n online magazine devoted to the SF field, scifidimensions really covers it all, cramming current events, reviews and even a little political discussion into its virtual pages.
Beautifully designed and boasting extensive archives of old issues, scifidimensions is very nearly an SF library unto itself. Everything a visitor might expect to find is here, and it's all indexed in a way that makes searching a joy. There are convention listings and reports, for starters, along with contests and streaming audio interviews with author Peter David, the Lone Gunmen cast and other well-known personalities. The magazine's commentary section tackles issues surrounding evolution, genetically engineered foods and science in modern society, to name
a few. There are reviews—book reviews, movie reviews and comics reviews—even one for a theatrical production of Moreau in Atlanta! There are regular features, too, like "Suspended Animation," a column on the comics industry written by Michael Vance.
Eschewing the forums which are popular in other pages, scifidimensions nevertheless invites readers to join in the fun wherever they can. They maintain a lively letters page, where fans debate
past articles, Hollywood's approach to adapting SF novels and the existence of UFOs, and the possibilities for using cloning technology to treat infertility. The site sponsors an annual fiction contest. The commentaries end with questions intended to solicit a response. The ultimate message?
Come and see what scifidimensions has to offer ... and then, rather than passively accepting it and moving on, tell them what you think!
— A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—May 27, 2002
he genre of SF romance, according to this Web page, includes any work of fiction that blends a romantic plot or subplot with SF and fantasy elements, whether they are futuristic romances, romantic ghost stories or something in between.
The sponsor of the Sapphire Award for the best science-fiction romance of the year, SF Romance also offers a newsletter, a book catalog and over a hundred book reviews. While only portions of newsletter back issues are available online (full versions can be acquired for a nominal fee), the
articles a visitor can read are packed with delights and useful information—interviews with authors like Wen Spencer and Ann Bishop, articles on whether writers interested in this type of work should select a romance critique group or an SF-based one, and a must-read article called "Futurehunk!"
The book reviews range from the succinct to the loquacious, covering an impressive number of recent works. Anyone interested in trying out a few SF romances would do well to browse here. The story descriptions are specific, providing an excellent guide to this blended genre of fiction while simultaneously showing its range and flexibility. And, after selecting a few titles, visitors can catch a link to an online bookstore for easy ordering.
Covering all bases possible, SF Romance also maintains a superb links page and a long list of resources for new writers. By combining a deep love for romantic speculative fiction with exhaustive amounts of relevant data on such works, this page scores high points both for informing visitors and for entertaining them, too.
— A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week—May 20, 2002
hen David Macaulay released his The Way Things Work in 1988, he could not have completely realized that he was tapping into a vast fascination with the hidden innards of the technology that surrounds us. Whether the subject is ancient catapults or cutting-edge DVD players, the gadgets that have contoured mankind's existence throughout history have been used by many and understood by only a few. But there's something hopeful lurking in the breast of the average layperson—and especially in the hearts of science-fiction fans—which tells us that we could easily grasp the complications of such devices, if only we had a talented, earnest guide to explain it all for us.
Macaulay created a mini-empire doing just this. And naturally, his success has inspired others. One such is a fellow with the unlikely name of Marshall Brain. The author of several How Stuff Works books and originator of cable TV shows on the same theme, Brain also gives away a tremendous amount of information on his Web site, Marshall Brain's HowStuffWorks. Here, you can choose from 15 "Supercategories"—"Automotive", Engines", "Toys & Games"—which lead to hundreds of individual entries that seek to make manifest in the clearest possible way the engineering beneath the most common objects (bicycles) or the most exotic (military "pain weapons")—or even organic technologies such as chocolate! Plenty of visuals and clever animated applets aid immeasurably.
If you're not looking for anything specific, browse through some of the featured items that change daily. You're bound to learn something fascinating. Participate in the regular surveys, enter a forum, learn about getting HowStuffWorks materials into your child's school system, or pose your own puzzler. Perhaps the only question you won't find answered here is what David Macaulay thinks of his rival!
— Paul Di Filippo
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