Fanzines were mimeographed magazines that were circulated by mail among science fiction fans in the days before the internet. They still are, for all I know, although now they’re generated by computer printers. I first learned about them in a 1950s issue of Amazing Stories and eagerly sent away 10 or 20 cents to Buck and Juanita Coulson in Indiana, whose Yandro was one of the best and longest-running of them all. Overnight, I was a fan, although not yet a BNF (big name fan). It was a thrill for me to have a LOC (letter of comment) published on such issues as the demise of BEMs (bug-eyed monsters), and soon I was publishing my own fanzine, named Stymie. ((Roger Ebert’s journal, “Fanzines beget blogs,” May 4, 2008.))

For any fan with an interest in film, I highly recommend subscribing to Ebert’s blog. He uses his insights in the the world of movies and helps a reader decipher how to approach reading film reviews – and how to pick critics to avoid – and better yet – those that you can trust.

His blog is located here: http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/

Billed in the tech press as Google's version of Wikipedia, Knol may offer writers of original content a whole lot more.

More control of their material, more freedom and, most importantly, more credit.

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As I write this, I gotta admit that I am a fixture at Wikipedia. I’ve been an administrator there for years and have contributed to thousands of Wikipedia articles either as the original creator or in other fashions.

Within the past 24 hours, I heard that Google had launched its own wiki service called “Knol” (short for Knowledge as in “knol” is a unit of knowlege). Cute and weird – like most things Google.

Now, upon hearing of the Google-owned wiki, I immediately thought Google was launching its own online encyclopedia. So, I went over to check it out.

I was shocked by what I found. Shocked.

CONTROL ISSUES

It turns out Knol is not another Wikipedia. It is much, much more.

Google has been getting the reputation for being a media behemoth. But it sure ain’t acting like one with Knol. The biggest issue that came out and slapped me in the face about Knol is: CONTRIBUTORS KEEP THE COPYRIGHT TO THEIR WORK.

Yes, you read me right. If you contribute something to Knol – you keep the copyright – and may even prohibit other people from altering your work. Ever.

But if you WANT – and only if – you may release the material in a share-and-share-alike method similar to that of Wikipedia. But, that’s just an option – not a mandate.

Their website says:

We respect our users’ ownership of and responsibility for the content they choose to share. It is our belief that censoring this content is contrary to a service that bases itself on freedom of expression.

Unless you run your own site, or contribute to a small site like FanDominion.com – this is unheard of. When you contribute to any other major media site like Wikipedia, Yahoo Answers or even blog on Live Journal, you sign away most – or all – of your rights to your work. But, not so with Knol.

Google wants none of that:

No Google Ownership of User Content.  Google claims no ownership or control over any content submitted, posted or displayed by you on or through the Service. You or a third party licensor, as appropriate, retain all patent, trademark and copyright to any content you submit, post or display on or through the Service and you are responsible for protecting those rights, as appropriate.

The control thing is cool enough – but it gets better.

UNFETTERED CREATIVITY

The next best thing is that Knol does not limit what you can post. You can write about whatever you want (as long as it isn’t hard-core porn, kiddie porn, bestiality or hate speech).

Wanna post your favorite recipe for tuna salad? No problem.

How about an opinionated guide to all 22 episodes of the short-lived 2001 steampunk SCI FI Channel TV series, The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne? Yup.

How about writing a how-to book on creating a fanzine? Yep. Even if someone else has written on the same topic – you can write your own and keep opinionated folks you disagree with from mucking up your take on the issue.

UNCERTAIN LIMITS

Although Google says users should not treat Knol as a blog, the open ended policy does not preclude folks from using Knol to host other forms of writing, such as short fiction, collections of original poems, lyrics, reviews, art galleries, opinion essays, fanzines, and anything else that is not pornography or hate speech.

EASE OF USE

Perhaps the best thing about Knol is how easy Knol is to use. Creating content on the site is literally easier than using many online email services.

And if you already have content written in Word, as a plain text file – or even as a PDF – you can simply upload that file into Knol from your hard drive and with minimal cleaning, you got an article on the web.

I used the service to post a couple of old recipes – and even uploaded some ancient college essays in word format that I had written in many years ago.

Both worked like a dream. You can check out my trial run on Knol by clicking this link. It takes you to my profile page – with a list of my articles appearing on the right hand side of the screen.

Some I even left open for you – or anyone else - to contribute to, while others I did not.

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• Allows you to keep all copyrights and control of your material
• Bylines – take credit for what you create
• Google hosts the content – but does not want to own it
• Virtually no limits on what you can write about
• Block others from being able to tamper with your creation

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• For being owned by a search engine, finding content via the resident search function is not easy on Knol
• Navigation on the site is non-existent aside from “featured knols” which are mostly medical in nature
• In “beta” which means it is subject to change drastically in the next few months

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In the past 30 days, we’ve accomplished quite a few things:

1. Complete site redesign from a one-person blog to a Fan-based news zine.
2. Added many features that made it both writer and reader friendly.
3. Used as many Internet standard features as possible to allow for both compatibility with various types of computers, but also a way to speed up the adaption process for newbie readers.
4. Developed a viable e-zine for N3F with rolling deadlines.

As I write this, I am in the midst of summer finals at law school. So, developments over the next few weeks should be slower than June. Development speed should pick up in august, though.

Features to be added in the future, depending upon reader interest, could include:

• A fan fiction archive
• A master calendar of upcoming fannish events (Cons, etc.)

And for those of you who have asked:

• If you are looking for a BBS or Forum, one already exists on the main N3F website:
  http://www.n3f.org/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl

If you have any wish lists, comments or suggestion on how to make this site more responsive to your needs as a fan of SF/F/H, please use the comment feature below. I will read it and respond. And if your ideas are possible and practical, they will come to life as soon as we are able to figure out how do to it.

Note to fen: This has very, very light K/S fanfic themes and is PG-rated.

For the handful of readers who do not know who this man is, he is the creator of dark fantasy television classics, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel as well as the cult space opera Firefly (and he was the writer/director of the spin-off movie, Serenity).

The new show is called Dollhouse and it is scheduled to air on the FOX network starting in winter of 2009.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the show has received a seven-episode commitment from Fox, which is authorizing Whedon to spend between $1.5 million-$2 million per episode.

The series will star Eliza Dushku (“Faith” in Buffy, and the title character in Tru Calling). She will play a character called “Echo,” a member of a group of young men and women who are imprinted with different personalities for different assignments.

WARNING: The following trailer has minor spoilers.

[MEDIA=2]

Whedon ironically returns to TV at the FOX network, the same place that treated his last series, Firefly with such sloppy hands that the neo-mogul swore off episodic television altogether – instead setting his sites on a career as a writer/director in film. But a three-year failed stint working and re-working with Warner Brothers on a concept of bringing Wonder Woman to the big screen and a will-he-be-able-to-make-it original film called Goners, had him re-evaluating his professional life.

According the a May article in the Los Angeles Times, Whedon explained that the muse for Dollhouse was the result of a lunch meeting with former employee Dushku:

Eliza had made the deal at Fox and we got together to talk about her ambition, her management, her opportunities, because I’ve always felt that she’s a huge star. Plus, she’s a friend.

But I was trying to get a movie off the ground, “Goners.” “Wonder Woman” had already crashed and burned. “Goners” they had already lost control of the instruments, but who knows? So things were not that auspicious, but I was working it. Not shunning television but not intending to come back. But as we discussed Eliza’s predicament, I started giving her some ideas about what I thought she would need: a genre show so she could be political without being partisan; an ensemble show so she didn’t have to be in every scene. And I thought about it for a bit and then literally went, oh, curse word, I just came up with the show and the title. And it was the title that I knew I was doomed. Because if you have the title, you know it’s right. And that’s just bad.

When we really discussed the whole thing, she said, “You’re talking about my life. In my life, everybody tells me who they want me to be while I try and figure out who I am.” And that spoke to me. I agreed that I’ll write and maybe oversee the pilot. So I went home and said, “Honey, I’m sorry, I accidentally agreed to a Fox show at lunch.”

And in a little more than a week, Dushku and Whedon had sold the concept to FOX. Gary Newman, Chair of 20th Century Fox Television told the Times, “There’s an extemporaneous nature to it, which keeps you kind of riveted. You have to listen really carefully because the wicked and clever asides are nonstop.”

Dollhouse is scheduled to debut on the FOX network in January 2009, Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT as the lead-in to FOX’s hit series 24. (As usual, the time and day are subject to change at network executive whim.)

CAST
Eliza Dushku as Echo
Amy Acker (“Fred” on Angel) as Dr. Claire Saunders
Enver Gjokaj as Victor
Fran Kranz as Topher Brink
Dichen Lachman as Sierra
Harry J. Lennix (ER, 24) as Boyd Langton
Tahmoh Penikett (“Helo” on Battlestar Galactica) as Paul Smith
Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense) as Adelle DeWitt
Miracle Laurie as November

Serenity (2005)

Having just seen Serenity, a film that will probably go down as the best science fiction film of 2005 (beating out more-hyped fare such as War of the Worlds), I feel compelled to tell folks they must see this film.

This movie singlehandedly raises the humble space opera up from the paint-by-numbers audience expectations of recent Star Trek fare to an artform – a true opera – in the Wagnerian sense.

Under the direction of Joss Whedon, a story that could have been a run of the mill action-adventure flick tackles some of the grander themes in life; as we face them today. How much say should governments have over our daily lives? Who watches those who watch over us?

Deep themes like these infuse a movie that already works as a kick-’em-hard action thriller. But somehow, one is left with the sense that Whedon duped Hollywood bigshots into making a sci-fi flick with a brain – and a heart.

The script, which Whedon also wrote, is filled with cliche-busting dialogue. Dozens of times the audience laughed with glee as Serenity, which could have easily retread all-to-familiar territory for a spaceship-based film, takes an abrupt and human turn as characters react as only real people would in impossible situations.

I highly encourage all movie fans who feel underwhelmed by the quality of speculative fiction cinema this year to see this film without delay. Not only does Serenity prove science fiction can have brains as well as special effects, the movie also is an uproarious good time.

Some adult themes and violence may be unsuitable for small children, even when accompanied by an adult.

He talks bout how this could be a turning point when film studios become less reliant upon mainstream media critics.

Science Fiction fans are buzzing about Universal Pictures’ new film Serenity, directed by Joss Whedon, which is scheduled to open in the U.S. and Canada Friday, Sept. 30. According to Box Office Mojo, the film is scheduled to be released in more than 2,100 theatres, making it the second-widest release of the week, behind MGM’s Into the Blue, starring Jessica Alba and Paul Walker.

Serenity, which has been sneak previewed and pre-screened at several festivals around the world is generating strong buzz from fans and critics alike. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film scores a 67 percent fresh, a positive rating, among critics who already have posted reviews.

Just Like Heaven (2005)

15 years ago, a little fantasy film about love conquering death called Ghost, starring Demi Moore, Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg stole audience’s imaginations an went on to become of the the biggest blockbusters of 1990.

Now in 2005, DreamWorks has re-worked the idea into a romantic comedy where recent widower David (Mark Ruffalo), a San Francisco-based landscape architect, falls in love with Elizabeth (Witherspoon), the spirit of a nearly-departed doctor who used to live in the San Francisco apartment David is subletting.

This film does work as a romantic comedy with a supernatural twist. Witherspoon and Ruffalo are both top-form actors who portray characters compelling and sweet enough to make the most jaded heart swoon.

The plot and writing seem to be a throwback to romantic comedies of the 1950s and early 1950s, where smart dialogue and compelling characters told a story that speaks to an audiences heart and soul. The film avoids the potty humor that has become a hallmark of recent comedies and because of this has a very classy feel to it.