A half hour ago, a total stranger asked me to recommend some SF films. She said she liked SF, but most films in the genre simply aren't very good (It's true), and she was hoping I could point her at some of the better stuff.

I said I'd do what I could, but for me, SF is at its best when it's a *little bit* crappy, kind of like rock. Make it too slick, and it loses some of its charms. Do you like The Ramones, or do you like Yes? The truth is: I like both quite a bit, but there's an energy to the less polished stuff that the virtuosity of the better stuff can't touch.

While watching Green Lantern:First Flight the other day, with intent to review (That sounds almost like a crime: "Watching with intent to review")(in some cases, it may actually BE a crime), something kept distracting me. Not that it's a bad movie- that's not it at all- it was a very good movie that has something to say about the American condition.

Something's come my way lately, and I'd like you guys opinion on it.

I'm pretty happy with the little community we've put together here. We're not the biggest blog in the blogosphere, but we're pretty big. We've got a lot of interesting regulars, good comments, good feedback, and a very, very low signal to noise ratio, by which I mean we all tend to talk to each other, and discuss stuff. There's no name calling, a good deal of respect and we can literally go months without a troll.

What is Science Fiction? Oh, sure, we all know it when we see it, more or less, but what *is* it? How would you define it? Like planets and continents, It’s a vast and slippery beast without a solid definition. Well, ok, Planets have a definition now, but it’s a stupid and disingenuous one, and there’s still not a solidly agreed-upon definition for continents or subcontinents. That’s just not good enough for earthy young snobs like ourselves, now is it? If you can define it, you own it on some basic mental level.