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Scavengers Reign

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Last year, I watched several wonderful animated series, but “Scavengers Reign” set itself apart for me personally, it stood out for its originality and blending of science fiction with profound ecological storytelling. Created by Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner, the series is based on their short film “Scavengers”, which I saw in 2016. The series transports viewers to the alien planet Vesta, where survival is not just about enduring the life-threatening environment, but understanding the complex labyrinth of alien life.

The premise of “Scavengers Reign” is both simple and complex. A group of human survivors from a crashed freighter have become initially separated into three groups and must navigate the bizarre and often hostile environment of Vesta, a planet teeming with enigmatic life forms that are as beautiful as they are deadly. Unlike many sci-fi stories where the environment is merely a backdrop for human drama, Vesta is a character in its own right, with ecosystems that are both alien and harshly familiar. Other alien ecological worlds that come to mind are Solaris, Dune and Avatar, but nowhere near as intimate.

The series excels in its visual storytelling. Each frame is a testament to the meticulous design of Vesta’s flora and fauna, crafted with a level of detail that echoes the works of Jean “Moebius” Giraud or the vibrant, living worlds of “Avatar.” The animation style, blending 2D with 3D elements, creates a uniquely lush aesthetic that feels both retro and futuristic. This approach not only captivated me, watching each episode, but also served the narrative by making the alien landscape both a visual feast and a hypnotic narrative device, in moments of terror and awe, which were both brutal and beautiful.

The sound design complements this visual storytelling, with ambient sounds that are both alien and soothing, crafting an auditory landscape, which feels alive and responsive. Combined with Nicolas Snyder’s haunting score, the soundscape only enhances the immersive experience, drawing viewers into the alien environment, where every rustle or cry has consequences.

At its core, “Scavengers Reign” is about survival, as it delves deeper into themes of adaptation, symbiosis, and the human impact on environments. Each episode revolves around the crew members’ interactions with Vesta’s varied life forms, which are not merely obstacles but parts of a larger ecological puzzle. The series challenges the traditional notion of human supremacy by showing how the crew must learn from and sometimes surrender to the planet’s natural systems to survive.

“Scavengers Reign” is not just a series about survival on an alien planet; it’s an exploration of what it means to live within an environment, to understand it, and to respect it. For fans of science fiction, animation, or anyone intrigued by the interaction between humanity and nature, this series is a must-watch. It’s a narrative rich with lessons about resilience, ethics, and the beauty found in the unknown, all entwined in an alien mosaic of otherworldly storytelling.

The Carpet Makers

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‘The Carpet Makers’ by Andreas Eschbach stands out as an original science fiction work of remarkable depth and intricacy, showcasing Eschbach’s exceptional storytelling skills and his knack for crafting a universe that is as fantastical as it is deeply human. Originally penned in German and later translated into English in 2005 by Tor Books, it features a foreword by Orson Scott Card, who goes on to explain how he was involved in bringing a translation of the novel to the English readers of the world. I’m one of those grateful readers.

As far as the story goes, it takes place on a far-off planet, with no real name but Planet G-101/2 in the Gheera galaxy, where an entire society is devoted to the creation of intricate carpets, each a work of art that takes a lifetime to create. These carpets are not made from ordinary materials, but from a source that is both personal and precious, adding a layer of profound significance to their creation.

Rather than following a linear path, the novel is a collection of interconnected stories that gradually reveal the larger narrative. Each chapter introduces a new character, a new perspective, adding another thread to the narrative tapestry. The result is a novel that is both episodic and cohesive, each story contributing to a larger, more complex picture.

The story offers the reader a thoughtful exploration of tradition and belief. The society depicted in the novel is bound by a tradition that is followed with almost religious fervor, yet the reasons behind this tradition are not fully understood by those who follow it. This tension between tradition and understanding is a recurring theme throughout the novel.

The novel also explores themes of power and influence personified by the immortal Emperor Alexander. Despite being a distant figure, the emperor exerts a profound influence over the society of the carpet makers. Yet, as the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that power is not absolute and can be challenged.

Eschbach’s prose is evocative and richly detailed, bringing the world of the carpet makers to life. The descriptions of the carpets themselves are particularly striking, each one a masterpiece of craftsmanship and a testament to the dedication of its maker.

‘The Carpet Makers’ is a compelling read for any science fiction enthusiast. Its unique premise, intricate narrative structure, and thoughtful exploration of themes make it a standout in the genre. Eschbach’s novel is not just a story about a distant, alien society, but a reflection on the nature of tradition, power, and the human capacity for creativity and resilience. I have resisted mentioning anything of the plot simply to avoid spoilers. This is a read you want to go in knowing as little as possible.

Foundation

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In September 2021, Apple TV+ made the bold move to bring Issac Asimov’s groundbreaking saga to our living room screens. The first season was surprisingly enjoyable, the challenge of bringing such a monumental work to TV, which had its basis on Edward Gibbon’s History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, was no small feat. The pressure to write that script must have been through the roof.


I’ve had the opportunity to watch the first two seasons, the third has been renewed and hopefully they will complete all the seasons they have planned. The show loosely adapts the books, which might disappoint some diehard fans of the book series, but for me, I personally have enjoyed the adaptation and the changes have been welcomed. I never really enjoyed the Foundation books as much as I enjoyed the Dune books. Although there seems to have been some level of Asimov’s influence on Frank Herbert’s Dune Chronicles, they have differing opinions about the future of humanity. Asimov was insistent that there must be science in science fiction, which clashed with Herbert’s intentional removal of science from his science fiction epic works. This was the new wave of science fiction, and it eventually won out, seen also in other writer’s work such as Ursula K Le Guin’s Hainish Cycle.

But I’m not complaining, with the Dune films and Foundation series, we have what are probably some of the best space operas ever written brought to life in cinemas and home theaters. Both reaching new heights in cinematic spectacle.

The Foundation series follows a group of exiles who try to preserve the legacy of humanity as the Galactic Empire faces its inevitable collapse. Led by the mathematician Hari Seldon (played by Jared Harris), Seldom predicts that the Galactic Empire, which has ruled the galaxy for 12,000 years, will soon fall into a dark age that will last 30,000 years. Using his science of psychohistory, which can forecast the future based on statistical laws of mass action, Seldon devises a plan to reduce the duration of the dark age to 1,000 years by creating two Foundations, one at each end of the galaxy, that will preserve the knowledge and culture of humanity.

There’s no way a saga of this proportion will be lacking themes. And several interesting themes are explored, which are both relevant to science fiction and human history. The rise and fall of civilizations, with the depiction of the decline of the Galactic Empire, which is modeled after the Roman Empire, and the emergence of new powers and cultures in the galaxy. The role of religion and science. Exploring how science and religion can be used as tools of manipulation and propaganda, as well as sources of inspiration and hope. The nature of free will and determinism, questioning the extent to which human actions and events are predetermined by Seldon’s plan, and how much agency and choice the characters have in shaping their own destinies. It also examines the ethical and moral implications of Seldon’s plan, and whether it is justified to sacrifice individual lives and freedoms for the greater good of humanity. And there are more.

The promise of future seasons, as they happen, will span centuries and civilizations, and explore more themes of history, religion, science, and destiny. So far Foundation is proving to be a faithful and creative adaptation of the classic novels by Isaac Asimov, and a captivating and ambitious TV series that will appeal to both fans and newcomers of the genre. Though it can be a bit daunting for those unfamiliar with the books to begin with, I suggest you stick with it, and it will pay off as the story settles down, along with the characters and places. Rarely will you get the chance to watch something unfold like this on such a grand epic scale. Highly recommended.

The Windup Girl

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Paolo Bacigalupi’s Windup Girl has a strange title. One that gives the impression you’ll be reading a clockpunk story with automatons. You won’t. Contrary, you’ll be reading a story focusing on global warming and biotechnology, which will draw you into an intriguing, dystopian world, set in 23rd century Thailand. The book’s gorgeous cover had me intrigued, it looked like I was about to read a travel blog from the future. A mix of dusty street markets, pin-pointy skyscrapers, and Thai Buddhist temples. And what was a giant elephant doing on the cover of a biopunk science fiction novel? No, this was a Hugo and Nebula award-winning novel, and the blurb from Time Magazine stating, ‘Bacigalupi is a worthy successor to William Gibson,’ wasn’t far from the truth. Though I personally preferred The Windup Girl to Neuromancer.

The world’s resources are depleted, and society is dominated by megacorporations, whose monopoly on biotechnology gives them sovereignty over the masses. OK, isn’t that already happening? Scary. Now, Thailand has managed to be the exception, managing to preserve reserves of genetically sustainable seeds, as well as securing its borders from manufactured plagues and threatening bioterrorism brought about by economic hitmen. In this setting, and with the absence of oil and petroleum, giant springs are manually wound by genetically altered elephants, amply named Megadonts, and are used to store energy in those very same spring-driven motors. Quite the surprising solution and it explains the massive elephant on the book’s cover.

So, it’s from one of these hitmen, Anderson Lake, that we are introduced to the ‘Windup Girl’, Emiko. An enigmatic and attractive creature. She is one of the New People, who are slaves, soldiers, and toys to the rich, but Windups are illegal in Thailand. Emiko is an engineered human, created and programmed as a kind of geisha servant. She was originally a sex companion to a Japanese delegate, who was on a diplomatic mission and was left abandoned by her owner. As were other Windups once affluent humans got bored of them.

There is a lot you can interpret in the story as warnings of what the future of the present world will end up suffering if humanity does not act to solve current environmental problems. Against the backdrop of this dystopian future, Bacigalupi unfolds events and advances the story by immersing the reader in the lives and struggles of the protagonists. Offering a sense of nostalgia, engaging the reader empathetically, such as Emiko’s longing for her former master’s embrace. Or discovering the deeper machinations of Anderson Lake’s mission, who pursues his goals with unbending thirst and assertiveness. The two meet when Anderson meets Emiko in a sex club where she offers information for help in finding her freedom.

The book holds up well years later. Though it’s frightening to see a lot of what is written in its pages is unfolding in the news and social media today. A lot of the environmental issues in the story happen behind a veil of political friction, just as they are happening now. Emotionally tense, The Windup Girl is a remarkably intelligent story, which I highly recommend.

‘Politics is ugly. Never doubt what small men will do for great power.’ – Paolo Bacigalupi

Vesper

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Vesper feels as bleak as its dark dystopian depiction of Earth, in the aftermath of an ecological catastrophe that has left the Earth mostly wiped out. You know, the ones where engineered viruses and the like are let loose into the world creating an ecological disaster. Yet there’s hope, brought to light through its main character, Vesper (Raffiella Chapman), a compassionate and intelligent 13-year-old girl skilled in biohacking. She’s a survivor, abandoned by her mother to care for her sick, incapacitated father. He follows and communicates with her via a floating head shaped drone, displaying an emoji like face, while remaining bedridden in their house deep within the forest. She spends her time scavenging the land for things to trade, energy sources to keep her father breathing, seeds to grow food, and following on in her father’s work, engineering their own food.

 

The inhabitants in Vesper’s toxic world are divided between the privileged elite, in their tall impenetrable citadels, and the unfortunate others, scavengers who are struggling to survive on what little they can forage from the junk of the past, while eating insects and broths created from fungus and bacterial concoctions. The oligarchs control the seeds, coded to yield only one crop. Their monopoly decides who will have access to them, which depends on what is traded.

The film is uniquely immersive, more so through its visually dystopian grimness, often transforming into a ghostly canvas of some medieval myth reset in a sci-fi dark age. The cinematography composes a limited palette and balanced tonality, begging to be sung as an endless lament to ecological devastation. This echoes as a cautionary tale with impressive emotional depth in classic European art house style. Its imaginative world building, of Earth recreated and coveted on intelligent and bizarre recreations of bioluminescent life forms and gory blood sucking flora. Steeped in surreal landscapes of bleak wastelands of overrun alien vegetation and twisted organisms. Overall, a beautifully crafted film.

Just don’t expect grand visual and narrative storytelling, this is not trying to be a sci-fi blockbuster. Vesper is indicative of culturally European science fiction, more in the tone of Solaris and similar works, but also inheriting the tropes and styles of other modern works of sci-fi. It’s a passion of love, six years in the making, directors/writers Kristina Boyte and Bruno Samper shot the film in Lithuania just as the snow began to thaw, taking advantage of the fairy tale mood of the country and referencing Dutch painters such as Vermeer and Rembrandt as key references to light the environments.

It’s hard to imagine how a young girl can survive the emotional turmoil she has to endure daily in such a morbid world, but she does, finding empathy and strength in her objectives and those she cares for in times where it might be lost. The focus is on Vesper, a gentle heroine who demonstrates the courage and capacity to take care of herself under impossible conditions. It’s her viewpoint of the world we witness and it’s through her eyes we learn how to find hope when all hope is lost.

Station Eleven

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For some reason when I first read Emily St. John Mandel’s, “Station Eleven” in 2014, I thought I was going to read a dystopian tale set in the near future with blights, deaths and horrors. Lots of scary end of the world stuff. What I discovered instead was a genuinely unique story centered on a group of nomadic people, which happened to be actors and musicians, known as the Travelling Symphony. They had embraced their predicament with a noble purpose, by keeping the essence of art burning, performing Shakespeare and classical music. It felt almost lyrical. Though there were creepy moments, involving the collapse of civilization due to a pandemic, with crazed survivors and a manic prophet leading a murderous cult. In the end, the book focused on what had been lost, on people’s nostalgia and longing, as well as the determination of art to expand our view of the world and save us from loneliness.

‘I stood looking over my damaged home and tried to forget the sweetness of life on Earth.’ – Dr Eleven

HBO Max’s “Station Eleven” gives the same vibes. It began filming in early 2020. HBO had ordered the adaptation in June the previous year. A year before the real pandemic began. I can just imagine what the production crew felt working on the series in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are elements, early in the series, where the perspective of the show reflects those real world fears we all experienced when the pandemic broke out. And the wonderful performances only strengthened those emotions.

Having just recently finished the limited series, I must admit I wanted to re-watch the first few (I think it was the first three) of the ten episodes again before moving on to watch the rest. There is a lot of complexity and depth, and re-watching actually helped to magnify the breadth of each episode in the beginning. I don’t recommend binge watching it.

Like the book, the film moves back and forward before and after the events of the pandemic. The episodes themselves will leave major characters by skipping an episode, to focus on introducing new characters, building up emotionally powerful scenes, only to return to them in the next episode.

I particularly loved how the graphic novel, Station Eleven, is recreated in the series. (I would love to find a copy) Here the term ‘Home’ becomes such an important theme in the story, and the graphic novel becomes central to that theme. Challenging us to consider the tragedy when things fall apart, and society ceases to exist. How much does it affect us to be where we are and with who we are? This narrative is explored while the Travelling Symphony moves through its motions and each play becomes an event. As when Shakespeare’s Hamlet is performed, and its plot impacts the narrative to form the intertwining pathway to all these places and people. It’s thrilling to watch.

Station Eleven can be viewed as a surreal journey exploring the past and the future of a society broken in half by a world-shattering event. It has its moments of darkness, but it also balances its scenes with unexpected humor and great performances. As a whole, it feels like a moving play, staged in a world of loss and struggle, which finds solitude when it finally returns home.

‘I remember damage. And escape. Then adrift in a stranger’s galaxy for a long time. But I’m safe now. I found it again. My home.’ – Miranda Carroll

Becoming Superman

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This is a dark book, with moments of light shedding rays of hope into dark places. People have different thresholds, different limits to how much they can endure. I know I have mine and I know where I would lose all hope. But J. M. Straczynski surpasses all these trials; a terrible childhood of impoverished circumstances and abuse that only shocks the senses.

We witness the struggle as he inches on as a writer of screenplays and comic books, towards his career in Hollywood; from The Twilight Zone and Changeling, to Babylon 5 and onto Netflix originals with Sense 8, and shows us how it’s done with perseverance, courage and determination. He offers essential writing advice throughout his personal story, advice which makes the book indispensable.

The story of becoming superman exceeds any story written before of the superman I’ve grown up to know and admire. J. M. Straczynski’s Becoming Superman is a life tale that goes well beyond the fictional account of Clark Kent and what we’ve come to know of him after he arrives from Krypton. For him, meeting Superman as a child was transformative.

But Straczynski’s biography is both inspirational and horrifying. A young boy raised by damaged adults, who must learn to survive. He finds refuge in comics and imaginary characters, where he discovers a world of superheroes whose special powers give them the ability to overcome their misfortunes. Here he makes a discovery that will change his life, a realization that change comes and can happen to the most unfortunate and emotionally devastated souls. Where Straczynski, a little boy whose story is part darkness and part creation, uncovers his own superpower. The ability to weave stories from the depths of his imagination and break free from within. From here the writer’s journey begins. A journey that takes us on a personal history of discovery, which up till now was veiled in mystery. J. M. Straczynski manages to keep a balance on the horror we discover in the mystery, with humor and intelligence.

My first and most noteworthy meeting of Straczynski’s work was Babylon 5, a story that encompassed a single-story arc across five seasons, a “novel for television”, with a defined beginning, middle, and end; in essence, each episode would be a single “chapter” of this “novel”. This was new territory for television, something we take for granted today with Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime etc., but a great risk for TV in the early 90s. Not only did he take on this immense challenge, Straczynski wrote most of the 110 episodes, as well as the pilot and five television movies. On the journey, he constantly kept his viewers and fans updated online on the fan-run website, The Lurker’s Guide to Babylon 5. And this was in 1993, with the internet in its infancy! Yeh, I was one of the fans who after every episode would dial up the internet to learn more from the lips of our hero, Straczynski, who would post detailed analyses and answer fans’ questions. Oh, and by the way, The Lurker’s Guide is still alive and well today. A historical legacy and testament to what J. M. Straczynski achieved with Babylon 5.

Becoming Superman is a story with controversy and drama, but it never overwhelms you. Instead, it’s a tale of discovery and coming to terms with yourself, of breaking away from your past, no matter how ugly it was. A narrative that chronicles a journey to uncovering your true potential.

Lost in Space – Reboot

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I feel that I can safely say, I’m excited.  More so than I have been in a long time for an upcoming new series.  On April the 13th Netflix is launching a new reboot of Lost in Space.  One of my very early, favourite childhood shows.

The original Lost in Space series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, ran for three seasons, from 1965 to 1968 on CBS.  Season one was my favourite, starting off on a serious tone with the characters developing over time.  It was also the only one filmed in black and white.  But I never knew that at the time, since our TV set was black and white throughout the entire three seasons.  Maybe another contributing factor as to why I prefer the first season nowadays.

In 1998 we had a film of Lost in Space released in cinemas, with a plot adapted from the 1965–1968 original series.  It debuted at number one at the box office, ending Titanic‘s 15-week-long hold on the first-place position.  However, critics were generally negative towards the darker tone of the film.  I didn’t mind it.

With the new reboot we also get surprising new changes, one is of the robot.  No longer part of the crew, the robot is an alien machine that is discovered by Will Robinson by chance on a distant planet.  Gender unknown and who is playing the robot is also unknown.  We’ll have to wait for the series to start before we find out.  All we have for now is an amazing looking alien machine and the voice of the robot warning of an impeding threat with the original “Danger Will Robinson.”

Most of us who have seen the original series fondly remember the character of Dr. Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris).  Whom Bill Mumy, playing the role of Will Robinson, referred to him as “This man we love-to-hate, a snivelling coward who would cower behind the little boy, ‘Oh, the pain! Save me, William!'”

Well, in the reboot, the role of Dr Smith is taking on a gender switch, making Dr Smith a woman.  Parker Posey spoke of her role at WonderCon.  She explained:

“I love the original (series) and I certainly love the original Maureen,” Posey said (via Deadline). “But we live in a different time of gender dynamics.

“The women (on the show) could do whatever the men do – it isn’t even a question. It’s just the reality. It’s incredible to play a woman as smart as she and at the same time, has these flaws and has to connect with her kids.

“It’s 30 years into the future and we have imagined a reality we would like to see. We will hopefully be in a place where we want to be in terms of class, race and gender.”

She added: “When I heard they were going to offer me the part it was really touching for me. I loved that they made her into a woman.

“You’re going to see over 10 episodes how this new Dr Smith evolves.”

Well, I for one will be watching that development closely.

Blade Runner 2049

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Honestly, when I first heard they were making a sequel I wasn’t thrilled, but once I learnt Denis Villeneuve was involved, I was curious to see what he would manage to produce.

Having watched his previous film, Arrival—based on the original short story, “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang—I felt he had the skill to create an outstanding adaptation. And while listening to an interview, I learnt Denis Villeneuve also happened to be a passionate fan of the original, which was a plus. Of course, I loved the original, for the obvious reasons I reiterated in the Blade Runner review I posted here in the blog. Still, I was skeptical.

I saw Blade Runner way back in the 80s. It was a time when a lot of us were scared and excited about the future. But that was then, and today that future seems partially here. So, while watching 2049 I didn’t share the same emotions I had back then. The foreboding of what was to come, had been replaced with, it’s here, now. Well, somewhat.

Fortunately, after viewing Blade Runner 2049, it turned out to be a splendid sequel, leaving me pleasantly surprised. Denis Villeneuve pays homage to the original, and does so admirably. I can’t wait to see what he does with Dune.

However, some found it to be a long film. And to be truthful, it’s much longer than the original. Two hours and forty-three minutes long to be exact. The original had a running time of under two hours. I didn’t mind the length. It actually gave me ample time to relish in the spectacle, the soundscape and the visually stunning sights, which were staggering. But the film’s length might have accounted for the less than stellar box office performance, possibly hampering a further sequel.

Set 30 years after the original Blade Runner, the earth has waned into a dystopian quagmire. With technology no longer the answer to all our prayers, nor humanities savior from ourselves; but a cold, clinical enslaver.

Due to persistent poverty, only the few—I suppose the rich and powerful—have access to more advanced devices and luxury, and even they seem misplaced from their empathy on a world plagued with mass extinction. Where the distinction between humans and replicants is blurred by a shared ‘quasi-alive’ subsistence. So, in retrospect both films share the same gloomy outlook Philip Dick had for humanity, when he wrote Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep. Exploring what it means to be human and the moral distinctions made between life and simulated-life.

Looking out from ‘K’ Ryan Gosling’s shabby apartment, all one sees is an endless night awash in constant rain against a backdrop of lost hopes. Those hopes play like mirrors in the form of corporation logos and giant holographic images, which tease and tempt at what’s left of our addiction to consumerism.

The film’s soundtrack fails to reach the original’s greatness, one that is often described as mythical, evocative and pristine. But it has its moments of brooding beauty and seismic immersion, and manages moments of subtle ambience. Finally, towards the end, it pays homage to Vangelis’s “Tears in the Rain” with an emotive redux.

As a soundtrack, it’s full of echoes and haunting as hell. Zimmer and Wallfisch did a commendable job, and they were well aware of the fact that it would never match Vangelis’s magnum opus, so they decided not to even try. Though listening to the sweeping suites of “Sea Walls” and “Blade Runner”, one feels they captured ambient elements of the original. And that’s an opinion coming from an amateur soundtrack buff like myself, who also is a huge fan of Vangelis’s work.

The critical response was positive, general consensus calling it an instant classic. Quite an interesting difference in retrospect, if one compares the change of attitudes over the years in relation to the originals initial mixed reactions from film critics of the 80’s.

As a sequel, I would highly recommend it. As does a rewatch, which I intend to do in the not too distant future.

Life Luminescent – Short Story

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Life Luminescent is a short story, originally an entry submission to the XPRIZE competition, exploring a unique vision of the not too distant future.

While en route from Tokyo to San Francisco on board ANA Flight 008, Kaira Winters is woken by a strange sensation.  From her window she catches a glimpse of a shadow veiling the stars.  Unaware that anything has changed, she will soon discover her world is no longer the same.

You can read the story here: Life Luminescent