The next BFS Open Night will take place on the 3rd July at The George, Fleet Street, London. There are strange people out there who believe that there were zombie movies before George A Romero and John A Russo made Night of the Living Dead. They might talk about the long history of zombies throughout myth and folklore. They might point you towards the voodoo legends of the reanimated dead of Haiti. They may suggest watching pre-Night movies, such as I Walked with a Zombie (1943) or The Plague of the Zombies (1966).
These people should be avoided. Wherever possible they should be mocked. Zombies did not exist prior to 1968. Something like the zombie existed. It even shared the same name, but it wasn’t the true zombie. That was waiting for a pair of twenty-something writers to come up with.
ADAM CHRISTOPHER talks to SF writer DANIEL O’MAHONY
about the return of Faction Paradox.
Eleven years ago, controversial Middlesex-born Doctor Who novelist Lawrence Miles introduced us to one of the most complex and mind-bending creations to appear in the BBC’s ongoing series of original Who novels: Faction Paradox. Described by their creator as a “ritualistic time-travelling guerrilla organization”, the group’s Earth base is the bizarre “Eleven-Day Empire”, bought from the British government when they first adopted the Gregorian calendar and lost the period between the third and thirteenth of September 1752. The universe of Faction Paradox revolves around a time-spanning “War in Heaven”, fought between the Great Houses and the Enemy, and while Faction Paradox do not play a central role in this battle, they work to carve their own little empire with time paradoxes and temporal impossibilities.
Halloween DVD Hell
News just in about the release of one of the worst remakes ever, Rob Zombies' ill advised remake of John Carpenters classic seminal movie Halloween . For the one fan out there, yes of course I'm talking about Zombie himself, it would appear that Halloween '07 will be getting a THREE DISC special edition release.
I'm sure the question that's foremost in your mind, as it was mine, is what exactly can fill the other two and a half discs?
Well it would seem that Rob would like "the fans" to really share in the experience of making the movie and is including a four and a half hour making of documentary! Which makes the mind boggle, firstly because who would sit through four and a half hours of anything, and secondly who would invest that time in dirge like Zombies Halloween remake!?
Oh well takes all sorts I suppose.
Boris Karloff's "Tales of Mystery" to return from the grave!
For nearly twenty years, this comic book series wove stories of intrigue, suspense, and macabre drama. Hosted by the master of suspense himself, the comic featured contributions from some of comics history's most well-known creators: Alex Toth, Joe Orlando (EC artist and editor), Mike Sekowsky ("Justice League" artist), Frank Thorne, José-Luis García-Lopez, Arnold Drake, Len Wein (creator of "Swamp Thing" and "Wolverine"), Al Williamson, Jerry Robinson (creator of "The Joke"), Dan Spiegle, and many others.
Trek: First Cast Shots
There was some concern amongst fans that there was no appearance of anything relating to JJ Abrams pseudo reboot of Star Trek, now due for release March 2009 at the San Diego Comic Con.
Was the writers strike really that damaging that re-filmed footage was so extensive there was nothing to show? Well fear not, Entertainment Weekly got a sneak preview of the Comic Con posters that will be adorning the halls.
The four posters that each combine in to one larger poster seen here, reveals the first images of Chris Pine as Kirk (tinted in command yellow), Zachary Quinto as Spock, Eric Bana as the Romulan villain Nero and Zoe Saldana as Uhura.
Naturally there's nothing that gives away much regards the plot or how the leads will treat their characters but for the moment Quinto's Spock is uncannily close to Nimoy, close enough too quell the fears of the most die hard trekkie, while Pine's first Kirk shot portrays a certain arrogant cockiness that works for the character.
Anyway to see higher res versions of the individual posters and to discuss your hopes and fears for the film get on to our forums
BSG TV Movie To Shoot In August?
Grace Park revealed in an interview with the LA Times, that a new Battlestar Galactica TV movie is scheduled to begin shooting in August.
Naturally at this stage plot details are not available at this time, but Park, promoting her new show "The Cleaner", suggested that it will set around events before season 4 currently on a mid season hiatus until January 2009.
The rumour is that this will be the first of three TV movies based on and around the serie, following the format of Razor the movie released earlier this year, filling in the blanks between episodes and seasons.
All of this though may be for nothing with the impending Screen Actors Guild Strike, is set to go ahead in August, which, if the effects of the writers strike is anything to go by, could seriously disrupt production or cancel it all together.
We're looking for articles of between 1,000 and 5,000 words on any topic related to science fiction, fantasy, horror or cross-genre - in literature, on film or TV, events - anything which you think might be of interest to Pantechnicon readers.
Also, we'd like more people willing to interview those who work within the genre, like writers, TV/film actors / producers / directors, etc. If you fancy a go at interviewing - even if you've never tried it before - we'd like to hear from you too.
If you're interested, want to pitch an article/interview idea to us, or just need more information or have a query, please email us at the usual submissions address: submissions@pantechnicon.net
When did the Devil enter me? How did he get inside? I’ve no idea. He started meddling with my daily life. He was an ardent preacher. He became a nuisance. I wanted to get rid of him at any cost before he could convert me to his religion. So I went to the Lord God.
Bleak chafed at the bit, itching to get going. Despite the tang of musket smoke in the air and the sounds of battle all around, he held himself back as Davy led the first boarders across. He was looking to see how many marines responded to the attack, and felt a surge of triumphant glee, not to mention relief, as more blue-coated figures erupted from the cabin – far more than any ordinary merchantman ought to boast.
With a spit in the dirt, they mutter “Evil manipulating witch” at the mention of the DaWakanda name. Never when they think we can hear, mind you, and they never refuse our gifts of healing. Most Outlanders claim that the Nelari meddle in the affairs of others like a spider weaves a web to catch flies. The truth is they often entangle us in their calamities. If, once ensnared in their folly, we use the wisdom of the Stones for the good of all, so be it. To those who claim the DaWakanda secretly controls the High Priest of Shamar, I say emphatically that it is not so. I admit only to a small mercy years ago that bore exceptional fruit.
It was my Nan who first told me about the London Stone. When she was teaching me to pick pockets and cut purses, we would sometimes go walking through the cemetery, because, she said to me, “Aggie, we must walk like proper ladies or we’ll get noticed. If we get noticed, we get caught, and then it’s the clink. Proper ladies spend all their time learning to walk. It’s all they do. That and sewin’.”
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