Sci-Fi Storm

The Thunder Child is pleased to announce our latest article from James H. Burns,

Growing Up With Flash Gordon: A Tribute to Al Williamson

Can any sci fi and/or horror genre fan not know who Forrest J Ackerman, aka The Ackermonster, is?

You’ve doubtless heard of him – the editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland from 1958-1983, cameos in dozens of science fiction films, collection of sci fi props, posters and other material on display, first at the Ackermansion and then at the Ackerminimansion, one of the three amigos along with Ray Harryhausen and Ray Bradbury.

McFarland has recently brought out a biography of Forry by a long-time friend, Deborah Painter, and The Thunder Child reviews it at Forry: The Life of Forrest J Ackerman.

The Thunder Child is very proud to announce that James H. (Jim) Burns has joined the writing staff of The Thunder Child. Jim was one of the first writers for Starlog magazine, way back in the 1970s, a contributing editor to Fantastic Films, and contributed articles to Cinefantastique, Starburst and Twilight Zone magazines.

And now he’s writing for us.

First up, a trilogy of articles on King Kong – the original. First he reminisces about him, his father, and the tradition – long before today’s satellite TV, of watching King Kong every Thanksgiving.

Part 2 is his reminisces of Chris Steinbrunner (author of The Films of Sherlock Holmes, Detectionary, and Cinema of the Fantastic).

And Part 3 is a special treat, entitled, Meanwhile, Back at the Empire State Building. I don’t want to give that away so check it out for yourself.

Start out at KIng Kong in the City.

Author John Kenneth Muir has brought his unique talents to Horror Films of the 1970s and Horror Films of the 1980s, and he has now tackled Horror Films of the 1990s, in a new book for McFarland.

In addition to hundreds of horror films, he also covers suspense and science fiction.

The Thunder Child has reviewed this book at: http://thethunderchild.com/TheMirrorofEveLeQinu/HorrorFilmsofthe1990s.html

The Thunder Child science fiction webzine is proud to announce the first science fiction novel published by its creator, designer, and all around cook and bottle washer. (i.e., me).

The Coldest Equations (The People Out There) is now available for Kindle readers (and in a couple of days will be available for Nook readers.)

Simply go to Amazon, select the Kindle store, and type in The Coldest Equations. [Ed: or follow this [asin=B0052NSRKK]direct link[/asin]] (Don’t have a kindle? Download a kindle emulator for free.)

Have you ever wondered where writers get their ideas? Is there some alternate universe where events are happening, which writers tap into? No! But once a writer here, on Earth, creates a story — in particular, let us say, a TV series, and it is committed to celluloid, the world created by that series does surge into life as an alternate Earth…and there are millions of them.

And there are People Out There who have devised a method for transporting actors on Earth into the bodies of the real characters that now exist in these alternate earths…and vice versa.

Tracy Karlovassi is the star of the near-science fiction TV series, The Coldest Equations. In the future, the civilian space companies have become the power in the world, as they vie for control of the moon, the asteroids, and the near planets. Each corporation has a variety of security teams – teams that keep their own scientists and inventions safe from spying eyes, and teams that spy on and attempt to kidnap the scientists or inventions of other corporations. Tracy Karlovassi plays Miranda Rainbird, head of a security team for the Capablanca Corporation – one that spies on other corporations.

Season 3 of The Coldest Equations features a season-long arc in which Miranda Rainbird has been framed for a crime she did not commit, and is on the run from both friends and foes. As Miranda Rainbird, she would doubtless be able to prove her innocence and track down the real criminal with ease…but The People Out There have transported Tracy Karlovassi into her body, and what can a mere actress do?

(Especially, of course, when the people she meets may, or may not be, her fellow actors.)

This book is a lot of fun (*I* think, anyway) wth plenty of homages to classic SF TV, movies and books.

Take a look at either Amazon – Kindle Store, or Barnes and Noble’s Nook Store.

And visit the website at:
http://volcanoseven.com/TheColdestEquations/

The Thunder Child is proud to announce its first science fiction quiz book, the Eye Sci Fi edition (that is, movies).

There’s nothing new under the sun, and many of today’s best science fiction movies are either remakes, homages, or owe a debt of gratitude to the classic movies of the 1950s…the “radiation theater” where atomic testing was rampant and so were giant bugs of all kinds. When aliens visited us…and took us over, and when we first reached out and explored the stars.
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The Thunder Child SF & Fantasy webzine has a new sponsor, the online role playing science fiction game, Reborn: The Invessi Chronicles.

The creator, Gary Allen, also gave us an interview, and you can read all about the game at thethunderchild.com/Games/Reborn.html
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It’s easier now than ever for independent filmmakers to write and film their movies or TV series, and then place them online. Such a new series is Haywire, a horror/sf series. Here’s the description: “Monroe, New York. A burst of light. Area-wide power outages and the complete failure of all electronic devices. All within line of sight of the burst are affected. Their thought processes scramble and become a never-ending loop. Accomplish what you were doing when you saw the light. Then do it again. And again. And if something gets in your way?”
Their episodes are uploaded at Youtube, as well as being available on their website, and you can also watch them at today’s blog entry at The Thunder Child’s blog, Daily Space:
dailyspace.blogspot.com/2011/01/watch-haywire-indie-sci-fihorror-series.html

We at the Thunder Child are pleased to report that all of the science fiction (and horror and fantasy) conventions are GO for the year 2011, despite this lousy economy, and we’ve updated our Convention pages accordingly.

We list conventions by day and by location, so it’ll be easy for you to see if there’s a convention in your state, or to plan a weekend whe you can take a vacation and head for other shores.

http://thethunderchild.com/Conventions/USCalendarByDate.html
http://thethunderchild.com/Conventions/USCalendarByLocation.html

Way back in 1985, a comedy skit series called Comedy Break was syndicated. It starred the comedy duo of Mack and Jamie,and supporting players were impressionist Kevin Pollak and Jan Hooks and Marla Frumkin.

Fans of this show, or of Kevin Pollak’s William Shatner as Captain Kirk impesonation, or of 1950s sci fi spoofs, will want to check out the clips on YouTube, or at my blog, Daily Space.

There’s 3 1950s Science Fiction Theatre episodes, with Kevin Pollak as Capt Bill Carter, then three Horror Theatre eps (which are really also SF spoofs) and then an ep of Plan 6 From Outer Space.

1950s Science Fiction Theatre
1950s Horror Movie Theatre