I've been put in touch with a friend of a friend who has actually had his screenplays produced, albeit in his native land of South Africa. A very interesting person, he is, and quite knowledgable and encouraging. I'm afraid I've been sending him some quite involved e-mails. It's just so good to be able to talk to a fellow writer, and someone who knows about sci-fi.

For one thing he agrees with me about some of the questions I have about typical sci-fi. To wit:

1. Ever notice how on sci-fi TV shows and movies, the aliens are all inexplicably humanoid? Why? In Stargate they get around that by saying Ra and the other System Lords transplanted people from ancient cultures on Earth. But on Farscape we've got Xan, Chianna, Big D, Aeryn, even Rigel, all have two arms, two legs, torso and head. Andromeda, Star Trek, EFC, they're all humanoid. Why?!

2. In the same vein as #1 above, I was watching the pilot of SG-1 again the other day and it suddenly occured to me ... why does Teal'c speak English? No contact with the First World in thousands of years, yet Teal'c speaks perfectly good English. For that matter, so do the Asgard, the Cimmerians, the Shavadai, Nem, Harlan, the crystal alien... they all inexplicably speak English. Except, of course, for the ones Daniel talks to. One must ask -- why? For that matter, why do they all communicate in ways that human senses can perceive? Why not in flashes of ultraviolet light, microwaves, colors, patterns, or sounds humans can't hear?

But to give the sci-fi world it's due, sometimes you do get stories where the protagonists have to figure out how some alien is communicating. Then, of course, everything is just a misunderstanding and the aliens didn't really mean to do that, and oh gee I guess they'll just go on their way now.

Anyway, I'm working on the script. The last couple of days since the friend of the friend and I have been talking, I've been considering how "Shepherds" would be expanded into a series. Lots of ideas. Very expensive ideas. Quality costs.


Somewhat of a grump right now. Although the CGaW was supposedly at work last night, break schedules did not coincide. So I've had no eye candy for a week now. It's a good thing I'm not taking this very seriously or someone would have to die.


Well, must send back a reply to the FoF for the day's e-mail. He wanted to know the details on my answer to the communications problem, see #2 above.


Oogly boogly squiggly wiggly weeble wobble woo!