Top 10 Favorite Sci-Fi Novels

I don’t read a lot of science fiction novels but when I do I usually really enjoy them but mostly near future sci-fi and not so much of the distant future variety.  This being said, unlike with horror novelists whom I kind of stick to, my sci-fi reading is all over the place.  For this “Top 10” list I’ve put together a list of novels many of which I’ve read several times and even if they are not all the best they are ones I really enjoy.  Make sure to leave your comments and don’t forget to post your own list:

      1.       Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

      2.       The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin

      3.       Sphere by Michael Crichton

      4.       Loop by Koji Suzuki

      5.       2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clark

      6.       The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells

      7.       Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

      8.       Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle

      9.       Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

     10.   Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

Movie review: 51 (2011)

Area 51 is probably one of the most famous locations in the world because of its association with UFOs and alien enthusiasts but now all will be revealed to the public.  This is the plot of 51 (2011) in which a reporter and TV personality are allowed full access to area 51 in order to finally dispel the rumors once and for all.  Bruce Boxleitner is Col. Martin who is in charge of escorting the civilians into the complex but everything does not go as planned as an alien shape shifter held in the underground secret labs of the already secret labs escapes and releases an even deadlier predatory alien and its offspring.  The aliens create havoc allowing the shape shifter to proceed with its ulterior motives all the while Col. Martin and his charges try to find a way out of the complex while not trying to be killed by the predatory aliens or allowing any of the aliens free to the outside world.

 

Along for the chaos is Sgt. Hannah (Rachel Miner) and her fellow soldier and friend Shoes Schumacher (Jason London) who are also trying to kill the predatory aliens before they get killed themselves.  The film is fun, gory and entertaining from beginning to end and works because the characters take their situation seriously despite the fact that it is an alien film.  London is hilarious from beginning to end and he has great chemistry with Miner.  The creature FX is extremely good and convincing for such a low budget film.  This film will appease horror fans.

51 is one of those rare low budget sci-fi-horror hybrid films that actually work and it continues to surprise up until the end.  The film is written by Lucy Mukerjee with story by Kenny Yakkel and is directed by Jason Connery.  They do an excellent job with the film creating one of the few low budget indie gems out there of this kind.

Movie Review: THE RIG (2010)

I guess an oil rig is just as good as any place to set a horror film which is the location of The Rig (2010) which stars William Forsythe as Jim Fleming, the chief operator of an off shore oil rig caught in the middle of a tropical storm that accidentally awakens and disturbs an aquatic monster that craves human flesh.  Now it’s only a matter of time before the rig becomes overrun by the monster all the while Fleming must try to save his daughter Carey (Serah D’Laine) and the rest of his crew.

Like most other monster films of its kind The Rig has a very simple CGI creature (for the most part) that stays off screen for most of the running time of the film until it is overused too much in the third act when all hell breaks loose.  Being a low budget film (approximately $3 million) the CGI is unconvincing and renders the monster shamelessly inadequate but the film is entertaining in a low budget way and has some laughs (which is only natural in horror films where the CGI is unconvincing).

Some people like to knock these low budget CGI heavy films because of their unconvincing CGI and bare bones story and plot (and sometimes even bad acting) but there is a case to be made for these types of films which is that it gives horror fans a constant supply of entertaining films with some of the genre’s most prolific character actors in different types of roles.  Forsythe has played many of villains in his diverse career with very few chances to be the good guy but in the film he plays the leader of a group of hard working laborers and an over protective father.  These films also allow young actors and crew to hone their talents and technical skill so that when they get the opportunity to work on bigger films they will be prepared.  I see these low budget films as this generation’s version of the Roger Corman produced films of yesteryears where many got their  start before moving on to bigger and better films (some of the people who first got their start on Corman films include Jack Nicholson, Jonathan Demme, Joe Dante, and many, many more).

A low budget monster movie doesn’t have to be the latest King Kong (1933) or Gojira (1954) but if it can at least entertain and provide a decent story then I can sometimes overlook the bad CGI.  The Rig may not have the most convincing CGI but it is at times entertaining and at least has a lot of gore and a little nudity (always a good thing for low budget horror films).