Stories from the Calindratem

"Star Wars" is an epic story and these days with new movies and shows like "The Mandalorian" coming out, a new audience is drawn to the story. But while most people would answer that "Star Wars" is a science fiction story, mainly due to the presence of space ships, I wonder if it isn't more of a fantasy story or maybe a cross of both. The question is what defines science fiction and what defines fantasy?  Science fiction as the term indicates is a type of fiction that focuses on science or more precisely on science that has not yet proven or doesn't exist. A logical conclusion is therefore that most science fiction is set in a future setting, which is the first indicator that Star Wars might not be science fiction as we all know that it famously started with the text reading:  A long time ago in galaxy far, far away...  Another and maybe the most important factor that defines scifi is technology that doesn't exist yet and is subsequently consid...

The concept of a Star Wars tv show seemed far fetched to many people, Star War being the epitome of a blockbuster. But "The Mandalorian" has proven all critics wrong and had paved the way for several Star Wars series that are in the works, including a new Obi-Wan series starring Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christiansen.  "The Mandalorian" takes place approximately 5 years after "The Return of the Jedi" and sets itself apart from the movies by focusing on a bounty hunter. Din Djarin, is a Mandalorian and the first main character who is neither siding with the empire nor with the new republic. In a way we see for the first time how the average man in the Star Wars universe lives. Someone who doesn't fight in the war or tries to reshape the universe. The show focuses not only on Din Djarin's quest but also on the Mandalorians' culture and history, which is something that hasn't been explored in the live action movies so far.  The story is simple ...

Since it is May 4th, Star Wars day, it feels like the perfect day to do this. Also I finally got around to watching "Star Wars - The Rise of Skywalker", as I missed it at the cinema due to a family issue.  Please note that there are some spoilers ahead, in case you haven't seen all of the movies. Here is my personal ranking based on story, execution and how well it fits into the story as a whole:  9. Attack of the Clones Sadly this is an easy one. Attack of the Clones is by far the worst Star Wars movie in my opinion. Almost everything is wrong with it, from cringe worth dialogue, to bad performances. I am a huge fan of Ewan McGregor, Christopher Lee and Nathalie Portman but sadly not even their talent could safe the bad lines they were given. Add to that the lack of direction by George Lucas and you get scenes that are painful to watch. The love story seemed forced and didn't develop organically, one got the feeling on occasion that Padme simply pitied the...

Recently I joined a website about Science Fiction art. While most pictures were extremely artful and inspired several story ideas, there was one picture that actually annoyed me. It was a drawing of Princess Leia from "Star Wars - A New Hope", with her white dress. Unfortunately the artist has decided to give her extremely fake boobs, a ridiculous cleavage and a slit in her dress that reached to her hip. It wasn't neccessarily that fact that she was potraited sexy, but that she was made into a sex doll. Princess Leia is so much more than that and to reduce her to her sexuality is just sexism in its worst from.  Although Leia, played by the brilliant Carrie Fisher, is usually referred by "princess" she is much more: Senator, rebel, leader, general and spy. In fact I would go as far as saying that she is the most qualified of the lead characters.  She is a born Skywalker, which makes it clear that although she wasn't trained in the Force, she is very ...

This is probably THE original nerd debate. When you strike up a conversation at a science fiction convention sooner or later someone asks: Star Wars or Star Trek? For too many people it can only be one or the other, which for me doesn't make sense, as they cannot really compare. Let's start with Star Trek, which ist older by a decade. It is Science Fiction in its purest element. All technology is explained in detail using scientific theories and terms. Some of it might even become reality in the future and some of it already has. Take for instance "Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home", when there is a scene during which Scotty tries to talk to the computer and the scientists surrounding him barely shake their heads and Scotty complains on the primitive computers. While this was probably accurate for the 80ies, now in 2019 we are all used to talk to Siri on our Iphones or to our cars. Voice activation is no longer part of science fiction but a real part of our ...

All these ever popular lists are always subjective, since not everyone is moved by the same things. In a way this list doesn't only consider how moving a death was but also how shocking and how decisive for the story it was. As usual you are welcome to comment:  Number 10: Madison, the werewolf in "Supernatural" It might seem unusual to list the death of a guest character in the longest running fantasy show but whenever I rewatch this episode I am moved to tears, although we don't see the actual death.  This is in part due to the amazing performance of Jared Padalecki, Emanuelle Vaugier and Jensen Ackles but also because in this episode we come to understand how much the brothers are actually sacrificing for their work and to be "unsung heros". At the same time one can only admire Madison's brave choice to rather die than risk hurting anyone.  Number 9: Boromir in "Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring" Of course a list ab...

I know I am a bit late to the party but it took me two weeks to make up my mind about "Star Wars - The Last Jedi". While there is a lot right with this movie in my option there is also a lot wrong. I will write this review spoilerfree, which will make it however a bit vague.   First of all the movie is good craftmanship. There pacing is perfect, the new characters are well developed and the effects and dialogues are excellent. Viewed as a stand-alone movie it would certainly get an 8 or 9 out of 10 points.  But this is where the problem lies. A Star Wars movie isn't a stand-alone movie, it is part of a saga and as such it must follow the established path. Although the original trilogy had far less sophisticated special effects and a much lower budget, even adjusted to inflation, it made us dream. It became the perfect amalgamation of Fantasy and Science Fiction. In comparision to this Rian Johnson's vision feels somewhat sterile and hearthless. Even comparing...

Like many Star Wars fans I was thrilled and worried likewise when it was announced that George Lucas had sold his company to Disney. Fearing the destruction of one of the most beloved movie franchises, like it has happened for instance with Highlander, when a brilliant movie's legacy was distroyed with mediocre and bad sequels.  But just like with the reboot of Star Trek, which despite my hate for reboots, I admit to loving, this new trilogy of Star Trek began with a J.J. Abrams movie, that revitalized the franchise. After two brilliant Star Trek movies J.J. Abrams moved on to Star Wars and the next Star Trek movie was helmed by Justin Lin, a director mainly known for the Fast & Furious franchise, which is merely action driven. The result was a movie lacking heart and having too much action for its own good.  Therefore when it was announced that with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, two directors were to helm the new Han Solo movie starring Alden Ehrenreich, that...

The beauty of Science Fiction is that everything is possible and that your own fantasy is the limit to it. This is one of the reasons why the genre is so popular and why some movies, even today are game changers.  There are many fantastic Science Fiction movies but these 13 movies, revolutionized the genre in its own way. Each of them did something unique to it.  Here are the 13 groundbreaking movies in chronological order:  Le voyage dans la lune (1902) by Georges Méliès Although most people haven't seen this movie, they are familiar with the iconic image of the moon having been hit by a rocket in the eye. The movie was inspired by the novels of Jules Verne and probably H.G. Wells. The story is simple: Men travel to the moon, are captured by the inhabitants, manage to escape and return home. Being an illionist Méliès was predestined to become a special effects innovator, as he did with this movie, which would be his most ambitious. One ...

Many people still think of women as the weaker sex. Science Fiction and Fantasy however have already given us some memorable badass women. The fight with strength, intelligence and charm. But it is not only their skills that make them badass but their will never to give up.  These are my top 10 most badass female characters in Science Fiction and Fantasy: 10. Zoe Washburn from "Firefly"       If a tv series, a movie or a book features a female badass character it is usually the lead and she is often passionate and a natural born leader. Joss Wedon's Zoe Washburn is very different. She is the second in command and the embodyment of a level headed, cool soldier. You wouldn't want to mess with her. At the same time she manages to be a dignified woman, who is deeply in love with her husband, although he is not a fighter.  9. Katniss Everdeen from "The Hunger Games" Jennifer Lawrence brought her to life in a brilliant way. What made Katniss ...

With the first teaser trailer for "Star Wars - The last Jedi" having been published only a few days ago all of us nerds are going into analyzing mode. Every nuance and imagine is being scrubbed to extract every bit of information.  If we include "Star Wars - Rouge One" this will be the ninth Star Wars movie and not only the latest installment coming out, but also the last one so far in the established chronology. In The Phantom Menace (Episode I) we learnt about the prophecy of "The chosen one, who will bring balance to the force". Much of the first trilogy evolved around, whether Anakin Skywalker was the chosen one or not. While he certainly shifts the balance at the end of the trilogy, diminishing the power of the Light Side, we can hardly call this balance with the rise of the Dark Side in the form of the emperor and Darth Vader.   During the second trilogy although never explicitly mentioned we get the impression that Luke Skywalker, Anaki...

While writing my old blog http://lorcagonzalez.blogspot.com I came to realize that more than a blog about my writing it had become a tool for me to voice my thoughts on the more serious problems of life. No matter if they were social, political or enviromental. As I still consider myself primarily a Fantasy writer but wanted to maintain the old form of the blog, the solution became clear:  Start a new Science Fiction and Fantasy blog!  Some of you may be intrigued by the title "Stories from the Calindratem". I have to admit that I decided to use this blog also to promote my own work.  The Calindratem is a mysterious book in my upcoming novel "In the Shadows of History - The One", which contains all the laws of the Guardians and Impugnators. I will let you know more about this as the publication date approaches! I will discuss in this blog everything related to Scifi and Fantasy, from the upcoming Star Wars movie, to the role of women in Lord of the ...