tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post2173979158145316711..comments2024-03-18T20:22:06.331-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: A is for AreonJames Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-81743235346512714442011-04-04T12:18:18.015-04:002011-04-04T12:18:18.015-04:00Ron Moore's Galactica has that same problem, t...<i>Ron Moore's Galactica has that same problem, though in that case it also suffers from an incoherent 'mytharc'; Moore's lack of planning REALLY caught up to him there.</i><br /><br>I find myself thinking that same about <i>Battlestar Galactica</i> as about <i>Babylon 5</i> -- it's a brilliant failure -- but for opposite reasons. B5 was <i>over</i>planned, whereas BSG wasn't planned at all.<br /><br /><i>No response necessary, but if you haven't seen Firefly, by all means do so - it nicely captures what I take (from recent reading, inspired by the affection around here) to be the core appeal of Traveller, but with extraordinary character depth and subtlety.</i><br /><br>Perhaps unsurprisingly, I dislike <i>Firefly</i> quite intensely. I appreciate what it's trying to do but there are too many things, big and small, about its actual execution that I just can't enjoy it.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-83680771017871669702011-04-04T12:00:56.457-04:002011-04-04T12:00:56.457-04:00I hold the heretical view that the show's bigg...<em>I hold the heretical view that the show's biggest weakness is its overarching story, not because the story was uninteresting or cliched (though it was often both), but because the increasing focus on it dictated so much about the unfolding of the series and its elements that, to cite one example, characters were often reduced to ciphers.</em><br /><br />Aah, OK. I couldn't get past the line-to-line writing (such focus is a shortcoming of mine), but I've loved reading summaries and retellings and articles about the macrostory itself (and even JMS's comments, though he's a bit of a berk). I'm sure it would get frustrating to see characters pingponging around inside a story that doesn't ultimately spring organically from them. Ron Moore's <em>Galactica</em> has that same problem, though in that case it also suffers from an <em>incoherent</em> 'mytharc'; Moore's lack of planning REALLY caught up to him there.<br /><br />No response necessary, but if you haven't seen <em>Firefly</em>, by all means do so - it nicely captures what I take (from recent reading, inspired by the affection around here) to be the core appeal of <em>Traveller</em>, but with extraordinary character depth and subtlety.Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12215651059418273961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-80077274544237942122011-04-03T11:39:17.656-04:002011-04-03T11:39:17.656-04:00Wally,
Babylon 5 is, in my estimation, a deeply f...Wally,<br /><br /><i>Babylon 5</i> is, in my estimation, a deeply flawed series. Its reach exceeded its grasp on every level, both artistic and technical, but it's still an amazing piece of work that I retain a lot of fondness for. I hold the heretical view that the show's biggest weakness is its overarching story, not because the story was uninteresting or cliched (though it was often both), but because the increasing focus on it dictated so much about the unfolding of the series and its elements that, to cite one example, characters were often reduced to ciphers. <br /><br />It seems apparent to me that Straczynski had a specific story he wanted to tell and that story was such an epic one that he sometimes lost sight of the more mundane stuff that makes for enjoyable television. I find the show very "top down" in terms of its conception and presentation and that's not generally my cup of tea. But enough about the series <i>works</i> in spite of this that I can't simply dismiss it as an outright failure.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-63023765172254925512011-04-03T11:17:36.643-04:002011-04-03T11:17:36.643-04:00(Your stuff about the 'Ancients' reminded ...(Your stuff about the 'Ancients' reminded me of it, is why I ask.)Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12215651059418273961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-78191987417069642392011-04-03T11:17:06.918-04:002011-04-03T11:17:06.918-04:00James, have you seen Babylon 5? If so: is it regar...James, have you seen <em>Babylon 5</em>? If so: is it regarded as decent space opera? I found myself unable to sit through even a single episode of that wretched dialogue, but the overall story is spectacular stuff, and I'm curious about whether fans of old-school space opera hold it in high esteem.Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12215651059418273961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-69320874869574289572011-04-01T22:12:37.565-04:002011-04-01T22:12:37.565-04:00Quite enjoyable. I went the more traditional A is ...Quite enjoyable. I went the more traditional <a href="http://asciidice.blogspot.com/2011/04/is-for-apples.html" rel="nofollow">A is for Apples</a> and wrote a piece about some alchemists apple orchard. I am glad you posted about the A to Z because its just what I need to get me to stop being lazy and post more often.Akhier the Dragon Heartedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01982936563965623813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-84559951886902933672011-04-01T19:41:57.808-04:002011-04-01T19:41:57.808-04:00Very nice. It captures the "planetary romance...Very nice. It captures the "planetary romance" vibe quite well.Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01254215329246851683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-12877884733973390892011-04-01T18:56:02.991-04:002011-04-01T18:56:02.991-04:00Great stuff - I've missed your Dwimmermount se...Great stuff - I've missed your Dwimmermount session reports, but this is a good substitute. I'm looking forward to more in your A-Z posts.Martin R. Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11672657745232101753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-46078516974210892662011-04-01T18:12:05.965-04:002011-04-01T18:12:05.965-04:00http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ60ihTQHE...http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ60ihTQHEYVTyZMjjZWk7WMaQ3bz4q_q5ePI_qiv2qa7xXUGUy approves ^_^Zidders Roofurryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14718799079823863238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-82247373865481113102011-04-01T18:04:29.425-04:002011-04-01T18:04:29.425-04:00Very evocative!Very evocative!Akrasiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08734103159691571156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-89895836801450559612011-04-01T17:35:41.880-04:002011-04-01T17:35:41.880-04:00A is for Arion -- and AWESOME!A is for Arion -- and AWESOME!https://www.blogger.com/profile/14398295844409607075noreply@blogger.com