Sci-fi Fans

[pap]

My sci-fi confession is that I like all of the Matrix films.

I think the sequels were excellent - a lot more cerebral, and I think that they were unfairly knocked at the time because the filmmakers didn't create the story the nerd community was expecting.

[Colinjb]

My sci-fi confession is that I like all of the Matrix films.

I think the sequels were excellent - a lot more cerebral, and I think that they were unfairly knocked at the time because the filmmakers didn't create the story the nerd community was expecting.

Loved the first Matrix, but it wasn't the ideas I disliked in the two sequels, it was the action sequences that served nothing to further the narrative but were just there to be flashy and OTT.

Also that dancing sequence in Zion, why? So boring...... just like the massive fight where the sentinels invade Zion dock, yes it was meant to be epic and grandiose but it just ended up being overlong and dull.... also in the end the defense failed anyway so they just EMP'd it. Pointless, just like Newt in the second Alien film. (Why carry her through just to kill her offscreen before Alien 3!?!)

[sussexsaint]

Honourable mention for species 8472

Kai Wynn used to hack me off and was evil.

Alice was Stephen Kings Christine in space

Also really liked the Xindi species esp the aquatics.

[pap]

Loved the first Matrix, but it wasn't the ideas I disliked in the two sequels, it was the action sequences that served nothing to further the narrative but were just there to be flashy and OTT.

The kung-fu/freeway chase scene is still one of the most impressive action scenes I've seen on film. It's just a masterwork in subtly raising the stakes the whole way, laying peril upon peril. It does the very smart thing of keeping Neo out of the picture for most of it too.

If it was flashy and OTT and did nothing else, then I'd have to agree. Some interesting stuff going on in those movies. First movie was utterly superb, but in terms of Zion etc - just got to see the tip of the iceberg. They had to do something for Zion in the second film. Did they linger? Yeah, a bit I suppose.

Big part of my love for that universe stems from how well constructed it is. The Animatrix, released between I and II, has a two part film called The Second Renaissance, which sets the universe up. If you haven't seen it, it comes highly recommended.

Also that dancing sequence in Zion, why? So boring...... just like the massive fight where the sentinels invade Zion dock, yes it was meant to be epic and grandiose but it just ended up being overlong and dull.... also in the end the defense failed anyway so they just EMP'd it. Pointless, just like Newt in the second Alien film. (Why carry her through just to kill her offscreen before Alien 3!?!)

I can understand this too; think they were aiming for a Jedi feel ( cut between 3 things ) here - not sure they handled it as well. They probs didn't fire the EMP because doing so would bugger up all their mechs.

Totally agree about Newt though. They dropped the ball with that one, story and all. If they'd have followed the story in the Dark Horse Comics (Aliens infesting Earth), might have been a LOT better. There's still a lot to like about Alien3, but it falls way short of the mark.

They've since retconned the comics to bring them in line with the films. They changed all the character names so it's no longer Ripley and Hicks, etc.

[pap]

Honourable mention for species 8472

Yes, if only because Star Trek bucked its usual trend of chucking a ridge onto an actors head when creating a new alien

[Jonnyboy]

The kung-fu/freeway chase scene is still one of the most impressive action scenes I've seen on film. It's just a masterwork in subtly raising the stakes the whole way, laying peril upon peril. It does the very smart thing of keeping Neo out of the picture for most of it too.

If it was flashy and OTT and did nothing else, then I'd have to agree. Some interesting stuff going on in those movies. First movie was utterly superb, but in terms of Zion etc - just got to see the tip of the iceberg. They had to do something for Zion in the second film. Did they linger? Yeah, a bit I suppose.

Big part of my love for that universe stems from how well constructed it is. The Animatrix, released between I and II, has a two part film called The Second Renaissance, which sets the universe up. If you haven't seen it, it comes highly recommended.



I can understand this too; think they were aiming for a Jedi feel ( cut between 3 things ) here - not sure they handled it as well. They probs didn't fire the EMP because doing so would bugger up all their mechs.

Totally agree about Newt though. They dropped the ball with that one, story and all. If they'd have followed the story in the Dark Horse Comics (Aliens infesting Earth), might have been a LOT better. There's still a lot to like about Alien3, but it falls way short of the mark.

They've since retconned the comics to bring them in line with the films. They changed all the character names so it's no longer Ripley and Hicks, etc.

Where does Prometheus come into it? Did Ridley Scott write it all in secret?

[pap]

Where does Prometheus come into it? Did Ridley Scott write it all in secret?

Lore-wise, I've no idea. Haven't seen Prometheus yet (I know, I know).

Money wise, probably along the lines of "I made a lot of money for this, so why not do something similar?"

Gotta go see it.

[Saint J 77]

There is a new series of Red Dwarf due out in Autumn. The new trailer came out yesterday.

[Bexy]

There is a new series of Red Dwarf due out in Autumn. The new trailer came out yesterday.

Hmmmmm. You know how they usually put all the funniest bits in the trailer? Well I seriously hope that's not the best they could come up with otherwise this is going to be even worse than that so-bad-it-was-cringeworthy Back to Earth mini series they did a few years ago.

I have to admit to being a massive fan of the original RD (series 1-6 at any rate) but I have no expectation of this actually being any good.

[sussexsaint]

Big dwarf fan right from the start when u was in primary school.

'everybodies dead Dave '

Queeg my all time fave ep

Will give this a watch for sure

[Bexy]

Got sent this yesterday. Geek-tastic!

[Saint J 77]

Hmmmmm. You know how they usually put all the funniest bits in the trailer? Well I seriously hope that's not the best they could come up with otherwise this is going to be even worse than that so-bad-it-was-cringeworthy Back to Earth mini series they did a few years ago.

I have to admit to being a massive fan of the original RD (series 1-6 at any rate) but I have no expectation of this actually being any good.

I share your cautious approach to this. I have recently been watching all the series again. Series 1 and 2 are classic. Series 3 was good. Series 4 to 6 were great and probably my favorite era of the series. Series 7 had its moments. Series 8 was the weakest. Back to Earth although flawed was not as bad on a second viewing as I remembered though. All the reports from people who saw the new episodes recorded live were positive though, So it sounded promising. I must admit to not being blown away by this trailer though, but this is more of a teaser than a full blown trailer. I am sure they will show more nearer the time of the broadcast which I believe is sometime in late September or early October on Dave.

[alpine_saint]

There is a new series of Red Dwarf due out in Autumn. The new trailer came out yesterday.

Hmmmmm. I'll watch it and see how it goes.

Time has not been kind to Chris Barrie's hairline, though...

[alpine_saint]

I share your cautious approach to this. I have recently been watching all the series again. Series 1 and 2 are classic. Series 3 was good. Series 4 to 6 were great and probably my favorite era of the series. Series 7 had its moments. Series 8 was the weakest. Back to Earth although flawed was not as bad on a second viewing as I remembered though. All the reports from people who saw the new episodes recorded live were positive though, So it sounded promising. I must admit to not being blown away by this trailer though, but this is more of a teaser than a full blown trailer. I am sure they will show more nearer the time of the broadcast which I believe is sometime in late September or early October on Dave.

Interesting how people see things differently. For me Series 3 was the peak (especially Polymorph) with regular returns to top form throughout series 4, 5, and 6, with a definite drop-off from there (series 7 was ruined by the change in filming method and different Kochanski). I did enjoy the Russian T-38 blowing up the Jane Austen gazeebo though...

Back-to-Earth (officially now know as RD9) was sh*te. I really didnt dig the aping of BladeRunner. It was nauseous.

[pap]

As far as Red Dwarf goes, just think it's a real shame Norman Lovett left the show. Dispute over wages apparently. Wanted to be paid the same as the other actors. Fair enough too, I reckon. Comedy is often alchemy and as much as I enjoyed some episodes from later seasons, I always think they would have been better with the original Holly.

[pap]

Was going to bang this into the What have you been reading thread, but it'll probs be better appreciated by the geeks on here.

Just finished reading Revelation Space by Alistair Reynolds. Loved it. Chapel End Charlie would be very pleased to see the sub-light speeds of the ships.

Very interesting universe, almost entirely populated with the various offshoots of humanity. The march of science has essentially rendered humanity immortal, and the author deftly handles concepts like subjective time ( how much time has passed from a character's perspective ) and chronological time ( how many years have actually elapsed ). People spend a lot of time in reefersleep, this universe's version of stasis.

There's one part of the book where two old adversaries meet after centuries apart. One of them has been awake for a great deal of that time, and another has spent the vast majority of the intervening years in reefersleep. Just that simple concept, "how long is it since we've seen each other", violated, and to great literary effect.


Anyway, no further spoilers. It's great stuff, and I'd heartily recommend you get on it. I find a lot of sci-fi books hard to get into, and if I'm honest, this one took a while to kick in. I've taken to my second book in the same universe like a duck to water though.

[dubai_phil]

Well, thanks to this thread, splashed out 8 quid on a "plastic bagged set" of S1 of Star Trek the original.

Where no man has gone before.

Actually within the awful over acting from Spock & the sets it was still actually well put together and well acted.

Haven't seen it in years and looking forward to watching all of them in the right sequence for the first time ever.

I could have got the whole lot, at 80 per DVD but the locals here have a thing about smuggling DVD's. With all the other stuff I got TV series you guys recommend on What are you Watching and a whole bunch of recent (ish) movies, I thought that 93 DVD's was just on the limit to get back into town.

[Saint J 77]

Well, thanks to this thread, splashed out 8 quid on a "plastic bagged set" of S1 of Star Trek the original.

Where no man has gone before.

Actually within the awful over acting from Spock & the sets it was still actually well put together and well acted.

Haven't seen it in years and looking forward to watching all of them in the right sequence for the first time ever.

I could have got the whole lot, at 80 per DVD but the locals here have a thing about smuggling DVD's. With all the other stuff I got TV series you guys recommend on What are you Watching and a whole bunch of recent (ish) movies, I thought that 93 DVD's was just on the limit to get back into town.

Nice one, I love the classic series of Star Trek. It has its moments of over acting, which was a product of the time really, but there is much to love in The Original Series. IMO Series 1 has some very good episodes. I watch my Original Series DVD's quiet often. I recently watched "The Squire of Gothos". Its essentially an early blue print for a TNG Q like episode and a good bit of fun. "Devil in the Dark", "Tomorrow is Yesterday" and " "The Galileo Seven" are some of my personal favorites. I'm saving up for the cleaned up Blu ray versions that came out a few years ago. They cleaned up the picture, the sound and also give you an option to watch with new or old effects. The new effects aren't brilliant but are a fairly big improvement. A lot of younger people will not watch The original series because the effects look so dated, its a shame really as there are some great stories in those 3 series. By the way 8 pounds is a bloody bargin for the whole of series 1. I hope you enjoy watching them

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

I've just finished yet another ancient Doctor Who serial - 'The Web Planet' - from 1965, which coming from the second season of TV's longest running Sci Fi series features the terminally grumpy (and shocking amoral at times) William Hartnell as the Doctor. I was still in my nappies when this was originally broadcast so I came to it without even the faintest of memories, a viewing approach which I'm learning to enjoy.

The Tardis lands of the planet Vortis and (as per usual) the Doctor and his companions (Barbara, Ian & Vicki) are soon separated from each other and they become involved in the brutal struggle between the various insect like races that inhabit this planet, principally the 'Zarbi' a species of large Ant, and the 'Menoptra' which are best described as sort of intelligent Butterfly. Vortis was once a relatively harmonious place but now a sinister creature 'The Animus' has gained control over the (not very bright) Zarbi and forced them into making war on the unfortunate Menoptra. Can the Doctor resist the Animus's attempts to force him into helping it defeat the noble Menoptra, and can Barbara survive her terrible ordeal in the Crater of Needles ?

A bit of a mixed bag this one with elements that were too ambitious for the limited time & budget at the programme makers disposal, but some parts on the other hand that are surprising successful. I thought the Zarbi were well realized (memories of the old movie 'Them' keep flooding back), a interesting electronic sound effect assisting greatly. The Menoptra however are less successful, but the actors underneath the silly costume (including a young Martin Jarvis) make a decent fist of turning them into a semi believable species. Seeing the Menoptra actualy fly (on wires like a stage act) is good fun and the bizarre use of Vaseline lightly smeared over the camera lens does give proceedings a strange 'otherworldly' look to it I suppose.

I see in the post above this that some younger viewers don't like old Star Trek because the effects are not up to modern standards. Well if that's true then trust me a much greater suspension of disbelief will be required to enjoy old 'Who' to the degree that I do. But if you can get past that, there is still much to enjoy in these vintage TV programmes - for their historical interest almost as much as their entertainment value.

Next up: 'The Robots of Death' with Tom Baker - now that one I do remember.

[dubai_phil]

I've just finished yet another ancient Doctor Who serial - 'The Web Planet' - from 1965, which coming from the second season of TV's longest running Sci Fi series features the terminally grumpy (and shocking amoral at times) William Hartnell as the Doctor. I was still in my nappies when this was originally broadcast so I came to it without even the faintest of memories, a viewing approach which I'm learning to enjoy.

The Tardis lands of the planet Vortis and (as per usual) the Doctor and his companions (Barbara, Ian & Vicki) are soon separated from each other and they become involved in the brutal struggle between the various insect like races that inhabit this planet, principally the 'Zarbi' a species of large Ant, and the 'Menoptra' which are best described as sort of intelligent Butterfly. Vortis was once a relatively harmonious place but now a sinister creature 'The Animus' has gained control over the (not very bright) Zarbi and forced them into making war on the unfortunate Menoptra. Can the Doctor resist the Animus's attempts to force him into helping it defeat the noble Menoptra, and can Barbara survive her terrible ordeal in the Crater of Needles ?

A bit of a mixed bag this one with elements that were too ambitious for the limited time & budget at the programme makers disposal, but some parts on the other hand that are surprising successful. I thought the Zarbi were well realized (memories of the old movie 'Them' keep flooding back), a interesting electronic sound effect assisting greatly. The Menoptra however are less successful, but the actors underneath the silly costume (including a young Martin Jarvis) make a decent fist of turning them into a semi believable species. Seeing the Menoptra actualy fly (on wires like a stage act) is good fun and the bizarre use of Vaseline lightly smeared over the camera lens does give proceedings a strange 'otherworldly' look to it I suppose.

I see in the post above this that some younger viewers don't like old Star Trek because the effects are not up to modern standards. Well if that's true then trust me a much greater suspension of disbelief will be required to enjoy old 'Who' to the degree that I do. But if you can get past that, there is still much to enjoy in these vintage TV programmes - for their historical interest almost as much as their entertainment value.

Next up: 'The Robots of Death' with Tom Baker - now that one I do remember.

Dear Lord.

That episode has to be my earliest clear memory of Dr Who. I know I watched some before but the FIRST "monsters" that I remember were the Zarbi.

Now all someone needs to do is to find the ONE episode that truly traumatised me as a kid - It was a B& W Cyberman episode on a Space Station where the humans got infected and all their veins dried out

It was only in the "post Chris Ecclestone era" that I have felt comfy watching Cybermen thanks to that episode!



Oh - got a movie called Apollo 18 in my dodgy collection while in BKK may watch that 2mro

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

I believe you may be recalling a Patrick Troughton yarn entitled - The Moonbase.

Unfortunately only two the four episodes are still in existence.

[dubai_phil]

I believe you may be recalling a Patrick Troughton yarn entitled - The Moonbase.

Unfortunately only two the four episodes are still in existence.

That's the one. Think I probably burned the other two so it could never scare me again...

[Lets B Avenue]

I always thought The Zarbi were from the first series (63) and always wondered why they never re-appeared in later series. But as you say it was from 65 that was at least the 3rd series.

How have you come by this recording? DVD I assume?

I remember having nightmares, aged about 9, when The Yeti invaded the London Underground system.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

Yes I view them on DVD.

As if being a obsessive Doctor Who fan isn't nerdy enough, I must also admit to loving all the extras 2/Entertain pack these DVD's with. I literally can't get enough of all the background 'Making Of' type documentaries, and I'll even happily watch stuff such as the regular 'now & then' look at how much the old outside locations have changed, slide shows of production stills ...etc. Truth be told the fascinating extras on offer are half the reason I collect these DVD's.

If anyone is thinking of starting their own Who collection, then in my experience you seldom need to pay more than £5 or £7 for most of them - the exception being more recent releases that can still be quite expensive. eBay prices tend to often exceed that which you can find on Amazon for some strange reason. Car Boots sales (if you are lucky) and local markets are also good places to hunt them down. But beware because the collecting mania is a powerful force !

As for Yeti's in the underground (Pat Troughton's 'The Web of Fear' of course) it so happens that is my very earliest Doctor Who memory. Yet another 1960's Who serial now (almost entirely) lost I'm very sorry to say ....

[dubai_phil]

Just for us Sci-Fi fans

So, finally after ALL of these years waiting.

Dear old Douglas Adams - how on earth did he know?

That the meaning of Life, The Universe and Everything

Would be the exact time by which Bradley Wiggins destroyed the best in the world

42.

So there we have it. Bradley Wiggins IS the Meaning of Life.

Sorry felt the need to be frivolous having just watched Apollo 18

It was OK, but Moon was a far better movie

[RonManager]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrEU...layer_embedded

We're very cross with you.

[Colinjb]

Has anyone here been watching 'Falling Skies?'

[dubai_phil]

Has anyone here been watching 'Falling Skies?'

S1 yes S2 not on here yet and not available on dodgy DVD in Bangkok.

Started wobbly but got better & better

[dubai_phil]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrEU...layer_embedded

We're very cross with you.

Oh welcome back Doc.

Give me a Dalek any day........

[Saint J 77]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrEU...layer_embedded

We're very cross with you.

Series 7 looks like it is going to be very good! I'm not sure how they got the christmas special so wrong but I really didn't think it was very good at all. From the trailer I'm hopeful this is going to be good

[RonManager]

Series 7 looks like this is going to be very good! I'm not sure how they got the christmas special so wrong but I really didn't think it was very good at all. From the trailer I'm hopeful this is going to be good

Have to say I've been totally underwhelmed with latest Doctor and sidekicks. None of them are very good actors in my opinion. Matt Smith has played the Doctor 'by numbers' and the other 2, well they are 'planks' imo and have instilled no emotional response in me whatsoever. Having said that, the storyline has been excellent. When you look at the emotion and ability put into the roles by David Tennant, Billie Piper and Catherine Tate especially, it puts the current mob to shame.

Still, I've been watching it since 1963 and I'm not about to stop now.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

I too was not all that impressed (to put it mildly) with Steven Moffat's work on the last series of Who, indeed utter nonsense such as 'Lets kill Hitler' for instance must count among the very worst scripts the programme has generated since its 2005 rebirth. Moffat is a life long DW fan and has been responsible for some excellent episodes in his time (such as 'Blink' in 2007) but he's also a very busy writer/producer who may have 'taken his eye off the ball' regarding DW. At its heart DW must always be family entertainment with its focus very much on the younger members of the family. If I as a (very) long term DW aficionado could not readily explain what all the terminally confusing 'Silence'/Amy being River Song's mum/death of the Doctor story lines behind Series 6 were all about, than what chance does a actual 10 year old child have ? DW at it best has always been a simple good v evil morality tale, this fundamental ethos of the programme seem to have been forgotten.

As for the newly released Series 7 trailer - although the time honoured convention that the Daleks must aways be defeated is well known (it would be interesting to see that convention subverted for once) the sight of the Doctor standing amid endless rows of destroyed Daleks yet again does rather spoil the suspense somewhat ! .... and when will the producers learn that army's of CG Daleks are no more effective that a few 'real' models are ? To be fair Dinosaurs on a spaceship however could be good fun - especially if they can manage to eat bleedin River Song for their dinner - and Moffat's very creepy 'Weeping Angles' might just have one last story left in them I suppose.

However if this series proves to be as disappointing as the last, then I fear my beloved Who may soon be in for another prolonged absence from our screens. And that would be a shame for children - of all ages.

[alpine_saint]

Can someone explain the attraction of Doctor Who to me ?

I have never, never, NEVER been able to get it.

[Bearsy]

Me too Alpine! I just don't understand the premise... I'm probably missing something but it seems like the Doctor Who character just goes randomly to different places just for like a holiday or whatever and then... OMG coincidentally it's the point in time and space when there's gonna be an alien invasion! That can't be right can it? I mean the coincidences? Is someone sending him to these places? Does he have prior knowledge of these alien invasions?

[pap]

I think they only show the exciting trips on the show ( e.g. those with alien invasions ). Plus the TARDIS is sentient, can see all of time, and has a large part in plonking the Doctor wherever he ends up.

[dubai_phil]

My review on What are you watching

For you SciFi fans....

Airplane

In Space

With Nazis

It won't ever be a Box Office smash but you HAVE to have it in your DVD collection IF you like EITHER Sci FI or Airplane movies

[revolution saint]

Has anyone read 'saga of exiles' by Julian May? Loved it as a teenager although not sure how it would stand up now - almost afraid to revisit it. Personally though in terms of SF fiction John Wyndham takes a lot of beating and does stand the test of time. Obviously Triffids is the most famous but mt favourite would be The Chyrsalids.

[Saint J 77]

I think they only show the exciting trips on the show ( e.g. those with alien invasions ). Plus the TARDIS is sentient, can see all of time, and has a large part in plonking the Doctor wherever he ends up.

This is how I view it too.

[RonManager]

Matt 'the plank' Smith to play The Doctor until at least 2014 ffs
.

http://www.mtv.co.uk/news/doctor-who...ith-doctor-who

[Bearsy]

I think they only show the exciting trips on the show ( e.g. those with alien invasions ).

Hahaha so some weeks in the Doctor's diary it's like "Went to 12th centrury France. Nothing much happened. Caught smallpox." They should film some of them shows I'd be totally up for that!

It's like the lost season of 24, you know the day when there wasn't a terrorist attack, no-one from CTU was a double agent and the whole story was bout Jack Bauer trying to find his car keys.

[dubai_phil]

Fringe.

Just finished catching up with Season 4.

Still believe there are times when the scriptwriters have smoked too much weird sh1t or dropped more LSD tabs.

BUT, the fact that they were able to effectively "Reboot" the entire show in S4 by wiping Peter out of the Timeline and creating an all new reality was clever.

The way they managed to then bring back the baddie was, TBH not that impressive, until you get to the last 3 episodes.

The totally random WTF episode (Letters of Transit) just when you think it should all be winding up opened the door for another cracking reboot of the plot for a Series 5.

Very clever story telling, mixed with one of Sci Fi telly's deepest and best played characters - Walter.

S4 just increased my "like" status on the show and am looking forward to it returning with the final 13 episodes

[Saint J 77]

Fringe.

Just finished catching up with Season 4.

Still believe there are times when the scriptwriters have smoked too much weird sh1t or dropped more LSD tabs.

BUT, the fact that they were able to effectively "Reboot" the entire show in S4 by wiping Peter out of the Timeline and creating an all new reality was clever.

The way they managed to then bring back the baddie was, TBH not that impressive, until you get to the last 3 episodes.

The totally random WTF episode (Letters of Transit) just when you think it should all be winding up opened the door for another cracking reboot of the plot for a Series 5.

Very clever story telling, mixed with one of Sci Fi telly's deepest and best played characters - Walter.

S4 just increased my "like" status on the show and am looking forward to it returning with the final 13 episodes

I've still got the last 5 episodes of season 4 to watch. It's been a while since I've watched it now. I don't have sky but a friend has been downloading it for me. I'm going to have to ask him for those last 5 episodes so I can catch up. I love Walter, he really is one of my favourite characters in a Sci fi series to date. John Noble's performance is spot on. He plays the crazy genius superbly. One of the greatest side effects of Walter's mental state is that he has nearly no inner-monologue. Whatever passes through his mind almost immediately comes out of his mouth. Whether it's his hunger, a memory from long ago, or a bodily function, Walter will feel free to share it.

[Saint J 77]

A great book I've recently enjoyed reading is a Stephen King book called 11.22.63. Its a time travel story about a guy named Jake who's dying friend shows him a gateway to the past, that just happens to be in the back of his restaurant's pantry. The time portal or rabbit hole, as it is referred to in the book, always takes you back in time to the same day in 1958. Every time you go down the rabbit hole you reset anything you did on your last trip. Jake's dying friend Al asked him to try and finish the job he started and stop the assassination of John F Kennedy. Al has lived in the past for 4 years, until 62, but returns to the present when he is diagnosed with cancer. He has collected lots of notes and hands them over to Jake. Al is convinced by stopping JFK's death that a chain of events would happen making the world a better place. The question is will Jake go back and wait 5 years to stop the presidents death?

Very minor spoiler ahead, just in case you ever read it...


Its a great read. I really felt like I was going to 58 with Jake, on each trip he took That's not really giving much of the plot away.
At times the story gets wrapped up in a lot of facts that King has included about a certain gunman that had some involvement. But the heart of the story, is really about Jakes journey into the land of long ago and the choices he makes and the people he meets along the way to his ultimate decision. Definitely worth a read if you like a good time travel story.

[Bearsy]

I read a time travel book one time, I don't remember what it was called or who it was by, but in it these time travellers was turning up in the present day causing mischief and killing people and what-not.

But the twist was - check this - they weren't from the future they was Nazi time travellers from the past! They was trying to find out how they lost WW2 so they could fix it or whatever.

I give it 3 Bears. You should check it out. Maybe someone else will know what it was called!

[Jonnyboy]

I like Donnie Darko and quite enjoyed the not-as-good sequel too.

[adriansfc]

Hmmmmm. I'll watch it and see how it goes.

Time has not been kind to Chris Barrie's hairline, though...

When I saw it my first thought was 'I thought hologram's didn't change'.

Sadly my hairline isn't that different. FFS.

[adriansfc]

A great book I've recently enjoyed reading is a Stephen King book called 11.22.63. Its a time travel story about a guy named Jake who's dying friend shows him a gateway to the past, that just happens to be in the back of his restaurant's pantry. The time portal or rabbit hole, as it is referred to in the book, always takes you back in time to the same day in 1958. Every time you go down the rabbit hole you reset anything you did on your last trip. Jake's dying friend Al asked him to try and finish the job he started and stop the assassination of John F Kennedy. Al has lived in the past for 4 years, until 62, but returns to the present when he is diagnosed with cancer. He has collected lots of notes and hands them over to Jake. Al is convinced by stopping JFK's death that a chain of events would happen making the world a better place. The question is will Jake go back and wait 5 years to stop the presidents death?

Very minor spoiler ahead, just in case you every read it...


Its a great read. I really felt like I was going to 58 with Jake, on each trip he took That's not really giving much of the plot away.
At times the story gets wrapped up in a lot of facts that King has included about a certain gunman that had some involvement. But the heart of the story, is really about Jakes journey into the land of long ago and the choices he makes and the people he meets along the way to his ultimate decision. Definitely worth a read if you like a good time travel story.

i loved this book. One of my favourite takes on time travel, quite original play on it but overall just a really good story. Makes a change to have a King book that long where it's all about one character. I got a bit lost through Under the Dome keeping up with who the hell was who.

I'm a bit of a sci-fi nerd really. Read a lot, King, Stephen Baxter, Arther C Clark, read everything Kurt Vonnegut's done although it's only semi-sci-fi. Also read everything Robert J Sawyer has done. Not very well know here but really good, wrote Flashforward too.

Been disappointed by most film and TV sci-fi for quite a while. It goes a bit prometheus, which was the fault of the Lost producer working on it, who also royally fcked up Lost in the same way. Not sure how writers with so many plot holes get so far. I may be a poor writer, but I'd at least have a story that fitted together. With TV the networks seem unwilling to fund anything too intelligent so sci-fi is struggling. Person of Interest is more crime/police show but has a strong sci-fi element and is really good, but that's about it.

[percy windham]

I read a time travel book one time, I don't remember what it was called or who it was by, but in it these time travellers was turning up in the present day causing mischief and killing people and what-not.

But the twist was - check this - they weren't from the future they was Nazi time travellers from the past! They was trying to find out how they lost WW2 so they could fix it or whatever.

I give it 3 Bears. You should check it out. Maybe someone else will know what it was called!

That's "I Was A Teenage Nazi Time Traveler From The Future!" by the great sci-fi author Ronald Humpings. If you liked that you should try some of his other works, "The Space Crab That Wouldn't Die" is a landmark piece of work, and I strongly recommend "The Passion of Saturn's Rings" if you're after something a little bit racey.

[Saint J 77]

Well I am just back from today's match and I think I'm going to take a journey to the 24th century and stick on my Next Generation Star Trek DVD boxset. I just want to forget all about football this evening! My love of sci fi is a great help to me through all the bad Saints results

[dubai_phil]

I read a time travel book one time, I don't remember what it was called or who it was by, but in it these time travellers was turning up in the present day causing mischief and killing people and what-not.

But the twist was - check this - they weren't from the future they was Nazi time travellers from the past! They was trying to find out how they lost WW2 so they could fix it or whatever.

I give it 3 Bears. You should check it out. Maybe someone else will know what it was called!

Bearsy, if you loved time travelling Nazi's then you really have to watch Iron Sky after a bucket of beers tasteless, goofy and just daft, and a classic moment where the Nazi Space Ship pilots have found a copy of Play-Boy after being stuck on the Dark Side of the Moon is just ROFL.

Saintjay - get those last 4 episodes watched and quickly. The 3rd last goes off on a totally WTF tangent but is really important to the story over all......