Jan 042011
 

Science fiction as a genre has staked out territory in most pop culture mediums–books, movies, TV, even music. But it hasn’t been featured much in stage productions. That may be changing as several theater companies are staging plays that are unabashedly science fiction. Most of these productions probably won’t make it to places like the Guthrie, but it’s great to see that there might be some crossover potential between science fiction and drama club geeks.

Jan 032011
 

The last time Minnesota had a DFL governor, the Soviet Union still stood, the word “Internet” had not yet entered our lexicon, and a certain blogger was still enduring high school in a bordering state. Governor Dayton put an end to that dry spell when he was sworn into office today. With the GOP in control of the Legislature, Dayton will have difficulty ushering in a new era of Minnesota progressivism, but I’m hopeful he can steer the state to a more sustainable future where public finances don’t wildly careen from feast to famine and back again. And it should be refreshing to have a governor who isn’t preoccupied with the business of preening himself for a run at higher office. Best of luck to the new governor and the new legislature as they begin to grapple with the budget and its dismal math. I expect them both to keep me busy for the next several months.

Dec 312010
 

Happy New Year to my readers. If you were all in one place, I’d throw a party. But since you’re scattered all over the globe, I’m just going to have to drink this big bottle of champagne all by myself. I hope 2011 brings you plenty of sweetness and only a little sour. Perhaps this will be the year I finally achieve fame or infamy. Either would be fine with me as long as it doesn’t involve an untimely death or excessive prison time.

Dec 302010
 

If you found yesterday’s “Best Of” list lacking or reflecting poor taste, Fimoculous and Largehearted Boy have compiled plenty of other such lists that await your judgment. That should keep you busy while I finish the first volume of Unwritten and the fifth series of Doctor Who. Speaking of, here are my thoughts on Karen Gillan. Hottest. Companion. Ever. And a note to the producers of Doctor Who: more fishnets, please!

Dec 292010
 

Here are the things that got me all hot and bothered in 2010:

Best Book–Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood: Atwood tends to shy away from genre labels, but this novel is some fine science fiction. Set before and after a cataclysmic plague that sweeps an already troubled planet, the book focuses on the complicated friendship between two young men who each bear some responsibility for the coming apocalypse. Atwood understands that the end of the world isn’t very interesting if the characters bearing witness to the events are empty vessels and she takes care to imbue her protagonists with deeply human flaws. Perhaps science fiction wouldn’t have persistent credibility issues if it had more writers like Atwood who can meld the best elements of character and plot.

Best TV–Mad Men: This was a tough category for me. I really enjoyed The Walking Dead (yet another thematic variation on the ending of the world), but six episodes isn’t enough to judge a series on its merits. Community is a brilliant sitcom rife with pop culture references (see the recent Christmas episode for its spot-on riffing on decades of holiday specials). But Mad Men was simply stellar this year. We finally saw the unflappable Don Draper begin to lose his shit as his world unraveled around him. Both the writers and actors are on intimate terms with their characters, which made each episode a pleasure to watch. Even the season’s final episode, which could have been an eye-rolling cliché, somehow managed to be fresh and surprising.

Best Album–The ArchAndroid by Janelle Monáe: This supremely talented woman can do it all. Her album effortlessly transitions between playful hip-hop, earnest soul, and cinematic orchestrations without seeming showy. She also has the heart of a geek. Just look at the album cover, which is a straight-up tribute to silent film classic Metropolis. Her songs about lonely and lovelorn robots are rich with human emotion, elevating them above gimmickry to high art.

Best Film–The Social Network: Hollywood, for all its dependence on computer wizardry, has difficulty portraying technology in a realistic light in its movies. Technology is either magic or devilry, depending on the movie’s point of view. The Social Network may be the first major studio film that trusts its audience’s intelligence enough to tell a story about the messy process of writing software. Of course, Aaron Sorkin’s sharp ear for dialog helps keep us interested. The fact that events portrayed in the film may not have actually happened is beside the point. It doesn’t really matter whether the founder of Facebook got a blow job in the bathroom from a hot college co-ed. What matters is whether the movie is true to the spirit of a time and place when everything changed. The Social Network does that with with the help of a great cast and a compelling script.

Dec 282010
 

The huge blizzards that seem to be hitting the Midwest, East Coast, and Northern Europe with increasing frequency may be a portent of climate change. The theory goes like this: a warming planet is generating more moisture that falls as snow across Siberia. The greater snowfall in Siberia creates a dome of cold air that alters the jet stream enough to push even more cold air into the northern latitudes. 

Of course, more data and analysis is needed to support this theory. But it’s difficult to ignore the fact that winters have become weirdly intense in recent years. And colder, snowier winters are placing a strain on the infrastructures of places that are simply unaccustomed to such weather. If this theory is borne out by additional research, it might encourage national and local leaders to regard these storms as a trend rather than fluke occurrences.

Dec 272010
 

My family and friends were much too generous to me this holiday season. Among the gifts I received:

  • A new leather jacket to replace my battered and tattered leather jacket that I’ve owned since college. The new one is black, so I guess I’ll have to start riding a motorcycle and smoking cigarettes.
  • Books! Like, real books with actual paper and covers and stuff. I almost forgot that they still made them like that. 
  • Several sweaters and shirts that will make me look very respectable at the office. I think I’m going to need a new dresser just to hold my vast sweater collection.
  • The 25th anniversary Blu-Ray edition of The Goonies. I can report that while this bit of 80s cheese still has its charms, it’s not quite as awesome as it was upon my first viewing at age 12.
Dec 232010
 

It’s occurred to me that I haven’t posted my annual holiday wish list. That’s probably because I’m entering that phase of middle-aged adulthood where I can simply buy the things that I really want. Of course, if some anonymous benefactor wanted to give me a European vacation or new van, I wouldn’t turn either down. But it feels silly to ask for a book or sweater when I can easily purchase them myself. Nobody can spoil me like I do.

Dec 222010
 

My 10-day vacation begins today. I will make various plans to finish this book or finally watch that unopened DVD. About half of those plans will go unfulfilled because I will fritter away an inordinate amount of time reading end-of-year lists on the web and downloading various wallpapers for my desktop (even though I’ll go back to the original after deciding that I don’t really like any of them). And I’m okay with that. Blogging should continue as scheduled because I’ll need something to break up my porn-viewing sessions. Now, which cheesy movie should I stream from Netflix first?