The Chronic Rift

After a missed week, we/'re back with a slightly longer In Review episode, but it/'s all worth it.  John, Andrea, and Orenthal enthuse about 80/'s TV shows, Sesame Street, and iPhone apps.  Make sure you rate the episode below and leave your thoughts on the episode in our forums or on our toll free number - 888-866-9010. Segment One - Bringing it to the Table3:48 - Andrea really didn/'t enjoy Sherlock Holmes: The Archive Collection.  (And if you want her slightly used copy, drop us a line atjohn@chronicrift.com.) 9:40 - John informs Orenthal about the DVD releases of Streethawkand Tales of the Gold Monkey.  In addition, John shares his new iPhone apps, Bat Fight and Gokivo. 25:25 - Promo for the H.P. Lovecraft podcast. 27:00 - Promo the Geek Acres podcast.Segment Two - The Reviews26:40 - Andrea tries to peel back the layers of The Fate of Katherine Carr by Thomas H. Cook and recommends The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan. 33:25 - Derrick takes a look back at the Nicole Kidman thriller,Birth. 42:20 - Keith is willing to give the incarnation of V a fair shake, despite the fast paced info dump of the first two episodes.  He is also looking forward to The Prisoner mini-series. 1:00:47 - Promo for Let/'s Watch Movies podcast. 1:01:47 - 60 Second Science - Vote for the ugliest insect. - http://askabiologist.asu.edu/uglybugs/ 1:03:12 - Promo for the Podiobooks.com.Segment Three 1:05:18 - Orenthal wishes a happy 40th birthday to the children/'s television series, Sesame Street. 1:18:30 - Hawk plugs his, Jay Smith/'s, John/'s and Keith/'s appearance at Philcon the weekend of November 20th. Don/'t forget to take advantage of the great offers we have from Go Daddy.com by clicking here. 

John and Andrea are joined by authors Laurie R. King and Kevin Lauderdale to discuss the literary and theatrical incarnations of the world/'s greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes.  In addition, John shows off some of the cool (sad) apps he picked up for his iPhone and debuts a new voice mail.  If you want to let us know what you thought of this episode or any episode or anything that strikes your fancy (except talking about plumbers, Gina, or George Smith) you can give us a ring at 888-866-9010.  Or you can just leave your thoughts here in the forums.  Make sure you also rate the episode at the bottom of this listing. Laurie R. King is a third generation Northern Californian who has lived most of her life in the San Francisco Bay area. Her background is as mixed as any writer’s, from degrees in theology and managing a coffee store to raising children, vegetables, and the occasional building.King’s writing reflects her background—it is no accident that characters in her books spend time in the Bay Area and England (King’s other home) and are interested in theology, architecture, and travel (Her long autobiography goes into this relationship in detail.)King started writing in 1987 when her second child entered school, and had her first novel published in 1993.Since A Grave Talent, she has averaged a book a year, winning prizes that range from Agatha (a nomination) to Wolfe (Nero, for A Monstrous Regiment of Women.) The characters of A Grave Talent, centering around inspector Kate Martinelli of the San Francisco Police Department, have appeared in five novels to date.In 1994, The Beekeeper/'s Apprentice was published, featuring young Mary Russell who becomes an apprentice, then partner of Sherlock Holmes in early 20th century England. Books in that series appear regularly, taking the duo and their cohorts on into the Twenties and around the world, winning admiration far and wide. These historical novels allow King to explore all sorts of ideas: the roots of conflict in the Middle East and Afghanistan; feminism and early Christianity; patriotism and individual responsibility, while also having a rousing good time with revisiting the scenes of The Hound of the Baskervilles and Kim, setting a pair of Bedouin nomads down in a grand country house in England, and forging an unlikely relationship between two remarkably similar individuals who happen to be separated by age, sex, and background.King also writes the occasional stand-alone novel—or, more or less stand-alone. Two of the books (Folly andKeeping Watch) share characters, Califia/'s Daughters (written under the pseudonym Leigh Richards) may some day take its place within a trilogy, and Touchstone is being considered as the basis for a future series. Kevin Lauderdale has written essays and articles for the Los Angeles Times, The Dictionary of American Biography, Animato, mcsweeneys.net, and teevee.org; and his poetry has appeared in Andrei Codrescu/'s The Exquisite Corpse.  He has published fiction in several of Pocket Books/' Star Trek anthologies, including Constellations, which celebrated the 40th anniversary of the original Star Trek.  His original fiction has appeared in Neo-opsis magazine and Cthulhu Unbound, the cross-genre Lovecraftian collection from Permuted Press.  He is a graduate of UCLA and a card-carrying member of SFWA.

John sits down and learns more about the upcoming television series, The Fixer, from creator and producer John F. Merz.  Don/'t forget to rate the episode at the bottom of this listing and make sure you comment on it here.You can also leave us a voice mail at 888-866-9010. As a writer, Jon F. Merz has published over a dozen novels including four Lawson Vampire adventures (2002-2003) with Kensington/'s Pinnacle Books, the Jake Thunder mystery/thriller DANGER-CLOSE (2004) with Five Star Mystery/Thorndike Press, and eight installments in the internationally bestselling adventure series Rogue Angel (2006-present) with Harlequin/'s Gold Eagle line. His latest thriller PARALLAX debuted in March 2009 as an exclusive ebook. Praised by bestselling authors like Robert B. Parker, Douglas Clegg, and Thomas Monteleone, Jon/'s novels will continue to thrill readers for many years to come. His short fiction story /"Prisoner 392/" (appeared alongside Stephen King in FROM THE BORDERLANDS, 2004, Warner Books) earned him an Honorable Mention in 2004/'s Year/'s Best Fantasy & Horror edited by Ellen Datlow. Jon has also co-authored two non-fiction books: LEARNING LATER, LIVING GREATER with Nancy Merz Nordstrom (2006, Sentient Publications) and THE COMPLETE IDIOT/'S GUIDE TO ULTIMATE FIGHTING with Rich /"Ace/" Franklin (2007, Alpha Books/Penguin/Putnam) In October 2009, Jon will partner with author Joe Nassise for the debut of HELLstalkers, a new action series in conjunction with Blackbetty GmbH in Vienna available for cellphone users exclusively on the Vodafone network. As a producer, Jon has formed New Ronin Productions with longtime friend Jaime Hassett to create television and feature film projects in the New England area. Their first project is THE FIXER, a new supernatural action series based on Jon/'s Lawson Vampire novels. Filming of the pilot begins in May 2009. As a ninja, Jon has studied authentic Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu/Ninjutsu for almost twenty years under Mark Davis of the Boston Martial Arts Center. He has also trained with senior Bujinkan instructors both in the United States and Japan. During a trip to Japan in February 2003, Jon earned his 5th degree black belt directly from the 34th Grandmaster of Togakure-ryu Ninjutsu, Masaaki Hatsumi. In addition to traditional training, Jon has also taught defensive tactics to a wide range of clients, including civilian crime watch groups, police and EMS first responders, military units, and federal organizations including the US Department of State, the Department of Justice, and the Bureau of Prisons. In his past, Jon served with the United States Air Force, worked for the US government, and handled executive protection for a variety of Fortune 500 clients.Don/'t forget to take advantage of our special offer through Budget Rent-a-Car.  You can get 10% of a car rental or $30 off a weekly rental by renting your car throughhttp://www.budget.com/chronic.

Orenthal and Andrea are on hand to make sure that John hits the record button this time.  Make sure you rate the episode at the bottom of this entry and comment on it here. You can also leave a voice mail message with your thoughts on the show at 888-866-9010. Segment One - Bringing it to the Table1:50 - Andrea had a great time exploring the 1939 and 1964 World/'s Fair Exhibits. 6:25 - Orenthal is jazzed by the new direct to DVD Batman/Superman video, Public Enemies. 11:50 - John interviews Kristana Textor, co-organizer of the Doomsday Film Festival, opening in New York the weekend of October 23. 25:25 - Promo for the Sci-Fi Diner podcast. 27:00 - Promo the Babylon podcastSegment Two - The Reviews27:45 - Andrea reviews Homer and Langley by E.L. Doctorow and recommends Ghosty Men by Franz Lidz and the television show, Hoarders. 33:10 - David is completely fed up with how The Amazing Spider-Man has gone so far off the rails. 40:05 - Keith is willing to give Stargate: Universe a fair shake based on the first few episodes and recommends The Venture Brothers. 47:48 - Promo for Into the Dark podcast. 49:00 - 60 Second Science - Carbonation has taste. 47:34 - Promo for the How to Grow Your Geek podcast.Segment Three 51:25 - We think we have a new fan based on the very brief voice mail we received. Don/'t forget to take advantage of the great offers we have from Go Daddy.com by clicking here.

Keith recently sat down with the man himself, Paul Cornell, and discussed  Doctor Who  and writing for comics.  Make sure you take a moment to rate the episode at the bottom of this entry and  comment on it in the forums .  If you feel really ambitious, make sure you call our toll-free voice line 888-866-9010 and leave your thoughts on this or any other episode.   Paul Cornell  is a novelist as well as a comics and TV writer.  He is best known for his work on  Doctor Who  in both literary and television formats.  In addition, Paul created Bernice Summerfield, a fan-favorite in the  Doctor Who  universe.  His comic works include  Captain Britain and MI-13  as well  The X-Men. Also, take advantage of the great offer we have to bring to you from 1-800 PetMeds.  For free shipping and 10% off your order, head on over to http://1800petmeds.com/chronic and place your order.   

Comics legend Jim Salicrup joins Dr. Arnold T. Blumberg, Jenifer Rosenberg, and Jay Smith in a discussion on the rising popularity of zombies.  Plus, John unveils a new listener phone call in response to Gina/'s call.  Make sure you check out all the fun at chronicrift.com or by calling us at 888-866-9010.  Plus, take advantage of the great offer through Budget Rent-A-Car. 10% off your next booking by going to http://budget.com/chronic. 

John's feeling oogie this week and thus it's a short episode.  But that's not to say it isn't a good one.  John interviews Inge Heyer, writer and science track coordinator for the Shore Leave convention in Maryland.  Please take a moment to let us know what you think of the episode by stopping by the forums at http://www.chronicrift.com or by emailing us at john@chronicrift.com or by leaving a message on our voice mail 888-866-9010.

John is joined by Andrea, Orenthal, and Judy in this review episode./n In the Bringing it to the Table segment, Andrea enthuses about the Barcade, Judy rails against the season finale of True Blood, and John is thrilled to hear that Ray Wise will be on Dollhouse.  Andrea reviews We Never Talk About My Brother by Peter S. Beagle and Troll/'s Eye View: A Book of Villainous Tales edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling; and Keith reviews Dark Blue.  Plus,/nOrenthal makes us nostalgic for the good old days of Saturday morning/ncartoon previews in his Pop Fiendish segment.  Make sure you stop by/nthe webpage - http://www.chronicrift.com - to tell us what you thought/nof the episode or call us toll-free at 888-866-9010.

Star Trek authors Dayton Ward and Kevin Lauderdale are interviewed by John in the first of two episodes focusing on this past summer/'s Shore Leave convention. For more Rift goodness, make sure you check out the Rift homepage - http://www.chronicrift.com - and leave us a voice mail at 888-866-9010.

In our second season premiere, Andrea and Judy lead the Harry Potter Estrogen Brigade of Heidi Tandy and Marina Frants in discussing the Harry Potter phenomenon. Plus, Jay Smith offers a new Guilty Pleasure in the online /"Ten Doctors/" Doctor Who comic strip. Also, there/'s a new voice mail to listen to, plus a few other things of note. For more Rift goodness, make sure you check us out at http://www.chronicrift.com or call us toll-free at 888-866-9010.

In this special spotlight episode, John, Andrea, Judy, and Orenthal respond to recent commentary from our listeners. Want to be a part of the next such special? Sign up and be a part of the forums at http://www.chronicrift.com, email us at john@chronicrift.com, or leave us a voice mail on our toll-free number 888-866-9010

Steve Biodrowski of Cinfantastique Online returns to discuss the genre related films scheduled for release this fall with John. What looks good? What can you skip? What can movie can wait for the DVD release? Make sure you rate the episode at the bottom of the entry and comment on it here or you can call us, toll-free, at 888-866-9010./n/n Mevio {Mevio-d8ee9a9c8b4586e4894d08bcf6b03da9}/nMovie Release Dates (with You Tube trailer links)/nSept 4 - Carrier, Gamer Sept 9 - 9 Sept 11 - Sorority Row, Whiteout Sept 18 - Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Jennifer/'s Body, Pandorum Sept 25 - Surrogates/nOct 9 - Zombieland Oct 16 - The Stepfather, Where the Wild Things Are Oct 23 - Antichrist, Astro Boy, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire/'s Assistant, Saw VI/nNov 6 - The Box, A Christmas Carol, The Fourth Kind Nov 13 -2012, Fantastic Mr. Fox Nov 20 - Planet 51, The Twilight Saga: New Moon Nov 25 - The Princess and the Frog/nDec 11 - The Lovely Bones Dec 18 - Avatar Dec 25 - Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, Sherlock Holmes/nPromos/nHow to Grow Your Geek Podcast Sixty Second Science Babylon Podcast/n/n

John, Judy, Orenthal, and Keith gather together for the last review episode of the summer and they bring their /"A/" game with them to wrap things up.  Make sure you rate the episode at the bottom of this entry and comment on it here.  You can also leave a voice mail message with your thoughts on the show at 888-866-9010./n /n /nSegment One - Bringing it to the Table/n2:40 - John, Judy, and Keith enthuse about the recent Rifftrax live event. 8:00 - Judy fills us in on the Galileo and Star Trek exhibits at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. 15:15 - Orenthal relives his childhood, well, sort of, with the Galaxy Rangers DVD set. 17:50 - Keith/'s talking baseball with a quartet of cool baseball blogs: The Low-Hud Yankees Blog by Pete Abraham, The Pinstriped Bible with Steven Goldman, Joe Podnaski/'s Curiously Long Posts, Sweet Spot by Rob Nayer. 21:25 - Promo for the Better in the Dark Podcast. 22:17 - a PSA for leaving comments about your favorite podcast on iTunes. 23:37 - Promo for Two Minute Danger Theater./nSegment Two - The Reviews/n24:00 - Andrea reviews two works recomended by fellow librarians: The Host by Stephanie Meyer andLethal Legacy by Linda A. Farstein. 31:00 - The Comics Curmudgeon covers three comic adpartations of major science fiction literary works:Phillip K. Dick/'s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? from Boom! Studios; Jeff LaMayer/'s The Nobody from Vertigo; Ray Bradbury/'s Fahrenheit 451 from  37:55 - Keith turns in a spoiler free review of Torchwood: Children of Earth and raves about Leverage. 45:19 - Promo for the Return to Northmoor Podcast. 46:20 - 60 Second Science - Your money is laced with coccaine. 47:34 - Promo for the Scapecast Podcast./nSegment Three /n49:05 - Orenthal referees a grudgematch between Transformers and G.I. Joe in a new installment of Pop Fiendish. 59:45 - Keith promotes his walk for the Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure and his appearances at upcoming conventions, Dragoncon and Fan Expo. 1:01:05 - Judy promotes photographic work at her Cafepress store in time for Grandparent/'s Day./n /nFor more Rift goodness check us out on the web at http://www.chronicrift.com./n 

The television networks are gearing up for a new season of programming and all five major US networks have their share of genre programming.  John, Andrea, and Orenthal take a look at such shows as Past Life, Human Target, Day One, Caprica, Stargate Universe, Eastwick, Fast Forward, The Prisoner, and V.  What looks good and what looks like we/'re going to need a new show?  Make sure you leave your thoughts on the episode and what you/'re looking forward to at our website - http://www.chronicrift.com - or leave your thoughts on our voice mail line - 888-866-9010.

Thanks to the internet and easy to use computers and software, almost anyone can produce an audio drama on their own.  In this Roundtable episode, John and Orenthal sit down with Jay Smith of HG World and Jerffrey Bridges and M. Sieiro Garcia of Pendant Audio to discuss the do/'s and don/'ts of making your own audio production./n  /n Make sure you leave your thoughts on this or any other episode on our toll-free voice mail line - 888-866-9010 and for more Rift goodness, check out the home page at http://www.chronicrift.com./n