Feature Discussion: Brian, Dave, Jen and special guest Sam Roberts discuss Glen Cook’s 1984 fantasy debut, The Black Company. This story and series is noted for it’s gritty portrayal of war and its combatants, and its cult classic following amongst members of the military.

Listener Feedback: You can leave comments here for the show, or at the Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas Forum. You can also email all of us at ninjas-at-kickassmysticninjas-dot-com, and yes, you can also email in recorded commentary.

Books mentioned:

Link: Wikipedia: The Black Company
Link: Wikipedia: The Black Company (novel)
Promo: Can’t Stop the Serenity 2009

Volume 1: Threshold and Volume 2: Power & Light are already available.

Coming in July 2009:
Volume 3: This Mortal Mountain
Volume 4: Last Exit to Babylon

Coming in December 2009:
Volume 5: Nine Black Doves
Volume 6: The Road to Amber

From NESFA Press:

We plan to print a complete collection of Roger Zelazny’s short fiction and poetry, in (most likely) six hardcover volumes. We expect to include all published fiction and poetry we can find, however obscurely published, and a number of unpublished works retrieved from Zelazny’s archived papers. We also expect to include the shorter early versions of several novels, several novel excerpts that were published independently as short works and a few of Zelazny’s articles on topics of interest to him.

We will commission introductions and/or essays from family, friends and writers who were fans of Roger Zelazny’s work. As of this date, Robert Silverberg has contributed a general introduction. One of our editors has written some biographical essays to spread among the volumes.

They also have a special request:

If anyone knows of a copy of an unpublished Zelazny story named “Checkup”, we would like to obtain a copy. It was written in 1975 for a special “children’s future” issue of a UNICEF quarterly publication. We have records of it being paid for, but no trace of the story has surfaced.

Feel free to contact them directly if you have any information about this lost story.

Link: Read more about NESFA’s Zelazny Project

Our topic for Show #44: The Black Company by Glen Cook.

The first volume in the Books of the North, a series chronicling The Black Company’s time fighting in the Empire of the North, in service of The Lady and her efforts to revive her empire.

Published in 1984, it is now a true fantasy classic, and still a rich tapestry of a story.

We’ll also be welcoming guest Ninja, Sam Roberts (”Slice of SciFi”), in on the discussion of this book.

Feature Discussion: Summer, Dave, Jen and special guest Krazy Joe discuss the 1982 scifi cult classic TRON, brought to us by Disney Studios.

Brief Story Description: Kevin Flynn is a young hotshot programmer who’s been ousted from his job at ENCOM after an older programmer, Ed Dillinger, stole the game code Flynn had been writing, and presented them to the ENCOM brass as his own work.

In his attempts to find proof of Dillinger’s theft, he’s been trying to hack his way back into ENCOM’s mainframes, which threatens to shut down the work of his friends Alan Bradley and Lora Baines.

Not realizing that Dillinger’s security program, MCP, is out of control and power hungry, Flynn uses Lora’s lab to try to access the information he’s been searching for. In retaliation, MCP digitizes Flynn to bring him into the cyber world, in an attempt to control and destroy Flynn.

But there’s another program MCP should be worried about: Alan Bradley’s TRON…

Related news: Yes, TRON 2.0 is a sequel currently in pre-production, slated for production start sometime later this spring. The electronica band Daft Punk has been signed to score the TRON 2.0 soundtrack

Go watch the lightcycle scene again just for that nostalgic kick.

Listener Feedback: You can leave comments here for the show, or at the Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas Forum. You can also email all of us at ninjas-at-kickassmysticninjas-dot-com, and yes, you can also email in recorded commentary.

Movies mentioned:

Link: Wikipedia: TRON
Link: Tron-Sector: dedicated to the original movie, and TRON 2.0
Promo: The British Invaders

BBC’s apocalyptic “Triffids” sets cast
By Mimi Turner

LONDON — Dougray Scott, Joely Richardson, Brian Cox, Vanessa Redgrave, Eddie Izzard and Jason Priestley are to star in a TV remake of the apocalyptic sci-fi drama “The Day of the Triffids,” based on the 1951 John Wyndham classic sci-fi novel.

The two-part apocalyptic drama, scripted by Patrick Harbinson and produced by Power Television and Canadian producer Prodigy Pictures, is in production and will air on BBC1 this year. RHI Entertainment holds rights for the U.S.

Scott will play Bill Maysen, a doctor who has to lead a band of humans in an epic battle with the Triffids, a flesh-eating vegetable originally used as an energy source. When spectators gather worldwide for a much-anticipated solar storm, billions are left blinded and the few sighted survivors watch as society collapses into chaos.

The Triffids, meanwhile, find their way out of captivity, roaming the planet with a fatal sting, and taste for human flesh.

BBC Wales head of drama Julie Gardner said audiences would be “captivated.”

“The incredible cast lined up for ‘The Day of the Triffids’ is a testament to the quality of Patrick Harbinson’s script. We hope audiences, both old and new, will be captivated by this modern take on John Wyndham’s classic best-selling novel,” she said.

“Together with its amazing effects and iconic locations, it will deliver the drama miniseries event of 2009,” added Power chief executive Justin Bodle, who also will exec produce the show.

“Triffids” also will be shown on BBC HD, the BBC’s high-definition channel available through Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media.

Maybe the Ninjas should do a show on the original movie and the book…

It’ll take some time to add in the appropriate thumbnails for older posts and shows, but eventually we’ll get there.

Stainless Steel Rat. Brian and Dave delve into puns. ’nuff said.

Feature Discussion: Summer, Dave, Brian and Jen discuss the original 1961 story The Stainless Steel Rat, first in a long series by Harry Harrison.

Brief Story Description: The Stainless Steel Rat, a mastser thief and con artist, believes he has pulled off a successful bank job, but discovers that his heist is really an elaborate countersting to capture him. Once caught, he discovers that the government wants him to join them in helping them catch others like himself who live outside the law.

In the Special Corps, the elite law-enforcement and spy agency led by the former greatest crook in the Galaxy, Harold P. Inskipp (a.k.a. Inskipp the Uncatchable), he joins the ranks of an organization that is entirely constituted of ex-criminals like himself. In the novel, he has several adventures during which he believes he has escaped from the Corps, and meets his love interest, Angelina, who is even more sociopathic than he is - she too is a criminal genius but lacks Jim’s moral strictures against killing. (thanks to Wikipedia)

Listener Feedback: You can leave comments here for the show, or at the Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas Forum. You can also email all of us at ninjas-at-kickassmysticninjas-dot-com, and yes, you can also email in recorded commentary.

Books mentioned:

Link: Wikipedia: The Stainless Steel Rat
Link: The Stainless Steel Rat Series
Promo: Future Traditions: A Jericho podcast

Originally published in 1961, it tells the story of The Rat, a criminal and thief who is convinced to join an elite law enforcement agency… comprised entirely of former criminals like himself.

As we’ve seen so often in history, sometimes bad guys can be pretty good good guys.

The Adventures of the Stainless Steel Rat, an omnibus collecting the first three novels, was reprinted in 1987 (pictured)… a quick way to introduce yourself to the series if you’re unfamiliar with it.

Link: Wikipedia: Stainless Steel Rat
Link: The Harry Harrison Official News Blog

Yes, it’s a longer than typical delay, but we think you’ll still enjoy the fun. Dave apologizes wholeheartedly apologizes to Steven Brust. Why can’t we just acknowledge that there really was no fantasy idea theft, and that maybe there were similar inspirations for the object back in the day?

Feature Discussion: Summer, Dave, Brian and Jen discuss 1987 cult favorite The Hidden, directed by Jack Sholder and written by Jim Kouf. There’s a Hidden II… supposedly. But there’s love, there’s hate, there’s humor for the first one, and we share it all with you.

Brief Story Description: A murderous rampage by a previously normal individual ends in a shootout after a bank robbery, one where the suspect doesn’t seem to be normally affected from multiple gunshot wounds. The police officer in charge of the investigation, Sgt. Tom Beck (Nouri), is convinced the case is closed when the suspect dies in the hospital, but he’s unaware that another man is about to continue the rampage where the previous man left off. This new “citizen” commits a new series of crimes around Los Angeles, leaving the police department perplexed, until FBI agent Lloyd Gallagher (MacLachlan) arrives with seemingly more information about what’s going on than he’s letting on…

Listener Feedback: You can leave comments here for the show, or at the Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas Forum. You can also email all of us at ninjas-at-kickassmysticninjas-dot-com, and yes, you can also email in recorded commentary.

Books mentioned:

Link: Wikipedia: The Hidden
Promo: Between the Lines Studios: Call for Firefly Writers

Feature Discussion: Summer, Dave, Brian and Jen discuss the 1983 fantasy Jhereg. A fun, fast-paced story set in a uniquely crafted world, it’s a good opening story in the Taltos saga, even though there is mucd laid down that doesn’t get explained until later books in the series.

Yes, we argue about the casting of the non-existent movie. After more thought, Summer thinks Vlad should be played by Guy Pearce. Jen wants to see Vin Diesel in anything. The casting discussion gets silly, as it should be.

Brief Story Description: Vlad Taltos, an assassin and mid-level mobster in the Dragaeran city of Adrilankha, is offered a large contract to fulfill for his house, House Jhereg, but as more details about the target and the reasons for taking him out quickly become apparent, he wonders if he might not have gotten in over his head. Can he take out a master swordsman, recover a stolen treasury, and prevent a major war, all while not getting himself killed in the process?

Listener Feedback: You can leave comments here for the show, or at the Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas Forum. You can also email all of us at ninjas-at-kickassmysticninjas-dot-com, and yes, you can also email in recorded commentary.

Books mentioned:

Link: Steven Brust
Link: Wikipedia: Jhereg (Novel)
Promo: Star Wars: Codename Starkeeper

Audible.com has brought all of Fritz Leiber’s classic Fafhrd & The Gray Mouser stories, all seven books of this all-time great series, into audio for the first time.

As a cherry on top of the treat, each audio title comes with an exclusive introduction by none other than Neil Gaiman, and narrated by noted Star Wars audiobook narrator Jonathan Davis.

For those of who remember, we talked about the first story (chronologically) in the series, Ill Met in Lankhmar just about 2 years ago.

Here is a short piece by Neil Gaiman, in which he talks generally about his love of Fritz Leiber’s works and how they influenced his own works. Find out more by visiting Audible’s Neil Gaiman Presents Lankhmar

St. Martin’s is a part of Macmillan, which in turn owns Tor, the biggest and baddest SF publisher around. And Tor has just launched Tor.com, a publisher-agnostic blog and community site for SF lovers, and I’ve joined the team of bloggers (which includes some really, really terrific folks who are far more interesting than me like Jim Henley, Cory Doctorow, Charlie Stross, and more).

There’s also a gallery of SF art. And did I mention it’s a paying venue for new SF short fiction?

Currently, we’re all here at San Diego Comic-Con, blogging about the various geek-gasms to be enjoyed, but when we return the SF-related posts will continue 2 fast 2 furious, and I thought it might be up your Kick-Ass-enjoying alleys.

So go check it out, and let me know what you think of the site, both content and design. It’s in beta, so your thoughts are welcome and will be very much appreciated.

Tor.com: Science Fiction. Fantasy. And related subjects.

Published in 1983, it’s the first book in the Vlad Taltos saga, of a planned 17 volumes. Steve likes the number 17; he’s said so.

The 11th book in the series, Jhegaala, just came out this month, in hardcover from Tor.

Immortals, sorcery, political intrigue, assassins, thieves and familiars. What’s not to love?

Feature Discussion: RoboDave, Brian-209, Summer and Jen discuss the 1987 hit movie RoboCop. A groundbreaking movie when it first came in, in terms of production as well as treading into new territories of movie ratings controversy, much can be said about RoboCop, and we try to hit all the fun points.

Brief Story Description: The city of Detroit is besieged by crime, and an overworked police force is struggling to keep from being outgunned. Because of the city’s financial problems, Omni Consumer Products (OCP) won the outsourcing contract to retool the city’s law enforcement ranks, in order to protect future plans to raze Detroit and build a better future city, Delta City, on top of it.

After a disastrous demonstration of the ED-209 enforcement robot, the corporate plans to implement RoboCop program is fast-tracked, but the project can’t proceed until a Detroit office has been gunned down.

Part man, part machine, all cop. And something more.

Listener Feedback: You can leave comments here for the show, or at the Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas Forum. You can also email all of us at ninjas-at-kickassmysticninjas-dot-com, and yes, you can also email in recorded commentary.

Movies mentioned:

Link: Criterion Collection: RoboCop
Link: Wikipedia: RoboCop
Link: RoboCop Archive
Promo: Adventures in SciFi Publishing

This 1987 feature film starred Peter Weller, Ronny Cox, Nancy Allen, Kurtwood Smith and Miguel Ferrer. It was director Paul Verhoeven’s second US made film (after Flesh & Blood starring Rutger Hauer), and it was #1 at the box office for 3 weeks.

RoboCop won the 1987 Saturn Award as Best Science Fiction Film, and won an Academy Award for Sound Effects Editing.

Want to jumpstart your geeking? Check out the original movie trailer on YouTube… and hear the Terminator theme being used as the background music.

This review was originally published July 2004, and the Limited Edition Region 1 DVD set by UK-based Network Videos was expensive and hard to come by.

In Fall 2007, the series was finally released domestically by Acorn Media, split into two sets, Set 1 featuring Michael Praed’s Robin, and Set 2 featuring Jason Connery’s Robin. Both sets can be found at places like Best Buy and Amazon, and a complete series box set is scheduled for release in July 2008.

Robin of Sherwood (1983-85)
Limited Edition Complete Collection
release date: 7/14/2003

starring Michael Praed, Nickolas Grace, Jason Connery

“A hooded man shall come to the forest. There he will meet with Herne the Hunter, to become his Son, and do his bidding.”

This collection contains all 3 series, 26 full episodes clocking in at nearly 22 hours, not including extras. It’s also a numbered Limited Edition Region 1 set, produced exclusively by Network Videos, one of only 2500 produced, quite likely making this DVD set rarer than the the novelizations of the series.

Even after 20 years, this series still holds a special place in the hearts of many, including mine. Seeing these episodes in clearly remastered digital glory rekindled the magic, even though it’s been nearly 15 years since I’d seen them last, on worn and barely viewable VHS tapes made from the series’ brief run on Showtime from 1984-86.

Though the characters were written to feel a bit more contemporary than the real inhabitants of England circa 1120, the story-telling doesn’t feel dated. The passionate performances, especially in episodes from Series 1 and 2, still make you love the outlaws and hate the aristocracy.

The video quality is the same as I recall from the original broadcasts, but there is some noticeable artifacting during a few of the fast-moving close shots during some sword fights. The intentional softness of the picture remains, without detracting from overall image clarity, and maintaining the dreamlike quality throughout the series that the creators wanted.

The Dolby remastering of the audio has resulted in the sound being a bit uneven. While the dialogue volume varies from disc to disc, the Clannad themes and incidentals pop, enhancing the ethereal atmosphere of the series.

Two of the discs are incorrectly labeled: the bonus disc of extras isn’t labeled as such, and Disc 2 (Series 1, episodes 4-6) is labeled as being the bonus disc. The DVD case inserts also still contain the UK particulars describing the discs (Region 0, PAL encoding), which contradicts the information on the set box. Both are very minor nitpicks compared to the quality of the rest of the set.

Contents:
Disc 1: Series 1, Episodes 1-3
Robin Hood & The Sorcerer (parts 1 and 2), The Witch of Elsdon

Disc 2: Series 1, Episodes 4-6
Seven Poor Knights from Acre, Alan-A-Dale, The King’s Fool

Disc 3: Series 2, Episodes 1-4
The Prophecy, The Children of Israel, Lord of the Trees, The Enchantment

Disc 4: Series 2, Episodes 5-7
The Swords of Wayland (parts 1 and 2), The Greatest Enemy

Disc 5: Series 3, Episodes 1-3
Herne’s Son (parts 1 and 2), The Power of Albion

Disc 6: Series 3, Episodes 4-6
The Inheritance, The Sheriff of Nottingham, The Cross of St Ciricus

Disc 7: Series 3, Episodes 7-10
Cromm Cruac, The Betrayal, Adam Bell, The Pretender

Disc 8: Series 3, Episodes 11-13
Rutterkin, The Time of the Wolf (parts 1 and 2)

Disc 9: Bonus Extras
“Making of Robin of Sherwood” 5-part documentary; Clannad promo for “Robin the Hooded Man”; Outtakes from Series 1, Series 2 and Series 3; Swordplay short; Showtime network promo from 1985; footage from TV-am and Electric Theatre Show features; Still galleries and Photo Retrospective

Episodic extras include:
Separate tracks for new Dolby Surround, original mono, and music only audio tracks; Commentaries by creator Richard Carpenter, director Ian Sharp, stars Jason Connery, Mark Ryan, Clive Mantle, Nickolas Grace.

DVD review by Summer Brooks

Yes, we put the promo at the beginning, because once we got rolling on the discussion, we never took a break. ‘Tis why we’re geeks.

Feature Discussion: Summer, David and Jen tackle Joe R. Haldeman’s The Forever War, which was first serialized in Analog magazine in 1972, then published in novel form in 1974. It was the Nebula Award winner in 1975 and the Hugo Award winner in 1976.

Brief Story Description: This is the story of William Mandella, a student who is conscripted into an elite force being trained to fight in Earth’s first extraterrestrial war. The problem is that while they age normally while traversing deep space, time is speeding by faster on Earth. How can you go home again when you’ve aged only a few months or years while the only home you’ve known has aged 50-500-1000 years or more?

Listener Feedback: You can leave comments here for the show, or at the Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas Forum. You can also email all of us at ninjas-at-kickassmysticninjas-dot-com, and yes, you can also email in recorded commentary.

Books mentioned:

Link: Wikipedia: The Forever War
Link: We Read Science Fiction: The Forever War by Joe Haldeman - Cams #4
Link: Joe Haldeman’s Tangled Website
Promo: Parsec Awards 2008

Originally serialized in Analog magazine in 1972, it was first published in novel form in 1974, and it won the Nebula Award in 1975 and the Hugo Award in 1976.

The original story as read in Analog, and the first two versions of the novel contain an abridged and “more upbeat” version, different from the author’s original vision for the middle of the story. In 1997, the “Author’s Preferred Edition” was finally published, and comprises the first part of a trilogy, followed by “Forever Free” and “Forever Peace”.

A discussion topic will appear in the forums soon.

Not surprisingly, the Ninjas voicemail number is gone. But we can probably handle smallish recordings emailed to us… check first before sending longer comments.

Feature Discussion: Summer, David, Brian and Jen tackle Invasion of the Body Snatchers, both the 1956 version startting Kevin McCarthy, and the 1978 remake starring Donald Sutherland and Jeff Goldblum. The 1956 version was based on a story called “The Body Snatchers” by Jack Finney, that was first serialized in Collier’s Magazine in 1954, and published as a novel in 1955.

Brief Story Description: A handful of people uncover an alien plot to take over the human race, and go to great lengths to remain themselves and warn the rest of the world.

Silly aliens… Earth is for Humans! You might catch something here unless you’ve had all of your shots.

Listener Feedback: Give us some! You can leave comments here for the show, or at the Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas Forum. You can also email all of us at ninjas-at-kickassmysticninjas-dot-com, and yes, you can also email in recorded commentary.

Movies mentioned:

Link: Wikipedia: Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Link: Wikipedia: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978 Film)
Link: Wikipedia: “The Body Snatchers” by Jack Finney
Promo: The GeekSpin

Discussion will include both the 1956 version and the 1978 version, so make sure you study up!