What I’m Watching This October/November, by Tammy Marshall
You may be asking yourself, who is this Tammy nerd and why is she telling me what she watches?
Well, truth-be-told, I’m not just any nerd. I wore glasses before Geek Chic became a thing. Now the Kardashians are trying to sound smart and I’m still trying to figure out the difference between them and a Cardassian.
They may own reality television, but they’ve got nothing on me when it comes to talking about the magnificent art of Science Fiction.
Yes, most television these days centers around a real-life car wreck human who goes about his or her daily life being deeply disturbed and somehow winning at life.
This may be entertaining, but it takes away from our human need to belong to a group that is pointed toward doing something great. We all need this. That is why The Martian made bank at the box office. We loved watching Matt Damon’s character problem solve and eventually come out on top.
That’s why there will always be a spot on the A-list for Science Fiction.
Humans want to belong. While comics were initially invented for nerds like me who never quite fit in, we are finding that all the plastic people like the Kardashians coming at us make us all feel inferior. Therefore none of us can compete and all of us are now clamoring for Science Fiction to become mainstream—and it is.
Some of the list are reboots and some of them are newly formed television centered around an epic drama. One thing they have in common is they are all a part of the art of Science Fiction. The real-life train wrecks may have reality television, but they will never own SciFi. Science Fiction searches for a better future, reality television appeases an audience of apathy.
Charmed
The original show first aired in 1998 and centered around three sisters with special gifts who took on foes in order to bring calmness to the world. This trope can be threaded throughout all science fiction and film – even zombie cinema. What is different about this show, is that the mother is murdered in the first episode. In the original show, she died when the sisters were children. This mom disappearing act doesn’t sit so well anymore. Think the reboot of Beauty and how fans wanted to know what happened to Belle’s mom. This all-too-often way of cutting out mom no longer fits into current Science Fiction drama. This series shows on Sundays on the CW.
First Man
There are a million reasons to see a movie with Ryan Gosling, but this one you want to see for an understanding of the brilliant work of Neil Armstrong. It was a singular vision that launched us into space and made him the first man on the moon. If you really want to see a movie about problem-solving, then this movie will do that justice. This is a must-see film and landed into theaters on October 12 and will likely not leave for some time.
The Walking Dead
This may be the last season you get to see Andrew Lincoln. We all remember how he rode into the square and was immediately surrounded by zombies. Know that zombies reflect our own loneliness in a world projected to us to be full of dummies. In reality, we are all unique individuals seeking our own adventures. That’s why the zombie trope will never go away. Who knows if anyone can really top how they do it on The Walking Dead. New episodes air on Sundays on AMC.
The Girl in the Spider’s Web
This epic story lands in theaters on November 9 and is a continuing story of resident badass Lisbeth who also happens to be one of the greatest characters ever created. “Why doesn’t a spider get caught in her own webs,” begs the question in this film. The answer is simple, she is the smartest person and fearless on top of it. With those combined she is the creator of outsmarting villains. This focuses more on current science fact and not fiction. That’s what’s cool about Science Fiction. It gives a lensing into the current world of science and one bright mind can come up with an idea that will eventually be used in the future. Some of her concepts are ideas not put into action yet. That makes it Science Fiction.
Tammy Marshall is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years of writing. If you really want to get her on a subject, bring up Star Trek. She loves talking about traveling through space and what Gene Roddenberry’s vision did for science. Her hope is to inspire the first person to go to Mars and become the next Neil Armstrong. Her favorite movies are The Martian and Contact. She got to see Neil Degrasse-Tyson and George R.R. Martin. She wishes she could have met Carl Sagan. When she’s not plotting interstellar travel, she’s digging in the dirt. Her vegetables are legendary and her chickens have won awards. When her hands aren’t in the garden, she’s traveling to conventions around the country hoping to inspire the next person willing to go to Mars and aid Elon Musk on his mission.
New Books for October 14 – 19th
This is a big week for LMBPN publishing. We’ve got six new releases and three of them are series starters. Books include Superdreadnought 1 (Book one in a new Age of Expansion series), Strange Is Her Life (School of Necessary Magic), Crucifix – the first book in Damien’s Chronicles (Protected By The Damned), Justicar (Vigilante Chronicles), and Death Match (Animus Book 3). Last but certainly not least, The Principal Is Missing, the first book in the new School of Magic series for children.
Now, how about some details:
Superdreadnought (Today – WOOT!)
Alone and unafraid. Sometimes you prevent war by hunting down your enemies.
Integrated with a superdreadnought, the artificial intelligence known as Reynolds takes his ship across the universe in search of the elusive Kurtherians. He comes to a revelation. He’s better in the company of living creatures.
He needs a crew. He needs information. And he needs to continue his search and destroy mission.
Needing a crew and getting a crew are two completely different things. Reynolds is out of his element as he tries to reach out and make friends. Through it all, he has his vessel, the superdreadnought, the most powerful warship in the galaxy.
Or so he believes.
Strange Is Her Life (Tuesday, Oct 16th)
Dark magic has infiltrated the School of Necessary Magic.
Spies stalk the halls. Traitors whisper lies to impressionable freshmen.
And devious wizards distract with charming smiles.
If Alison and her friends can’t see past the friendly masks of their fellow students to the dark purpose they hide, it’s not just the school that will be destroyed.
But the forces of evil should have kept one thing in mind before targeting Alison Brownstone.
Hell hath no fury like a Drow princess defending her family.
Crucifix – (Damien’s Chronicles book one, Wednesday)
After a long time with mercenaries, the Church has called their demon-possessed Priest home.
A London flat nestled into the outskirts of a small alcove, a beautiful courtyard with bright shining sun, and as many books as he could read.
It was going to be quiet, calm, and… oh wait, its actually the demon apocalypse.
With incursions, hauntings, and poltergeist to take care of Damian is one of the only priests the Church can call on.
At least for now. They did send a welcoming gift in the shape of a young trainee, Max, who may or may not know his head from his… well… you get the point.
Will Damian, with the help of some friends along the way, be able to kick the slay and start to save the souls of his attackers? Or will his red-eyed granny of a neighbor poison him with a pie first?
If his demon has anything to do with it, exorcisms will only be done in the most fashionable style. Secrets and action await you as you follow Damian up his own path from hell.
Justicar (Thursday)
Justicar is book five in The Vigilante Chronicles from Natale Grey and Michael Anderle.
We expected this one last week, but Tabitha wanted her book to be the feature last week, so this was pushed 😉
Barnabas may not be Ranger One anymore, but one thing definitely has not changed: when someone screws over the powerless, Barnabas is going to bring the pain.
Death Match (Friday)
Book three in the wildly popular Animus series comes your way Friday.
And finally, we released our first children’s book yesterday. Nine-year-old Sienna Lawson wrote The Principal Is Missing. Please check this one out if you have children or grandchildren in the six to ten-year-old age brackets.
Have you ever wanted to go to a Magic School?
Callie was wondering if she would have to give up hope of ever attending.
Until one week before she was due to start fourth grade when Callie heard her dog Buster talking to her.
The shock was soon replaced with the realization that she wasn’t mundane, she was a witch.
Now, the wish to go to the school has been replaced with the unknown of going to the School.
What kind of adventures would she have?
Enjoy the week!
EC016: Michael Anderle and Emily Beresford Discuss The Kurtherian Gambit Audio Series
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
To celebrate the conclusion of the 21 book Kurtherian Gambit Series in audio, we connected with series author Michael Anderle and series narrator Emily Beresford to discuss the series, how the two of them came to work together, and the process of creating this memorable audiobook series.
Spoiler alert – lots of laughter and some great stories.
Our original intent was to release this entire interview as a part of the Life Goes On audiobook, but we learned that we were limited with the amount of bonus material we could add to the end without negating our ability to offer whisper sync to listeners.
We decided to compromise, putting about twelve minutes of this conversation at the end of the audiobook, and letting listeners know where to get the full interview.
Life Goes On, the audiobook, should be available at Audible, iTunes, and Amazon within the next ten days.
Links:
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Comic Book Inspired TV: An Analysis
Let’s face it: the comic book reading generation is slowly (& sadly) coming to a hiatus. That being said, it makes perfect sense to bring back old childhood favorites, especially comic books.
We’re currently in an era where one can merely change the channel and watch zombies like AMC’s The Walking Dead, or young adult adventures such as the CW’s Riverdale. Despite their differences, both shows continuously maintain high ratings among their audience(s). In recent decades, TV shows have ranged from westerns, cop shows, and teen angst, to superheroes, villains, and everything else in between. The comic book industry is doing a 360-spin on some beloved classics.
Image Source: CWTV
Something for Everyone
With today’s wide spectrum of TV shows, there really is something for everyone. On the one hand lies the more sinister and serious shows such as Hulu’s 2017 premiere of Runaways. On the other hand is the total opposite- a show full of comedic tropes, such as Amazon´s The Tick. Furthermore, viewers can also enjoy animated and lighthearted TV series based on comic book characters, like Cartoon Network’s Teen Titans Go!
Producers are swooping in and bringing back these beloved comic book characters- the same ones we used to read in bed late at night, hiding under the covers with just our handy flashlights. Over the past few years, TV producers have presented numerous shows featuring superheroes, villains, or both. One show that has received amazing feedback is Netflix’s Luke Cage, starring Mike Colter. Yet, one show that has not done so hot is Netflix’s MCU show Iron Fist. Unfortunately, production did not acknowledge the viewers’ pleas to cast an Asian-American actor, instead hiring Finn Jones.
Image Source: Marvel
Diversity Matters
Nonetheless, viewers continue craving these comic-based shows. The popularity of these TV shows is partly due to their wide diversity of cast members. Back in the day, producers were against diversity; nowadays, it is crucial in order to keep the cult following and to avoid backlash from viewers, the media, etc. Production companies have, indeed, been pushing the realms of their characters. It seems that they truly aspire to create a more diverse cast, however, it appears that all it really takes is just the right actor.
Comic(ally) in Demand
Unlike in the past, today’s producers have the advantage of readily available, sophisticated, and affordable visual graphics to utilize for special effects. With several different channels and streaming platforms featuring unlimited consumption capacity, there is an undeniably higher demand for new content. And what better source of material than decades of old comic book strips? With these graphic scripts ready to use, many executives and producers seem to have their work cut out for them. Luckily for viewers, there is more than enough content for future comic-based series!
Perhaps the most important takeaway is that watching an episode of a comic book-based TV series provides an escape from the present world, without forgetting the morality and social norms displayed in these shows. This may be just a phase of television. Who knows? Maybe we will eventually become overshadowed by cheesy sitcoms, soap operas, or cop dramas, but the truth is that the end of seeing comic books coming to life is not only remarkable, but crucial to these changing times. In any case, we totally ship it.
Let us know in the comments below what your favorite new show is!
New Books Coming October 8-12th
Tabitha here,
Now they’ve got me writing blog posts. When I say my work is never done, I’m serious, right?
But maybe, just this once it’s okay, because if you look closely at the Birthright cover you’ll see yours truly. That’s right, Deuces Wild (aka, the Tabitha series) is coming this Wednesday. Set your alarm, mark your calendar and have Siri or Alexa remind you because you don’t want to miss this one.
Of course, Barnabas is back this week as well, BUT I’M first! (at least this week)
Friday brings Brownstone, and you’ve got to love that partially done cover. I’m anxious to see the final when the book releases.
What? You want details? Your wish, my command, but don’t get used to it.
Birthright (October 10th)
Birthright is book four in the Deuces Wild series featuring Tabitha and Nickie.
When Nickie follows Prince Prissey-Pants to a random, isolated location in space, what she discovers next leaves her reeling.
And cussing…
In the way that only Nickie can.
Justicar (October 11th)
Justicar is book five in The Vigilante Chronicles from Natale Grey and Michael Anderle. Barnabas may not be Ranger One anymore, but one thing definitely has not changed: when someone screws over the powerless, Barnabas is going to bring the pain.
Karma Is A Bitch (October 12th)
The Council Is Dead… Long Live the New Council.
How do you have a Council of one?
Brownstone is working to get back into a rhythm, but the last remaining Council Member is seeking Brownstone himself.
Shay has jobs to do, but can she leave Brownstone alone without him dying?
Can Lt. Hall go back to the AET after delivering a personal beat down without doing paperwork?
James runs across a dog, but it disappears on him. Can he find it again, or was it just an Oriceran trick?
Brownstone has the whispers of Doom in his head all of the time. Can he ignore the desire to lose his mind to the power the amulet contains? When everyone has blood on their hands, who will Karma decide is going to die?
Because we all know, Karma can be a Bitch.
