Disneyland 2020: Smugglers Run

Photo by Lisa T.

The full scale model of the Millennium Falcon is undeniably the centrepiece of Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland, and as such, it seems fitting that guests should have the incredible opportunity to be part of the old girl's* flight crew.  And, really, out of the all the experiences from the movies that might appeal to a Star Wars fan, piloting the Millennium Falcon would certainly be high on the list. (Personally, I'd rather run the Death Star trench in an X-Wing, just in case anyone from Disney is monitoring the internet for comments.)** 

Smugglers Run lets people do exactly that:  a group of six people take the Falcon on a mission for the Resistance (with a small side gig aimed at making a little money, as it turns out).  There are two pilots, two gunners, and two engineers, all of whom are involved in making the mission a success.

As always at Disneyland, the four of us (Karli, myself, and her sisters Stefanie and Lisa) start by getting in line - to be fair, I suspect that there aren't many times when you would be able to just walk right to the entrance to the ship.  Disney is obviously aware of this, and as such, they've made the experience of standing in line as entertaining as possible under the circumstances.

 

The line for Smugglers Run takes potential crew members through the maintenance bays of Ohnaka Transport, which has temporarily borrowed the Falcon from Chewbacca the Wookiee.  In addition to an elaborate and detailed environment, there's an ongoing comedic dialogue over the intercom, as long-suffering Ohnaka Transport employee Malta deals with his co-worker Garr, who is perhaps not the sharpest hydro-spanner in the spaceport's tool box.

Garr and Malta also receive instructions from Hondo Ohnaka, owner of the company and our eventual employer.  Hondo is a canon character - he's a Weequay who first appears in the Clone Wars animated series and later in Rebels. 

The background scenery is impressively layered and complex, and contains Easter eggs for the knowledgeable viewer, including crates of hijacked stormtrooper armour, a rack of DLT-19 heavy blasters from the first trilogy, and one of the Falcon's turret-mounted quad cannons (which probably explains why we don't have access to them during our upcoming flight.)

 

We also get a little too close to an engine that's being tested a bit prematurely, but Garr manages to get things under control before it's too late for innocent bystanders - and the spaceport.

Eventually, we meet Hondo himself, who explains that he's looking for crews to take on missions for the Resistance.  In this case, we're going to steal an important shipment of coaxium from a freight train - and, if possible, Hondo would like us to pick up a little something for him as well, Hondo isn't in this out of a sense of justice, he has bills to pay.

 

After close to an hour, we finally board the Falcon.  Strange as it sounds after waiting 55 minutes to get there, I'm a bit disappointed that they almost rush us into the cockpit, I would have enjoyed a few minutes to look around the ship's lounge.

In the scenario, the Falcon is operated by a crew of six:  two pilots, two gunners, and two engineers.  The seats are randomly assigned by a Disney employee who hands each of the six people a card with a flight crew position on it.

Karli ends up as one of the pilots for our mission, but generously gives me her card.  Equally generously, her sister Stefanie trades cards with Karli so that we can fly the Falcon together - thank you, Stef!

It's not a complicated control panel:  Karli controls left and right, and I control up and down (and the light speed drive, as it turns out.)  I hit the flashing green launch button, and the ship lifts off. I instantly discover that I actually am controlling the Falcon's flight to some extent:  unfortunately, I make this discovery by running into another ship.

 

Fortunately, at that point decades of computer gaming experience kicks in, and I'm able to fly out of the atmosphere without any further mishaps.  Karli shouts, "Right pilot, light speed!" and I realize that there's a flashing green light around one of the iconic levers on the control panel. I pull it back, and we enter hyperspace.

 

We emerge over our destination, and instantly dive through the atmosphere to our target.  The train is protected by TIE fighters, which the gunners have to shoot down, then Karli and I quickly manoeuvre the Falcon into position behind the freight cars, and the engineers launch towing harpoons to capture the shipment of coaxium - after which Hondo demands that we seize some cargo for him, as well.  We complete both parts of our mission, hit the boosters, and make our escape.

And then we're back on Batuu, with an irritated Hondo calculating damage to the ship (and subsequent Wookiee unhappiness) versus the value of the hijacked cargo to determine whether or not he's managed to make a profit. I can't have done too badly as a pilot - according to the datapad app, Hondo paid me 5,500 credits for my run in the Falcon, thereby earning me the designation of "Hot Shot".

Smugglers Run is a lot of fast-paced, edge-of-your seat fun - I spent all of my time as a pilot wearing a wide grin, and Karli alternated between laughing and squealing in delight. I'm glad that the two of us found the time to go back and do the mission a second time, simply because it's such a quick experience - flying the Falcon is a very extreme example of on-the-job learning.  At least the second time you have some idea of what's going to happen, whether you have the same crew slot or not. (In our second round, I was a gunner and Karli an engineer.)

It also gave us a chance to look around the ship's lounge a bit, which, from a geek perspective, was an extremely cool experience.***  You know, it's a shame that they haven't found a way to make the holographic Dejarik board game functional.  I'd much rather learn to play in a situation where I don't have to worry about a Wookiee tearing my arms out of their sockets if he loses - they've been known to do that.

- Sid

* No offense, L3-37.

** Initially I typed this just as a casual alternative, but now that I think about it, my god, can you imagine?  My initial thought was that the return on investment for single-person rides wasn't practical, but my well-informed wife tells me that there's a single-seat virtual reality Avatar experience at Disneyworld - on that basis, blowing up the Death Star seems eminently possible.

*** The astute observer will notice the helmet and sensor drone that Luke uses for light saber and Force practice on the shelf above me.

Disneyland 2020: "Who's a spy - this one?"

Video courtesy of KT

The First Order tightens its grip* on Black Spire Outpost...

- Sid

* No pun intended.

Disneyland 2020: Black Spire Outpost.

"It’s a millennium falcon!"

Stefanie T. (Karli’s sister) upon seeing a hunting bird overhead.

Although it's only been a couple of years since Karli and I visited Disneyland for her birthday, I was solidly on board when she suggested another birthday visit.  It's not just because Disneyland is the happiest place in the world - although it's certainly a factor - but rather because of Galaxy's Edge,  the new 14-acre Star Wars themed area which opened in August of 2019, and The Rise of the Resistance, a new ride which had only been live since January of this year.

This time we're accompanied by her two sisters, Lisa and Stefanie, but logistics are still simple and straightforward - in fact, we all stay at the same hotel from our last visit, full points to Westjet for consistency on their three-day Disneyland packages.*  We fly down on the Monday afternoon, settle into our rooms, and then we're off to the park bright and early on Tuesday morning.

Once into Disneyland, the consensus is to head for Galaxy's Edge, see what the lineup is like for Smugglers Run, in which you and five other guests fly the Millennium Falcon on a supply raid for the Resistance (and a little bit extra for the local smuggling cartel), and generally take a look at the new area.

As you leave Fantasyland, there's a transitional treed area, then you enter Black Spire Outpost, a small trading port on the planet Batuu, located in the Outer Rim Territories.  The space port is surrounded by towering rocky spires, although the actual black spire that it takes its name from is located within the port itself.

Each of the Disneyland areas have their own decor, but in the development of Galaxy's Edge, it was Disney's intention to create the illusion that visitors had just walked into one of the movies, and they've done a superb job.

Photo by KT

Tattered banners flutter in the wind as you enter through the main gate, where a First Order shuttle sits threateningly on a landing pad near the entrance, surrounded by a variety of shops and habitats.  As you go further into the outpost, you pass Oga's Cantina and enter the port itself, whose centrepiece is an impressively full-scale Millennium Falcon, currently refueling as it waits for its next mission.  Blast shutters protect the port's windows, and there's a constant thread of chatter from port operations audible over the loudspeakers.

To the left, stairs take you up to the bazaar, where food and goods are for sale.  There's also a landspeeder garage, a hidden lightsaber assembly workshop, and a droid construction facility.  To the north lies the concealed Resistance base, where new recruits are dispatched for training - hopefully without attracting the attention of the watchful First Order Star Destroyers.

 

Every inch of Galaxy's Edge has been constructed to match the look and feel of the movies and the Star Wars universe - the only exception being the EXIT signs, probably due to safety code.  The quantity and quality of the "greebly dressing", as the designers for the first Star Wars movie called the set ornamentation, is astonishing and thorough, creating an impressively immersive experience.

Even the souvenir shopping is part of the illusion: the credit card machines have been modified to match the decor, change is provided in credits and units rather than dollars and cents, and Karli's birthday button garners her several "Happy Origin Day" greetings from the staff.  It's a shame that Disney doesn't allow guests to wear full costumes, it would complete the experience for me if I were wearing Jedi robes or some similarly suitable outfit.

 

Later in the day, we have reservations at Oga's Cantina, where droid DJ R3X provides the entertainment, and a throng of villainous scum** scheme and plot over drinks served by wait staff whose hairdos owe a large debt to Queen Amidala - apparently she's an influencer.  For visitors seeking a less dangerous beverage experience, the classic blue milk*** is also available in the plaza.

But that's not the full extent of the Black Spire experience.  Unlike the other parts of the park, Galaxy's Edge has an actual ongoing storyline, based on the struggle between the First Order and the Resistance.  Armoured stormtroopers aggressively patrol the alleys and plazas, harassing and questioning passers-by, while Chewbacca the Wookiee is in constant movement to avoid being captured, and R2-D2 communicates with his fellow droids at the depot.

 

There's also an iPhone datapad app that allows you to hack into door panels, controls, and droids, and then assign the hacked hardware to either the First Order or the Resistance.  The app also scans cargo pods for possible acquisition by the local smugglers, and tracks your accomplishments, such as piloting the Millennium Falcon, assigning credits to your account that can be used to upgrade your profile with weapons and clothing.

At one point while we're exploring the outpost, an officer of the First Order demands our attention from the landing pad near the entrance, announcing that a female Resistance spy is somewhere on the outpost.  As he threatens us, Kylo Ren stalks down the landing ramp of the shuttle behind him, and Force chokes the officer to express his displeasure with the lack of results in the search for the spy, after which he enters the crowd to carry on the search himself, accompanied by a pair of stormtroopers.

At night, the experience is even better. Multi-coloured light sabers bloom in the darkness, and the visitors to the outpost achieve a kind of anonymity in the shadows, increasing the illusion.

 

My inner child, who is quite close to the surface in situations like this, was delighted by the entire experience.  I commented to my travelling companions that I could easily have spent the entire three days in Galaxy's Edge, and they were quite surprised.

"What would you do?"

"Well, everything!"

Disney is obviously aware of the desire for an even more immersive experience - a new luxury Star Wars hotel is under construction in the Epcot area of Walt Disney World in Florida, with an anticipated opening date in 2021.

"Hotel" is a bit of a misnomer, since the facility is intended to create the illusion that guests are spending two days on a galactic star cruiser, complete with Star Wars themed passenger cabins with viewports into space, an opportunity to operate bridge controls, interactive light saber games, and a new Star Wars storyline to provide a background for the experience.

Hmm, well, you know, Florida IS nice, and, come to think of it, the Kennedy Space Centre is only about 60 miles from Disneyworld, I'd love to go there again, and we have been discussing options for my next birthday...  On the other hand, part of me feels that I should go on my own.  As much as I love doing things with Karli, it seems a lot to ask for her to be an unpaid extra in my Star Wars movie for two days.

- Sid

* This is an unpaid endorsement, although I would be happy to be paid if someone at Westjet feels the urge.

** This seems a bit harsh - after all, they're just tourists like us.

*** I cautiously tried the chilled blue milk, and quite enjoyed it, although it's really more of a frosty than anything else. A friend of Karli's told her that lukewarm blue milk is available elsewhere in Black Spire - and that you do NOT want to drink it.

Wasteland.

On Monday night, my friend Chris and I went to a showing of 1917, a gripping, dramatic film which really doesn't need to rely on the additional trick of being a single extended shot (well, two shots, to be accurate, the main character is knocked out at one point in the film).  It's a timely viewing, given that I've just finished reading one of the books that I purchased during my recent Toronto trip:  1917 - Wasteland:  The Great War and the Origins of Modern Horror, by W. Scott Poole.

It's Poole's contention that modern horror finds its origins in the literally horrifying environment of the trench war: mud, blood, mold and decay, a hellish landscape punctuated by fetid shellholes, unburied bodies, and mutilated soldiers.

Art is always a window into its own time and place, and I certainly agree with his comments regarding the influence of the war on artistic movements such as Dada and Surrealism, and its role in the rise of fascist politics as a response to the chaos of the battlefield, but the connections he makes to the genre of early 20th Century horror don't have the same authority for me.

Historically speaking, almost all of the best known stories that lay the groundwork for horror as we know it today predate World War One:  Mary Shelley's Frankenstein revived his monster in 1818, Edgar Allan Poe wrote The Telltale Heart, The Cask of Amontillado, and The Fall of the House of Usher in the middle of the 19th century, Robert Louis Stevenson published The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 1886, and Bram Stoker's Dracula made its debut in 1897.  H. G. Wells, whose writing is admittedly considered to be more science fiction than horror, released The Island of Doctor Moreau in 1896 and The Invisible Man in 1897.

The villain of The Phantom of the Opera, written in 1909, is deformed from birth, rather than due to the misfortunes of combat.  Ambrose Bierce, noted literary creator of the odd and the uncanny, vanished in Mexico and was presumed dead in 1914,  and Howard Phillip Lovecraft, commonly cited as one of the most influential figures in the development of the horror genre, wrote his first published tale of indescribable eldritch monstrosity in June of 1917, a month before the start of the war.

The equally classic horror films of the post-war era draw heavily upon that pre-war catalogue of horror fiction, with movies such as The Phantom of the Opera, 1925; Dracula, 1931; Frankenstein, 1931; Island of Lost Souls, based on The Island of Dr. Moreau, 1932; and The Invisible Man in 1933.

However, it's Poole's contention that the success of these films, regardless of their source material, reflect a specific post-war zeitgeist:  Frankenstein's patchwork monster represents the fragmentary corpses of the trenches and craters, the Phantom's mask (and ruined visage) echo the masked faces of mutilated veterans, and the bandages seen on the Invisible Man and the Mummy are the same bandages that cocooned wounded soldiers.  Dr. Moreau's surgical theatre, the "house of pain" of the movie, reflects the harrowing, nightmarish procedures of the front line hospitals.

For me, the strength of Poole's thesis lies in extending the effects of the first world war through the rise of fascism in Europe and from there into the origins of World War II, which seems far more resonant in terms of its genre influence. In my mind, World War II, or more accurately, the events of the Holocaust, represent a more significant line of demarcation than World War I in terms of its effect on the continuity of horror to the modern day.

It’s much easier for me to connect the psychopathic physical brutality of movies like Psycho, the Halloween, Saw and Friday the 13th franchises, and a myriad of other slasher films, to the Nazi concentration camps in their shared inhuman indifference and disregard for the human body.  World War II is more commonly associated with the spectre of nuclear destruction and the effects of radiation on the world, but it also revealed a more subtle and frightening truth:  the idea that the most horrifying, cold-blooded and pitiless monsters can actually be other human beings.

- Sid

And weighs as much as 16,788,000 Timbits.

And yes, the internet will tell you how much a Timbit weighs - because Canada.

- Sid

"Be the captain they remember."

Though much is taken, much abides; and though

We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are,

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

 Alfred Lord Tennyson, Ulysses

From the very beginning of the first episode of Picard, it's obvious that  the series will be catering to nostalgia on the part of the Star Trek fan base, as Data and Picard play poker in Ten Forward on the Enterprise to the tune of Blue Skies, the Irving Berlin tune that Data performed at Riker and Troi's wedding in Star Trek: Nemesis - and which B4, his less sophisticated duplicate, attempts to sing at the end of the movie.

 

Sadly, it's only a dream, but a dream whose ending suggests disaster and chaos, as the surface of Mars erupts in explosive flames that engulf the Enterprise,  The explosion jolts Picard into awareness in his bedroom at Chateau Picard, where his dog, Number One, runs to greet his troubled master.

We then jump to Greater Boston, where a young woman celebrating a new job appointment with her boyfriend is suddenly assaulted by masked assassins, who kill him then restrain and blindfold her. Surprisingly, she is able to eliminate them all - while blindfolded - and afterwards has a vision:  the face of Jean-Luc Picard.

The music for the title sequence that follows is more thoughtful and introspective than the standard Star Trek themes that we've heard in the past, almost wistful - a motif that provides the theme for the first episode, aptly entitled Remembrance.

We are presented with a Jean-Luc Picard who is in retirement if not decline, withdrawn to self-imposed exile at the family estate in France, living a life of quiet seclusion and unexpectedly attended to by a pair of Romulans.  When pressed by one of them regarding his bad dreams, Picard comments that "The dreams are lovely, it's the waking up that I'm beginning to regret."

An unexpectedly adversarial media interview reveals that ten years earlier, while Picard was in charge of a humanitarian effort by the Federation to help evacuate Romulus before its sun became a supernova, rogue synthetics destroyed the Utopia Planetia shipyards on Mars, setting the entire planet on fire.  This disaster leads the Federation to withdraw from the rescue mission, causing Picard to resign in protest.

In a burst of temper, Picard verbally savages the interviewer and storms out of the room.

Later, as he consoles himself with a glass of wine, he is surprised by the woman from Boston, who has come to him for help after seeing his interview.

Her name is Dahj, and she is unable to explain why she has decided that he will be able to protect and help her. However, as they talk, she confesses to a sense of connection to Picard, from deep within her.

The next morning, after Picard has once again dreamed of Data, who is this time working on a painting, she has vanished from her room.  Disturbed by something in his dream, Picard visits Starfleet Archives to take a trip into his past in what is essentially a memory palace, a storeroom containing mementos such as models of the Stargazer, his first command, a Klingon bat'leth, and a banner from Captain Picard Day.  He extracts a canvas from storage, a 30 year old painting by Data entitled "Daughter".  The face in the painting is that of Dahj.

Leaving the archive, Picard is surprised to see Dahj again, who had left the chateau rather than take a chance of placing Picard in peril. Picard explains that she may in some way be connected to Data, but she is horrified by the suggestion that she may not be real. She then somehow senses that another kill squad is on its way, and although they try to escape, Dahj dies in battle with the assassins, who are revealed to be Romulans.

Picard, knocked out by the explosion that kills Dahj, awakens at home.  He has been returned there by the police, who claim that the security feeds showed him to be alone at Star Fleet headquarters. Spurred by what he sees as a failure to both himself and to Dahj, Picard is determined to solve the mystery set before him.

His first step is to visit the Daystrom Institute of Advanced Robotics in Okinawa, where he is met by by Dr. Agnes Jurati, one of the institute's researchers, with whom Picard discusses the possibility of flesh and blood androids.She explains that following the attack on Mars, synthetic life forms and AI research have been harshly restricted, but that even before then, they had only been able to produce relatively primitive artificial life forms.

However, Picard learns that Bruce Maddox, who unsuccessfully attempted to have Data disassembled in the classic Next Generation episode, The Measure of a Man, has vanished from the Institute following the ban.  Picard shows Jurati a necklace left behind by Dahj, which she recognizes as a symbol for fractal neuronic cloning: a theory of Maddox's positing that Commander Data's code, even his memories, could be recreated from a single positronic neuron.

Jurati then comments that this process would result in pairs of androids - twins.  Picard comments thoughtfully, "So there’s another..."

The episode concludes by giving us the final pieces of the puzzle with an enigmatic glimpse at the current location of Dajh's twin sister Soji on a derelict Borg cube being reclaimed by Romulans.

Remembrance is an intriguing and well written episode, as might well be expected given the involvement of Pulitzer-prize winning author Michael Chabon in the project, and I'm curious to see where the story will take us, and which of the characters from the Star Trek universe will make an appearance.  (It's already been teased that Jeri Ryan will return as Seven of Nine, which would suggest that the Borg cube will play a significant part in the story.)   It's also a pleasure to see Patrick Stewart return to the role of Jean-Luc Picard, bringing back the charm, humour, compassion, earnest conviction and strength of character that typified his portrayal of the captain.

However, it's obvious that neither Picard nor Stewart are young men any more.  As with his portrayal of Professor X in Logan, there are hints of King Lear in Stewart's performance as Picard, especially in his fit of rage during his interview, and his subsequent regret.  There's also an echo of Star Trek: Generations - it's easy to see that Picard, like James T. Kirk in that film, wants to matter again.

One has to wonder if this series is intended to mark the end of Picard's story in a similar fashion to that of the Professor, or Kirk - will Picard ultimately fail to survive his search for the solution to this mystery?

If this series is intended to present us with the last act of Captain - now Admiral* - Picard, hopefully it won't be too soon.  As Picard wistfully comments to Data in the opening sequence, he doesn't want the game to end - and neither do his fans.

- Sid

* "Retired!"

Geekmas 2019: And we're done here.

It's almost a month now since Christmas Day, and since then I've also received the first book in the Epic Yarns Star Wars series as an unexpected gift, bought one of the unpurchased books from my seasonal gift list at Bakka Books in Toronto, and just received a well-made NOSTROMO t-shirt and the third Epic Yarns book from Amazon™ at work today, purchased with gift cards that I received for Christmas.  So let's call it a wrap for Geekmas 2019 - no pun intended.

- Sid

Four Day Geekend: Postscript.

 

Both my pieces of carry-on luggage were carefully hand checked by airport security for my flight back to Vancouver - apparently it makes them curious if the scanner reveals that the contents of your bags are completely surrounded by symmetrical rectangular packages (and relieved when they see that they're just books).

- Sid

Four Day Geekend: Well, they're not wrong.

It's quite an inspiring slogan, and it speaks to me both from the perspectives of science and science fiction, but I'm a bit puzzled as to why this visionary statement is on the front of a marijuana dispensary on Bloor Street in Toronto that's waiting to open.

- Sid

Four Day Geekend: Bad Manors

For my last night in Toronto, I decided to visit the local branch of the Storm Crow.  Since the opening of its Commercial Drive location in 2012, the Storm Crow geek-and-gamer-bar franchise has been a complete success in Vancouver, with the popular Broadway outlet opening its doors in 2015.  Having had the pleasure of spending time at both those locations, I was eager to complete the hat trick by visiting the Storm Crow Manor on Church Street.

 

Surprisingly, and a bit sadly, I didn't love it.

It’s difficult to say exactly why I was left cold by my experience. On paper, all the same elements were there:  I was seated in their Victorian hunting room, which featured a large bone hatchet right beside me, a large mounted rancor head in front of me and an equally large Beholder head behind, but somehow it still didn't work for me in terms of atmosphere.

 

As its name would indicate, the Toronto venue is a large converted manor house, and they’ve chosen to keep the basic room divisions, which may take away some of the communal feel that I'm used to from the Vancouver locations.  It's certainly busy enough - there's a steady flow of traffic through the foyer, in spite of the fact that it's Sunday night and it's freezing cold outside.

The menu is very similar, with a couple of unexpected differences:  apparently Eastern Canada rates garlic bread, steak, and french onion soup, all of which I think would be welcome in Vancouver (in case anyone from the company is reading this).

My server gave me none of the geek vibe that the Vancouver contingent has, but then neither did the waitress during my first visit to the original Tavern. She also managed to get my order a bit wrong - twice - but that’s a thing that can happen anywhere.

I can’t help but think they could have done more with the blank canvas of this building. Perhaps something that was more ostensibly 19th century in its approach, more Lovecraft than Lucas, more steampunk than science fiction - there are hints of that in the decor where I'm sitting, but really, only hints.

I finished my food, I finished my beer, I settled up my bill, and I left, feeling a bit like I'd wasted my night out, and without even getting a comment on my Doctor Who "The Angels have the phone box" t-shirt.

But, let's be fair - I only saw a bit of the space, and I might have left with a completely different impression if I'd been sitting on the second floor, or in a different room.  I'd like to think that the same sense of geek community that's made the Vancouver Storm Crows so popular is there in Toronto as well, and I just need to come back at the right time to find it there.

- Sid

Four Day Geekend: Hunting for Books, Fit the Second

While I'm visiting Toronto, it seems sensible to take advantage of the opportunity to check around for some of the books flagged for replacement as part of my New Year's resolution to catalogue my library. (Although I can't let myself get too carried away, I only have one piece of carry on luggage and a computer bag.)

The area around the University of Toronto used to be a haven for used book stores, and I'm pleased to discover that part of Toronto has managed to avoid the wave of construction that has rebuilt a lot of the downtown core since the start of the new millennium. 
 
Here's the map for my expedition: starting at College and University*, I'll head west, turn north at about Bathurst, go a bit further west on Bloor, then jump on the subway and go someplace to get warm, it's a cold winter's day and the wind chill factor is taking the temperature down to about -15 C.

The Beguiling

 

My first stop on College isn't actually a used book store as such - I wanted to take a look at The Beguiling Books and Art, which is dedicated to the full range of graphic storytelling. It's been around since 1987, but I'm reasonably certain that this will be the first time that I've ever been through the door, I had a lot of brand loyalty towards The Silver Snail when I lived in Toronto.

The ambient music is some kind of forceful acid jazz as I walk through the door, which gives my visit an unexpected cinematic feel as I make my way around the store.  It's a reasonably large space, split into two storefront areas and directly connected on the west side to Little Island Comics, aimed at comics for kids up to the age of 12.  There's also a basement section dedicated to back issues of comics, which I don't take the time to visit.

Marvel and DC graphic novels are well represented on the shelves, but the balance is more toward independent or non-superhero content, and the Staff Picks/New and Notable displays at the front are completely indie in their offerings.

I'm a little tempted by a collection of H. P. Lovecraft comic adaptations, but it's a big book to haul back to Vancouver with me - see my previous comments regarding luggage -  so I put it back on the shelf and head back out into the cold to start the hunt for books.

She Said Boom!

 

She Said Boom! is what I think of as the template for a used book-and-music store:  narrow storefront space, some original plank flooring, books around the edges, vinyl in the middle.  Like The Beguiling, they're also featuring an aggressive jazz soundtrack - is that the thing for bookstores right now?

It's not a large selection of science fiction and fantasy, just a couple of bookcases,** but I manage to find a couple of things from my replacement shopping list: an excellent trade paperback version of Pat Frank's Alas, Babylon, the first post-apocalyptic novel that I ever read; Nova, by Samuel R. Delaney, and Downbelow Station, by C. J. Cherryh, an excellent space opera which is long overdue for some kind of streaming service adaptation - it's not exactly Game of Thrones in space, but it has a lot of the same intensity.

The woman who is behind the counter vanishes at some point while I'm browsing, and is missing in action for close to ten minutes while I stand patiently at the till.  I fight the urge to take my three books and just leave, that seems like the wrong approach to take, given that she's obviously decided to trust me.

In the fullness of time, she comes back up from the basement and coyly suggests that she needs to dry her hands before dealing with my purchases, which at least indicates that she washed them after whatever activity was taking place down there.  I gingerly accept a bag and a receipt, and I'm off to the next destination on my list.

Balfour Books

 

I can tell that Balfour Books is a classic old-school bookstore just by the distinctive smell of old paper that wafts into my face as I walk through the door.  However, to misquote Obi Wan Kenobi, this is not the book store I'm looking for - in fact, for most of my visit, I'm reasonably certain that they don't actually have any science fiction. 

Eventually I do discover their SF section, cleverly concealed in a wire rack at floor level, and even though Balfour only seems to have about 50 science fiction paperbacks in stock, I don't leave empty handed. They've got a copy of The Deathworms of Kratos, second in the wonderfully bad Expendables series by Richard Avery that I originally received as a Christmas gift in 1979 - it's one of the books from my replacements list that I thought I'd have a lot of trouble locating, so I'm quite happy to have persevered in my search.

While I'm paying for my book, I notice that there's a Buck Rogers pop-up book on display behind the counter.  Given that I own a classic Buck Rogers ray gun, I'm a bit interested, but it's a little too rich for my blood - I tap out well before single book purchases hit the $250 mark.  Perhaps if I win the lottery...but not today.

I trudge away through the cold and snow, up to Bloor Street and Doug Miller Books.

Doug Miller Books

 

Doug Miller Books appears to be one of those bookstores where, like Raven Books near 29 Palms, you get the feeling that it's gotten away from them. The aisles are crammed with boxes that presumably hold books, and there's a second row of books shelved behind the front row - a classic response to limited shelf space, but not one that really lends itself to casual browsing.

As I ponder the selection, I'm surprised by the holes in the science fiction and fantasy section - no Harlan Ellison, no Philip K. Dick, no Ursula K. LeGuin.  Perhaps behind the books I can see?  Deciding that discretion is the better part of valour, I select a Gordon R. Dickson book, Naked to the Stars, and a just barely acceptable copy of Peregrine: Secundus, by Avram Davidson from the books that are actually visible.  (Yes, Peregrine: Primus is on the list as well, but sadly, the copy I bought on Friday didn't survive an attempt to remove the price tag.)

As I head toward what is apparently the only the Lego book store counter in captivity with my meagre selection, I'm surprised to see another bookcase of science fiction paperbacks, not in any particular order (other than perhaps by colour or publisher, it’s that abstract), which, regardless of oddities of cataloguing, features quite a good selection of the books that I'm looking for, and, as per my choice at Balfour, books that I wasn't expecting to find easily.

Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, I quickly add The Tower of Zanid, by L. Sprague de Camp; Dancers in the Afterglow, an early Jack L. Chalker book; The Regiments of Night, by Brian N. Ball, not one of the better known names in the field, but it's a book that I've always liked; John W. Campbell's The Ultimate Weapon (I'd rather have an earlier printing, but beggars, choosers, etc.); The Thurb Revolution, the final book in the Anthony Villiers series, cleverly written by Alexei Panshin; and an early Neil Jones book, Doomsday on Ajiat, one of the Professor Jameson novels - this last selection isn't on my replacement list, but it's a good addition to the rest of the series that I already have. 

And then, on my way back, I pass BMV Books on Bloor Street - and don't go in. It appears to have a large footprint and lots of stock, I can even see the Graphic Novels table through the window, but this point, I'm looking at about 20 books altogether that I need to cram into my carry-on, and it seems ill-advised to add anything else to that list - not to mention my fervent desire to take a break and warm up.  Regardless, I'm pleased, it's been a much more rewarding day than my last attempt to start updating my library.  Who knows, maybe at some point I'll actually start looking in Vancouver.

- Sid

* I've been away from Toronto for too long, that address sounds like it's made up, like the corner of Yonge and Restless, or Binthere and Dundas.

** I have a really simple yardstick for this - do I own more science fiction and fantasy books than the store has for sale? In this case, I have a huge lead.

Four Day Geekend: Star Trek Lives!

It's Saturday morning, and I'm off to the wilds of Scarborough in order to spend some time with my friend Colin - AKA Cloin, the pretty Campbell brother.*

He picks me up at the subway, I get a tour of the new apartment and a cup of tea (served in a Star Trek mug, which turns out to be exactly on theme), we socialize for a bit, and then we head for the Pickering Flea Market along with his charming partner Jennifer, in bold defiance of the blizzard that is sweeping across the GTA.

The greater part of the Pickering Flea Market doesn't hold a lot of interest for me in terms of actual buying rather than browsing - you have to really want a cheap pet hair vacuum cleaner or affordable broadsword (both of which are available) if you're going to have to fly it across Canada to get it home.  There are other stalls that offer more manageable items, such as wallets and Blu-ray discs, but I'm really just looking rather than looking to buy.

However, one end of the cavernous warehouse space houses the Antiques and Collectibles section, which is of somewhat more interest to me.  The last time we were here, I unexpectedly discovered some vintage 1950s science fiction magazines,  so I'm curious to see what hidden treasures I might find this time.

The selection of items is certainly comprehensive:  furniture, books, albums, hardware, lamps, paintings, prints, photos, wall sconces, statuettes, and anything else that might be of interest to a collector.  (And, of course, miniature bagpipes - this is the kind of thing that you find when you shop with a guy named Campbell.)

However, other than a comic book or two, nothing really catches my eye until we pass down a row of locked glass cabinets, one of which contains a selection of Star Trek convention programmes and souvenir photo books from the 70s.

The eight pieces, covering the years from 1973 to 1976, are affordably (and surprisingly) priced at $5.00 each, so I clean out the shelf. The staff member who unlocked the cabinet cheerfully attempts to upsell me by suggesting a few of the other Star Trek items in the cabinet, but discretion is the better part of valour:  I'm far more likely to get the programmes home in one piece than a boxed Star Trek Fan Kit.

In the fullness of time, after a harrowing drive through the blowing snow and a satisfying Italian dinner, I'm back at the hotel and can take a look at my new acquisitions, which turn out to be a fascinating window into the early years of Star Trek fandom.

Those early fans are a testament to perseverance.  The original series ended in 1969 after only three seasons, and the animated series managed just two seasons and 22 episodes from 1973 to 1974.  This is long before home computers are a factor, let alone the internet, so the fans relied on newsletters, amateur fan-made magazines (aka fanzines), local clubs, and, of course, conventions, in order to maintain the Star Trek connection.

Although these programmes represent the very early days of Star Trek conventions, it's obvious that they're already viewed as significant events, attracting a wide range of guests in addition to those from the show itself.

As an example, the schedule for the first day of the 1976 convention features some heavy hitters from the world of science fiction: authors Hal Clement, Gordon R. Dickson, Ben Bova, and Harry Harrison, along with legendary illustrator Kelly Freas, and Gemini/Apollo astronaut James McDivvit - not to mention "What is Science Fiction?", a seminar featuring Harlan Ellison and science fiction legend Isaac Asimov which I would certainly have paid good money to attend.

In addition to schedules of convention events and so on, the books are predominantly composed of black and white promo photos - again, it's before the internet, so fans looking for pictures from the show would have been very pleased to receive 15 or 20 good quality prints from the show.  (That being said, I envision people taking these programs home after the convention ends and then carefully and thoughtfully cutting them up into individual pages, which, as somewhat of a collector, makes me wince a little.)

The programs also feature a Star Trek parody comic, Star Truckin, which I'm astonished to see was created and drawn in part by Matt Howarth, who went on to a noteworthy career as a prolific and successful underground indie comics creator and illustrator.

It's interesting to note that he's already collaborating with fellow artists Tony Sciarra, Mark Kernes and W. E. Rittenhouse, who would assist in the creation of Changes, Howarth's exceptional graphic novel that was serialized in Heavy Metal magazine in the 1980s - my first introduction to his work.  In fact, the comic in the 1975 program features characters who appear to be the original (if unnamed) versions of Ron and Russ Post, the distinctive primary characters from Changes, who went on to star in their own comic book, Those Annoying Post Brothers.**

All in all, I consider this to be a bit of a score in terms of value for money, although now, I'm wondering how much programs from the very first Star Trek convention in 1972 would cost.  Well, who knows, maybe the next time I'm in Pickering...

- Sid

*With no offense to Ralph, after all, someone had to be the smart one, although to be honest, when you're talking about the Campbell Brothers, the ideas of "pretty" and "smart" are really just relative to each other, rather than any sort of universally held standard for either concept. 

** I realize that most people will read this and shrug, but trust me, from a fan perspective, this is amazing deep dive forensic background stuff.  Interestingly, I can't find anything online that indicates Matt Howarth's age, I was trying to determine how old he would have been when he was doing Star Trek fan comics.

Four Day Geekend: Re-Moving.

If, as per my previous posting, the paperback is in fact dead, I know where it went to die.

After my visit to Bakka, I hopped on the subway and headed over to Pape and Danforth, and Re:Reading*, a used book and DVD store, with the emphasis on books. Re:Reading - which is in desperate need of a new awning - had an impressively wide selection of used science fiction, and to my intense pleasure, I was able to purchase eight of the books from my inventory list that were due to be replaced. 

However, to my equally intense frustration, when I returned to the hotel and attempted to remove their two-layered price tags, I ended up ruining four of the books that I'd bought, as the glue on the stickers peeled up the cover material rather than just peeling off.  Now, just for the record, I've removed a lot of price tags from books over the years, and these particular examples were particularly evil in their persistence and adherence - how can a used book store not be using easily removed price tags, for heaven's sake???

- Sid

 
* We walked past Re:Reading during my last visit to Toronto in 2016 and admired their signage.