Treat yo' self.

In the wake of my recent retirement decision, I decided to get myself a going away gift, a little something to mark the event. 

Surprisingly, it was an easy decision: the Gerry Anderson* web site had just announced the return of their Space: 1999 Eagle** schematic T-shirt to their online catalogue - cost per was a little more than I would normally spend on a T-shirt, but, as per the title, sometimes you have to indulge yourself.

I'm not sure if this qualifies as a limited edition item:  they were originally out of stock when I stumbled across the Gerry Anderson site and added myself to their mailing list, but to the best of my knowledge they only had 150 of the shirts printed as restock.  Regardless, I'm pleased to add this to my fan wardrobe, and my sincere thanks to Louise at Gerryanderson.com for helping out with my address error. (It's probably a good idea to confirm that you haven't accidentally inverted two of the numbers in your street address before you place your order.)

 - Sid

* In case there are people reading this who don't know who Gerry Anderson is, he and his wife Sylvia worked together to create the legendary British Supermarionation children's programs such as Fireball XL-5, Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet, as well as live action series like UFO, Space Precinct, and of course, Space: 1999. 

** I always thought that the Eagle transporter was a quite well thought-out option for lunar and vacuum usage.  The modular design that allowed for the addition of cargo and passenger modules, first introduced as part of the Thunderbirds series, was a clever idea, and the NASA-influenced combination of main engines and directional thrusters seemed like a practical approach to low and zero-gravity manoeuvring.

That being said, the external view of the cockpit didn't really match up with the interior layout, and there are a few episodes where Eagles are used as planetary landers, which made no sense at all - all of the features that made them such believable vacuum spacecraft would make them about as flight-ready as a thrown brick for atmospheric usage. 

Survival Hints for the Retirement Map.

I just gave notice to my employers of the last 15 years - in two weeks, I start retirement.

My plans for this new phase of my life are very much like the guidelines for successfully playing The Long Dark, one of my favourite games:

Get enough sleep.

Eat properly, and stay hydrated.

Keep my energy level up.

Avoid cabin fever by going out, exploring the world, and discovering new things.

Make sure that I stay warm and dry.

Avoid being killed by wolves or bears. 

And every now and then, take a minute to just look around and appreciate how incredible it all is.

Overall, not a bad set of rules for life, although really, I'm not VERY worried about the wolves and bears one.

- Sid 

P.S. By the way, I'd love to get a retirement job at a used bookstore, if anyone reading this knows of an opening please leave a comment. But not right away, I'd like to explore the zen of sleeping in for a few months.

Disney 2025: Nailed it.

I recently suggested that Disneyland's Smugglers Run ride could do with some kind of an update to compensate for its apparent declining popularity. To my mild surprise, it turns out that Disney agrees with me. 

Equally surprisingly, my suggestion to add the opportunity to participate in the Battle of Yavin was almost right, although not in the same way I intended.  

The updated version of Smugglers Run will be based on the upcoming The Mandalorian and Grogu movie - both the movie and the new Millennium Falcon mission will make their debut on May 22, 2026, as per Disney's March 8th announcement at the South by Southwest conference held in Austin, Texas.

The Falcon's new adventure will take its crew to a variety of classic Star Wars locations:  Cloud City, Tatooine, and the shattered wreckage of the second Death Star, drifting in orbit around the forest moon of Endor - not exactly Yavin 4, but close.

Without knowing the full details as to the extent of the changes, I'd recommend that Disney do a few physical upgrades to the cockpit of the Falcon while they're at it.  One of the ride's shortcomings is that four of the riders literally take a back seat to the pilot views - the addition of some kind of view screen at the gunner and engineer stations would enormously enhance the non-pilot experience.  And, what the heck - let's drop a little Baby Yoda up at the front, just to distract the pilots.

- Sid

"And I'm thinking about, oh what to think about."

For whatever reason, it's been a long time since I've gotten a full night's sleep without waking up at least once or twice during the night.  Sometimes I'm able to just go back to sleep, other times I will lie awake in bed for an hour or so while my mind chases its tail and I patiently wait to be tired enough to return to slumber.

This morning, I woke up at 4:38, wondering if the xenomorphs from the Alien franchise actually eat people.

I know, Canadians are supposed to be worrying about Donald J. Trump's tariffs and his threats to annex our country, but the heart knows what it wants, so here we are.

On first examination, the answer is no. Logic says that the Alien fetus should eat the host, as with digger wasps, which would provide them with the biomass that they need for the growth spurts that we see in all the movies, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Instead, chestburster host corpses (or soon to be corpses) are a standard element of Alien nest decor, held captive in the structure of the walls until the fetal Alien emerges, then left in place rather than consumed. 

But why not eat them?  The mimetic nature of the Alien DNA (or equivalent thereof) which apparently enables them to use any species as a host, would suggest that they would also be able to metabolize virtually anything, and as such, well, seems an awful waste, to quote Sweeney Todd's Mrs. Lovett.

This all leads to a bigger question: what DO the damn things eat?  In the second film, there's apparently a thriving Alien hive on LV-426, but there are only 158 colonists - even if the Aliens were eating them, that hardly seems like an adequate ongoing food supply, and the planet itself seems to have a limited biosphere for hunting and gathering.  Admittedly, LV-426 isn't really the ideal environment, if the ship carrying the eggs hadn't crashed there, there wouldn't have been an Alien hive*. It may well be that it really wasn't necessary to nuke the site from orbit, but rather to just let the hive starve itself to death - or at least to stop providing it with new hosts in the form of colonial marines. 

Actually, when you think about it, the whole Alien reproductive cycle seems to be oddly restrictive. It's all well and good to have the queen constantly producing all those eggs, but if the process is dependent on face huggers having hosts to impregnate*, the warriors must need to be constantly on the hunt for suitable subjects. It also posits that they evolved in an environment with an adequate supply of said hosts*, which, based on the nature of the facehuggers, must have something resembling the human head and digestive system.*

So, short answer: apparently no, but really, they should.  And back to peaceful sleep...

- Sid 

* This leads to the question of what the xenomorph homeworld ecology would look like, if there is such a thing, as opposed to the alternative theory that the Aliens are actually an engineered bioweapon. 

P.S. Recommended reading for this discussion would be Aliens: Labyrinth, the 1993 Dark Horse Comics miniseries written by Jim Woodring and disturbingly illustrated by artist Kilian Plunkett.

As part of its unsettling narrative, the story shows its villain, Dr. Paul Church, living in an alien hive for an extended period of time, during which he becomes an unwilling expert in the xenomorph life cycle. (It also drives him insane, but that’s neither here nor there for the purposes of this debate.)

The story adds quite a bit of horrifying depth to the ecosystem of the Alien hive: pools of digestive liquid that create a sort of biological slurry made up of dissolved victims; which is then fed to captives who have been crippled but kept alive; the possibility of being an Alien slave worker, rather like some kinds of ants, and so on.  It's fascinating stuff, but I can't speak to the canonicity of the original Dark Horse material.

 

"This is a time to support each other."

The following message from Seattle Worldcon regarding the current situation in the United States appeared in my mailbox this afternoon - I think it speaks for itself.  Sadly, my wife and I have already discussed the possibility that I might need to cancel my attendance if things change even more for the worse, and I'm pleased to see how the convention is responding.

- Sid

Dear Worldcon Community,

I am writing this statement in order to share the status of Seattle Worldcon’s current journey through living up to our theme of Building Yesterday's Future—For Everyone. We have received a number of concerns asking how the convention will respond to orders and actions of the U.S. government, which we condemn, that create hostile conditions and travel barriers for LGBTQ+ members and international members.

We appreciate everyone’s concerns as we navigate the current political landscape together. As I stated when we won the bid, our theme is an acknowledgment that we have not successfully built the future we have aspired to, but we are also inspired by optimism for a better future—including the movements that have existed throughout history pushing us to build communities and pushing us to recognize our shared humanity. The personal is political, and our fandom lives cannot and should not be separated from that reality. 

We are not going to get everything right, and I am explicitly asking for your grace as we move forward, do our best, listen to feedback, and correct our course as necessary. 

We do not have a list of all the steps we are going to take in light of the political landscape right now, as it continues to shift rapidly. We know this is not a particularly satisfying answer in light of the many concerns that we have heard from you about our members who need to enter the United States and what they might encounter trying to cross the border. We are not minimizing those concerns. The situation is frightening, and we encourage our members to make the best decisions for themselves even if that means that we will miss you at our convention. At the same time we are committed to not cancelling the in-person Worldcon as some have suggested because it is even more important than ever to gather with those who are able to do so to discuss our theme and celebrate the power of SFF to imagine different societies. 

We are investigating what concrete actions we can take and offer to our members. Our Code of Conduct, Diversity Commitment, and Anti-Racism Statement provide the guidelines we are using in making these determinations. We would also like to remind people about what we are already doing.  

First, we have in place a Virtual Membership for people who determine that they are no longer safe traveling to the U.S or cannot attend for other reasons. As part of our program, we are partnering with groups from around the world to bring virtual panels to the shoulder hours (before and after in-person programming) every day of the convention to broaden our streaming offerings and include members from other parts of the world. We are actively working on this part of our virtual event and more announcements will be forthcoming. You also can  participate in the Hugo Awards online – voting on the final ballot, and discussing Finalists with each other on our social media or in your own bookclubs. There is also the on-line Business Meeting as has been previously announced.  

Second, building on the work of other Worldcons and conventions, we will be having Safer Spaces Lounges available for members of marginalized communities who attend the convention in person. These spaces will be marked on convention maps.

Third, we will be drafting a resource guide to collate many of the wonderful resources that local organizations have already put together. In the interim, the ACLU of Washington has several Know Your Rights publications available, as does Northwest Immigrants Rights Project for individuals concerned about their rights while traveling.  

Fourth, we will be fundraising for the following nonprofit organizations at the convention: Books to Prisoners, The Bureau of Fearless Ideas, and Hugo House. All of these organizations do important work to promote literacy education in the Seattle area and help build community resilience.  

Finally, the political landscape is changing daily and impacting all of us in differing, but profound ways. Our staff is not immune. Many of our staff are deeply, personally impacted by the actions of the U.S. president, as his bigoted and hateful orders target our shared humanity. Many of us are federal employees who are now navigating what is happening to the civil service, terminations from our careers, and extreme uncertainty about our livelihoods. Many of us are also still dealing with the impact of the Los Angeles fires, Hurricane Helene, tornadoes, and other recent severe weather events on our families, loved ones, and friends. As citizens in the U.S. and around the world, we have many concerns, which are probably similar to yours. We all care deeply about our community and about Worldcon and are working diligently to navigate all of the waters that surround us, but we are also human with all the fallibility, blind spots, and competing demands on our time that entails. 

This is a time to support each other. If you have questions about how we can support you in deciding about your Worldcon attendance, please reach out to chair@seattlein2025.org.  

In solidarity,
Kathy Bond
(she/her)
Chair Seattle Worldcon 2025 

The Infinite Mickey.

Karli and I attended a matinee show of Mickey 17 this weekend, and I think she summarized our reaction well: if you're curious about the film, by all means go, but if you're on the fence, don't bother.

Why the mixed recommendation?  Mickey 17 is undeniably an interesting movie with a satisfying conclusion, the performances are good right across the board - Robert Pattinson in particular does a notably excellent job as the Mickeys, and Mark Ruffalo's colony leader Kenneth Marshall savagely channels Donald Trump at his worst  - but somehow, it fails to break through into brilliance. 

For anyone unfamiliar with the premise, Mickey Barnes is an affable if misguided loser, suffering from longterm guilt over his perceived responsibility for his mother's death in a car accident.

Hoping to escape from a loan shark with a fetishistic interest in brutally punishing borrowers who get behind on their payments, Mickey and his exploitive friend Timo (an epically underutilized Steven Yeun) attempt to get seats on the next interstellar colonization ship leaving Earth. Timo manages to bluff his way into a shuttle pilot job, but Mickey, lacking in any kind of skills or talents, unwittingly signs up to be an Expendable without reading any of the small print. 

As an Expendable, Mickey's body is scanned and his memories recorded so that a duplicate Mickey can be created every time he dies in the line of duty - and he dies a lot. He is callously treated as completely disposable, being used as a living guinea pig for the effects of solar radiation, and as a test subject for dangerous allergens (and fatally experimental iterations of possible vaccines) on Niflheim, the new colony planet.

His only solace is his girlfriend Nasha, played by Naomi Ackie.  Nasha is a member of the mission's security team, and the only person on the ship who treats him like a human being. 

Things change for the 17th Mickey when he is reported as dead and an 18th Mickey is printed*, when in fact Mickey 17 has been saved from an icy death by Niflheim's grublike indigenous species, the Creepers. Co-existing duplicates are forbidden by law, and both Mickeys are now under a death sentence as the colony goes to war with the Creepers.

The original concept isn't unique - I can think of three or four different novels that feature disposable duplicates, with the Cuckoo Saga series by Frederik Pohl and Jack Williamson being the closest in spirit to Mickey 17 in that the tachyon duplicates in their stories are tasked with terminal assignments. 

Without giving away too much, I would have ended the story differently.**  The movie returns Mickey's individuality at the end, whereas I would have had him embrace his multiplicity: in my version, Mickey would use the duplication technology to create hundreds of Mickeys - an army of Mickeys, if you will - who unite to defeat Marshall and his loyalists and bring stability and equality to the colony.

The final scenes would show Mickeys everywhere, a valued part of the settlement and a key part of its now-peaceful relationship with the Creepers.  The film would end with a small group of Mickeys in white lab coats observing the scientist most cruel in his treatment of earlier Mickeys, as he nervously explores an unstable icy catacomb under their supervision - what goes around, comes around.

 - Sid

* One of the running gags in the film is that each replacement copy of Mickey is literally printed, using a machine that deliberately evokes the jerky rhythm of early dot-matrix printers.

** Is there a technical term for the opposite of a spoiler - ie, telling people something that didn't happen in a movie? 

Because really, how hard is it to come up with ten ways to kill someone?

I'm looking forward to seeing Mickey 17, the new film by Oscar-winning South Korean director Bong Joon Ho. (Genre fans will know Bong as the director of The Host and Snowpiercer.  Everyone else will know him from Parasite.)

For readers unfamiliar with the film's premise, the titular Mickey is an Expendable, a human guinea pig who dies repeatedly as part of an interstellar colonization project, whose brain is recorded and imprinted onto a new copy of his body, death after death after death...until one time when the previous Mickey isn't actually dead yet.  Hijinks ensue, as they say.

However, I was a little confused by the title, given that the script is based on a 2022 novel by Edward Ashton titled Mickey 7*.  

When questioned on this unexpected alteration, Bong provided a very simple explanation:

I killed him 10 more times, that’s why we changed it.

Well, there you go, asked and answered.  Moving on...

 - Sid

* But not a lot confused - after all, Bladerunner is the title of a complete different novel than the one that the film is based on.