Peter Hodges

I’m going to take a slightly different approach than Kate’s spoilerific review of Razor and hit some of the plot-crucial things that I thought were interesting.

First of all, would Adama have been as brutal and cold as Cain without civilian authority? I think you have to answer a resounding “maybe.” Adama has demonstrated compassion and loyalty to both his people and the human race time and again. Initially, he wanted to prosecute the war against the Cylons, but later we find him invested firmly in the survival of the human race. I’d like to believe that Adama would still have found himself the shepherd of a fleet of civilians.

I’m starting to get really tired of the mystery surrounding Starbuck’s character. Destiny is great and all, but being the subject of prophecy and of a dubious pedigree (cylon or not?) wears a little thin after a mini-series, three seasons, and a feature-length movie. I want to see her resolve some of her issues and mature as a character, and I just feel as though she’s stuck. Perhaps the opening of Season Four will help me overcome some of my doubt in this direction.

Lee Adama needs to figure out who he is. Is he a hot-shot CAG? A brilliant staff officer? A commander of a Battlestar? A lawyer? A politician, perhaps? I’m watching his character with the most interest because he is the most conflicted. Razor shows him as a commander, which is the side that we’ve seen the least of so far.

So was the movie good? It was. In fact, I think it was excellent. It is a must-see for any fan of the series, and I think it will provide valuable information for those eager for the fourth season.

A young man makes a decision that changes the course of an Empire.

“The Alchemist: William - Part Two”
Story by Peter Hodges
Dramatic Reading by Kate Baker
Music: “Forgotten Lore” by Elliott Goldenthal, “The Black Gate is Closed” by Howard Shore, “Mausoleum” by Howard Shore, “Amon Hen” by Howard Shore, “Death Camp” from The X-Men Soundtrack.

 

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Yeah, I know you changed the site two days ago to reflect your Christmas spirit, but I couldn’t let you go the day without letting the whole world know that you turned yet another year older. So I redesigned the banner just for today, and we’ll go back to Christmas tree fun tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Pete.

I’ve had a few interesting reads on my plate lately.

I recently finished The Warlord and The Conqueror by David Drake and S.M. Stirling, which are two books containing the five book story arc of General Raj Whitehall. Loosely based on the eastern Roman General Belisarius, Whitehall is tasked with reuniting a far future world that has fallen to barbarism. Aided by a sentient computer that is a remnant of the fall of civilization, he leads a small, well-trained force on a bloody campaign across his planet, eventually reuniting the disparate peoples under one banner. The action is gritty and detailed, with Drake’s flair for translating Roman history into fiction and Stirling’s penchant for grim characters. I had previously read two of the five books in this series, but was pleasantly surprised to find all of them in the two omnibus editions. If you like military fiction, whether science fiction or not, these books are a must read.

Butcher’s continuation of the Dresden files isn’t Hugo or Nebula worthy, but it is escapist and mindless. It is just the thing to unwind over a lunch break or read in an airport. Book Two, Fool Moon, has some kind of weird plot that is tangled with mob bosses, werewolves, FBI special agents, and tabloid reporters. I won’t say that I could really make sense of the plot, nor did I find the inevitable twists and turns particularly surprising. I was reading the book for the dry wit of the protagonist and Butcher’s ability to make the ludicrous seem mundane. Butcher accomplished both in spades. It’s almost like watching a well-done “B” movie.

I am pleasantly surprised by Michael Stackpole’s Talion. It is a fantasy novel that seems pretty generic on the surface. Had I picked this up in the bookstore, I would have put it back on the shelf, especially in light of the fact that Stackpole’s writing chops come from his Rogue Squadron series of Star Wars novels. Writing marketable fan fiction is not a quality that I would think gives one the ability to write high fantasy, but I’m happy to say that I was wrong. The main character in this novel is both good and just, and Stackpole understands how making those things happen in the same character can complicate things. The world building isn’t quite up to par; you can tell that he has dwelt mainly in the playgrounds of others, but the minor inconsistencies are not annoying enough to spoil the deft characterization, the deep setting, and the interesting storyline. If Stackpole writes more in this series, I’ll probably go ahead and pick them up.

Just so people don’t think I’m a scrooge, I have downloaded a festive holiday theme for the blog.

I don’t know if it will make it very long, but I’m inclined to leave it for at least part of the season. As always, comments are welcome.

This comic is almost sad…

Language makes this NSFW. (Continued after the cut.)

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