When I got into work this morning, I was informed that a package had arrived and was awaiting me in my office. Delighted, I hurried down the hall, unlocked my door, stepped inside to claim the prize and found …nothing. WTF?! Had I been lied to? Robbed? Did the fine folks at Canada Post come back to reclaim their delivery out of spite because it turns out they‘re Sheppard-Weir shippers? Then suddenly, I was struck by a thought. I stepped out of into the hallway and peered into Paul’s neighboring office. Sure enough, there sat MY package on HIS coffee table. Well, either someone gotten our offices confused or, more than likely, gotten US confused.
It happens a lot more than you’d think. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been in conversation with a co-worker and had them say something like “Well, you should run this by Joe.” or “What do you think Joe will say?” to which I inevitably reply “I am Joe.” Paul and I are a writing-producing team and people tend to think of us as a duo (Sort of a less athletic Batman and Robin more concerned with dialogue runs and plot holes than, say, threats to City Hall or the Joker‘s plot to turn the water supply into Jello). Not so much Joe AND Paul as the all-encompassing Joepaul. It’s understandable, I suppose. I, for instance, could never differentiate between Milli and Vanilli back in the day. On the other hand, we have been working on Stargate 8+ years and we look, dress, and sound nothing alike. So you’d think any potential confusion would have been cleared up by now.
At the end of the day, not a big deal. Just as long as our wives can tell us apart.
And, oh yeah, that package – another shipment from Amazon.com (pictured). Just in time too as I just finished Against A Dark Background. Next up – a little superhero fiction: Soon I Will Be Invincible, by Austin Grossman.
Speaking of books, today is the day we begin discussion on The Crooked Letter, by Sean Williams. I was inclined to simply turn the discussion over to you, my brave band of bibliophiles. But, after some careful consideration, I thought it best that I be the one to get the ball rolling. And so…
Okay, as most of you know I’m not a huge fan of fantasy. There are exceptions. Abercrombie, Lynch, and Martin are authors who produce novels that, while certainly representative of the genre, tend to be less “magical” and more grounded than their counterparts. And, as much as I love the worlds these three have created and the wonderfully intricate stories they tell, what really draws me to their work is their gift for creating believable characters. At the end of the day, be they bastard sons of royalty, double-dealing rogues, or crippled torturers, love ’em or hate ’em, they command my interest because they’re realistic characters (in, admittedly, often highly unrealistic situations). If I have a difficult time connecting with a character (and that doesn’t mean I have to like them necessarily), it’s more than likely I’ll have a hard time connecting to the story. And this was the case with The Crooked Letter.
The novel hits the ground running, and rarely lets up its break-neck pace. On the one hand, this is great because it tosses the reader right into the action and forces him/her to play catch up alongside the book’s equally bewildered protagonists. On the other hand, however, it’s hard to care about characters you don’t know all that much about and, despite Williams’ use of flashbacks to convey their backstory, the characters remain fairly thin and decidedly secondary to the story itself.
But quite a story it is. Give Williams credit. He demonstrates remarkable creativity, mixing myth and magic in creating an extraordinarily rich and complex world (or, more appropriately, worlds) peopled by a mind-boggling array of demons, gods, and aliens.
I have a feeling this is the type of highly-imaginative read that many fantasy-enthusiasts would enjoy. A truly wild, magical ride. But therein lies the problem, perhaps only insofar as I’m concerned. With the majority of the action taking place in one of two surreal other-worlds, the novel’s fairytale-like quality lend it an inaccessibility that can’t be bridged with these protagonists.
I’d love to hear what the more fervent fantasy fans have to say.
And while you’re offering feedback on the book, feel free to weigh in on this blog’s new look.
Today’s blog is dedicated to Lt. Errand Boy who will be M.I.A. for the next 10 days.
Today’s pics: Lulu models her new sweater, my new books.
Today’s mailbag:
Emily writes: “I hate to think that I’m this stupid, but I can’t figure out how to get to your profile on this site.” Answer/Joe: Hmmm. Come to think of it, neither can I.
Umm…you hate to think that I’m this stupid, or you also can’t figure out how to get to your profile?”
Answer: I responded to you in the comments section but just in case you didn’t see it – Oops, sorry. I didn’t realize that coud be read two different ways. I meant that even though I am able to edit my profile, for some reason I don’t know how to access it either.
Jean writes: “In This Mortal Coil, would the duplicate Sheppard/Weir have known the new location of Atlantis, since the new planet was picked AFTER Weir was lost to the Replicators?”
Answer: No, she would not have known the new location.
Eddy writes: “Got questions about SoW: Were we supposed to infer/know there was only one queen in the breeding complex at the time?”
Answer: Yes.
Stacy writes: “ Loved the moment of the team in the “ready room” putting on their gear and then the “soo typical Rodney” just hanging out not realizing he should leave to let Teyla and Sheppard talk alone. Did you happen to write that scene?”
Answer: Nope. Kudos to both Alan McCullough and Paul Mullie for that scene.
Angry JackFan writes: “At Avalon convention in November 2006 RDA was asked if he had been invited to return for any future “Stargate” episodes or movies. Richard confessed that he had not yet been approached. He said he would like to return for an appearance, but he added that his relationship with the “Stargate” producers is “very Scandinavian. We don’t talk a lot.” What does that mean? Don’t you want him back? Or is it all in the past and things have mended since then (November 2006)?”
Answer: You’re reading too much into the comment. We don’t talk a lot for the simple reason that he no longer works on the show. I don’t really talk to Don Davis that much and I love the guy. It’s nothing personal.
Cyn writes: “Will SG-1 or SGA ever find it’s way on Blu-Ray or HD DVD?”
Answer: Holy crap, I hope so. If there was ever a show that should be enjoyed in HD, Atlantis is it. I have no idea why the hold up.
VDuchess writes: “My question isnt Stargate related, it has to do with GRRM and his SOIAF series. I was wondering which male and female character you enjoyed the most and if there was any character you couldn’t stand?”
Answer: Like you, I’m a big Tyrion fan.
Squall78 writes: “Do you have any word on “Spoils of War”.”
Answer: The early numbers for Spoils of War had it doing slightly better than our season premiere, Adrift.
Astrumporta writes: “So how did the bloopers DVD extra come out? How about the Save Carson featurette? We at SCB are both proud and scared to be so honored.”
Answer: Both pieces turned out great and I’m sure you’ll be pleased. The bloopers were a little long – but we figured the fans wouldn’t complain. Now, it’s just a matter of getting the actors to sign off on them.
Deena writes: “Speaking of football, who are you rooting for out of the final four?”
Answer: I’m rooting for NotThePatriots.
Trekkiegirl writes: “Let’s discuss some Stephen R. Donaldson on the book reviews, what do you think?”
Answer: I think we discussed Lord Foul’s Bane (a BOTM club selection) a few months ago.
Anne Teldy writes: “Am I the only person who hates the “Snap Preview” of the photos?”
Answer: No! I hate them! Tell me how to get rid of them.
OCD4SG writes: “How soon do you know when an actor will/will not be returning in regards to script writing?”
Answer: It’s very rare we’ll write a script without having an actor commit beforehand.
ooh, I loved ‘Soon I Will Be Invincible’. Can’t wait to hear what you think of it.
Do your dogs like wearing sweaters, halloween costumes, etc., or do they run around desperately trying to get it off of them?
Hi, Joe.
That Lulu is just too cute for words.
🙂
Are Eric Breker and Alisen Down in the SG1 movie, Ark of Truth?
And apparently TV Guide just slipped a major spoiler about The Last Man in their latest issues…
Morjana
Joe-
To edit your profile on WordPress (unless I too am reading the whole exchange wrong) log in and view your blog, pretend your one of us 🙂 At the top are some pull down options, one being My Account located in the top left corner of your screen, and then simply choose Edit Profile.
As for the photos, I’ve added photos to WordPress and have never had that happen, so I’m not sure what to tell ya……..
Can’t WAIT to see the Save Carson special feature. Although I gotta ask, am I gonna have to change my name and move??? 😉
I see Lulu prefers to wear her collar on top of her turtleneck – or is it necessary in case you have to rein in her rambunctious self?
I’m really looking forward to another new episode this Friday – as usual I’ll watch it “live” and then again Saturday at the gym on my IPod. ITunes is doing much better this year at getting new episodes available.
Love the new layout!
Just picked up “The Traveler” by John Twelve Hawks today. So far I’m loving it, have you read it?
Giants at Green Bay……..Giants 21….Green Bay 17
What do you think Cookie Monster..
Ahhh, finally an update.
I see that you have Name of the Wind and Soon I Will Be Invincible in the picture. I picked up promo copies of these two last March at a work conference. I haven’t read either of them yet, though I’ve heard positive opinions about Name of the Wind.
After you finish both, tell me which you prefer, and I’ll give that one a try.
Do both you and Paul recieve frequent shipments from Amazon? I expect you both get your fair share of packages, but if only one of you is using Amazon extensively, it should be easier to figure out who gets what. Ah well, I’m sure if you wanted a package sorter there’d be a few thousand volunteers.
It’s late, and I’m at work, so I will defer on commenting on the Crooked Letter until tomorrow. I have one question for the day. How are the scripts fleshing out for the first half of season 5? With about a month before you start filming, I’m curious how far ahead you’ve managed to put yourself. Thanks for the lovely pictures, and for the image of you chasing down the errant package.
Hey Joe,
Thanks for the update on the ratings. It is good to see the 2nd half already out performing the 1st. This season has been amazing so far.
I was reading your question about SGA on HD…
To Cyn, If you go to cdnow/amazon, they have a listing for SGA season one in Blue Ray format. There is no release date, just a listing.
Best,
Squall78
Next time someone mixes you up with Paul, just go along with it and say “So, what do you think of Joe anyway?”… see what happens ;)(perhaps not…lol)
Good to hear SoW did well and:
“If there was ever a show that should be enjoyed in HD, Atlantis is it. I have no idea why the hold up”
Anything we fans can do? Letters?? To whom?? We’ll get on it!
Looking forward to the bloopers and the cast being in the commentaries. No offence but that was sadly missed in Season 3. This makes the wait for the dvd that much harder you know.
Mwahs
For the snap preview thing you can go to Presentation then Extras and it should be a little check box 🙂
Hey Joe. Like the new look. It’s clean and readable. My friend actually just asked me this question and I wanted to see what you thought. If an open gate is submerged in water (real H2O, not the stuff from Watergate), would the water just flow through the event horizon (because of buoyancy pressure)?
“Did the fine folks at Canada Post come back to reclaim their delivery out of spite because it turns out they‘re Sheppard-Weir shippers?”
*tsktsk* Now that’s not a very nice thing to say, Joe. There are plenty of Sheppard/Weir shippers (myself included) who were very excited by Weir’s surprise appearance at the end of BAMSR. You should see the Sheppard/Weir thread over at Gateworld; we’ve been having a blast discussing what this latest wrinkle in Weir’s storyline may mean for our favorite pairing. So why on earth would we snatch your package after we’ve just been given something really cool to cheer about? 🙂
Thanks for making sure I didn’t think you thought I was stupid. It’s also a relief that you apparently don’t know/assume that I go to your blog every 5 minutes and analyze not only your post, but each and every comment as well. It would be a bit embarrassing for me if you found that out. Oh, wait…
But I never really thought that you thought I was stupid. I like to live in my delusional world where you undoubtedly think that I’m dazzlingly clever and intelligent.
Isn’t it exciting getting packages? The last 2 days I’ve gotten zero mail. Nothing. Which is slightly disconcerting. I mean, how often do you not get ANY mail?? I should probably be grateful that I was spared having to walk my mail directly from my mail box to the recycling bin, but it’s still a little depressing. Even large corporations and non-profit organizations have given up on me.
No comment on today’s book discussion as I’m not into fantasy. But I had been wondering how you’d handle critiquing this book if you didn’t like it–same goes with Future Fiction…does it make you uncomfortable to know the editor will read your thoughts on it? Will you censor your critique (if you dislike it, that is), or do you not really care?
-Emily (I signed and bolded my name just for you, Anne Teldy)
Dearest Joe!!
Thanks so much for dedicating today’s blog to me (yes, I’m still here, but counting down…two and a half days to go!)
Will drink a mojito in your honor on my first day on Cocos….
cheers
Dana
What Lulu gets up to when Joe and Fondy are asleep.
Had you ever imagined you would be fortunate enough to be amongst the ranks of Brangelina and Tomkat. Even if it is with another man?
Here’s something for Friday night. Make some Brangelina/Tomkat combinations from your two surnames, drink either 8 beers or 4 glasses of wine and then, closest to the correct pronunciation gets 10 bucks.
And as the world seems to be about sending me Nucking Futs right now (calm thoughts, there are people far worse off, smacking my head into my keyboard will not help) I would like to say once more, thank you for the existence of this blog.
Hey, I figured out how to turn off the snapshots.
If you hover your mouse over the pic, when it pops up, go to the top right corner and click on the gear. This will let you go to settings and you can turn it off for just this site or for all sites.
Hope that helps.
So why is it I can design and load a company’s website in a day but I always stuff up my links on here?
Try again! If this doesn’t work I’m upgrading from banging my head on the keyboard to the wall, from there, if still no results, I’ll try the road.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nibbler_%28Futurama%29
You’re joking! The professional nibbler is now the link! That’s it, I give up. (bang of the door, sound of head hitting the pavement repeatedly)
I love all your dog pics, from the cute to the exhausted. Is the leather couch “theirs”? I bet they’d prefer a nice chenille, as much as it wouldn’t hold up well. But you know, leather can be so chilly.
Thanks for the reassurance re the SCB featurette. By the way, I’m Michelle of SCB — using a different name over here. Sorry to not be clear!
“Answer: I’m rooting for NotThePatriots.”
I knew there was a reason why I liked you.
Back to SGA, if you had to pick one episode out of the second half of season 4 as your favorite, which would it be?
To disable the feature, go to Presentation > Extras, then uncheck the box.
Back to SGA… I admit, it took me a while to get used to the new style for this season (shift in story lines and the “look”), and while I still do miss the more, uhm, lighthearted elements that seemed more common to previous seasons, I’m really enjoying this season’s episodes. Looking forward to the next one!
Sorry, by feature, I mean the Snap Preview Anywhere option.
I wrote my comment, then edited it. The dangers of not proofreading before submitting!
Did the fine folks at Canada Post come back to reclaim their delivery out of spite because it turns out they’re Sheppard-Weir shippers?
LOL! (Although that might very well explain why my gift to Rachel has been knocked back three times in sending!)
The early numbers for Spoils of War had it doing slightly better than our season premiere, Adrift.
\o/
they command my interest because they’re realistic characters (in, admittedly, often highly unrealistic situations)
And travelling through an event horizon that transports you light-years in a matter of seconds to fight body-snatching snakes and space vampires is a highly realistic scenario? *g*
Sel.
ps. Your blog looks like…um…a blog. Should it look like anything else?
Personally, I love the new layout. It’s attractive and easy to read, the two most important qualities in a blog, IMHO.
I know it’s still early to ask, but I was just reading Kate Hewlett’s latest blog post (she’s on drugs!), and I was wondering if there’s any chance we might be seeing Jeannie Miller in S5. Any discussion in that direction yet?
Geez Joe, don’t you still have a gazillion books that are on your to-read list? Why are you still ordering more? Are you preparing for some kind of global catastrophe where you are the last man alive and you have only the books as companions? Do you have easily-breakable glasses?
Eh, I guess I can never understand the frequent-readers’ minds. Such enigmas.
Anyway, just to let you know, I have no difficulties telling you and Paul Mullie apart. HOWEVER, I do have A LOT OF DIFFICULTIES telling apart Alan McCullough (wow, I spelled it right on the first try), Alex Levine, and Lawren Bancroft-Wilson.
One last thing…and this is kind of awkward, because I don’t want to be a nag, but, uh, remember that thing that I won? You know the, uh, Stargate SG1 things? The, you know…DVDs and such?
Any news on that?
i love lulus sweater with the pretty cables.
until i read the comments i could not figure out why the canada post folks were so upset with you that they stole your sheppard/weir slippers… and i was very curious about whether they were both on each slipper or it was one of each.
Wow, Lulu looks like she’s ready to take on anyone or anything, be it 20 times her size. If the Chargers started her at strong safety…. Regardless, the classic “sweater girl” look is definitely becoming to her.
Funny anecdote about you and Paul M. Your reference to Milli Vanilli cracked me up. So sad to know that they weren’t likely on your “must-have cassette” list.
– Another thoughtful book review that prompts me to think more about why I like what I like – something I can generalize to all media. – I’m really enjoying Before They Are Hanged. All the crucial storytelling elements just seem to get better and better.
Joepaul? I feel your pain. I’m a twin so I have had nothing but Eileenmarian for the last 20 years.
I have to be nice to her at the moment though, since we don’t live with our parents anymore and I have to rely on her to fetch me things like ice packs for my ankle. Sigh.
Ah, it is nice to see that I’m not the only one who hates these new preview things. I find them much more tedious than helpful. Wish I could help you in getting rid of them, but I’m afraid I only know how to do so on my own blog site.
Finally we get to The Crooked Letter discussion!
Now, I’m typically a huge fantasy reader. I like most from light-hearted romps with all those dragons and witches that you tend to not like, to 1000 page complex, and not at all typical fantasy novels. I also, am usually game for anything that involves the end of the world. That being said, like you, I tend to enjoy character development a lot. It’s very rare to find an engaging book that is so in spite of its characters. I must admit, I’m not sure I would have classified the book as fantasy. Then again, I’m not sure what I would call it.
That being said, I found the book much like you. Fast-paced for sure, constant motion, constant twists and turns…but most of the supporting characters were two-dimensional. Some, were downright obvious, such as the backstory behind the original mirror twins. It was inevitable that they had fought over a woman and that it wasn’t resolved, the whole book relied on that parallelism, making it too obvious for my taste. In general, I found that there were so many characters, and while they were relatively easy to follow despite the length of the story, hardly anything was revealed at all beyond their most upper and obvious desires, wishes, and personalities. It was rather disappointing.
However, I think my biggest problem lies with the brothers. I never felt like there was meaning to them. Sure, in the end they do the right thing. But most of the time, each one’s focus was on himself. How his brother had hurt him, would his brother be doing better than him, and so on. I’m quite sure siblings feel like this at times, and perhaps that’s the nature of these “mirror twins”. But it felt like those feelings continued only because of the need for it to drive the plot. It didn’t make for sympathetic lead characters.
I found the religious and occasional philosophical aspect of the story well done, very interesting. I couldn’t help but laugh considering my visual of Ba’al is more of a slightly snarky man wearing lots of gold, but the idea of Yod and the various god-factions fighting for the realm worked; shifting alliances, etc. However, it was more the manner and explanation that didn’t work so well for me. The mirror twin thing, dying at the same time or not, and the fact that apparently mirror twins not only fall in love with the same woman, but literally the same woman throughout history, while an interesting concept, didn’t play out well.
I found the ending a bit rushed, the reveal of the former mirror twins and the Immortal beings. It felt like Williams realized he had 400 some pages and wanted to end it quick. I did, though, find the very end to be the most interesting bit of the book plot-wise. So much so, I can’t help but admit curiosity at what happens next because everything seems so tied up, one wonders where Williams goes next.
Overall, I admire his writing because despite the fact that the plot didn’t grab me, and I didn’t even really like the characters, it kept me reading. His prose was dramatic and succinct, without being easy.
I’ve been waiting for your thoughts on The Crooked Letter. I figured if you didn’t like it, then I probably would. I tend to like the magical/fairytale side of the fantasy genre. So I’m off to order a copy from Amazon.
P.S. I really like the look of the blog!
I am just wondering when the strong female leader of a new technologically advanced race is going to show up this season as was promised in the months leading up to it? All I have seen so far is Larrin. A cliched, comedic relief, eye candy of a character that has shown not one bit of leadership skill and only been used to make Sheppard look bad. I have to say this is by far the biggest disappointment so far this season since you guys had the opportunity to have a character that should be respected and feared when necessary and all that you have done is created a character that is laughable and a sad reflection of what you guys think is strength. Travelers was bad enough with the bs science and plot devices, then you had to include one of the worst recurring characters ever in SGA that is only surpassed by Lucius Lavin. I was hoping to see some improvement in BAMSR, but all we got was more innuendo and unbelievable dominatrix-style tying up of Sheppard for no explainable reason. I hope that this new race that is to appear in season 5 is introduced a hell of a lot better than the joke that is the Travelers. I can tell the people who developed Larrin had nothing to do with the development of REAL strong female characters like Col. Carter, Dr. Weir, or Teyla since the mistake that is Larrin is an utterly useless character that was promised as one thing, but delivered as total crap. I don’t know if the character is even salvagable anymore since the way it was introduced.
I also am waiting for the long story-arcs that are developed intelligently and logically instead of a brief mention here and a brief mention there and all of a sudden trying to tie it up in one episode. While the episode was visually impressive, it felt way too rushed with the creating of the alliance when the previous two episodes dragged on with questionable plots that while involving the Replicator storyline, did a terrible job of setting up the alliance needed for BAMSR. It is unbelievable to me that an alliance just majically appears in the span of a day or so. I have seen a much better job of setting up multiple-race alliances in previous Sci-Fi shows so maybe I was spoiled when compared to what was attempted in SGA. I think TPTB are too used to writing a show that is geared towards single, stand-alone episodes and the result is that this season has done a poor job of setting up and paying off long story-arcs.
I was curious, so I went looking. Apparently you access your profile by going to wordpress.com/profile/username so yours is http://wordpress.com/profile/josephmallozzi/
Seems easy enough. Don’t know why they didn’t just put the address on the update page so we can all find it.
I’m starting to watch all the seasons of Stargate SG-1 on dvd straight through…I was wondering why after season 1 why didn’t we see see anymore of Jack’s ex- wife? Not to mention furling lol?
To be honest, while there’s nothing particularly wrong with this theme, I think the last one was better – it had (to my eyes) a more appealing colour scheme, and from a UX perspective the paragraphs were a better width than those in current theme (narrow paragraphs = many more lines of text for the eye to follow = more eye strain).
PS: That said, it’s still magnitudes better than the old white text on black theme.
Hi Joe:
The new look is nice, but the tag for each person posting is really quite small. The print is nice and large, but I had to look twice to find the poster’s name.
So Paul McGillion is a big football fan too, eh? Do you guys ever watch Canadian football? Did you watch the Roughriders win the Grey Cup?
Saw Spoils of War tonight. I liked it. I’m thinking that Teyla’s baby is more than just the union between Teyla and her Althosian b/f. Can’t wait to see what you do with that.
Patricia
Have you ever read ‘Contest’by Matthew Reilly?
Sooo.. Against a Dark Background. What did you think? 🙂
I have to say I am loving the new layout, I read your blog from my phone and for some reason the blue background didn’t show any text. do you think your dogs have made any new years resolutions? I ask because I am sure that my dog has, I think she has decided to act more like a dog, since new year she has eaten dog food every night, something she never did before, actually walked the whole way on her walks, as opposed to being carried and she happily goes to bed every night in the laundry. all very un-lilyputt behaviour, we are not complaining though
Re: The Crooked Letter:
I have mixed feelings about this novel. On the one hand, I loved the world-building and imagination that’s gone into this novel. I liked the idea of the different realms, each with it’s own set of rules (physical laws, will, and choice), and I thought Williams did a magnificent job of giving both the First and Second Realms their own unique geography and populations. The worlds in this novel were extraordinarily vivid, and very, very different.
I also liked the writer’s tricks Williams employed to add to the sense of the two realms colliding, with Seth and Hadrian’s stories being told in separate chapters to begin with, and then, as the realms moved closer, beginning to overlap in single chapters, and finally with the occasional mention of Seth’s name showing up in Hadrian’s POV section of the chapter and vice versa. For me, that added to the sense of urgency, and the building climax.
Now for the not-so-good parts: For me, the story really started to drag right after Seth’s death. The next two hundred pages seemed to consist of lots of running and bumping into various Realm inhabitants, but neither Seth nor Hadrian really seemed to accomplish much beyond bemused befuddlement interspersed with occasional moments of terror. Everything seemed to happen around the twins, rather than them making things happen. Hadrian is told where to go and what to do by Kybele, Seth by Agatha. Neither twin really does anything more than go along with plans laid out before them.
Fortunately, for me the latter half of the novel picked up. Both Hadrian and Seth start to question the people they’re with, and start to make decisions for themselves, and suddenly they’re deciding where to go and what to do rather than simply following instructions and getting a crash course on how the new worlds work.
I’m still a little bemused by the idea of an evil god in the form of a giant black ziggurat. To me, buildings aren’t terribly intimidating, and despite knowing that Yod wanted to eat the entire population of the first realm to make himself more powerful or king or whatever, I just kind of stalled on the notion of an evil ziggurat. For all that Yod is supposed to be the big bad, he/she/it doesn’t really do anything except squat menacingly in the Second Realm, and send minions out to take care of the twins. And frankly, towards the end of the first half of the book, I was so fed up with the passiveness of the twins that I was almost rooting for Yod and the Cataclysm, just so that something, anything, would happen.
In conclusion, then: I think Sean Williams is very good at what he does, and this is a well-written and imaginative novel, but it’s not the kind of story I prefer to read. I was trying to explain to someone how I felt about this book, and the best analogy I could come up with was that it’s like an incredibly rich chocolate mousse: that first bite tastes delicious, but by the fourth mouthful, you start to feel a bit sick and wish you’d opted for the apple pie instead.
You said: “Paul and I are a writing-producing team and people tend to think of us as a duo (Sort of a less athletic Batman and Robin…”
Could you take some pictures of both of you in your costumes? …Please? 😛
Now, please forgive me for my english which is definitely not flawless.
Spoils of war was great, perfect, so much Lorne and Wraith and Teyla’s fear for her baby and Sheppard vs Queen interactions and McKay’s fright at being fed on.
And Todd is… when he talks to McKay who doesn’t even aim his gun at him… 😀 Really careless, and I can’t wait to see his reaction when Todd is going to act with a more-wraith-like behavior around him, if it ever happens. 🙂
Outstanding episode!
I was wondering… in The Seer, Todd told Sheppard that it was known among the Wraith that Dr McKay had fiddled with the replicator’s base code. Does it means that the Wraith know about McKay’s mastery of it?
In this case, McKay could have been a good “acquisition” for a hive as a scientist, even if he’s human, right?
I mean, instead of surrender, Todd, or any other Wraith, could have try to lay a hand on him (I’m
sure they have some wraith worshiper spies in lots of worlds who could have warn them if they had seen him)? Except that, it might have taken some time… Right, that’s not a good idea.
Regardless, McKay is know to be a good scientist among the Wraith, the Genii and in lot of others worlds. I wonder if it’ll be an asset or an inconvenience in the future.
I’m looking forward to see the next episode! 🙂
Himawari.
Just watching SG1 episode “Revision”. was it shot on set or on location? and is it the same as Atlantis episode “Irresponsible”? *memory going…whats my name again?*
at 3:15 pm drusila87 Said:
(B)Hi Joe! How are you!
Well, I must admit I´m so happy, because I´ve discovered that my short NOVEL is one of the 4 finalists of an important prize for students-writers in my country!!
So, I want to share it with one of my favourite writers (you, of course)!!!
I just need some good news about Elizabeth Weir in season 5 to make my day totally perfect!!!(B)
Yes, I said that yesterday. But later, when I was celebrating it with my friends (I was a little drunk), I made some kind of promise to another SGA fan :
If Weir comes back for the season 5 as a regular or as some kind of regular,I´ll dedicate my novel to SGA, to the producers, writers, actors….To all the crew.
I know it is silly, but It is a promise, and the Tekila promises are as valid as the others!
So, I will have to dedicate my novel to SGA???
Because I would like to do it!
bye!
Also, there’s probably already been a spate of people telling you how to do this, but, to turn off snap previews, login to your wordpress account, and open up your Dashboard page. Go into the Presentation tab, and select Extras (third tab from left). Turn off the snap previews everywhere on your site by unticking the box.
Hope this helps.
If you think you have problems with people mixing up the names Paul and Joe, try Paula and Pam. For several years, I was one of two administrators in our division with the other one being Pam. (Obviously).
Pam is petite and blonde haired. I am average and brown haired. We basically became PaulaPam. Two P’s was just too difficult for most brains to process; especially if someone was in a snit.
Hi
The new layout is much better. More professional looking. Funny but it makes it more enjoyable reading your blog. Love Lulu ” Naomi Campbell” fashion sense. She is quite the pug!! You really have such a wide range of authors.. but it’s hard to find an author you like. I just finished rereading “Midnight Tides” By Steven Erikson.. The character Tehol in that book is so lovable , funny strange yet with this quirky edge. His conversation reminds me alot of you.. Any way love that series.. My next will be Joe Abercrombies the 2nd book.. Loved the first one.. By the way A SGA question. Any chance you will be bringing back the “Fran” Character. That would be very interesting.. Take Care
Dori
Angry JackFan writes: “At Avalon convention in November 2006 RDA was asked if he had been invited to return for any future “Stargate” episodes or movies. Richard confessed that he had not yet been approached. He said he would like to return for an appearance, but he added that his relationship with the “Stargate” producers is “very Scandinavian. We don’t talk a lot.” What does that mean? Don’t you want him back? Or is it all in the past and things have mended since then (November 2006)?”
Answer: You’re reading too much into the comment. We don’t talk a lot for the simple reason that he no longer works on the show. I don’t really talk to Don Davis that much and I love the guy. It’s nothing personal.
Thanks for answering. Do you know if there were other plans for Jack than the one where he heads for Washington to command HomeWorld Security? Like retire, die a heroic death sacrificing himself once again to save Earth? I’m asking you this because in The Return Jack says ” O’NEILL: Well, I was planning to retire … (he laughs) … but, man, is that over-rated. I mean, It’s not like I’m a workaholic or anything, but, you know, I like to stay active … with the community. It’s … it’s a health maintenance sort of thing … you know?”
Thanks again for answering
Delighted, I hurried down the hall, unlocked my door, stepped inside to claim the prize and found …nothing. WTF?! Had I been lied to? Robbed? Did the fine folks at Canada Post come back to reclaim their delivery out of spite because it turns out they‘re Sheppard-Weir shippers?
LOL no, we’re not mean. We love, love. Besides, we just came off BAMSR – I think we’re on high right now. Nothing can keep the Sparky spirit down.
Haven’t commented on your blog in a while. I loved BAMSR more that TMC. I think that’s my most favorite episode so far this season, after LL. I have a question for you, does Fondy watch SG1/SGA? Is she interested in sci-fi? Do you ever run ideas past her or reserve it for your work mates?
Have a great day Mr. M.
Joe,
Love the new look / layout. I too, am a big fan of NotThePatriots. Here’s hoping they do well this week. GO NOTTHEPATRIOTS!
A question regarding bloopers: You mention that the actors must sign off on them. How do bloopers differ from final episodes in that aspect? Do the actors have to sign off on episodes as well?
You scared me for a minute! I clicked on the first pic of Lulu immediately, before reading or anything, to find out what was going on with her — from the thumbnail, I’d thought she’d been shaved! (In my defense, I’d just woken up.) But now that I see it’s a sweater, it does look adorable on her!
As for the blog, I do like the new look, but the comments link and the posters’ names are very small and hard to see ….
Thank you for switching off the snapshots! I wish I could turn them off in my livejournal ….
~WolfenM
Nice post, Paul.
I wonder what Joe would think of it?
Interested to see what you make of Name of the Wind, by the way, as commercially Rothfuss seems to have knocked the arse out of me and Lynch put together, at least in the US.
The first picture of LuLu looks like she is just begging for someone to save her from the sweater.
Any news yet on which cast members will be back for Season 5?
Becky
Bonjour,
J’aimerais savoir si le premier téléfilm (Stargate : The Ark Of Truth) va sortir en France?
Merci
Thanks so much for the heads up at josephmallozi.blogspot.com Joe! I never would have found this site otherwise!
New look is nice, but I do miss the snow flakes cascading down the page for winter — at least I think they were snowflakes, but seeing as I read so early in the morning those white dots floating on the screen could have been anything 😛
Question: you wrote yesterday “Answer: It’s very rare we’ll write a script without having an actor commit beforehand.”
What happens if both JoeF and JasonM commit but the actors strike?
-LV
ps- love your “drunken Sheppard,” I think everyone needs one. That and a “neurotic McKay.”
Joe,
Darest I hope that you will provide/bestow/furnish/supply a new batch of on-the-set video grabs once production on S5 begins? Those past little snippets were very enjoyable. Sort of a soft-voyeur-esque journey into the making of SGA!
And I too express thanks for this blog and your keen attention to it. Huzzah!
Hey Joe,
Your musings on Short stories and current novels have me fishing around again for quality reading, and in my travels I stumbled upon this little tidbit–sorry if it is a bit premeditated:
Shelley’s “The Last Man”: In her Journal in May of 1824 Shelley wrote: “The last man! Yes, I may well describe that solitary being’s feelings, feeling myself as the last relic of a beloved race, my companions extinct before me.”
…Shelley’s vision of the future is essentially a reaction against Romanticism and the failure of the movement to solve the problems of the world with art and imagination. This would stand in contrast to earlier English utopian works such as Francis Bacon’s “The New Atlantis,” which reflected the Age of Reason’s belief that science would solve any and all problems.”
So, is it just a coincidence another ‘Atlantis’ is mentioned there, or for those of us eggheads who enjoy the symbolism behind some of the show titles, should we be dusting off our Shelley and Bacon readers in preparation?
And Sheppard/Weir shippers wouldn’t steal your packages. They got to see Weir in Leather in BAMSR! And what flyboy doesn’t like women in leather?
Hi,
Nice new layout, although I have to agree with others who liked the snowflake winter theme. Anyway, is there any chance we’ll either see, or hear mention of, the city-ship from ‘The Tower’ in season 5? Even just to hear its actual name would be good, but to hear that – I don’t know the Daeadlus is harvesting it for spare parts and crystals and what-have-you – would be awesome.
Spoils of War airs tonight in England in ooh, just over 2 and a half hours, so I’m looking forward to that, followed by an hour of CSI, are you a fan of crime/forensics shows like CSI and Bones?
Thanks, have a good evening.
Chris.
Just reading a Robert Rankin novel have you read any of his work and what did you think of it.
Ranger One said:
….all we got was more innuendo and unbelievable dominatrix-style tying up of Sheppard.
Hey don’t knock other people’s hobbies!
What can I say I defuse with humor.
It’s a gift!!!
Pauline
“On January 14, 2008 at 10:26 pm RangerOne Said:
I am just wondering when the strong female leader of a new technologically advanced race is going to show up this season as was promised in the months leading up to it? All I have seen so far is Larrin. A cliched, comedic relief, eye candy of a character that has shown not one bit of leadership skill and only been used to make Sheppard look bad.”
In response to the above, I am not a Larrin fan either, however…
All the other female characters, i.e., Teyla, Sam, Wier, Keller, etc. seem to me to be real people in a fantastic environment. They come across to me as having depth, with real emotions, feelings; I can get involved with their stories. Larrin, on the other hand, is a cartoon character, fun to watch with the dominatrix boots and boobs, but essentially just for fun.
If that little bit of silly sex is needed to appeal to the “key demo” and satisfies some exec’s idea of what a science fiction show should look like, I’ll gladly sit through it to get to the rest of the show, which I love dearly.
love the new look of the blog Joe!!
I’m trying to get into anime, but I know absolutely nothing about it!! Have you got any recommendations for a newbie?
🙂
I just read Fast Forward 1 in four hours! When do I leave the review?
iamza said:
and then, as the realms moved closer, beginning to overlap in single chapters, and finally with the occasional mention of Seth’s name showing up in Hadrian’s POV section of the chapter and vice versa. For me, that added to the sense of urgency, and the building climax.
I couldn’t help but comment on this. I am fascinated that you liked that bit. I hadn’t thought about it as a literary technique to create ‘a sense of urgency’ when reading, which is probably what he was going for and an interesting concept. But I found it threw me out of the book. Editors miss so much these days that it read more like the author messed up which character’s POV he was writing and the editors just never caught it.
Hi Joe
So for my opnion on the layout… I thank you for the larger print and easy on the eyes background colour, I’m visually impared and had a heck of a time reading the old black and white and the really white background… But I love varity so keep up the different options.
The Crooked Letter:
Loved William’s description of the two differnt worlds. I found myself in awe of all the vivid details.
I agree with everyones comments about the lack of substance when it came to the characters, I found they didn’t really pop out against all the other elements which is sad really but I was intrigued enough to give the second book a garunteed look at.
Penny
Joe Abercrombie said:
Nice post, Paul.
I wonder what Joe would think of it?
Thank you for this! Right after I posted my initial comment, I thought to myself, “I should have addressed it to Paul!” Then I thought it’d be stupid to post another comment immediately afterwards doing that, so I didn’t.
I blame it on the rain. ‘Cause the rain don’t mind. [No, I will not admit to owning that cassette…it was my sister’s!!! Honest!!!!]
-Emily
Hi Joe! I was just wondering if Teyla or Ronon had ever been innoculated with the ATA therapy? Did the gene just never ‘take’ with them?
Will Michael be at all different from when we saw him last?
Lulu looks adorable in her new sweater. I get the impression that she doesn’t mind posing for the camera. A forward shot. A side view. I think she knows what she’s doing and loves it. Have you ever considered having her model professionally? I have a feeling she’d be really good at it.
As far as the new look of your blog goes – whatever floats your boat, Joe. I love the new layout; but I also liked what you had before. I’m just happy to be able to talk to you on your blog.
Bonjour Joseph,
Emily said:
«It’s also a relief that you apparently don’t know/assume that I go to your blog every 5 minutes and analyze not only your post, but each and every comment as well. »
Ok, I have to admit, I do the same. But my problem is the English is not my first langage, so I always have my dictionnary with me and sometimes and I really dont understand what the people try to say… But, hé, I told me: «girl if you want be bilingual you have to practice, so dont just watch the parade go away, be the parade !» So here I am, hello people, I write in english now !
Joseph, je vais tout de même t’écrire un peu en français, non mais, je ne laisse pas tomber les gens comme ça moi! Non, non, pas besoin de me remercier, c’est par pur don de soi que je vais continuer à te pratiquer avec ton français ! lol
Morgia
Sweaters on dogs = Third Sign of the Apocalypse. In a handbasket, I tell you, in a handbasket.
Clothes on dogs, not my cuppa, except for my friend’s little sheltie-border collie mix, sweet dog, wears amazingly adorable handmade blaze orange hunting coats when they go up to the ranch so she won’t be mistaken for a coyote and shot.
Anti M
Oops, I just signed that last comment Anti M, didn’t I? Sorry, that’s my burner name, been a lot of traffic on the burner sites today, tomorrow is first day of ticket sales for Burning Man. I have burning on the brain and have been running in excited little circles. I may explode tomorrow, hopefully after I’ve purchased the tickets.
Deliriously conflicted,
MaggieMayDay
Hey Joe!
As you want some inquiries into the new look of your blog, I rather like it! I’m glad that you’re experimenting with various looks and this one makes the blog look very professional (even though the content within isn’t always 😀 ), but it just overall fits. Good choice!
– Enzo Aquarius
Hello Joseph =) Sa va bien?? Moi oui, Je suis fatiguer(et oui encors..^^) mais j’ai passer une bonne journée =). J’ai encors beucoup pensez a vous =)
Merci Pour les photos de notre petite Top Modéle^^. Trop adorable^^!
Le Joepaul?? sa me fait penser a un nom de “ship” lol, jespert que votre relation ne dépasse c’elle du cadre professionel lol XD.
Oh, tient, vous avez supprimer les “Snap” ^^ lol moi j’aimais bien sa!:D
Pitier, Morgia continu a parlais francais! Soyons solidaire!! ^^
Question:
humm..pas motivé..je tout façon je ne pense pas encors avoir de réponse.
Bon aller Gros poutou♥♥♥Je vous adore fort! Bonne journée?soirée?nuit? Merci,a demain!!
I like the new blog layout! 🙂
Am just back from Vancouver. We had a really enjoyable trip and even managed to swing by Bridge Studios, although it was at night so I’m not sure that the pictures are going to come out well.
Thanks again for mentioning the Buddhist temple in Richmond, we managed to go on a dry morning and it was absolutely spectacular.
Mary
Bangs head.. I left a comment on your back up blog about The Crooked Letter.
Let’s see high points of what I said – I’m still working my way through the book. The past few weeks have been crazy busy suffice to say I’m only 1/5 of the way through the book.
At this point I’m intrigued with Williams use of different religions in his world but I’m not invested in the twins’ journey. By this point in the book (over 100 pages) I would hope that I would have a better feel for the world and where Williams is going.
I am glad to have this book added into my mix of reading and I will finish the book if only to find out where Ellie and everyone else disappeared.
Who knows maybe I’ll love the book and work my way through Williams other series that touches this one.
Personally I like the “dominatrix-style tying up of Sheppard for no explainable reason.” Can we get more of that?
Hi Joe!
Today you´ve said:
“Did the fine folks at Canada Post come back to reclaim their delivery out of spite because it turns out they‘re Sheppard-Weir shippers?”
If, in fact, they are Weir-Shepard shippers, why would they do that??
Do you think that the Sheppard-Weir shippers have to be angry??
P.D: Lulu looks fantastic in her new sweater!
Whoa my question was answered 🙂 Cool! I wanted to thank you for your Joe Abercrombie recommendation. I’m nearly through with The Blade Itself and I’m loving it! Glokta is a character that you just can’t help but like!
I’ll add another question just cause it went so well the last time. I’m an American currently living in Germany. I was wondering what you thought of German cuisine and if you had a favorite dish?
and I think your blog looks nice.
Hey Joe,
I hope you’re doing better that I am – which shouldn’t be too hard since I’m laying low with a lovely, lovely flu. Tylenol is my best-est friend.
I wanted to inform you of a website I’ve found.
http://www.practicallyedible.com
I especially love the food calendar, though it’s still set with last year’s dates (so things like Easter and mother’s day are a bit off) and I don’t know how reliable this guy’s sources are, but it is fun for food lovers.
Waouh nice design !
Question for your dogs : Are they afraid by the Wraith ?
And it will be funny to see your dogs with Atlantis uniform…one Sheppard, one Ronon, one McKay !^^
Hi Joe,
Wanted to leave my two cents on your blog layout. Looks great. Easy on the eyes, and as always, light on the heart!
Comment to Morgia: I don’t know French, but I always enjoy reading your commments (and the others) to see if I can figure out what you’re trying to say! 🙂 Had some Spanish and Latin a looong time ago, which helps somewhat. Thanks Joe, for your translations when you answer a comment in French.
Very much enjoying this season. I do agree with those fans who aren’t happy with Larrin. I think her character is a bit lacking. Hoping for better things to come.
Just another thought, Joe. In past seasons, I just watched each episode and enjoyed it as is. This year, since I discovered your blog, I have taped each episode, whether watching it live or not. I have found so much more enjoyment watching it a second or even third time, especially after getting so much feedback and insight from your blog. Wanted to say thanks for providing another forum to gain so much enjoyment from one tiny little hour! 🙂
Happy Daze!
Patty O
Think of the mix-ups between yourself and Paul as the Universes way of saying that you should indulge in that identity theft/credit card fraud venture you always wanted to dabble in.
Fantastic news about the extended bloopers! I love those to bits and I’d like to thank the actors for being incompetent and unable to do their jobs properly. Hopefully they’ll all sign off, and if not, we’ll know who the killjoys are. *shakes head sadly*
The new layout gets the thumbs up and an elbow for good measure.
They had an article (a really tiny one) about Stargate Atlantis in the TV Guide. Here it is:
STARGATE ATLANTIS
(Fridays, 10/9c, Sci Fi Channel)
Bloody battles, romance and global warming heat up Season 4. First off, for those who’ve wondered whether Stargate SG-1’sTeal’c (Chris Judge) or Atlantis’ Ronon (Jason Momoa) would win a fight, the stoic alien stops by for a visit. “We essentially set up a sparring match between them,” explains executive producer Joe Mallozzi, “though they’ll have to put their animosity aside to take some down Wraith.” Paul McGillion’s popular Dr. Beckett is resurrected from the dead in a two-parter, while vengeful Wraith Michael (Connor Trinneer) wreaks havoc with his Wraith-human hybrid experiments. And we’ll finally peek into the past of Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) when his ex-wife shows up. But all this could change if the “It’s a Wonderful Life” cliff-hanger finale holds true. Through a time anomaly, Sheppard winds up 10,000 years in the future and finds both a solar-blasted Earth and a hologram of Dr. McKay (David Hewlett), which lets him know how life changed after he went missing on a mission. – IR
Sounds good. I like the Wonderful Life movie but my sister doesn’t so we’ll be arguing about that.
Emily said:
…does it make you uncomfortable to know the editor will read your thoughts on it? Will you censor your critique (if you dislike it, that is), or do you not really care?
Oh, I hope not. Intelligent, honest opinions always valuable. And with an anthology, the expectation is that some stories will work for each reader and some won’t. My personal metric for anthologies is that I consider them a success if I like over 50% of the contents, and I find even the ones I dislike valuable, as I’m learning about 16 or so different writers without having to read 16 novels! Besides, we’re none of us more than a Google Alert away from each other!
Thank you so much for turning off the Snap Preview. I appreciate it.
Since you didn’t like my last contest idea, I’ve come up with another one: the winner gets his/her name — not a walk-on role; just the name — used for an off-camera character on the show. So if I won, McKay might say something like “Dr. Teldy’s heading up the group that’ll…” or Sheppard could say “Capt. Teldy’s team on Mxxxx ran in to some trouble.” If you can use the full name, all the better.
Doable?
Anne Teldy (who thanks everyone who “signed” their comments with their names/usernames.)
I love the new blog design!
A quickly question:
Will the replicators appear in the season 5??
If the answer is yes, that means Torri will apear too?? Or she will have another story arc?
Thanks!
Instead of ‘JoePaul’, can it be ‘Poe’? It’s catchier, more puckish and would fit much easier on any prospective comedy costumes…
when i was watching the season 10 commentary i noticed there wasent any for ‘bad guy’ and the same with season 3 of atlantis ‘the real world’ but all the other episodes on the dvds have them i was very upset by that as thats one of the main reasons i love the DVDs so much, why wasent them 2 episodes done?
We where up 10,000 votes now trail 53,000 so if you have not vote yet or even if you have carry on voting for SGA at http://www.tv.com/special_feature/best-of-2007/genre/index.html?page=6
Dang nab it! I guess I got sucked into this blog too late! Well Mr. Donaldson has many more titles to choose from. HeHe. Okay how about Tad Williams? Have you read Otherland? Sci/Fi Fantasy but not your typical book, the series is a great read.
If there was ever a show that should be enjoyed in HD, Atlantis is it. I totally second that comment! I’m in my first semester at college, and it was such a nice change over the holidays to go from watching Atlantis on my 13-inch MacBook to watching Atlantis on my family’s brand-new HDTV. It was basically the only thing I could think of to make the SGA experience more magical (except for perhaps adding unicorns… they’re pretty magical :-P).
And why NotThePatriots?