My top ten women in sci-fi.

[warning: this is a very long, picture heavy post.]

Here it is, the post I mentioned I was thinking about possibly maybe getting around to:

Ah, sci-fi and fantasy shows. How many hours have I wasted glued to a television set, entranced by your charms? The space-ships! The aliens! The swords! The vampires! The comedy! The drama! Dear oh dear. I'm sure, when I'm about 80, I'll look back at my life and regret every second I spent in front of the television when I could have been outside, fortifying my health for my old age with brisk walks, but until that bitterness descends let me take a minute to introduce you to my top ten women in sci-fi and fantasy.

There will be omissions: from shows that I never caught or didn't like to characters that I just didn't take to while others did.

But why bother? Well, women in sci-fi have always been important to me. Mostly because they wear a lot of leather and some of them wear uniforms, but there is also a slightly less important reason too: Women in sci-fi were strong, powerful, progressive and interesting, and it seemed to me that there were a lot more of those kinds of women in sci-fi shows than anywhere else. Women who fought for what they believed in; women who had morals and were honourable and did the right thing no matter what; women who were complicated, difficult and real. Women who I wanted to be, and as I grew older, women who I wanted to be with (seriously, it's all that leather). Oh yes, sci-fi definitely helped me recognise my inner toaster-over deserving woman. Without any further ado, lets get into the top ten:

10. Aeryn (Farscape)

One word: leather. Lots and lots of leather. Oh, and a gun.

9. Zoe (firefly)

Zoe's the no-nonsense second in command of Serenity. She's tough, beautiful and looks good with a shotgun. What more could you want? Wash is a lucky, lucky guy.

8. Major Carter (SG-1)

Oh, Major Carter. How I used to adore thee way back when I was an avid Sg-1 fan. Did I mention that aside from leather, I also love uniforms? In-fact, probably more so. Not only did she wear a uniform, however, she also had a gun. Hot! So far, I realise, there have been no deep and meaningful reasons for choosing these women. You were expecting any?

7. Captain Janeway (Star Trek: Voyager)

I remember sitting down to watch Voyager for the very first time so many years ago, and having such high hopes of the series. Well, however I was disappointed by the show itself, Janeway kept me tuning in week after week. A strong, confident , commanding woman in charge of a space-ship? Who doesn't love that?

6. Ellen Ripley (Alien/Aliens/Alien 3/Alien Resurrection)

The only entry from film, but then again Sigourney Weaver is so commanding she's all the entry you need. Nothing can describe my admiration for her single-handed demolition of the xenomorphs, the impact made all the more powerful for the fact I hate horror movies and they scare the shit out of me. Plus, Alien: Resurrection was not the best film ever, I admit, but how buff was Sigourney? Yes, I will admit to the typical lesbian fascination with a great pair of arms (what is that about?).

5. Fred/Illyria (Angel)

I admit it: I love geeks. And who was more geeky than Fred? Winifred Burkle, the girl from the portal who came in, stole everyone's heart and made toasters which also decapitated people. Her arc, from shy, screwed-up girl to commanding member of the team (yet still cute, with the run on sentences and Dixie Chicks posters) was made all the more poignant when she snuffed it in order to be taken over by by an ancient demon/goddess called Illyria. The reason I included Illyria on the list as well as Fred was because I loved her too. Yes, I hated the fact that Fred was gone, but I always had the feeling the Amy Acker really enjoyed flipping the script and trying something a little new, I liked the character, and...well...I thought Illyria was kinda hot. I'm shallow, I know.

4. Laura Roslin (Battlestar Galactica)

Okay, so I'm a little behind. I never watched Battlestar Galactica when it was television here, and missed it the second and third times around too. It was only when I managed to get broadband that I really started watching the series. Now, I'm about three or four episodes into the second season, and I have to say: Wow. I could have made this entry for all the women of BSG, but to be honest there's been one that's stood out from the start: President Roslin. Thrust unexpectedly into a position of power, she's been calm, graceful and hard-working, she can stand toe-to-toe against the miltary men, and all this while - sadly - dying. She's the sort of woman I would love to grow up to be (I'm not considering myself grown up until I have a mortgage and children, thankyouverymuch). Plus, she's one good-looking woman.

3. The Slayers (Buffy/Angel)

To begin with, the forth entry was going to be inclusive of all the girls from Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. I loved Tara, for being so darn cute; Anya, for making me laugh so much; Willow, for being such a cute little geek and then such a kick ass witch, but I decided that I was just going to stick to my absolutely favourites for all the entries. So, number 4: the Slayers. So many good episodes, so many favourite moments. "Bad Girls", "Graduation", "This Years Girl"...I could name so many, but I'm not going to because those three titles are the only three I can ever remember. I remember, way back when, being quite transfixed by the slashy undertone (and from the amount of fan-fic, I wasn't the only one). And then Faith appeared on Angel, and her redemption arc has been fantastic to watch. I remember one of the guest appearances of Buffy on Angel (the episode where he becomes human for 24 hours after accidentally coming into contact with some demon blood) making me cry so much that I went all red and puffy. But, of course, they would be nothing without Joss Whedon and team. What a fantastic man. I could write more but I'm in danger of gushing about him, I can feel it coming on, so on we go without further ado.

And now, we rather controversially have a tie for first place:

Joint first: Susan Ivanova (Babylon Five)

Oh, Commander Ivanova, how I love the: let me count the ways. You were my first sci-fi love; you were funny, abrasive and stubborn; you looked fantastic in your uniform; you drank a lot of vodka. And oh, your lines were always the best:

Sinclair and Ivanova: Sinclair: 'Morning Lt. Commander. Problem sleeping?' Ivanova: 'Sleeping is not the problem. Waking up-that's the problem. I've always had a hard time getting up when it's dark outside.' Sinclair: 'But, in space, it's always dark.' Ivanova: '*sigh* I know, I know'.

it wasn't just what you said, it was the delivery too. Ivanova was a ball-breaking career officer whose past hid a dark secret, oh, and she fell in love with a woman. That didn't hurt my mid-nineties obsessive love for her. Personally, I felt the series really suffered after she left and I pretty much stopped watching.

Joint First: Xena (Xena: Warrior Princess)

Stereotypical I know, but how could she not come out on top? (Hehe). Xena: Warrior Princess. Singer, dancer, can handle a sword a little. Lucy Lawless was always so much fun to watch in the role: whether cracking me up with laughter or tears, she was always spot on. The campy tone of the show suited my sense of humour, and the serious heroic moments made me bite my nails (although not really, because I don't bite my nails, but you get what I mean). I've always been easily drawn in by shows, and Xena was no exception. I laughed, I cried, I got called a big gaymo (but in a nice way) when I insisted that my best friends dad tuned in at his house so that I didn't have to miss an episode, and in the process of making him always watch it I made him a fan too. He even liked 'Bitter Suite'. In terms of strong, powerful, do-gooder role models, I couldn't have done much better - between Xena and Susan Ivanova - at that point in my life.

Women of sci-fi and fantasy: yay for you! And, of course, the people who created you. I know you're not really real. Shame.

(Honourable mentions go to: The other women of Buffy and Angel, B'Elanna Torres, Jadzia Dax and Major Kira, Janet Fraiser and all the others that I forgot)

Ook

For those who would like to know:

"The first Discworld Jamboree will be held just outside the town of Wincanton in Somerset from the 3rd - 5th August 2007.

If you would like to join Terry Pratchett, and the other Discworld scouts in a fun filled weekend camp, then drop us a line, give us a call, send a runner or check our website:

The Cunning Artificer's Discworld Emporium,
Wincanton,
Somerset,
BA9 9JU

01963 824 686

www.discworldemporium.com"

My wonderful mother picked up this flyer for me when she went shopping in Wincanton not too long ago. I will definitely be there: I wouldn't miss it! I haven't read a Discworld novel for a while, but at one point I'm fairly sure I owned all of them, and his were the first books I remember reading at age 7 or so (I don't really remember that much before the age of 7, and to be fair I haven't really remembered much since).

The good thing is, she lives not too far away from Wincanton, and I don't actually live all that far away myself. It's certainly drivable: no more than a couple of hours, I would think. Wow, this feeling must be the smug feeling people get when there's a convention that they really want to attend visiting their town. Needless to say, I'm very excited. In an understated cool way, of course.

I was going to do a very interesting post about women and sci-fi and...well, women in sci-fi, but I haven't yet collected any of the pictures I wanted to use so that will have to wait. Oh well. Tomorrow is another day. Which reminds me, tomorrow I have to cut the grass, clean the house and apply for jobs. When did my life get so mundane?

Inexplicable spasms of the tounge.

Life has certainly been interesting the last couple of years. I fell in love and had my heart broken (I always thought that was just a phrase, but no) and even did that whole stereo-typical break-up-in-an-airport thing. Of course after that I bought six Krispy Kremes doughnuts (blueberry, cinnamon, cream (or 'kreme'), jam, chocolate and something random. A Boston something?) and ate them whilst driving home. Of all the many things I regret about that day, number one is eating a jam donut while wearing my best white jumper.

I also left my long-term job. I thought I had something else lined up, but unfortunately it fell through which is a problem seeing as I look fairly un-employable on paper. I work hard. I work diligently. I'm flexible, adaptable, energetic and personable (ok, those aren't so much the skills I use in a job, more like the skills I employ to get a job. Flexibility, especially). The problem is I don't have any qualifications. It's funny: when I was in school I didn't realise how important all that bumph would be, and it was free; now that I want to learn, need to learn even, I can't afford to. And I can't earn enough to learn without learning enough to earn enough to learn. Or something. See, I need an education!

Anyway. What I was actually going to blog about was the interview I had yesterday. I got up at 6:55am, went to work, left at 9:10am, got to my interview at 9:45am (well, actually 9:46, I was a minute late because I panicked a little while parking and backed my car into something. I think it was a parking meter but it might have been a dog or a small child: I was running into the building when I looked back to check so everything was a little blurry). When I arrived, they ushered me into a little room for a spelling test, a word processing test and a something else test. Then I had the interview, left at about 11am, and went home to find my front door wide open, which caused me to have a minor heart-attack. Luckily, it was someone who was supposed to be there but I'll cover that in another post. I didn't mean to stop at home but I was so hungry that when some cheese accidentally fell onto some toast, slipped under the grill and came out a perfect shade of golden-brown, I felt like it was divine will that I was meant to have cheese on toast and appease my hunger, so I couldn't help but stop and eat it. I got back to work for about 12pm.

To be honest, I don't really remember much of the interview. I was so shocked to have been asked to go along for it in the first place that I was in a bit of a daze. I'd applied for approximately ten to twelve jobs the previous week and had had rejection letters from eight or nine, so I was, I admit, losing a little bit of hope. Not much, but just a little. I have little flashes of memory, like thinking during the spelling test: "Crap, how can I not know how to spell (something like) liaise?". That devious second 'i' gets me every time, the sneaky little thing.

Onwards to the interview. I was sitting quite happily in the waiting room after the test, unfortunately engrossed in my book ("The Queen's Fool" - Phillipa Gregory), when the interviewer came to find me. You know what it's like when you're reading and you have to dis-engage and go back to the real world: I did a double-take, wrenched myself away from the page and accidentally nearly swallowed my gum (I know gum does not make a good impression, but it's my one concession to stress). Good first impression: check.

They started by explaining aspects of the job. I hope I chimed in with pertinent and interesting comments to show that I'd listened and understood, but I worry that I was over-enthusiastic and over-bearing. It's never a good sign when you catch yourself, pause and stammer apologetically to the interviewer "I'm sorry, I cut the end of your sentence off there. Please, do carry on."

I talked a lot, I remember that. I also remember making some jokes, and I really wish I could remember them. I do remember making a joke about a cup of tea and then nervously laughing at myself and I may have snorted a little. I'm cringing a little just thinking about it.

I remember being a little too honest at times (why?) and then not honest enough. I was repetitive yet interesting, serious yet funny. I think. I'm not comfortable with the whole attitude toward interviews which is: talk yourself up. Lie if you have to. Don't say anything negative and, oh yeah, you're the best thing since sliced bread. I find it hard to walk that line between honest self-evaluation and gratuitous self-promotion and so occasionally feel like I'm...well...talking out of my ass. Mind you, I guess it's like every interview: you walk out regretting the things you didn't say and the the things you did say.

I wish I could remember more specifically what they said to me, and what I said in response, but my memory is one big hour-long blur. The only things I can remember are: 1) vaunting my people-skills so much that if I remember this when I'm old, all I'm going to remember is me squawking "People skills! Personable! People skills!" to answer every question asked of me like some sort of demented parrot and 2) being asked the question "If we were to contact a previous employer, friend or colleague, what do you think they would say about you?" to which my near instantaneous response was: "that I'm a bad dancer."

I may have laughed at myself a little bit after that too. A horrible geeky laugh. With a snort.

Life, the universe and everything

I get to a certain point every time I start a blog (and there have been many: I am a blog ho), and that point is: why am I doing this? I don't really have anything interesting to say; I'm not really an interesting person. My spelling isn't fantastic (bless you, spellcheck) and my grammar is worse. I'm not really a fan of unburdening my soul, so it's not going to be a deep, insightful and soulful blog; I don't really do anything interesting, so it's not going to be a must-read blog. So..why? What is the compulsion that drives bloggers to share anything and everything through the impersonal medium of the internet? This is a question that plagues me. Do you know what some other questions that plague me are? Well if you don't I shall tell you.

1) Is Jodie Foster gay?
2) What is actually good for you anymore? A glass of wine a night helps stave off illness, but it also causes illness. Personally, I'll go for the glass of wine every time. I was always taught that a diet filled with everything in moderation was healthy, but what's healthy these days when even fresh food is covered in god knows what?
3) How do CDs and DVDs work? I know nothing about technology, but it kills me that I can have a flat disc in my hands and from it comes heart-breaking music...or a film, a whole film, with colour and sound and pictures and words and...how?
4) Who invented language? Who decided a tree was called a tree?
5) How do Firefly and Futurama get cancelled and yet shows that (in my opinion) are a little inferior get renewed?

and, most important:

6) Is The Princess Bride the real abridgement of a real book? And if so, can I go to the Fire Swamp?

Please, help if you can. A poor, confused (and currently sick) girl needs answers.