Three Laws

Posted by Agustin Guerrero on March 20, 2014
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Recently, I started reading Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot. I thought I knew what to expect going in, as I had seen the film a half dozen times in middle and high school. Now, I love Will Smith and any time he graces the screen I get a little giddy, but I’m incredibly thankful this book is nothing like the movie.  Instead of a detective predicting the robot apocalypse, the book is actually a collection of short stories involving the Three Laws of Robotics and robopsychology. This book isn’t action-packed. This book is a collection of eight increasingly complex logic puzzles that must be solved by Dr. Susan Calvin and the employees of U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men, Inc.

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I had a lot of fun reading this book. I don’t think that it’ll appeal to everybody, but I have always enjoyed logic puzzles and solving them along with the characters of the story made the book all the more engaging. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys logic puzzles or anyone who wants to see the source of the legendary Three Laws of Robotics. If you’re looking for something like the movie, I’d recommend checking out some of Asimov’s other works.

Also, I read the first volume of Jim McCann’s Mind the Gap. I enjoyed the read but it didn’t blow me away. I was a little disappointed because I thought it had a lot of potential and I’d heard the series was really good. There are a ton of plot lines being weaved together here involving the comatose Elle and her friend, her boyfriend, her family etc. The characters are brought together in interesting ways, and McCann expertly ends each issue with a cliffhanger. These cliffhangers were enough to keep me reading and make me want to move forward, but I didn’t feel like the plot lines have really come together yet. Hopefully volume 2 will start to weave the plot lines into a cohesive whole.

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Also, I just watched Matt Smith’s first episode of Doctor Who and I already miss the old intro sequence. But I think I’m going to like the eleventh doctor.

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So that’s where I’m at currently. If you want to discuss some robotics or Will Smith movies, or if you want to assure me that Matt Smith is a worthy doctor, feel free to message me or tweet me @left4turtle.

Beautiful Books (Inside and Out)

Posted by Agustin Guerrero on March 5, 2014
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Beautiful Books (Inside and Out)

Ever since I started reading comics, I was told I had to read Sandman. If there was one comic series I had to get in to, it would be Sandman by Neil Gaiman.  In 2009 I bought The Absolute Sandman, Vol. 1 in an Ebay auction. When I received it in the mail it was brand new still wrapped in plastic. I opened it slowly and was dumbfounded by how gorgeous it was. Beautifully bound in leather with a fully illustrated slip-cover, I couldn’t bring myself to read it. I wanted to preserve such magnificence. It still sits on my shelf, unread.

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Maybe I’m being a little unreasonable, but five years later and I’ve still only opened the book twice. There are a few other books on my shelf sharing the same fate. Books are works of art, nobody would argue that. I find that often it is what’s inside that is the art, contained in an attractive but functional shell. However, sometimes the beauty on the inside is mirrored by beautiful works of craftsmanship on the outside.  I think absolute editions put out by DC are one of the latter instances.

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So rather than read my Absolute edition, I purchased a digital copy of Sandman Vol. 1, Preludes & Nocturnes. Five years of hype have built up for me over this single comic series. I didn’t think it could possibly live up to that level of pressure. And I was very happily proven wrong. The writing is sharp, the world that Gaiman has created is both beautiful and terrifying, and the artwork makes your mouth water. It really is the perfect package. The story follows Dream, the king of the dream realm, as he is captured by mortals and held against his will. After his eventual release, he has to get the missing tokens of his powers from humans, hell, and the superpowers of the DC universe.  I won’t spoil anything here, but there’s an issue in this first arc that is possibly one of the most disturbing I’ve ever read. It’s called “24 hours” and you’ll know it when you read it. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Don’t wait five years to read this masterpiece. Read it as soon as you’re able.

 

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On the science fiction front, I’ve finished reading Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle. It’s the first PKD book I’ve had the pleasure of reading, and it has motivated me to read some of his more science oriented works. This is an alternate history tale of the United States after the Allies lost World War II. There are a couple interweaving storylines here and, while they’re interesting, I didn’t feel they really paid off in the end. The story is fine, but the most interesting part of this book is that PKD, like the characters in his book, often consulted the I Ching for answers to where the story should go. The I Ching is an ancient text that contains a divination system. I find it fascinating that PKD used this system to lead to his character’s futures. Even if the book wasn’t completely up my alley, the backstory makes it worth a read.

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I also had a chance to read the first volume of Godzilla: Rulers of Earth. The story here is… well honestly I’m not a hundred percent sure. There’s a military group that fight Kaiju, aliens are invading Earth, and Godzilla is in Hawaii. However, if you’re reading a Godzilla comic, you’re probably not in it for the story. You’re probably in it for giant monsters battling it out for supremacy. On that front this volume delivers. Godzilla versus Zilla, the kaiju from the 1998 Godzilla disaster, was particularly rewarding. The characters call it Zilla because the rest of his name is lost in radio static, which is a great reference to Shogo Tomiyama naming it so (because Tristar had taken the God out of Godzilla).  It’s not a good book, but it’s a fun book and I enjoyed my time with it.

So that’s where I’m at currently. If you have any books that are too beautiful to read or you just wanna chat about the awesome new Godzilla trailer, feel free to send me a message or tweet me @left4turtle.

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My Science Fiction Favorites

Posted by Agustin Guerrero on February 20, 2014
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Recently it occurred to me that if I was going to spend a year blogging about my journey through classic science fiction, it would probably be beneficial to see what my current favorites are. These were selected from anything I had seen, read or played before the end of 2013.

Top 3 Books

1) Ready Player One

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This book is probably my perfect book. A giant, virtual reality where people create universes and items based on existing geek lore? A book riddled with video game and sci fi references? An underdog story where the orphan defeats the world’s largest evil corporation? Mechagodzilla and Voltron vs Ultraman? Mechagodzilla existing in the book at all? The book has a few technical issues with the writing, but I don’t care. I love every page of this book dearly. If you love the 80s, gaming culture, or Star Wars check this one out.

2) Dune

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Dune. One of the most epic science fiction stories ever told. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that it makes my list. I was a little late to the party, only having read it in October of 2013, and I regret having missed out for so many years. While some may find the story to be a little slow or boring, the atmosphere of the story drew me in and kept me hooked until the action packed climax. Herbert built a world through the book and the level of craft it took to do so that well is immense.

3) Infected

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I love Scott Sigler. I’m a huge fan of his Galactic Football League series as well, but Infected was the first book I ever read by him and it just stuck. In a lot of ways this book is the opposite of Dune. It’s not a science fiction classic. It’s not focused on creating a world of political intrigue or religious history. It’s focused on having fun. This book is a disgusting tale of one man who is infected with an alien virus. Originally published in weekly podcast form, the novel reads a little strangely as each chapter has some sort of cliff hanger. However, the main character’s struggle with his alien infection is engrossing. I couldn’t put the book down. If you’re in the mood for a fast paced, disgusting, scifi-horror hybrid definitely check this one out.

Honorable Mention:
Star Wars – Thrawn trilogy

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I couldn’t justify putting a single book in my top three, though Heir to the Empire was a contender. This trilogy as a whole got me into Star Wars EU and is just great sci fi. You need a knowledge of the Star Wars universe to truly grasp it, another reason it didn’t make the list, but if you are familiar with the universe and characters this is the sequel you’ve always wanted. Grand Admiral Thrawn is probably the most tactically brilliant villain encountered in the Star Wars universe and watching heroes we know and love from the movies try to defeat him is a genuine pleasure.

Top 3 Movies

1) Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

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This movie has been my favorite movie since I was six years old and my dad showed it to me for the first time. I remember being transfixed by this part of the trilogy in particular. I didn’t watch the other two movies for years after. Every day I would go to my dad’s hall closet, pull out his VHS, and watch the Battle of Hoth over and over again. The magic has never died for me. The memories of watching it with my father mixed with my undying love for all things Star Wars pretty much guarantees this one will never be unseated.

2) Serenity

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This probably serves as a preview for the television section, but here we go. If you’ve seen Serenity you know why it’s here. The movie follow up to Joss Whedon’s space western, this movie has everything I loved from Firefly on a grander scale. Finding out the origin of the Reavers for the first time was an incredibly haunting moment. If you haven’t seen this or Firefly, stop what you’re doing and watch it now. You’ll be glad you did.

3) Terminator 2: Judgement Day

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My mother made the mistake of showing me Terminator when I was seven years old. For months I was terrified that a machine from the future was going to break the chain lock on my door and murder me at night. Luckily, I faced my fear and watched this amazing sequel. I think it’s fair to say T2 surpasses the original in every way. The antagonist was more powerful, the action was doubled, and the one liners were destined to last a lifetime. Plus, seeing Arnold as a benevolent T800 helped to quell my fear of being murdered in my sleep.

Top 3 Television Shows

1) Firefly

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Taken from us too soon, this brilliant show only aired eleven of the fourteen episodes written and directed by Joss Whedon. The dialogue is sharp, the characters are cast perfectly, and the stories told here are enthralling. Malcom Reynolds, played by the great Nathan Fillion, is probably one of my favorite television characters of all time. Plus, Summer Glau playing a brilliant but damaged murder machine is incredibly entertaining to watch. That actually leads perfectly into number two.

2) Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

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Taking place between the amazing T2 and the less than stellar T3, this show follows an older John Connor as him mother tries to prepare him to lead the future human resistance. Once again Skynet sends back a robot assassin to kill him. And once again, a reprogrammed terminator is sent back in time to protect John. What’s different is that this new protector is played by Summer Glau, and she plays it perfectly. She brought a human element to her terminator, something that never really existed prior to the show. It sounds weird that a killer robot would have human mannerisms, but it works well within the universe. There are plenty of nods to the movies and this show increases the canon in smart but fun ways. Unfortunately, it was cancelled after the second season. If you’re a fan of the movies don’t miss this one.

3) Futurama

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A little different than most of the stuff on my list, Futurama is one of those shows I can watch anytime. To be fair, I only watched through the fourth season before the first cancellation, but those four seasons were amazing. I love the growing relationship between Fry and Lela, Bender is one of my favorite characters of all time, and Zapp Brannigan never ceases to bring the laughs. The first finale, The Devil’s Hands Are Idle Playthings, is my favorite episode and the first time I watched it, it brought tears to my eyes. The perfect ending that is no longer the ending.

Honorable Mentions: As of the writing of this post, I am in the middle of watching Doctor Who, Torchwood, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. All of these shows are really good and by the end of this year who knows which ones will be in my top shows?

The last two are going to be done a little bit differently

Video Games

My favorite sci fi videogames are the Mass Effect trilogy. These games all play differently, but come together in a single, choice-driven narrative almost perfectly. The amount of skill it took for the writers at Bioware to craft this new universe and this sweeping narrative blows my mind. I love everything about these games, even things that frustrated me to no end while I played (Mako, I’m looking at you). The characters in your party are some of the best crafted characters in games. I loved going through all of the dialogue options I had with Wrex, Tali, Garrus and Mordin. When I look back on the games that have stuck with me, Mass Effect will always be near the top.

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Comics

My favorite sci fi comic series is Y: The Last Man. You’d think being the last guy on Earth would be a dream come true. Yorick Brown shows us why that notion is irreparably flawed. This is one of my favorite series of all time and I encourage anybody who is a fan of anything to read it immediately. Issue #59 shook me so hard I didn’t want to eat for a few days. That’s how invested I was in these superbly realized characters.

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So there you go. If you wanna argue why your favorites should be in my top 3 or have any suggestions feel free to send me a message or tweet me @left4turtle.

Sam Neill without an ascot isn’t the Sam Neill for me

Posted by Agustin Guerrero on February 7, 2014
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So I know that the goal of this blog was to give my thoughts on some of the science fiction classics I’ve missed out on. But tonight, I had the distinct pleasure of watching Event Horizon. And let me tell you, I had no idea what I was in for.

First off, I didn’t realize that Sam Neill was in this movie. The second I laid eyes on him I got super excited. I mean, the man can wear the heck out of an ascot.

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Unfortunately, he doesn’t don the ascot at any point during the movie. Instead he hangs out in some boxer briefs and wears a coverall. Neither of which are nearly as exciting.

The plot of the movie is actually kind of interesting. Sam Neill invented a kind of gravity drive that allows instantaneous travel out of our solar system. He built it into a ship called The Event Horizon. The ship went missing seven years prior but now it’s back. So Sam joins Laurence Fishburne and his crew to investigate. They investigate and shit hits the fan quick.

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Like really hits it.

This is more of a horror movie than a science fiction piece. Turns out that The Event Horizon opened a black hole straight to hell. The ship has become sentient and can manipulate the thoughts of the crew. Long story short: the crew mutilate themselves and Sam Neill pulls out his own eyeballs.All of this sounds fine.  Unfortunately, the movie falls apart. The script doesn’t seem to flow together. It contains a few too many one liners. I love hearing Laurence Fishburne yell “Fuck this ship!” as much as the next guy, but it couldn’t save this movie. The movie is also shot like a 3D movie. Which would be fine if the movie had ever been released in 3D. Instead we just have CG objects flying toward the screen for no reason.

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Poor Laurence suddenly realizing this movie was a huge mistake.

This movie actually had some scary moments. It’s not a terrible horror movie. If I had seen this movie when it had first came out (and I had been six years old) it would have been terrifying. Either way I had a lot of fun with this not so great but entertaining flick.

Lovesick: Chasing the Storm

Posted by Agustin Guerrero on February 6, 2014
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Hello all,

I haven’t made much progress in my journey through science fiction. Hopefully I’ll have an update soon. In the mean time, I was just told my story  Lovesick: Chasing the Storm was accepted into an anthology of superhero romance. It’ll be published later this year by Good Mourning Publishing. I’m super excited. Hopefully this sneak preview will get you excited too.

The first time we touched, sparks flew.  I had charged toward you wielding a bloodied baseball bat; you raised a fist crackling with electricity and punched me through the nearest wall. Dust and debris fell around us as I looked up into your glowing blue eyes. The mask obscured the rest of your face, but I saw through it immediately. I could see your chiseled jaw, your rugged stubble, your handsome nose.  I guess I fell for you in that moment.  I pulled a knife out of my boot and stabbed it hard into your calf. You didn’t even cry out. You stomped my arm with enough force to break bone. I could feel the shattered humerus knitting itself together beneath my skin.  I grinned up at you and rolled to my feet. I wanted to tell you how I felt, but that just wasn’t the time. I threw some of the dust from the shattered drywall into your eyes and fled.

Used Bookstores: The Sequel

Posted by Agustin Guerrero on January 27, 2014
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Hello all,

I continued my quest to find some great science fiction today. And I’m happy to say that today was a rousing success. Just check out this haul:

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My reading lamp wizard approves.

I was so excited to find a copy of I, Robot I literally cheered in the aisle. Plus Will Smith is on the cover? I may not have loved the film adaptation, but I love Will Smith. I can’t wait to start this one. The second best find was Stranger in a Strange Land. I looked through every book on the Science Fiction shelf and let out a second, softer cheer when I found this one. Finding Ender’s Game was just gravy. I haven’t read that book in years and my copy got lost over time. I’m glad to have it back. I know that Fluke and Desperation weren’t on my list but I’ve enjoyed the Christopher Moore books I’ve read and the copy of Desperation was too nice to pass up. Books are my wallet’s weakness.

I wasn’t the only one who had a successful weekend of book hunting. My girlfriend scored these:

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Obviously, our preferences are pretty different. However, that Poe collection is one of the most beautiful I’ve seen. I’m a bit jealous. Side note: my girlfriend and I have been talking about The Forever War for a few months. However, it turns out I was talking about Joe Haldeman’s classic work of military science fiction and she was talking about the one pictured above. Suddenly life makes a lot more sense. The copy of The Interpretation of Dreams was the one book I purchased for her. It was too amazing to just walk away from. I wanted to include a few pictures of this beauty.

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The book has some pretty amazing illustrations. You never know what you’re going to find when hunting for books.

Anyway, I just wanted to post a quick update about my book hunt. If you want to talk about books or the best things you’ve found at a used bookstore, feel free to message me or tweet me @left4turtle.

Used Bookstores

Posted by Agustin Guerrero on January 26, 2014
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Hello all,

I wanted to write a quick post to talk about something I love. I love going to used bookstores. There’s something about them that just calls out to me. The thrill of discovering a new treasured book is something that Amazon and Barnes and Noble can’t really mirror. Sure, you can discover new books there. But you know that they’ll have all the books you’re looking for. A used bookstore gives you the thrill of the hunt with the sweet satisfaction of victory. Maybe it sounds like I’m dramatizing it a bit, but that’s exactly how I feel every time.

I’ve added quite a few books to my “to read” list this year, most of these seminal works of science fiction I’ve never had a chance to read. I want to experience these stories and hopefully channel their creativity and influence into my own writing.

The top books I’m looking for are as follows:
Stranger in a Strange Land– Robert A Heinlein
I, Robot – Isaac Asimov
Neuromancer – William Gibson
2001: A Space Odyssey – Arthur C. Clarke
Hyperion – Dan Simmons
The Foundation Trilogy – Isaac Asimov
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? – Philip K Dick
The Andromeda Strain – Michael Crichton
The Shockwave Rider – John Brunner
Starship Troopers – Robert A Heinlein

Today I went out hunting for some of these classics. My girlfriend and I went to three of the used bookstores in our town. I came away with this haul:

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Of the list, I only managed to find the first two books of the Foundation Trilogy.  The others were little treasures I couldn’t resist picking up. I’ve already read the Dresden Files books but never owned them until now. I’m also really excited to read The Forever Peace, a follow up to one of my favorite books The Forever War. I’m probably most curious about Joseph Heller’s Something Happened of all my finds today. I’ve been reading quite a bit lately about this book. Quite a few people think it is Heller’s masterpiece and a far better book than Catch-22. I’m really interested to see if there is any truth to that claim.

I was a little disheartened when I was unable to find any of the other books on my list. However, I understand that these are books that will always sell at used bookstores and timing is everything. I know that I could just go on Amazon tonight and have the books in two days. I love Amazon and use it for a lot of books. But for these special books, I want to have the thrill of discovering them before I have the thrill of discovering them. I want to open a well worn copy and smell the slightly weird yet intoxicating scent of a used book.

I think I might have to go to a few more bookstores tomorrow. All this talk of discovery is making me itch to go. Who knows what I’ll find?

Anyway, if you want to talk about used books or anything really feel free to send me a message or tweet me @left4turtle.

A Princess of Mars treks into darkness

Posted by Agustin Guerrero on January 20, 2014
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Hello all,

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It’s been too long. Hope you’re all doing well.

Today I finished Edgar Rice Burroughs’ A Princess of Mars. It may have been short, but it was a hell of a fun ride.

My interest in this book was originally peaked by the admittedly cheesy and over the top Disney movie “John Carter”. I remember I was at my father’s house when it came on one of his movie channels. I was planning to leave a few minutes in to the movie and go enjoy my day. Unfortunately for my free time, the movie enraptured me. I was drawn in by this planetary romance and stayed glued to my seat through the ending credits. I think this movie is seriously underrated and anyone who’s looking for a fun sci-fi romp could do a lot worse than “John Carter”.

The book is equally cheesy and over the top, but it’s pulp fiction at it’s most entertaining. The character John Carter is a moral, Virginian man who will fight for what’s right, regardless of what planet he’s on. That’s all the characterization we’re given, and it was all I needed. The emphasis on swordplay and grandiose battles drew me in just like the movie. As I neared the end of the journey my heart sank. The story just drew to a close so sadly and suddenly. I suppose when it was originally published serially the ending didn’t really feel like the end of a story so much as the end of a story arc. But in book form it feels a lot more final. Still, I’m excited to get to the sequel, The Gods of Mars, after I finish The Man in the High Castle.

I haven’t forgotten about Brittany M. Willows’ The Calypsis Project. Unfortunately, that one has hit a little snag. Hopefully I can get some thoughts put up on it in my next post.

Also, in the time since my last post I’ve finally seen “Star Trek Into Darkness”.

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Instinctively I wanted to put a colon in between the title and the sub-title, but that’s not how it’s written on the case. Grammar be damned they say. I was a little surprised by how mediocre everything felt in this movie. Let me be clear, I’ve never been a big Star Trek fan. The 2009 movie was a lot of fun and I enjoyed it for what it was. This movie just hit a lot of the same notes for me. I love Benedict Cumberbatch as a villain, and the rest of the cast do fine in their respective roles. The problem I had was with the writing. It just didn’t do anything worthy of the actors abilities. It was just a big, fun action movie. And while I enjoy those quite a bit, I was expecting more from this one.

Anyway, if you want to discuss the misunderstood masterpiece that is Disney’s “John Carter” feel free to send me a message or tweet me @left4turtle Or if you just want to say hi, feel free to do that too.

Her?

Posted by Agustin Guerrero on January 11, 2014
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Hello all,

Her

Today I finally saw the sci-fi movie everybody has been gushing over. Today I watched Spike Jonze’s Her. I won’t spoil anything in this post so read on with no fear.

I can see why people love Her. The performances, especially Joaquin Phoenix, are all top-notch. Scarlett Johansson manages to breathe life into a character that is only ever heard, not seen. The soundtrack is incredible and the shots are beautiful. Everything was set to make this a great movie for me.

I left the theater feeling unsatisfied.

The pieces were in place. The movie just didn’t bring them together for me in a satisfying way. I felt like the movie dragged on too long without presenting its themes in new ways. To me it was a movie that repainted old themes with a new glossy coat of paint. It was pretty to look at, but it didn’t set my world on fire.

Now, I know and openly acknowledge that I’m in the minority here. A quick search of internet review sites and forums show that the world loves Her. And I’m glad for everyone who loves it. It seems rare that a science fiction movie affects the general population so strongly on an emotional level.

Other than that movie, I’ve been reading The Calypsis Project by indie author Brittany M. Willows. It’s a fun read so far, I’ll have a review posted on Amazon and Goodreads once I’m finished. I’ll link to it in my next blog.

Also, unrelated to sci-fi, everybody should watch Bo Burnham’s new special What. It’s free on Youtube and it’s available on Netflix. It’s beyond brilliant. I have so much respect for him after seeing that show.

Anyway, if you want to tell me I’m wrong about Her or anything else, feel free to message me or tweet at me @left4turtle. Cheers.