things together. Ramsey’s invention has been stolen from the lab; Deputy Andy catch fire at the launch site (funny btw); One of the rockets are using it for fuel; the changed EM field hit right on the frequency needed to activate the oxygen production and propagation of Ramsey’s invention which I assume is some kind of nano technology.

As Kevin’s rocket is in the lead he becomes their prime suspect but the unlikely culprit is Alison. She did it to ‘help’ her son win, the test burns didn’t go so well. Her care for her son is taking on absurd proportions, she used to be a responsible head of GD and now she steals a potentially dangerous invention to help her son win a race? The explanation is that the difference between autistic Kevin and this independent one was so big and she was only trying to reconnect?

They are not out of the woods yet, the returning rockets have crossed behind the moon and are now returning to earth and their engines will set off a fire that will destroy the town. The rockets are destroyed using their self destruct mechanism, save one built by Fargo’s obnoxious assistant who ’saved weight’.

Now they have to lower the oxygen content somehow before the rocket strikes. All the scientists at GD fails but Kevin comes up with the solution, turn it into water (H2o). Alison and Grant rush off to help him as he releases balloons. Kevin and Alison trigger the release together causing a massive fire in the upper atmosphere before it is extinguished by rain. It is a cute little family outing there.

Don’t forget the lone returning rocket. It is slightly off course and hits a residential area, namely Miss Lupo’s house. Sheriff Carter returns to find Jo homeless crashing in his jail so he offer her to stay with him and S.a.r.a.h. That is how Jo Lupo came to move in with Sheriff Carter.

It should be noted that this episode was directed by Colin Ferguson (Sheriff Jack Carter).

Said and done

  • You are too irritating to be boring (Jo)
  • They had to increase the EM shield, because last year the Nort-Koreans though they launched a missile attack.

Next Week

We have a cross-over event with Warehouse 13 next week, maybe not the last this season according to rumors from Comic Con.

Tuesday, August 3

Warehouse 13 2.05 – 13.1 (Syfy).
Douglas Fargo (Neil Grayston) of Eureka’s Global Dynamics is sent to Warehouse 13 to help update its aging computer system. This triggers a seemingly sentient computer virus that sends the Warehouse into lockdown and traps the team inside.

Friday, August 6

Eureka 4.05 – Crossing over (Syfy)
Claudia Donovan visits Eureka to see if Fargo’s promises of wondrous devices are true, but she finds herself in the middle of a mystery suitable for Warehouse 13 when objects begin to appear randomly around the town and GD, and it must be solved before there are deadly consequences

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The Lotus Eaters (Carrera book 3) by Tom Kratman

Books 2 Responses »
Jul 312010

Title: The Lotus Eaters
Series: Carrera book 3
Author: Tom Kratman
Genre: Military Science Fiction
Hardcover: 496 0ages
Publisher: Baen 2010

Order from: Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

Sometimes paranoia is just a heightened state of awareness.

Carrera’s won his war, and inflicted a horrific revenge upon his enemies. But there are wars after wars. The Tauran Union is planning an attack. The criminals of neighboring states are already attacking, and threatening to embroil him in a war with the planet’s premier power. His only living son is under fire among the windswept mountains of Pashtia. An enemy fleet is hunting his submarines. His organization has been infiltrated by spies. One of the two governments of his adopted country, Balboa, is trying to destroy everything he’s built and reinstitute rule by a corrupt oligarchy. Worst of all, perhaps, he, himself, bearing a crushing burden of guilt, isn’t quite the man he once was.

Fortunately, the man he once was, was lucky enough to marry the right woman….

Information

The book is dedicated to Julia and starts with a “What has gone before” section.

This whole series is about Patricio Carrera a self made man who found a home in Balboa, the country he once fought. Now he fights for freedom both for his corrupt homeland and against the depraved old earth. It all takes place on Terra Nova. Earth’s first and only interstellar colony.

The Author

I have read Tom Kratman before. It would be wrong to say that he is politically correct. Especially his first books where not to my liking. I think Tom likes it when people criticizes his work, he used to have a wall of fame over the most angry ones (still have one). His works are usually on the edge on what I can tolerate to read. But he provides a different point of view and thats worth something.

World Building

It is a rather sordid world Tom has painted. Earth is ruled by renegade international humanitarian organizations like Amnesty and different United Nations departments. Liberals are the new master slaves and new religions even practice human sacrifice.

Terra Nova reminds a great deal of todays earth and there are many parallels just twisted a bit. Carrera has fought in their ‘middle-east’ and now his ‘Panama’ faces the drug cartels.

The philosophy and assumption reminds of Heinlein’s Starship Troopers to a great deal.

Plot

Carrera is not the man he used to be after all the death he caused in the last book so the first obstacle is to restore him to sound mind.

Carrera prepares for the war with earth while he has to deal with his occupied land and its corrupted leadership.

The ‘US’ threatens to invade if he does nothing against the drug cartels so he makes that his agenda. But the cartels have deep pockets and there are traitors among Carrera’s men and they go after him and his closest.

Characterization

The characters are a bit two dimensional but they are entertaining.

My View

This is decent military science fiction that might not be for everyone.

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Amy Pond on Doctor Who [Female Protagonists on SF TV]

Books 1 Response »
Jul 302010

Amy Pond is the companion of the 11th Doctor. She first meets him as a little girl when the 11th reincarnation crashlands the TARDIS in her back yard. He behaves really weird even for the Doctor but I guess it is compelling to small children. Amy was cute as a child but that is nothing against what she looks like when she grows up.

Next time she meets him she is dressed as a police woman. She kicks the Doctor’s ass and make a citizen’s arrest because she is dressed like that for her kissogram job

The new companion has been a bit controversial, she is way too sexy for some and when she came on to the Doctor it was widely discussed especially since she was engaged. The Doctor sort it out and take the happy two on an extended honeymoon on the TARDIS. Executive producer Piers Wenger stated that Amy was intended to be “feisty and outspoken and a bit of a number. Amy is probably the wildest companion that the Doctor has travelled with, but she isn’t promiscuous.”

This installment of the Doctor feels more adult and grownup humor.

Name: Amy Pond
Portrayed by: Karen Gillian
TV show: Doctor Who, 11th Incarnation
Genre: Science Fiction
Status: She will return next season

Karen Gillian

Karen was born 28 November 1987 and is best known for her role as Amy Pond in Doctor Who. She was born and raised in Inverness, Scotland.

She did some model job before and also played in Fires of Pompeii

Related Posts

  1. Olivia Dunham in Fringe
  2. Max Guevara (X5-452) in Dark Angel
  3. Erica Evans on V
  4. Molly Anne Caffrey on Threshold
  5. Wendy ‘Dub-Dub’ Watson on The Middleman
  6. Jane Vasco on Painkiller Jane
  7. Æon Flux on Æon Flux
  8. Dana Scully on The X-Files
  9. Myka Bering on Warehouse 13
  10. Dr. Helena Magnus on Sanctuary
  11. Sarah on Chuck
  12. Echo on Dollhouse
  13. Amy Pond on Doctor Who
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Formidable Female Protagonists in Science Fiction Part 16

Books 18 Responses »
Jul 302010



I prefer female protagonists and this series of posts is homage to some of the most formidable female main characters in science fiction novels or series. This is the last one I got material for at the moment but I am pretty sure there are some formidable female protagonists in a science fiction novel or series that need to be here. This is your last chance to add to my list before I have to close the list.

I added a list of all the characters so far at the end of this post. Please add more suggestions. 100 is a better number than 80.

  1. Paula Myo – Intrepid Investigator (Peter F. Hamilton)
  2. Sissy – High Priestess of Harmony (C. F. Bentley)
  3. Paula Mendoza – Unconventional Negotiator (Cecelia Holland)
  4. Casseia Majumdar – Scientific Revolutionary (Greg Bear)
  5. Dirisha Zuri – the Matadora (Steve Perry)

Paula Myo – Intrepid Investigator

Books: Pandora’s Star (2004), Judas Unchained (2005)
Series: Commonwealth Saga
Author: Peter F. Hamilton
Genre: Space opera
Publisher: MacMillan UK, Del Rey, Pan

Paula Myo is only one of the characters in the Commonwealth saga. She is a famous investigator that realizes the Starflyer is real and a threat to humanity. It was a few years since I read these books and they are huge, not as huge as his Night’s Dawn trilogy but big enough. Good interesting space opera with multiple main characters.

[up]

Sissy – High Priestess of Harmony

Books: Harmony (2008), Enigma (2009)
Series: Harmony
Author: C. F. Bentley (Irene Radford)
Genre: Military Science Fiction | Fantasy
Publisher: Daw

I just finished reading Harmony an liked it a lot; it is a mixture of military science fiction, space opera and romance. Sissy is born with the mark of all seven casts. Normally that would make here an outcast to be killed but she hides the marks with the help of her family. Their planet Harmony is becoming unstable and a catastrophic earthquake threatens to destroy the capital. But Sissy finds out she has the power to divert the power of the quake and save the city. The High Priestess is killed and the surviving High Priest sees an opportunity in using this young uneducated girl with real powers to strengthening his position on the ruling council. Thing is that Sissy have other ideas.

There is a lovely love story in there to you can check out my review.

[up]

Paula Mendoza – Unconventional Negotiator

Books: Floating Wolds (1976)
Author: Cecelia Holland
Genre: Feminist Science Fiction
Publisher: Knopf, Gollancz, Pocket, Sphere, VGSF.

New to me both of them. According to Wikipedia “This novel is notable for its sexual content, its feminist theme, and its literary quality—all comparable to the mid-70s work of Joanna Russ and Ursula K. Le Guin.” that sounds like something I would like to read. This also goes on my to-read list.

When an aggressive race of mutants from Uranus and Saturn launch pirate raids on ships from Mars, the task of negotiating peace falls to the resourceful and unpredictable Paula Mendoza.

Though highly skeptical of her “anarchist” government, gutsy Paula Mendoza rises from the ranks of the unemployed Earthish to become its peace negotiator in the escalating war between the Middle Planets and the Gas Planets in this latest by Cecelia Holland (The Pillar of the Sky), whom the Chicago Tribune has compared to Arthur C. Clarke and Ursula Le Guin. Paula’s methods (which include sleeping with the enemy) are innovative, to say the least, and they land her in troubled waters in the startling and epic Floating Worlds

[up]

Casseia Majumdar – Scientific Revolutionary

Books: Moving Mars (1993)
Series: Queen of Angels book 3
Author: Greg Bear
Genre: Coming of Age | Revolution
Publisher: Tor, Legend, Orb, The Easton Press, Brilliance Audio

This is a coming of age story about Casseia Majumdar at the backdrop of the brewing revolution. Sounds like a good book I have to read soon.

Mars is a colonial world governed by corporate interests on Earth. The citizens of Mars are hardworking, brave, and intelligent, but held back by their lack of access to the best education, and the desire of Earthly powers to keep the best inventions for themselves. The young Martians – the second and third generation born on Mars – have little loyalty to the Earth, and strong belief that their planet can be independent. The revolution begins slowly, but matures to its inevitable conclusion.

[up]

Dirisha Zuri – The Matadora

Books: Matadora (1986)
Series: Matador
Author: Steve Perry
Genre: Military Science Fiction
Publisher: Ace , Sphere

Matadora is new to me while Steve Perry is not, I read Target Earth before and it was quite enjoyable. This book is part of a longer series all covering the Matador’s revolution.

On some worlds, the name of Khadaji is a prayer for resistance fighters…

Khadaji… master warrior, martyr, legend. The one-man resistance to the Confed on Greaves. Known as “The Man Who Never Missed,” he only let himself be taken when he’d done what he’d set out to do. With his death, Khadaji became the inspiration and idol of students of martial arts everhwere.

Matador Villa… the training center for the best fighters in the galaxy, disciples of the great Khadaji. A rigorous program of political tactics and psychological warfare, physical discipline and martial force. A mysterious school on the planet Renault… its ultimate motives unknown.

Dirisha Zuri… a dangerous drifter, a dark-skinned beauty, Khadaji’s colleague. A ronin, whose expertise in body control and knowledge of the fighting arts drew the attention of Matador Villa. The school wanted her talents… and the galaxy desperately needed her deadly skills.

Matadora The legend of the Man Who Never Missed becomes the incredible mission of a single woman… The Matadora.

[up]

List

Miss anyone?

Read part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | afterword

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Harmony (Harmony 1) by C. F. Bentley (Daw) Review

Books 1 Response »
Jul 292010

Title: Harmony
Series: Harmony 1
Author: C. F. Bentley (Irene Radford)
Genre: Military Science Fiction | Fantasy
Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Daw 2008

Order from: Daw | Amazon US | UK | B&N | sfbok

The launch of a brand new series that blends the best elements of science fiction and fantasy.

The world of Harmony, along with its close-knit colony planets, long ago isolated itself from the rest of the universe. But in a universe where the human-based Confederate Star System fleet finds itself hard-pressed to stand against ever-increasing attacks by the alien Marillon Empire, the Harmonic Empire cannot be left alone. For if the CSS cannot win an alliance with Harmony, the Marils will surely find a way to invade the planet and seize control of the unique and invaluable metal, which only the Harmonites can produce.

Yet invasion is far from the only threat the people of Harmony face. The gulf between rich and poor, rulers and ruled continues to widen, threatening to destroy the very structure of their society—while the planet itself is becoming increasingly unstable. In this time of crisis, one young woman

Information

The book is dedicated to Father Richard Toll and there is an excerpt from the sequel Enigma at the end of the book.

This is a book about a historical conspiracy and the pressure of change that will rip any static society apart.

The protagonists are Jake, a spy sent by mainstream humanity to obtain the secret of the Badger Metal and Sissy born with the mark of all seven castes, soon to become High Priestess of Harmony.

The Author

C. F. Bentley is a pseudonym Irene Radford uses for her science fiction novels. Harmony is the first novel by her I ever read but I think I will read more. From what it looks like she has written a number of fantasy books. The theme seems to be dragons and Merlin. More information on Irene’s homepage www.ireneradford.com.

World building

The Confederated Star System is at war with the alien Marillon Empire and they both need Badger Metal for their starships. Harmony is the only supplier which is why Jake is sent there to find out the secret on how to make it. Harmony is a seven world pocket empire that was founded by an earth cult. It closed its borders fifty years ago and they have had no outside contact ever since including no export of Badger Metal.

Harmony with its rigid cast society is like an onion of deception where we see layer after layer being stripped off. Marriages between casts are forbidden and when you are born into a cast (carry the cast mark) you are there for life.

The world is consistent, interesting and realistic even if it borders on on the absurd at times. There is a slight resemblance in feel from some Harry Harrison novels even if the world is much more complex here.

Plot

Jake used to be a fighter pilot before he screwed up and was saved by a secret intelligence organization that takes on space opera manners. There is sex very early in the novel but not very descriptive. He is first sent to The Lost Colony of Harmony (they broke of communication with their mother world and formed a new casteless society) to try to obtain an alternative to Badger Metal but it fails so he is sent to Harmony undercover as one of the Military Cast and he eventually end up as Sissy’s bodyguard.

Harmony is going through an unstable period with freaky weather and earthquakes which the cultists see as the planet being upset. Sissy is a mutant, born and raised by Worker parents but with all seven cast markings, usually that would make her an outcast of society to be eventually exterminated in one of their concentration camps/asylum but she hides it with cosmetics. During a catastrophic earthquake she discovers that she can channel its energy and commune with Harmony saving the city from destruction. The High Priest finds her and makes her the new High Priestess against the wishes of the former’s family who have had that title for generations. The High Priest thinks she will be easy to manipulate with her simple upbringing. He couldn’t be more wrong as she starts to put things right.

What follows is political intrigue, assassination attempts, deception but also revelation of the truth about their pasts. It is fast paced with unexpected twists and a lovely love story just like I like it.

Characterization

Jake is well developed with his doubt about the mission and the moral dilemma he faces. He is also appalled by the rigid caste society and the way the high casts manipulate the lower.

Sissy grows from ignorant worker to a formidable leader of her people. She is a strong believer in family and the high castes ways disgust her. You root for her from the beginning as she is so easy to love.

My View

There is a quite a bit of social commentary in this story and the characters, which makes it more than just a good rump. I like Harmony, it mixes military with space opera and romance in a fast flowing easy to read experience. It was also a damn fun book to read. I had to laugh out loud in delight at some of the twists the story took to the amusement of my dear ones. In conclusion Harmony is not great literature but it is a fun read which should please both readers of military science fiction, space opera and romance.

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Warehouse 13 2.04 – Age Before Beauty (Review)

TV Series No Responses »
Jul 292010

Last Week

Our intrepid artifact hunters missed one in the mail that made the whole town the scene of a number of really bad movies. The final one Doctor Doomsday they stopped just before he blew up the town. And Pete got a new veterinarian to fuss over and Claudia got a hardware-store boy to blush over. The cold shoulder they have been getting all over town also got its explanation, their cover is IRS agents.

This Week

Myka is in a sword fight while Pete eat dirt in Wales and an old lady disturb a Fashion show in Milan. Artie calls and tells them to stop by in Milan on their way home. Need a geography lesson? The old lady said “they stole me” in Russian before she died. Peter, the expert on breast implants track down her identity as Anya Verdikov a 19 year old fashion model that disappeared two days ago. Back in the Warehouse we learn that this is just the last in a series of disappearing fashion models. Off to Fashion Week in Manhattan we go.

Pete thinks he is in heaven. They discover one of the models they meet have similar symptoms like Anya after talking to her agent. When Pete rush after her she transforms to and old woman and collapse. Peter is spooked. We established earlier this episode that Myka was a tomboy learning to fight with swords as she grew up. Pete is delighted with his plan to infiltrate Fashion Week. Myka is going undercover as one of the Models and Peter as her obedient slave/assistant. No sooner than she is embedded she is approached by a creepy photographer to take her photos, but Gunther is not the photographer we are after.

Miss Donovan is getting persistent text on her Farnsworth from hardware-store Todd. It was so amusing to see Artie dig himself a hole with saying you are not a girl any more (meaning be responsible and call answer him). Back home Claudia plays with a Big Needle before going on coffee with Todd. While entertaining the date is a train crash and Claudia rushes home to yell at Artie for telling her to be herself.

It seems like someone is peddling youth to elderly people and it looks like Myka’s photo is involved. An old lady is shown Myka’s photo and says she is perfect. Pete’s pep talk before going out there was warm, corny and effective. Myka noticed an old woman with huge ruby earrings watching the show but she disappears before Pete and Myka can get to her. Unfortunately that also means Myka turns old. There is silver-nitrate in Myka’s blood which leads them to Man Ray’s camera and one of the photographers. He escapes  but Pete track him down and Artie figures something out before everybody else and take a photo of him overexposed on a photo of Myka. They guy had been stealing youth for a long time but it is over now.

Claudia and Artie has a cute father daughter talk before Todd walks into the Diner. Gulp from Claudia and a not so subtle go away to Artie. Young love, so charming.

This was a very corny episode but I liked it. Maybe that tells you something about me. I expected something for the season arc but it never landed, maybe it is something with Todd and the season arc? The friendly bickering was great this episode and showed how fond the characters all are of each other. Could all these fuzzy warm feelings be a buildup for something? Or am I just paranoid? I don’t know but I am going to watch next week when Fargo from Eureka comes to visit …

Things learned

  • There was a holy grail
  • Myka’s sister was the pretty one, the cheer leader the boys was crazy about.

Next week

This is crossover-with-Eureka Week; there might be more than one this season according to rumors from comic con.

Tuesday, August 3

Warehouse 13 2.05 – 13.1 (Syfy).
Douglas Fargo (Neil Grayston) of Eureka’s Global Dynamics is sent to Warehouse 13 to help update its aging computer system. This triggers a seemingly sentient computer virus that sends the Warehouse into lockdown and traps the team inside.

Friday, August 6

Eureka 4.05 – Crossing over (Syfy)
Claudia Donovan visits Eureka to see if Fargo’s promises of wondrous devices are true, but she finds herself in the middle of a mystery suitable for Warehouse 13 when objects begin to appear randomly around the town and GD, and it must be solved before there are deadly consequences

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