Travelers Review from Nerd HQ
“What is Travelers?
Travelers is a new sci-fi TV series co-produced by Canadian TV channel Showcase and Netflix. The series followers a small group of “travelers”, a team of time travelling…”
Mar 032017
Sep 182016
STARGATE SG-1: Hall of the Two Truths by Susannah Parker Sinard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’m a fan of the Stargate tv franchise but only dipped into the novels recently, I’ve read more of Atlantis than SG1 so it was time I jumped into the significant library of titles released since the shows went of the air.
In this case I picked up Hall Of The Two Truths by first time Stargate author Susannah Parker Sinard and with the usual trepidation always present when reading another’s viewpoint of favoured characters shared the journey of SG1 as described in the novel. The story is set during the fifth season of SG1 so the Goa’uld are still in a free for all after the demise of Apophis and the team are still in turmoil over “their” failure to save the inhabitants of K’tau (Red Sky). This allows the author to mix things up a little and read more into the chemistry of the team than was always the case on the television show. So let’s dip into the story a little but without any significant spoilers, after being approached by the Tok’ra the team are investigating ruins on a previously unknown world. Jack thinks it’s all a waste of time but allows Daniel and Sam to keep investigating and they do indeed find some alien technology which seems to only activate when Jack touches is (yes the reader is well ahead of the team at this point). Soon after their location is attacked and the team plus the Tok’ra representative are captured and soon after they awake in a sealed cavern only accessible by rings. They are then joined by two women named NebtHet a’Eshe and Aset a’Teneb who welcome them to “Duat” and after describing personal details of each member of SG1 proceed to zat them twice and so far away from home SG1 die.
Ok there you go, go buy the novel and get reading because this is just the beginning of an adventure that’s pretty much not like any other as the mythology of the ancient Egyptians gods and walking through the underworld facing tasks and obstacles for the soul to overcome before being judged are revealed to us through the eyes of our favoured explorers.
Hall Of The Two Truths was an enjoyable read, the concept was very interesting and the story complex enough to really hold my attention with the characters (regular and recurring from the show) all written well and believable in context. I quite liked the scenes with General Hammond dealing with the Tok’ra especially Anise but it was the exploration of the psyche and character of SG1 where the novel really hits its mark.
Sep 062016
STARGATE SG-1: Hall of the Two Truths by Susannah Parker Sinard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’m a fan of the Stargate tv franchise but only dipped into the novels recently, I’ve read more of Atlantis than SG1 so it was time I jumped into the significant library of titles released since the shows went of the air.
In this case I picked up Hall Of The Two Truths by first time Stargate author Susannah Parker Sinard and with the usual trepidation always present when reading another’s viewpoint of favoured characters shared the journey of SG1 as described in the novel. The story is set during the fifth season of SG1 so the Goa’uld are still in a free for all after the demise of Apophis and the team are still in turmoil over “their” failure to save the inhabitants of K’tau (Red Sky). This allows the author to mix things up a little and read more into the chemistry of the team than was always the case on the television show. So let’s dip into the story a little but without any significant spoilers, after being approached by the Tok’ra the team are investigating ruins on a previously unknown world. Jack thinks it’s all a waste of time but allows Daniel and Sam to keep investigating and they do indeed find some alien technology which seems to only activate when Jack touches is (yes the reader is well ahead of the team at this point). Soon after their location is attacked and the team plus the Tok’ra representative are captured and soon after they awake in a sealed cavern only accessible by rings. They are then joined by two women named NebtHet a’Eshe and Aset a’Teneb who welcome them to “Duat” and after describing personal details of each member of SG1 proceed to zat them twice and so far away from home SG1 die.
Ok there you go, go buy the novel and get reading because this is just the beginning of an adventure that’s pretty much not like any other as the mythology of the ancient Egyptians gods and walking through the underworld facing tasks and obstacles for the soul to overcome before being judged are revealed to us through the eyes of our favoured explorers.
Hall Of The Two Truths was an enjoyable read, the concept was very interesting and the story complex enough to really hold my attention with the characters (regular and recurring from the show) all written well and believable in context. I quite liked the scenes with General Hammond dealing with the Tok’ra especially Anise but it was the exploration of the psyche and character of SG1 where the novel really hits its mark.
Aug 202016
io9
We all have those movies from our youth, the ones we remember almost too fondly to rewatch as an adult. Well, after suddenly coming down with a low-grade fever last week, I decided to pound two doses of Dayquil and turn on Stargate…
Source: I Ate a Shitload of Cold Medicine and Re-Watched Stargate
Dec 272015
Points of Origin is the second volume of Stargate SG1 and Atlantis stories under the heading of The Travellers’ Tales as edited by Sally Malcolm. This edition consists of ten stories by various authors and covers many themes and characters. I’ve avoided any spoilers but obviously some plot elements will be discussed but will certainly not ruin your reading experience.
Points Of Origin
- Precognition
- Jo Graham
The novel opens up with a story about General George Hammond as he takes command of the complex deep with Cheyenne Mountain codenamed Stairway To Heaven. He is not the go get ’em kind of officer but has achieved his rank through hard work and excelling in his duties, reliable and trustworthy are his traits. He is to oversee the closure of this facility and then he will retire and enjoy the rest of his days with his friends and family. He opens up a file belonging to a Captain Samantha Carter and a chill runs down his spine, memories long forgotten come rushing back from a few days back in 1969. This story really kicked off the anthology well, we learn some of the major events in the life and career of Hammond and some character tie ins that had be smiling like an idiot.
- Cotermino(us)
- Peter J Evans
Sheppard awakes in the medical bay as Kellar looking down at him asks again, what is your name, please tell me your name and he answers her and reassures her and she in turns reassures him that all is well, just checking. John talks to Carter and they discuss a recent mission where the team investigated a mysterious “dead” city but he finds it difficult to explain the events that occurred. Something happened in this alien place and the gate diagnostics show anomalies but Sheppard cannot quite explain the missing time no matter how McKay presses him for more information and the revelation presents more questions than answers. Peter gave us a rather dark Atlantis story which would have worked well as a standalone episode and while most readers will always say they want all the answers leaving things with a huge question mark worked very well for this story.
- A Woman’s Army
- Geonn Cannon
Dr Janet Fraiser enters the SGC to find the usual suspects, Jack being a very bad patient and Siler once again being bandaged up but a mission is being assigned with a need for some medical support and Janet and her team volunteer to tag along with SG1 although Jack is staying behind undergoing his long overdue medical. On the planet her team begin the investigation of a disease which is affecting the local population made more complicated by the military conflict currently ongoing with a neighbouring state. This story is very good for fans of Janet, we learn more about her relationship with Cassandra as well as her medical and leadership skills and her first experience of the Stargate and assignment to the SGC, the untold stories often fill in gaps we never even knew needed filling.
- Iron Horse
- Amy Griswold
Sateda before the fall, Specialist Ronon Dex along with his friends have left the training camps for his world’s military and journey across his homeland by train heading towards the capitol. They make an unexpected stop near a small community which has been hit by an earthquake, there are deaths and injuries and the soldiers are offering aid, the nearby dam seems to have survived intact but the locals claim an ancient statue has been stolen and that caused the earth tremors. Ronon, Ara and Tyre despite some doubts over the importance of the statue are sent to investigate the theft (Travellers are suspect) and to return it before the next quake hits and destroys the dam. Iron Horse really hit the spot, again offering background to characters in this case Ronon and a number of Satedans we do meet in the series proper and giving us an insight into Sateda and it’s similarities to Earth.
- Dude, Where’s My Spaceship?
- Suzanne Wood
Things are humming along at the SGC with the sole exception of Daniel falling asleep at the most inconvenient times much to the amusement of everyone, Jack takes Daniel back to his Daniel’s home and he immediately falls asleep leaving Jack to do some minor housework, it’s all good until a couple of Jaffa break into the house demanding the location of their Lord Osiris or the one name Daaneel. At this time though Osiris has been removed from Sarah Gardener and she is once again embracing life and currently on a shopping spree with Janet and things start to get hilariously complicated when Teal’c turns up, the Sam with Pete in tow arrive and finally Sarah and Janet wonder into Daniel’s home. This is comedic story and the slapstick ramps up throughout, you just know they’ll all be laughing about the events in Daniel’s home for years despite the unfortunate events in the back yard:)
- Kill Switch
- Aaron Rosenberg
Zelenka briefs the Atlantis personnel on a discovery made in the system’s asteroid belt, an object which is not made up of the naturally occurring elements within the belt so the team board a jumper to investigate and they find something very familiar but not listed on any inventory of Atlantis but things are not what they seem and events soon conspire towards the destruction of Atlantis. I can’t go into too much detail about the plot but that aside this story works very well for the characterisation of Rodney and the guilt he still feels over a significant event not that long ago, there is plenty of tension and good banter between the characters.
- Aftermath
- Karen Miller
After the events in the SGC when Carter was taken over by an Entity from P9C-372 it’s obvious to anyone that knows Jack then he is disturbed by his actions, Sam is ordered to take off her work and relax off base. The Tok’ra and an SGC team gate in having suffered casualties and Hammond calls in Colonel Dave Dixon to add support to SG1 and the other teams as the Tok’ra reveal that Chronos is hell bent on recovering an element known as B’tac’nesh which only occurs naturally under very rare conditions but is prized for it’s destructive capabilities. The SGC teams and Tok’ra head towards the planet and find only death and ruins and then the Jaffa appear and fighting begins. Karen provides a welcome return for Colonel Dixon as played by Adam Baldwin in the series and while the plot is important to set up the events they turn out to be not that important, this is a story dealing with Jack and his emotions towards Sam including the guilt he feels having chosen to “kill” her when she was controlled by the Entity. A very good character piece without the more shippy language you would have got if Sam and Jack had been together rather than Jack opening up to Dixon.
- Hermiod’s Last Mission
- T. Fox Dunham
The Asgard came to an abrupt end in the final episode of Stargate SG1 and in this story we learn an awful lot about the events that led up to the choices these powerful and wise aliens made knowing they were doomed and that their legacy had to endure. Hermiod who we met onboard the Daedalus (you remember the rather sarcastic one) makes a final report to the high council about his time serving with the humans in addition to well kinda journal entries during his mission which included investigating a Hive which the find floating in the void. Hermiod learns much about himself and the Atlantis personnel while this mission plays out and the I’ll admit the final sentence left me teary eyed:)
- Piper’s Song
- Laura Harper
Jack returns to his cabin in Minnesota to take some time and adjust to not being in command of SG1 anymore and is rather surprised to see a rather larger mountain overlooking the local town which was not there the last time he visited his home away from home, maybe like the fish in his small lake things are not quite the same on the world post ancient Egypt travels. As Jack interacts with the local townsfolk he notices some people who had family now don’t seem to recall them and so he calls in the rest of SG1 to investigate. Piper’s Song is classic alien in a small town narrative almost in the same vein as some of the classic scifi “b” movies of yesteryear as Jack knows something is wrong but can not understand what but of course once Sam and the rest of the gang bring their intellect and experience to the fore the mountain is revealed to be something quite different and the clock is ticking if they are to save many of the townsfolk.
- Dislocation
- Sally Malcolm
Sam has just accepted command of Atlantis and is a little worried she may not be upto the job, she’s worked under two very different styles of command one of the more hands on Jack O’Neill and the other sit back and let the people do their thing from General Hammond and General Landry infact a note from Jack offered up command advice along the lines of the latter despite his inability not to poke his nose into all things. Colonel Sheppard and his team are on a mission to Talaverna to not only trade for their famed wine but to visit a reported Ancient shrine which is said to ascend the worthy but is it as simple as that? This story delves deep into the psyche of Sam Carter as she adjusts to command and learning to trust her people, it takes time and there are many false steps but the characterisation is spot on and we get a good mystery involving the Ancients.
Points Of Origin is another excellent addition to the Stargate books as released by Stargate Novels / Fandemonium and is currently offered as an ebook and paperback.
Aug 242015
Welcome to my review of the fan fiction novel Stargate Aschen written by Kimberley Jackson.
There will be some spoilers but I don’t think there any that would ruin the book for you and well there are universal constants in literature which should offer
up no real surprises as to the direction of a story be it in novel form or screenplay. This review was first released on the podcast but not everyone listens to that and I know the website gets more visitors so here it is.
I’m sure you all remember the two Stargate SG1 episodes 2010 and 2001 which dealt with the Aschen civilisation, in a nut shell the Aschen take over whole planets and cultures by long term so called beneficial intervention but ultimately they manipulate fertility to reduce a worlds population then the remaining peoples are more or less farmers on a global scale to grow and export food to the Aschen homeworld.
As we know in the tv series the Aschen failed to make an impact on the primary reality of our Earth in the episode 2001 but in an alternate reality shown in 2010 they had a significant foothold and while they helped to defeat the Goa’uld the price the human race was paying was too high which then fed into the episode 2001 in which our SG1 meet the Aschen and are seriously tempted by their offer.
Kimberley has taken the core elements of the Aschen and set her novel in another reality or universe if you will, that gives the story a solid base and makes it easier for the readers to sync with the narrative but also allows for the characters to diverge from canon as and when required while still retaining the essence that made them what we came to love.
So the Aschen arrived on Earth in Egypt through the Stargate in the 13th century, they quickly took over and cull the population turning the Earth into a fertile garden with weather control technology and other devices. As the birth rate and population continued to decline over the centuries women were denied advanced education and slowly but surely taken from the workforce and were expected to be nothing but breeding machines.
In the year 799 (post aschen arrival) the unified culture of the Earth is pretty barbaric when it comes to those who are gifted with fertility, the men are given good jobs and rewards for fathering children with their mainly assigned wives and the women forced into marriage and breeding centers where forced conception is the norm. The only place on Earth you are likely to find a couple who are together for something as nebulous as love is amongst the infertile population who gain nothing from the current system and thus are free to choose who they spend their lives with. Sam Carter a 25 year old young woman is the daughter of a high ranking human official Jacob Carter, thanks to his resources and position he has been able to get Sam homeschooled unlike the vast majority of women but when her fertility test is positive they both now know her future is nothing but as a receptacle for the desires of a man and ultimately to be nothing but an incubator for the next generation of farmers. Unknown to Sam her father is part of the resistance and approaches his long term friend Jack O’Neill to take Sam as a wife (Jack is also gifted and is currently single), this would prevent Sam from being forced into the breeding centers and Jacob knows Jack would treat her right and worse case they would have two years before the Aschen authorities look to enforce the marriage contract in terms of producing offspring. Sam of course has turned into an intelligent and independent woman who gets a very brutal lesson in her position in the world, her Aschen boyfriend pretty much disowns her when he finds out she is gifted and the idea of being “sold off” to another man repulsors her and so determined to find and join the resistance she leaves the family home and ventures into the world.
That is pretty much how the story kicks off, we’ve already had many of the familiar characters and don’t let it worry you why these same people are here after the Aschen have twisted reality around and around for centuries, if you accept the multiverse then this variant is a given. It was also interesting to see how the culture had changed with the Aschen influence, humans live longer thanks to better medication and a cleaner environment but society wide the norm is not to have sex until your mid-twenties when the genetic screening begins looking primarily for fertility. In the non-gifted population there seems to be a more live and let live approach, sex is nothing since conception is impossible and the Aschen take a step back as long as the harvests are bountiful and associated endeavours are carried out, of course the gifted community are both the mouthpieces and primary line of control, too many of the men in positions of power seem to consider women are good for nothing but breeding and we also learn a significant number of women commit suicide when they find they are fertile, unfortunately drugs and restraints are used to force women to breed if they show decent, it is not a pleasant existence for those without power.
The human resistance began when the second stargate was found in the Antarctic, weather control had melted the ice caps bringing more farmland but also some areas which could not sustain farming yet were well away from Aschen interference. The gate was investigated and eventually the humans found that there were many destinations not just to Aschen and when they found a way to dial out and not interfere with the primary gate they began exploring the galaxy and found that the Aschen were a dominant species with the Goa’uld an annoying competitor, keeping their distance from both was the order of the day but slowly but surely advanced technology started to flow back to Earth. This is where Sam eventually ends up, a training camp for the resistance in the antarctic and the story takes it’s time to introduce more familiar characters as we follow her through her boot camp and this is where she develops her attraction to Jack who in a stunning coincidence is unaware this is the woman who Jacob married him off too, yes marriage for the gifted can be that cold in this world. Now Stargate Aschen is very much a novel that embraces the shipping opportunities that Stargate offered and the core relationship is between Sam and Jack although many many more are covered and while this is certainly not XXX rated it’s not for kiddies either, Kimberley treads a fine line in mature/explicit writing and for the most part lets the reader use their imagination and that ain’t difficult, I’ve always welcomed the Sam and Jack relationship but was pleased it never really went anywhere in the show proper.
I think I am going to leave it there, you’ve got the basics of the story and I think you can make an educated guess to how the plot is going to progress but you will have to read it to get the full flavour of all our favourite and not so favourite characters twisted a few degrees out of sync and there are surprises that make this an exceptional piece of Stargate storytelling and what’s more Kimberley is offering it free on the web and formatted for your ebook reader.
If you are still not convinced then seriously what have you got to lose, I had no hesitation in donating a few dollars to Kimberleys selected charity in thanks for her work on the novel it is that good and it’s a weighty tome but at no point did I consider the story slow or boring, when the characters work in a simple fan-fic or a more ambitious project or at least are close to what you expect from the canon interpretation then the pages will fly by and all the little and not so little references will have you smiling or even giggling in some cases, this is a novel for fans of Stargate, give it a go you won’t be disappointed.
Jul 182015
Rodney awakes and finds himself tied to a chair in his lab with no memory of how he got there or come to think of it who he is. In front of him is his tablet with a big label attached saying Press Here, he does and he sees himself and the recording begins to explain the situation and one objective, find this woman known as Teyla. Credits role and we when we return we see Atlantis a few hours before as Rodney greets Katie Brown in her lab, she has just returned from an expedition and returns with some samples including a rather suggestive cactus which she intends to name after Rodney. Katie is feeling a little under the weather so he takes her down to the infirmary where a number of other members of the expedition are reporting medical issues and Dr. Keller discovers that a virus has entered Atlantis.
The episode continues to flip between the past and present as the virus begins to take hold and the infected begin to lose their memories while in the present soldiers taking stimulants are rounding up the science and operations staff and taking them to a makeshift medical facility in the cafeteria which is big enough to contain the infected. Eventually it’s discovered that only Teyla and Ronon are unaffected and they both try to make the best of the situation, Teyla attempts to find Zelenka who has hidden the control crystal for the gate and Ronon along with John has taken a jumper to the mainland to source a plant that will provide the cure to the infection which turned to be a common ailment within Pegasus.
Tabula Rasa is a very interesting looking episode, the two time frames are distinguished by the over blown look of the present perhaps to indicate how the people are seeing the city while under the influence of the infection and of course they were not shy using the plant mister to give everyone a very clammy look which worked very well. It was also a clever idea to explain how the situation got as bad as it did with sensible decisions being made all of which proved in the short term to be counter productive, it was ultimately a rabbit out of the hat that saved the day and the city was looking to have so few casualties. I personally enjoyed the episode, the style of the production was a highlight and the acting from the regular cast most of who were allowed to twist their characters just a little to reflect the infection as it took hold. Overall an entertaining episode of Atlantis and pretty much standalone although it was good to have Katie back, always fun to see Rodney tip toeing in the minefield of romance:)
I recently read the uber fan-fiction novel Stargate Aschen by Kimberley Jackson, there is a short review of the novel in this episode.
Thank you to everyone that has been listening as the summer takes hold in the northern hemisphere, we know everyone wants to enjoy the good weather and do other things so we appreciate everyone that is taking the time to listen to the show. Of course our continued thanks go to those who join us for an episode and in this case it was a welcome back to Jeff who as a teacher has some time off during the summer months, he will be returning for another episode shortly. This weeks podcast promo was for The Rusted Robot and next week we are going to be taking a look at the episode Missing which has a very familiar face guest starring as the bad guy or one of them anyway, hope you join us for that and please let us know what you think of the show, would love to get some feedback via email, facebook and google+ and the ever bountiful twitter.
Promo…
Links…
- Tabula Rasa IMDB
- Tabula Rasa Wiki
- David Nykl
- Kavan Smith
- Brenda James
- Niall Matter
- Linda Ko
- D. Harlan Cutshall
- Martin Wood
Mentions…
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Feb 182014
The latest opinionated review arrives in the shape of the season 7 episode Death Knell a rip tooting action episode from Stargate SG1 dismantled and presented a new by Charles.
Jan 012013
As always an entertaining perspective on a well known movie, I can highly recommend you taking the time to have a good dig around the SF Debris site, you’ll find reviews/opinions and some well produced offerings from Trek through Red Dwarf to Howard The Duck. If you like MS3TK or anything similar then you’ll enjoy the “opinions” presented here especially if you are a fan of the particular show or movie:)