Internet Column from Science Fiction Age,
May 1996 Cory Doctorow
A note to readers:
As of the day this was written, February 5, 1997, the good folks at Netscape have
released their (semi?) final versions of their excellent WWW browser. Be sure and
score your copy at:
Robert B. Schmunk, a NYC-based fan, is the keeper of this impressive and extensive
list of alternate-history materials. Included is a chronology of alternate history,
an exhaustive bibliography and historical perspectives on the genre.
When I worked at Bakka, the science-fiction bookstore in Toronto, we were always on
the lookout for gay themes in sf&f -- several of our customers were avid seekers of
such. Mary Anne Mohanraj has posted a lengthy bibliography for the world to use.
From Sweden comes Stefan Petersson's engine for simulatenously searching several Internet-based
indices of sf/f reviews. If you're wondering whether someone's earlier works are
any good, or looking for a new author, this is the best place to start.
Quentin Tarantino may not have the geek.smarts to put together a page for his new
Vampire movie, From Dusk till Dawn, but that hasn't stopped the 'Net. A California
high-school student has put together a really cogent, cool site for the flick, including
stills, clips, and interviews. Neat behind-the-scenes footage.
Not the prettiest site I've seen, nor the easiest to navigate. Nevertheless, this
west-coast specialty bookstore has a =lot= of content here, with oft-updated lists
of what's new in the store, used book searches, and a virtual counterperson who'll help
you find a book or story based on a description.
A "novel" that allows registered users to add their own tangents, sub-plots and
sequences. The collaborators here have created a horror novel that varies wildly in
quality from the truly icky to the merely hackeneyed.
This site is owned by someone called Rivendell Technologies, Inc. in California.
Rivendell's gotta be on someone's payroll, since this site is a major stroke-job
for the frozen founder of Scientology and his disciples, who are currently making
net.history with a tightly interlocking series of lawsuits, search-warrants, and
hacker-spawned "cancelbots" that erase the words of their detractors from the 'Net.
Science-fiction-cum-fact-of-life?
The Mecca of Japanese toy collectors. Based in California, Kimono makes their catalog
of bewildering, highly flammable -- but nifty -- toys available online: Astro Boy,
Star-Blazers, Robotech. Collect the whole set!
Maybe it's the record low temperatures here in Toronto, but California is on my mind.
I've already started stashing pennies for the trip to the 54th World Science Fiction
Convention in Anaheim, CA. This site is a great sneak-peek at this fall's festivities:
programming, events, Guests of Honor, Art Show and the obligatory gas, food and lodging.
