Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 211
January 10, 2020
January 10, 2020: Revive a popular series! #AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked! Mom!
“In this crowded marketplace, if you can start with some kind of brand awareness and IP that has a vocal support and, in this case, a crazy, passionate love for it, you’re ahead of the game.” [source]
The above quote is from FOX Entertainment President Michael Thorn in response to queries about a possible Firefly revival. But, of course, it is equally applicable to Stargate with its 350+ hours and massive fanbase.
Just saying.
Updating you on my continuing #AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked series –
#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Alexander M. Ruemelin: Bad-ass writer-producer. BIG in Germany! We met and worked together under very difficult circumstances but he remains, to this day, a good friend. No one can make me laugh like he can. pic.twitter.com/AvpQPOl4jH
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 4, 2020
#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Roxanne Borris: 1st Assistant Art Director – #DarkMatter. Kind, talented, and incredibly creative, Roxanne's masterpieces have ranged from space station logos to dog portraits to one killer jalapeño relish. pic.twitter.com/D3fjhY97hy
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 5, 2020
#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
RT Thorne – Director, Creator, Executive Producer. @directedbyRT
A chance encounter turned into a 2 hour lunch turned into me showrunning his creation – #UtopiaFalls, a 10 episode YA sci-fi hip hop series streaming next month on @Hulu and @CBC pic.twitter.com/7GiVHMp5Wf
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 6, 2020
#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Jenny Seelman Stiven – Digital Consultant and point person on #Stargate for many, many years. Thoughtful, strategically-minded, and generous with her time, Jenny continues to be a huge supporter of the franchise and its many fans. pic.twitter.com/wYe1DlVhwU
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 7, 2020
#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Robert Picardo – Gifted performer, kind soul, brilliant mind, and all around class act. I had the pleasure of working with Bob on #Stargate and he has remained a good friend ever since.
Simply a terrific individual. @RobertPicardo pic.twitter.com/VylnyDXIDl
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 8, 2020
#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
James Robbins – Production Designer
His unique vision and inspiration are on display throughout #Stargate's run, from spaceships to aliens, otherworldly weapons to the city of Atlantis itself. #DarkMatter's space stations were also his designs. pic.twitter.com/6IUR0hDIQt
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 9, 2020
#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
John Stead – An incredible Stunt Coordinator, John was responsible for all of the onscreen action on #DarkMatter, planning and executing every move with precision and care. He is also one of the best damn directors I know! pic.twitter.com/X3gM406Iyv
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 10, 2020
Great great people!
Finally – mom took a fall in the kitchen the other day and suffered two small fractures – one to her hand, another to her wrist. She slipped on the carpet she put in the kitchen to keep her dog from slipping. Ironic, no? Here’s hoping she makes a full recovery and back to making orecchiette in no time!
The post January 10, 2020: Revive a popular series! #AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked! Mom! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
January 9, 2020
January 9, 2020: Utopia Falls
Back in April of last year, I was invited to attend an event hosted by the Director’s Guild of Canada. The aim of the evening was to connect showrunners and directors in a speed-dating-like setting. Prior to the date, I was forwarded a list of 200+ directors and instructed to choose six. Then, on the night, I met with each of my chosen directors for a total of 10 minutes each. It was fun and I did, in fact, make some great connections. But there was one director who I met on the night that wasn’t on my list. I was introduced to RT Thorne through a mutual friend, former Stargate producer Alan McCullough, during some downtime between meetings. He was very complementary about Dark Matter, so I suggested we simply meet up later that week.
A few days later, over a two hour lunch, RT filled me in on the ambitious series he was planning to pitch – a far future, post-apocalyptic sci-fi series that would incorporate music, performances, and an underlying theme related to discovery, social change, and youth empowerment. Oh, and Hip Hop. He was very passionate about the project, and that passion, I felt, would serve him well. But without a pilot script to accompany the series overview he had put together, I assumed a sale would be a lofty prospect.
So imagine my surprise weeks later when RT phoned me up to tell me he had sold the show. They had a 10 episode first season order and were looking for a showrunner. I wished him luck but couldn’t really think of anyone who might be a good fit. But RT wasn’t looking for recommendations. He was looking to me. My response was: “I’m not Hip Hop. I’m sci-fi.” And he countered: “I’M hip hop. You handle the sci-fi.”
In the end, I was convinced to meet with the production company, Sonar Entertainment, that was in the process of interviewing for the position. To be honest, when I went in, it wasn’t with the intention of pitching myself. I went in out of respect for RT who asked me to sit down and talk about the project. So I did. And I was brutally honest. I told them what I loved about what they had, but also made it very clear where I felt the problems lay.
The following week, I received a call from my agent informing me that I’d been offered the showrunning position. I was flattered, but didn’t think I was the right fit for the show. And there were still some issues that I felt needed to be addressed. My agent asked me how I would address the issues. So I told him. I wanted to co-write the pilot with the series creator RT to establish the world and these characters with him. And I wanted to write the finale which would, no doubt, require a fair amount of narrative juggling as our various stories would dovetail. I also wanted my Dark Matter team backing me up, key positions like Production Designer (Ian Brock), Line Producer (Robbie David), and On Set Producer (Ivon Bartok), as well as most of the old crew.
I got them.
RT and I spent the month of August breaking the world, the characters, the relationships, broadstroking the various character and story arcs, and then, in October, we convened the writers’ room. Over the course of five weeks, we world-built and broke all ten of the show’s first season episodes.
Prep on the series started in February and we rolled into production in March.
It was a very different experience from my time on Stargate and Dark Matter, but rewarding nonetheless. I got to work with some incredible people – a terrific cast made up of young up-and-comers as well as more seasoned veterans, new faces on the crew, casting director Stephanie Gorin, VFX Supervisor Greg Behranes and his team, Post-Production Supervisor Katherine Hul and HER team, as well as our point people at Sonar – Andrea Gorfolova, Ashley Rite, and Marc Kell Whitehead. And then, of course, there were the talents of Music Supervisor David Hayman, Composer Nikhil Seetharam, Music Producer Boi-1da, choreographer Tanisha Scott, Snoop Dogg (as the voice of our A.I.!), and the man himself – RT Thorne.
Fair to say that a good time was had by all.
Utopia Falls premieres February 14th on Hulu and CBC Gem.
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January 8, 2020
January 8, 2020: Week’s Best Comic Book Covers!
These were my favorites…
Batman #86 (cover art by Francesco Mattina)
Black Panther Book 8: The Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, Part 3 (cover art by Daniel Acuna)
Catwoman #19 (cover art by Ian MacDonald)
Catwoman #19 (cover art by Joelle Jones)
Dragonfly & Dragonflyman #3 (cover art by Jamal Igle)
Miles Morales: The End #1 (cover art by Rahzzah)
Red Agent: The Island of Dr. Moreau #1 (cover art by Keith Garvey)
Red Mother #1 (cover art by Reiko Murakami)
Star #1 (cover art by Jee-Hyung Lee)
Venom #22 (cover art by John Tyler Christopher)
So, which were YOUR favorites?
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January 7, 2020
January 7, 2020: Opportunities missed! Opportunities realized!
I’ve had a fairly successful career to date. Over 350 hours of produced television. Over a hundred written. Over a hundred as a showrunner. By now, those who have tuned in to my work are aware of my style, the type of work I produce: character-driven stories with an underlying sense of humor that speak to the bonds of camaraderie and family. It’s something that is readily identifiable in my contributions to the Stargate franchise, my own series, Dark Matter, and will, hopefully, continue to entertain fans in future productions.
Of course, what worked so well on Stargate and Dark Matter may not have proven the right for other productions. So, looking back on the various productions I pitched to over the years, it’s perhaps not that surprising that I didn’t land a script or a staff position with them. And still, there are a few that felt like pretty good fits that, for whatever reason, got away. It’s a part of the business. You win some; you lose some. Sure, they can often warrant considerable frustration given the amount of effort that goes into a pitch or take but, at the end of the day, it’s no something to get upset over. There will always be other opportunities.
I look back at some of the more notable opportunities missed…
LEXX
My then writing partner, Paul Mullie, and I were just finishing up work on a half hour sitcom called Student Bodies and looking for an opportunity in the one hour world when we received a call from our agent informing us a sci-fi series gearing up for production. We were thrilled at the prospect and eagerly sat down to watch the pilot. It was pretty “out there” and, quite honestly, we didn’t know quite what to make of it – but it was sci-fi and we were game to give it a go. Alas, in the end, we didn’t make the cut – which, in retrospect, worked out for the best because a commitment to this production would have surely taken us out of the running when a staff position on Stargate presented itself shortly thereafter.
THE OUTER LIMITS
Growing up, I was always a big fan of anthologies, especially those that dabbled in science fiction like The Twilight Zone and the original Outer Limits, so when we got word that the new Outer Limits series was entertaining story submissions, Paul and I put together a few and sent them along. Looking back on them today, they’re all really solid ideas that could form the basis for some pretty kick-ass sci-fi movies – but, at the time, they failed to elicit much interest. The feedback we received was nevertheless positive enough to convince us to try again. And, again, we were turned down. I didn’t think of it again until years later when we working with Brad Wright, former EP on The Outer Limits, and we told him about the stories we pitched. Turns out Brad never saw them. Apparently, they never made it past the production’s gatekeeper.
THE SAINT
Shortly before Dark Matter got the green light, our agent contacted us regarding a potential showrunnig opportunity on a remake of the Roger Moore series The Saint. I loved the idea, a call was set up, and we were sent the pilot. But upon reading the script, I had some issues – logic bumps mostly, but some pretty stark parallels to another action series we had just worked on. I was brutally honest with the producer on the phone call, outlining my creative concerns. He thanked me and – that was the last I heard from them. To the best of my knowledge, the production ended up falling through.
OLYMPUS
I learned early in my career that it’s always best to be honest, especially when it comes to production concerns, because if you don’t speak up early, you could get caught short late. So it was that we interviewed for a possible showrunning gig on a mythology-based series called Olympus. It was an ambitious production that aimed to make expansive use of green screen, but I wasn’t convinced the technology was there to achieve their lofty goals. Nevertheless we ended up getting on the phone with the show creator to discuss the pilot script. We had notes. Presumably too much because, halfway through the conversation, the line went dead and that was that.
HELLRAISER
When I heard that plans were underway to produce a Hellraiser series, I had my agent look into the possibility of pitching a take. I’m a big fan of Clive Barker (his Books of Blood were one of my favorite reads growing up), so I jumped at the chance to possibly oversee a small screen adaptation of one of his most famous works. Sadly, for reasons unknown to me, the series never came to fruition.
SHADOWHUNTERS
Interesting, no? Loved the premise and the mythology. Paul and I had a conversation with the production company very early in the process, but they went with someone else – and we ended up producing Dark Matter instead.
AMERICAN GODS
I love Neil Gaiman’s work and loved the novel, so I really appreciated the opportunity to pitch (Paul and) myself for this production but, looking at how things shook out, I can’t imagine a better version of the series than the one presently being produced.
STARCRAFT
I wasn’t all that familiar with the game going on so, in preparation, I ended up immersing myself in countless hours of game play covering the franchise’s history, from Starcraft through Brood War, Wings of Liberty, Heart of the Swarm, and Legacy of the Void. I spent weeks crafting a pitch that I felt confident would be a slam dunk. It was warmly received and then…nothing. After repeated follow-up emails went unanswered, I had my agent follow up. He confirmed they were going in another direction, but that they appreciated my efforts – although why they couldn’t have simply said as much in a response to one of my original queries remains a mystery.
And there were more – pitches and takes I spent weeks, often months developing – that ultimately went nowhere. But, as I said earlier, it’s all part of the business, and things have a way of working their way out. If we’d landed any of the aforementioned shows, my career trajectory would have certainly been very different. I may not have landed on Stargate. I may not have been able to showrun my own series, Dark Matter. So rather than wallow on missed opportunities, I prefer to see them as destiny redirecting on my fated path – hopefully, in 2020, towards one of my own creations, or an exciting new collaboration.
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January 6, 2020
January 6, 2020: Stargate Superdrive Tweetstorm – European Edition!
As promised, we’ve planned a Stargate twitter event for European fans who were unable to make December’s tweetstorm (on account of it kicking off at approximately 2:00 a.m. their time).
We’re eyeing a 1:00 p.m. EST kick-off which means European Stargate fans will be tweeting approximately six hours later, about 7:00 p.m. their time.
This go-round, we’ll be doing things a little differently. Trending will be of lesser importance. Rather than an hour long blitz, we invite Stargate fans worldwide to tweet at their leisure, anytime after the appointed time and for however long they like. Let us know your favorite Stargate moment. Your favorite episode. What drew you to the franchise and why you want to see it make a comeback.
In December, we delivered the message to MGM by tagging @StargateCommand. In a little under three weeks, fans will be tagging the future home of the new Stargate series. And where is that? Well, that’s up to you. Where would you like to see the new series land? Possible homes include:
Amazon @PrimeVideo
AMC @AMCTV
Apple TV+ @AppleTVPlus
CBS All-Access – @CBSAllAccess
Disney+ @disneyplus
HBO Max @hbomax
Hulu @hulu NBCU’s
Peacock @NBCUniversal
Netflix @netflix
Showtime @Showtime
Starz @STARZ
Syfy @Syfy
***
Let ’em know!
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January 5, 2020
January 5, 2020: Suji Sunday!
Wearing out those socks and boots!
Catching her ride.
One of their last rides together.
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January 4, 2020
January 4, 2020: Moving on
Photo by Off Leash StudioIt’s been four days since Lulu’s sudden passing and it still hasn’t really sunk in. For any of us. Today, Akemi was in the kitchen cooking and, from the corner of her eye, caught what she thought was Lulu sitting, as she often did, impatiently waiting for a treat. The situation with Lulu is, of course, different because, unlike our other dogs, there was no indication she was ill or extended decline that would prepare us. Looking back now, I can pinpoint the instant she passed. I’ve heard people reference “the light going out of someone’s eye” and always assumed it was poetic fiction but I experienced it with Lulu. It’s hard to explain. It wasn’t a simple case of arrested movement. The luminous vibrancy in her eyes just went dull. And I knew.
Lulu will never be replaced. She was one of a kind. But I can tell that, as much as Suji loves being top dog, she also misses the company. So, as I mentioned in yesterday’s blog entry, we are considering adopting – in all likelihood, another senior (because they have a harder time finding a good home), in all probability special needs (because they have an especially hard time finding a good home).
But choosing the right pug, not just for us but for Suji, is going to be a bit of a challenge. Allow Suji to break it down for you –
So a senior pug, possibly special needs, not alpha or beta, who is chill with other dogs. Also, Akemi would prefer a boy.
Ideally, we adopt from a local rescue, or even one out of Montreal or New York, but in the event we’re unable to find our perfect match here, we would then look to one of the following –
The Pacific Pug Rescue – The rescue that brought us Suji!
Pug Nation Rescue of Los Angeles – Visited this rescue on my last trip to L.A. A lot of needy seniors!
The Pug Queen – A tireless crusader, she’s in the process of rescuing a bunch of pugs from China.
Will, of course, keep you updated!
The post January 4, 2020: Moving on appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
January 4, 2019: Moving on
Photo by Off Leash StudioIt’s been four days since Lulu’s sudden passing and it still hasn’t really sunk in. For any of us. Today, Akemi was in the kitchen cooking and, from the corner of her eye, caught what she thought was Lulu sitting, as she often did, impatiently waiting for a treat. The situation with Lulu is, of course, different because, unlike our other dogs, there was no indication she was ill or extended decline that would prepare us. Looking back now, I can pinpoint the instant she passed. I’ve heard people reference “the light going out of someone’s eye” and always assumed it was poetic fiction but I experienced it with Lulu. It’s hard to explain. It wasn’t a simple case of arrested movement. The luminous vibrancy in her eyes just went dull. And I knew.
Lulu will never be replaced. She was one of a kind. But I can tell that, as much as Suji loves being top dog, she also misses the company. So, as I mentioned in yesterday’s blog entry, we are considering adopting – in all likelihood, another senior (because they have a harder time finding a good home), in all probability special needs (because they have an especially hard time finding a good home).
But choosing the right pug, not just for us but for Suji, is going to be a bit of a challenge. Allow Suji to break it down for you –
So a senior pug, possibly special needs, not alpha or beta, who is chill with other dogs. Also, Akemi would prefer a boy.
Ideally, we adopt from a local rescue, or even one out of Montreal or New York, but in the event we’re unable to find our perfect match here, we would then look to one of the following –
The Pacific Pug Rescue – The rescue that brought us Suji!
Pug Nation Rescue of Los Angeles – Visited this rescue on my last trip to L.A. A lot of needy seniors!
The Pug Queen – A tireless crusader, she’s in the process of rescuing a bunch of pugs from China.
Will, of course, keep you updated!
The post January 4, 2019: Moving on appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
January 3, 2020
January 3, 2020: So far…in 2020!
So I was going through my blog archives in search of something else and I came across the following video from back in the day. Actors Jamil Walker-Smith, Brian J. Smith, and David Blue watching the finished cut of SGU’s Time –
Good times!
I’ve decided to start a new feature on twitter titled – #AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
My modest attempt to add a little positivity to an overwhelmingly negative platform. I’m going to try to post one a day.
The candidates so far…
#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Will Waring – One of the best directors and camera operators in the business. Worked with him on #Stargate's SG-1, Atlantis, and Universe, as well as #DarkMatter. Also known for his visual calling card: the pineapple. pic.twitter.com/A06RsF63WA
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 1, 2020
#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Carl Binder (@cpbinder) – Easily one of the best writers I've ever worked with and certainly one of the funniest and most entertaining. Had #DarkMatter gone another season, the time jump story he plotted out would have been a fan favorite. pic.twitter.com/YaC2MKGzV8
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 3, 2020
#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked @BrianJacobSmith – An incredibly gifted actor and a remarkably genuine, down-to-earth individual. My friend Ivon said it best: "He's easy to root for". #Stargate #Sense8 #Treadstone pic.twitter.com/wqrFwfdoiV
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 3, 2020
Things have been quiet on the home front since Lulu’s passing. We’ve noticed Suji has been a little more needy and has taken to circling the apartment, looking for her adoptive sis.
So, Akemi and I have started having preliminary discussions about getting Suji a friend. On the one hand, she’s a definite alpha, loves being the center of attention and wants ALL the love; on the other hand, she was a lot more comfortable with another dog in the house, especially when we would go out.
Which brings up another problem. On the rare occasions when Akemi and I traveled, we felt comfortable leaving Suji with a dog sitter because Lulu went with her. Now that she’s alone, this seems a less likely option give my gal’s separation anxiety.
Meanwhile, 2020 has been a fairly productive year so far. I’ve made it a point to stick to a bit of a routine and ensure I accomplish a few things every day. Namely:
A morning work-out.
Two walks for Suji.
Half an hour of spoken Japanese.
Two exercises of written Japanese (hiragana and katakana).
Progress on any of my ongoing projects (the horror script, the outline for the second episode of TimEscape, various pitches, continued research on that comic book project).
A blog entry.
So far, so good.
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January 2, 2020
My Favorites Reads of 2019
2019 was not a great reading year for me, partly because I was busy working on a production, partly because I have grown disillusioned with the award winners and Best Of recommendations, but mostly because, after my staggering 2018 reading record, I was burnt out. In the end, I managed roughly one fifth of the total number of titles I got through last year.
Still, there were some standouts.
These were my favorite reads of 2019…
The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker
In an isolated college town in the hills of Southern California, a freshman girl stumbles into her dorm room, falls asleep—and doesn’t wake up. She sleeps through the morning, into the evening. Her roommate, Mei, cannot rouse her. Neither can the paramedics who carry her away, nor the perplexed doctors at the hospital. Then a second girl falls asleep, and then another, and panic takes hold of the college and spreads to the town. As the number of cases multiplies, classes are canceled, and stores begin to run out of supplies. A quarantine is established. The National Guard is summoned.
Mei, an outsider in the cliquish hierarchy of dorm life, finds herself thrust together with an eccentric, idealistic classmate. Two visiting professors try to protect their newborn baby as the once-quiet streets descend into chaos. A father succumbs to the illness, leaving his daughters to fend for themselves. And at the hospital, a new life grows within a college girl, unbeknownst to her—even as she sleeps. A psychiatrist, summoned from Los Angeles, attempts to make sense of the illness as it spreads through the town. Those infected are displaying unusual levels of brain activity, more than has ever been recorded. They are dreaming heightened dreams—but of what?
Beautifully written with a style that embodies an almost dreamlike quality, The Dreamers is part suspense thriller, part contemporary sci-fi, but overwhelmingly a character-driven exploration of how our experiences may or may not shape us, and our reality. Walker tackles some lofty philosophical themes in a provocative, compelling, and incredibly entertaining manner. The spread of the contagion and struggles of the various survivors makes for a fast-paced, mesmeric read, but it’s when the story shifts to the victims, their bizarre dreams, and what they portend that this novel really transcends expectations.
Lots of wonderful little surprises throughout, with more than a few narrative twists and authorial sleights of hand I never saw coming.
Recursion by Blake Crouch
That’s what New York City cop Barry Sutton is learning as he investigates the devastating phenomenon the media has dubbed False Memory Syndrome—a mysterious affliction that drives its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived.
That’s what neuroscientist Helena Smith believes. It’s why she’s dedicated her life to creating a technology that will let us preserve our most precious memories. If she succeeds, anyone will be able to re-experience a first kiss, the birth of a child, the final moment with a dying parent.
As Barry searches for the truth, he comes face-to-face with an opponent more terrifying than any disease—a force that attacks not just our minds but the very fabric of the past. And as its effects begin to unmake the world as we know it, only he and Helena, working together, will stand a chance at defeating it.
But how can they make a stand when reality itself is shifting and crumbling all around them?
The king of high-concept sci-fi returns with a mind-bending thriller that questions the very notion of reality – or what we perceive as such. Timelines – two at first, then multifarious – cross and converge, dissipate and reform, stutter, stop, and restart in a challenging, occasionally convoluted, story about humanity’s ability to shape its reality. The plot may seem fantastic and far-fetched, but its theoretical grounding makes Recursion truly thought-provoking. And, yes, while it does get damned confusing at times, the pacing never flags and the book is a rewarding read.
The Sopranos Sessions by Matt Zoller Seitz, Alan Sepinwell
On January 10, 1999, a mobster walked into a psychiatrist’s office and changed TV history. By shattering preconceptions about the kinds of stories the medium should tell, The Sopranoslaunched our current age of prestige television, paving the way for such giants as Mad Men, The Wire, Breaking Bad, and Game of Thrones. As TV critics for Tony Soprano’s hometown paper, New Jersey’s The Star-Ledger, Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz were among the first to write about the series before it became a cultural phenomenon.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the show’s debut, Sepinwall and Seitz have reunited to produce The Sopranos Sessions, a collection of recaps, conversations, and critical essays covering every episode. Featuring a series of new long-form interviews with series creator David Chase, as well as selections from the authors’ archival writing on the series, The Sopranos Sessions explores the show’s artistry, themes, and legacy, examining its portrayal of Italian Americans, its graphic depictions of violence, and its deep connections to other cinematic and television classics.
If you were a fan of what is considered by many to be the greatest series of all time, then you definitely have to pick up this book. It offers fascinating insight into the show, its cast, and creator David Chase.
Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang
This much-anticipated second collection of stories is signature Ted Chiang, full of revelatory ideas and deeply sympathetic characters. In “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate,” a portal through time forces a fabric seller in ancient Baghdad to grapple with past mistakes and the temptation of second chances. In the epistolary “Exhalation,” an alien scientist makes a shocking discovery with ramifications not just for his own people, but for all of reality. And in “The Lifecycle of Software Objects,” a woman cares for an artificial intelligence over twenty years, elevating a faddish digital pet into what might be a true living being. Also included are two brand-new stories: “Omphalos” and “Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom.”
In this fantastical and elegant collection, Ted Chiang wrestles with the oldest questions on earth—What is the nature of the universe? What does it mean to be human?—and ones that no one else has even imagined. And, each in its own way, the stories prove that complex and thoughtful science fiction can rise to new heights of beauty, meaning, and compassion.
The greatest living writer of short fiction returns with this amazing collection. Chiang never disappoints.
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
As the Civil Rights movement begins to reach the black enclave of Frenchtown in segregated Tallahassee, Elwood Curtis takes the words of Dr. Martin Luther King to heart: He is “as good as anyone.” Abandoned by his parents, but kept on the straight and narrow by his grandmother, Elwood is about to enroll in the local black college. But for a black boy in the Jim Crow South in the early 1960s, one innocent mistake is enough to destroy the future. Elwood is sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called The Nickel Academy, whose mission statement says it provides “physical, intellectual and moral training” so the delinquent boys in their charge can become “honorable and honest men.”
In reality, The Nickel Academy is a grotesque chamber of horrors, where the sadistic staff beats and sexually abuses the students, corrupt officials and locals steal food and supplies, and any boy who resists is likely to disappear “out back.” Stunned to find himself in such a vicious environment, Elwood tries to hold on to Dr. King’s ringing assertion “Throw us in jail and we will still love you.” His friend Turner thinks Elwood is worse than naive, that the world is crooked and the only way to survive is to scheme and avoid trouble.
The tension between Elwood’s ideals and Turner’s skepticism leads to a decision whose repercussions will echo down the decades. Formed in the crucible of the evils Jim Crow wrought, the boys’ fates will be determined by what they endured at The Nickel Academy.
Whitehead follows 2018’s The Underground Railroad with this equally powerful tale, a fictionalized account of the very real atrocities committed at The Dozier School for Boys (nicknamed The Nickel Academy), a reform school run by the state of Florida between 1900 and 2011. Harrowing, heartbreaking, and altogether devastating.
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