First off, allow me to welcome and respond to two new readers to this blog, both of whom posted comments in response to yesterday’s entry.
Sherry Harris writes: “Brian’s mom here, Mr. Mallozzi! Thank you so much for the compliments. I am extremely proud of my son, he is not only very talented and smart, but kind and humble as well. Thank you for the reassurance that he is being well taken care of, that helps. I cannot wait to get to Vancouver to see Brian, to visit the set and meet everyone. I am hoping to meet your pugs as well, I love dogs almost as much as Brian does.
I look forward to reading your blog every night. And I admit I glance through to see if there is any news of my son first!
Thank you again!”
Your son is, indeed, all of the above. Monday saw him delivering a tough and very emotional performance that he nailed not once, not twice, but five times, every one as strong as the one before. After the fifth take, I glanced over at Exec. Producer Rob Cooper who was looking back at me with a knowing smile, well aware of exactly what I was going to say: “He‘s great!” A wide-eyed Exec. Producer Carl, sitting to my left, concurred with an enthusiastic nod. I predict a long and successful career ahead of him.
One of the things that first struck me about Brian was (and continues to be) his genuine enthusiasm for his work. On the day of his costume fitting, he swung by the writers’ room for a quick chat. We pitched him out a little more of his character backstory in addition to some of the little surprises we had in store for Lieutenant Scott. Well, his eyes lit up as if we’d just presented him with the keys to a brand new sports car. Much along the same lines – whenever he’s on set, you’ll be hardpressed to find him without a smile on his face.
Which, of course, you’ll see for yourself when you do come visit. And, yes, the pugs (and frenchie) look forward to meeting you as well.
Richard Blue writes: “Thanks for the hello. I read your comments religiously. I can’t seem to get enough info on David. I am so proud of what he’s done and is doing.
Your dogs are adorable. We have two Black Labs who run our house.
Keep up the great work! We can’t wait until October!”
Hey, Richard, your comment found me by way of the good people at the SG-1 Solutions Livejournal page (http://community.livejournal.com/sg1_solutions/– your one-stop-shop for all your Stargate needs) who were kind enough to forward me your message. Pleased to hear you’re braving all the dog pics, restaurant reviews, and my occasional meandering rants to get the update on your son. Well, I’m happy to report that David is doing a wonderful job as our Eli Wallace (kicking off production with some terrific scenes opposite Robert Carlyle) and seems to be having a good time doing it. He’s a very funny guy and a real pleasure to talk to on set. Although I wasn’t on set today to see it, Carl reports that he was hilarious in the big mess scene.
It’s also nice to know that he is a big t.v. buff and includes Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis among some of his past favorites. In fact, yesterday, he told me that, for fun, he actually considered posting a question to Amanda for her upcoming Q&A with us. I informed him that, in the coming months, it would be his turn to get overwhelmed by fan comments and queries when he eventually comes by to do his blog Q&A.
And, hey, if the black labs who run your house let you out for a while, do try to get up here and visit.
Moving on to some Infoquake discussion –
Kathy H. writes: “I agree with you, Joe, it does make Natch out to be a whiny anti-hero, but I liked the devious way he dealt with the bullies in the hive. But not the bit with the bear. We think he’s going to be a hero then he does something truly evil.”
Answer: Yeah, I guess that was the incident that really cemented my perception of Natch. Up to that point, he’d been an interesting, flawed character – but the attempted murder of his biggest rival (even though it was an impulsive act) struck me as, quite literally, overkill. Maybe if Brone had escaped unscathed the encounter unscathed, I may have been more forgiving and ultimately dismiss it as a frightening but ultimately humorous turn of events, but the fact that he ended up maimed made it impossible for me to muster much sympathy for Natch.
Thornyrose writes: “Among the things that appealed, were the collapsing/expanding buildings, the multivaried programs utilized by the nanites/OCHRES to affect desired changes in the users’ physicological and mental processes, the distribution of power through the various organizations, and the concept of government as a consumer choice.”
Answer: Agreed. Edelman does a masterful job of imagining a future tech-based society unlike any other, from its fragmented governments to its ridiculous to sublime bio-altering applications (Poker Face 84.3b being my personal favorite).
Charlie’s Angel writes: “ My favorite character was Quell — interesting that he was the expert on the multireal technology, even though as an Islander he was essentially off the grid. He had about a dozen bio/logic programs loaded personally, versus thousands for everyone else.”
Answer: It’s funny you should say that because he was my favorite as well. I hear we’ll be seeing a lot more of the Islander in the next two installments.
Anne Teldy writes: “Background elements — collapsible buildings, government of choice, etc. — were kept in the background and didn’t try to take over the story. That said, I’d love to know more about some of them.”
Answer: To his credit, the author could have really focused more on the very complex backstory and world, but elected to tell us just enough to give us a basic understanding of the setting. Still, some might argue that this still entailed a significant amount of exposition, but I thought Edelman did a very good job of offering a nicely balanced narrative. And the glossary at book’s end was also a great idea.
Fsmn36 writes: “While I agree Natch was ambitious, selfish, and slightly cruel, I think the reason a lot of people may find him not so endearing is merely because they see themselves in him.”
Answer: No! That’s…oh, um…well, maybe a little. Although I’d never stoop as low as siccing a bear on someone. A pack of wolverines, maybe.
Fsmn36 also writes: “Then there’s Brone. I am intrigued to see just how this new and odd relationship between him and Natch will work out. Is Brone really just investing in a good product, or is he after something?”
Answer: Now he is a fascinating character. I don’t know. Could you eventually forgive someone for feeding your arm to a bear? I’ve not forgiven far less.
Sorrykb writes: “The ending also left me wondering about the potential consequences of the MultiReal technology, and whether something that allows a user to see the outcomes of each choice could in fact lead to a sort of societal paralysis, since the outcome of each choice leads you to another choice which leads to another series of possible outcomes… and so on.”
Answer: An intriguing quandary because, as you point out, life is fraught with setbacks. And yet, would it actually be better if an individual could rely on the best-case outcome in all cases? My guess would be no.
Iamza writes: “Though, I do kind of want to read the prequel to this trilogy now, in which the story of the falling spacestation is told in more detail. Can you imagine being stuck on that station, knowing it was falling to Earth, and knowing there was nothing you could do to prevent it?”
Answer: I LOVE this idea and agree that it would make a terrific prequel.
Iamza also writes: “ I’m not so sure I really understand MultiReal. As outlined by Margaret, it sounds kind of great–a chance to have things turn out exactly as you wanted. But what happens when the batter wants to hit a six and the bowler wants to get his tenth wicket for no runs (hah, take that, baseball analogies! Give me cricket any day of the week).”
Answer: Hey, that’s another interesting dilemma. Who WOULD win out? My guess is the most determined.
Drldeboer writes: “ After a rough start choking on ChaiQuoke (LOL! I imagined tea-flavored Coke aggh ok choking because I wasn’t getting the technology and frankly, fictional books about business bore me) I flipped to the Appendix and read all that before going to section 2. It helped a lot…”
Answer: Interesting. There were instances where I was confused early on. I wonder whether I’d have been better served by skipping to the appendices and learning all the terminology first? Did anyone else adopt this approach to the book?
Sylvia writes: “Have to wonder – how private were the confidential whispers.”
Answer: Yeah, I’m thinking about as confidential as private emails. In other words – not very.
Well, by early Monday morning (the deadline for those questions to Amanda Tapping) I ended up with approximately 18 pages worth. Since it’s likely that she has plans between now and early 2010, I trimmed the list down to a far more manageable 7 pages and sent them her way.
18 pages? The eyes boggle. People love her, with good reason.
I was at a Stargate convention this weekend, and I managed to meet several people from SG-1 and Atlantis. Colin Cunningham has got to be, hands down, the most enthusiastic person I’ve ever met. And, Joe, you might have been mentioned in passing in one of talks…
@ Richard Blue – Hello, David’s dad! Looking forward to ‘meeting’ your son, too, when the show airs! *waves*
So, Joe…were those of us who ‘meandered’ cut from the Q&A list? 😛 I wouldn’t blame ya…I’ve always been very bad at following instructions.
Anyway, have a nice evening! And no siccing a pack of wolverines on anyone, k? 😉
das
VERY excited to read amanda’s answers!! 😀
~tell her to hurry up, because, you know, i’m waiting here!~ 😛
NASA is asking the public to choose the name for Node 3 of the International Space Station, unfortunately we don’t have a Stargate name to vote but we can vote on the name Serenity and like we all are sci-fi fans I think we can vote on that name because I guess we all loved that show as well.
Or we can all agree to type in the box of sugestion a Stargate name like for example SGC.
http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/name_ISS/index.html
I don’t know yet how to use correct on or in but I’m learnig english fast I think.
Never forget I’m the guy from Jupiter.
For those interested, the casting news on the ladies it now out!
‘Smallville’ alums join cast
Feb 24, 2009, 07:59 PM | by Michael Ausiello
Sci Fi Channel’s newest Stargate incarnation has added two more crew members.
ER vet Ming-Na and Smallville grad Elyse Levesque have come aboard Stargate Universe, sources confirm to me exclusively. The pair join previously announced recruits Robert Carlyle, Justin Louis, David Blue, Jamil Walker Smith and Brian J. Smith.
Ming-Na will play Camille Wray, an HR bigwig and the highest-ranking survivor. Levesque, meanwhile, stars as Chloe Armstrong, the wild and immature daughter of a U.S. Senator.
http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/02/stargate-exclus.html
@ Shadow Step – Thanks! I’m getting there…I hope this cold is the last of it. If it isn’t, I’m gonna find myself a new doctor.
@ shiningwit – Got me nap! 😀
@ Chev – Yeah, so said about the wildlife that will be lost because of all of this. Of course, we always think first about the human lives, and even the domestic animals, affected…but it is really sobering when you take into consideration ALL the life that is destroyed. Did they ever find out if anyone else was responsible for starting the fires (I heard one person was arrested)?
das
Hi Joe:
While you guys are busy writing episodes for Universe, would you please consider including a person with a disability in your story? I’ve worked with people with disabilities for almost 20 years and have many friends with disabilities. One of my very good friends has a guide dog named Cyder, a black lab with a most wonderful personality. People with disabilities are very sadly underrepresented on TV. There are lots of disabilities that can be easily represented on a show. It is quite remarkable how well people with disabilities have learned to function just as well as anyone else in their communities. They have fascinating stories to tell, like any able bodied person does.
Patricia (AG)
Eduardo : Well I thought I help the browncoats out. So I voted serenity, seem like you lot are wiping the floor against the other names through.
Through I was tempted to vote Enterprise or Death star.
Joe I would like to congratulate you in casting two very fine females actresses about time, Ming-Na who seem like she done a bit of everything through I have to go and watch Push now, damn you cost me a tenner if it still at the cinema.
Elyse Levesque, does not look like she been seen much or been in anything great but that just mean you a great canvas to build on. She certainly looks smoking hot , through not necessary innocent and naive looking that I was expecting you to go with but may be that just the photos I seen of her.
I haven’t read a lot of scifi over the last few months, but Infoquake was the perfect book to get me back into the genre fast. If anything I’m now concerned that my standards for science fiction novels might be a little too high. Edelman creates an amazingly real world for us to explore, with complex, funny and frustrating characters to match.
I hit the ground running with the book and found a reality where the world was just one part of the bigger (much bigger) picture, where reliance on technological advancement far surpasses what we have now, but is not so unbelievable. Ironically, with my phone line and internet down I found I could really sympathise with the boys during Initiation, despite their whingeing. We already draw so much from technology that it was easy to suspend my disbelief (in fact disbelief never came into it for the world Edelman creates).
I particularly liked the history he created, especially the Autonomous Revolt, which seems to have instilled in the people a fear of losing technology and creates a rich tension between moving forward with advancements and treading with a bit of caution (Jara springs to mind as a good example, but her hesitation was always tied to morals too).
Then there’s characters. By far Quell was the most interesting to me, from the very first moment Natch encountered him I was fascinated. Who knew someone so serious and committed to his cause could also be one of the funniest characters? Well, I thought he was funny anyway, probably because of his straight-faced statements (not assisted by Poker Face 84.3b I might add).
Quell also represents a part of the society that is not as dependent on technology, but has been restricted by everyone else. It’s an interesting contrast to the rest of the characters and I think that’s part of what makes him such a great part of the story.
I have to say Jara annoyed me for the most part. Her internal fight over her work and attraction to Natch sounded just a little juvenile to me. At times it was an interesting dynamic, like during the meeting between Natch and his work team after the announcement of MultiReal (when she gets angry at him), but at the start of the book I found her very annoying. The fleshing out that occurred during the back-story of how she came to work for Natch was helpful though.
I would have liked to hear a bit more from Horvil, who seems like a really interesting character. I wanted to see him get out of his comfort zone a little and try to adapt to a new situation. But I guess there’s more books to come where that’s possible.
As for Natch, I can’t help but take a place in the Natch anti-hero discussion. Like a few people, I thought the bear incident was a bit over the top, and I found his resentment of being labelled in a somewhat negative light afterwards pretty annoying. But once Brone was reintroduced into the equation I got interested again, enough to have a little sympathy for Natch.
His actions were extreme, but then he doesn’t seem to have a desire to atone for them, still he goes into business (of sorts) with Brone. That is intriguing, and in a way I don’t want to feel sympathy for him. I want Natch to be the guy I love to hate, but in a way that creates some sort of sympathy because you never want those guys to die or anything.
And in response to your question about the appendices Joe, I actually found that I didn’t really need to look at it because I found that every little detail added to the reality of the book as it was written. I actually wanted to avoid the appendices for fear it would affect my interpretation of things in the book as I was reading it. But I found that after finishing, the appendices were an interesting aside that added to the things I’d imagined. I guess I’m someone who likes to have as much detail as possible, but not necessarily have every single piece of that detail spelled out for me.
Questions for David Louis Edelman…
What process, if any, did you go through to create the world/reality in Infoquake?
Do you have a favourite character?
I really liked the idea of multi link and I thought it was interesting that teleportation was mentioned but not really used because of the expense. Can we expect to see more glitches/complications with multi link technology (like the “infoquake”) in the trilogy?
The inclusion of appendices has sparked a bit of discussion and I’m wondering how you approach appendices as a reader. Do you read the appendices as you start, while you’re reading or at the end of a story? Or does it depend on the book?
Thanks!
Amz/Amy
Ah, my other comment is languishing in moderation, but the full casting news is now up at Hollywood Reporter. Lou diamond Philips too!
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i03e9df1ef7d2112b7755168dec9c026e
@Richard Blue and Sherry Harris: Hello and welcome! Very cool to have the parents on here! Congrats to both of you for your very talented children 🙂
Hey Joe, just stopping by to say hi…have a good night!
I just read on Gateworld about the cast. I got really excited to learn that Ming-Na will be a part of the show! Great news!
Bendis is blabbing all over Jinxworld!
Lou Diamond Phillips? Ming-Na, Elyse Levesque and Alaina Huffman?
Curiouser and curiouser…
das
Iamaza wrote: “But what happens when the batter wants to hit a six and the bowler wants to get his tenth wicket for no runs (hah, take that, baseball analogies! Give me cricket any day of the week).” My take on the situation is that the Multireal would provide EACH participant with the optimal outcome, thus the batter scores and the bowler gets his scoreless wicket. The great thing about this book is that I’m still mulling over the potential of Multireal, good and bad, well after having finished the book. I’m really looking forward to the answers.
Congratulations to Sherry Harris and Richard Blue on having turned out some fine actors to enrich the new franchise.
JM, you get the moms’ vote for sure. Whatever you’re running for, I’ll vote for you after reading all the nice things you said about Brian to his mom! And then nice stuff for David’s dad, too? I’m sold.
My son is a Brian, too, by the way. He’ll never be an actor, but I’ve made it clear I expect him to be very rich, because I’ve earned a beach house, darn it! He just nodded and asked, “Which coast?” Good answer!
It is a honor to hear from both Brian’s mom and David’s dad. Can’t wait to watch both your boys on Universe this fall!!!
Hi Joe!
Waiting to read all of the Infoquake comments til I’m done. I’m about 1/3 way through and am loving it! I even have been marking pages along the way when I encounter thoughts or plot points that interest me.
Gotta read a bit more before going to bed. All the best!
eddy
Joe – ya just gotta watch this video! The audio is terrible, but you have to wait for the camera to pan over to the ‘audience’… 😆
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_39DMM7Rh0
😆
das
I don’t have to brave the dog pics, restaurant reviews, and occasional meanderings, I enjoy it all.
I’m glad you’re enjoying David’s sense of humor, sometimes we can barely breathe when he gets us going.
I’m also happy to see that you’re happy with his acting. I look forward to seeing what challenges are presented to him in the series.
We are trying to get up there as soon as we can. Unfortunately our male Lab(Buddy, 3 and a half) has Lymphoma, and is undergoing chemo-therapy. We don’t want to leave him until he is through with this round of treatments, and we know he is stable.
Then we can see you all and try some of those restaurants you talk about.
Can’t wait to see you all.
Richard Blue
David; A Node called Death Star would be great !!
Imagine: Where do you work?
In a Death Star.
Who is your boss?
Lord Vader, oops, I’m sorry I mean Doctor …
Oh, darn, I missed the chance to query Amanda. Just tell her that the Spanish interpreter from Gatecon 04 sends her best.
Getting down to the wire for the eighth! Chimaeracon. Coming together well, considering that we started later than planned.
And seconding Patricia re “disabled” characters. I think a Deaf character would be interesting.
Note: the Deaf community does not refer to themselves as “disabled”.
How cool!!!
Welcome to Sherry Harris and Richard Blue joining the Mallozzi Bog!!.
Joe by approving gossip links are you in fact confirming the casting rumors? YES!I love Ming-Na.
@Richard Blue: Welcome… thanks for stopping by! Hope Buddy gets better soon… I’ll be praying for him!
I’m glad the studio finally decided to announce the full cast, and here is my [excited] first reaction:
Ming-Na? Lou Diamond Phillips? That’s HUGE!!! Wow, good on you! I don’t understand why they weren’t the big names announced!!!! Not that Robert Carlyle isn’t awesome, but… Ming-Na! Lou Diamond Phillips! Sorry to go all fan-girl crazy, but I’m a huge fan of LDP’s work on NUMB3RS and Ming-Na’s work in Mulan and ER!!! So psyched now… more so than I was yesterday, and I was pretty psyched yesterday!
Seriously getting so excited about SGU that I might go crazy waiting for October!!! Please, pretty please, PTB, can you let Joe show us pictures before then??? Say… now that there’s no more casting secrets, d’you think they’ll let you post them soon?
So now that I’m all excited about the entire cast, you’re not gonna go killing them all off, are you? I was just rewatching the first two seasons of LOST with one of my friends who had never seen them before, and she was positively appalled at the number of deaths! I *hate* falling in love with a character, only to have him (and now, her) die!!!
Was gonna ask for the fanmail address, but see Morjana’s already given it here. So thanks Morjana!!!
So you’re telling me you didn’t watch the best Oscars I can ever remember watching…ever??? I’ll never miss an oppertunity to watch Hugh Jackman prancing around stage…it was awesome.
When are we giving you the questions for Mark Ferrari??
Oh, and completely excited to have Ming-Na on the show…Been an ER fan since Season 1…
To Artic Goddess: I have a son with severe autism, and I always thought some of McKay’s mannerisms, and his total lack of social skills could be representative of a person with high functioning Asperger’s syndrome, and he could have a savant skill in mathematics. You guys should check out the twice cancelled show Jericho. You can watch episodes on YouTube. (They are about to enter a movie deal so it’s not quite dead yet). They have an actress on there who is deaf. They weren’t looking for a character who was deaf, but rather, they loved the actress and she just happened to be deaf. Since my son uses sign language to communicate in a limited fashion, it was awesome watching. Link to Jericho on YouTube: http://tinyurl.com/8nenu6
Alright. Got hijacked for a couple of … 30 minutes while researching this David Blue guy. Watched a few Ugly Betty clips and a couple of interviews.
And if my hypothesis is right on actor’s named David, he just might be really darn good.
And, interestingly enough, this brings me to a MAILBAG QUESTION. If you care to answer it.
David played an openly gay man in Ugly Betty, which definitely deepens my respect for his openness to roles and reminds me of my question I had for you.
Is there any chance that we’ll see an openly homosexual character in the upcoming Stargate: Universe? You had talked about having, at one point, a mention of one of the characters in SGA being gay. That sort of gives me hope that perhaps you’ll have a gay character in SG:U. So…yes? No? *fingers crossed*
Hi, Joe.
Fantastic casting news tonight. Lou Diamond Phillips is always a good watch.
Best wishes!
coucou Joseph =)
Vous allez bien? moi oui mais cette semaine sera bien charger car il faut que je finisse mon rapport de stage et mes devoirs.
Ces é personnes on l’aire trés gentil en tout cas =)
Passez une bonne journée! Bisou Bisou
@Eduardo,
for the naming the nasa station thing I didnt vote for serenity because i dont like the name its tame. i tryed thinking of a stargate one but sadly theres nothing in stargate that suggests peace and harmony lol so i suggested my own name, DUNEKNIGHT! just kidding…. i wrote SALVATION — because i think it represents the reasons for our quest in space, which will one day bring peace to our people.
okay wait i got a stargate name for nasa! ASCENSION –its abit holistic but its worth suggesting.
Hi Mr M!
Well, as usual, the blog just gets better and better!! Where else can you find, not just the stars of a TV show…but also their parents?!
@ Mr Richard Blue and Ms Sherry Harris:
Again, a “Welcome, Hello and…. I hope you brought muffiins” to you!
As a Stargate fan for many years, I watched all the comings and goings of my heroes over the years from my armchair here in Ireland, and finally took my courage in my hands and flew over to Vancouver to see the sets and attend a convention (April 2008). I was not disappointed.
I was one of the lucky fans who enjoyed dinner at Fuel with Mr M and Marty G., toured the sets of the SGC and visited Atlantis, and by pure chance attended the Continuum Screening with……SG1. Throughout all of the above, I noticed a sincere and genuine friendship and warmth, not just from the cast and crew, but from the fans. Your boys will learn that Stargate fans are amongst the most loyal, intelligent and warm people on the face of the planet. They are also generous and civic spirited (as can be seen by the recent Amanda Tapping Auction!)
I look forward to seeing this new series and wish them both the very best, in what I consider to be some of the best television production I’ve ever seen.
Best to all
Shirt’n’n’Tie
Hello Mr.Malozzi!
Wow, 18 pages for Amanda! I suspected she will have questions enough so I backed off from adding mine as well. She is so loved by fans, no wonder, beauty outside and inside is so rare … 🙂
Oh, this blog is now like a family reunion for cast family members 🙂
Mr.Blue @ Mrs.Harris – welcome! 🙂 I wish you to get only the compliments on your childrens’ work on the show. They are part of something really big now and, speaking for myself, am very curious about the result.:)
PS: Thanks for another dose of the gorgeous dog pics! Adorable … never enough of Lulu *lol*
OMG! nice female cast there! but is Lou Diamond Phillips going to be a regular or is he just a guest?
and Elyse Levesque looks interesting.
Wait… Lou Diamond Phillips??? what did I say about the actometer? 🙂 glad I can now complete my SGU cast research.
Infoquake, I was really grateful for the Appendix (glossary, history) because without it, I don’t think I would’ve finished the book, there was too much stuff to get a handle on. I was also grateful that there were no footnotes, which immensely annoy me- I find them too distracting and prefer supplemental info to be in the back.
I think it’s interesting that Quell the Islander was our fave character, glad to hear he gets a bigger part in the next books which I definitely will be reading.
To Richard Blue: I really enjoyed David’s character & performance in the series Moonlight, and can’t wait to see his character in Universe.
DD
@Richard Blue: I know all too well about having a sick dog (one of mine has epilepsy which basically keeps me home most of the time), so nothing but good wishes coming to Buddy from all of us 🙂
Love the Blog, cannot wait for October. Thanks to Mr. Malozzi and all of you for the kind words.
I just know you are all going to love my son, he is handsome, but more than that very kind. We are thankful to God for the blessing of this opportunity, and Brian will give it nothing but his best.
I am an avid reader, I plan to join your BOTM club.
Cheers!
Oh, I am ready for pictures, now that the announcements have been made. I feel sure the rest of this blog community would agree.
Just read the recent casting news on “Universe”. Is Lou Diamond Phillips going to be killed off within 3 episodes, as the rumor suggests, or is he going to be a reg?
Also, glad to see this isn’t a cast of 20-somethings as first reported. Good to see you folks have hired a wonderful 40ish young lady named Ming Na. There is hope for you yet!
Can’t wait for Amanda’s answers to the 7 pages of questions! Should be a long blog!
Ming Na & Elyse Levesque for SGU – yeah we have some of the ladies names…
Yay, we’re getting two new Stargate shows!!!
Hey Joe,
This is directly from SciFi’s website:
http://www.scifi.com/schedulebot/index.php3
Any hints on the casting of Stargate Enterprise?
Joe,
Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello is reporting that Lou Diamond Phillips has “previously” been announced as a member of Universe? WTF? Did we all miss something, or is he just being an Aushole?
[url]http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/02/stargate-exclus.html?xid=rss-ausiellofiles-%27Stargate%27+exclusive%3A+%27ER%2C%27+%27Smallville%27+alums+join+cast[/url]
Sorry for the url tags. I f’d up. =)
duneknight,
the Nasa’s poll let us give one vote each day. So let’s vote ASCENSION to try put a stargate name on the top 10 sugestions.
The cast is relly tempting !!
each day I stay more excited to watch SGU !!!!
Really? Your very favourite Wahlberg movie is The Big Hit? Not The Departed or Three Kings or Boogie Nights?
Anyways, Lou Diamond Phillips was the bomb in Stand and Deliver. Looking forward to seeing what he brings to Universe.
Dear Joe,
Is it a good time now to ask you on details regarding the Space ship Destiny? You know just the basic size really… is it comparable to a Daedalus class or maybe bigger in the likes of an Aurora Class or just simply grandeous of the likes of an Atlantis City Ship or A hive ship?
Thanks
In regards to the NASA vote. I casted my vote as ASCENSION.
Looking forward to the new series SGU and the SG1/SGA movies.
Serenity is a good name to vote for but I voted for Atlantis. 🙂
Hello Joe!
I discovered on IMDB that Jamil’s father is Phil Morris. He was one of my favorite in the Mission : Impossible series. Is there any chance to see them together in SG:U as father and son?
Ákos
@suziesbluefeather
Joe by approving gossip links are you in fact confirming the casting rumors? YES!I love Ming-Na.
————————–
Heh, last I saw, the Hollywood Reporter was not a gossip link 😉
@ DAS
Yes, Andy Robinson is a wonderful actor!! All that LAMDA training! AND is JUST as great in person! Although it’s been a few years since we’ve seen each other, I am proud to be an acquaintance. He and his wife are both really lovely people.
As well, Andy lectures at USC. And I believe may still be involved at the MATRIX Theatre in L.A….
BTW, Joe… I really wouldn’t mind seeing him on the small screen again… The man does spend a lot of time in France and could probably hold his own talking “food” with you…
Yikes! Looks like I am way behind on the book discussion this week. Well, here goes anyway:
I had mixed feelings about this book, liked some things but not crazy about others. I haven’t read the next book and I don’t know anything about the author, so my impressions are based solely on Infoquake.
The premise of “Infoquake” was very interesting, and at the start, quite engaging. I liked the idea of a post apocalyptic society where computer technology and nanobots reigned supreme. And the way society had shifted to the virtual over the real was intriguing and quite plausible, though I did find the social isolation of the people depressing in the extreme. I liked the Appendices. I was a bit disappointed that the ending just kind of left me hanging. It felt … incomplete.
As for the characters: here is where I ran into some trouble. I’m not really a computer geek, but have a lot of friends and acquaintances who are. I was fully prepared to like Natch and his apprentices, but the more I saw of them, the less I cared about them. I loved the Islanders and their rejection of the virtual excesses embraced by the rest of the world. Quell was by far my favorite character. Brone is another interesting character. On the other hand, I found Natch immature, greedy, self-centered and amoral (and I don’t see any of myself in Natch!). I felt a bit sorry for him at the start but the incident during his initiation pretty much killed any sympathy I had. Then I kept waiting for him to mature or at least show some concern for someone other than himself. Perhaps this is intentional and I have to wait for the next book for character development. Yeah, he’s a genius, but he has no social skills and I can’t help but wonder why his apprentices are still with him. Horvil seemed like a fairly normal, if geeky, guy and provided a useful “internal control” for comparison with the warped individuals around him like Natch and Margaret. I wasn’t that impressed with Jara. I think her obsessive attraction with Natch detracted from her otherwise competent character, but again, maybe this is intentional and is meant to show us that the head cannot dictate to the heart.
I’ve got to tell you that I think the Multiverse is a seriously bad idea and has the potential to bring society to a screeching halt. Individuals and corporations would likely be paralyzed by trying to pit the variations of a give event that are most favorable to them against others attempting the same thing. Anime geek alert: It made me think of Gundam Wing and Hero fighting Zechs and having their evenly matched Zero Systems overload and freeze up. I find myself squarely on the side of the shady characters trying to sabotage the development of Multiverse. The only people likely to survive would be the Islanders.
I’ll likely pick up “Multiverse” at the library some time, especially since Joe hinted that the Islanders will play an increasing role in the future.
Questions:
Most of my questions have already been asked by others. But I am curious about the quote: “Hack the body and the mind will follow.” What is it supposed to mean? Does it refer to the pervasive nanobots or the insidious “Black Code” currently residing in Natch or something else entirely? Can you explain or do I just need to read the next book?
Thank you so much for the welcome to Joe’s website, for your comments on David, and for your prayers and comments on my dog Buddy. I appreciate them all.
Richard & Eileen Blue
Can’t wait for the awesomeness that is Amanda and Ming Na well I might just have to check it out now. Also Lou Diamond Phillips great choice as well maybe Universe won’t be so bad.
Mom made it through knee surgery with flying colors! Woo! I am, however, still sick. Boo!
@ Ganymede – Thanks! I never even realized Andy was Garak in DS9 – loved that character! If you ever run into him again, please tell him how great his performance was in Dirty Harry – he was the original ‘Joker’, and every bit as good.
@ Joe – My sister just dropped off the latest Stargate Mag to me, and I immediately read Chris’ interview. Do you read these things? You really should. 😉 I just love what he says about Todd, and Wraith in general – it goes back to one of my early comments here on your blog about a year ago…I’m sure you’ll remember the one. I just have to quote what Mr. Heyerdahl said:
“I don’t see the point in redeeming them to be honest. The retrovirus is simply a card that Todd has to play. One of the wonderful questions that he came up with, if they were to use the retrovirus was, “Who will we be? What will we be?” There’s a balance in the universe, and you need balance in the universe. Human beings are only top of the food chain because we’ve got the stick, and for no other reason. If you go off into the woods, and you don’t have a stick, you’re done! So what do you do then? Do you get rid of everything that’s going to kill you?
“There are still humans – they haven’t eaten all of them! Wraith have been around the Pegasus galaxy for 10,000 years – there are still humans. They’re surviving. So, they get culled now and then. There was one episode where they were like, “Oh my God, the Wraith have eaten everything.” It’s not like they’re wiping out the galaxy. The only problem is that they eat humans, who are very loud. That’s why sharks are being killed, that’s why tigers are being killed. Because they eat us! We want to live forever, we want to wipe out anything that’s a threat to us. It doesn’t work that way – the universe must have balance. The Wraith are part of that balance. So, they’re not going to cull humans anymore, what then? There’ll be too many people. So, there’s really no need to redeem them. The only reason Todd would even think about using the retrovirus is to gain some control. I think he has a wonderful vision, he sees the outcome, and if he has to eat a mango to get an upper hand in the alliance, why not? The way things are going for Todd, it’s not good. Each meal could be his last. But he’s still a Wraith, so he is adapting to an imposed imbalance. Why do you think he’s one of the last surviving commanders? Because he’s perpetually adapting.”
I couldn’t agree with him more. Can he help write the movie?? 😉 At one point I figured redemption was the only way they could survive, but the tailend of the last season totally changed my mind. Why can’t they kill to eat, when the Lanteans kill for far less? The Lanteans blamed all their missteps on the Wraith, refusing to take responsibility for waking them in the first place, or for their torture and experimentation on Micheal and Steve and all that it brought to the humans of the galaxy, not to mention the whole Replicator problem that lead to the deaths of so many. Have they ever once looked at the stains of human blood on their own hands? Nope. So, I figured if they could cause so many human deaths just because they claim to be the ‘good guys’, why can’t the Wraith do the same for the good of their survival? My feelings are summed up very nicely in Chris’ comments. The Wraith have a purpose – they keep a balance – and it’s the humans who have upset that balance. So, can they just stay on earth and let Todd go back home to run things the right way? Pleeeaasee… 😉
das
Wow, I didn’t know the Actors’ parents read your Blog, too? 🙂
Hey Joe,
The female cast and LDP is great. The entire cast is awesome in my opinion.
Quick question for you:
Will the character Wray (Ming-Na) be bumped up to a regular? And what about the character Colonel Telford (Lou Diamond Philips)? Will he be recurring or even a regular?
Many fans are questioning and if you can set the record straight, we can get some closure on that. 😀
Thanks.
Something did feel less than crisp about the ending of Infoquake, but I was thinking some more about Natch’s character.
What does Natch do when he’s made to feel vulnerable? He pushes back out of proportion to how hard he was pushed.
Natch is bullied./Bullies get theirs and then some.
Camp 11’s strategy for survival isn’t up to Natch’s standards./Holy Crap, Natch!
As the book was about to end, I was wondering if Natch had finally been humbled by how incredibly vulnerable the black code attack must have made him feel. His final statement announced he had not–that he was about to take Holy Crap, Natch! to a whole new level.
The book ends with Natch having MultiReal in his hands and a monster of a vendetta. Does that make Infoquake’s ending a cliffhanger?
Thanks for the Solutions shout-out, Joe! Very kind of you. I think it’s amazing the actors’ parents are joining in. It’ll make for a very intimate, hopefully well-behaved fandom. 🙂
Hi, Joe
I noticed today that you recently read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. I was wondering if you have seen the movie Bladerunner and if so, what you thought of it. I read the book first, and I was extremely disappointed in the movie, especially since I had always heard how great it was.
Mandy
@Das, hey no kidding, get yourself a new doctor, this thing has been going on forever! You’ve got to be miserable! Feel better soon! Glad to hear your mom is doing well!
Joe, I don’t mean to be a PITA, but come on, where is Joel’s Q & A? Did he forget about us?
Joe –
I just read the Reuters article regarding the casting of Phillips. It mentions the show’s name as “SGU: Stargate Universe”. Is this going to be the full name of the show, or is it just going to be “Stargate Universe” (thus Reuters is doing some creative editing)?
Answer: Now he is a fascinating character. I don’t know. Could you eventually forgive someone for feeding your arm to a bear? I’ve not forgiven far less.
Probably not. At the same time, it wasn’t a fully conscious act for Natch. I don’t think he can entirely be blamed for instinct. I don’t agree with it, certainly not, but was he fully himself in that moment? Or did fight-flight and self-preservation kick in? Anyway, I suspect Brone will play a much larger part. Even if he has been humbled from his hive self, I don’t suspect his motives are as straight-forward as he’s trying to pass off.
I admit, I identified with Natch a little. Not in the whole sic-a-bear-on-a-person way, but maybe its just our understanding of the business world and a heavy streak of competition. But what I really liked about the book was not its characters. I just really enjoyed the ‘verse. It brought me back to my roots when I used to prefer fascinating plots over characters in my books. It was so well put together and unique to most of the stuff I’ve been reading.
@ elyse unless it’s coming straight from the horses mouth I consider it gossip.