Thought of the Geek

LARP: Ship's Kats - Captain's log

2010-07-22T20:54:00.005+01:00

The first of many Live Action Role Play (LARP) narrative reviews. This game, held in the Epsom WWII bunkers during Jan 2009, was based on the Alien/ Bladerunner/ Event Horizon universes - which the larpers have taken to calling 'High Frontier'.

I led a team of four other women who were superhuman 'Replicants' with an agenda not entirely in keeping with that of the main party.

Herein is the testimony of the captain of the Ship's Kats, one of only three to survive the ill-fated Night Crawler mission. Three survivors, thirty in the ground - and no few put there by our hand. One might ask what went wrong. As far as I'm concerned, nothing. We accomplished our mission and that is all that matters. That we lost two of our own is, while regrettable, eventually inconsequential. They can be replicated easily enough.

We were brought to a semblance of life in a universe popularised by such movies as Alien, Event Horizon and Bladerunner. A universe where interstellar travel is an established fact and three all-encompassing corporations of Con-An, Hyperdyne and Weyland Yutani rule worlds. And where humans walk - usually unknowingly - alongside biomechanoid counterparts; Replicants.

Such were my Ship's Kats, Replicants made by Hyperdyne, and as such fiercely loyal to our makers. This possibility must have never entered our Weyland Yutani employer's mind when he hired us, as we had gone to great lengths to keep our true identity - and allegiance - hidden from public view.

His proposal was simple: a transport ship by the name of Night Crawler was hauling enough of the precious mineral Wonderflonium to scour a solar system and he wanted to steal it - carefully. He didn't just come to us, of course. My Ship's Kats are good but an entire cargo ship on our own might have been a stretch, and why engage in the menial task of killing when mercenaries are so easily hired? Not to mention expendable. And so we were joined by the Blood-Worthy mercenaries, well reputed by their own mouths if by no one else's, who divided themselves into three fire teams to better cleanse the Night Crawler of survivors. Getting us on board, which necessitated disabling the hauler's weapon system, was the two-person brigand crew known as Dante's Pirates. Lastly, the corporate stooge himself along with two bodyguards joined us - well to the rear - although I saw little of them as they were not our real mission.

Wonderflonium is crude, a brute's weapon and one fitting both Con-An and Weyland Yutani. My employers - my makers - have much higher ambitions. Concealed within the transport were an indeterminate number of alien artifacts recovered on the surface of some distant mining planet and kept well under wraps by the Con-An hierarchy. Not well enough, however, for our orders came soon after the Weyland official contacted us with the job offer. 'Join the team, do whatever is required of you, but get the alien artifacts or at least detailed scans'. Our briefings are always as succinct, and we could only assume that no other parties had knowledge or interest of the rare objects.

And so we began, for all intents and purposes, as a vital component of the assault team. We entered first, moments behind Alpha team codename Sesame in the reasonable expectation that they would clear the way for us. That they did with comical efficiency, freeing the area of booby traps by setting each and every one off at great loss to their own team. Humans are hilarious sometimes. Once their unsightly body parts were removed from the narrow passageways we were able to get our first good look at the interior of the Night Crawler.

The damage Dante's Pirates had done to her when they disabled the weapons system was significant, and all power was out making torches essential. Our first barrier was a door to the bridge which proved impenetrable from this side. Of course, that would be too easy. Further exploration revealed two engine rooms to either side of the bridge, both of which had suffered massive blowouts from our ship's attack and were in great need of repair. Damaged power cells had been scattered a great distance and had to be gathered and rewired to restore them to functionality. Enough were found to bring one engine room back online, but for the other we were sadly lacking and therefore had to make do with limited power.

For this initial exploratory sweep my Kats were content to play their part in the eyes of the other crews. We would open doors for them, dismantle bombs and booby traps, and perform any manner of menial task which was demanded of us. It was in our interest to be among the first to search the ship, and we were soon rewarded.

In a room to the rear of the bridge, deep in the belly of the ship, we found an explosive device set to detonate soon after the security on the door was bypassed. One of my Kats, with skilled and steady hands, managed to dismantle the bomb and once the immediate threat had passed we could assess the room. Under the guardianship of the bomb were four devices, all appearing innately alien in nature, and we surmised that we had located our primary target.

But it wouldn't have done to have taken them right then, under the eyes of the mercenaries. Telling half-truths, we shut the door and warned any away from it, explaining that the bomb was still volatile and liable to explode at the slightest movement. This, in itself, was entirely truthful, but concealed our true interest in the room.

The next half hour was challenging, but not for any other reason than the mercenaries feeling the need to protect the 'weaker sex', and even when the fire team moved ahead we were left with a detachment as a guard. If only they had known we could extinguish them with a touch maybe things would have played out differently, but telling them such would have violated the programming Hyperdyne had instilled in us and jeopardised the mission.

I lingered near the room as much as my prudence would allow, careful not to arouse suspicion. With luck another door some distance down the same corridor was found, this the rear entrance to the bridge. Once again my Kats were called forth, and I trailed at the rear. They knew my intent even if no others did, and so when the door was opened they ensured that it was to much excitement, every eye upon it. I took the opportunity to slip inside the small room, collecting three of the artifacts - as many as I could carry - and silently making my way back the way we had come, praying not to run into a following fire team. Because of the importance of this one moment, and the proximity to the mercenaries, I had to make the entire trip in absolute darkness, halting only once I had found a convenient hiding place behind an ajar door. I couldn't be sure how safe they would be there, however, so I took detailed scans of each before leaving them to make my way back to the crew, who had since breached the bridge.

Once inside I found that an original occupant (if a stowaway can be called such) had been found and was being held captive. The power supplied by the engine rooms was proving faulty and so half of my Kats were sent back to repair the damaged wiring while I volunteered to question the prisoner. A word he had spoken from across the room had caught my attention: 'Artifacts'. Our corporate benefactor was paying entirely too much interest to what he was saying for my liking, and so I arranged to have the prisoner left in my care. There was little I could say or do in the bridge, as the Blood-Worthy had set up a temporary base there, and I could not allow my words to be overheard. The captive himself provided my excuse by mentioning the very time bomb that had been guarding the alien artifacts - the disappearance of which was still unknown. I stressed the importance of this information to the Weyland official, pointing out that the bomb was still active and potentially a threat. It gave me a reason to get the prisoner away from the bridge, although as it turns out, not without company. Those cursed mercenaries were everywhere! A few hasty words in a dark and relatively deserted area confirmed that the man did indeed know of the artifacts, and offered us a hefty reward along with safe passage if we took him to them. I must stress that I had no intention of betraying my makers, but I deemed that it would be useful to appear as if we were interested in the bribe in the hopes of gaining more information about the artifacts. Even so, I was simply unable to take him to where I had secured them. By this stage there was suspicion that one of the engine rooms had been sabotaged and a guard had been placed at its entrance - in the very corridor I had felt my way through in the darkness earlier to hide our prize.

Disappointed by not defeated, I gathered my Kats and we returned the prisoner to the bridge so we could plan our next move. Before I had time to act two creatures - primitive ancestors of Replicants - burst through the fore-door and began shooting everyone in sight. They were taken down with some difficulty, as even our less sophisticated cousins are formidable foes. It did, however, give me another excuse to leave the bridge with the prisoner, citing that the mercenaries had failed in their duty to keep the room secure.

Despite my quick talking I felt certain mercenaries were becoming suspicious of our actions, and across several checkpoints our details were radioed through to command to be checked before we were allowed to pass. It was just too hot to try to get him to the artifacts, so once again we returned to the bridge.

What followed was unclear. I had left the captive in the care of the mercenaries, as there was little I could do with him at such a time, and so I believe he recognised he was under inferior guard and used this to his advantage. He himself proved to be a Replicant, breaking from his captivity and swiftly dispatching near everyone in the room with merely a touch, even my own Kats. I only escaped by ducking and seeking shelter in a side area of the bridge, one that was not worth his while to try to follow me into. I returned to the main room the only person still standing, and without medical aid. One of my Kats - thankfully a medic - had been out of the room during the attack and I called her back now. By the time she made it to us another mercenary had found his way back to the bridge and he was able to help with getting our crew on their feet.

With some unhappiness I noticed that two alien artifacts had been recovered by the mercenaries and were sitting abandoned on tables in the bridge. Still unable to act directly, as I had not secured us safe passage out, I settled for the alternative and positioned myself beside one of them. To all appearances I was guarding the entry against further attack, but in reality I was keeping in contact with the artifact, scanning and securing its technology. I did the same with the second, once a few soldiers were up and about, swapping guard duty with them so I could move to the other side of the room to where the second artifact lay. I believe my actions went unnoticed, although as it turns out they proved unnecessary.

While waiting for the injured to recover the pilot of Dante's Pirates came in and began accusing the corporate official of treachery, citing proof that he had sent Replicants against us. As a group the Kats expressed appropriate horror - our identity still intact - and left the bridge with the two artifacts under the pretence that we could no longer trust the man who had hired us.

The fore-entrance was too hot and we were forced to backtrack around the rear where it seemed completely deserted. However, at the first T-junction we stumbled upon a group of three older-model Replicants who opened fire immediately. Our first instinct was to run, but after seeing the length of the corridor and the worrying lack of anything resembling cover, I turned back around to face the Synthetics head-on and take them down with a touch each. I was felled in the attempt, and had to be revived by my Kats, who luckily had escaped without too much injury.

I regained consciousness just in time before a team of mercenaries came upon us, and my Kats disappeared back into the shadows and towards where we had disembarked from the pirate ship, Devil's Lie. Some of the more prudent mercenaries had had similar thoughts and had hijacked one of the escape shuttles. To their credit they were holding it open to fill it to full numbers, although at the time we didn't know that this would mean only three of our five Kats would make it aboard. Before we knew it they had sealed the airlock behind the third Kat, leaving the other two stranded on the other side and left to a dubious fate. But we had two artifacts, and scans of three more - it was a price that needed paying.

The shuttle we had escaped in was short range and judging by the talk of the mercenaries it seemed highly unlikely that we would live to see rescue by a larger ship before we ran out of resources. It was at this point that I determined the success of our mission took priority over the lives of the twelve mercenaries who had escaped with us, and I directed my two remaining Kats to run through their ranks dealing death to each living human. My Kats are very good…

I now have complete control of the shuttle, the greater portion of the alien artifacts - or at least the technology they represent - is within our control and we await only a Hyperdyne ship to answer our call.

Mission complete.

Misconceptions

2010-07-22T20:16:00.001+01:00

I get annoyed at commonly held misconceptions, and I mean really quite pissed off, more than I realistically should. Unfortunately I’ve chosen to specialise in two fields where misconceptions abound – Egyptian history and religion – AND I’m slightly OCD. Great move, anyone would think I was a glutton for punishment.

My friends have forbidden me, outright banned me from watching ‘The Mummy’ movies, I just bitch too much. The mistakes that irk me the most are all tiny (four canopic jars instead of five, the Book of Thoth instead of the Book of Amun-Re, Sekhmet is a lot more likely to want to destroy the world compared to Anubis, etc. ad nauseum). I don’t mind that they bring an aeons old priest back to life, who somehow has magical powers and miraculously is still faithful to his girlfriend, that I can go along with. But don’t try to tell me they used the sai back in ancient Egypt, just don’t.

I have to wonder if it annoys everyone else as much as me? That it feels somehow even worse that they get obscure little details correct, like when they were speaking ancient Egyptian, but still managed to stuff up points that they really just had to crack a book to get right. Maybe it’s just that I’m too pedantic with my own work, I expect others to be the same, especially when it’s directed at such a wide audience. I stopped writing for two months because one of my characters had something to say about ancient Mesopotamian astrology, which I clearly had wasted my schooling years by spending my time on maths, science, and English instead. After eight weeks of research I find out he really didn’t have that much to say, just a few short paragraphs, which I felt was a bit rude after all the work I’d gone to for him, but what can you do. At least I knew the small amount in there was *right*, and as for the rest I chucked it up on my website in case anyone else out there had a sudden burning desire to learn about Mesopotamian stargazing. It’ll be popular, I’m sure.

That, in a roundabout way, brings me to Angels (my ancient Mesopotamian astrologically-knowledgeable character is an Angel, so the subject change makes sense in my head), and through them to the New Age movement. Or, as I more commonly refer to it, “the damn fluffy bunny New Age movement”. Now don’t get me wrong, there’s little I don’t believe in, or at least will give a chance to believe in, but I can’t stand getting lumped in with the common perception of New Agers just because some of my beliefs are a little alternative. And here’s why:

So much of the New Age movement is based on wishful thinking, not reality, and is on very shaky ground. I believe in spirits, ghosts, aliens and past lives, all these things make sense to me and I’ve either seen them myself or know and trust people who have. But I don’t believe in ‘love and light’, Ascension, or Atlantis.

Bloody Atlantis… Think back to what you’ve heard about it, how many books there are on it, detailing its full history and final watery destruction. Now consider that *everything*, every little ‘fact’ written about Atlantis goes back to one contemporary reference – just the one, and not that big of a one at that. Everything since then is a fabrication, and with only one ancient mention it’s highly possible that the whole thing’s one guy’s imagination anyway.

But Angels, this is what really ruffles my feathers the wrong way, no pun intended. When did Angels turn into benevolent beings that glowed and existed only to make New Agers feel warm and fuzzy? The original perception of them was *very* different. When I say ‘Cherub’ what do you think of? Let me guess: A chubby little child with small wings, possibly carrying a harp or a bow with arrows in the shape of hearts (excuse me while I gag a little from all this sickly sweetness), frolicking among suitably fluffy clouds. That’s what you thought of, isn’t it? No point denying it, it’s what we’ve been taught to think – for the last few centuries in fact. But the original Cherubs, the Cherubim, couldn’t be more different. I would NOT like to meet one of those bastards in a dark alley, that’s for sure. They were said to have four shifting faces, of human, lion, bull, and eagle – all predatory or aggressive animals – as well as two sets of wings and a nasty temperament. These are the guys set to guard the Garden of Eden with the flaming sword, after all, and God’s not gonna send pansies on a job like that. In fact no Angel was particularly nice, not solely because of what they were anyway. To paraphrase a great movie, ‘The Prophecy’, Angels are the creatures that God always sends when he wants anyone killed to make a messy example, would you ever really want to see one?

A whole ream of misconceptions surround the Angels’ enemies, Lucifer, Satan and the Devil. The majority of people today believe them all to be one and the same, despite there being no evidence and the Bible actually being quite clear that they’re separate. Lucifer (which is a title meaning ‘Light Bearer’, and refers to the Seraph Sammael) is only mentioned once, in that he had a bit of a disagreement with the boss and left Heaven with a few of his mates. End of story, no evilness there. Satan is a bit of a prat, I’ll give you that, but a surprising number of times he does all his naughtiness at God’s request – all that tormenting of Job was God’s idea, even if Satan carried out the act. And the Devil, well that’s just a generic title of any two-bit rebel Angel who wants to try and make a name for themselves, it’s really just a bit pathetic.

So how did Angels turn good and Lucifer turn so bad? It’s been a giant game of whispers since about the Dark Ages, I’m gonna guess. Some guy was telling bedtime stories to his children and decided that the Cherubim could do with a fluffy bunny makeover. His kid probably then grew up to paint the Sistine Chapel, or something like that.

But whatever the reason I try to fight it where I can, to get back to the original perception and spread a little education. I’ve written a book about these ancient Angels, creatures that would give New Agers nightmares, and at least I can say my version has some foundation.

Live Action Role Play

2010-07-22T19:49:00.009+01:00

By rights Larping probably shouldn’t be as much fun as it is. ‘Role play’ after all conjures up images of socially awkward people sitting around a table rolling dice. Now don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with tabletop gaming, it’s developed a hell of a lot in the 20-odd years since I played, and everyone has different hobbies. But it still has a reputation, a bit of a stigma, and the term ‘live action’ doesn’t really gel with that perception. Likewise, the use of laser tag toys as the combat platform somehow lessens it, makes it sound like a kid’s game.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Imagine the above but as a physical 18+ version, where the average age is in the mid 30s.Children would be given nightmares, most teenagers would be hard pressed handling some of the more intense games.

What we’re basically doing is creating free-flowing movies that we then act out, living inside the action in a way you could never imagine just by watching it on the box. I’ve been chased by zombies, Aliens, glowing jellyfish monsters, and occasionally I’ve been eaten – highly unpleasant, I wouldn’t recommend it. But I’ve spent just as much time chasing things, and sometimes regretting it when I’ve caught them.

The beauty of it is that you make the decisions and can affect the outcome of the game, no matter how the game-runners may want to nudge you in another direction. So, a snarling monster is about to attack you? You can run, shoot back, or charge it and hope for the best.Speaking from personal experience the 3rd option doesn’t work quite so well as you may hope, but it’s fun to try. Other times you really don’t have much of a choice. If you see the glint of teeth and terrifying shadow of an Alien (think Sigourney Weaver) racing up a dim tunnel towards you, your legs are gonna be taking you in the other direction whether you tell them to or not, it’s THAT real. I’ve seen grown men slump against trees, mentally exhausted after surviving a particularly frightening encounter.

The tag toys we use add a great deal of realism to the games. We’re not quite ‘gun-bunnies’ like airsofters are reputed to be, but we do love our tagged up toys, whether they’re relatively realistic looking or made from super-soakers. Mine have names – Billy, Buddy, Bad Horse and Hammer – and I’m sure some of you will get the geeky reference there.

The point is that we take this hobby seriously, and although it originates from role playing and laser tag, it’s really quite distinct from both. We put a hell of a lot of work in, building the tag toys, costumes (my Lara Croft outfit always goes down well with the boys), and amazing props – including a ¾ size Stargate with rotating lights and vents that release smoke to create the swirling wormhole effect. I’ve seen less impressive props at a Leicester Square Star Trek premiere – seriously!

I was a little hesitant to take up larping when I first learned about it, to be honest. I’m female, to start with, and while that’s never stopped me from being ‘one of the boys’ it was a little daunting to see three burley men in uniforms holding guns – even knowing they were fake – advertising the sport. It didn’t really look like something they’d have any patience for women in. Maybe that’s true for Airsoft or Paintball (just going from my experience in Australia), but it’s a completely different story with Larp. The emphasis here is on role play, not the firefight, so it really didn’t matter that I barely knew one end of a gun from another. And accurate shooting is something you can pick up really quickly – a shambling zombie heading for you is great motivation. But it’s the role play that makes it great, entering into a whole world where you have to work your way out of one disaster after another. I’ve played the stereotypical ‘3rd soldier from the left’ roles where the need for extensive acting is minimal, as well as leading a strike force of elite special agents into the belly of a crippled spaceship. It does wonders for your confidence. There’s something about leading a team of survivors from a bloodbath that makes you feel really good about yourself – ignoring the fact that we, erm, kinda were responsible for aforementioned massacre (long story, look out for the upcoming 'Ship's Kats' post).

The thing about people who like sci-fi/role playing/movie or TV watching is that we often stagnate a bit. It’s so easy to just stay at home in front of the TV or computer – or both, if you’re good a multi-tasking. But does that really compare to getting out there and living the action instead of just watching it? Make an effort, get out there and give it a go, and see what you’ve been missing out on this whole time.

I’ve never looked back.

Battlestar's Greatest Hits, and Misses

2010-07-22T19:45:00.002+01:00

I love Battlestar Galactica, it jumped to being one of my favourite sci-fi shows almost immediately, amongst such lofty companions as Doctor Who and Firefly, but when friends tell me the reasons they don’t like it I find it very hard to argue. So what makes it so good even while parts of it are so bad…?

I must admit that it doesn’t have the drawcard that usually gets me addicted to shows, likeable characters. Firefly, in my opinion, was the master of this (Joss Whedon is a literary god, after all), as the characters were so well developed you felt you knew their motivations and could understand and empathise with their actions. But I never felt that with Battlestar. In fact, looking back there’s very few characters I actually liked. Respected, yes, but very little I could really relate to. But then perhaps that was the point. Battlestar was as much a study of human psychology under pressure as it was a story of war between two species. What *would* the last few remaining humans do if they suddenly found themselves an endangered and hunted species? How would the weight of this responsibility affect those in charge of humanity’s continued survival? Is it any wonder we saw both alcohol and drug abuse, physical fights between former friends, and decisions made that we would never ever want to believe ourselves capable of making. But we are. And no matter how painful it is to watch the breakdown of various characters, the necessity of destroying an entire ship that had fallen under suspicion, or any number of the other acts of desperation, THIS is human nature that can’t be denied. The writers captured it brilliantly by sacrificing a feel-good ‘happy family’ for realism. We’d all be bastards in the same position. And if I was Laura Roslyn I’d have airlocked Gaius back in the first season!

You can’t talk about Battlestar’s strengths without mentioning the CGI. I’ve heard so many people say it’s not about the special effects, it’s about the storyline. But lets be honest with ourselves, it’s a little about the special effects. It’s the first ‘point of contact’ of the show after all. We’re going to decide something looks frakking awesome long before we appreciate the depth of the plot. And Battlestar has spared no expense with their CGI. The Cylons are appropriately creepy with their morphing claw-like hands, the jump effect is visually stunning when seen with the whole of the fleet, and no one can deny that the viper vs raider space battles are visually amazing. The opening fight of season 4 still takes my breath away no matter how many times I re-watch it. And you genuinely are worried for the characters. Right from the beginning we were given hints that the writers had no restraints about killing characters off, that no punches would be pulled and be prepared for sharp corners ahead. Adama’s shooting at the height of victory, Six’s destruction of Cloud Nine, both Cally’s and Devala’s deaths (I would mention Gaeta and Sarak, but they deserved it), and the revelation of the Final Five including some of the most trusted characters. “They’re so Cylon it hurts,” a friend said to me after it was revealed, and it *did* hurt, as if the betrayal was against us as well as the Galactica fleet. Viewers have come to value surprise over happy endings – we like being shocked even if it’s at the expense of a character’s life. And Battlestar certainly delivered.

So all this is sounding pretty damn good: Realistic character development, impressive CGI, interesting storylines and surprise twists that leave us dying for the next episode. What could possibly turn people away from it?

Well…

I have to admit that the largest problem is a glaring one that’s hard to sweep under the carpet for love of the show. It’s unresolved storylines, or worse, badly resolved storylines. The writers were trying to be clever, and in many instances they succeeded, but the times they failed they fell in something of a flaming heap.

What were the head visions of Gaius and Caprica Six? The brief explanation at the end that they were angels was tacked on and devalued the whole story arc. It had no substance to the rest of the story, there was no precedence or lead up. It was like the writers got to the end of the series and couldn’t think of anything else so they fell back on something unknowable – deus ex machina. A friend of mine has come up with a much more interesting and plausible explanation:

Humans and Cylons are essentially the same – or they will be/have been at some point. That means download and resurrection technology can be used on humans as well as Cylons. This isn’t a large leap of logic, especially in light of the recently released first episode of ‘Caprica’. So, as Gaius is important to the Cylons in the beginning, they create a spare body in the event that he is killed. Which he is. Does anyone believe he could have survived that explosion simply because Six told him to “Get down”? That’s about as effective as the old ‘Duck and Cover’ routine. In fact Six herself is surprised to hear Gaius survived, after being resurrected from dying herself in that same blast. So they both die and BOTH downloaded, but due to the massive levels of radiation interference the signals get mixed up. An imprint of Six is copied into Gaius’ new body and likewise for Six. This also explains why the head-characters retain the same personality and goals they had at the beginning while the true characters evolve, there is no character growth because they are no more than glitches, computer-generated ghosts. But no, the writers went with angel because it’s far more mysterious sounding, and people like that, apparently.

This example is by no means alone, unfortunately. Another that stands out painfully for me is the recurring shared dream in the opera house revolving around Hera. This was a good concept, there’s no denying that, and it kept me intrigued for many an episode. But where did it go? What was the resolution to the tension created from Six and Gaius spiriting Hera away from Athena and Laura? They rescued her from the battle in the last episode. It wasn’t even that they were trying to abduct her for their own purposes, or that she wouldn’t have been picked up by someone else two seconds later. It was a hugely disappointing anti-climax to a storyline that began with such promise. It’s literally as if the writers suddenly thought, “Oh frak, we’ve forgotten to tie up this loose end, quick, just write anything.” We deserve more than that.

And that brings us to Starbuck… What the hell is she? I usually enjoy ambiguity, or suggestions towards paranormal post-death assistance. I loved it in Angel when they did the same with Cordy because it was handled *well*. Battlestar, unfortunately, fumbled and dropped the ball. There was so much of interest surrounding Cara that was never resolved, and while I hate shows that spell out every single thing, I’m equally annoyed when we’re left so completely in the dark. Oh, she’s an angel, that explains everything. Actually, no it doesn’t, and is just as contrived a resolution as the head-visions being angels. The writers took one small step towards explaining things like the Eye of Jupiter references with the introduction of Daniel – who I think is safe to assume is Cara’s father. But they in no way explained WHY this would give her magical powers to navigate from a random point in deep space to Earth. The Colonies’ jump drive must use a completely arbitrary system of coordinates that the Thirteenth Tribe would have no way to put into a song that somehow was programmed into every human-Cylon and human-Cylon-human hybrid, including Hera. Even if they knew where the alternative Earth was, which they didn’t. So it’s ‘God’ again, deus ex machina, a unsatisfactory cop out.

I’m not even going to go into the final episode, except to say it’s the first time I’ve been disappointed that more people didn’t die. Battlestar was not a show for happy endings.

And yet I find myself forgiving it all its sins, even if others can’t, simply because I feel it’s an exceptional story of survival under extreme conditions. I like that it pushes the bounds of what’s appropriate (whether with drug use, suicide bombings, or eventually allying with an enemy who nearly brought about genocide), because in those circumstances *nothing’s* appropriate. Some try to cling to the tatters of civilisation they once had, while others move on to full survival at any costs mentality, and it makes us ask ourselves what we would do in the same situation.

So despite its glaring faults I’ll continue to recommend it to friends and consider it a masterpiece of the sci-fi genre.

Geeks: 'This is who we are'

2010-07-22T19:36:00.001+01:00

Five points to anyone who gets the above reference, which I’m sure will be a few of you as I’m assuming that you – like me – are a geek.

The face of geekdom is changing, whether we want it to or not, and I for one applaud the transformation. The time was that liking Star Trek, Doctor Who, or Star Wars would define who you were to the rest of society. I used to say “I like sci-fi, but I’m not a Trekkie,” as if that were some invisible line in my head that if I crossed I’d be bundled in with society’s image of a geek. And we all know what that is, it’s not very flattering so I don’t need to describe it. But now I proudly call myself a geek and have committed myself to watching all these great shows that I’d missed out on in the past.

This time society’s different.

There’s still a stigma, to be sure, but the lines between a geek and normal person (and I’m using that term very loosely) are definitely starting to blur around the edges. Mainstream movies and TV shows like the revamped Doctor Who, Battlestar, new series’ like Heroes, and the multitudes of comics-come-movies have brought sci-fi to a wider audience, shown that it’s okay to like this genre, it’s not infectious. Well, it is, but in a good way. You’re not going to be branded a geek – with all that entails – just for liking these shows anymore, but by enjoying them it opens up a whole world of new material that you’re likely to become much more interested in.

But which came first, the sci-fi chicken or egg? I’m speaking about this as if these shows and movies are solely responsible for society’s turnaround, and while they’ve certainly helped there must have been something the networks saw to make them believe this was the way to go. Or is it just that the original generation of geeks – those who can remember the first airing of ‘The Unearthly Child’ at the end of the 60s, or who were affected by the UFO hype of the 50s onwards – have now grown up into producers and directors? Personally I think it’s a whole conglomerate of reasons, coupled with geeks finally standing up and saying, ‘Damn it, we deserve to be treated better!’

What, after all, is the difference between someone who is fanatical about sci-fi and someone who is fanatical with sport? Both watch their respective shows religiously, go out of their way to learn periphery information (that they can usually quote off the top of their heads), decorate their home accordingly, and even dress up in costumes relating to their obsession. Why is a football jersey so much more acceptable than a Farscape T-shirt? Because society says so? That’s just not good enough anymore.

Does ‘society’ believe geeks are a new breed? Something strange and unknown that they have to be wary of? I can guarantee you the motivations which make a geek today have existed as long as there have been humans, as long as there has been self-awareness. There would have been Neanderthals who showed obsessive interest in assorted subjects, who were driven to imagine a different and better life than that which was around them. Throughout history they were the specialists, the inventors, the soul of social evolution. What the hell happened?! Look at one of the greatest geeks of all time, Leonardo Da Vinci, with his fantastical creations and imaginations of future ages. What is different from his visions of helicopters and ours of jump drives and teleportation?

Because, believe it or not, a great percentage of modern sci-fi has roots in genuine scientific principle – it IS theoretically possible. Gone are the days when we were expected to suspend disbelief simply because it was sci-fi, we are too educated for that now. If a show pulls a dues ex machina it’s instantly deemed sloppy writing and they’ll hear about it from the fans. We want more than just a happy ending, we want to know what’s possible. Look up quantum physics if you haven’t already and see that we have sound theoretical (and in some cases, practical) working knowledge for things such as wormholes, teleportation, anti-gravity, and different dimensions. Geeks aren’t escaping into fantasy-lands, we’re imagining and even creating the future.

In a way things like the internet have been very good for geeks, but also very very bad. Suddenly all this information is immediately accessible with a click – anything at any time of the day, and we never have to leave our desks. That’s the problem. Stereotypically, geeks have always tended towards being reclusive, in large part this is due to society’s ridicule which leads to lack of experience in social settings, and a resultant compounding nervousness that turns the whole thing into a vicious cycle. It takes a very brave person to even attempt to break out of that, especially when the internet is so close, so easy, and so non-threatening. But humans are social creatures, it’s a fact of our biology and we can’t get the most out of life stuck behind a computer screen. A sci-fi group I’ve joined since moving to London has the slogan, “The real life chatroom,” emphasis on real life. Very little of our interaction is over the internet – usually just reminders of upcoming meets – and we are much the better for it. Large numbers of members, often up to forty or fifty, meet up in a pub every two weeks to socialise. The funny thing is we don’t even spend that much time talking about what originally brought us together, it’s more about being among a group of friends who both understand and accept us, where we can be as geeky as we want without fear of ridicule. It’s amazingly liberating and has drawn a range of ‘closet geeks’ that in no way fit the stereotype. One of the original creators of the group often mock-jokes that he’s a disgrace to the sci-fi community because his group is filled with pretty women rather than middle aged overweight/balding/whatever men. But it just goes to show that acceptance of sci-fi is becoming more widespread, that we don’t have to hide behind a computer screen anymore.

There’s so much that people can be doing to add richness to their lives with other sci-fi geeks without having to worry about feeling self-conscious. There’s the standard movie trips and trivia nights, but also sci-fi based freeforming games (how are these different from the popular murder mystery games?), treasure hunts to sci-fi locations in the city, and themed live action role play (larp) groups. Which would you honestly prefer: sitting in an internet forum debating with people you’ll never see face to face, or running around in the woods leading a team of soldiers to an alien planet while fighting monsters? I’ll have a lot more to say about larping later on, but for now I’ll just state that it’s the most enjoyable hobby I’ve ever taken up.

What I’m trying to say with all this is that we don’t have to live the stereotype anymore. Society’s views are changing but it’s up to us to get out there and make the changes visible.

So geeks, be proud of who you are and celebrate it at every opportunity – you have an interest in life, and that’s something many ‘normal’ people who focus on their 9-5 jobs don’t have.

Closet geeks, it’s time to stop being afraid of what people will think of you – why shouldn’t you be able to publically enjoy the things you like? Get out there and show everyone that being a geek doesn’t change who you are.

And to the so-called normal people, I ask that you get past the need to make yourself feel better by making sport of the geeky person – there’s a LOT more of us out here than you think, and we’re not going to live to that image anymore.

Geekery in London

2010-07-22T19:28:00.002+01:00

And the Creator looked down upon the world and saw that it was good, and he said, ‘Let the geeks flourish upon the earth and let them gather in a place called London, for there shall be made all things good and holy for them to partake. And it was so.’

I have it on the best authority that the above was pretty much how it happened. Don’t believe me? Come along to London and find out. If you’re a bored geek in London then it’s time you moved out of your parent’s basement, stopped looking at the world through a computer screen, and took a great big dive into society. It’s not as scary as you think, not when there are so many others with similar interests and hobbies.

I used to live in Brisbane, Australia – a tiny city by pretty much anyone’s standards. Back then my idea of a big weekend was to have my neighbour over for a movie, maybe order a pizza. If we were really feeling in the mood to party there might be popcorn involved, but let’s not get too crazy now. Then I moved to England and a few days later found myself wandering lost and over-awed amid thousands of other geeks in Earl’s Court, the annual London Film and Comic Con. While there I met Claudia Black, saw Patrick Stewart (wasn’t game to meet him – now kicking myself), several from ‘Aliens’, ‘Indiana Jones’, and too many more to name. I wasn’t completely ignorant of the existence of these things called conventions, it’s just that back in Australia our big names were “The guy who played the father of the main guy in that show that isn’t very good.” Oh, and the car from ‘Dukes of Hazard’ – the crappy new version, not the potentially less crappy old series. Sci-fi, I’ve often said, is treated with nothing close to due deference in Australia, with most shows playing around midnight, if at all. Despite being filmed in Australia, the 4^th season of ‘Farscape’ has apparently never aired.

So I really didn’t know what I had coming for me when I moved to London.

At the aforementioned Film and Comic Con I was pounced upon s

omeone advertising a local sci-fi group. I was initially a little wary ‘cause I’d attempted assimilating into a fan group back in Brisbane and the few get togethers ever held bore a such stunning resemblance to the real life geek meeting shown in ‘The Guild’ that it made the idea of socialising with other geeks a bit of a scary one. (And for anyone who doesn’t get the Felicia Day reference, shame on you, go and complete your geek education by going to www.watchtheguild.com). But I gave it a go and have never looked back, the League of the Non Aligned (LOTNA) taking me under their wing and essentially becoming an instant group of friends.

What I want to do here is basically encourage others out there to embrace their inner geek and indulge in all manner of geekery (yes, it’s a word, I declare it to be so…). While the internet has its place, so much of life is missed out on if we spend our time in forums or podcasts. My social life now includes regular pub meets, live action role play, sci-fi themed stand up comedy, costumed ‘Away Teams’, fan-run conventions, sci-fi theatre (yes, it exists, I was surprised too), just to name a few. If there’s something sci-fi on in the city we’re usually all over it, and if there’s nothing on, we’ll make something.

If you like the sound of anything I post about here or in the future, I really encourage you to take a look at the following websites.

http://www.lotna.org.uk/

http://www.meetup.com/london-sci-fi

This is *not* an advertising page for LOTNA (although they are awesome and 99% of my greatest experiences come from being with them), but just a call to get geeks out in the world and having fun. There aren’t enough groups like LOTNA around so if you can take some inspiration from the shenanigans we get up to and start a similar group in your own city then that’s fantastic. LOTNA’s been going strong since 1998, so we must be doing something right.

(Photo credits to... erm... someone other than me)