The Zeray Gazette

Britannia's Fist by Peter G. Tsouras is an Outstanding Work of Alternate History

2010-05-10T22:40:00.005-04:00

I've finished reading Britannia's Fist by Peter G. Tsouras. I've been trying to find an email address for the author so that I could tell him how awesome it is, but to no avail.

Tsouras was an Army intelligence officer and a military historian, and it shows. The back of the novel is actually a full set of endnotes for his sources, both real and fictitious. It was a nice touch.

The story, in which Britain enters the American Civil War after the Laird rams controversy gets ugly, is meticulously researched and quite realistic. I await, with trembling pleasure, the sequel.

Grade: A+

How to Make Your Own Iron Man Arc Reactor

2010-05-09T18:10:00.000-04:00

Instructables user Honus created a replica of the arc reactor that Tony Stark wears to stay alive. He provides instructions so that you can make your own, too.

via Technabob

Superman: Origins

2010-05-09T18:09:00.000-04:00

via krushisabitch

Cosmo Magazine in The World of Warcraft

2010-05-08T21:36:00.001-04:00

The Daily Blink is a webcomic about World of Warcraft, produced by a pair of Blood Elves called Chris and CP. Here's their vision of Cosmopolitan magazine would look like if it was published in WoW.

via reddit

Top 10 Mothers in Science Fiction and Fantasy

2010-05-08T21:35:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow, call your mother because it's Mother's Day, and you'll (be made to) regret it if you don't. But until tomorrow, you may want to look at Matt Blum of Geek Dad's list of the ten greatest mothers in science fiction and fantasy:

8. Martha Kent - You think it’s tough to deal with your kids’ temper tantrums? Imagine having to worry they’ll register on the Richter scale! And imagine his birthday parties: “OK, Clark, blow out the candles… CAREFULLY!” It’s a miracle she had any hair, gray or not, left by the time she was getting old.

7. Padme Amidala - Yes, we know, she never actually had the opportunity to be a mother to Luke and Leia. And she did spend most of Episode III sitting at home being pregnant and spouting mind-numbingly bad dialogue. But she was pretty badass in Episodes I and II, and she did produce her twins, who did eventually help bring about the downfall of the Empire.

Who would you add to the list?

7 Enormous Game Worlds Compared

2010-05-08T21:34:00.001-04:00

What you're looking at is a compressed image of seven large game worlds, laid over each other to scale. They are:

Grand Theft Auto 3
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
The Elder Scolls 4: Oblivion
Farcry 2
The World of Warcraft
Burnout Paradise
Just Cause 2

Click here to view a larger size.

via Digg

Video Game Merit Badges

2010-05-08T21:33:00.000-04:00

Since the Cub Scouts are offering awards for playing video games, Kotaku hosted a photoshop contest for more specific video game skills and accomplishments.

New Harry Turtledove Short Story

2010-05-08T21:32:00.003-04:00

Harry Turtledove, master of alternate history, has penned a short story about life on Earth, decades after it has been partially conquered by aliens.

The President of the United States looked out of an Oval Office window at Grand Junction, Colorado. The Oval Office was square, but the President’s workplace kept its traditional name. Harris Moffatt III sighed and bent to his paperwork again. Even in Grand Junction, that never disappeared.

Washington, D.C., remained the de jure capital of the United States. Harris Moffatt III had never been there. Neither had his father, President Harris Moffatt II. His grandfather, President Harris Moffatt I, got out of Washington one jump ahead of the Krolp. That the USA was still any kind of going concern came from his ever-so-narrow escape.

Harris Moffatt III was also Prime Minister of Canada, or of that small and mountainous chunk of Canada the Krolp didn’t control. The two countries had amalgamated early on, the better to resist the invading aliens. That, of course, was before they realized how far out of their weight they were fighting.

A Stargate: Atlantis Movie

2010-05-08T21:31:00.000-04:00

Geek Tyrant reports that a Stargate: Atlantis movie is in the works:

Stargate:Extinction is directed by veteran Stargate director Andy Mikata and was written by the also returning team of Brad Wright, Robert C. Cooper, Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie. These guys have spear-headed every single Stargate franchise episode so it's still in good hands!

Although it wasn't as strong as SG-1, I enjoyed Atlantis, so I'm looking forward to this movie.

Cross-Species Pregnancy

2010-05-07T21:21:00.000-04:00

A few seconds of pleasure and a lifetime of responsibility. By Joel Watson.

What's the Difference Between an Action Figure and a Doll?

2010-05-07T21:17:00.000-04:00

Doug Cravens' The Buckets explains.

via reddit

Some Jedis Are Jerks

2010-05-07T15:49:00.001-04:00

(YouTube Link)

As this great video illustrates, some Jedi knights never develop a maturity to match their powers.

via Nerd Bastards

The Real Pac-Man

2010-05-07T15:48:00.004-04:00

I'm not sure who made this illustration, but it nails the Pac-Man psychosis. (via Cool-O-Rama)

Previously: Pac-Man: The Movie

Environmental Assessments of Star Wars Characters

2010-05-07T12:25:00.000-04:00

Seven Star Wars characters are graded for their stewardship of the Empire's natural resources.

via Theresa Coleman's Facebook page.

10 Things You May Not Know About Firefly

2010-05-07T12:24:00.001-04:00

Zach Oat of Television Without Pity has a list of ten things that you might not know about the space western Firefly. A sample:

9. A Firefly Musical Episode Was Not Implausible
No, Whedon wasn't planning one or anything like that, but the musically inclined showrunner apparently likes to sing on set, and during one break in shooting he started singing the theme from Oklahoma! Immediately, Nathan Fillion, Fillion's stand-in and a half-dozen others joined in, and they sang the whole song through before returning to work. We're imagining a hallucinatory coolant leak on board the Serenity, with feelings expressed through song and, in River's case, interpretive dance.

via io9

Upcoming Art Show on The Twilight Zone

2010-05-07T12:23:00.000-04:00

The Los Angeles art gallery Gallery 1988, which has created shows on Lost and He-Man, is planning an exhibition of art related to The Twilight Zone.

via Comics Alliance

Street Fighter: Legacy is a First-Rate Fan Film

2010-05-06T22:12:00.001-04:00

(YouTube Link)

Street Fighter: Legacy from Streetlight Films is so good that it carries CAPCOM's official endorsement.

via reddit

Britannia's Fist: From Civil War to World War by Peter G. Tsouras

2010-05-06T22:11:00.000-04:00

I am currently reading the first book in an alternate history trilogy by Peter G. Tsouras. Britannia's Fist imagines a British entry into the American Civil War, specifically against the Union.

Tsouras is a retired US Army intelligence officer. Although I've heard of his name before, I have yet to read his work. So far, several pages in, it is clear that Tsouras is trying to create a historically plausible scenario. This is the most important task in the writing of alternate history fiction.

Harry Harrison wrote a similar trilogy, beginning with The Stars and Stripes Forever. I would describe it as wildly optimistic because every lucky break goes America's way. Nonetheless, it is fairly plausible and worth reading.

Buffy Comic Goes the Way of Twilight

2010-05-06T22:10:00.001-04:00

Thankfully, this is just a parody comic book cover, and not the sign of the impending collapse of all that is good and righteous in the Buffyverse.

via Comics Alliance

Giant Iron Man Lobster

2010-05-06T09:16:00.000-04:00

Meimi 132 reports that various lobster models are on display at the seaside British town of Cromer. Apparently creating such things is a local tradition. There are more pictures of the Iron Man lobster and an Avatar lobster here.

via Fanboy

Tetris Fabric

2010-05-06T09:15:00.000-04:00

This fabric was designed by Jenny at Chronically Uncool. It'd be handy for making Tetris clothing without resorting to quilting.

via Geek Crafts

Excellent Star Trek Parody

2010-05-05T20:25:00.005-04:00

(YouTube Link)

This parody of the recent Star Trek abomination makes more sense than the original. But it does need more lens flare.

Kirk: Scotty, we need more explosions!
Scott: You bet your hairy ass, Captain!

via Awesomesauce

Atari 2600 Table Lamp

2010-05-05T14:33:00.000-04:00

(YouTube Link)

Instructables user Seamster made this lamp from an Atari 2600 console and game cartridges.

via Make

Cthulhu Family Circus

2010-05-05T14:32:00.000-04:00

via Nerdcore

King Crab Attack: A Spoof of 1950s Monster Movies

2010-05-05T14:31:00.000-04:00

(YouTube Link)

King Crab Attack! is a short film in the form of a trailer for a faux monster movie. Massively destructive crabs are attacking the Normandy coast. Only one fisherman can discover who is behind these mutants and end their reign of terror.

via Nerdesque (where there's a promotional poster)