Top 5 Tuesday: Sci-Fi Episode Titles

    Welcome to Top 5 Tuesday: the day of the week where I spout my opinion on geeky stuff in the form of a list! I hope you enjoy. Since my most recent post was about the silly little title of my blog, I thought I’d make a list of five actually amazing episode titles from science fiction television.

Let’s get started!

5. “Unending” (Stargate: SG-1)

It may seem an odd title for the last episode of a decade-long series, but it very well encapsulates the graceful and clever way the show-runners sent their characters off into the sunset. And the more I think about it, it’s probably a bit of a pun, too.

4. “Dinosaurs on a Spaceship” (Doctor Who)

The newest title on this list, “Dinosaurs on a Spaceship” tells you exactly what you’re going to get. No, the episode is not about unicorns in a submarine. The almost ridiculous name conveys the fun and eccentricity of the story, and is a charming throwback to classic Doctor Who titles such as…

3. “The Robots of Death” (Doctor Who)

“The Robots of Death”, you guys. What more can I say? Leave it to Classic Who to tell it like it is.

2. “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?” (The Twilight Zone)

Really, The Twilight Zone should have far more titles on this list. However, I tried to mix it up, so that it wasn’t solely comprised of 1960s sci-fi titles (which are the best). I picked “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?” as representative of this mind-blowing series because I think it’s one of the most memorable. It’s quirky. It’s jarring. It sparks curiosity and leaves you wondering who the real Martian is.

1.”For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky” (Star Trek)

Like The Twilight Zone, the original series of Star Trek should have more entries on this list. And of all the amazing TOS titles, this is the best. “For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky”. That’s poetry. The title of the episode is a piece of art in and of itself. Nevermind that it was said by a crazy, dying old man in the story. This title is moving!

    

    What did you think of this list? What are some of your favorite titles? What would you like to see lists about in the future? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you. Thanks for reading!

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora

Bright Shining as the Sun

Hi all!

     I wasn't expecting to post today, but then I started poking around the geekier side of Pinterest and I came across this...

   Now I don't know about you all, but seeing the light of a star peeking up over a planet, while reading a passage about friendship and sacrifice calls to mind a story I once watched. (Once. Ha. That's a joke. I've watched The Wrath of Khan way more than once.)

    It also gets me thinking about how that story points back to the scripture. Laying our lives down for others isn't an instinct we're born with. In our humanity, we want to save ourselves. But God calls us to act differently. That's why so many good stories have elements of sacrifice

    They remind us that letting go of  ourselves, and our own interests is noble, and good. They stir something inside our souls that God built into us. And if we let them, stories of sacrifice can connect us to the atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

    I wonder if the person who put this scripture art together was having similar thoughts. It would seem logical to me.

     Thank you for listening to my random ramblings. I hope they encourage you, (or amuse you, if nothing else).  If you have exciting thoughts on story and theme and Jesus, please comment! I'd love to hear from you. I'll be back tomorrow with a top five list- because who doesn't love a good list?

Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora

Why Potassium?

  

Happy Saturday! If you've ever wondered why I would choose such a bizarre name for my blog, hopefully this short anecdote will answer all your questions.

It wasn’t a dark and stormy night or anything. Well, it may have been stormy, given this area of the country. And dark, due to the probable abundance of storm-clouds. It wasn’t night, however. It was day, in the middle of my sophomore year of high school.

  I was paying ever-so-much attention in my Physical Science class. Paying attention, that is, to the periodic table behind my teacher, (I’ve always had an ineffable affinity for the periodic table of the elements). Elements have the funniest symbols sometimes: Au for gold, Ag for silver, Fe for iron, K for Potassium…

    Potassium with a Capital K. Now wouldn’t that make a fabulous title for something? Originally, it was going to be the name of a story podcast, but when I changed the plot for that, its title remained, floating emptily around my mind. And how could I let such an excellent title go unused?

[The elemental symbol for Potassium, ‘K’, comes  from the neo-Latin word Kalium. Neo-Latin was used in formal writing from around A.D 1500-1900]

Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora

It's Alive!

  

 Many people consider Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to be the first novel that can be concretely classified as science fiction. It is the story of a scientist who discovers the secret of creating life. He uses the science of his day to construct a living creature out of dead tissue. In doing so, both the author and her protagonist stumble upon a moral conundrum that has fueled sci-fi ever since. What happens when man tampers with the affairs of God?

     The question is not so much ‘can man create life?’; that is the domain of scientists. It is the job of science to answer the ‘can we?’. It is the job of science fiction to answer the ‘what if we?’. What if we had the ability to create life?

    Where did we get this kind of a question? We got it in the Garden of Eden when we learned an important but tragic lesson about human pride.

"Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate”. - Genesis 3:4-6 NKJV

     The thing that tempted Eve about the fruit was not that she thought it would taste good, but that she thought it would make her like God. God is the creator of life. Therefore, attempting to mimic this creation is attempting to control our own destiny as humans. Like Eve biting into the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, it is attempting to make ourselves like God. No wonder the search for the secret of life fascinates us so much. It has always fascinated us.

    Science fiction gives us a laboratory, if I may, in which to experiment with this idea. Oftentimes in fiction, ‘playing God’ results in disaster, just as it did in reality. Here are a few familiar examples. Though these categories don’t  always show the downsides of tampering with life, or even ask the questions I’m discussing, they very frequently do:

1. Man-made Monsters-

    Frankenstein's Monster, Mr. Hyde, and similar early science fiction and horror icons often leave death in their wake and cause the destruction of their creators.

2. Robots-

    (I’m not going to get into ideas of sentience and personhood right now. That’s a post for another time. Or a lot of posts for a lot of other times.) Though not technically alive, these machines with a personality (and sometimes a temper), can spell doom for humanity. They also have a tendency to try to become the dominant ‘species’ in the cosmos. Think of V’ger or Nomad from Star Trek, the Cylons from Battlestar Galactica, and Ultron from Marvel Comics. (Also, there is a Classic Doctor Who episode called “The Robots of Death”. I thought I would just throw that one out there. )

3. Clones-

    They are pretty similar to robots in their usage, only they’re biological, and made with already existing DNA. Some clones (as well as some robots), can be harmless and even heroic characters. However, they can also be the source of all sorts of moral and practical mixups, chaos and confusion. For example, in the Star Wars prequels, they were corrupted into a huge war-machine made up of identical, expendable soldiers.

4. Genetic Engineering-

     You could say it has its pros and Khans… (alright, that was terrible, but do you know how long I've been waiting to use that one?). On the one hand, you can get someone like Captain America. On the other, you can get someone like Khan Noonien Singh- which is bad.

(Fun and geeky side note- Another member of Khan’s genetically engineered super-race appears in the Star Trek Animated Series episode, “The Infinite Vulcan”)

5. Terraforming-

    Though this creates a different sort of life than the other examples, it is still an example of humans trying to shape and control life. Usually, terraforming stories end with the destruction of pre-existing life, or just failure.  Consider Stargate SG-1 episode, “Scorched Earth”, The Genesis planet of the Star Trek films, and the xeno-terraforming in The War of the Worlds.

    Should man tamper in the domain of God? What would be the result if he did? These are questions that we have grappled with since the beginning of science fiction, and really, since the beginning of humanity. We are created in the image of God, yet we are creatures who are subject to Him. When we try through our own ingenuity to make ourselves great, or exalt ourselves to the loftiness of God, we will always fail. Still, concepts of life from non-life are fascinating to us. There is much to explore, much to learn about the human condition and our place in the universe. What are the limitations? When is it right and when is it wrong? What are the consequences? Why are they there? These are the questions that will continue to inspire science  and fiction until the end of time. And when we genuinely search for answers, we will find them in the Creator and Owner of all life.


Hello again! I'm back! Now that it's summer, I'm hoping to post more regularly. So, don't join me next week, because I'll be out of town....But! After that, I'll try to post articles like this on Wednesdays, exciting top 5 lists on Tuesdays, and random snippets of geekiness on Saturdays. The next of these Saturday shorts will be an explanation of the name of this blog.

Hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any ideas or examples of your own on this topic, please comment! I'd love to hear from you!

Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora

Christ-figures

I’d say that the most obvious trend to point to when talking about the apologetics of story is the use of Christ-figures. I mean, it has Christ in the title.  I’ve been thinking a lot about these sorts of characters recently. Why are they there? What are they for? Are they a good thing or a bad thing?

It can be a bit uncomfortable at times to see a character in a book or film blatantly compared to the savior of the universe. But so we feel that unease because they serve as a Christ-figure, or is it something else?

 

Maybe we should start by defining our terms. It’s pretty simple, actually. A Christ-figure is a character in literature who possesses some quality or performs some action reminiscent of the Biblical Savior.

What are they for, though? What would prompt a writer to compare their character to Jesus Christ? Think about it. The core message of God’s story is the fall of humanity, and it’s restoration through Christ Jesus. He is the theme of the Bible.  Therefore, in their fictional microcosms, writers create characters with similarities to Christ  in order to communicate their themes.

Then what is it that causes a Messianic comparison to strike us as wrong or blasphemous? It’s not the literary construct itself. In fact, the very idea of the Christ-figure is a testimony to Christ.  The problem is the theme. As strange as it may seem, a character reminiscent of Jesus can be used to convey a theme quite contrary to him. For example, (as much as I hate to cite this book), John Steinbeck’s Jim Casy serves as the Christ-figure in The Grapes of Wrath. While his actions and attributes,(such as his initials being J.C.), can be compared to the Son of God, he represents a humanistic pantheism that is quite anti-Biblical.

Now that that’s out of the way, here are a few more examples from literature and sci-fi, (because this is a geek blog):

-Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird): His defense of a helpless man- just as Christ it the defender of the helpless human race-- communicates the theme that you should always try to understand a person before you judge them.

-Spock (Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan/The Search for Spock): His sacrificial actions for his ship and crew highlight the ideas of life coming from death and loyalty being stronger than revenge.

-The Doctor (Doctor Who): Over and over again, this man from outside earth is called upon to be the planet’s savior. One of his main themes seems to be that no one is unimportant.

These are just a few I came up with from my recent ponderings. I’m interested in poking around for more themes displayed by Christ-figures. If you have any other examples, I’d love to hear them!

Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora

Hey there! If you're still reading, thanks for your patience. Hopefully the posts on this blog will become more regular and scheduled come summer. My next post may have something to do with the Theory of Everything, subatomic particles, and Colossians. Hope you enjoy!

God's Not Dead Movie Review

   Hey all! The promised post is finally here. Today, I will give a review for the recently released Christian film, God’s Not Dead. This is my first time writing and publishing a movie review, so I hope you enjoy it. If you have any thoughts on the movie, or suggestions for future reviews, please leave a comment. And if you haven’t seen the movie yet, don’t worry. I’ll stay spoiler free!

 God’s Not Dead is a movie about….well, a lot of things, actually. Though the main storyline is about a Christian college student standing up to his aggressively atheist professor, there are quite a few subplots, some of which I found even more compelling. It takes most of the movie before we start to see these plots come together, and the way they all tied together in the end was a bit weak in my opinion. However, in these scattered anecdotes, there is some very strong, moving storytelling. I felt an emotional attachment to certain characters, cared about what happened to them, and was surprised by a plot twist at the end.

  The characters of this movie are pretty black and white. In general, you can tell which people are the good guys, and which are the bad guys. This is not necessarily detrimental to the story, though, and most of them are written and acted genuinely.

 

   Theme is most definitely the core aspect of the story. There is heavy-handed Christian and apologetic content- which fits into the stories which were being told. The movie does not try to conceal its message. At all. The title is the thematic statement: God’s Not Dead. I didn’t notice too much deep, underlying symbolism, but meaning was not at all lacking. One minor element I thought may have detracted from the message was the occasional relativisation of truth-claims in the dialogue. For example, one of the characters made the statement, “to me, God’s not dead”. That seemed to push the idea of God’s existence into a relativistic domain. However, this only happened a few times, and I’m certain it wasn’t intentional. The writer(s?) wove in a few literary references, which I would not have personally brought up because of their own themes, but they seemed to fit the worldview of the characters who mentioned them. ( Of course, I try not to think about The Grapes of Wrath at all, much less mention it in my stories.) The production quality is the highest I’ve seen in a Christian movie probably since the film Soul Surfer came out. Music was used well, and the few special effects that were needed were believable.

  

   Overall, I don’t think God’s Not Dead is a groundbreaking movie. I do think it is a good movie. I came into the theatre expecting to be disappointed, and came out pleasantly surprised. I had a good time watching it. I’d recommend the film to anyone who wants to enjoy a well-made, Christian worldview film, and support similar endeavors in the future. That, I think, is the most exciting part of God’s Not Dead. It’s a sign that more and better things are ahead for Christian cinema (like maybe a sci-fi movie? Maybe? Perhaps I should learn how to write screenplays…).

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora

Here is a bonus, super-fast review!

My least favorite part of the movie: No one mentioned subatomic particles! They got so close, so many times, but they never did mention them. Alright, in seriousness, my least favorite part was the excess of break-up scenes.

My favorite part of the movie: There was a twist at the end that I actually wasn’t expecting. Some people I went to the movies with said they saw it coming, but I did not. It can be really fun to be caught off guard in stories. Also, the reporter girl’s subplot was touching, and it was cool to see cameo appearances from the show Duck Dynasty.

Happy Star Wars Day!

May the Fourth be with you, one and all. You'll probably need it too. Giving all the Star Wars nerds (such as myself), a day to themselves? I have a bad....well, you know.
More posts to come (hopefully) soon!
Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora