{Take the 100 Things challenge!}

So I finally decided to participate in this meme after seeing a number of my friends post about it =) I thought long and hard as to what to talk about for these one hundred posts (historical events? travel? general pop culture stuff?), I've decided that the topic for my posts will be SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY =D

I'll be filling out the following along the way ^_~

( 10 fantasy novels )

( 10 science fiction novels )

( 10 fantasy/sci-fi movies )

( 10 fantasy/sci-fi television shows )

( 10 fantasy/sci-fi female characters )

( 10 fantasy/sci-fi male characters )

( 10 fantasy/sci-fi episodes/moments )

( 10 fantasy/sci-fi ships )

( 10 fantasy/sci-fi authors )

( 10 fantasy/sci-fi books/shows/authors/movies that I've been meaning to check out )

This entry was originally posted at http://caffeinatedlife.dreamwidth.org/376667.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

This post is part of the 100 Things: A Blogging Challenge; please click here to learn more about the challenge and the full list of topics I've discussed.

DUNE by FRANK HERBERT

Dune is the first proper science-fiction novel I've ever read, having read only Star Trek TNG and DS9 novels before that. It was actually prompted by the 2000 miniseries of the same name; it was an interesting production and concept was just so interesting that I had to turn to the original source and read the author's rendition of it. It's actually been a while since I've read it, hence no review link to go along with this post.

What really struck me about Dune and the series that follows is the world-building involved with the story. It's clearly science fiction with the different worlds, interstellar travel and the affects of the spice melange. Yet at the same time there's things like the noble houses, an interstellar empire, different religions cropping up and commerce driving the motivations and decisions of many of the characters involved. I always thought that the concept of the Bene Gesserit, a religious group made up of only women, was pretty cool along with all of their abilities. I remember being enthralled by the complexities of the politics that went on throughout the novel, it really added to the sense of scope.

Beyond Dune, I only read Dune Messiah and Children of Dune (the latter two also becoming a miniseries sometime in the early 2000s--I remember it clearly because it was the first time I watched the awesome actor James McAvoy grace across my screen), both of which expand on this universe that Herbert created. I might re-visit this series one of these days (maybe even get around to finishing it) because it's just such a feat of the imagination. I would highly recommend this novel if you're starting out in the science fiction genre; it might seem a little much at first because of all of the intricate details and aspects involved but if you're read works like The Lord of the Rings or A Song of Ice and Fire, you'll do fine ^_~

This entry was originally posted at http://caffeinatedlife.dreamwidth.org/381249.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

This post is part of the 100 Things: A Blogging Challenge; please click here to learn more about the challenge and the full list of topics I've discussed.

THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA by SCOTT LYNCH

I've decided to start with the fantasy book portion of this challenge with Scott Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora (review), the first in The Gentlemen Bastards Sequence series. I mentioned in my review from last year that despite being the first novel in a series, it works quite well as a standalone (with enough elements to hook you onwards if you're interested in pursuing a series at the moment; I personally am trying to get through a number of books myself so I will eventually get around to the other books...sometime).

Anyways, this book made it on my list because it's quite an interesting and entertaining read on a number of levels: the world-building is familiar yet unique with an interesting magic system, albeit not as prominently used as in some high fantasy--think more on the level of GRRM's A Song of Ice and Fire. The characters are quite memorable with snappy (though also crude, in case you're wondering) dialogue and overall an interesting team dynamic. The main character, Locke Lamora, is a thief/smart-ass/anti-hero with an urban legend that he just can't shake off, much to his dismay. Locke can be annoying at times but as a reader you also find yourself rooting for him as he tries to achieve his goals and slink past his enemies who are closing in. Plus, he has enough mystery to boot surrounding his person, which I thought was a little unexpected but nonetheless welcomed. The story is also a little reminiscent of Ocean's 11 with heists and cons involved but there's also a larger story involving the underground crime hierarchy involved so there's never a bored moment. Lynch's ability to tell the story was impressive, especially with the amount of flashbacks involved, bringing all of the elements together in the end.

So what I'm essentially getting at with this entry is that it's a great fantasy novel, riding high in the recent trend in the genre for flawed anti-heroes running around in mayhem for their own personal gains and getting sucked into a larger situation happening around them. If you're a fan of GRRM's A Song of Ice and Fire, I would recommend this novel to you because it's in the same vein of approach and storytelling. Plus, it's just a great read.

(I'd say more about this novel but it has been a year since I had re-read it so feel free to hop over to my review of the novel if you want a clearer sense of what this novel is about =))

This entry was originally posted at http://caffeinatedlife.dreamwidth.org/380403.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

This post is part of the 100 Things: A Blogging Challenge; please click here to learn more about the challenge and the full list of topics I've discussed.

I should say that the following moment I chose is spoilerish, but to be honest it's not that spoilerish because all the Trek series seem to end with a moment similar to this. In any case, I'll put it behind the cut if you're planning on watching the show at some point ;)

( Spoilers )

This entry was originally posted at http://caffeinatedlife.dreamwidth.org/379437.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

This post is part of the 100 Things: A Blogging Challenge; please click here to learn more about the challenge and the full list of topics I've discussed.

MAJOR KIRA NERYS

After writing up an entry about a male DS9 character, it's time to write about a female DS9 character. Much as I also loved all of the female characters that have shown up on DS0, there was not even a debate for me when it came time for me to choose a female character from DS9: Kira Nerys was the character who came to mind. Kira was for quite a long time my favourite female character ever (for a number of reasons) and out of all of the main characters in the show, she had quite a startling transporation from the first time we were introduced to her in the pilot to the last time that we saw her onscreen. Again, if you're planning on watching this show at any point, potential spoilers ahead! as I will be talking about her character development.

( If you don't take that hand off my hip, you'll never be able to raise another glass with it. )

This entry was originally posted at http://caffeinatedlife.dreamwidth.org/378533.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

This post is part of the 100 Things: A Blogging Challenge; please click here to learn more about the challenge and the full list of topics I've discussed.

CAPTAIN BENJAMIN SISKO

Continuing along with the 100 Things Challenge and the Star Trek theme that I started with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (entry), I chose Captain Benjamin Sisko for one of my 10 sci-fi/fantasy male characters. It was a difficult choice because all of the DS9 male characters were fantastic in their own way: Quark with his endless quest for profit and his hilarious interactions with the rest of the crew (especially Odo), Garak with his mysterious past as a spy, Miles O'Brien who started in TNG but whose character expanded during his time on DS9, etc. But in the end I chose Sisko for a few reasons. If you're planning on watching this show at any point, potential spoilers ahead! as I will be talking about his character development.

( My father used to say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I laid the first stone right there. )

This entry was originally posted at http://caffeinatedlife.dreamwidth.org/378149.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

This post is part of the 100 Things: A Blogging Challenge; please click here to learn more about the challenge and the full list of topics I've discussed.


STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE

I actually wasn't planning on starting my 100 Things challenge with this television show but a) I was prompted by this article about Bryan Fuller being interested in starting a new Star Trek television series (which I remember reading the details of last year and thought that it was creative (if not a little far time-wise...plus, really, another Kirk? But that's just an aside), exciting stuff and b) for a long time this was my favourite science fiction show. So yes, let's start with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine =)

I was a Trekker growing up. I grew up watching Star Trek: The Next Generation with my mum; while other kids were reading the relative age-appropriate novels, I was reading TNG novels. I forgot exactly what happened, but one day (I must've been like, 10 or 11 years old, grade 4/5), I decided to tune in after TNG to check out DS9. It was the episode "Our Man Bashir" from series 4 which was a fun romp involving holodeck adventures and a transporter accident but it was interesting enough to keep me watching. By a few episodes, not only was I hooked but it also knocked TNG off the top spot of favourite Star Trek series.

( It's like I said: the more things change, the more they stay the same )

This entry was originally posted at http://caffeinatedlife.dreamwidth.org/377566.html. Please comment there using OpenID.