The Evil Eyebrow

Category: Fiction

  • Pesky Harry Potter Peeves

    This article talks about Amazon.com preorders of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (11.5 Days!).

    It pissed me off for two reasons.

    One: At the top of the article is a picture of Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter. Now, I realize that he is HP of the movies, but he is most decidedly not Harry Potter of the books. The hair is wrong, the scar is wrong, and frankly, there’s a huge difference between the books and the movies. Let’s keep it that way.

    Two: This quote. “…the concluding novel is generating much excitement because Rowling has indicated that one or more major characters will be killed off.” Really? That’s the only reason why there’s much excitement? That’s the best reason? Not the fact that this is the last book? Not the fact that all the mysteries of the last two books will be laid to rest? Come on, at least let someone write the copy who has read the books.

    Crazy people…

  • Harry Potter 7!

    We are 26 days away from the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! Have you reserved your copy yet? Have you figured out where the last horcruxes (horcrae? horcruxi?) are? Do you have a guess about R.A.B.? Do you think Snape is evil (I don’t)? Will Neville be slaughtered in massive magical mahem? Does Harry become Darth Harry?!

    It’s all way too exciting for us Harry Potter fans. Jenn and I will have the book shortly after midnight of July 21 and I’m pretty sure we’ll be done by noon. Don’t call us that day, we’ll be reading or asleep.

    By the way, be aware when reading the wikipedia article I’ve linked to that I think 1/4 of it is crap, with respect to the speculation.

    It is now time to re-read the series so I’m wholly up to speed.

  • Run Away!

    SFSignal has an post concerning possible early release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows information. I don’t know what it’s about because I refuse to read it!

    It’s become time where, at any mention of Harry Potter, I will hit the back button, or turn off the radio, or throw the TV out the window. I refuse to read/hear any story, just in case they accidentally let slip something that might spoil it for me.

    The linked story for SFSignal seems to indicate that something to do with book 7 has been hacked, but I will not read it. I’m looking forward with delight to July 20, when I’ll be waiting in line for the midnight release.

    Remember, do NOT click through unless you trust everyone else in the world to not give it away.

  • Firefly

    I have way too many friends who love Firefly. Therefore, I present, courtesy of Bad Astronomy, NASA is sending Firefly into space.

  • Really Bad TV Shows!

    A fall line-up of Sci-Fi TV shows is displayed at SciFiChick.com (props to SFSignal for the link).

    Some of these shows read like a truly terrible idea. Others seem ok. For really bad, make sure you read the description of “Me & Lee” near the bottom.

    My question for today is: “What did the show descriptions for Firefly or Heroes or Battlestar sound like? We’re they as wretched-appearing as these?”

    I’m looking forward to seeing Bionic Woman and New Amsterdam. The rest seem a bit dodgy.

  • Going Overboard

    Insane Harry Potter fans now have a theme park to look forward to.

    I wil admit to being a huge Harry Potter fan, but not an insane one. Insane ones love ALL the movies and go to ALL of the HP-themed Dragon*Con sessions. And, of course, they’ll travel to California Florida to see a theme park.

  • Scalzi on Star Wars

    I’ve had Star Wars on my mind because yesterday was the 30th anniversary of the debut of Epidode IV: A New Hope (a.k.a. STAR WARS).

    John Scalzi, the author of Old Man’s War1, which you may have seen knocking around the bookshelves, has an opinion regarding the Star Wars movies and their value as entertainment. He feels that the Star Wars sexology were not designed by Lucas to be entertaining, more as a vehicle for his politics and mythology. Go read it for more detail, it’s long.

    Toward the end of the post, he recommends a movie:

    Look, here’s a test for you. I want you to go out and find this movie: Battle Beyond the Stars. It’s a piece of crap 1980 B-movie, produced by Roger Corman, that’s clearly cashing in on the Star Wars phenomenon. Hell, it’s even a pastiche of the same things Star Wars is a pastiche of (it even has a planet Akir, named for Akira Kurosawa), and it was made for $2 million, which is nothing money, even back in 1980. Thing is, its screenplay was written by John Sayles (later twice nominated for the Best Screenplay Academy Award), and it’s funny and smart, and the whole movie, rather incredibly, keeps pace. Watch it and then tell me, honestly, that it’s not more entertaining than Star Wars Episodes I, II, III and VI.

    I haven’t seen this move, but I may have to add it to my list of SF Movies To Watch this summer.

    1 Old Man’s War is a very good novel. If you liked Starship Troopers (the Book!, not the “movie” with the same title and a few of the same character names) you’ll like Old Man’s War.

  • J.K. Rowling on Spoilers

    J.K. Rowling has spoken out on her website about spoilers of the upcoming seventh (and last) Harry Potter book. She adds a bit at the end, though.

    Even if the biggest secret gets out – even if somebody discovers the Giant Squid is actually the world’s largest Animagus, which rises from the lake at the eleventh hour, transforms into Godric Gryffindor and… well, I wouldn’t like to spoil it.

    Nice of her to throw us that tidbit.

  • The Neverending Story, a.k.a. Lost

    It’s been a long time since I swore off Lost, in all of it’s disglory. It was after the third episode of season two, when they had ended the hour with the exact same cliffhanger. At that moment, I was done. I was both enraged and sad because I had loved the first season. I posted about it then, and the thread is still getting the occasional comment.

    Thankfully, I got out.

    Those poor souls whom I am aquainted with that are still mired in the Lost world occasionally tell me some tidbit of what’s going on. It does my heart good to see that my TV instincts were on track in this case.

  • Good Writing

    Absotively the best, most fantabulous writing ever is described here, on The Darkness that Comes After.

    You must go read it.

    Do it.

    Especially you, Steph.