No, this isn’t about fashion, it is about a people. It is about something that has bothered me for a while now. Whenever a Red-shirt would beam down to the planet you knew it was over, but here is the question I want you to answer. Why did it end up being the Browncoats that ended up going away permanently if they were still down there fighting?
When Sonny Rhodes and Joss Whedon wrote “The Ballad of Serenity” they should have been right when they said “You can’t take the sky from me”, but I guess the executives at FOX took that as a challenge. The same executives who thought it was a brilliant idea to cancel shows such as Futurama, Family Guy, and even Firefly.
Let’s be real here, those shows had no potential for any success at all… (That was heavily laden with sarcasm if you couldn’t tell) Sure, when Firefly came out it didn’t have nearly the dedicated fanbase as now, but those who liked it loved it, and those who didn’t like it, didn’t think it was that bad. Canceling it was a MENSA level decision, clearly.
The characters in the show were so gripping that you actually felt for them, the story kept you hooked, and the uniqueness of the universe kept you intrigued. It was more than just a western set in space, it was more than a gritty sci-fi, it was it’s own being. And the fans loved it.
Even Fox realized their mistake and tried to fix it with the movie Serenity, but that could only help so much. It made people want more from the series. More of Mal, more of Book, more of Jayne, more of everything. Sadly however, by the time the movie came out, the people involved with the great project had moved on to other things.
I understand that it will never come back on air, and if you thought that is what this was about, then you are wrong. This is just me ranting about something that should never have happened. I’m also aware that it would have been canceled long before now if it were to remain at the same level without beating it to death with a stick, but why do we have to survive with 14 episodes?
We have the comics and we have fanfics and everything else we need to get buy in a world without Firefly. But what I am saying is that we shouldn’t have to. I believe there is a special layer of hell reserved for people who talk in the theater and executives that cancel shows long before they are due.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Prince of Awesome (Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence Review)
I must say that Mark Lawrence has really outdone himself with "Prince of Fools". The first in "The Red Queens War", his follow up saga to "The Broken Empire" trilogy, really grabs you and doesn't let go. While I enjoyed "The Broken Empire", "Prince of Fools" shows a real step up in his ability to make characters come to life and makes it clear that he means to firmly plant himself in the company of many of fantasy's greats.
Focusing around two seemingly opposite main characters (a lovable rogue and jolly straight man), both wonderfully relatable in their own ways, you find yourself driven to the next page as they are driven onwards through this fast-paced, action packed, plot that is laced with tons of black humor. The first half eases you into the story with a wonderfully built world and a supporting cast that truly keeps you wanting more. The latter half however is much darker and meatier, with the plot really pulling you and and masterfully playing with your emotions. I honestly haven't loved a book this much since I first picked up "The Way of Shadows" by Brent Weeks in late 2008.
The character development of the main characters is seen to be more gradual than it is in a lot of other stories like it. The characters are aided along in their development by your not-so-standard angel and devil on the shoulder, and yet you don't find them annoying in the slightest like I find you almost always do. Though most of the story is told from the first person point of view of the lovable rogue, the snippets you get from the straight man make you feel ever so much more for him than you do from the otherwise outside perspective.
The plot is mostly character driven and unrelentingly moves forward, it doesn't really slow down even when you think it would or even should. It shows that the world he has created with "Prince of Thorns" (the first book of "The Broken Empire") is full of life even outside of the frame of reference. Living cities and an untapped sea of lore that makes me wonder what else could be in store for the future.
With lines such as "Pretty much everything exploded" and "God! You're probably the sort that likes clowns!" it's no wonder why this has quickly shot to the list of my favourite books. If you enjoy really dark, not-quite-high fantasy books with great characterization, a wonderfully fast paced and action packed plot that will keep you from putting down your book then I implore you to take a read-through of this. Oh! It also features a lot of vikings as well. 10 out of 10.
Thanks Mark, I can't wait until "The Liar's Key" hits the shelves.
Focusing around two seemingly opposite main characters (a lovable rogue and jolly straight man), both wonderfully relatable in their own ways, you find yourself driven to the next page as they are driven onwards through this fast-paced, action packed, plot that is laced with tons of black humor. The first half eases you into the story with a wonderfully built world and a supporting cast that truly keeps you wanting more. The latter half however is much darker and meatier, with the plot really pulling you and and masterfully playing with your emotions. I honestly haven't loved a book this much since I first picked up "The Way of Shadows" by Brent Weeks in late 2008.
The character development of the main characters is seen to be more gradual than it is in a lot of other stories like it. The characters are aided along in their development by your not-so-standard angel and devil on the shoulder, and yet you don't find them annoying in the slightest like I find you almost always do. Though most of the story is told from the first person point of view of the lovable rogue, the snippets you get from the straight man make you feel ever so much more for him than you do from the otherwise outside perspective.
The plot is mostly character driven and unrelentingly moves forward, it doesn't really slow down even when you think it would or even should. It shows that the world he has created with "Prince of Thorns" (the first book of "The Broken Empire") is full of life even outside of the frame of reference. Living cities and an untapped sea of lore that makes me wonder what else could be in store for the future.
With lines such as "Pretty much everything exploded" and "God! You're probably the sort that likes clowns!" it's no wonder why this has quickly shot to the list of my favourite books. If you enjoy really dark, not-quite-high fantasy books with great characterization, a wonderfully fast paced and action packed plot that will keep you from putting down your book then I implore you to take a read-through of this. Oh! It also features a lot of vikings as well. 10 out of 10.
Thanks Mark, I can't wait until "The Liar's Key" hits the shelves.
Oh Look! A New Blog!
Yep, that's right. Another opinionated dink has joined the echelons of bloggers everywhere. I don't claim to be vastly different, but at least I'm honest about it. I'm geeky and I like to share that with people. I feel like that is a good thing but sometimes people let me know otherwise in a not-so-polite manner. So that's where this comes from. I get to give this to you all at no cost to you! THAT'S RIGHT FOLKS! FREE!*
What I'm going to do here is give reviews of books I'm reading/have read, games I've played/am playing, movies I've watched, and TV shows because I want to plug the things I like. I like a lot of fantasy and sci fi so there will be a lot of that. I don't really have any experience blogging so this will be something you'll have to deal with. Also sometimes I like to rant or ramble. So, yeah...
What else? Oh! A bit about me then. I grew up in rural Canada, the population of the closest town approaching a whopping 45 people.** Growing up on a farm in Ontario means that being a geek was not really something that was done, so I had to keep stuff to myself while I enjoyed it. I am now living in a city in Ontario where I am free to be me and do as much or little as I want. It's great really. I play D&D, spend hours reading, watch what I want when I want to, and I can play video games whenever (I swear I'm a real adult).
So... Uh... Yeah... This is that awkward part where I end my first post to start my next. Go over there now. It's a plug for Mark Lawrence and a review of his most recent book(as of this post) "The Prince of Fools", a book I thoroughly enjoyed.
*While supplies last, see blogger for details... Or something.
**This is a very liberal estimate, actual population may be lower.
What I'm going to do here is give reviews of books I'm reading/have read, games I've played/am playing, movies I've watched, and TV shows because I want to plug the things I like. I like a lot of fantasy and sci fi so there will be a lot of that. I don't really have any experience blogging so this will be something you'll have to deal with. Also sometimes I like to rant or ramble. So, yeah...
What else? Oh! A bit about me then. I grew up in rural Canada, the population of the closest town approaching a whopping 45 people.** Growing up on a farm in Ontario means that being a geek was not really something that was done, so I had to keep stuff to myself while I enjoyed it. I am now living in a city in Ontario where I am free to be me and do as much or little as I want. It's great really. I play D&D, spend hours reading, watch what I want when I want to, and I can play video games whenever (I swear I'm a real adult).
So... Uh... Yeah... This is that awkward part where I end my first post to start my next. Go over there now. It's a plug for Mark Lawrence and a review of his most recent book(as of this post) "The Prince of Fools", a book I thoroughly enjoyed.
*While supplies last, see blogger for details... Or something.
**This is a very liberal estimate, actual population may be lower.
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