2017
2017
Wow. We are living in surreal times. Yet at the end there seems to be some hope that people are fighting back against the nonsense and winning.
If one good thing comes out of 2017 is that everyone learns to treat everyone with respect and not take advantage of each other.
For me it was not that bad. Things that I planned happened. I need to fight the anxiety I feel sometimes.
Some great people left us. They include Mary Tyler Moore, John Hurt, Chuck Berry, Colin Dexter, Don Rickles, Tim Pigott-Smith, Chris Cornell, Roger Moore, Gregg Allman, Adam West, Michael Nyqvist, Martin Landau, George Romero, June Foray, Brian Aldiss, Richard Anderson, Jerry Pournelle, Len Wien, Harry Dean Stanton, Hugh Hefner, Roy Dotrice, Fats Domino, Robert Guillaume, John Hillerman, Della Reese, Jim Nabors, Sue Grafton, Susan Caspar, Bernie Wrightson , Ed Bryant, Larry Smith, Chuck Barris, Rose Maire, Tommy Castilllo, and the 58 victims of the Las Vegas shooting.
New rules and a loss of interest reduced the Puppy influence on the Hugos this year, and it was . N.K. Jemsin became the third person to win back to back Hugos for Best Novel for The Obelisk Gate.
Worldcon 75 was fun. It was a truly international con. There were over 7,000 members from 60 countries. I did two panels, one on reviewing and another on Doctor Who. It was one of the bigger Masquerades for a non-US Worldcon. Helsinki was a fun city to have a Worldcon.
NASFiC 2017 was small but powerful. San Juan was a great place for a convention. I got to see old San Juan and Aercibo. I also ran registration for the con. It was a challenge but it was a success and I saw the programming I wanted to see. I wasalso on panels, one on fanzines, and one on the fannish way of life. Puerto Rico was great place to go and I hope it recovers from Irma as quickly as they can and get the help it needs.
I worked on AFO 2017 again. This time I worked on panel programming. I went over panel suggestions with the rest of the panel team. During the con, I kept track of panel attendance on my shifts. My new panel, SF Anime Features, went extremely well. People seemed to connect with the films. I am still thinking on what to do next year panel wise.
I did one day of Megacon since it conflicted with the Fringe Festival and the previous week was OASIS. There were not as many guests I wanted to see this year.
Spooky Empire was interesting this year with its focus on 80s films. I went to Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall Q&A session and it was fun. I also saw a
good documentary on Disney’s Haunted Mansion.
Necronomicon was great. I ran a dealers table for the third year in a row. I go to some panels on anime. After a tight race my team won trivia again.
As usual there were great genre films. The Last Jedi gave us a new and different Star Wars story. DC finally got its act together with Patty Jenkins Wonder Woman. Our favorite Amazon got the film she deserved. Justice League was uneven but seems to be going in a good direction. Lego Batman examined the nature of the DC icon. Logan gave us a satisfactory ending to life of one of the most iconic Marvel heroes. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 looked at our hero’s families. There was a good mix of drama and humor in Thor: Raganarok. Get Out was a Science Fiction thriller that looks at race. Spider-Man: Homecoming finally did Spider-Man right. It Comes at Night looked at the pre-conceived ideas behind the apocalypse. Colossal gave us a story about toxicrelationship mixed with kaiju. Albion: The Enchanted Stallion was a great family fantasy independent film. Love Witch was a fun romp reminiscent of 70s Horror. War of the Planet of the Apes gave us an incredible conclusion to Caesar’s story. We got a sequel to the classic Blade Runner that is trying to ask some big questions and gives an entrancing world to look at.
It was cool that the Academy nominated Arrival for Best Picture. Moonlight deserved the top prize. Hidden Figures showed the contributions made by African American women to the space program. Lion showed the journey to find one’s identity. Jackie told the story of a woman dealing with the death of her husband while the world watches. There were some great documentary features. 13th showed how people use the law to hurt others. I am Not Your Negro combines the beautiful words of James Baldwin with powerful images. The winner O.J. Made in America closely examined on of the most sensation trial of the last century. Oscar Animation Feature finalist, My Life as Zucchini shows that animation can be used for serious subjects.
There a few things I hope to see get Oscar nominations. The Florida Project showed the plight of people living on the edge of financial disaster and how children deal with it. Ladybird showed the trial and tribulation of high school senior. Dunkirk conveyed the tension of rescuing the British Army from France. The Darkest Hour showed how Winston Churchill made the challenging decisions of the war. Molly’s Game showed how a woman succeeds by her wits and does not allow others to dictate her life. Ghost Story was a beautiful surreal existentialist story about a man who died and as a ghost looks like he a sheet over his head. I hope Get Out get a nomination for screenplay, picture, and director. I am looking forward too Shape of Water and The Post.
This was the year of anime in the theaters. One Piece: Gold gave us a caper picture with Luffy and the gang. The Japanese blockbuster your name appears to be a sweet romance and became a lot more. Sword Art Online considered augmented reality, moved the characters along, and setup a third season. In This Corner of the World took us to a town near Hiroshima during World War 2 and how people lived during this time. There were other films based on other shows, with more to come next year. Now we can see anime as come on TV and wait a few months to see it in a theater.
Sadly, Ghost in the Shell was a disappointment. There were some good recreations from the original film but the whole was odd. It wanted to be something but it could not stick to landing.
Coco is the animated film to beat this year. It is a story about family and finding your true desire. My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea was a fun animated film about high school. DC’s Batman vs. Two Face (done in Batman 66 style) was a fitting end to Adam West portrayal of Batman.
Cassette: A Documentary Mixtape was a documentary of the history of the cassette tape. It was spellbinding. Atomic Blonde was powerful action film with a fun soundtrack. Dawson City: Frozen Time was a documentary of a Canadian town that became the last stop for films.
I caught up on some classics this year including Singing in the Rain, Being There, Talk to Her, The Devils, The King of Comedy, It Happened One Night, After Hours, Stalker, The Apartment, and The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari. I also re watched Citizen Kane, Porco Russo, The Princess Bride, and The Castle of Cagliostro.
Mostly stayed with the same shows this year Once Upon a Time, Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD. Gotham, The Inhumans, and Iron Fist were interesting messes. The Defenders gave us an interesting Marvel team. The Punisher was engaging. The Walking Dead started the war against Negan. Orphan Black wrapped up but at a busy time for me and I need to watch the last season. Mr. Robot had a great year taking the story to a new place. Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events was great take on the books and I hope they do they whole series. Black Mirror returned with strong episodes like “USS Callister”, “Hang the DJ”, “Metalhead” and “Black Museum” Stranger Things continued the story and had a great three-way conclusion. Doctor Who came back with Bill Potts and it was a romp. We know patiently for a new era of Doctor Who. Shada came back as combination of live footage and animation. American Gods did a good job of adapting the classic novel. Star Trek: Discovery give an interesting look at the Trek universe. TheOrville is a great homage to Star Trek: The Next Generation. Powerless was a great look at the DC Universe but sadly it did not last. Legion was a very arty look at Marvel/X-Men world. Jenna Coleman was terrific as Victoria. Feud: Bette and Joan showed the dark side of Hollywood. The People vs. OJ Simpson did good job bringing the story of that trail to life. Rick and Morty was one the great shows of Adult Swim (and Rick is not a good guy). Ken Burns and his team looked at a painful part of America history in The Vietnam War.
This was a very slow year for anime. I only saw one new show Little Witch Academia that was fun and I hope there is more. Space Battleship Yamato finally got an English dub on Funimation. There was a new season of The Eccentric Family with more fun and excitement with our favorite takuni family. We got some new cyclists in a new season of Yowapeda. Toonami brought dubs of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders, Lupin III: Part 4, Gundam: Unicorn, and the second season Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans. Toonami also brought back the spectacular Outlaw Star.
The only new comics I got into was Paper Girls and Monstress. Somehow in the middle of the year I lost track of most of the comics I was following except Saga. I need to re-evaluate what I will be reading next year.
N.K. Jemisin conclude her trilogy about geomancers (people who can manipulate the earth) with The Stone Sky and it satisfactory ending. Iam Providence by Nick Mamatas was a great look at a fandom in a novel. Infomacracy by Malka Older showed a new way of government in a thriller. James S.A. Corey’s Babylon’s Ashes and Persepolis Rising ratchet the action in the Expanse. The latter book puts our heroes in a tight spot. United States of Japan by Peter Tieryas was new take on Japan winning World War II. Glen Wheldon looked at the World’s Finest in Superman: The Unauthorized Biography and The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture. Yoon Ha Lee gave us a new look at warfare in Ninefox Gambit. The Dream Quest of Vellitt Boe by Kij Johnson took us on a trip using Lovecraft images. Everfaire by Nisi Shawl showed an alternate Africa that avoided the pain and the plunder. Star Are Legion by Kameron Hurley gives us a world of women in space with action and intrigue. Ian MacDonald went back to the Moon in Luna: Wolf Moon. Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer took us to a complicated future where religion is worked by experts and one boy can change the world. A Close and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers is about a young girl surviving on her own with the help of an AI. Blood of Angels by Johanna Sinisalo looks a bee colony death with a SF twist. The Core of the Sun by Johanna Sinsalo postulates an alternate world where the welfare state has overreach and forbids spicy foods. New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson shows a world dealing with our mistakes and how we can fix ours. Borne by Jeff VanderMeer is about Rachel a scavenger surviving in an apocalyptic world of fantastic creatures. Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi looks at how an interstellar empire deals with the loss of its faster than light capability. Walkaway by Cory Doctorow gives us an alternate to the typical apocalypse. Instead of running away from something, we run to something which is better. The House of Binding Thornes gives my favorite character Madeline a new lease on life. Autonomous by Annalee Newitz is about a drug pirate who gives cheap drugs to those who cannot afford it and the robot who tasked to hunt her. Zoe Quinn teaches how to deal and fight with cyber-bulling in Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate. Mara Wilson gave us some insight in her essay collection Where Am I Now: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame. Nat Sagaloff gave us a look into the life of Harlan Ellison in A Lit Fuse: The Provocative Life of Harlan Ellison. Steven Warren Hill and his team gave us Red White Who: The Story of Doctor Who in America.
I checked out some novelettes in the Lady Business recommendation spread sheet.
I after doing 10 miles a day during Lent, my bike riding went down. I need to fix that.
Again I will work on balancing fan writing, reading, media watching, and con work.
To see what have I been reading check here. Note after February the site will be here. Hopefully I will make some corrections and update in the coming week.
As always, thanks to those who made the year as fun as it was. This I list would be long and I would forget someone.
2018 looks scary and hopeful. Let us all look out for each other. Take care.
