Slice of SciFi #139: Mur Lafferty

In The News:

• Chinese officials have placed a ban on all American films for at least 3 months, and it could be extended indefinitely.
• We have an update about Bryan Temmer’s dream of creating an alien themed Resort Park in Roswell, New Mexico. He is working to get the dollars needed and contractor, as well as working with Roswell city officials for a suitable location for the park. Our past interview with Bryan, when he first made his dream known to an international audience, will be featured on next week’s end-of-year all interview show.
• Browncoats and other Whedon fans will be excited in 2008 because Dark Horse will have a whole new line of Firefly/Serenity comics and collectibles coming out next year. We have all the details about these exciting items.

Movie Talk:

• If you thought Rose McGowan was uber-cool with her high-powered weapon on the end of her leg stump in “Grindhouse: Planet Terror” then “The Machine Girl” will be a film right up your alley.
• The Mummy 3, now titled “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” wrapped up production in Shanghai this week. This next film in the Mummy franchise, starring Brenden Fraser, Jet Li and Maria Bello promises to be the best of the lot and not dependent on its two predecessors.

Special Segment Kurt in St. George has stepped up to the plate with 3 trivia clips that all follow a specific theme — can you guess what it is?

TV Talk: We have an official word from the Lifetime Network concerning the future of “Blood Ties.” Sorry, but you will have to listen in to the show to find out what they had to say. — Director Alex Graves is set to direct “Fringe,” the new $10 million Fox pilot from J.J. Abrams and his writing team of Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.

Interview: Our guest this week is writer, essayist and podcaster Mur Lafferty. She joins us in the studio to talk about her new project called “Playing for Keeps,” a new audio novel about the world of superheroes from the point of view of people with really lame superpowers — the sort of third string heroes on the superhero scorecard. Mur also gives an update on her progress with the continuing “Heaven” series and much more.

Future Talk: Actor Nicolas Cage has signed on to star in a new high-intensity thriller titled “Knowing.” His character begins unwrapping the foretold predictions found in an unearthed time capsule buried beneath his son’s elementary school. The items contained in the capsule, buried years ago by school students seem to point to Cage’s character being at the heart of the world’s demise.

Will Smith moves on from a Legend to a superhero for his next SF flick titled “Hancock.” The only thing is he isn’t your typical hero. Hard-living, with a faltering reputation, he has to hire a PR man to clean up his image, and he hits on the agent’s beautiful wife in the process.

There is a film coming based on the just-published graphic novel from Hellboy’s Mike Mignola and Buffy video game creator Christopher Golden. It is titled “Baltimore, or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire.” It follows the adventures of Lord Baltimore after he is bitten by a vampire then goes on the hunt for the evil Red King, who is responsible for the death of his family and countless others.

Thanks for tuning in to Slice of SciFi and be sure to join us next week when we look back at four of our favorite interviews from 2007.

Listener comments: If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know.

---

SAVE DRESDEN – Send in those drumsticks (not the chicken kind) to SCI FI Channel and save Harry from cancellation hell! Don’t lose heart if your sticks are returned as undeliverable. SCI FI is not accepting them because of the lesson learned from the 20 tons of nuts sent to CBS. However, SCI FI does accept letters so, send in pictures of drumsticks and Harry Dresden with the message “Save The Dresden Files.”

Get involved with the Save Journeyman campaign HERE and also visit SaveJourneyman.net.

We also haven’t given up on our effort to get “Blood Ties” a third season. Contact info:
Email CITY TV, or
email Space. You can also write a letter to Space at:
SPACE: The Imagination Station
CTVglobemedia
299 Queen Street West
Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2Z5

---

Links:
MurLafferty.com & I Should Be Writing
“Machine Girl” Trailer @ Bloody Disgusting
Blood Ties: MyLifetime

Promos:
What do you get when you cross, two guys, one girl and an entire planet full of geek TV, video games, food, music and the occasional dash of real life? Well, if you find yourself in the podcast realm you get Podculture.net.

Hear the only truly dedicated Babylon 5 podcast — The Babylon Podcast.

Go Social with Slice of SciFi
iTunes: Leave a Review! http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/slice-of-scifi/id73331296