Sleepless in Seattle...

Couldn't resist reusing an old title. I'm only sleepless in that I woke up from an early evening nap a while ago. I've spent more than a week in my car and my first day on the new job was a whirlwind of meetings, greetings, and getting-to-know-yous. So I fell asleep after catching up with the girlfriend by phone.

I wish I could pontificate on something eloquent and profound, but to be honest I've just spent the last hour doing mundane stuff and testing Internet access. I can't really elucidate well.

The SciFi Channel is recapping Battlestar Galactica and I'm sort of distracted by that. BSG is an interesting show because it's more soap opera than science fiction. And currently, Grace Park is the most popular topic on Xenite.Org. I wish I had created more GP content last year when I had more time for it, but I was distracted by other interests.

There is a dearth of interest in science fiction subjects among search engine users. I strive to identify emerging new trends in SF topics for potential content on Xenite.Org. Sometimes I'm only able to tap into a strong trend peripherally. For example, our Harry Potter content is rather sparse. I've long wanted to write essays about the Potter books, but most of my books are packed up in storage. It's hard to compose an essay from what little I remember of the books.

There really isn't much in the SF entertainment industry that interests me now. Without at least a spark of interest, I cannot write much. I've long enjoyed the Stargate shows but haven't felt compelled to say a great deal about them. As entertaining as the shows have been, they don't really strike deep nerves with me. They don't say much that requires comment.

I'm waiting for a good show or a new series of movies that evoke more than the usual, "That was cool" or "that was dorky" commentary. Even Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" movies didn't inspire much in-depth commentary. He only dumbed down a story that is much deeper than the cinematic experience can be.

Science fiction and fantasy have grown stale over the past few years. The genres need something new, something innovative. We are trapped in a dormant stage of creativity, retelling old tales with new actors and faces.

We stand at the brink of a new Dark Age for SF. Maybe a light will shine from a distant corner. Maybe things will just get boring after the last Harry Potter book is published, after Stargate: SG1 says farewell, after Battlestar Galactica falls into the predictable rut of just rehashing current events without imagineering a vision of What Might Be.