It's Good to be Gay in Scifi

Staff Writer: Samuntha Mackenzie

Two scifi shows have announced their Gay Pride: Stargate Universe and Dollhouse.

For SGU, Ming-na and another cast member will be playing lesbians. For their second season, Dollhouse will be fleshing out characters' sexual story lines.

Since there are no openly gay characters in prime time, scifi has picked up the trend. Scifi has always been about investigating characters, space, and precarious situations. Have the geeks finally been won over by some pride?

I believe it's a natural progression in scifi. Homosexual themes have been played within scifi films and television. Anyone remember Dr. Crusher on Star Trek's: The Next Generation? Her love was given a female body and Dr. Crusher was, well, crushed.

Scifi has been home to the fringe and women's equality. Why not gays and lesbians too?

Sources: AfterEllen and AfterEllen

Stargate Universe Premiere Date

Staff Writer: Grave Digger

Stargate Universe will begin with the first part of a three-parter premiere episode starting on October 2, 2009.
Sixteen episodes are listed on IMDB.

Sources: Scifi Wire, AceShowBiz, and IMDB

Stargate Universe Update

Staff Writer: Grave Digger

Scifi Channel has announced the cast for the upcoming Stargate Universe. The show is being filmed now in Vancouver, Canada. The estimated start date has not been confirmed but the way the Scifi Channel runs, the show could begin as soon as this summer or as long as next January.

Even though the Scifi Channel is still on crack and needs better management, at least the network released information about the characters, as follows:

Carlyle stars as Dr. Nicholas Rush, one of the most brilliant scientific minds, whose motives are not what they appear to be.

Phillips is Col. Telford, a proud lifelong military man, who puts his faith in the chain of command. Stubbornly confident, he's highly regarded by his superiors. He is the chosen leader of the ill-fated expedition.

Louis portrays Col. Everett Young, an experienced Stargate team leader. Married, with years of tough decisions under his belt, he has learned from life never to take anything for granted. He stays on top of his team so they stay alive.

Smith is Lt. Matthew Scott, a junior member of the Stargate team. Green and rough around the edges, he is thrust into the role of leader well before he's ready for the responsibility and must learn to command, earn respect through action and manage the diverse personalities aboard the ship.

Levesque stars as Chloe Armstrong, the daughter and aide of a U.S. senator. Politically savvy, but with a wild side, she is considering following in her father's footsteps until she finds herself trapped on the ship. As tensions rise, her character will be tested and her place among the group revealed.

Blue stars as Eli Wallace, a total slacker, who just happens to be an utter genius with anything he puts his mind to: mathematics, computers, video games. A lack of confidence has left him with an acerbic sense of humor.

Huffman portrays Master Sgt. Tamara Johansen. Unable to afford medical school, the strong-willed field medic saw the Air Force as the best option. Faced with the mounting pressure and a lack of in-depth experience, she will be forced to rise to the occasion as she treats the seriously wounded.

Smith portrays Master Sgt. Ronald Greer, a Marine with a temper you don't want to mess with. His past is mysterious, but it's clear something dark formed the hard shell around him.

Ming-Na is Camile Wray, a human resources executive with the international oversight committee that governs the Stargate program. Now the highest-ranking member of that division left stranded on the ship, she carries herself with a misguided sense of superiority over the other military and civilian survivors.

Source: Scifi Wire

Atlantis Submerged, Again

Staff Writer: DL Mullan

Scifi Channel has axed another Stargate series. SG-1 and now Atlantis are archived as of the fifth season of the latter. With a two hour end movie, Atlantis will say good-bye to us and hello to reruns.

However, the Scifi Channel offers a new Stargate: Universe. How will Universe extend the Stargate universe? We’ll have to wait for more information.

Until then, appreciate Atlantis, since the final season is upon its fans.

Destiny’s Way

Staff Writer: DL Mullan

4 out of 5 Shovels
With the fourteenth installment of the New Jedi Order series by Del Rey, Destiny’s Way has a rounded out cast of twenty-four characters as well as their intertwining subplots. This book has several themes running through the story; the most significant themes concern the destiny of Jacen Solo and the turning point of the war with the Yuuzhan Vong.

As the story unfolds, the reader learns that the New Republic is still fighting skirmishes and introducing new ways to circumvent the Yuuzhan Vong advantage. The New Republic government is falling apart as elections begin for a new Chief of State. The Skywalkers, Solos and their comrades begin to collaborate on how to preserve the tattered government and win against the Yuuzhan Vong as odds dictate against an amicable solution. Resentment between the military officers and government officials escalate, causing desperate friends to resolve the issues with the military, politicians, and Jedi.

After elections, the Jedi Council reforms, with some modifications, and becomes the High Council; all the while, a secret biological weapon is being developed for future use by the New Republic. Later the High Council rejects the use of such a weapon but the Chief of State overrides their vote with his authority. Master Skywalker again finds himself in the political arena in order to diffuse a dangerous situation.

Amid the chaos, Jacen returns to the loving embraces of his friends and family after his escape from the Yuuzhan Vong with his friend and teacher, Vergere. Many are skeptical of her motivations and Vergere becomes a prisoner of the New Republic.

In his quest to understand Jacen, his ordeal, his new friend, and the Force, Master Luke Skywalker questions Vergere in her prison cell intensely. There in confrontation with the avian, Luke finds a perspective he had not realized before about the nature of the Force and himself. Though not convinced of her intentions, Luke has the avian stay in the Skywalker apartment and far away from Jacen Solo.

After taking the imposed, but well needed, vacation by Master Skywalker, Jacen then reenters the war. With Jacen directing the battle from his mind, the Jedi fighter pilots melding with one another in coordination, the New Republic sets a trap for their invaders. The bait of Jaina and Jacen Solo proves to be wise as the Yuuzhan Vong fall into the ambush easily. A decisive victory for the New Republic forces echoes loudly and the Yuuzhan Vong flee from their failure.

Walter Jon Williams does a wonderful job explaining the answers to many of the questions that have arisen in the New Jedi Order series. There are a few surprises and returning characters. In addition to seeing Mara in action, Lando and Karrade being inventive businessmen, and the makings of a romance between Jacen and Danni Quee, the reader is not disappointed save one: Ben Skywalker. Holovids and pictures of the youngster is not enough, will Luke and Mara ever become participants in their baby's life? We would like to see this family dynamic developed.

This book was read in less than two days. However, with any novel, too many subplots and characters causes the story to feel slow in places and much needed character interactions are written as exposition. Overall, the novel is well written and enjoyable. Entertaining and enlightening, this novel to anyone reading in the Extended Universe.

Mara Jade