Today I got a post from a fan of Slice of SciFi that expressed a bit of disappointment in our last Show #51 and felt that somehow we are beginning to slip and miss the whole point of our show and website.
Since, none of us live in a vaccum I have to assume that what this one fan was good enough to share with us is probably being felt by others as well, so thought I would address these concerns in a open letter to all our fans globally:
Dear SoSF Fan,
I think maybe you may have missed the whole point of Slice of SciFi. We not only talk about “Science Fiction” and “Fantasy,” but, if you have been a follower of the show and website for any length of time you would realize we cover a lot of bases including every aspect of SF (speculative fiction) – scifi, fantasy, fable, legend, horror, the supernatural, the paranormal, even legal issues, real science and technology news as it relates to any of the above. So, our range is not as narrow as you may have thought. Don’t let our name – Slice of SciFi fool you into thinking that is all we focus on. One of the most appealing aspects of our show and website that our fans seem to appreciate the most is the fact that we look at every aspect of the vast field of Speculative Fiction.
We appreciate all comments from our readers and listeners and yours wasn’t as negative as you may have thought, but was an important viewpoint that I was more than happy to address.
We appreciate your insights and keep reading and listening,
Sam
Sam,
You guys are doing a great job and as far as I’m concerened there is nothing wrong with the show.
In his post he feels that “Mars” is not science fiction, but his description of the show sounds about as much like science fiction as “Lost” is. People seem to consider that scifi so I guess “Mars” could be too.
John
Ghost Hunters IS science fiction and/or fantasy.
Emphasis on fiction and fantasy. It is a cutesy running about by non-scientific individuals pretending to be scientists. They freak out everytime an EM gauge even twitches and claim it is proof of life-after-death. I think this program IS topical for the show in some sense, but treating it like actual science is upsetting to real scientists who listen to the show.
These people should NOT be taken seriously.
Visit:
http://www.csicop.org -Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal
http://www.skeptic.com -Premiere Skeptic’s Society Magazine site.
http://www.skepticality.com -Great skeptical podshow
http://www.randi.org -James Randi Educational Foundation website
All of these have dealt with the ‘ghost hunting’ nonsense.
I think SoSF has really grown to be a much more rounded and interesting show since the early days. It was, originally, my least favorite of the shows from the Dragon Page team. Now, I think, it’s every bit as good as C2C and WinginIt.
I would have to agree with John, Ghost Hunters is SF entertainment until proven otherwise. So, it fits as well within the show’s raison d’etre as any other entertainment based on speculative fiction.
The letter may have been from a brit fan in reference to “Life on Mars” which- to be brutally honest- is much more of an unimaginative rehash of a couple of old TV shows (Goodnight Sweetheart & The Professionals) than anything remotely sci-fi-ish. I think its a bit unfair to begrudge you that though- how are you supposed to know these things?
Perhaps it was the Ghosthunters article? Well I presume you get a better quality of ghosthunting programme in the US than you do in the UK- where they are exclusivekly the haunt of C and Z-list celebrities clinging to their last shreds of stardom as they descend the poopularity chute.
Personally I enjoy the wide breadth of the show. I have no interest in non-stop trek articles and the like- I enjoy variety and being introduced to new and exciting stuff. I wouldnt have discovered Scott Sigler’s Podcasts without you guys, or Summer & Jeffrey’s B5 ‘cast, and I probably would not have started watching Surface without you guys.
Keep up the good work, and ne te confudant illegitimi!
So just because they call themselves Slice of SciFi they are not allowed to talk about anything else? That seems a bit backwards I must say. I love Sci Fi but I can tell you right now I read plenty of books that are not Sci Fi and I like to watch The Sopranos. I am still a Sci Fi geek though.
I also don’t particularly like a lot of Fantasy, but some people would say that Sci Fi and Fantasy go hand in hand.
I like the show just the way it is and if sometimes they stray off topic who cares?
Alright, now i know that we are suppose to respect the rights of an individual when it comes to his/her opinion. But COMEEEEE ONNNNN.
I have been listening to SOSF and visiting this website from the very beginning, through the smell of the fresh graphic, through the hackers, the change of format during the new year, to now, and believe me when i say the i very much enjoy and like the way the show is going and turning.
Yes ok, the title may somewhat me misleading for a new listener who might think this is PURELY scifi, but i mean common, the guys do this before wingin it, cut them some slack.
I respect the opinion of whomever has wrote the letter, but it i have a right to my opinion also and it is MY OPINION that the show is great the way it is, and all topics are appropriate to the genrera that is known to be and not withstanding SCI FI
Thank You and have a good day
Jonathan
Well, I think Life on Mars is a great show, I havent heard show 51 yet, but my opinion before hearing it is,I found the LOM great because of the nostalgia value, I grew up with all those 70’s UK cop shows like the Sweeney & professionals etc and LOM lovingly recreates those exactly. I thought at the time the Yanks might not get if you havent seen all the 70’s UK cop shows and it looks like I might be right. Not to worry guys, horses for courses, I certainly wouldnt stop listening to SOSF just cause I dont agree with your opinions! Keep up the great work guys, and when we gonna see a photo of Summer on the website?
Steve T
Keep up the good work.
E.
I really don’t think the paranormal nor supernatural are fit subjects for a show about science fiction. With science fiction, you *know* it’s fiction because it’s right there in the name. paranormal/supernatural stuff occupies the domain of the quasi-real, quasi-fake–sort of like Pro-Wrestling. In fact, it can’t very easily survive otherwise. Let’s take a stand and *not* help the spread of pseudoscience-y fluff. That would be neat.
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Furry cows moo and decompress.
I’ve been listening for the last 9 months and I haven’t missed a show. I don’t feel that anything on EP51 is out of the ordinary for the stuff you’ve covered. Basically if it airs on the Scifi channel, it’s worthy of discussion.
Sam et al,
I love slice the way it is. Do not change it!
Yes, the title is a bit misleading, perhaps the show should be called Slice Of Speculative Fiction, I certainly wouldn’t mind a name change. (and hey, the domain sliceOfSF.com is available!)
And I agree that ghost hunters doesn’t really fit into science or fiction respectively, but it does fit relatively well into spec-fic.
(I’m not even going to touch all the Snakes on a Plane content in the show 😀 )
Either way, SoSciFi is great.
My feeling is that anything that ventures into speculating about those things and experiences that cannot be defined by science and logic could be classified as science fiction.
Why are fantasy and horror so often grouped with scifi? What is it about the supernatural and the paranormal keeps people up at night arguing back and forth that it can/can’t be real? Why do we dream of what we might encounter should we ever step off this tiny backwater rock?
If it raises questions and fires the imagination, it fits here just fine.
As for the Ghost Hunters, it doesn’t seem like a lot of people dumping on it have seen much of it. They say they debunk about 85-90% of the calls they get, and the one investigator Jason says he goes in looking for the tricks that might be played on them.
So remember, there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
“Some things have to be believed to be seen.” – Hodgson
“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” – Einstein
“Slice of Speculative Fiction” is too long… however, “Slice of SpecFi” works :o)
For the records, I have no problems with this show, I think it is just peachy keen the way it is!
Don’t you guys change a snakes-on-a-plane thing. You rock.
I’m as happy as a snake on a plane, dont ever change SoSF!
… unless thats to make it better, of course 😉
Also, how bout a new show : The Joe Show – All Joe, All the time! ??? 😀