https://www.facebook.com/darkmatterseries/videos/1390074304413349/

Dark Matter Upcoming:

What have we been missing? Action, adventure, thrilling escapes. It has been 9 months since we saw the Android, #2, #3, #5 and #6 attempt to blow up a space station while they were still on it in the Season 2 finale.  It seems everyone we cared about has survived to season 3, and that #4 is the next target of the crew of the Raza, probably because he stole from them.

What’s more, we are also getting a bit of a treat this season, in the vein of Talking Dead. A new after-show – After Dark – is premiering to run us through all things Dark Matter, hosted by Zoie Palmer (I miss Lost Girl!). Another chance for us to pretend we’re just friends picking apart our favourite shows on a couch.

Dark Matter Review:

For those that haven’t sunk their teeth into Dark Matter yet, here’s why you should.

Dark Matter opens aboard a spacecraft that is in trouble. All the crew start waking up from hyper-sleep to save the ship and themselves. The problem is, they have no idea who or where they are.

It is a wonderful exposition of the clean slate. We have all seen the character that loses their memories, and how this changes them, changes dynamics. For a show to start on the premise that all of the main characters have a history – a dark history – and have them not remember that, gives this sense of tension and discovery that has become rare in television.

The majority of Season One revolves around the crew figuring out who they are and who to trust, knowing that one of their number could have caused the amnesia. They think that figuring out their history will tell them who they are, but as they learn their history, some of them start thinking that they would rather not know.

Every character snippet reveals a reason not to trust anyone, making the audience second-uess their own predictions. Dark Matter does an amazing job of keeping me on my toes, while still having me root for all of them to get it together when the bigger bad guys pop their sinister heads up.

Which is the other reason to watch Dark Matter. The universe and politics that are larger than their individual stories. Dark Matter reveals a compelling futuristic society, that just gets better as the seasons progress. Antagonists and corporations are introduced that you want to know more about (e.g. Wil Wheaton as Alex Rook), while plots start unfolding themselves with the Raza crew at front and center.

And did you know that Dark Matter started as a graphic novel? Check out the snippet below.

The post “Dark Matter” Syfy TV Series Returning 10th June 2017 appeared first on The Motley Geek.

I discovered Star Power back in 2013, after following Michael over from his debut work, Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire. Back then, I had already found the comic beautiful, brilliantly designed and full of character. But it was a baby. As it was only 14 pages in, I decided to place it in my “read in the future” bookmarks. So, welcome to the future.

Star Power Webcomic Review:

Star Power gets off to a bit of a bumpy start. The quick mutation into a hero 7 pages in, the lack of early character establishment and the less than creative first antagonist (his name is Black Hole Bill, for goodness sakes) are all less than desirable. But get through the first chapter and you could very well find yourself hooked, just like I was.

Danica Maris is an interesting heroine. One part saviour complex, one part insecure introvert (mommy issues *hint hint*). That may sound like most heroes, but finding a heroine with a personality and backstory is rare. She starts the story off as a quirky assistant that nicknames her favourite stars, and rails against the institution in very relatable ways (if you won’t let me do this at work, I’ll do it in my own time!).

She becomes a Star Powered Sentinel through this very trait – by watching her favourite star Mitch who is actually a sentient computer/energy/shiny thing. Mitch turns her into a sentinel just in time for her to save her station from the Void Angels (a murderous gang for hire led by a very Jaafar-like alien). And best of all, Michael’s work on her character development over 4 volumes has been steady and surprising, exactly what you want from a main character. She gets stronger and weaker, all without compromising the core of the character.

The art in Star Power is sensational. Garth Graham’s style has come a long way since his first comic Comedity in 2005. Star Power has the feel of an established publication – rivaling the art of the Marvel/DC universes. The environment, the backdrop – I imagine all the work that goes into each star and well, colour me impressed. Furthermore, each alien race having their own features and expressions, that are equal parts unique and accessible, is simply masterful. One of my favourite aspects is how Garth manages to convey Star Power’s expressions even with solid white eyes.

However, it isn’t Danica or the art that truly makes Star Power worth reading. While those are both amazing aspects, it is the world that Michael and Garth have created that is truly compelling. The Millenium Federation consists of more than a thousand worlds, races and cultures. Star Power gives us an amazing variety of alien races, a full-bodied cast of support characters, an ever-moving universe with ridiculous TV shows, intriguing universe-shaking secrets, thousand-year-old genocidal antagonists and the promise of exploration, of venturing into uncharted space. It also does a fine job of touching on world issues without being preachy, ensuring that it meets the standards of the Bechdel test and not shying away from or glorifying in death. Also, I really appreciate that Michael transferred his love for puns from Dominic Deegan to Star Power.

 
You can buy physical copies of Star Power from Shark Robot or read it online for free.

Starpower Links:

It doesn’t seem like it will be finishing anytime soon, so if you need anything to tide you over after binging like I did, you can always check out Michael and Garth’s other works. Dominic Deegan, Comedity and Finder’s Keepers are all available to read online. You can also support them on their Patreon page so that we all get more Star Power.

p.s. Patreon is a site where you can donate a buck a month or more to as many artists/creators/entertainers as you want to call yourself a patron of the arts.

The post “Star Power” Webcomic Review – Astronomer Turned Superhero appeared first on The Motley Geek.

“You’ve made my life immeasurably better by not barbecuing my dog.”

The Saving Mars series follows 17-year-old Jessamyn Jaarda on her mission to, well, save Mars. The series is set in a Dystopian future where Mars colonists have been all but forgotten by Earth after the end of the war. We get to see the day to day struggle of living on a planet that was not meant for human habitation in the value they place on water (don’t cry, and if you do, drink your tears or you’re wasting water), the Planetary Dog that children get to visit on their birthdays, and the lack of food save for  the Earth-raided ration bars.

And then there is Earth. An Earth that still has deep dish pizzas and surfboarding, ruled  by 1 overarching dictator who has stayed in power for over 300 years by continuously ‘re-bodying’ herself illegally. That’s the sci-fi twist to Saving Mars. 200 years of peace because they move minds into different bodies every 20 years. Do well, you get a better body. Annoy the government, and you get a body with no legs. Rule the world, get access to as many bodies as you want and then kill the witnesses.

I really enjoyed this series for its worlds. Every extra descriptor about Mars was a gem. I love how cultures meshed indistinguishably, such as “Mount Cha Su Bao” (Pork Bun in Chinese) and swearing at ancient Greek Gods “Hades and Aphrodite!“. Another standout factor was the women. From the antagonist Lucca to the Secretary General of Mars, Mei Lo. All of them were strong, formidable and flawed. It made Saving Mars a refreshingly uplifting series that I would love for young girls today to pick up.

That’s not to say it wasn’t without its flaws. It takes a little while to get into the meat of the story as you get through Jess’s teen angst in the very beginning, meaning that Saving Mars has a pretty slow burning start.  Also, the “hotshot teen” trope was in full force. Multiple people insisted that only this particular teenager could save the world. “It has to be you Jess” is said, very very often. While in my head I’m screaming ‘SHE IS A CHILD’. But they have to, it’s YA literature.

I also wasn’t in love with Jess’s really fuzzy head throughout most of the books, I didn’t feel like it fit her character of being a pilot and an avid reader. But then, she was 17. And on the plus side, her character definitely grows up by book 6. She still makes some terrible decisions, but you can actually see her start to think.

Bottom line, Saving Mars got me interested in Mars. I even watched National Geographic’s Mars television series (which coincidentally is also in 6 parts and is so good!) because I got so hyped up. It will definitely appeal to a younger audience more so than those seeking a more mature story, but I found it engaging nonetheless. If you’re looking for a book set in space, with 4 strong female leads, you should pick this up. The boys aren’t too bad either 😉

Where can you get it? The eBooks are available from Kindle. Or if you prefer, you can always get a physical copy from Amazon.

Saving Mars Links:

Need more books to read? Check out my list of the 7 best Dystopian Novel series.

The post “Saving Mars” is a 6-Book Binge Session appeared first on The Motley Geek.

7 Best Dystopian Novel Series:

7. Partials by Dan Wells

Partials is dark, a frighteningly compelling version of our future. But Kira is a heroine that believes, so much so that you’d happily follow her all the way to book three. Plus she’s a medic. Well, in training. With only tens of thousands of humans left, extinction is the next step unless the connection with the Partials (engineered humans) can be figured out.

” The average lifespan of a human child, in the time since the Break, was fifty-six hours. They didn’t even name them anymore. Ariel McAdams, barely eighteen years old. The mother of a corpse. ”

6. Legend by Marie Lu

June is one of the most kick-ass heroines out there, basically able to take on the bad guys because she was trained as a politician/assassin from birth. I want to be trained as a politician/assassin from birth! Her brother gets murdered, so she goes after the only lead she has, a slum boy named Day who is all sorts of cool and seems to be dying. Then we get to take on The Republic. Now who doesn’t love it when the enemy sounds so official.

” Then Mom will put on her usual brave face, only to sit up through the night, quietly wiping tears away. In the morning, they’ll start receiving small rations of food and water and simply wait to recover. Or die. ”

5. New World Rising by Jennifer Wilson

Pheonix lives on the outside. Which may sound simple enough. But when her world is ruled by tribes, and their rule is ‘join or die’, it becomes less simple. So she learnt to be a ghost when she was 11 years old, after watching her parents murdered right in front of her. So she’s kind of like batman but not really.

” ‘My name is Maribel. Everybody says I talk too much, but Mouse doesn’t seem to mind. And since she doesn’t talk at all, I figure I speak enough for the both of us. Veyron says there’s cake. Want to go find out what kind?’ ”

4. Wool by Hugh Howey

Wool is a bit of a slow burner to begin with, as it starts with the characters climbing stairs up and down their underground silo – a lot. But then it just hits you in the feels. An entire civilisation packed into a cylinder, with wars, secrets and baby lotteries.  Juliette is real, flawed and strong, and the book wouldn’t have hit its stride without her.

” The boy disappeared behind the counter. He came bac with a thick piece of meat. ‘Is it rat?’ Elise asked. The boy laughed. ‘It’s pig.’ Elise scrunched up her face, remembering the animal that grunted at her earlier. ‘Does it taste like rat?’ she asked, full of hope. ”

3. Arena One by Morgan Rice

Okay, go to Morgan Rice’s website and just listen, that is one amazing voice for the audiobook. Brooke is the daughter of a marine. She’s tough, and loves her sister. So when that sister is taken by slaverunners, there is nothing Brooke won’t do. Including fighting in an arena like the gladiators of old.

” Once the first soldier fell, there was no turning back. The final line had been crossed. An American had killed an American. This became known as the First Wave. ”

2. The Atlantis Grail by Vera Nazarian

I think I have a thing for books about training. Where people are learning. Like in Harry Potter, they go to school. Maybe I subconsciously feel that I’m learning alongside them. If only that actually worked. Though there are studies that show that if you imagine doing something over and over, you can do it better than you otherwise would. I’m holding on to that. The Atlantis Grail series started with Qualify, and starts with a bunch of kids sitting for a test. A test to see if they can go with the aliens-ish (survivors of Atlantis that went to space and control things by singing) to their home planet before Earth is wiped out in few months by a meteor. It is captivating, and it’s not over.

” But once the Atlantean shuttles landed, and we saw them to be human and not little green men or big green lizards, it was okay. ”

1. Time Zero by Carolyn Cohagan

It is everything a book should be. It details the powerlessness that pervades our society now, and the self-sacrifice it takes to be. To just be. Mina doesn’t want more than to simply choose her own path. And Time Zero is a beautiful commentary on how this is what the world looks like now. Not in a dystopian future, but today. It is sad, uplifting and twists you up inside. Oh and I can’t wait for you find out what the Primer is. I also cannot wait for book two. But I will, cause you can’t rush genius.

” She closed the Primer, looking me straight in the eye. “God never said women shouldn’t read. He never said that one of his creatures was built for education while another was not. That’s a rule that a man created ”

The post 7 Best Dystopian Novel Series appeared first on The Motley Geek.