The website of John C. Snider
Will space exploration forever remain the sole domain of the handful of government space agencies? For decades we’ve taken for granted that the moon, Mars—everything outside the Earth—belongs to nobody and that only big government programs are capable of tackling the colossal challenges posed by launching expensive space probes. Not for long. SpaceDev, the California-based …
Ten Movies that Changed Science Fiction: Fritz Lang’s Metropolis Directed by Fritz Lang Starring Brigitte Helm and Gustav Frohlich In 2000, for the first time in history, the Academy Awards issued a commemorative poster (which was available only for a limited period). The poster depicts the Oscar Award encircled by the zeroes in the year …
Released by New Line Cinemas Starring Dennis Quaid and Jim Caviezel John Sullivan is a thirty-something cop whose life is a wreck. His wife has just left him, and tomorrow is the thirtieth anniversary of his father’s untimely death in a warehouse fire. Firing up his dad’s old ham radio (which hasn’t been used since …
Here’s a rare photo of Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek‘s Mr. Spock) in a 1985 lecture appearance at the University of Kentucky. He’s captured saluting the audience with his trademark Vulcan greeting. Included in the photo are ticket stubs to the lecture. Younger fans may not know that Nimoy had a love/hate relationship with his sci-fi …
[Originally published in May 2000 at SciFiDimensions.com.] Ayn Rand’s magnum opus Atlas Shrugged turns 50 this month. Objectivists are celebrating, and CSPAN 2 recently devoted several hours of programming to discussions about the late Rand and her literary/philosophical influence. Nearly a quarter century after her death, Rand is still stirring up controversy, and despite her …
For many years, purchases via mail-order catalog have been sales-tax-free (with some exceptions). Now the internet has come along and there’s a hue and cry from many state and local governments to collect sales tax from internet transactions. They say that the explosion of web purchases is draining their coffers; traditional retailers say that it …
According to orthodox Christian tradition, Jesus of Nazareth died at the age of 33, executed by the Roman governor at the insistence of Jewish authorities, rising from the dead after three days before finally being taken bodily to Heaven. Most of what was written about Him deals with the three years of His ministry; very …
Scientists almost universally agree that within twenty years (fifty at the outside) normal adults could expect to live to 100 and even higher with no serious health concerns. Every year, little by little, technology is conquering disease, aging…and perhaps even death itself. But what can the rest of us do who are either too old …
Some guys have all the luck. First, Sir Ian McKellen lands the role of Magneto (one of the greatest villains in all Marvel comic-dom) in this summer’s action flick X-Men, then he gets to play the wizard Gandalf in all three Lord of the Rings movies! Sir Ian has had a long and successful career on stage and …
Peter Bagge (pronounced “Bag”) is one of the most successful writer/artists in “alternative comics” (which usually means NOT superhero-oriented and NOT Marvel/DC). He’s been published (and self-published) in a variety of titles for twenty years. His artwork is wildly exuberant; his writing laugh-out-loud hilarious. Bagge has had a string of stunningly prescient successes. Studs Kirby …