Strangers and Aliens: Science Fiction & Fantasy from a Christian Perspective
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Episode 14 — “Hunger Games”
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSSThis episode is about the movie and book that has everyone talking. Including the strangers and aliens . . . Ben has read the book and seen the movie. Dr. Jayce has seen the movie. And Steve hasn’t done either. So Steve picks Ben and Dr. Jayce’s brains…
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“From Beyond the Unknown” #12 (COOL COMIC COVERS #3)
Cool Comic Covers is a weekly (almost) look back at some of the most interesting, intriguing, and engaging artwork in pop culture. This week: Cavemen on dinosaurs vs. fighter jets. Drawn by Joe Kubert! Does anything else need to be said? ~ Ben Previous Cool Comic Covers: #2 — “Action Comics” #419 #1 — “Weird Science-Fantasy” #27
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April is Poetry Month!
Okay, so it’s the 9th, but, hey, HOLY WEEK! That sort of takes precedence over poetry, dontcha think? Anyway, this challenge has its roots in a request I made to Ben and Jayce for topic ideas. While I have a whole bank of ideas myself, sometimes I like to get other people’s input on what…
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“Action Comics” #419 (COOL COMIC COVERS #2)
Cool Comic Covers is a weekly (almost) look back at some of the most interesting, intriguing, and engaging artwork in pop culture. This week: I’m not going to say too much about the covers that appear here. If I have some sort of historical tidbit to give, I may elaborate some. But often I’m just going…
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THOUGHT CLOUDS: Harlan Ellison’s Phoenix Without Ashes (Comic Review)
PHOENIX WITHOUT ASHES Harlan Ellison, writer; Alan Robinson, artist This review of a graphic novel starts with a review of a TV series from 1973, so bear with me. When I was but a lad, I went and saw Star Wars on the big screen and wanted more. On the small screen, in my very…
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Episode 13 — “Marvel Movies vs. DC Movies”
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSSWe all love movies. We all love superhero movies. And we have a love/hate relationship with superhero movies. For this episode, the strangers and aliens who host this podcast have a fun little competition: which comic book empire has had the best movies made for their characters. From…
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TOTAL RECALL trailer: I recall seeing something like this before…
The trailer for Total Recall is out! And I have to say, in this geek’s opinion, it looks fantastic. Very, very different than the original, for sure. And yet, oddly the same. Phillip K. Dick’s story was the basis for the Arnold movie back in the day, and Arnold’s movie, despite being an Arnold movie,…
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“Weird Science-Fantasy” #27 (COOL COMIC COVERS #1)
Cool Comic Covers is a new series for the Strangers and Aliens blog. As listeners and readers know, Ben, Steve, and Dr. Jayce are all comic book fans. And comic book covers have some of the most interesting, intriguing, and engaging artwork in pop culture. This series will spotlight some of the comic book covers…
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Dr. Jayce’s New Little Alien
I always told my wife that I think all new borns look a little like aliens. They are cute aliens, but aliens non-the-less. However, our newest bundle of joy does not look like an alien or a stranger. She looks like an angel. I know I’m biased, but oh well. Serendipity Psalm O’Neal was born March…
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2012 Sci-Fi and Fantasy Films — What Are YOU Looking Forward to?
Well, the studios have already dumped a couple big sci-fi/fantasy films on us, with movies like Chronicle (haven’t seen but want to), Ghost Rider (haven’t seen, probably will even though I have zero expectations to like it), John Carter (best box office flop of the decade), and Hunger Games (thoughts on the book and movie…
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Star Trek: Our Poll’s Winning Captain…
[poll id=”6″] Well, is anyone surprised at the results from our poll? Captain Picard won our poll, with over half of the votes! He’s the captain most of you would prefer as their commanding officer. So, okay Dr. Jayce, you’ve won this round…but not the war! Picard is an even handed leader who commands respect…
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Episode 12 — “John Carter of Mars”
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSSJohn Carter, Disney’s $250 million sci-fi epic adventure movie opened to disappointing numbers this weekend, pulling in just a touch more than $100 million. Disappointing box office aside, was the movie itself a disappointment? Ben and Steve saw it this weekend and recorded this special, impromptu episode of…
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REVIEW: Green Lantern Is ABOUT Hollywood
Green Lantern. For those who don’t know, it’s a superhero sci-fi fantasy action movie about Hal Jordan, who is given a ring (and a lantern, which charges the ring) that can create anything Hal can imagine using the power of green (also known as willpower) . . . which comes with a price: he is…
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TERRA NOVA Is Dead! Long Live TERRA NOVA!
Terra Nova has been cancelled by Fox. No surprise there. It’s an ambitious, high concept sci-fi show about time travel and dinosaurs. It was a big budget version of Land of the Lost, or a family friendly hybrid of Jurassic Park and Lost in Space. And Fox is legendary among geeks for greenlighting interesting sci-fi…
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Zombies as Walking Blasphemies
Zombies (both classic and modern, and if you don’t know the difference, please listen to our show) can be seen as types of blasphemies. Think about it for a second: the one thing God made in His image* becoming soulless and dead, but animated as if they were alive, in direct mockery of His creation.…
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My Mount Rushmore of Sci-fi TV
My Mount Rushmore of Sci-fi TV celebrates the man himself, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, The Twilight Zone, X-Files,and the often overlooked Farscape. MY RUSHMORE FOUR: Star Trek:The Next Generation- Picard rocks my face off! The Borg is scary as all get out. Data kicks tail. Worf makes me laugh. And the Holodeck makes my imagination go into fits…
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Episode 11 — “Zombies!!!”
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSSWe’re back for a new episode! This time: zombies. The sci-fi guys examine The Walking Dead and the zombie phenomenon. Do zombie stories have something to say about modern life? Or are they just gory thrills? Or both? The conversation goes from the beginnings of the zombie genre…
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REVIEW: Awake pilot episode
Tonight, NBC premiere’s a new police procedural with a sci-fi/fantasy twist. And it’s awesome. The premise: a man is in a car accident with his wife and son and finds himself straddling two worlds. In one, his son lived. In the other, his wife lived. Whenever he falls asleep in one world, he wakes up…
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RANKINGS: Top 10 Time Travel Movies of All Time (#1)
Muppets’ Christmas Carol (1992) Kermit and the gang play the ensemble cast to the famous story of Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine). This is one of the most famous stories ever written and this version is the best in my opinion. Before Back to the Future was even conceived this classic story had Scrooge visiting his…
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Episode 10 — “Strangers and Alienation: Interview with Jon S. Lewis”
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSSThis episode is a very special episode, as author Jon S. Lewis joins Ben and Steve for a discussion about his C.H.A.O.S. series of novels (especially the most recent book Alienation), his comic book work, and what he geeks out about. Find out what geeky toy he and…
Got any book recommendations?