Summer Short Reads: Wonderful Women Writing Sci-Fi and Fantasy

SUMMER SHORT READS: WONDERFUL WOMEN WRITING SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY 

By Marla Desat

I love short fiction. I love when a story that takes me mere minutes to read sticks in my brain, and captures my imagination for days, invading quiet moments to reveal its depth. I particularly love short science fiction and fantasy stories. These stories pack so much into just a few pages.  This summer, I'm also trying to add diversity to what I read, and to read more work written by women. So, I took to nomination lists for literary awards to find some great writers that I haven't read before.  Here are two great short stories you can read right now!

RACHEL SWIRSKY – "IF YOU WERE A DINOSAUR, MY LOVE" 

The strength of this story rests in Rachel Swirsky's deft interplay of science fiction, fantasy, love, and grief. Swirsky's imagery is vivid without being overdone. As the story slowly reveals itself, you are swept up in the emotions of the narrator. The tragic truth behind the desperate fantasy of this story lands hard and heavy, and left me tearing up thinking about it for days. "If You Were a Dinosaur, My Love" won the 2013 Nebula Award for Best Short Story and has been nominated for the same category for the Hugo Awards, which will be awarded this August. 

Read it here. 

SOFIA SAMATAR – "SELKIE STORIES ARE FOR LOSERS"

The selkies of myths and legends live as seals in the sea but can shed their skin to become human on land. If a person steals their skin, the selkie is forced to remain in human form and is under their power, until they can regain their skin and return to the sea. Sophia Samatar's "Selkie Stories Are for Losers" tells the story of a young girl dealing with the grief of her mother's disappearance. Her friend, Mona, also struggles with a broken family, and the two girls bond. This lovely short story about the effect on children of parental breakups, be they mythological or mundane.  "Selkie Stories Are for Losers" was nominated for the 2013 Nebula Award for Best Short Story, and has also been nominated for the Hugo Award in the same category. Samatar is also up for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, which recognizes new professional science fiction and fantasy writers. 

Read it here. 

Marla Desat is a recent University of Waterloo grad living and working in Ottawa. When she isn't playing the latest video games, she's geeking out over comic books, board games, tabletop roleplaying games and science. Marla also writes for The Escapist as a freelance news writer. You can follow her on Twitter @mrdesat. 

E3 News Roundup

BEST OF E3

By Marla Desat

The annual video game extravaganza that is E3 has come and gone. Let's get right to my favourite announcements and reveals!

LARA CROFT RETURNS

Lara Croft is back in Rise of the Tomb Raider, doing what anyone would after downright traumatic events of Tomb Raider - speaking to a therapist. It so rare to see a positive portrayal of therapy in a trailer for a video game, and I like that the developers are giving Croft more of a personality by acknowledging the effect of her experiences and exploring how she deals with trauma. 

NINTENDO IS MAKING A SQUID-BASED, FAMILY-FRIENDLY THIRD PERSON SHOOTER

Photo Credit: Nintendo

Splatoon!  is a shooter where two teams of four compete to cover the level in their own colour of ink. Oh, and the players can turn into squids that can swim through the ink. I can't get enough of this ridiculous, cartoony shooter for the Wii U.  

MAGICKA 2 ANNOUNCED WITH LIVE-ACTION TRAILER

Photo Credit: Paradox Interactive

Magicka is one of my favourite co-op games of all time. Up to four people can play together, learning keyboard combinations to cast an increasing arsenal of spells and frantically hoping to avoid friendly fire from the other wizards. The announcement trailer made me laugh out loud, and I can't wait to pelt my friends with healing rocks again in Magicka 2. 

CLASSIC ADVENTURE GAME GRIM FANDANGO TO BE REMASTERED

Grim Fandango is one of those computer games that give me a huge spike of nostalgia. The adventure game is a humorous noir inspired by Aztec mythology and set in the Land of the Dead.Grim Fandango Remastered is going to get a new life, so to speak, on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita, and may come to other platforms. 

JOURNEY ART DIRECTOR ANNOUNCED NEW UNDERSEA GAME

Photo Credit: Giant Squid Studios

Abzû is an gorgeous underwater exploration game for PlayStation 4 from Matt Nava, the art director for the beautiful adventure game Journey that won several Game of the Year awards in 2012. Abzû is the first game from Nava's new studio, Giant Squid. Austin Wintory, who was nominated for a Grammy Award for Journey's soundtrack, will compose the soundtrack for Abzû. 

BIOWARE TEASES NEW MASS EFFECT IN DEVELOPMENT

The teaser trailer for a fourth entry in the Mass Effect series of games from BioWare isn't much more than a tease. We see a destroyed world, and hear the roar of Krogan, but at this point in development, EA is staying tight-lipped. All we know right now is that the next Mass Effect will happen in a new region of space, with new planets and new characters.

Marla Desat is a recent University of Waterloo grad living and working in Ottawa. When she isn't playing the latest video games, she's geeking out over comic books, board games, tabletop roleplaying games and science. Marla also writes for The Escapist as a freelance news writer. You can follow her on Twitter @mrdesat. 

Stargate SG-1 Reunion at Ottawa Comiccon

STARGATE SG-1 Q &A AT OTTAWA COMICCON 2014 

by Marla Desat

The award-winning series Stargate SG-1 is close to the hearts of many Canadians, having been filmed in and around Vancouver. Amanda Tapping, who played Samantha Carter, and Chris Judge, who played the alien Teal'c, joined Stargate SG-1 director Martin Wood to talk about the series at Ottawa Comiccon. The trio spoke to a packed crowd on Sunday, May 11.

Credit: Marla Desat

One of the most beloved episodes of Stargate SG-1 is "Window of Opportunity", wherein Teal'c and Colonel O'Neill, played by Richard Dean Anderson, are caught in a Groundhog Day-like loop, reliving the same day over and over again. A fan asked Tapping what she would do if she was caught in a similar loop. "Samantha Carter would probably get it on with Colonel O'Neill," said Tapping, to giddy cheers from the crowd.

Tapping spoke about her charity work with Sanctuary For Kids, a charity she founded with Damian Kindler and Jill Bodie in 2009. Sanctuary For Kids helps children in crisis around the world. The charity has now raised over $650,000 through auctions, donations, and other fundraising drives. Tapping's charity has worked with organizations all over the globe, providing medical care, food, and even bus passes to homeless youth. One of the organizations that Tapping has worked with helps teens get off the streets. "One of the things they struggle with is providing transportation," said Tapping, so bus passes are a way to support these teens and help them access education and employment. 

Another fan favourite episode is "200", a parody episode where crew members pitch science fiction films about wormhole travel, as part of a Pentagon plan to cover up the Stargate program with fictional films. The episode pays homage to Star Trek, Farscape, The Wizard of Oz, Thunderbirds, and classic noir. "Farscape was the most fun for me," said Tapping. "I liked all of them, but for a whole different reason," said Judge, grinning. "I always thought Teal'c should have a codpiece. So, if you look in each of the vignettes, Teal'c has these ridiculous codpieces."

Credit: Marla Desat

Asked about their clumsiest moments on set, Tapping answered, "I got blown up!" She related a story from the first season, where a mortar was set to go off after three of the SG-1 crew passed by a mark. Unfortunately, a steady cam operator was running backward through the scene, and the special effects operator counted the camera operator as the first of the three people to pass through the scene. So, when Tapping hit the mark, the fourth person through the woods, the mortar went off and sent her sprawling. Thankfully, Tapping escaped with only minor injuries. Judge shared a story about an uncomfortable spacesuit. At the end of season four, Teal'c was supposed to perform a spacewalk. "That thing was painful!" said Judge about the spacesuit. Judge refused to wear the suit, so director Martin Wood ended up in it. Wood, shaking his head, told the audience, "When you see Teal'c floating out there, it's not Chris, it's a tiny man who should be directing!" 

Stargate SG-1 wrapped in 2007, but you can still experience the award-winning series in its entirety on DVD or through Netflix. 

Marla Desat is a recent University of Waterloo grad living and working in Ottawa. When she isn't playing the latest video games, she's geeking out over comic books, board games, tabletop roleplaying games and science. Marla also writes for The Escapist as a freelance news writer. You can follow her on Twitter @mrdesat. 

Skyping Spock: Leonard Nimoy at Ottawa Comiccon

LEONARD NEMOY Q&A AT OTTAWA COMICCON

by Marla Desat

In a rare convention appearance, Leonard Nimoy spoke to a packed crowd at Ottawa Comiccon via Skype. The renowned actor, best known for his role as Mr. Spock on Star Trek, no longer travels to conventions as he suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Despite quitting smoking forty years ago, Nimoy developed the chronic condition, and he warned fans, "If you don't smoke, don't start. If you do, stop!"

Some technical issues troubled the start of the Q&A, but after a dropped call Nimoy reconnected and began jovially answering fan questions. Nimoy made light of the difficulties, saying "Is there anything we can do to help this connection? This connection is treacherous, I think the Klingons have been messing with it."

The first question was how it felt to pass the torch to Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock in the J. J. Abrams reboot of the franchise. "Zachary is a very good friend of mine," said Nimoy. "He's a wonderful actor and very talented. He did a great job as the new Spock, and I am glad to see the Spock character live on with such a great actor."

Karl Urban, who plays the role of Dr. McCoy in the reboot, surprised both fans and Nimoy himself when he appeared at the Q&A. Urban asked Nimoy, "Of all the actors you worked with on the new Star Trek movie, who was your favourite to work with?" Urban implied that naming Quinto might smack of nepotism. Grinning, Nimoy said, "No one's better than you, Karl!" As Urban left the stage, Nimoy added, "He's done a wonderful job as Dr. McCoy, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart."

A fan asked what inspired Gene Roddenberry to create a character like Spock. "Up until the early '60s, most of the aliens in science fiction were portrayed as something dangerous, something to be afraid of," said Nimoy. Spock was a much different character from these stock aliens, a character that actively worked with humans to overcome problems, and coexisted peacefully with humanity. "That was the most important thing for Gene, to present an alien character who was helpful and could work with the human characters."

Asked about his funniest memory shooting Star Trek, Nimoy told a story about a prank that William Shatner once pulled on the late DeForest Kelley. Kelley had a habit of going to the food services table on set every morning and putting a muffin in the toaster. While it toasted, Kelley would go get a coffee, leaving the muffin unattended. Learning this, Shatner waited one morning for Kelley to leave his muffin, and promptly popped it out of the toaster and ate it. When Kelley returned to get his muffin, he was understandably confused. Kelley put a new muffin in the toaster, and Shatner got another cast member on set to distract him. Shatner popped the second muffin out of the toaster and ate it, too. Now realizing the prank, Kelley became quite angry. "I said, De, don't worry about it. You stand the two of you side by side, it's easy to see who's been eating the muffins."

The Ottawa Comiccon crowd closed out the Q&A with a standing ovation. Nimoy plans to connect with more fans at other conventions via Skype in the future, and I for one hope the trend will live long and prosper!

Marla Desat is a recent University of Waterloo grad living and working in Ottawa. When she isn't playing the latest video games, she's geeking out over comic books, board games, tabletop roleplaying games and science. Marla also writes for The Escapist as a freelance news writer. You can follow her on Twitter @mrdesat. 

Hollaback! Ottawa: Cosplay =/= Consent

COSPLAY IS NOT CONSENT- HOLLABACK! OTTAWA AT OTTAWA COMICCON 2014

By Marla Desat

Source: Marla Desat

"Just because we're wearing a costume doesn't mean we're not people," Courtney, CGG’s assistant editor, was one of the four panellists at the Hollaback! Ottawa "Cosplay =/= Consent" panel at Ottawa ComicCon 2014. Hollaback! Ottawa director Julie Lalonde, and cosplayers ÁLI and Rogue joined her, to talk about harassment at conventions. 

The Hollaback! Movement is dedicated to ending street harassment. Lalonde explained that harassment on the street or on the bus is no different from harassment at a convention. Hollaback! interviewed cosplayers who have had photos taken without permission, been groped, or had upskirt photos taken, but many cosplayers don't immediately identify these actions as harassment. "Because we don't name it that, people don't identify it as harassment.”

L-R: Julie, ÁLI, Rogue, Courtney- Source: Hollaback! Ottawa

Harassment isn't limited to uninvited sexual touching, leering, or inappropriate photos. Cosplayers are often harassed for having a different gender, race, or weight than the character they are portraying. ÁLI, a musician, discovered cosplay in 2012. She has used cosplay to help overcome bullying she faces in her career. Unfortunately, cosplay has opened her to other avenues of harassment. ÁLI spoke of a fan whose constant messages online were supportive, but unsettling. Despite getting no response from her, the fan continues to contact her daily. Recently, ÁLI faced bullying from the press over preferring to use ÁLI, her cosplay and artistic pseudonym, to her legal name. 

CGG's Jordan and MJ- Source: Hollaback! Ottawa

Rogue shared stories about online harassment. "Ninety percent of the harassment that has affected me has been online, not at conventions," says Rogue. As a writer for GeekxGirls, Rogue has received death threats and worse for her work. "Stand up for yourself," she says, but also cautions, "There's no tone online. We all read our own tone into comments." Sometimes responding to a cruel comment with overwhelming kindness can yield a better result than anger. 

Harassment doesn't just come from other con-goers or from online comments. Courtney talked about how hard it can be to identify as a geek at all. "I had what I like to call the Kardashian/Cardassian complex. I was really into both mainstream stuff and geeky stuff," She said. "My mainstream friends would give me flack for the geeky stuff and my geeky friends would give me flack for liking mainstream stuff." 

Hollaback provides support and education about harassment, encouraging its three step model for stopping street harassment: direct, distract, delegate. Directly intervene if you can, distract to indirectly stop the harassment, or tell a convention representative about what's happening. In online spaces, you can intervene directly by sharing your views.  Rogue suggests writing your concerns somewhere, even if it's as simple as a Facebook post. "Without a dialogue, we can't move forward," says Rogue, whose first published article was born from a letter to the editor over an article that misrepresented cosplayers.

As ÁLI says, "It's really about a community. We're all connected, so if you see something, say something, do something. This is supposed to be our safe space."

Marla Desat is a recent University of Waterloo grad living and working in Ottawa. When she isn't playing the latest video games, she's geeking out over comic books, board games, tabletop roleplaying games and science. Marla also writes for The Escapist as a freelance news writer. You can follow her on Twitter @mrdesat. 

Magic: The Gathering For Playing With Friends!

by Marla Desat

MAGIC: THE GATHERING GAME FORMATS FOR PLAYING WITH FRIENDS

Never played Magic: The Gathering before? Check out Angela Hartwick's A Beginner's Guide to Magic: The Gathering!

If you're like me, your collection of Magic: The Gathering cards is a mismatch of half-starts, fleeting infatuations with Blue-Green decks, and years of telling myself, "This year is the year that I'll really get back into Magic!" Instead of fussing over whether or not your dusty old deck is legal for sanctioned play, here are three great ways to break out the game with friends!

STAR FREE-FOR-ALL

If you have a big collection of cards, getting together to construct decks and pit your brand new burn deck against your best friend's experimental Squirrel onslaught is a ton of fun. If you have exactly five players, the Star method is a great way to add a bit of structure to the free-for-all format. Each player picks a single Magic colour and builds a 60-card deck using only that colour. Each colour has two allied colours and two enemy colours (see the chart).  Players can attack any other player at the table, and players win when both their enemy colours lose. Allied victories are also possible. For example, if White and Black are eliminated, and then Blue is removed from the game, Red and Green win simultaneously.

BOOSTER DRAFT TOURNAMENT

If you don't have a large collection of cards, but you do have a few friends and about $15 each, a booster draft is a great way to have a tournament among friends. You will need at least four people and three Magic: The Gathering booster packs for each player. Use boosters from the same set if you can. To start the draft, each player opens a booster pack and secretly selects one card from it, and then passes the pack to their left. The pack continues around the table with each player selecting a card and then passing it on. Once all the boosters are empty, the players repeat their process with the second and third booster packs. Players pass the second booster pack to the right, and pass the third to the left. After drafting all three booster packs, players can freely add as many basic lands as they like. After adding lands, each player must have a deck of at least 40 cards. Once everyone has a deck, each pair of players plays a best two out of three match. The winners of those matches play the other winners, until only two players remain to battle in the final match.

PACK WARS

Also known as Mini-Master, Pack Wars is the quickest game of Magic I know. Simply grab a friend and a booster pack for each of you (or randomly draw 15 cards from your collection). Open the packs without looking at the cards, and add in three of each basic land. Shuffle, and enjoy the chaos! Play a game of Magic just like normal with your 30-card mystery decks. Pack Wars is one of the most joyful ways I know to open a fresh booster pack, and it's the quickest way to play out of a box of neglected cards just begging to be taken off a shelf.

Marla Desat is a recent University of Waterloo grad living and working in Ottawa. When she isn't playing the latest video games, she's geeking out over comic books, board games, tabletop roleplaying games and science. Marla also writes for The Escapist as a freelance news writer. You can follow her on Twitter @mrdesat.

PAX East 2014: Great finds from the Indie MEGABOOTH

PAX EAST 2014 – FIVE INDIE MEGABOOTH GAMES THAT CHARMED ME

by Marla Desat

The Indie MEGABOOTH is my favourite place at PAX East. The MEGABOOTH is a collection of independent game developers packed into a unified presence on the show floor. Sixteen developers pooled their resources to create the first MEGABOOTH at PAX East 2012, and it has been growing steadily since. Now with over 90 indie studio members, the MEGABOOTH is a dazzling display of indie talent. Here's five games that really caught my eye this year! 

EXTRASOLAR BY LAZY 8 STUDIO

Extrasolar puts you in control of a rover on a mysterious alien planet. The free, browser-based game lets you take photographs of the alien landscape, rooted in scientific plausibility and brought to life in the beautiful still images your rover captures. By analyzing the photographs, you begin to uncover more about the planet, and about the secretive corporation funding the mission. Extrasolar combines email and its browser-based gameplay to unfold its story slowly over many play sessions. 

ACTUAL SUNLIGHT BY WILL O'NEILL

Most booths have something bright and flashy to draw you in – a bright banner, a poster showing off the stoic main character, a gigantic plushie hamster – but the Actual Sunlight booth had only text. It was fitting advertisement for a linear, interactive story that tackles mature themes, including suicide. Thought provoking and exhausting, Actual Sunlight isn't fun, but it is a powerful experience. Actual Sunlight is currently available for PC for $5.00. 

DUET BY KUMOBIUS

This ethereal and hypnotic puzzle game filled me with that joyful frustration that all great puzzle games supply. In Duet, you avoid falling obstacles by spinning a pair of small spheres locked in a circular orbit, carried forward by the music of Tim Shiel, composer and instrumentalist in Gotye's live band. Duet is currently available for iPhone and iPad for $2.99. 

GODS WILL BE WATCHING BY DECONSTUCTEAM

Despair and desperation is the core of Gods Will Be Watching, a point-and-click thriller. The game expands on an entry for the Ludum Dare 26 game jam, a bleak survival story developed in less than 72 hours. The original game had you lead Sgt. Burden and his crew as struggle to survive until rescue arrives on unforgiving planet. The full game, which follows Sgt. Burden through six harrowing chapters, is planned for June 2014. You can pre-order the full game for PC for $8.99, or play the original browser-based game jam entry fee for free.  

DARKEST DUNGEON BY RED HOOK STUDIOS

Darkest Dungeon is a side scrolling RPG that combines my love for games like XCOM and Final Fantasy Tactics with an affliction system that requires you to manage both hit points and mental stress, lest your heroes be driven mad. The tactical depth of managing my heroes' stress, health, marching order, equipment and class abilities had me grinning all the way through the demo. The full release is planned for January 2015, and you can pre-order the game for PC, Mac, or Linux for $15.00. 

Marla Desat is a recent University of Waterloo grad living and working in Ottawa. When she isn't playing the latest video games, she's geeking out over comic books, board games, tabletop roleplaying games and science. Marla also writes for The Escapist as a freelance news writer. You can follow her on Twitter @mrdesat. 

Fake Geek Girl: Marla's Perspective

MARLA DESAT'S GEEK GIRL PERSPECTIVE 

TOP 10 SIGNS YOU'RE A FAKE GEEK GIRL

10. Search your feelings, you know it to be true!

9. You know there must be fake geek girls because no one has proven that there isn't.

8. You're a fan of hasty generalization.

7. You believe there are geeks, and there are girls. If you are girl, you therefore cannot be a geek. You also dislike Venn diagrams.

6. You're too attractive to be a geek, and must be doing this for attention.

5. You're not attractive enough to be geek, and must be doing this for attention.

4. Your best friend is a True Scotsman.

3. Your depth of knowledge on a single geeky subject is insufficient proof of arbitrary geekdom.

2. Your breadth of knowledge on many geeky subjects is insufficient proof of arbitrary geekdom.

1. You are a sexist strawman conjured as an argument meant to keep women out of geek spaces.

#Nothing to Prove

Marla Desat is a recent University of Waterloo grad living and working in Ottawa. When she isn't playing the latest video games, she's geeking out over comic books, board games, tabletop roleplaying games and science. Marla also writes for The Escapist as a freelance news writer. You can follow her on Twitter @mrdesat. 

Must-See Geek Movies: Four Faves Arriving 2014

by Marla Desat

FOUR MUST-SEE GEEK MOVIES ARRIVING IN 2014

Geeks, get out your popcorn! Here's four great geeky movies coming to theatres in 2014.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier – Release Date: April 4

Captain America is adjusting to modern life, but in the sequel to his 2011 big-screen debut the all-American hero will face a threat from the past – the Winter Soldier, a Soviet agent. The Winter Solider seems bent on taking down S.H.I.E.L.D., the paranormal and superhuman espionage and law-enforcement agency of the Marvel universe. Trailers for the film suggest that it will tackle some very relevant modern questions about the lengths that governments and agencies should go to in the name of the freedom. For me, the big draw is Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, who has a major role in the film. Marvel has announced that a standalone Black Widow movie is in development, and The Winter Solider will supply some more of her backstory.

Watch the trailer here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SlILk2WMTI

How to Train Your Dragon 2 – Release Date: June 13

Vikings are back riding dragons in the sequel to the adorable 2010 animated film How to Train Your Dragon from Dreamworks. Hiccup and Toothless once again find themselves in a battle to keep peace on the island of Berk. The first film was a box office success and a hit with kids and geeks of all ages. Plus, the film is one of the only movies I can think of with a protagonist that has a physical disability. The original is packed with positive messages – overcoming adversity, creative problem solving, and peaceful coexistence – and the sequel looks ready to champion those messages again.

Watch the trailer here.

Guardians of the Galaxy – Release Date: August 1

Okay, I know - who are these alien superheroes, and why should I care? The Guardians of the Galaxy are one of Marvel's stranger super teams, and they spend their time dealing with all the bizarre interstellar stuff that the mainstream comic books only touch on – the Shi'ar, the Kree, and god-like beings like Thanos, who was teased in the the after-credits scene for The Avengers. Even if you've never heard of Rocket Racoon or the sentient alien tree Groot, Guardians of the Galaxy looks like a fun, ridiculous space-romp with a stellar (heh, heh) cast and crew. Writer and director James Gunn, best known for his 2006 horror-comedy Slither, looks like a great fit.

Watch the trailer here. 

The Boxtrolls – Release Date: September 26 

Based Alan Snow's children's novel 'Here be Monsters', The Boxtrolls tells the story of an orphaned young boy raised by cave-dwelling, trash-collecting trolls. When Archibald Snatcher, an evil exterminator, comes along and tries to get rid of the trolls, the boy must come up out of the sewers to save his family. The stop-motion animated film is from Laika Entertainment, the studio behind Coraline and Paranorman. The incredible artistry that goes into making a stop-motion film, and the adorable boxy trolls, makes this a must-see for me.

Watch the teaser trailer here.

Marla Desat is a recent University of Waterloo grad living and working in Ottawa. When she isn't playing the latest video games, she's geeking out over comic books, board games, tabletop roleplaying games and science. Marla also writes for The Escapist as a freelance news writer. You can follow her on Twitter @mrdesat.

Film Review: Rise of the eSports Hero: a documentary

by Marla Desat 

credit: Erica Landrock

RISE OF THE ESPORTS HERO: THE WORLD OF PROFESSIONAL STARCRAFT (A DOCUMENTARY)

I started watching professional StarCraft in university. My friends and I would stay up late to watch matches being broadcast online from South Korea, where StarCraft has a huge professional scene. Explaining the allure of watching someone play a video game is tricky, and even my gamer friends sometimes struggled to understand the appeal. When I watch professionals play, I am seeing the highest level of skill and strategy in a game I love to play. It isn't always easy to explain, and that's why I am so excited about Rise of the eSports Hero, a Canadian documentary by filmmaker Erica Landrock that explores the subculture of professional gamers from an outsider's perspective. Rise of the eSports Hero premiered on Global TV on October 26, 2013. The full documentary is available online from Global. 

StarCraft is a science fiction real time strategy game from Blizzard Entertainment, released in 1998. Players must collect resources and construct an army, and then battle each other to claim victory. The game was hugely popular, and in 2010 Blizzard released its sequel, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty.

credit: Erica Landrock

I contacted producer Erica Landrock about the film, and she told me the idea came from her co-director, Stephen Gillis. "Stephen is an avid NHL video game player and I would enjoy a round of Super Mario Kart or Guitar Hero now and again, but never have been one to really get into gaming," says Landrock. "This in part is what attracted me to the documentary idea so much. It is a world I really knew nothing about and every piece of information I learned about it blew my mind."

  

The documentary follows Chris "HuK" Loranger, Greg "IdrA" Fields, and Geoff "iNcontroL" Robinson from April to December 2012. Loranger is Canadian, and that was a big selling point for Landrock. The documentary follows the gamers to five tournaments, and to Seoul, South Korea. Living out of suitcases and struggling to acclimatize to different time zones before a big tournament, Landrock told me that she was impressed with their dedication and passion for the game.

  

Behind the scenes. Credit: Erica Landrock

Some protest that professional gaming is not a sport, but Landrock disagrees. "Is poker a sport? Is Nascar a sport? Is chess a sport? What defines a sport? The players that we followed definitely are professionals and masters at their game," says Landrock. "Many would argue they aren’t athletes because of the lack of physicality of gaming, but I’d challenge anyone to go to a tournament or follow these players for a few days and you may just change your mind. The high level of skills, technique, strategy and mental agility would rival other “traditional” sports any day."

  

The documentary is available for Canadian viewers online from GlobalTV, and the filmmakers are working on making it available internationally.  I highly recommend giving it a watch, even if you are unfamiliar with StarCraft. Landrock and her team have made an accessible and entertaining introduction to the world of esports.

Learn more about the documentary on Facebook.

Marla Desat is a recent University of Waterloo grad living and working in Ottawa. When she isn't playing the latest video games, she's geeking out over comic books, board games, tabletop roleplaying games and science. Marla also writes for The Escapist as a freelance news writer. You can follow her on Twitter @mrdesat.

GETTING TO KNOW THE DOCTOR – WHERE TO START AS A NEW DOCTOR WHO FAN

by Marla Desat 

GETTING TO KNOW THE DOCTOR – WHERE TO START AS A NEW DOCTOR WHO FAN

 

Christopher Eccleston Dr Who
photo by Colin Bell, BBC

There are few fandoms as intimidating for a newcomer as Doctor Who. The series is a pillar of British television, and many of its fans grew up watching the show. I grew up loving science fiction television, watching episodes of Star Trek with my father or staying up late to watch The Outer Limits. Recently, I decided it was time to expand my geek knowledge, and finally start watching Doctor Who.

  

For the completely unfamiliar, Doctor Who follows the Doctor, a time-travelling alien, as he rights wrongs and saves civilisations. A human companion usually accompanies the Doctor. The Doctor travels in the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimensions in Space), a time-travelling spacecraft that resembles a blue police telephone box. The TARDIS is one of the most recognizable elements of the show, featured on the scarves, earrings, and messenger bags of fans.  The Doctor's sonic screwdriver is another iconic element. It is a multifunctional tool that can be used to unlock doors, manipulate computers, or remotely control other devices, among other uses.

  

Deciding where to start is the most important step to becoming a Whovian – what some fans call themselves. The British science fiction drama first aired in 1963, and it has amassed 800 episodes, not to mention spin-offs, made-for-TV movies, audio plays and books. Part of the longevity of the series comes from the concept of regeneration. When the Doctor is old or mortally wounded, he transforms into a new physical form and different personality, but retains his memories. Regeneration has allowed the show to continue, while replacing the lead actor. The latest doctor, played by Peter Capaldi, is the Twelfth Doctor. The number goes up after each time the Doctor regenerates.

  

The Tardis. source: BBC.co.uk

The easiest place to start is with the Ninth Doctor, played by Christoper Eccleston. Eccleston's run in the show is a modern revival of the series, beginning in 2005 after nine years of absence from television. There are two great reasons to start with Eccleston. First, the revival nods to existing fans of the show but also explains enough that new viewers won't feel completely lost. Second, Netflix offers seven seasons worth of Doctor Who, beginning with Eccleston's run in 2005, all of David's Tennant's seasons as the Tenth Doctor, and most of Matt Smith's run as the Eleventh. Netflix does offer some older Doctor Who material to explore, but its collection is much more fragmented.

  

Doctor Who is not a fandom for everyone. The show can be cheesy, and the special effects are good but not great. That said, I found myself enjoying it after "The End of the World", the second episode of the 2005 season, and by the end of episode six, "Dalek", I was hooked. Those episodes offer both emotional range and temporal range of the show, jumping forward in time to when the Sun becomes a red giant or back to the days of Dickens.  If you're on the fence, give the first six episodes of Eccleston's run a chance to convince you.

  

Marla Desat is a recent University of Waterloo grad living and working in Ottawa. When she isn't playing the latest video games, she's geeking out over comic books, board games, tabletop roleplaying games and science. Marla also writes the TheEscapist as a freelance news writer. You can follow her on Twitter @mrdesat.