A mysterious plague strikes the tiny community of Switchcreek Tennessee, killing a third of its inhabitants and transforming most of the rest into one of three mutations: giant grey-skinned Argos, wine-colored seal-like Betas, and obese Charlies. For the handful of individuals unaffected by the bizarre outbreak, their apparent good luck proves both a blessing and…
August 15, 2010: MY Top 10 Favorite Stargate Episodes
And when I say "MY" Top 10, I am strictly referring to episodes I am credited on otherwise the list would be comprised solely of episodes scripted by the likes of Cooper (Time), Wright (2010), Binder (Life), and Gero (Duet). And of the episodes I've been credited on, I'm not counting those scripted solely by…
August 14, 2010: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions! And Pictures!
Ah, decisions, decisions, decisions. I hate 'em. For the most part, I prefer to sit back and allow situations to resolve themselves. Take the big move from Montreal to Vancouver eleven years ago. Paul and I had just submitted the first draft of our script, Scorched Earth, to the producers of Stargate SG-1 and there…
August 13, 2010: Author James Maxey drops by! Guest blogger announcement! A hint of things to come in SGU’s second season!
The recently released anthology, Masked, boasts some impressive talent, its various authors hailing from diverse backgrounds: comic books, literary SF, and television. But James Maxey is one of the few contributors with experience writing specifically superhero-themed prose fiction - like his cult classic debut novel, Nobody Gets the Girl, as well as several of his…
August 12, 2010: Some production updates! Some news of note! Some mailbag!
I rolled onto the lot this morning and found THIS sitting by the building... Qu'est-ce que c'est? Set work in progress? Contemporary art sculpture? Or just a bunch of garbage being cleared out? I suppose time will tell. Or the next episode up in the production schedule. Today, we finally finished that Day 1 mix…
August 11, 2010: Production update! Another hint at what’s to come in season two! Carl’s new office!
Holy smokes! It's taken us a day and a half to watch the Day 1 mix of Trial and Error - and we're still not done! Had our sit-down with the Art and Construction departments today about the new late season set we'll be discovering in my episode, The Hunt. We talked playback, atmosphere, functionality,…
August 10, 2010: Birthday celebrations kick off! A cryptic SGU season 2 clue! John G. Lenic’s culinary show and tell!
Hey, look who's on the move... With Robert Cooper, gone, Carl wasted no time in exercising squatting rights on his recently-vacated office. Although the premises were originally earmarked for a local children's charities, it looks like the tots are out of luck. Carl is, after all, an Executive Producer. AND a birthday boy... Yes, that's…
August 9, 2010: Author Mark Chadbourn drops in! An old friend visits the production offices! Back on set! With pics!
My love of comic books has waxed and waned over the course of my life. I'll go years without reading a single issue and then, one day, pick up a copy of every title on the racks. I'll continue to follow the books that appeal while dropping those that fail to hold my interest, whittling…
August 8, 2010: Blog stats! Dogs! And back to work!
Every one in a while I like to check out the blog stats on this site to find a little more about you, the readers. For instance, what were the most popular referrer links to this blog over the past few days? (http://michaelshanks-online.com/news/index.shtml and http://forum.gateworld.net/threads/72174-Sam-Carter-Jack-O-Neill-Ship-Appreciation-Thread-2.0/page659) What was my top post of the month? (July 15,…
August 7, 2010: Author Daryl Gregory pops in! Another hint at SGU season 2 things to come! More from the Atlantis archives! And the mailbag!
When editor Lou Anders sent me an advanced copy of Masked for proofreading purposes, I ended up reading the entire anthology over the course of two days. I remember emailing Lou soon after to discuss, among other things, Daryl Gregory's brilliant contribution to the collection. I enjoyed "Message from the Bubblegum Factory" so much that…
August 6, 2010: Editor Lou Anders talks Masked! Another hint at SGU season 2 things to come! More from the Atlantis vault!
Editor Lou Anders is a busy guy. Lately, he's been doing the internet rounds for not one but two recently released anthologies. The first, Swords & Dark Magic: The New Sword and Sorcery, co-edited with Jonathan Strahan, includes stories by the likes of Gene Wolfe, Steven Erickson, and Scott Lynch, as well as former guests…
August 5, 2010: Creative spam! Dinner at Refuel! Paul Croteau Confections! Another Masked review! Another SGU season 2 teaser! More from the Atlantis archives!
Whenever a spam comment manages to find its way into my moderation queue, I'm always quick to trash it. But this one I couldn't help but set aside because it was refreshingly unique. It doesn't pretend to be anything else but a straightforward link dump. With a twist: I’m currently being held prisoner by the…
August 4, 2010: Author Matthew Sturges stops in! Another SGU season 2 tease! More from the Atlantis archives!
Story placement is all-important when assembling an anthology. You want that first tale to really grab the reader, engage them, and ultimately leave them with a deep impression, the kind that remains long after the story has been read, sort of like the lingering flavors of a fine wine or the bruise bestowed upon an…
August 3, 2010: Author Paul Cornell drops by! Another SGU season 2 tease! A couple of more SGA behind the scenes pics! Mailbag!
In the recently released Masked anthology of all-original superhero fiction, ace editor Lou Anders assembles talent from the worlds of comics, television, and prose fiction. In the case of author Paul Cornell, we have a veteran of all three in addition to accomplishments in the fields of non-fiction, audio-plays, and determined blogging (http://www.paulcornell.com/). All three…
August 2, 2010: Masked musings! Upcoming guests! A Stargate: Universe season 2 tease of things to come! Stargate: Atlantis behind the scenes! And sundry others!
When editor Lou Anders first approached me about the possibility of contributing a short story to his upcoming superhero-themed anthology, I was admittedly leery. Having spent my entire career scripting for television, the prospect of producing my first work of short fiction was - well - daunting. I considered Lou's offer, went back and forth…