h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The last book of Legions of Fire is now out. It rather nicely rounds off the story of the Centauri. If you've followed the storyline to B5 it's a must read.

I still don't know why there wasn't a follow up to Babylon 5. The ending was perfect, with the gift to the baby to be opened after 16 years and all...

TM.

I still don't know why there wasn't a follow up to Babylon 5. The ending was perfect, with the gift to the baby to be opened after 16 years and all...

TM.

Sky One is doing a Blind Date style vote. http://www.h2g2.com/F46970?thread=91071 Who would you choose?

So ...

"Come along, Number One, how can we rectify this anomaly?"

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992946

I like the name!



Piloted by Clingons I presume?

I've always had a few problems with Star Trek, thus:

*I can't stand the transporters, they pose a huge amount of plot-holes and are fairly unlikely (apparently they were only used in the original series because model shots of shuttlecraft flying back and forth was too expensive. Later s/f shows have never used transporters but Trek is stuck with them).

*The "aliens" are hugely unimaginative and (with the expecptions of the marvellous Klingons, the sinister Romulans and the scary Borg) are deeply rubbish. They also always speak English, even if they have never encountered humans before.

*There are too-many "soap opera" elements to many stories.

*It has a horrible tendency to tip it's hat to it's more nerdy fanbase by tediously explaining how all the boring, dull uninteresting parts of the ships work. "The photohopodrive works by fusing dylithium crystals with hydrooxidite" Oh be quiet! It makes the ship move, that's all we need to know!

Having said that, there are many good things. Some of the stories are excellent and it has had a few good characters down the years (Spock, Bones, Picard, Data). Also, some of the big-screen Star Treks are excellent.

That puts me in mind of the cartoon:

"But apart from that, how did you like the show, Mrs. Lincoln?"

What a pity there's no one around to see this:

http://patter.mine.nu/~steve/guidtrek.htm

and there's a lot of it, too.

Oooh nice