On the off chance that there's anybody out there who is not tired of hearing me go on and on about Doctor Who, I will point out that, for a mere $4 (or possibly $6.50, depending on where you are), you can now obtain a copy of the latest issue of Fred Coppersmith's Kaleidotrope, featuring about 3,000 words worth of me yakking on about how Doctor Who is perhaps the single greatest thing since the invention of oxygen. And, oh, yeah, also a lot of fiction and poetry by people who are not me, but who I am sure are all very nice folks, too.
See? Even with massive bouts of procrastination, I do finish things.
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I am assuming this was thing the you were trying to get done for Fred.
ReplyDeleteShe's being modest. It's a really nice essay, and I think anyone reading it will at least think, "Hey, maybe this Doctor Who isn't so bad..." I've been slowly making my way through some of her specific episode recommendations, and, while I'm still finding the cheese-factor and timing to be a little off-putting at times, there really are a lot of things to love about the old and new series. I think Betty did a really great job of laying out what those things are.
ReplyDeleteI'm really proud of the rest of the issue, too. It's got stories and poems from people like World Fantasy Award winner Bruce Holland Rogers and recent Year's Best Fantasy and Horror selection Stephen Graham Jones -- as well lots of up-and-coming artists like Rachel Swirsky, Kristine Ong Muslim, and Daniel Ausema. And I'm not just saying this because I published it, honest!
And, also of Whovian interest -- and something I don't know if Betty's noticed -- Marc Schuster, whose four-page comic appears in the issue, is the co-author of a recent book, The Greatest Show in the Galaxy: The Discerning Fan's Guide to Doctor Who.
Kathy: Yep, that's the thing. Tah-dah!
ReplyDeleteFred:
and I think anyone reading it will at least think, "Hey, maybe this Doctor Who isn't so bad..."
Well, in that case, my mission in life is fulfilled. :)
The cheese factor and the timing issues, of course, go with the territory. You'll get used to them. :) Actually, one thing I've discovered about Doctor Who over the years, and something I've heard other fans confirm, is that the episode that gets left in your memory is almost always better than what's actually on the screen. After a while, your brain just sort of learns how to watch Doctor Who, and doesn't bother retaining all the running-down-corridors, while cheerfully and carefully storing all the great lines.
I haven't had a chance to read the zine yet, but it looks very cool, and I'm looking forward to it.
And, yes, I do know about Marc Schuster, because he e-mailed me! Said he liked the essay and wanted to know if I'd read his book. Which I haven't yet, but it's on my Amazon wishlist, and I've actually been repeatedly almost-buying it for about the last month or so. Clearly, I'm going to have to break down and give it a go. :) I thought you might have given him my e-mail address, actually, but maybe he found it somewhere on the blog. I know I have given it here once or twice.
I didn't hand it out, but your blog address does appear in the zine, and if your e-mail's not here, it's on your homepage, which is linked here. I think that's actually how I got it...
ReplyDeleteAh, there we go! That explains it nicely.
ReplyDeleteMy copy of the magazine arrived today, impressively quickly considering it had to cross the Atlantic. The magazine looks like a very professional job, though so far I've only read Betty's article.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the article did a very good job of conveying the appeal of Doctor Who. My only criticism is that the Doctor's regenerations only received a fleeting mention fairly late on in the article, long after there had been what a newbie might have found a puzzling reference to the Fourth Doctor. I think that the regeneration thing should have been explained early on, as it's the reason that the programme has been able to keep going for so long. If some ingenious writer hadn't come up with the idea, then the programme might have been forced to end when William Hartnell gave up the part circa 1966.
Dude, do you have any idea how hard that show is to explain coherently to someone who knows nothing at all about it? I think I skipped a lot of points. :)
ReplyDeletedo you have any idea how hard that show is to explain coherently to someone who knows nothing at all about it?
ReplyDeleteTrue. I don't know how many holiday meals I have shared with Betty, and I've watched the three new seasons, and I read her blog and have separate e-mail discussions, and I still don't understand it.
Is it even possible to completely understand Doctor Who?
ReplyDeleteI thought the article did a very good job of explaining the basic facts of the show and, more importantly, explaining why Betty likes it so much. Why it's different and special from other shows.
I hope you enjoy the rest of the issue!
Thanks. As I said, I thought that it was a very good article, and I hope that my one criticism didn't overshadow that.
ReplyDeleteNot at all. :) And who knows? Maybe it's fodder for a future sequel from Betty? ;)
ReplyDeleteHey, any time you want one. ;)
ReplyDelete(And no worries, John. Constructive criticism is good. :))