July 4, 2008: With Extra Special Guest Star…Kage Baker!

Kage Baker

Today, I turn the blog over to Kage Baker who has graciously taken the time to field your questions and comments on In the Garden of Iden, this month’s SF BOTMC selection. Truth be told, this is actually Kage’s second appearance here. The first was a quick cameo back in February when she offered some insight into “Plotters and Shooters”, her contribution to Lou Anders’ Fast Forward I: Future Fiction From the Cutting Edge. I so enjoyed that particular short story that I decided to check out one of Kage’s novels as well - this, the first installment in her Company series - and bring you all along for the ride. And, judging from your reaction, it was a great call.

Those of you who read my review know that I’ll be checking out the ensuing titles in this series. Hopefully, many of you will as well. And, along the way, if you’d like to learn more about Kage, her work, and her incredibly diverse background (graphic artist, mural painter, teacher of Elizabethan English for the stage) head on over to: www.kagebaker.com

Now before I turn things over to our extra special guest blogger, I’d like to thank Kage. First, for being incredibly thoughtful by offering to postpone her appearance here out of respect for the late Don S. Davis. (I assured her that Don would’ve good-naturedly threatened me with an Ozark butt-kicking if I’d even considered it.) Second, for being so accommodating, managing to find time for us amid a hectic travel schedule and a Guest of Honor appearance at the Las Vegas Westercon (July 3-6, at the JW Marriott Resort, 221 N Rampart Blvd,Las Vegas, NV - so if you’re in the neighborhood, drop by!).

Over to Kage…

Hello to Stargate fans! And my condolences on our losing Don Davis.

Let’s see if I can answer your questions…

Shirt ‘n Tie writes: “My question to Ms Baker, why did you choose the Spanish Inquisition and the English setting for the book? Both excellent choices for this tale, and a remarkable feat of story telling. Also which of the Company Series did you find the most rewarding and-or difficult to write and why? Thank you for a wonderful creation!”

Shirt ‘n Tie: You’re welcome! I chose the Elizabethan setting because I was throroughly familiar with that era, having taught Elizabethan English for many years and also done living history set in Tudor times. Since the Inquisition was such a powerful force, it made sense that the Company would have agents stationed in its ranks, to enable them to sift through the people and things that disappeared into the Inquisition’s dungeons. As for which was most difficult of the books to write: that would be the last one, the Sons of Heaven. All those plotlines to tie up!

Eva K. I adore the idea that nothing we can do can change the past; it’s very convenient for mucking about in the past without having to worry about stepping on butterflies.

But did you come up with the idea of solid unchanging history first and fit the plot of the book within those perameters, or did you need to figure out a way the plot could work, and thus came up with the way timetravel works?

Eva K.: I came up with the idea of a story involving time travelers first. Having done that, I had to lay out the rules for my own little universe, because I needed consistent parameters or my story wouldn’t be very effective. Time Travel as a subgenre has been handled a lot, so I wanted something a little different from most others. That was why I made the rules stringent: No travel into the future, no carrying objects from the past to the present, and moreover time travel is too expensive to do much of it. Sort of setting my Difficulty level at High. And, after all, no actual time travel takes place in the book!

Bar Stool Babe writes: “My questions for Ms. Baker are did the whole series develop at once or did new characters demand more time from you once your introduced them (I’m thinking specifically of the residents in Mendoza in Hollywood)? And did you have the whole mortals versus immortals tension when you started writing the Company books or did it evolve as you wrote more of the series. I also must applaud the way you show the inevitable progression of “political correctness” in the future. Yech!”

Bar Stool Babe: The main characters—Mendoza, Nicholas, Joseph—were in the series outline from the beginning. However, the others just popped up as the books went along and took on lives and opinions of their own, much to my surprise. The tension between mortals and immortals was always there. Mendoza is a deeply wounded person, and one of the series themes is her journey from complete alienation back to some kind of reconciliation with her humanity. As for ‘political correctness’—only last week I read that kids in the UK can’t call study sessions ‘brainstorming’ anymore—it might offend epileptics. The approved term now is ‘Thought Showers’….

Narelle from Aus writes: “The questions I have for Kage Baker:
1. Is it an equal interest in both History and Sci Fi that motivated you to write this series of books?
2. Why do so many Sci Fi authors have a fascination with Warner Brothers cartoons (and I’m putting my hand up as a big fan of them)
3. Do you find it difficult to switch from one character to another when writing each book? Ie: Mendoza for Iden, Joseph for Sky Coyote?”

Narelle: Actually I’ve always been much more interested in History than in Science Fiction. But if you’re going to write a time travel novel, it’s gonna be science fiction. I can’t speak for other SF writers, but I grew up with Warner Brothers cartoons, and really—could you find a better symbol for human futility and eternal hope than Wile E. Coyote? As for the point of view switch: it was a little difficult, from brooding superteenager to crafty old field agent. Joseph is based on a friend of mine, and one of the things I did to get his voice was put on a tape of a class he had taught and listen to it as I wrote, to memorize his speech rhythms.

Anti-Social Butterfly writes: “My question for Ms. Baker concerns her use of anachronistic speech throughout the novel. What led to your decision to use it? Were you concerned that it might pull the reader out of the story? How did you draw the distinction between the jarring, over the top speech (exemplified by everything said by Joseph) and the casual, fluid speech (i.e. the conversations between Nicholas and Mendoza)?”

I won’t get spoilerish for those who haven’t read beyond the first book, but I would like to know if Ms. Baker created her own “Temporal Concordance” to keep up with all the characters and the convoluted plotting with changing times and locations.

Anti-Social Butterfly: Anachronistic speech was necessary to give each character his or her characteristic voice; after all, it isn’t a straight historical novel, but a time travel story. My editor begged me to keep the Elizabethan to a minimum, and I was able to comply with a certain amount of cheating; a lot of Elizabethan is actually pretty straightforward, and it’s possible to get the right voice without a lot of “beholdeths” and “walkests” and awkward grammar. Did I keep my own Temporal Concordance? I wish! As the series progressed I’d have to grab up previous books and frantically leaf through them to see what I’d written before about, for example, how old I’d said Joseph was.

Honshuu writes: “If I was to meet the author and ask questions, I would have only one, at this point. “Why did you choose to go with cyborgs as opposed to full androids? Was it to keep a human connection to the world they were supposed to help save/preserve?…or to add that human fallibility to the characters?””

A.Honshu: Yes indeed, because most of the series is about the human pull on people who are developing into posthumans. If I’d gone with androids… well, about the only story you can tell with androids is about an android trying to become human. The old Pinocchio game. Though of course there was Marvin the Paranoid Android!

Michelle writes: “I would ask Ms. Baker to explain more about what parts of the immortals are still human, though perhaps that’s more explained later in the series.”

Michelle: It is covered to some extent in the later books. Unbreakable ferroceramic skeleton, drastically modified spinal chord, brain augmentation by way of installed wetware, muscles and tendons reinforced with biopolymer, nanobots engineered to reside in the tissues and repair anything that’s compromised, organs modified to manufacture pineal tribrantine III, training to develop hyperabilities… the rest is all human, pretty much.

Sylvia writes: “Questions for Kage Baker
1. Early references to the people who bought the young girl, was a comment that “he, …likes young girls..” and this kinda rang a bell with the recent events of the FLDS – polygamy.
Why were children sought by the adult Mendozas?
The text implied the adult Mendozas wanted the child for sacrifice; or was there another reason?

2. The child (Mendoza) could not remember her or her family name, yet she was adamant stating she was not a Mendoza. Yet, she ended up with that name.
What was your thought process for giving the child the name?

3. Given the assumed normal morals for that “time,” I wondered why she was never taken to task for her relationship with Nicholas which became widely shared.

4. Did you intend to write a series of books when you started In the Garden of Iden? Or, did you decide at some point later?

5. Perhaps my sense of “timing” is warped, but as I read, I had the feeling that there was a sense of urgency as the operative Mendoza told her story. It comes from the very beginning. Like she had to get the story out before…something stopped her. Of course I have not read the other books…so, may I ask if this was intentional? Or, just a case of my perception?”

Sylvia: For questions 1 & 2: the implication is that the aristocratic crowd who buy Mendoza are into devil worship, or at least some kind of late-medieval neopaganism, and intend to offer her as a child consort to the Lord of the Fields. FLDS sex? Human sacrifice? Who knows? The Inquisition comes to the rescue first, and promptly arrests the cult’s intended victim too. A very small child in a largely illiterate rural environment might well not know her own family name, and any uncertainty would only be made worse by Inquisitorial terror tactics. “Mendoza” was simply the name that popped into my head the first time I ever saw her in my mind. 3: The morals of the day were actually pretty easygoing; the Puritans and Victorians were a ways off yet. A young couple shacking up wouldn’t have raised too many eyebrows, especially if the girl’s father seemed to tacitly approve. 4: Yes, I did intend a series, though not as long a series as I ended up writing. 5: No, I think it’s your perception. Mendoza is writing from a place from which she can’t escape, and has enough time on her hands to review her past. You’d find out why in the third book, “Mendoza in Hollywood”.

Thornyrose writes: First, what appealed to you about the time period you set “In the Garden of Idun” in it? When you first started writing about the Company and its time travel adventures, did you originally approach it as a one shot, and build on the concept, or did you already have some idea of what direction it would take? When writing, what sort of envirement do you do your work? cozy office with no outside distractions, some sort of background music, regular hours at the computer or as the mood hits you? Which genre and format do you most enjoy? Fantasy/Sf/straight fiction/ short story/novels/series? And in the company series do we see any of the Immortal agents turning on the Company?

Thornyrose: See above for why I chose the Elizabethan time period. I did actually have the whole story in my mind from the beginning, with the idea that Garden of Iden was the first movement, as it were. The story just expanded in a few unexpected directions as I wrote it. As for where I write: In my living room, at a big rolltop desk I bought with my first royalty check, generally with a screaming parrot on my shoulder. From time to time he sidles down and tries to steal my pens or bite through the mouse cord. The desk is cluttered with notes on scraps of paper, reference books, good luck writing juju, and St. Jude candles. Generally I listen to classical music as I write, because anything with song lyrics is distracting. My favorite reading matter boils down to 3 authors in 3 genres: Robert Louis Stevenson, Terry Pratchett, Patrick O’Brien. And as for whether the Immortals rebel against their masters: that would be telling! Read on…

Mercie writes: “My only question for Kage Baker is: Being an aspiring writer, myself, I was wondering if you ever end up writing a story and realize at the end that it is a completely different story than the one you intended to write? My stories tend to have a life of their own, and twist out of my grasp to become something entirely different. Not bad, mind you, just different.”

Mercie: Yes, very often! In fact, usually. The story takes on a life of its own and goes where it wants.

AMZ writes: “I haven’t been able to read In the Garden of Iden but I have a question for Kage Baker based on some of her short stories I’ve been fortunate
enough to read: How important do you feel humour is to your stories? “

AMZ: I never set out to write a story with humor in it; it just happens. Life, while perfectly horrible and tragic sometimes, can also be hysterically funny, often at the same time it’s tragic. My experience is that the SF field frowns on humor, as being lightweight and frivolous, but clearly they’ve never read Hamlet carefully enough…

Fsmn36 writes: “What was your inspiration for the subject matter? And in labeling it a bodice-ripper, was that your intent? Was writing something more romatically-based your goal, or merely a product of the universe and characters?”

Fsmn36: My inspiration for the subject matter was a scene I imagined once on a bus rolling through Central California, and it had nothing to do with the book I ended up writing. I was on a bus with about 50 other actors, coming home from a show we’d been doing in Northern California. We were traveling along I-5, which crosses a lot of what was then empty backcountry, and there were these lion-yellow hills rollling off to the western horizon, here and there dotted with oak trees. The image of a woman walking along through them came into my mind, a woman alone, walking purposefully to cover a lot of distance, in this searing heat under a hot blue sky. She stayed in my imagination; I wondered who she was and how she had come to be there, and the whole story of her life just sort of unfolded for me. The term “bodice-ripper” was a joke, because I was having a bit of fun playing with the tropes of romantic fiction. Those stories always end happily, and of course in Mendoza’s case real life intervenes instead. Did I mean to write something more romantically-based? Not really; but love makes the world go round, as they say, and love stories are powerful.

Dyginc writes: “My questions to Kage Baker are the following
> > 1)Why Queen Mary? Is that a time you are interested in?
> > 2)How much research did you have to do for the dance?
> > 3)I would like to know if you had to edit the down the Cabinet of Curiosities or did you not feel it would add another level to the eccentric behavior of Sir Walter?
> > 4)What authors inspire you?
> > 5)Are you a fan of historical fiction and if so do you read Philippa Gregory?
> > 6)Now that she is a cyborg and a young woman does she actually start to age?
> > 7)Is the Company more of a science verses faith idea?”

Dyginc: As above, I’ve always been interested in the Tudor era, and Mary Tudor is a particularly tragic figure– hated, and for a good reason considering how many people she had killed, but you can’t help but feel pity for her. For the dance– I didn’t have to do any research, because I knew people who did courtly dance and also I own about a dozen albums of period dance music. I did have to edit down the Cabinet of Curiosities! It was fun to write, but it slowed down the story a bit. What authors inspire me? As above, Stevenson, Pratchett, O’Brien. Read them and find out why. I read some historical fiction, yes, O’Brien for example, but I’ve never read anything by Philippa Gregory. No, Mendoza will never age physically past the age of young adulthood. If Immortals need to appear older, they have to wear padding and appliance makeup, or at least grey their hair. No, emphatically, the series is not science versus faith. I am on the side of science, I guess, being a secular humanist, but I’ve seen a lot of scientists who are idiots and a lot of religious people who are wise and humane. So I’d prefer both sides to live together in peace.

July 3, 2008: Uh, basically, y’know…

Like the sign says...

Best. Burger. Ever!

Al is all business

Lawrence and Melanie

The great thing about visiting Montreal is that it finally allows me the opportunity to relax and take my mind off work for a change. In the past two days, I’ve spent time with friends and family, walked the streets of my hometown, and, oh yeah, took part in a 90 minute conference call with 27 journalists from various print and media outlets eager to get the lowdown on Atlantis’s upcoming fifth season.

Bob Picardo, bless his heart, committed to taking part weeks ago as did I, little realizing that the 1:00 p.m. EDT, July 1^st call-in would find me enroute to my cousins’ house for an afternoon barbecue. “This probably won’t take long,”I assured my sister who was driving. “Maybe half and hour. Tops. I’ll be done by the time we get there.” As it turned out, not even close. At a little after 2:00 p.m., while the rest of the family was sitting down to steak and scalloped potatoes, I was still pacing the sidewalk in front of the house, chatting away and wondering how long it would take for the battery on my blackberry to give out.

As it turned out, I made it all the way through the call. Even though we did run a little long (!), both Bob and I were more than happy to stick it out and ensure everyone had their questions answered. We wrapped up at a little after 2:30 p.m. at which point Carol from NBC thanked us for our time and said something to the effect of: “I’ve done a lot of these calls and, I have to tell you, this one was without a doubt the…”

Best? Most informative? Most entertaining?

“…longest I’ve ever taken part in.”

Awesome. We have the record. Of course, when I received the transcript of the conference call from SciFi’s Michelle Rosenblatt, it certainly explained a lot. For those of you into drinking games, grab yourself a bottle of Jack Daniels, some shot glasses, and a copy of that transcript. Now, read my responses to the journalists’ questions and, every time I utter an “Uh”, “y’know”, and “basically”, take a shot. I guarantee you’ll either be fall- down drunk or comatose and in desperate need of medical attention by the end of my first response. So a 90 minute conference call. Trim out the “uh’s”, “y’know’s”, and “maybe’s” and the whole thing actually clocks in at about 67 minutes and change.

Which is why I balked when SciFi asked me to host these behind-the-scene video segments for their website. It’s not that I think they’re a bad idea (in fact, just the opposite), but like I told Chris Sanagustin - Hey, I’m better on paper. I suggested Martin Gero for the job. He’s got the gift of the gab and isn’t too bad on paper either.

Well, my faith in the Montreal dining scene was restored yesterday when my sister took me to m:brgr on Drummond Street. Your average, run-of-the-mill burger joint it aint. Its impressive menu items include a kobe beef burger and various high-end toppings like porcini oil, black truffle carpaccio, and white truffle shavings. Sis and I ordered the same: one kobe beef burger with caramelized onions, torta mascarpone, smoked applewood bacon, and black truffle carpaccio on brioche served with a side of white truffle mayo. We also split an order of crispy sweet potato fries and two dipping sauces: chipotle mayo and citrus mayo. Best. Burger. Ever! It was so good, in fact, that I had my sister cancel the lunch reservations she made for this Friday so that we could go back to m:brgr instead. Those of you with more conventional tastes, fear not! The menu offers a wide range of traditional fare including regular burgers, sliders, hot dogs, and milkshakes. Check it out! http://www.mbrgr.com/

I met up with my cousin John, visited some of my old haunts and caught up with Al over at 1 000 000 Comix and Miles at Capitaine Quebec, then met my good buddy Lawrence and his girlfriend Melanie for dinner. Ah, good times! Lawrence and I go way, WAAAY back. We went to the same high school where we spent many memorable years ignoring each other until we eventually struck up a friendship later in college. We were part of a foursome that would head out every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night, starting our evening‘s at the Peel Pub. There, we would down a couple of pitchers before invariably making our way down to a club called The Thunderdome where, if we got there before 11:00 p.m., we skipped the coverage charge and took advantage of the $4.50 pitcher price. It’s funny (or maybe alarming) that when we were shooting Whispers, Wray Douglas was very careful about the type of fog element used. “It’s not like the old days when they would use dry ice,”he confided. “Can you imagine? Dry ice!” Yeah, as a matter of fact I COULD imagine because back when we used to frequent the Thunderdome every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night, the place would be suffused with the coiling tendrils produced by the dry ice machines they had working overtime. Between that and the hanging cigarette smoke, you had to tread carefully lest you walk into a pillar or stumble over someone’s prone body. Yes, in those days, we did a fair amount of boozing.

One of my favorite sad drunk stories involves a mutual friend who, feeling a tad under the weather, left a house party to go for a walk. Well, hours later we were ready to leave but realized Nigel had never come back from his walk. We went out to look for him but, alas, he was nowhere to be found. So we made our way back to the car and, as we were about to hop in, John, our driver, noticed something on his windshield. It was a comb! “Who the hell would leave a dirty comb on my car?”he wondered aloud as he carefully lifted the comb between thumb and forefinger and tossed it aside. Who would leave a dirty comb on John’s car? Try Nigel who, unable to find his way back to the house party, decided to find his own transportation home. But before doing so, he left us a message in the form of his comb figuring (in his incredibly drunken stupor) that we would discover the comb and immediately follow the ensuing train of thought: “Hey, what’s this? It’s Nigel’s comb! Comb! Home! Nigel’s gone home!” Yeah, those were the days.

July 2, 2008: A Disastrous Dinner and a Deepening Discussion

I took my eyes off the menu to glance outside. On the other side of the big bay window, one of the restaurant musicians was emptying his spit valve. I redirected my gaze back across the table to my mother who was weighing her choices. By the look on her face, I knew exactly what she was thinking: “Thirty dollars for rabbit! I could’ve made rabbit at home and I guarantee it would be ten times better than what we’re going to eat here!” My mom is not one for fine dining but, alas, she was along for the ride on this night as we checked out Garcon, pegged by many as one of Montreal’s best.

Maybe so, but beside our table and the three musicians cleaning their instruments out on the patio, the place was dead. In all fairness, however, it was early, only a little after 6:00 p.m. Of course, by the time we left at a little after 8:30 p.m., the place was still dead. Again, it could have been timing. On the other hand, it could have been the quality of the dishes served. In retrospect, I’d lean toward the latter.

The menu offered some enticing alternatives and, after much thought, my sister and I both opted for the same bone marrow ravioli with escargot and confit shallot roasted in marrow bone with lettuce and lardons. My mother, however, wasn’t having any of it, skipping the appetizers and even passing on the simple garden salad suggested by our waiter. To make up for mom’s unwillingness to play ball, I ordered a third appy “for the table”, the squash tortellini with truffle oil, boletus mushrooms, baby peas, and sage butter.

The bone marrow ravioi was a huge disappointment, served dry-baked and devoid of any saucing, while the escargot and confit shallot roasted in bone marrow proved surprisingly bland, accompanied by shredded beef that seemed to have been boiled into submission.

The squash tortellini was relatively inoffensive in comparison. The actual tortellini was thin and nicely al dente, its squash interior devoid of any of the vegetable’s subtle sweetness. They may have well been potato tortellini and I wouldn’t have noticed a difference. The accompanying sauce (the baby peas and sage butter) was very good however, as were the roasted boletus.

For my mother’s main course, she had the rabbit stuffed with lobster and mango, served with rosemary polenta, rabbit shoulder ravioli, brussel sprouts and almonds. It was a bold but ultimately ill-advised attempt at marrying three ingredients that had no business being together, much less hanging around on the same neighborhood plate. It wasn’t terrible but by no means was it good either. My mother complained about the partially-cooked brussel sprouts, but did some to not mind her polenta. I thought the rabbit shoulder ravioli were nicely executed though.

Mom declared my sister’s roasted lamb the best of the three mains, which was a little like crowning Moe the smartest of the Three Stooges. Served medium-rare, the meat was tender but bland, accompanied by some very nice potato gnocchi with avocado butter, vegetables, and a pretty good lamb belly.

I went with the roasted veal filet that, I later informed our waiter when he inquired about our meals, was overdone and cold. “Overdone AND cold?”he asked. Yes. No easy feat. But I wasn’t too broken up over the veal since I actually ordered the dish for the accompanying sweetbread lasagne. It turned out to be a few morsels of lukewarm and fairly tasteless sweetbread and equal-sized morsels of fat layered beneath some sheets of spinach pasta. No sauce. No discernible spicing. I imagine that if the staff of my high school cafeteria had ever attempted this dish, they would have been more than equal to the task. The accompanying chanterelle mushrooms were inedible. Hilariously so. They were the type of food item you’d convince a friend to try just so you could see the look on their face when they actually tasted the damn things. I had half a mind to play this gag on my mother but given that she had already spat up a good half-dozen mouthfuls over the course of the meal, I gave her a break.

We didn’t dare risk dessert.

Service was actually quite good, the only low-point coming at the end of our meal when the waiter whisked my mother’s side plate away, sending its partially masticated contents sailing across the table and into my lap.

If this is truly the best fine-dining that Montreal has to offer, then I’m sticking with Smoked Meat Pete’s.

Some thoughts on your thoughts on In the Garden of Iden:

Whovian writes: “The characters seemed very real to me, whether I liked them or not. At first I was put off by Mendoza calling us all mortal monkeys.”

Answer: I too loved her from the get-go. Baker does a great job of introducing Mendoza as a precocious but incredibly charming child, then fast-forwarding her to adulthood over the course of a chapter. In my mind, those childlike elements we were introduced to early on remained with her throughout the book and, in my opinion, made her that much more sympathetic. Which is why I really wasn’t put off by her opinion of mortals. It was an innocent, child-like perspective. Besides, as this novel proves, she was right all along. We ARE monkeys!

Whovian writes: “I thought it was clearly shown how these immortals can suffer, fear, want, etc., when they cannot die. I truly believed and understood that life for the immortals is difficult, to say the least.”

Answer: True. That point was really driven home for me when Joseph gives her the lowdown on mortal-immortal relationships. He does so in a matter-of-fact way as someone who has experienced love and loss so many times that he has risen above its effects. Mendoza, however, is new to this game, and it’s her innocent belief that she COULD make it work that makes her falling in love with Nicholas so tragic. As someone else pointed out - you sympathize with the character and you desperately want her relationship to work but, in the back your mind, you can foresee it is doomed to end tragically.

Whovian also writes: “Mendoza may be immortal and highly intelligent, yet she is painfully young. Her lack of experience allows me to forgive her for her mistakes and harsh outlook on the rest of human kind. And when she wonders, “Are we really good for people?” I wondered along with her. It’s something that, for me, doesn’t really get answered.”

Answer: Yes, this is something else I wondered about. In the long run, are they doing more harm than good? In the big picture, I would guess yes, their work will better humankind in the long run so it is obviously worthwhile. But in the small picture, specifically as it relates to the players both mortals and immortals who are involved in the retrieval, one could argue that they are far worse off for their experiences.

Mercie writes: “I enjoyed Mendoza’s youthful take on all the goings-on during the story, and especially thought her initial aversion to humans and their “violent” nature was a very teen-feeling viewpoint.”

Agreed. I agree. If she had grown up in our contemporary society, I’d imagine her as a nihilist goth chick. Tres Lenore.

Nebula writes: “But once I read _In the Garden of Iden_, I went on to read all her Company novels and although her first is still my favorite, they are all a wonderful mixture of humor, adventure, poignant romance and historical facts.”

Answer: It’s great to hear the rest of the series lives up to this first book. Like I said, I really enjoyed In the Garden of Iden and do intend to pick up the rest of The Company titles.

Itsme writes: “ I liked her whole time travel theory but found the process to make them immortal unexplained, like I had missed something? - what were they doing to them??”

Answer: True. This is hinted at very early on but never fully explained. To be honest, I didn’t think it was that important to the story given that this is the first book in a series, and I assumed this subject would be covered in future entries.

Itsme writes: “In the beginning, the author gives us so much information about the Company that is really very interesting but really irrelevant because you never hear anything about it after that (but I assume this would be covered in the following books?? but after this one, there is no chance i’m going to find out) - but I found that I was more interested in The Company and its policies than I was about Mendoza’s individual story.”

Answer: What I found interesting was learning about The Company’s policies via Medoza’s experiences in the field. It was through the sometimes unforeseen circumstances that developed over the course of her first mission that we got to learn about this unique entity. Like you, by book’s end I was wanting to know more.

Bar Stool Babe writes: “I also must applaud the way you show the inevitable progression of “political correctness” in the future. Yech!”

Answer: Ha! Agreed.

Narelle from Aus writes: “The premise that you cannot change history was interesting. However, I did move onto Sky Coyote after finishing In the Garden of Iden and I think the motivations behind this philosophy is explored in more detail and it isn’t as cut and dry as it first appears.”

Answer: Ah, I’m intrigued. Perhaps my theory on history’s immutable nature in this series may be up for debate.

Narelle from Aus writes: “When you have an immortal as old as Joseph, when he speaks you wonder what multitude of experiences he is drawing from. So as well as reading the story on the page, his character allowed me to take my mind to what else he had seen considering his age.”

Answer: Yes. I could just imagine him reprimanding: “You kids who grew up during this Inquisition had it easy. In my day, they didn’t torture you with nice clean instruments. In my day, the instruments of torture were filthy and you’d die of infection long before you bled out…”

Narelle from Aus writes: “It would be difficult to watch humans make the same mistakes over and over and you not be able to do anything about it.”

Answer: And yet, throughout this novel, I kept thinking “how very topical!”. Those who do not learn from history…

Thornyrose writes: “ The one thing that seriously jarred me at the beginning of the novel, and that I couldn’t shake, was the early explanation of time travel. Ok, I can buy into the “you can’t change history” approach. But the caveat “But this law can only be observed to apply to recorded history”. My first thought was, if someone writes a journal noting something, but the journal is lost 200 years later, does that mean that its not really recorded history? If the Company wants to change history, do they in fact simply send agents to remove documentation so they can modify history in the way they want?”

Answer: In my interpretation of the laws of time travel set forth in this book, the removal of a historical document would not allow them to change history. Even though that journal was lost, it is still recorded history. The fact that The Company doesn’t have access to this document (and, thus isn’t privy to the way this specific aspect of history played out) gives the illusion that one can change the past. Of course, after reading Narelle form Aus’s post, it seems that I may have to revise this theory once I read the ensuing books in the series.

Thornyrose writes: “I enjoyed the time frame that Ms. Kage elected to set the story in. And the news reports picked up by radio to keep the agents informed of (relatively) local happenings. “

Answer: Yeah, I wasn’t sure what to make of those news reports at first. I didn’t know what the heck was going on and then, when I realized they were clandestine reports being filed by representatives of The Company, I thought them a clever way to update both the characters and the audience in highly entertaining fashion.

Thornyrose writes: “While I wasnt suprised at the physical relationship that developed between Nicholas and Mendoza, I was a bit curious as why the Company didn’t deal with that matter before putting people out in the field. I half expected that sexual training would have been part and parcel of the schooling, rather than letting a new agent out in the world, to have their hormones kick in in an uncontrolled environment.”

Answer: That’s a good point and one I didn‘t consider until you brought it up. It was strange that their orientation didn‘t cover this subject. Maybe past experience proved that no amount of orientation or theoretical grounding could prepare individuals for the inevitable heartbreak and loss. Perhaps the only way to learn the lesson is to experience it firsthand.

Thornyrose writes: “Loved Sir Walter, and his “modifications”. It felt right that the poor man would end up running off to take a second chance at grabbing for the brass ring.”

Answer: I too loved Sir Walter’s metamorphosis from a doddering old codger to frisky not-so-senior.

Sanura writes: “The first, since it was at the beginning, is her amazingly convincing portrayal of the thought processes and reactions of a five-year-old, without resorting to oversimplicity or mere obtuseness.”

Answer: I couldn’t agree with you more. It was this deftness that so thoroughly won me over. Those first few chapters detailing Mendoza’s childhood were among my favorites.

Sanura writes: “Admittedly, her characters were superhuman, but there’s still a certain self-identifiability with them, they’re characterized so well.”

Answer: Exactly. Even though they may have been physically changed they essentially remain true to who they were before the process. This is why I felt such sympathy for all of them - Mendoza, Joseph, and even goat-loving Nef.

Anti-Social Butterfly writes: “Both Nicholas and Mendoza had been deeply indoctrinated which should have built a unbreachable wall between them, but they were able to look past that for a while, and yet it was that dogma that eventually drove them apart. They had deluded themselves into believing the other would come around making it impossible for them to move beyond that romping sexual stage of their relationship.”

Answer: And therein lay the tragedy, the fact that both felt they would be able to overcome their differences and change the other, thereby attaining true happiness. What they hadn’t counted on was the fact that the person they fell in love with would prove as obstinate as they were.

A Honshuu writes: “Nicholas and his religious fervor would only have destroyed Mendoza in the end, making her doubt her life and her purpose.”

Answer: I think that Mendoza would have been destroyed by the relationship regardless of Nicholas’s religious convictions. In fact, I think that had she succeeded in saving him and changing his mind, the end would have been equally tragic. Regardless of how it worked out, he was a mere mortal and would have left her eventually.

Charlie’s Angel writes: “Joe, I can’t believe you didn’t mention that the immortals get buzzed from chocolate! I can just imagine them crashing your chocolate party.”

Answer: Yes! I loved the fact that Joseph dispensed those Theobromos bars as rewards of sorts. Took a page out of my book.

Sylvia writes: “There was also the temptation in the garden as she became entranced by Nicholas.”

Answer: A neat little reverse there. Nicholas hesitates taking the apple she offers him because he sees the symbolic parallels when, in truth, she is the one venturing to take the bite of the forbidden fruit in this case.

Sylvia writes: “At first my reaction to the “end” was – oh man, there is so much left “untold.” It is great there is a series of books…now to get them.”

Answer: That‘s exactly how I felt. I’m very much looking forward to the next book in the series.

Drldeboer writes: “Once she was rescued I just could not get any sympathy for Mendoza’s personal issues, and little sympathy for Nicholas and the actions of the people therein as it has all been unpleasantly hashed before.”

Answer: Really? I thought Baker realized some wonderfully sympathetic characters here.

Aboleyn24 writes: “The way that time travel is approached is great fun. Even though time travel is possible people from the future find it distaceful. So instead they make immortals to do the dirty work for them.”

Answer: Interesting. That’s a point I glossed over and never gave much thought to until you brought it up. Did I miss something? Why ARE The Company’s time-traveling employees strictly made up of immortals? Maybe this is something that will be explored in future books?

Anyway, great discussion. I’d love to hear more of your thoughts and please get the last of your questions for author Kage Baker in by tomorrow as I’ll be sending the rest her way by day’s end.

To Susan W. and her request that a Gene Wolfe title be considered as a book of the month club selection. Susan, I’m a huge fan of his and list Wolfe’s mammoth Book of the New Sun teratology among my very favorites. Definitely something to consider.

Finally, thank you for all your thoughts on Don. It’s really wonderful to see how well-loved the man was.

July 1, 2008: In Memory of Don S. Davis

My earliest memory of Don S. Davis is of a charming, bigger-than-life individual who greeted me with a hardy handshake and a boisterous “Hellooo, Jooooe! Welcome to Stargate!” on one of my very first days on set. This was back in season four, sometime between our second script (Window of Opportunity) and our third (Point of No Return). In those early years, Paul and I spent most of our days in our respective offices, writing, spinning or, in one inspired afternoon, creating the lyrics to the Stargate SG-1 theme. We were busy and, most important of all, we wanted to look busy. The last thing we needed was to be seen hanging around set, gawking at the actors when there were scripts to be written, brilliant ideas to be spun. But several weeks in, it became apparent to me that sitting alone in my office (or, occasionally, Paul’s office for a little variety) would inevitably drive me nuts - and the loss of my sanity would no doubt be reflected in the quality of my work. So I decided to start taking little walks. Pitch document or outline in hand, I would pace - up and down the corridors, in and around the building, and through the empty sets.

Except for one afternoon when I inadvertently strolled onto an active set where they were setting up for the next shot. Realizing my error, I immediately turned on my heels, prepared to march right back out when Brad Wright spotted me and called me over. “Joe,”he said, “I’d like you to meet Don Davis. Don, Joe is one of our new writers.” Don, who’d been standing by, waiting for that next shot, threw me his trademark ear to ear grin, gave me a firm handshake and bellowed “Hellooo, Jooooe! Welcome to Stargate!”

“Hellooo, Jooooe!” It was a greeting I’d come to associate with the man, a good-natured, self-deprecating southern gent who always had a story to tell but, more than anything, always wanted to hear how YOU were doing. “Hellooo, Jooooe! How’s that script coming along?”. “Hellooo Jooooe! How’s your beautiful wife?” “Hellooo, Jooooe! How was your weekend?” Meeting actors for the first time can be a little daunting, especially for a newbie writer on his first big show, but Don’s down-home warmth and cordiality put me instantly at ease. And it was no different when he met the fans. I’ve seen convention-goers approach him with trepidation, perhaps fearful of overstepping their bounds and imposing upon him. But Don was never the type to be stand-offish or put himself on display. When you met Don, you weren’t meeting a t.v. star - you were meeting a regular guy. A regular, modest, kind-hearted guy who genuinely cared for his fans and the people he worked with. And, inevitably, those convention-goers who had, moments before, cautiously approached the man they knew as General Hammond would, moments later, be sitting, chatting and laughing, in conversation with good old Don.

Don loved his fans. He loved life. And he loved food. So I suppose it should come as no surprise that we enjoyed many a dinner together. At first, it would be just Don and I but in time, as Fondy got to know the man, she started to join us. Fondy has always been quick to bow out of any work-related outing, but Don worked his magic on her, putting her instantly at ease so that, in time, she would eventually ask after him. “What’s Don doing? We should go out with Don again.” Eventually, Don found Ruby and our dinners for three became dinners for four.

If there’s one thing I’ll always remember about the man, it was his willingness to put others before him. Back when Rick was reducing his workload to spend more time with his young daughter, and the writing department was scrambling to come up with in-story reasons for O’Neill’s off-world absences, Don came up to offices and offered a solution. “Have Hammond step aside and let O’Neill be General,”he suggested. I was floored. Here was a guy, perfectly willing to walk away from a plum role as a regular on a hit series, just to (in his mind) make it easier on everyone else. Of course we thanked him for his kind offer, but we weren’t willing to let George Hammond go just yet.

Ultimately, the decision was made for us when health issues curtailed Don’s involvement in the show. But even so, he continued to maintain a presence in the Stargate universe, popping up in occasional episodes and then in his final appearance in Stargate: Continuum. And every time he was on set, he would always make it a point to drop by the office to say hello.

As the years wore on, I saw less and less of Don as he focused his attention on Ruby and his second love, art. Still, I’d run into him now and then and whenever I’d inquire about him, he was always upbeat. There was never a trace of bitterness or remorse that he was no longer a regular presence on the show. “I have no regrets,”he’d told me on more than one occasion. And, always: “I’m the luckiest man in the world.” It was a wild, fun-filled ride and, finally, it was time for the southern gent to settle back and enjoy his retirement.

The last time I spoke to Don was about five months ago when he called me up out of the blue after being tipped off that I’d mentioned him in a previous blog entry. In answering a fan who wanted to know why I didn’t keep in touch with Richard Dean Anderson, I responded: “We don’t talk a lot for the simple reason that he no longer works on the show. I don’t really talk to Don Davis that much and I love the guy. It’s nothing personal.” Less than twenty-four hours later, I got the call. As I wrote in my January 15^th entry: “I answered my cell phone today to a low, southern drawled: “Ah luuv yoou tooo.“ What the hell? It took me a couple of seconds to realize who it was - none other than Don S. Davis, General Hammond himself. He‘d been tipped off (by blog regular Gilder) to what I’d said about him in my previous blog entry and wanted to touch base. It’s always great hearing from my fellow gourmand. Apparently, 2007 was a busy year for him (which is great to hear), and he’s now enjoying some much-needed downtime. Hopefully, once things settle down for both Fondy and I, we’ll be able to get together with him and Ruby for another culinary excursion.” It’s bitterly disappointing to know that day will never come.

In my many years at Stargate, I’ve worked with actors whose company I have greatly enjoyed, but only a few would I actually be bold enough to call my friends. And among those few was the magnanimous southern gent who used to greet me with that familiar “Hellooo, Joooe!”, the always affable Don S. Davis.

He’ll be missed.

June 30, 2008: In the Garden of Iden

I was first introduced to the works of Kage Baker through Lou Anders’ Fast Forward 1: Future Fiction from the Cutting Edge, a former book of the month club pick. Baker’s contribution to the collection, “Plotters and Shooters”, was far and away my favorite of the short stories in FF1 and so, when it came time to put in my next book order with Amazon.com, I placed In the Garden of Iden at the top of the list.

It’s no secret that one of the thing my favorite authors have in common is a sense of humor - Abercrombie, Banks, Ford, Martin, Scalzi, Willis to name a few. I’m not talking about balls-out side-splitting comedy but an undercurrent of humor, often subtle, that serves to contrast the occasionally dark themes introduced. Now granted, “Plotters and Shooters“ was a fun piece of short fiction, and I was fully prepared to encounter a very different tone in Baker‘s novel. Still, I’ll admit to growing a little apprehensive after having Baker describe the book as a “Hard-Boiled Bodice Ripper”.

Bodice-Ripper? Images of a shirtless Fabio sweeping a swooning heroine off her feet materialized in my mind’s eye. And then, remembering this was SF - images of a shirtless green-skinned Fabio sweeping a silver spandexed heroine off her moon boots. Funny, yes, but not intentionally so.

Oh, me of little faith. One chapter in, and I was intrigued by the clever scifi premise. Two chapters in, and I was captivated by the characters, our plucky heroine Mendoza in particular. Three chapters in, and I’d been completely won over. If this book is indicative of the sub-genre, then I may have to start doing four BOTMC selections in the categories of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and, yes, Hardboiled Bodice-Ripper.

Our protagonist, Mendoza, is one of a class of immortals, former orphans rescued from certain death and transformed into cyborgs by Dr. Zeus Inc. Under the employ of The Company, these cyborgs (humans in mind but physically superior) are dispatched to points throughout history to collect extinct species and valuables that will better humankind. Mendoza’s first time-tripping assignment finds her in 16^th century England where she and her team - high-strung mentor Joseph and no-nonsense zoologist Nef - have been sent to gather samples from the garden of Sir Walter Iden. Alas, these are complicated times in England with Bloody Mary’s ascension to the throne. And so, amidst a backdrop of political and religious struggle and techno-temporal subterfuge, the hitherto hardnosed Mendoza discovers the very best and very worst that humanity has to offer.

Thematically, it is somewhat reminiscent of Connie Willis’s To Say Nothing of the Dog, a book that, similarly, follows the exploits of a time-hopping retrieval crew, but The Garden of Iden is its own unique beast. In fact, were I to compare it to any other work, I’d liken it to a futuristic Jane Eyre. Like Bronte [not Austen, oop], Baker does a beautiful job of immersing the reader in period detail, offering up a very convincing setting complete with equally convincing characters, possessed of a charm and subtle humor that draws the reader in from the get-go.

Baker’s treatment of time-travel is interesting, neatly side-stepping the issue of paradox (ie. You travel to the past to kill your grandfather. But can you ever be successful because if you do succeed in killing your grandfather, you would have never been born and so who was it that traveled into the past and killed your grandfather?). In her world, time-travel to the future is impossible. It is only possible to travel back to the past but, in so doing, one can never change the course of history. If it’s a part of recorded history, it’s set in stone and cannot be changed. However, the smaller details of history that have not been recorded can theoretically be changed, although one can argue that were these smaller instances detailed, they would always play out the same way, either through The Company’s interference or without. What this presents us with is not the ability to change the unrecorded details of the past, but the perception that the past is changeable when it is, in fact, not. Sure, The Company can influence history in small ways (ie. by rescuing a goat) but one could argue that these influences were, for lack of a better word, “fated” to play out a certain way (ie. in the grand scheme of things, that goat was always destined to be rescued). The absence of a historical record concerning certain details gives the illusion that one can influence the past in certain ways because one does not know the outcome. So it is with Mendoza at novel’s end as she struggles to save Nicholas’s life. Success or failure are not in her hands, but in the determination of an immutable history. And I feel that the book’s conclusion says as much.

At first, I was a little disappointed with the way things wrapped up but, upon further reflection, I realized that, thematically, it was the only possible ending for this novel. We, as readers, are much like the agents for The Company, mere witnesses to these past experiences - the oft baffling, occasionally amusing skirmishing of monkeys. It’s easy to see the errors committed in retrospect which is why the desire to change past mistakes overwhelms. But what strikes home is not so much the inability to change what was, but the inability to see what is - history’s lessons applicable to the still compliant present. And, at book’s end, when Mendoza notes “There were monkeys out there fighting, screaming and pelting one another with rotten fruit” and she shudders, I shuddered right along with her.

Well-written, thought-provoking, and enormously entertaining. And, the best part is, it’s the first in a series.

So, what did everyone else think?

Hmmm. I see yesterday’s post engendered a fair amount of panic in fandom land. Sorry. I was in an introspective mood for a number of reasons and I wanted to put things into perspective. Too often, supporters of a show are left in the dark concerning the realities of film and television production and I just wanted to make sure you were all informed because, quite frankly, as supporters of this franchise for so many years, I thought you deserved to know that, often, a show‘s fate is not as cut and dried as one would thing. Now, given everything that was covered in yesterday’s entry, what most failed to note was my reference to SG-1’s impressive and surprising 10-year run. Way back when, we assumed it wouldn’t make it past a fifth season - and it did. Boy, did it ever. Things look more hopeful on the Atlantis front however, especially given its ratings (and, as I mentioned in yesterday’s comments section, particularly in key demos). And if this uptrend in the ratings continues, it will certainly go a long way toward making a case for a sixth season pick-up. Still, in spite of what some may assume, that decision is still a long way off. Come mid-season, I believe we’ll have a pretty fair idea of how things will play out. Until then - rally the troops and help get the word out! Give ’em a damn good reason to pick us up!

Today’s entry is dedicated to birthday boy Enzo Aquarius and to new Stargate fan Adria Nicole.

June 29, 2008: My Home Away from Home Away from Home.

It’s a little like choosing between two people you happen to be dating. When you’re with one, all thoughts of the other are instantly forgotten and the decision seems pretty simple. But when you’re with the other, it’s just the opposite. Well, I made my decision nine years ago when I moved to Vancouver and, while I certainly don’t regret it while I’m there, it’s easy to miss Montreal whenever I come back into town. No matter how many things change since the last time I was, there’s always that overwhelming sense of familiarity that makes it so easy to settle back in and consider the possibilities. If and when Stargate ends, will I choose to remain in Vancouver? Will I return to my hometown? Or will I try my luck in L.A.? I suspect that opportunity will pretty much dictate my decision.

Steady work is tough prospect in an industry where most shows don’t make it past their first season. There’s no doubt I’ve been very fortunate landing a position on one of the most successful franchises in television history. Paul and I joined SG-1 in its fourth season with the understanding that the show would end with its fifth season on Showtime, having attained its golden 100 episode milestone for syndication. But SG-1 was atypical of most shows. Rather than end, it moved - over to the SciFi Channel where the show, in its sixth season, proved a tremendous hit for the network. Immediately establishing itself as one of SciFi’s tentpole shows as part of its SciFi Friday line-up, SG-1 went another four seasons, spinning off a sister series, Atlantis, before finally concluding its run with a full ten seasons and over 200 episodes produced.

SG-1 lives on in long-form, DVD features that have outperformed expectations and have, in turn, assured future movies, while Atlantis has chugged along and, with the conclusion of its fifth season, attains that golden 100 episode milestone. Waiting in the wings is Stargate: Universe, the third entry in the hugely successful franchise that should inevitably make its way to the small screen sooner than later. Will it ever end? The franchise? Not likely for a long time. The individual shows? Eventually, sure.

So what does this mean for Atlantis as its fifth season premiere approaches? Can it go 10 seasons like it‘s big brother? To be perfectly honest - it’s highly unlikely. It was a perfect storm of events (let’s call it a pleasant Summer squall) that came together to grant SG-1 an unheard of 10 season run: the timing of the move to SciFi, the performance of the first-run episodes, the performance of the repeat block, the performance of the show on DVD, among numerous other variables. Sure, some of those elements are in play for Atlantis but as a show moves past its fifth season, the odds are stacked against it. Ultimately, it comes down to the numbers - less the ratings and more the bottom line. The longer a show is on the air, the more expensive it is to produce. Throw in the resurgence of the Canadian dollar, once pegged at 63 cents to the U.S. greenback, it now hovers at par, an approximate 37 cent bump which adds a significant hit to the production budget.

And yet who knows what the future holds. WE certainly didn‘t nine years ago when we expected production on SG-1 to conclude after it‘s fifth season. But if and when Atlantis does come to an end, I don’t think it should be cause for anger or resentment. Both MGM and SciFi have been great supporters of the show and, if you go by SG-1’s example, fans can be assured that the end of the series will not be the end of Atlantis. Like SG-1, it will live on in longer form dvd releases.

And what will that mean for me personally? To be honest, I don’t know. I’ve always said that one of the best things about working on this franchise (beside the catering) is the people. Those of you who read this blog on a regular basis can probably put faces to some of the names that flash by onscreen whenever Stargate airs. Brad Wright, Robert C. Cooper, Paul Mullie, Carl Binder, Martin Gero, Alan McCullough - individuals I’ve spent more time with over the past few years than even my wife. It’s tough to imagine a Monday when I won’t come into the office to catch-up on the weekend highlights with these guys, my second family, or sit through a concept meeting where I’ll decide the gate should shut down off-screen, or swing by our post facilities to approve an insert shot of someone standing somewhere holding something. But all good things do come to an end.

And, at the end of the day, like I said, I’ve been luckier than most.

June 28, 2008: More BIG Book of the Month Club news! Montreal Visit Day 1!

I woke up at 5:20 a.m., a full forty minutes before my alarm was scheduled to go off. It’s always the way the night before I travel. For some reason, something in my subconscious mind won’t allow me a restful sleep. There’s always that niggling doubt, that faint uncertainty that I did, in fact, set the alarm properly. Silly, granted. I mean, I’ve done it hundreds of times: slide the button, set the hour, set the time, release the button. Piece of cake, I told myself and drifted off.

My eyes flashed open! 6:35 a.m.! Sweet Father Christmas! My alarm didn’t gone off! I was late!

I jumped out of bed and it was GO!GO!GO!

Fortunately, I’d taken the time to check-in the previous night and had my e-ticket sent directly to my new blackberry. “I got one of these,”I told the airport employee standing at the head of the long, looooong check-in line, fully expecting her to ask me what the hell it was I was showing her.

Instead - “Just go to gate C-35,”she instructed.

It seemed implausibly simple and yet, once I got to the security check-point, all I had to do was flash my blackberry and the guard on duty motioned me through. I grabbed a seat outside gate C-35 and breathed a sigh of relief. Plenty of time. Finally, I could relax. Until I remembered that I’d failed to recharge my blackberry battery the night before. Granted, the prospect of it dying on me - and taking my e-ticket with it - were remote, but the way my day was going…

Happily, I was able to board without incident. I settled in, pulled out my copy of In the Garden of Iden, and started reading (Incidentally, discussion on the book begins this Monday, so finish up gang. Kage Baker will be coming by to make sure you’re all up to date.). I read half the book, then set it aside and took a nap.

I may have been out ten, maybe twenty minutes before I was shaken awake. In my bleary-eyed state, I imagined the air hostess standing over me: “Sir, you missed your stop! Now we’re on our way back to Vancouver!” It took me a couple of seconds to realize that I wasn’t being shaken awake by anyone. It was turbulence. I shut my eyes and attempted to go back to sleep but, strangely, the prospect of being rattled out of a flying tin can and sprinkled over central Manitoba made that a little difficult. Eventually, I gave up and resumed reading.

I touched down in Montreal where I rented a car. The guy at Hertz said there was only one car left, a Ford Escape, and informed me I would find my car in stall 107. It turned out the car parked in stall 107 was actually a Toyota RAV4. Rather than trek back to Hertz, I tried the key I’d been given, just for the hell of it.  It worked.  Ford Escape.  Toyota RAV4.  Close enough.   

I got to mom’s house a little after 5:00 p.m. There was really not that much catching up to do since I’ve been reporting on a daily basis since my move to Vancouver, but she did make it clear she didn’t love the haircut before making me speak to my relatives in Toronto (”Hi!  It’s Joe!  Yeah, I’m on Montreal.  Only six hours away from you!  I’m calling you now because I’m practically around the corner and, well, I don’t own a phone in Vancouver…”)

For dinner tonight, mom, sis, sis’s friend Lily, and I went to Aikawa. While I prefer the quality of the west coast fish, I’m always impressed by the creativity of the east coast sushi chefs.  Check out the culinary creations. 

Finally, more BIG BOTMC NEWS! I’ve heard back from August’s Book of the Month Club selected authors - Lois McMaster Bujold, Catherynne M. Valente, and Stephen Dobyns - and all three have kindly agreed to come by and field your questions. So, once again, we are three for three. Check the right sidebar for news on the upcoming discussions. Or, keep reading…

BOTM Club Selections

JULY SELECTIONS

In the Garden of Iden, Kage Baker.
Discussion the week of June 30th, with author Kage Baker.

The Etched City, K.J. Bishop.
Discussion the week of July 7th, with author K.J. Bishop.

Unwelcome Bodies, Jennifer Pelland.
Discussion the week of July 14th, with author Jennifer Pelland.

AUGUST SELECTIONS

Cordelia’s Honor, Lois McMaster Bujold
Discussion the week of August 11th, with author Lois McMaster Bujold.

The Orphan’s Tales: In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente
Discussion the week of August 18th, with author Catherynne M. Valente.

The Church of Dead Girls, Stephen Dobyns
Discussion the week of August 25th, with author Stephen Dobyns.

June 27, 2008: Adventures in Haircutting! Pineapples! Retractions! And the Return of the Mailbag!

Fondy cut my hair last night and it was about time too as I had begun to resemble a cross between Gary Oldman’s Dracula and that guy from Flock of Seagulls. She’d been busy of late dealing with business matters and, as a result, my once trim do had gradually deteriorated to the capillary equivalent of a neglected lawn, all sprouted tufts, flat patches, and potential nesting spots for marsh hawks. I consider myself fortunate that she did get around to it as things were looking touch and go earlier in the day due, in no small part, to my big mouth. “I picked up blueberry juice,”I enlightened her as we returned home from our trip to the grocery store. “It’s sweet. Not like your goji juice that burns your throat.” (A reference to the box of “miracle berry” juice that had sat unopened for months since its purchase and was presently serving as an impromptu plant stand.) Fondy threw me the look she usually reserves for squeegee kids and Air Canada employees, prompting me to qualify: “But that’s how you know it’s working!” Having, I thought, nicely acquitted myself, I hurried inside to avoid further conversation.

I greeted the dogs, ate a half a peanut butter cookie, and then proceeded with the pre-hair-cutting ritual of washing my hair, setting up the folding chair in the basement, and patiently awaiting the arrival of my coiffeuse. Fondy is a former hairdresser and does a great job, but she is meticulous and takes her time. Once, I brought along a book to read and she was greatly offended that I would choose to zone her out. So now, instead, I sit quietly in the chair while she silently cuts my hair.

As we got started, I made a modest request: “Not too short.”

“I heard you the first time,”she rejoined. I wanted to point out that “the first time” was actually several days ago, but I thought it best not to say anything since her scissors were dangerously close to my right ear.

And, twenty minutes later, we were done. “It’s short,”she informed me the way a drycleaner might notify someone that their 2 for 1 coupon expired last year. That’s the way it is, bud. I don’t want any argument from you.

“But my mom likes it long,”I protested in an admittedly lame attempt to salvage the principal of my argument. I was headed to Montreal on Saturday to visit with family and my mother had always been a very vocal critic of my preference for short hair. She favored longer hair on me as evidenced by the fact that, throughout my elementary school years, I was occasionally mistaken for a girl. Oddly enough, mom preferred shorter hair on my sister who was sometimes mistaken for my little brother. Whenever we siblings needled each other, she was Andy and I became Josephine.

“Your mother’s hair is shorter than yours. She shouldn’t be complaining.”

In truth, my request had had less to do with mom’s partialities than it did with my desire to go with a different look. I’d been doing the short hair and suit thing for ages. It was time for a little variety like, say, longer hair with jeans and a t-shirt or shaved head with monocle, walking stick, and a propensity for using terms like “knackered”, “cracking!” and “luvvly-jubbly“. I’m sure you’ll agree that there’s nothing more unconvincing that some short-haired guy in a suit trying to pull off “luvvly-jubbly”.

All that said, even though it is shorter than I would have liked, it is a cracking haircut. And while mom may not be wholly pleased, at least she’ll be able to tell me apart from Gary Oldman’s Dracula.

Today’s entry is, appropriately enough, dedicated to Whovian celebrating her 15 year wedding anniversary.

Retractions: I stand corrected! Apparently crickets are on the menu at Vij’s. Daring culinary trailblazing are stupid publicity stunt. You decide - because I won’t. Also, the Greek Day stilt-walker pictured was not, I repeat, NOT an elf as previously cited. She was a fairy.

Well, ’ll be on the road all of next week eating my way through Montreal (my sister is already making the reservations) and while I’ll certainly keep this blog updated, I’m not so sure I’ll be able to get around to the mailbag. So, before I head off and start packing…

Carol Z. writes: “What say you? Silverberg on your author lists?”

Answer: I say yay. I’ve read Lord Valentine’s Castle and The Best of Robert Silverberg which included one of the most unsettling short stories I’ve ever read about a dystopian future where people have reverted to cannibalism for survival.

AMZ writes: “I’m currently making my way through the anime works of Satoshi Kon, I was wondering if you could recommend any other anime?”

Answer: I enjoyed Miyazaki’s work, especially Spirited Away. There’s a movie called Tekkonkinkreet that I just picked up. I haven’t watched it yet but I have heard very good things about it. If you enjoy Satoshi, you might want to give Paranoia Agent a try. Also, depending where your interests lie: Berserk, Boogiepop Phantom, Cowboy Bebop, Escaflowne, Ghost in the Shell (movies and series), Grave of the Fireflies, Haibane Renmei, Infinite Ryvius, Kino’s Journey, Last Exile, Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Now and Then Here and There, Samurai Champloo, Serial Experiments Lain, Voices of a Distant Star.

Pl writes: “What was your opinion on Fahrenheit 451?”

Answer: “While I did enjoy the premise, I thought it felt a little dated.”

The first lily writes: “I don’t want to sound greedy, but is there any chance Martin gero can post a Q&A or a breakdown of Search & Rescue once it airs?”

Answer: I’ll ask him whether he’d be interested in doing a Q&A.

Anti-Social Butterfly writes: “When would you suggest posting our BOTM comments and questions?”

Answer: Anytime on the first day of discussion (in the case of In the Garden of Iden, this Monday when I’ll also be weighing in with my thoughts).

Enzo Aquarius writes: “I have a question for the visual effects crew.”

And Green writes: “Alan McCullough is my man on this one. Oh, have I got questions for you, mister…”

And Sarah Lacey writes: “I’d like to ask Mark Savela some questions. Should I post them soon or wait until you give us the go head?”

Answer: Please save your questions for the appropriate week as I’ll only be collecting them in the lead-up to the specific Q&A sessions. It’s a lot less confusing for me.

Muddypippop writes: “I haven’t heard you mention The Ghost Bridges did you read it and did you like it?”

Answer: I thought it was a great book, but I simply preferred Old Man’s War.

Caitlyanna writes: “How’s the planning committee doing for the 100th episode party coming along do you know?”

Answer: We had a big meeting the other week and discussed the guest list and date. Your offer is much appreciated, but MGM prefers to go with one of the local Vancouver caterers for convenience sake. Nevertheless, your creations do look magnificent. Maybe the next time I’m in the California area, I’ll make it a point to drop by for a bite…

Narelle from Aus writes: “So I continued my questioning regime of Hubby and according to his friend, what makes someone think you are an undercover agent is:
1. I’m away on business a lot
2. I get phone calls late at night which causes me to immediately duck into my office and jump on my PC
3. I can fix electrical appliances
4. I can chop firewood while weighing only 45kgs.”

Answer: Yeah, the latter is a dead giveaway. And, to be perfectly honest, I have had my suspicions about you.

AV Eddy writes: “I probably should know this, but do the Wraith have feeding orifices only on their right hand or both hands?”

Answer: The wraith have one feeding hand.

Sandy writes: “ I have read about spot the pineapple in SG1. When did that start and is it in the finished cut of every episode.”

Answer: Every Stargate director had a signature piece they liked to work into every episode. In Martin Wood’s case, it was the big wrench. In Peter DeLuise’s case, it was himself. In Will Waring’s case, it’s the pineapple. According to Will, it started when he was an up and coming camera operator. The director of the low budget movie he was working on asked him to do a little on camera performance - simply drive his car through the shot. He did but, unbeknownst to him, there was a pineapple rattling around in the back window. No one else seemed to notice and, thinking it was kind of funny, Will decided to make it his signature. All well and good until he was working on a comedy and included a pineapple as a background piece. When the director saw it in the dailies, he went berserk and chewed Will out. He was beside himself until the star of the move, Danny Devito, asked him what was up. The director explained and Devito responded with: “I think it’s funny.” Well, if Danny Devito thought it was funny, then it was funny enough for the director. Not only did they keep the pineapple in the shot, they used it as a recurring motif throughout the rest of the movie (culminating in, I believe, a pineapple beach stand in the closing scene). So, if you ever see Will’s name in the credits, start playing spot the pineapple.

K8T writes: “Forgot to ask if you watched “Wipeout” or “I Survived a Japanese Game Show” last night? “

Answer: Nah. Nothing beats the real thing. Paul’s wife was telling him about a Japanese Game show her family used to watch in Switzerland. Contestants would roll beneath an open tiger’s cage with a piece of raw meat strapped to their chests. Those who made it all the way through (presumably meat and chest intact) would win a trip to Hawaii. “Did anybody ever get injured?”I asked her. “Oh, all the time,”she assured me. Now THAT’S entertainment!

Patricia Lee writes: “Speaking of Whispers, can you give us any more details about how Anne Tedly characters dies??? or does she?”

Answer: Nice try.

Essaytch writes: “Was S&R shot at the same time as the end of S4 for continuity’s sake? Or did you wait until S5 filming began to shoot that epp? In general, is this how you guys operate?”

Answer: Search and Rescue was the first episode shot when we returned for season 5. Continuity was important, which is why Jason had to have his dreads painstakingly reattached. To date, this is how we have operated since, more often than not, we don’t know whether or not we’re coming back when we finish episode #20 of a given season.

Fishbaum writes: “You said you approve all publicity stuff — any comments on the horrible MGM promo photography?”

Answer: I stand corrected. I approve most of the publicity stuff. I have no say on the network promos and stills. And, by the way, that was SciFi not MGM.

Wraith Cake writes: “Two films in recent memory which did frighten me silly were The Ring with Naomi Watts and Halley Berry’s Gothica…”

Answer: Halle Berry’s Gothika? For real?

Dyginc writes: “Do you know what the next BOTM selections are yet?”

Answer: Sure. Check out yesterday’s entry or mosey on over to the right sidebar.

Bailey writes: “Why, exactly, do you have a hiatus? Is it to give the “behind the scenes” people time to catch up with the filmed material?”

Answer: Pretty much. It’s an opportunity for our crew and various productions to have a well-deserved break AND play catch-up with set construction and props.

Ikiniowa writes: “On a scale from 1-10, with 10 being the darkest, just how dark is ‘Whispers’?”

Answer: It depends what you mean by dark. I think, in some aspects, Remnants is actually darker than Whispers.

NCSUfan writes: “I know you dig the dining experience…any recommendations?”

Answer: Fuel, Vij’s, Moderne Burger, Yujis, Tojos, Bistrot Bistro, Don Francesco.

Wraith Cake writes: “Do all those lovely sets soon see the landfills of Vancouver when a season is over, and are all those lovely long black wraith jackets destined to rot along side?”

Answer: We keep most of what we use. What we don’t is usually sold off at auction. What is not sold we end up eating.

Planet_tv writes: “1. How long will Woosley be command of Atlantis or has that not been decided yet?

2. How to do you tell Bubba and Jelly apart since thay are both fawn pugs (Even thou they are not related I am trouble telling them apart)?

3. Since you’re not going to Comic Con are you going have someone who is going get pictures for you so you don’t miss out on the fun that have seen cast and crew have in the Comic Con panel videos at Scifi’s website?”

Answers: 1. If we get a sixth season pick-up, chances are good Woolsey may still be in command. 2. It’s easy enough once you spend time with them. Telling babies apart - now THAT is hard. 3. Nope. Think I’ll just stay home and sulk.

June 26, 2008: My green initiative, more special guests, and next month’s Book of the Month Club picks.

Hurray! Today, I received my $100 Climate Action Dividend from the government of British Columbia. According to the document that accompanied the check: “…this year’s Provincial budget is making it easier for British Columbians to choose a lower carbon lifestyle.” I suppose, for instance, the $100 could be put toward the purchase of a scooter or a hand lantern or one of those pedal-powered generators that the Professor built on Gilligan’s Island. As most of you know, I incorporated some major lifestyle changes last year to help reduce my carbon footprint (read all about them here: http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/2007/07/07/july-7-2007/) so the prospect of having this extra one hundred dollars to spend on my green initiative is heartening. Of course, technically, it’s not really an extra $100. I mean, the government would like us to think it is and their use of the term “revenue neutral” to describe their new carbon tax would imply that, at the very least, we’d break even in the long run. And maybe if I didn’t partake in lavish excesses like driving a car or heating my home, I would break even. But, sadly, because of my unstinted addiction to things like food and water (which, incidentally, is trucked in to supermarkets by companies that will be hit with this new gas tax and inevitably pass the cost on to consumers), it looks like the government’s grand gesture will mean very little to me in the long run. Still, $100 is $100. I could use the money to create a new state-of-the-art compost heap. Or, follow Fondy’s suggestion and use it to purchase one hundred dollars worth of gas to fill my SUV which I would leave idling through most of Friday. I’m inclined to go with the latter.

Hey, a great response to yesterday’s announcement that actress Janina Gavankar (aka Dusty from the upcoming Stargate: Atlantis episode “Whispers”) will be swinging by to chat with us. I’m going to continue gathering questions until Friday night at which point I will send them Janina’s way and, hopefully, receive a response from her some time this weekend. Also, on the same topic…

I thought it might be fun to profile various of the behind-the-scenes players on Stargate: Atlantis by having them follow Janina’s lead. So, in the coming weeks, you’ll be able to query the likes of Visual Effects Supervisor Mark Savela, writer-producer Alan McCullough, and Production Designer James Robbins. It’ll be a real a real treat for a) those interested in television production and Stargate: Atlantis and b) a lazy blogger looking to fob off an entry on some poor unsuspecting soul. I’ll keep you posted on upcoming guests.

Speaking of which - Kage Baker will be answering your questions this coming week! Finish up In the Garden of Iden so that you can weigh in with your opinion once discussion begins. Then move on to K.J. Bishop’s The Etched City because K.J. will be joining us the following week. Then motor right into Jennifer Pelland’s Unwelcome Bodies as Jennifer will be joining us the week after that. It’s all there in the right sidebar, folk, so don’t say I didn’t warn you.

As for next month’s BOTMC selections… Well, let’s face it. It’s not really a Book of the Month Club. It’s more of a Book of the Month and a Half Club as I want to give participants time to read all three books if they so choose. And, if you’re looking to get a jump on August’s picks, here ya go.

In the SF category, it’ll be Lois McMaster Bujold’s Cordelia’s Honor. Now this is an omnibus made up of two novels, Shards of Honor and Barrayar, so you have a choice of reading one or both.

From the publisher: “In her first trial by fire, Cordelia Naismith captained a throwaway ship of the Betan Expeditionary Force on a mission to destroy an enemy armada. Discovering deception within deception, treachery within treachery, she was forced into a separate peace with her chief opponent, Lord Aral Vorkosigan—he who was called “The Butcher of Komarr”—and would consequently become an outcast on her own planet and the Lady Vorkosigan on his.

Sick of combat and betrayal, she was ready to settle down to a quiet life, interrupted only by the occasional ceremonial appearances required of the Lady Vorkosigan. But when the Emperor died, Aral became guardian of the infant heir to the imperial throne of Barrayar—and the target of high-tech assassins in a dynastic civil war that was reminscent of Earth’s Middle Ages, but fought with up-to-the-minute biowar technology. Neither Aral nor Cordelia guessed the part that their cell-damaged unborn would play in Barrayari’s bloody legacy.”

Discussion on Cordelia’s Honor begins August 11^th.

 

 

In the FANTASY category, it’ll be Catherynne M. Valente’s The Orphan’s Tales: In the Night Garden.

From Publisher’s Weekly: “A lonely girl with a dark tattoo across her eyelids made up of words spelling out countless tales unfolds a fabulous, recursive Arabian Nights-style narrative of stories within stories in this first of a new fantasy series from Valente (The Grass-Cutting Sword). The fantastic tales involve creation myths, shape-changing creatures, true love sought and thwarted, theorems of princely behavior, patricide, sea monsters, kindness and cruelty. As a sainted priestess explains, stories “are like prayers. It does not matter when you begin, or when you end, only that you bend a knee and say the words,” and this volume does not so much arrive at a conclusion but stops abruptly, leaving room for endless sequels. Each descriptive phrase and story blossoms into another, creating a lush, hallucinogenic effect.”

Discussion on The Orphan’s Tales: In the Night Garden begins August 18^th

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And, finally, in the HORROR category, it’ll be Stephen Dobyns’ The Church of Dead Girls.

From Library Journal: “Despite the lurid title, Dobyns’s latest novel (he is a poet and author of the “Saratoga” mystery series) is a compelling mystery that shows how the people in a small town change because of a series of murders. First, a promiscuous woman is murdered. Then three girls disappear in succession. The narrator reports how the symptoms of fear escalate into a raging disease consuming the community. Cloaking prejudice and fear with righteousness, certain citizens target individuals who are on the community’s fringe. By the story’s end, no one escapes suspicion. Many characters and the complexities of human interactions receive well-rounded treatment. This absorbing tale, fit for any general collection, is highly recommended.”

Discussion on The Church of Dead Girls begins August 25^th

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I was at The Bridge today to preview some of the Whispers visual effects shots with Mark Savela. While there, I made a point of snapping some pics of the VFX gang still hard at work (and eating the occasional salad). Check out their quaint red brick dwelling. Probably the last place you want to be when the big one hits, but charming nevertheless.

June 25, 2008: Spoilers abound, the scene that almost got me killed, and actress Janina Gavankar offers to swing by and field your questions.

Mailbox quota exceeded? How the hell is that possible? I mean, COME ON! My writing partner Paul hasn’t deleted an email in over three years. His inbox looks like a guest list for an Italian wedding and yet he doesn’t seem to have any problem either sending or receiving. Of course, it may have been the size of the files being sent my way. They were images from Broken Ties that the visual effects department was sending MGM’s way for the official website. For some reason, I have become the middle man in all matters of publicity between the production and either the studio or network. Whether it’s photos, trailers, or episode synopses, they have to go through me before they go public. This because of past instances in which spoilers have been unintentionally revealed (as opposed to the intentional reveals I can do nothing about, ie. Cue network promo: “And in this week’s episode, you won’t believe the last five minutes…” Cut to a shot of Carson Beckett, very much alive. “…unless you happened to watch this promo. Stargate Atlantis! Watch it live - because when you‘re dead, it‘s nowhere near as good! ”).

 

Yeah, it’s always annoying when a major spoiler gets out. Still, there are so many precautions you can take. The early release of Search and Rescue is a great example. This season, we were faced with a choice: send out press screeners like last year and risk the episode ending up on the net, or hold of on sending out copies of the episode with the press kit. Ultimately, we decided to send out the screeners because we felt that there was more to be gained by getting the show out there to the various media outlets. Will the S&R leak hurt the ratings? Will the positive word of mouth and write-ups help the ratings? Well, we’ll find out in about a month.

Another source of the leaks that have plagued the production is the online system used to distribute sides for upcoming auditions. What happens is the production forwards a final script to the casting director and the casting director posts excerpts of the script at somewhere like showfax, an online resource community for actors. Having learned from the past, we’ve been very careful not to release full scripts or any scenes that we deemed “too spoilery”. So it came as a huge shock a couple of weeks ago when word broke that a major season 5 spoiler had been leaked. I did a little digging and discovered that the source was show fax. I checked with our casting directors and they were quite adamant that they had only posted the scenes directly related to the parts being cast. We were wracking our brains, trying to figure out what had happened, when Marty G. came up with a novel solution. He actually paid the subscription fee and logged onto showfax. As it turned out, the sides for the specific scenes had been posted - along with the transitional scenes that had been helpfully X’d out. Only problem was, those scenes were still readable. Mystery solved.

Now, instead of merely being careful, we’re being extra careful. And, if it comes to it, I suppose we’ll have to be extra extra careful. Still, there’s no guarantee we’ll manage to keep the spoilers in check. Which is why I came up with a spectacularly devious idea late in season 9 of SG-1. I actually wrote a scene that went something like this:

FADE IN:

INT. CORRIDOR - SGC - DAY

A somber General Landry heads down the hall with Major Evans.

Evans: How’re you holding up, sir?

Landry: It’s never easy to lose someone under your command, Major.

Evans: How’s the rest of SG-1 holding up?

Landry: As well as can be expected. They’ve just lost a close friend. It’ll take them a while to come to terms with what happened.

End scene.

In the end, the only thing that kept me from sending it in and sparking an online firestorm the likes of which had never been seen was Rob Cooper who took one look at the scene and informed me: “When the truth gets out about this, the fans are going to kill you.” I laughed. “No, I’m serious,”he said, stonefaced. “They will hunt you down and murder you in cold blood.” Of course I knew he was being sarcastic. Surely, once all was said and done, the fans would see the humor in the hoax and not resort to tracking me down and setting upon me like a pack of wild dingoes.

Yeah, I didn’t think so either. So I scrapped the idea.

Hey, just finished exchanging email with Janina Gavankar - a.k.a. Sergeant “Dusty” Wells from the season 5 episode Whispers, and she has expressed an interest in swinging by and fielding any questions and comments you may have about her on-set experience with us (It was, according to Janina, the most fun she’s ever had on any gig), how she managed to put up with Paul McGillion for so many days, and maybe a little sneak preview and some insight into her colorful character. I’ll start gathering questions for Janina starting tonight, then send them her way over the weekend.

And speaking of questions, start preparing your queries for author Kage Baker who will be joining us next week as well as we discuss her book, In the Garden of Iden.

Today’s pic: Well, since Janina has put me back in a Whispers mood, here’s a creepy little snap from the Whispers shoot.