SF Fandom Blog

Michael Martinez

I've never heard of Erika before but the video caught my eye. It's a sort of generic pop song I guess but the video paints an interesting vignette about a girl's fantasy life.

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Michael Martinez

I love campy science fiction movies, especially when they are well-done campy science fiction movies that revel in campiness, glorifying the cheap schlocky look that old low-budget science fiction movies established as the standard to be exceeded by the least amount of effort.

Who can forget such classics as "The Giant Claw" and "Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers"? Dudes, that was real schlock.

Well apparently Jessica Slavik loves schlock, too. Or, at the very least, she and her friends don't have a whole lot of money.

Still, this trailer for an upcoming low-budget film named "Spacemare" looks very promising. Keep your eyes out for the full-length version. It may not stay in theaters long -- if it makes to the theaters at all!

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Michael Martinez

The independent film "Moon" took the film festival circuit by storm in 2009. The following featurette was posted by Empire Online to YouTube.

This is Part 1

This is Part 2

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Michael Martinez

I never heard of this movie but Cowan apparently uploaded the trailer to YouTube and there I found it. Looks like a classic parasite-threatens-humanity SciFi/Thriller/Horror flick.

IMDB has this to say about the movie's plot:

In 1989, a breakthrough in advanced parasitic research on Cuttyhunk Island, gave scientists a jump in human evolution. Initial tests proved promising as subjects were experiencing heightened physical and mental strength and awareness. But, something in the experiment went horribly wrong and the island mysteriously lost three quarters of its population. Jamie Akerman fled the outbreak, which took her mothers life, twenty years ago. She now returns with her boyfriend and step brother, to sell the family property. There, they uncover the key to Jamie's disturbing past, and the horrifying secrets long suppressed by the town leader, Larkin. Now, a new strain of parasite has emerged, and threatens the island once again. Jamie struggles to survive and escape the obsessive pursuit of the local islanders who know that she has inherited more than she could ever have imagined. Written by Brandon

I'm not really familiar with any of the people in the fairly extensive cast.

There is a Gabriel C channel at YouTube where you can find more videos.

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Michael Martinez

I don't live anywhere near NewFoundland but if I did I'd probably be checking out SciFi On The Rock, the local SF convention there. I came across an interesting video they uploaded on September 10 that updates their attendees on what is happening with the convention.

I can't promise to promote every such video (I just don't have the time or resources) but I think this is a great idea. Every science fiction convention, large or small, should post these kinds of updates if they any media capability at all.

And if you want to help your local convention and have the means to create and upload videos, why not offer to work with them on a project like that?

Good luck to the fans out on the Rock!

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Michael Martinez

Andre Norton friend and fan Paul Goode shared the sad news this morning on SF-Fandom that Mary H. Schaub has passed away from terminal cancer. She was 66 years old.

On September 21 we heard that Mary Schaub had entered hospice care. She was there only a few days.

My thoughts are with her friends and family. They have my best wishes in this time of loss.

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Michael Martinez

Solomon Kane is one of Robert E. Howard's more popular characters and he has enjoyed a sort of renaissance over the past couple of years with a Solomon Kane comic and a Solomon Kane movie.

The movie is due out in December 2009. Kane takes on the forces of hell in classic Howardian fashion, a grim, lone hero takes on incredible odds and wins.

You can watch the trailer here:

Be sure to drop by the General Movies Forum to discuss with other SF-Fandom fans. And you may want to check out our Pulp Authors Forum where Robert E. Howard books and projects are often discussed.

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Michael Martinez

I did not have a chance to see "Watchmen" in theaters but I definitely made sure to catch the Director's Cut through On Demand cable television. I had heard that despite a strong opening the movie quickly fizzled -- audiences supposedly had a hard time connecting with the movie.

I think the Director's Cut works really well and I urge anyone who was disappointed with the theatrical version to check out the longer version (it's a 3-hour movie, so be sure you set aside enough time for one sitting).

Empire Magazine has been releasing videos through its YouTube Channel lately so you may want to check out what other interviews they are uploading.

Carla Gugino, Patrick Wilson, and Malin Akerman talk about comic books and working on the movie in this interview.

Please feel free to join our discussion at SF-Fandom.

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Michael Martinez

You can read about the upcoming charity lunch auction to benefit cancer research in The Daily Tell, a "Good News" site that seeks to publish only positive, upbeat news stories.

You may recall that I wrote about Kevin Sorbo, Dean Cain, and other celebrities auctioning off lunch dates to help The United Cancer Advocacy Action Network raise money for cancer research. I first learned of the event in SF-Fandom's Kevin Sorbo Forum.

It's a pity this story has not received wider coverage. If you have a blog or Web site you update frequently, please link to the Daily Tell story.

Fans can bid online through Thursday, September 24, at 12 Noon or bid at the auction in person. Here is an excerpt from the article:

According to Rachel Shur, the founder of UCAAN and the organizer of the auction, there will also be an array of other prizes that will also be auctioned off to raise money for the foundation.

Now at 29-years-old, Shur was diagnosed with final-stage leukemia three years ago and only given a 10 percent chance of survival, according to the Star. However, after numerous treatments including full-body radiation, chemotherapy and a successful stem cell treatment following a relapse in 2007, Shur started UCAAN to help those with cancer live their lives normally and provide whatever help possible.

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Michael Martinez

Fox Network has apparently decided to create a Western television series with a science fiction twist. Geeks of Doom welcomes the prospect of a concept it compares to Firefly with all the enthusiasm of a warmed over sleeper.

Sorry, couldn't think of a better metaphor than that.

I don't have much faith in the Fox Network when it comes to television. I do love Fringe but let's get real here: the network's flagship programming is based on crime and reality shows.

Unless they can come up with a science fiction cops reality angle, I doubt Fox will invest a whole lot of schedule time in science fiction. Maybe they want to test the Western concept with a new angle (a dose of science fiction) to see if viewers are willing to watch Alias Smith & Jones meet the "50 Foot Tall Woman".

The real problem with science fiction television, I suppose, is that it is just so expensive to produce -- unless you use green sets, which we're starting to see more often. Frankly, I am underwhelmed by SyFy's Sanctuary. I was somehow hoping that making the transition from the Web to a successful television network would help the show expand its budget.

My mistake.

Real science fiction is supposed to be about the characters and the conflicts they face, but television science fiction has to resonate with the viewing audience. It's not so easy to make that connection in a world where people can log online and build empires at the click of a mouse button.

Well, that's the news for today. Maybe tomorrow will bring a brighter future (or past).

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Michael Martinez

Net Neutrality is a lie. Keep that in mind. In a much-anticipated move, the Federal Communications Commission today told consumers that the FCC supports Net Neutrality over consumer interests.

The average consumer has always been threatened by the bogus claims about Net Neuttrality because pro-Net Neutrality advocates have lied about what is at stake.

The Internet access providers who have opposed Net Neutrality have done so because they would be required to bear the expense of building out infrastructure without being able to charge the people who actually need and use that additional infrastructure for the costs.

In other words, you and I will have to pay for the construction of new resources we won't use. Most of us are NOT downloading hundreds of megabytes' worth of data every day. Of the people who do download that kind of data (to their home computers), many are doing so illegally. So the Federal Communications Commission has jumped into the argument and said that all American consumers will underwrite improving the technology for illegal file downloads and uploads.

What's more, the FCC has guaranteed that Internet service providers will NOT be able to protect the majority of their customers from bandwidth hogs -- people whose use of resources is so egregious they directly affect the quality of our own Internet use.

Why on Earth would you or any other reasonable person want to support Net Neutrality -- it takes bandwidth away from us, increases our costs, and puts additional profits into the coffers of corporations that don't want to pay for the infrastructure they and their elite clients will benefit from.

You may not like the Republican Party (heck, I'm amazed at some of the stupid things they have tried to pull off over the past couple of years), but they seem to be all that stand between consumers and higher Internet access fees. A Republican Party initiative to stop the FCC may pass if enough Democrats put consumer interests first and support the bill.

We don't need more Net Neutrality lies -- we need to see our government protect our interests.

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Michael Martinez

Writer Mary H. Schaub, who is probably best known among science fiction and fantasy fans for her collaborations in Andre Norton's Witch World books, has lung cancer and has entered hospice care, according to Paul Goode in the Andre Norton Forum thread about Mary Schaub's illness at SF-Fandom.

Mary's largest contribution to the Witch World saga was the Magestone novel, but she also wrote "Night Hound's Moon" and "Exile" for two Witch World anthologies. Mary's focus in The Magestone was on a family from Alizon.

Mary H. Schaub also published a short story, "Quarry", in the April 1976 Analog: Science Fiction and Science Fact as well as a short story, "In the Court of the Timeshifters", which was published in the August 1979 Galileo.

We at SF-Fandom send our best wishes to Mary and her loved ones.

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Michael Martinez

You find all sorts of things on YouTube. I could probably upload quite a few home videos myself, if I took the time to make them. But every now and then I find something that goes a little beyond the quality of your basic home video.

Film students, professionals, semi-professionals, and some very dedicated amateurs can upload pretty interesting stuff. You see different expressions of old ideas. Hollywood didn't burn out all the techniques that could be used.

The supershort movie format, which tells a complete story in less than 10 minutes, can flourish under the right circumstances. I suspect video archiving sites like YouTube will help us find some real artists.

Anyway, here is a supershort film I found the other day that stands at least a head above the usual crowd of homegrown video on YouTube. What do you think of it?

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Michael Martinez

Actor Kevin Sorbo is pitching in to help the newly formed United Cancer Advocacy Action Network raise money for cancer research by donating an hour of his lunch time. Fans will have until September 24 to bid on lunch with the celebrity in order to help a worthy cause.

Other actors pitching in to help out include Dean Cain, Victoria Jackson, Morgan Brittany, and Maurice LaMarche.

Discussion at SF-Fandom.

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Michael Martinez

We have many questions about our past. One of those questions is a rather complex one. It can be summed up thus: if modern humans arose about 200,000 years ago, why did it take another 160,000 years for them to start acting like modern humans?

Specifically, scientists ask (and argue) why humanity took so long to develop the basic cultural skills that signify human cognizance -- our awareness of self within the universe. The most commonly cited metric in prehistoric studies and analyses is art. If early man took the time to be artistic, it meant he was beginning to think beyond his basic needs: breathing, drinking, eating, reproducing, and surviving.

There have been three recent archaeological discoveries which have sparked both debate and the imagination.

The Oldest Known Artwork: Blombos Cave
In early 2002 scientists announced the discovery of 70,000 year-old human art found in a cave in South Africa. Soft ochre stone was apparently carved with an intricate pattern of criss-crossed lines. Some detractors argue the scrapes are just meaningless doodles. But perhaps they represent a picture, say of a range of mountains, perhaps lining a lake or a seashore.

What we can be sure of is that someone took the time to carve lines in a piece of rock. We don't know why. Perhaps it was a bored hunter waiting for a kill and at the end of a day he took his doodles home with him. Perhaps it was a bored child confined to a cave by Mom on a rainy day when there were dangerous animals or enemies close by.

There might be lost significance which cannot be conveyed by the carvings themselves. Perhaps prehistoric artisans had to prove they had certain skills in order to be admitted into a special group of artisans. Maybe carving straight lines on a rock meant something like, "I know how to carve straight lines on a rock -- most people cannot do that." Have you ever tried to draw a straight line on paper? It's not as easy as it looks for many people.

Archaeologists suggest Python cult existed 70,000 years ago
In 2006 a team of archaeologists proposed that African San people worshipped a giant python rock 70,000 years ago. Scientists suggest that 300-400 carvings may have enhanced firelight views (scroll down) of the rock.

The San people believe that humanity descended from a python. Of course, serpents figure in other mythologies -- including the Biblical story of Genesis, where the serpent is the avatar of evil who uses Eve to persuade Adam to commit the first sin against God.

All we know for sure is that someone carved a natural python-like rock formation to look more snake-like. And it occurred around the same time as the ochre stone carving in Bomblos Cave.

Maybe the architect was practicing his design on ochre stone before going to the python rock?

Archaeologists debate whether Moroccan shells are ancient jewelry
Around 82,000 years ago humans living along the coast of northwest Africa in what is now Morocco apparently carried snail shells 50 km inland (that would be about 31.25 miles for those of us who live in the United States). 31 miles may not seem like such a great distance but it's a very long distance for primitive peoples who don't have roads, cars, or safe passage.

The shells, remnants of sea snails whose shells have been found in archaeological digs throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe dating back over 110,000 years, appear to have been pierced as if hung on a string.

Some ancient (but historical) systems of exchange did, in fact, put objects of value (even coins) on strings. But would humans have had a need for a medium of exchange 82,000 years ago? Some scientists argue that since these snails are found in archaeological digs all over the Old World, there is no real significance to the holes in the shells (which could have been created by microbes).

Most recently it has been announced that these odd beads with holes in them have been found in even older layers.

But stop and consider this: these snail shells have been found in archaeological digs all over the Old World.

What Might Have Been 70,000 Years Ago
We have no evidence to sugggest there was a sophisticated human culture 70,000 years ago but we do have evidence that the previous interglacial warming period ended about that time -- probably because of the Toba supervolcano eruption that scientists believe brought on a new period of cooling which either created or speeded the last glaciation period (which lasted from approximately 70,000 BCE to approximately 12,000 BCE).

Scientists estimate that the total surviving human population (then divided between Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens?) numbered maybe only 10,000 people -- about 2,000 mating couples with children and/or aged parents. Those people mostly survived in Africa, it seems.

It may also be that there were more men than women 60,000 years ago when modern humans are believed to have begun leaving Africa. If most of the emigrants were men, what happened to all the women? In the course of 10,000 years one might expect the human population to re-establish its gender-balances.

Tool-making Improved 80,000 Years Ago
In another recent study, scientists argue that tool-making became more sophisticated in southern Africa between 80,000 and 60,000 years ago.

Tool-making cannnot be overemphasized. Scientists have been studying a dry lake-bed in the Kalahari desert where ancient stone axes and other tools were manufactured for 10s of thousands of years ranging from about 150,000 years ago to about 10,000 years ago. The Kalahari desert is located in and near Botswana, which is just to the north of central South Africa.

Another recent find suggests that ancient humans along the coast of South Africa (and near Cape Town) used fire in their tool-making processes about 72,000 years ago. Firing stone tools makes them stronger and more durable. Maybe a fired stone tool was used to etch criss-crossing lines in an ochre stone.

Genetic studies suggest that African Pygmies diverged from other modern humans about 60,000 years ago and that the modern Pygmy groups (East and West) emerged around 20,000 years ago.

It is probably no coincidence that the Pygmy peoples became distinct from other modern humans about the same time that a mostly male population began leaving Africa for other lands. There must have been a great upheaval, something which our science has yet to identify.

Modern Human Culture 60,000 Years Ago
It has been proposed that all modern men are descended from one man who lived in Africa about 60,000 years ago (by contrast, genetic studies suggest our common female ancestor lived about 150,000 years ago). There are certainly a lot of possible explanations (many of them implausible) for how one man living at any given time could become the male ancestor of modern humanity.

For example, Genghis Khan is believed to be the ancestor of about 8% of Asian men and many men outside of Asia as well. I read one estimate that suggested Genghis Khan could have had as many as 30,000 living descendants when he died.

Some scientists argue that modern human migration from Africa began as much as 40,000 years prior to the time of "Adam" -- and that is not inconsistent with the data we have. Other modern human populations could have left Africa, died out in the Toba event, or eventually were taken over by Adam's descendants.

The story of Genghis Khan shows us that immense human population upheavals are plausible. He swept across Asia and conquered most of Asia, establishing what would eventually become the largest empire history has known.

60,000 years ago there need only have been a relatively small population of modern humans in Africa. Adam could have been a dynamic leader who gathered the clans, took all the best women for himself, and fathered a generation of ambitious young warriors. In the ensuing years groups of people could have broken off from Adam's little kingdom, migrating away from his successors' area of control.

Perhaps small bands of warriors went north seeking fame, fortune, and women of their own, each group led by one or more of Adam's sons, grandsons, or great-grandsons.

Toba-event Survivors Outside Africa
We can be reasonably certain that there was more than one group of survivors from the Toba event because Neanderthals continued to exist in Europe and the Near East. These small groups of men were pretty sophisticated, probably as sophisticated as our own ancestors.

For example, around 60,000 years ago Neanderthals developed primitive dental hygiene (although there is evidence people were picking their teeth as far back as 2 million years ago).

Neanderthals have been given credit for all sorts of developments, including artwork, possibly religious rituals, caring for injured relatives, and more. 60,000 years Neanderthals began hunting Mammoths in Britain.

There is probably sufficient data for us to conclude that human groups moved around and exchanged gifts, trophies, and perhaps even mates as far back as 100,000 years ago -- maybe longer.

We don't have enough evidence to show there was anything like an intergroup culture capable of waging war or engaging in large-scale activity, but I wouldn't be surprised if archaeologists begin uncovering more interesting remnants of a history we never recorded.

For another attempt at explaining this, check out Africa 60,000 years ago: The Age of Adam in SF-Fandom's Archaeology and Prehistory Forum.

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Michael Martinez

The Hollywood Reporter announced three more cast members for the upcoming "John Carter of Mars" movie, which Disney just mentioned will be released in the summer of 2012.

"John Carter of Mars" is based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel A Princess of Mars (first published in 1912 -- does anyone smell a "Year of Edgar Rice Burroughs" coming on?), the first of 10 books that ERB published about Barsoom (although those books take place in a larger fictional universe that includes classic characters such as Tarzan and Carson Napier of Venus).

From The Hollywood Reporter's story:

English actors Samantha Morton, Dominic West and Polly Walker have joined "John Carter of Mars," Disney's adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs book series that Andrew Stanton is directing.

So the cast lineup presently looks like this:

Taylor Kitsch stars as John Carter

Lynn Collins plays Dejah Thoris

Willem Dafoe plays Tars Tarkas

Samantha Morton plays Sola

Dominic West plays Sab Than

Polly Walker plays Sarkoja

So how does the story play out? John Carter is an ex-Confederate soldier (from Virginia) who seeks his fortune out west after the Union wins the war. When his partner is killed by Apaches Carter finds himself trapped in a cave, where he sort of dies at night after gazing longingly with all his soul upon the planet Mars.

He wakes up naked in an ochre-moss plain, discovers an incubator for a tribe or nation of 12-foot-tall four-armed green men (who have tusks protruding from their mouths). Because he was born on Earth, Carter is immensely strong compared to the Martians (Barsoomians) and it doesn't take him long to win a place among the cruel, savage green hordes.

But Carter discovers Mars has a gentler, more civilized "human" species when he meets Dejah Thoris, princess of Helium, with whom he falls in love. Carter helps Dejah Thoris escape her green captors (while befriending Tars Tarkas, one of their princes) and return to her people.

Tarkas takes risks in befriending Carter (and Thoris) but he himself has a tale to tell. In his youth, going against all tradition, he and one of his tribe's females secretly had a daughter (Sola) whom they tried to raise in secret. Sarkoja, as evil and cruel a green woman as ever lived, learned of Sola and had her mothered put to death. Ignorant of who Sola's father was, Sarkoja raised Sola as a slave. Carter eventually learned the whole story from Sola and told it to Tars Tarkas. Well, you can imagine where things might go from there.

Sab Than is a red man, a prince from the city of Zodanga, who seeks to marry Dejah Thoris. John Carter must win her back from this unsuitable suitor and destroy the threat that Zodanga poses to the whole of Barsoom.

Oh, exciting times, they are awaitin' us at the theater (assuming any of this plot makes it into the movies).

Disney has assured people that "John Carter of Mars" will be a live-action movie that uses a lot of CGI effects.

Pixar's Andrew Stanton is directing the movie, much of which will be filmed in Utah this fall.

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Michael Martinez

This teaser video pretty much shares a lot of plot details from the 2nd season opening episode of Fringe, which airs on Fox Network Thursday, September 17. Check your local listings.

Fringe stars Joshua Jackson, Anna Torv, John Noble, and Lance Reddick.

Be sure to stop by and share your thoughts on the show in our Fringe forum discussion.

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Michael Martinez

It's been pointed out to me that Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull had actually documented this brief episode of Tolkien's career in one of their books.

It's amazing how much news J.R.R. Tolkien has provided this year, given that he passed away 36 years ago in 1973.

The internationally celebrated author of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, The Children of Hurin, and The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun apparently was recruited by Great Britain's intelligence community as part of a cadre of linguistic specialists in the months running up to the second world war.

Although Tolkien ultimately declined to participate in the government's secret program, he nonetheless spent several days in a preliminary function. According to The Telegraph, Tolkien declined to accept the 500-pound annual stipend.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

Tolkien, one of his generation's most respected linguists, was ''earmarked'' to crack Nazi codes in the event that Germany declared war.

Intelligence chiefs singled him and a 'cadre' of other intellectuals to work at Bletchley Park, the codebreaking centre in Buckinghamshire.

Its staff - which included Alan Turing, the gay codebreaker - would later decipher the 'impenetrable' Enigma machines.

This saved Britain from German conquest by allowing the Navy to intercept and destroy Hitler's U-Boats.

According to previously unseen records, Tolkien trained with the top-secret Government Code and Cypher School (GCCS).

He spent three days at their London HQ in March 1939 - six months before the outbreak of the Second World War and just 18 months after the publication of his first book, The Hobbit.

But although he was ''keen'', Tolkien - a professor of English literature at Oxford University - declined a £500-a-year offer to become a full-time recruit.

We have started a discussion at SF-Fandom's Tolkien Forum.

I must say, this is the most interesting news about JRRT I've read in a very long time. I'm pumped, although I don't quite know what to make of it.

Tolkien did spend some time acting as an air-raid warden during the Second World War, and he served in the British Army during the First World War.

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Michael Martinez

Fox Broadcasting is warming up the fans for Thursday, September 17's second season kickoff of Fringe. Fringe is J.J. Abrams' answer to The X-Files and Dark Angel and maybe one or two other neat science fiction thriller-style shows.

The cast talk about the things that grossed them out in this video which serves as a second season preamble. Fans of Joshua Jackson will not be disappointed. Watch and enjoy and wait....

Please join us in our Fringe Forum Discussions at SF-Fandom and let us know how you enjoy the show.

SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.

Michael Martinez

I found out a bit of good news this morning. I have been following the developments of the Harry Potter theme park attraction in Florida with great interest for over a years. Today Attractions Magazine released a YouTube video introducing fans to the new Universal Studios Orlando Harry Potter attraction. This is the first public look at the theme park section and they have some pretty cool stuff (in the video and at the park).

We have some discussion about the Harry Potter video in our Harry Potter Forum at SF-Fandom.

SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.

Michael Martinez

If you're looking for spoilers for the second season of J.J. Abrams' Fringe, then head on over to TV Overmind, which has gleaned juicy tidbits from the September 11 issue of EW.

In that second article you can watch a video where Joshua Jackson, Anna Torv, and John Noble pose for pictures and talk about the show.

Fringe discussion continues at SF-Fandom, of course.

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Michael Martinez

I never really studied the geography of Greek mythology in depth. I recall trying to figure out where some of the ancient wars of mythology were supposedly fought, and when Xena: Warrior Princess was popular a lot of us Xenites read up on Amazon history and mythology.

Greek mythology is closely tied to the Black Sea region, whereas Greek history expands beyond that area into the wider world. There is a very clear and definite historical pattern in Greek mythology, however. Ancient Greeks studied that history, accepted it as faithfully as we accept the history lessons we are taught about the past 1000-1500 years, and they analyzed that history and used it to provide context for many contemporary anecdotes and histories.

Today we mine Greek mythology for inspiration in literature and other forms of entertainment. We draw upon the nomenclature and symbology of ancient Greek ideas for business and even for science. But we don't have much science that explores Greek mythology beyond the requisite archaeological inquiries into the city of Troy.

This past weekend SyFy ran the 2000 mini-series "Jason and the Argonauts", and while watching the show I decided to look up the Kingdom of Colchis, which (like many other lands mentioned in Greek mythology) was a real land. In fact, Colchis still exists today -- we call it the nation of Georgia.

Situated on the southeastern shore of the Black Sea, Georgia extends eastward about 2/3 of the way to the Caspian Sea. Colchis lay along the seashore. In the 2nd Millennium BCE it was apparently a rich land, powerful and ancient. Archaeology has confirmed that people have lived in the area (which is home to the Caucausus mountains) for thousands upon thousands of years.

In fact, archaeologists recently announced that 34,000 year-old fibers from Georgia show that people living in that region were weaving and sewing cloth.

Herodotus, called the father of history, opened his book with an account of wrongs between peoples of the east and west, which includes a very much reduced version of the Jason story:

Those of the Persians who have knowledge of history declare that the Phenicians first began the quarrel. These, they say, came from that which is called the Erythraian Sea to this of ours; and having settled in the land where they continue even now to dwell, set themselves forthwith to make long voyages by sea. And conveying merchandise of Egypt and of Assyria they arrived at other places and also at Argos; now Argos was at that time in all points the first of the States within that land which is now called Hellas;--the Phenicians arrived then at this land of Argos, and began to dispose of their ship's cargo: and on the fifth or sixth day after they had arrived, when their goods had been almost all sold, there came down to the sea a great company of women, and among them the daughter of the king; and her name, as the Hellenes also agree, was Io the daughter of Inachos. These standing near to the stern of the ship were buying of the wares such as pleased them most, when of a sudden the Phenicians, passing the word from one to another, made a rush upon them; and the greater part of the women escaped by flight, but Io and certain others were carried off. So they put them on board their ship, and forthwith departed, sailing away to Egypt. 2. In this manner the Persians report that Io came to Egypt, not agreeing therein with the Hellenes,[3] and this they say was the first beginning of wrongs. Then after this, they say, certain Hellenes (but the name of the people they are not able to report) put in to the city of Tyre in Phenicia and carried off the king's daughter Europa;--these would doubtless be Cretans;--and so they were quits for the former injury. After this however the Hellenes, they say, were the authors of the second wrong; for they sailed in to Aia of Colchis and to the river Phasis with a ship of war, and from thence, after they had done the other business for which they came, they carried off the king's daughter Medea: and the king of Colchis sent a herald to the land of Hellas and demanded satisfaction for the rape[4] and to have his daughter back; but they answered that, as the Barbarians had given them no satisfaction for the rape of Io the Argive, so neither would they give satisfaction to the Barbarians for this.

Source: Project Gutenberg eText of Herodotus' History

Of course, Herodotus cannot prove the tales he relates. He is only repeating what he has been told by local people (or travelers, or other sources). Still, he goes on to draw together some interesting threads about Colchis and Egypt:

For the people of Colchis are evidently Egyptian, and this I perceived for myself before I heard it from others. So when I had come to consider the matter I asked them both; and the Colchians had remembrance of the Egyptians more than the Egyptians of the Colchians; but the Egyptians said they believed that the Colchians were a portion of the army of Sesostris. That this was so I conjectured myself not only because they are dark-skinned and have curly hair (this of itself amounts to nothing, for there are other races which are so), but also still more because the Colchians, Egyptians, and Ethiopians alone of all the races of men have practised circumcision from the first. The Phenicians and the Syrians[88] who dwell in Palestine confess themselves that they have learnt it from the Egyptians, and the Syrians[89] about the river Thermodon and the river Parthenios, and the Macronians, who are their neighbours, say that they have learnt it lately from the Colchians. These are the only races of men who practise circumcision, and these evidently practise it in the same manner as the Egyptians. Of the Egyptians themselves however and the Ethiopians, I am not able to say which learnt from the other, for undoubtedly it is a most ancient custom; but that the other nations learnt it by intercourse with the Egyptians, this among others is to me a strong proof, namely that those of the Phenicians who have intercourse with Hellas cease to follow the example of the Egyptians in this matter, and do not circumcise their children. 105. Now let me tell another thing about the Colchians to show how they resemble the Egyptians:--they alone work flax in the same fashion as the Egyptians,[90] and the two nations are like one another in their whole manner of living and also in their language: now the linen of Colchis is called by the Hellenes Sardonic, whereas that from Egypt is called Egyptian. 106. The pillars which Sesostris of Egypt set up in the various countries are for the most part no longer to be seen extant; but in Syria Palestine I myself saw them existing with the inscription upon them which I have mentioned and the emblem. Moreover in Ionia there are two figures of this man carved upon rocks, one on the road by which one goes from the land of Ephesos to Phocaia, and the other on the road from Sardis to Smyrna. In each place there is a figure of a man cut in the rock, of four cubits and a span in height, holding in his right hand a spear and in his left a bow and arrows, and the other equipment which he has is similar to this, for it is both Egyptian and Ethiopian: and from the one shoulder to the other across the breast runs an inscription carved in sacred Egyptian characters, saying thus, "This land with my shoulders I won for myself." But who he is and from whence, he does not declare in these places, though in other places he has declared this. Some of those who have seen these carvings conjecture that the figure is that of Memnon, but herein they are very far from the truth.

Now, it seems to me that Georgia is a long way from Egypt, but it is significant that Herodotus mentions their use of flax. Whether there is a true connection between Colchis and Egypt other than flax is a conjecture I cannot really explore. On the other hand, there does appear to be a real historical context for the golden fleece. Apparently, the local town of Svaneti in modern Georgia is closely associated with the practice of capturing gold from local rivers by laying sheepskins in the water.

Despite what I wrote above, archaeological work continues throughout the Black Sea and eastern Mediterranean regions. But we mostly hear about archaeology concerned with Biblical, Egyptian, and Greco-Roman cultures. The more ancient, isolated cultures don't receive as much attention as we might wish they could. The picture of our ancient history is very incomplete. It will take a long time to uncover all the surviving pieces and assemble them together in something like a solved puzzle.

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Michael Martinez

Fans of Babylon-5 will be glad to know that Claudia Christian has joined the cast of the Barrier short film. Earlier this year I learned that Bruce Hopkins had accepted the lead role in the movie, playing character Dante Lau.

Claudia will be playing Gallea Flynn. Together with Matthew Werkmeister (who plays James Ngaio), Hopkins and Christian will take audiences on the space ride of their lives.

Here is a short synopsis of the film's plot from the official Barrier site:

It's the year 2438, the race master Gallea Flynn has died. Friends and fans alike have gathered together to pay their last respects and to attend an off circuit race meet in her honor at her home world, Alluri Prime.

Attending the event is her young rookie apprentice James Ngaio, and fellow race master Dante lau.

It's James last chance to impress someone of Dante's level in the racing community, and his last chance to get a place on a sanctioned Barrier League racing team... All he has to to is win the race!

Follow the production's progress on the official Barrier TV blog.

I'm looking forward to seeing this movie and I hope you are, too.

SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.

Michael Martinez

UPDATE: It appears that Celeste has been returned home safely. But please be sure to support Peace4 The Missing. There are still other people who need to come home safe.

For the past couple of weeks Xenite.Org has been running special banners on its network that feature a missing child, Celeste Christianssen, whose family feel she has been taken and held against her will.

Celeste's family have created a Web page about her situation at http://peace4missing.ning.com/video/no-sign-of-celeste, which is hosted by the Peace4 The Missing site.

I feel strongly that too few children are found because we don't have a good system for keeping people aware of their situations. Every now and then you hear about a child that has turned up after missing for years, often after enduring abuse.

We can each do a little bit to help by at least promoting the Web sites that keep these children's hopes of survival and rescue alive. I came across the Peace4 The Missing site after reading about another missing child's story. I decided that I could help promote the site and increase awareness by featuring one of its children on the Xenite network.

Over time I hope to find a better way to help promote these missing child cases. I think we can do more than just read their stories with sadness in our hearts. At least, if you have a Web site, it's hard to say you cannot do anything.

SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.

Michael Martinez

Someone going by the username of WhatJaneSays has uploaded a tremendous amount of video from last weekend's Dragon*Con 2009. The videos I've looked at so far were made at a joint session by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy and a Nimoy solo session.

There are seven Shatner/Nimoy videos. I include the first here for your enjoyment. Just click on the WhatJaneSays link above to browse the channel.

And here is the first segment from "Leonard Nimoy: Beyond Spock":

We have discussion at SF-Fandom's William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy at Dragon*Con 2009 thread in our Star Trek Forum.

Enjoy!

SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.

Michael Martinez

Middle-earth Talk Radio Episode 14
For those who missed out on the live broadcast from MerpCon V Tolkien Moot 2009, the podcast is now available. You can also still download the "Raw Hobbit" session as well. I'm also working on putting together the Tolkien Youth Panel podcast soon.

This is podcast #14 of Middle-earth Talk Radio. This is also our first live broadcast with a live studio audience, and live remote audience interacting with questions through the chatroom and from the local audience. This took place at the tail end of MerpCon V Tolkien Moot 2009.

128 bit MP3 format filesize: 54.3 MB (56,896,172 bytes).

Duration: 59 minutes 15 seconds.

Topics:

Hobbit movie script weeks away from completion

Hobbit movies still unfunded

Hobbit movies threatened by Tolkien Estate lawsuit

Tolkien & C.S. Lewis

Why doesn't Frodo just ride an eagle?

The rebuilding of Hobbiton

Various topics and discussions from the studio and online
audience.

View news release and download link here:
Middle-earth Talk Radio Episode 14

Middle-earth Talk Radio Episode 15
Greetings fellow Tolkien enthusiasts on this Tolkien Memorial Day,

A busy week for our audio releases too.
In addition to Episode 14, Raw Hobbit, and the Youth Panel, now episode
15 is available, just recorded late last night.

In this episode Michael and I cover:

Post MerpCon V Tolkien Moot 2009 discussion

Raw Hobbit now available for download

Spokane Tolkien Society Youth Panel now available for download

"Live recorded" Middle-earth Talk Radio episode 14 available for
download

Other Minds Magazine Issue 7 available. Discuss overview of
contents

Middle-earth Radio streams outages status update, explanation, and
plans

Government Program, Middle-earth Stimulus program "Cash for
Orcs"...

J.R.R. Tolkien's anniversary of his death.

DragonCon showing "Hunt for Gollum"

DragonCon showing "unauthorized peak at the upcoming Hobbit films"

Tom Cruise playing Bilbo Baggins :-P

L.A. Tolkien Fans celebrating Bilbo's B-day again on the wrong
day.

Any Serkis to be in C.S. Lewis production of "Screwtape"

Daniel Radcliffe

Beautifully hand "Illuminated" copy of the Silmarillion

Ian McKellin says he knows who's cast in the Hobbit, but he's not
telling (yet)

Comments about "The Examiner"

Hobbit not going to be done in 3D.

Tentative settlement between Tolkien Estate and New Line Cinema

Download Middle-earth Talk Radio Episode 15 now.

Swing by www.middle-earthradio.com to download all these episodes, and the special pieces from MerpCon V.
Cheers!

SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.

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