Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) – Battle Lines, and The Storyteller

Station log: stardate unknown Written by Richard Danus and Evan Carlos Somers from a story by Hilary J. Bader, this episode first aired on 25 April, 1993. It follows Commander Sisko (Avery Brooks), Major Kira (Nana Visitor) and Dr. Bashir (Alexander Siddig) as they give the Bajoran spiritual leader, Kai Opaka (Camille Saviola) a look…

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) – The Nagus, and Vortex

Station log: stardate unknown Ira Steven Behr pens the teleplay from a story by David Livingston which finds Quark (Armin Shimerman) getting into some trouble when the Ferengi Grand Nagus, Zek (Wallace Shawn) arrives on the station. This episode first aired on 21 March, 1993. In a fun bit, O’Brien (Colm Meaney) is overseeing the…

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989) – The Enemy, and The Price

Captain’s log: stardate 43349.2 David Kemper and Michael Piller bring us another strong Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) story with The Enemy. This one first aired on 6 November, 1989, and further cemented Season Three as the season when things really came together. Arriving at the planet Galondancor in response to a distress signal, the…

Gemina: The Illuminae Files 02 (2016) – Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

The second volume in the Illuminae Files, Gemina, is not only an excellent follow-up instalment in this vibrant and exciting Young Adult series, it is also highly entertaining science fiction and space opera. The first book, told through IM and audio transcripts, descriptions of video surveillance, was brilliant, fun, and probably a game-changer in the…

Stargate (1994) – Roland Emmerich

  The adventures continue with the Sci-Fi Chronicles book, as I kcik back and enjoy Kurt Russell and James Spader in this science fiction actioner that seems to be heavily influenced by Chariots of the Gods, and wonderfully marries Egyptian mythology, with action, and space opera. Long before the successful television series, Colonel Jack O’Neil…

Interstellar (2014) – Christopher Nolan

  Sure, it took me a while to get to this one, but it’s been a big month, and for me this is worth the wait. With recognizable influences from 2001: A Space Odyssey (the return of silence to space, and walking, talking robots that resemble the iconic Monolith) and Contact (not the least of…

TIFF – Short Cuts Canada Programme 6

  Today brings us the last day of the short programs for TIFF 2013 here in Toronto, you can catch them screening at 7:00pm this evening or 12:15 tomorrow at the Lightbox. Like the five preceding programs this one if filled with gems and jewels, and one in particular I thought was brilliant! Cory Bowles’…