The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Themes, Works and Wonders is a massive three-volume work cataloguing science fiction and fantasy spread over 1,612-pages.

The encyclopedia operates by grouping the information into themes for two volumes and classic works for the third. “Themes” were defined as any topic worth discussing in relation to science fiction and fantasy. Such as:

Types of character (aliens in space, elves, mothers, robots)
Settings (castles, heaven, Mars, mountains)
narrative patterns (betrayal, quests, space travel, underwater adventure)
fields of study (biology, cosmology, politics, psychology)

The ‘classic work’ entries cover 127 novels, 52 films and 21 television programs, all deemed especially significant and/or especially revelatory in terms of their uses of themes.

The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Themes, Works and Wonders has a wealth of information that will entertain and inform anyone who has even a passing interest in the two genres.

Reference for posting: http://www.scifi.com

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David Koepp, the writer behind Spiderman has begun negotiating with Columbia Pictures to write the script for a fourth installment of the studio’s most lucrative franchise. The second and third installments of Spiderman were written by Alvin Sargent.

The franchise would appear to be in good hands as Koepp’s script played a significant role in creating the box office hit that was the original film. The writer has also recently finished a draft of the fourth Indiana Jones movie which was good enough to get Spielberg, Lucas and Ford to agree to it.

However if a fourth Spider-Man movie is to be made, new deals will have to be made with the principal players such as Tobey Maguire, Kirstin Dunst and James Franco, as well as Raimi who directed the previous films. The studio would release the sequel in 2009 or 2010.

Reference for posting: http://www.scifi.com

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Sunshine a sci fi epic written by Alex Garland (writer of 28 days later) and directed by Danny Boyle (director of 28 days later and Trainspotting) is set fifty years in the future when the sun is failing and a space mission is co-ordinated to re-ignite the sun (via a very, very large bomb).

The recently released trailer is currently being shown before screenings of Casino Royale and White Noise: The Light as well as several online sources.

The film has garnered considerate attention recently as the hype has begun to build for its March release. Fans of Boyle have been following this title ever since he let slip about his latest project whilst promoting family film, Millions (how many directors can go from zombie horror flick to family film to sci-fi epic?).

Reference for posting: http://www.canmag.com

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One of the television greatest sci-fi dramas returned to Sky One on January 9th. Battlestar Galactica has been praised for its engrossing story line, dynamic characters and the kind of production associated with big budget sci-fi yarns. Fans of the show also enjoy the mystery and suspense however it does sort out its unanswered questions regularly unlike some TV shows (I’m looking at you, LOST).

Series 3 continues four months after the events of series 2. The last remnants of humanity have settled on New Caprica only to be discovered by the Cylons, a robotic race built by humanity. The Cylons come in two forms, metal robotic looking and human looking members of the elite and they seek to eradicate the unworthy humans unless they worship their “one true God” (as opposed to the dozen or so that humanity worships) .

With the remaining military force of the Humans jetting away at the Cylons arrival, the struggling humans create a resistance movement that draws parallels on modern day conflicts.

The third series promises to provide the same drama and conflict that is associated with the previous series. What is notable is that much of the conflict lies within personal relationships and not in the perfectly constructed space battles that are interwoven through the storyline.

Most of the main characters enjoy a revamping as they become grittier under the strain of the occupation. The once unsure alcoholic Colonel Tigh becomes a badass resistance leader complete with eye patch and delivers many of the series’ most memorable performances.

Battlestar Galactica has won many awards and has been praised by countless publications such as RollingStone and Time which labelled it Best TV Show of 2005 (beating the likes of The Office and Prison Break). It is sure to impress even those with a phobia of the sci-fi genre.

Reference for this posting: http://www.time.com

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Heroes, the latest smash hit show to rock the US, will be debuting on the Uk’s Sci-Fi channel on February 19th. The show centres around a group of ordinary people who gain extraordinary powers. There’s a cheerleader with the ability to recover from bodily injuries or disease at a superhuman rate, a Tokyo programmer who can affect the flow of time and a Los Angeles police officer with the ability to hear other people’s thoughts among others.

The Heroes become involved in each other’s lives as they learn how to master their individual powers and save mankind from destruction. The series’ antagonist, Sylar, is tracking and killing super-powered humans and the heroes must evade his attempts at capture.

When the series premiered in the United States on NBC, it was the night’s most-watched program among adults 18-49 and attracted an audience of 14.3 million viewers and received the highest rating for any NBC drama premiere in five years

The BBC have also acquired the rights for terrestrial viewing and will air the series after it has been shown on the Sci-Fi Channel.

References for this posting: http://www.scifiuk.com

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One of the Sci Fi Channel’s latest offerings is a six-hour miniseries and the channel has teamed with George Clooney who will serve as an executive producer, along with his business partner, Grant Heslov.

The mini series is based on a book by author Neal Stephenson’s entitled “The Diamond Age: Or a Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer.” The author is set to adapt the book for the channel, the first time Stephenson has worked on TV.

The story is set in a Victorian age that is intertwined with aspects of greater technology such as nanotechnology.

The story centers around a young street urchin called Nell who illicitly receives a copy of an interactive book that helps her overcome her lack of education and poor background. The book was meant to go to a girl of better social standing.

Reference for posting: http://today.reuters.com

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At the Television Critic’s Association tour it was announced that the SCI FI Channel has given the go ahead for production on FLASH GORDON, based on the popular comic strip franchise.

22 one-hour episodes will be produced for the Sci Fi channel with production beginning in Canada in early 2007.

The comic strip followed the adventures of Flash Gordon and his companions Dr. Hans Zarkov and Dale Arden who become stranded on the planet Mongo which is inhabited by a number of different cultures. These cultures have been falling one by one under the domination of the vicious tyrant Ming the Merciless.

The series is slated to debut on SCI FI in July of ‘07.

Reference for posting: http://iesb.net

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With Space being so large there is always a good chance that there is alien life out there similar to us. However none have come to visit us so far. The reason, according to mathematician Rasmus Bjork, is that space is so large that it would take billions of years to probe the universe.

The mathematician calculated that eight probes traveling at 30,000km a second (Nasa’s current Cassini mission to Saturn is traveling at 32km a second) and each capable of launching up to eight sub-probes, would take about 100,000 years to explore a region of space containing 40,000 stars.

When he scaled up the search to include 260,000 such systems in our galaxy’s habitable zone, the probes took almost 10 billion years.

This estimate could be shortened if the aliens could pick up on radio and television broadcasts coming from our planet.

Reference for posting: http://www.news.com.au

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January sees a whole list of shows returning in the UK with Battlestar Galactica, Prison Break and 24 among others. Also coming to UK television are several new exciting shows from across the pond such as The Lost Room.

The Lost Room centres around a strange room at the Sunshine Motel, Room 10. After an event that occurred on May 4, 1961, the room and all its contents were erased from history. Access to the room can only be grant by the key, which is given to the main character, Police Det. Joe Miller, by a fatally shot young man.

When the Detective investigates the room he discovers a wide assortment of everyday objects all of which possess some sort of power such as a comb that can stop time for ten seconds when run though someone’s hair.

Detective Millar soon realises that once the key holder leaves the room, the room is reset and everything that doesn’t belong is lost. This results in the disappearance of his daughter and the Detective begins his search for the missing girl.

To make matters worse for the detective there are a number of cabals of object collectors vying for the objects. These range from a cabal that believe the objects to be pieces of God’s corpse and “The Legion” who wish to stop the objects from causing any more harm.

The mysterious Lost Room premiers on Sky One on January 24th.

Reference for posting: SCIFI.com

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James Cameron, director of box office hits such as Aliens, The Terminator and the highest grossing film of all time, Titanic, is set to direct an epic sci-fi film called Avatar. Fox have officially announced that production on Avatar will star in April and may not be released until the summer of 2009.

Avatar is the story of a wounded ex-marine named Jake who is unwillingly sent to settle and exploit a faraway planet. He gets caught up in a battle for survival by the planet’s inhabitants, the Na’vi.

Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning visual effects house, Weta Digital, will help to transport the audience into the alien world rich with imaginative vistas, creatures and characters.

Avatar has been in pre-production for years after Cameron wrote the screenplay in 1995 but various other projects have taken priority over it. Should Avatar prove successful, Cameron hopes to extend the franchise into a trilogy.

Reference for posting: SCI FI Wire