UK 2022: Tomorrow's the Day.

You know, it never occurred to me that there would be actual ads in London for the Doctor Who: Time Fracture event - when you're researching something 7500 kilometers away, it all seems so much more abstract than that.

- Sid

UK 2022: 221B

We start our first full day in London with a visit to the Sherlock Holmes Museum, located not quite at 221B Baker Street, a fictitious address even when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle originally introduced the character of the world's most famous detective. (Fortunately, the museum has been kind enough to fake up a doorway for the Instagram crowd.)

The museum combines a fascinatingly detailed recreation of Holmes and Watson's bachelor residence with set pieces recreating their most famous cases. The recreation hits the high notes from the stories such the tobacco filled Persian slipper on the mantle and the queen's initials punched out on the wall in bullet-holes (one would expect the neighbours to complain about this sort of thing) and fills in the rest with appropriate and authentic artifacts from the era.

Although Sherlock Holmes doesn't identify as either SF or fantasy, it's hard to ignore how frequently he shows up in one form or another in genre literature: revealed as the nephew of Vlad Tepes in The Holmes-Dracula File, the second book in Fred Saberhagen's Dracula series; crosscast as queer black FBI agent Sara Holmes in Claire O'Dell's near-future Janet Watson Chronicles; investigating the Great Old Ones for James Lovegrove in The Cthulhu Casebooks; mismanaging magical investigations in the Warlock Holmes series, by G. S. Denning; and in innumerable other novels, short stories, guest appearances, and offstage references.

For conveniently short examples, the curious reader can sample Poul Anderson's The Martian Crown Jewels, featuring Martian consulting detective Syaloch, whose second floor lodging is located on The Street of Those Who Prepare Nourishment in Ovens, and Neil Gaiman's Hugo-winning A Study in Emerald, featuring a consulting detective, a wounded Afghanistan war veteran, and a queen named Victoria, none of whom are who you think they are.

- Sid

UK 2022: The Pandemic Run.

In four hours, Karli and I leave for London. It's our first trip by airplane since February 7th, 2020, when we returned from Disneyland, just under the wire before the pandemic clamped down on international travel and only a few weeks before we all started working virtually via VPN and Zoom - at least, all of us who were lucky enough to be able to do so.

The UK has removed a lot of its restrictions, but we're still treating London as hostile territory, at least in terms of the pandemic. It all feels a bit like a near-future cyberpunk scenario written by William Gibson - masking up for the airport and the flight, producing our vaccine passports along with our regular passports, certifying that we haven't visited any red zones before our entry into England, and planning COVID-19 tests so that we can persuade Customs and Immigration to let us back into Canada in a week. (Although, given that the United Kingdom is currently being battered by one of the worse storms in 30 years, comparisons to Bruce Sterling's Heavy Weather are equally appropriate.)

Cue the techno theme music - we're starting our run. 

- Sid

"Would you like a jelly baby?"

One week to go before we depart on our trip to England, and at the moment we are still planning to do the trip.  In preparation, I asked an English co-worker if she'd like me to bring anything back for her - crisps, chocolate bars, cheap tights from Primark*, anything like that.

She thought for a moment and asked for jelly babies.  Sadly, in spite of her English origins, she was unaware that the offer of a jelly baby was the characteristic conversational gambit of Tom Baker's 4th Doctor**.  Fortunately someone has already created collated evidence of this very English approach to breaking the ice:

- Sid

P.S.  It turns out that my co-worker had never seen Tom Baker as the Doctor, arguably the most popular of the portrayals of the last Time Lord - sic transit gloria mundi. 

* As recommended by another English employee when Karli and I were in London for our honeymoon.

** And, apparently, a number of other Doctors at least once.

Awakenings.

At my work-from-home lunch today I starting watching The Force Awakens - which I probably haven't seen in its entirety since seeing it twice in commercial release - and I have two comments.

First, as shown in the opening sequence, Rey's home planet of Jakku is surprisingly blue (at least on my monitor) and has an awfully high albedo for a desert planet.

Second, full points to Poe Dameron for targeting the neck gaps in the First Order Stormtrooper armour in the opening skirmish, it establishes him as an experienced soldier, both in terms of accuracy and knowledge.

 

 

Three comments, actually.  

The unexpected appearance of the Millennium Falcon on Jakku is a clever and subtle way of letting the audience know that the storyline of the new trilogy will be inextricably combined with the events of the past - it's an instantly recognizable link to the history that we're already familiar with.

- Sid

Star Trek: Beyond (Burger).

My wonderful wife Karli has been a vegetarian on and off over the years, and as such she was quite pleased to finally lay her hands on a container of Just Egg, a cholesterol-free mung-bean-based egg substitute manufactured by 2011 startup Eat Just.  Just Egg also comes in a pre-cooked and folded format that can just be dropped into a toaster, but Karli has been holding out for the liquid version, which finally became available in Canada at the end of October 2021. 

It's obviously a popular product, at least based on our ability to find anything other than an empty space in the dairy substitute sections of the local supermarkets for the last few months, but a spur-of-the-moment trip to a Walmart Superstore for cheddar bay biscuit mix (long story) also paid off with a single 12-ounce bottle of Just Egg, which had its first trial run this morning.

Speaking as someone who has not pursued a vegetarian lifestyle at any point in their life, I have to say that my sample bite of scrambled Just Egg was excellent.  If anything, it might have tasted a little better than a chicken egg:  Eat Just has obviously invested a lot of time and science in reverse engineering egg consistency and flavour, and the result is impressive.  If we can find a reliable source, it could easily replace chicken eggs  in our household, at least for breakfast - I'm not entirely convinced that mung-bean cake batter would produce the same results as an egg-based recipe, and the list of recipes on the Eat Just website is suspiciously lacking in baked goods.

Why do I bring this up on my science fiction blog?  Because the astronauts of the future will very likely be vegetarians, if not for moral reasons then for practical ones, and as such developments like Just Egg will have a prominent place in their diet.

A plant-based diet is the ideal solution to space travel over long distances - and long timespans.  Pending the development of warp drive or some other way of cheating Einstein,* successful space exploration beyond our solar system will require the creation of a miniature biosphere that will rely upon hydroponic systems that will not only produce oxygen, but also provide fresh food on an ongoing basis for the trip.  Practical difficulties regarding low or zero gravity aside, it's hard to imagine that having a herd of cows** on a starship would be practical over the long run, whereas carefully managed crops would provide a sustainable food source on an ongoing basis for a multi-generational star ship.

The question is whether or not substitutes like Just Egg or Beyond Meat would survive past the first few generations of starfarers.  After all, both of these products are bridge technologies intended to mimic an animal product that would be completely unknown to the children of the original crew except as stories, and pictures in the computer archive.  Ultimately the whole terminology of scrambled eggs and hamburgers would become anachronistic in the same way that saying you're dialing a phone number or saving a file by clicking on a floppy disk icon are the last remnants of obsolete processes.  

All that being said, it may well be the start of a kinder, gentler philosophy of life for those future astronauts when it actually is possible to make an omelette without breaking anything.

- Sid

* Star Trek cheats twice.  Not only does Starfleet rely on warp drive to outwit the speed of light, it also uses a variant of transporter technology to replicate a full range of food using stored templates.  Presumably replicated steak and eggs for breakfast is without guilt, but you have to wonder how the inhabitants of the Federation feel about people who still consume food that comes directly from the source, as it were.  Hmmm...there was that less than successful omelette party in Ryker's suite in that one episode...

** Or a herd of chickens, although I suspect that chickens would be more excited than cows by their sudden ability to fly in a low or zero-G environment.

That moment when you HAVE to represent.

I mean, really, imagine that you're waiting for the elevator, you just happen to have a black Sharpie™with you - you just can't leave without fixing this, right? 

- Sid

Murder on the Lunar Express.

The Apollo Murders was one of the first things that I put on my 2021 Geekmas list - how could I not want to read an alternate history space program murder mystery suspense novel written by an ex-astronaut and set against the backdrop of a final Moon landing made by Apollo 18, not 17?

That being said, I'm sorry to say that I didn't completely love Chris Hadfield's first foray into fiction, although I also have to say that it's not bad, I simply had extremely high hopes for this book that it didn't manage to achieve.  It's certainly competently written, Hadfield obviously knows how to put words on paper - I particularly liked the first-person prologue in which the protagonist, Kaz Zemeckis, loses his eye in a flying accident - but for me it didn't quite succeed as a suspense novel.  

As you would expect, the technical aspects of preparing and launching a mission to the Moon are impeccably detailed and accurate, to the point where I have to wonder if less dedicated fans of the space program might lose interest.*  There's a strong flavour of Tom Clancy in the late Cold War period storyline - not quite with the same degree of conflict that Clancy brought to his novels, but plausibly dramatic in its motivations and machinations.  

Much of the action in the second half of the novel involves the villain of the story, and whereas I appreciate the importance of what's going on during that part of the book, I wish that Hadfield had found a way to better combine that action with the hero of the piece.  Zemeckis, the one-eyed guitar-playing ex-pilot turned slightly reluctant government operative, just isn't on the centre stage as much as I wanted him to be, and I would also have liked to have seen him more involved in the process of discovering the identity of the traitor in the astronaut program.  Zemeckis does make some deductions on his own, but overall the path from suspicion to suspect is more circumstantial than definitive.

I don't for a moment want to suggest that Hadfield should abandon his new niche as a writer of astronaut suspense novels, given his undeniable writing skills and his uniquely comprehensive and personal knowledge of the hardware and processes involved.  I view The Apollo Murders as an acceptable and well-executed freshman piece, and I have no doubt that the Commander will only improve as he continues his new career.

With the possibility of a second novel on the table, I have a modest suggestion for Mr. Hadfield.  NASA has announced that the International Space Station is going to be retired in 2030 by having it leave orbit and make a fiery descent into the Pacific Ocean, far from land.  Chris, in the unlikely event that you're reading this, how about setting a climactic struggle in the abandoned ISS as it begins its return to Earth?  I suspect that NASA has thoroughly modelled the phases of the space station's destruction as it plunges toward the ocean, and with that information I think it's safe to say that you have the required amount of insider knowledge to make the scene work, and for the hero to make a plausible escape at the last possible minute.  Now all we need is a reason for them being there - which I am happy to leave in Hadfield's capable and creative hands.

- Sid

* On the other hand, if you're not a fan of the space program, why are you reading something called The Apollo Murders written by an ex-astronaut?

Virtual Dreams V: Inner Space

I find it oddly relaxing to spend time in the Mission: ISS virtual reality program, just floating around the International Space Station - I wonder if Chris Hadfield ever does this just for old time's sake?

- Sid

Resolve.

I'm both pleased and disappointed to announce that I'm rolling over the book cataloguing project as my New Year's resolution for yet another year.

As with so many resolutions, compliance has been a challenge.  I've managed to keep up in terms of logging the replacement copies that I've found to date, so that I'm keeping what I have gotten done current, but I haven't made a lot of progress in completing the balance of the book logging.

In my defense, it hasn't helped that I've had to pack (and unpack) all my books twice in the last two years, which has not helped to move the project along - not to mention causing some concerns that something is going to slip through the cracks.

That being said, the book catalogue has been incredibly useful, even as a work in progress. The original project may not be complete, but the ancillary task of replacing the more battered selections in my library has been a complete success.

It's given me definite direction for book shopping, both in terms of providing guidance for purchasing replacement copies for those unfortunate texts that were more than ready for retirement, but also letting me know what I already have on my shelves and thereby letting me pick out used books that I don't already own.

It's also made me a far more aware shopper in terms of general used book inventory.  I've found some replacement copies that were in surprisingly good condition, but I've also seen some books for sale that I can't imagine a used book seller accepting in the first place.  Apparently my standards for book quality are higher than the current industry requirements - either that, or the supply of used books is limited to such an extent that beggars can't be choosers when it comes to accepting what comes through the door.

Fingers crossed that I get some more traction on the catalogue in 2022, but if not, well, it's a hobby, not a job - and it's not a bad thing to have something in my life where I have the freedom to just ignore the deadline if I feel like it.

- Sid

And be wearing running shoes.

 A recent addition to the Storm Crow Alehouse Going Out of Business Sale:

Based on my wife's complete terror and disgust regarding anything to do with spiders, if she came home and found that thing perched in a dimly lit living room, I would be wise to have a bag packed and a fast car waiting outside, it would not go well for me.

- Sid

Wait a minute - did that say "fully functional"?!?

As the Storm Crow Alehouse counts down its final days, items both large and small from the bar's distinctive decor are being both auctioned off as a final fundraiser for the staff, and sold at a flat rate.  A few of the smaller items have been a bit tempting (I wish I'd seen the "BEWARE OF - WELL...JUST BEWARE" sign before someone nabbed it, although I'm willing to bet I could find one online somewhere) but for real temptation, what Doctor Who fan doesn't want their own TARDIS?*

Can you imagine?  Fortunately, $5,000 is well** over the arbitrary line that I've drawn for unnecessary fanboy indulgences, and even if some well-meaning benefactor bought it on my behalf, to be honest I'm not sure where I'd put the damn thing, other than in storage for right now.  And besides, I think that if you're serious about it, you really should build your own.

- Sid 

* Based on observation, apparently school bus shelters for children are a popular choice.

** Well well well WELL over.

Casualties II: "We did our best."

Today, the Storm Crow Alehouse posted the following on their Facebook™ page:

This isn’t the letter we wanted to write to ring in the new year.

2021 has been hard for everyone, but it was exceptionally brutal for restaurants.

We did our best to weather Covid, lockdowns, supply chain disruptions, staff shortages, the Skytrain construction on Broadway, and now Omicron.

But it wasn’t enough. With great sorrow we must announce that the Storm Crow Alehouse will close its doors permanently in January.

It’s been nearly 10 years since the Storm Crow Tavern first opened in Vancouver on Commercial Drive, and we want to thank everyone who patronized the Tavern and later the Alehouse. The Storm Crow has always been more than just a bar to us, and we hope that it’s been special in your lives as well.

It’s not all doom and gloom… across the country, the Storm Crow Manor survives to carry on the nerd-bar torch in Toronto! Be sure to visit when you can. (And our online store remains open for all your geek merch needs.)

We will be open for a few days in January, public health orders allowing, for fans to have one last drink and say farewell. We've also created a silent auction at shop.stormcrow.com of some of our favourite memorabilia from the Alehouse, with the proceeds going to our staff.

Thank you, Vancouver, for an awesome decade, and thank you to all Crow employees past and present. They’ve seen things, things you people wouldn’t believe. And who knows? Like a different mythical bird, perhaps one day we will rise from the ashes in a new form, more powerful than ever before!

With love,
The Storm Crow team

Sad news for West Coast gamers and geeks - it's only been eight months since the original Storm Crow location announced that it was closing, and now this.  I can't say that I was a frequent flyer at the Storm Crow (no pun intended) but as a science fiction geek, I considered myself to be a part of its membership: a place where I recognized the jokes on the menu, knew what they were playing on the TVs, and felt a need to defend it from people who mocked people like me.  As I've said before, it felt like home, and I'm sorry that it wasn't able to survive the current circumstances.  

To paraphrase Douglas Adams, so long, Storm Crow, and thanks for all the fish.  And, as you said, who knows what the future may hold?

- Sid

Introverts of the World, Stay Home!

And a LARGE accreditation to Sarah's Scribbles - https://sarahcandersen.com/

Happy Introverts Day, everyone! On behalf of my fellow introverts, I think this really does say it all about what it can be like some days.

- Sid

Geekmas 2021: Post-Credits Scene.

With seasonal thanks to Karli, Chris, Laurie and my workplace Secret Santa for presents under the tree, Amazon gift cards and Vanilla Mastercards!

Now all I need is a week or two without interruptions to read them all...

- Sid

Wee Doctor Bea?

I could not be happier. 

There have been some great guest stars on Doctor Who over the years, some before they were famous, and some after: Kylie Minogue, Nick Frost, James Corden, Michael Sheen and Sir Ian McKellen in voice-over only appearances, Carey Mulligan, John Cleese, Felicity Jones, Simon Pegg, and so on, and I'm pleased and excited to see Irish comedian/actor Aisling Bea join the list and bring her particular brand of deadpan lunacy to the show with her upcoming appearance on the 2022 New Year's Special.

My god, imagine if she ended up as the next Doctor.  There's some precedent for this, it wouldn't be the first time that guest stars on the show have found their way into starring roles - after all, Peter Capaldi played a Roman marble merchant in season 4* of Doctor Who before he found his way to the helm of the TARDIS.

Is it too soon to start an e-mail campaign or a petition or something?

- Sid

 

* Coincidentally, Karen Gillan also made her first pre-companion Doctor Who appearance in the same episode.

Doctor Who: The Next Generation

It pleases me beyond words to discover that this is what my grand-nephews in Ontario wait for their schoolbus in.

- Sid

OK Boomer.

I recently installed Fallout: New Vegas on the PC that I use for older games after realizing that, given its October 2010 release date, it qualifies as an older game now - how time flies. The game's age was driven home sharply when I began the Things That Go Boom quest, which involves dealing with a xenophobic conservative tribal group located at Nellis Air Force Base and armed with heavy artillery:  the Boomers, a phrase which has acquired unexpected meaning since the game's debut.

The accidental joke is that, in the context of the game, the Boomers are sort of, well, Boomers: their lives are based on an obsolete and outdated standard, they're gun nuts, and some of them haven't left their insular enclave for over 50 years.

- Sid

The Mandatory Christmas Cthulhoo.

Courtesy of The Unspeakable Vault (of Doom).  It's a bit challenging to reconcile this jolly figure with the entity from our last vacation...

- Sid