I believe we are in for a good year of science fiction films, something that is generally 50/50 between awing and depressing. We have the ever so over-rated superhero blockbusters that have zero substance and a bajillion CGIs pumped in for the annual summer cash dump, but there are such better and actual films going around in the world of SF. If you have not yet seen They Cloned Tyrone on Netflix (In the US but hopefully everywhere, it is a NF film), you are missing out. It is simultaneously hilarious and Tarantino-style badass. It’s Blaxploitation in 2024, fused with satirical science fiction. Unless you’re short haircut Karen, I think you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. John Boyega goes from that role in Star Wars episodes 7 to What Happened and you can’t even recognize him, thankfully, as the hard hitting drug selling gangster in this badass hit. If it’s a sleeper, don’t blame me.
BOOK SALE! Do a click, check em out.
I am also looking forward to Coppola’s Megalopolis.
Alex Garland’s Civil War strikes a nerve in me, debuting April 12, about how the American Empire finally falls. Most empires last 250 years, we’re just about there in America. This is the film of the year for me, this stress ball of a broken up U/S/A. The political turmoil since 2016 (and yes, before that too) has shown the world what the US really thinks of itself, and it’s scary as shit. Will life imitate art? I sure hope not, but just check out JD Vance and Tom Cotton and Ron DeSantis and tell me no for certain.
In the vane of Civil War, Exoputians is the NOVEL about the Second American Civil War and how we will get there, and what happens when we do. It also poses the question, what if we meet other Life when all this happens?
Oh, and DUNE. Have you seen it? Really? Why not? Your excuses are dumb. Go see Shai Hulud on the big screen.
Kate Sheeran Swed is a talented author friend of mine and I would like to introduce you to her kickstarter for her new SF Adventure…
Retired fighter pilot Kay Braithwaite spends her days ferrying passengers from one boring location to another on her home planet of Mandel. It's not easy to leave her fighting days in the past when half the passengers can't stop gawking at their hero-turned-bus-driver, but it pays the bills. When an unexpected attack reduces her home planet to ash, Kay is charged with delivering her passengers to safety on a remote space station.
Comp works/who would like it: Lost, Old Man’s War, the Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, Firefly
I LOVED OLD MAN’S WAR, MilSF that is fun, exciting and there’s even an orgy before the alien killing begins. If Phantom Station is for you, peep the kickstarter, toss a few her way, and enjoy when the time comes.
I said before I was doing once-a-month letters, but I think for the next month, I’ll chat about some books and shit and depressing world-tech-politics-oh-fuck the world is ending because of tech bro corp whores, and other stuff—that probably falls under shit.
Until next week or so, see you Neuralyzers later,
AJ