Author: Lee Hurtado

What It Means To Live In Your Own Head: Thoughts on John Scalzi’s Lock In

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One of John Scalzi‘s great strengths as a writer, one I wish I could better understand and emulate, is that he almost never tells the same kind of story twice. Even in the same series. Even in the same novel – The Human Division moved so deftly between space opera and political thriller and media satire and slapstick comedy and family drama that the journey was just dazzling to behold.

So, it’s no surprise that his latest novel is almost entirely unlike anything he’s written before.

But there are still plenty of surprises to be found in Lock In. And again, it’s a wonder to see them unfold.

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Growing Up With A Space Dad

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We’re halfway through Series 8 of Doctor Who, and I’m beginning to think that this season is as much about Steven Moffat learning from his mistakes as it is about the Doctor learning from his.

This last week’s episode is a perfect case in point. “The Caretaker” explores a theme Moffat covered just last season in “The Power of Three”: what it’s like to try to live an ordinary life when the Doctor’s in it. But that episode never quite succeeded, while this one succeeds quite well.

The difference?

Consequences.

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Off to Alamo City Comic Con

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In a little while I’ll be heading to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center for Alamo City Comic Con.

It’ll be a kind of working mini-vacation – I’ll be representing with the cast and crew of Now Hiring (an indie superhero comedy made here in S.A. – I still owe you the story of how I got involved with it, but it’s a pretty good story…), but I’m also hoping to meet some of the genre luminaries I’ve admired for so many years (it’s a cool lineup). I’ll get to check out some awesome art and merchandise. And I get to spend the weekend just being a nerd.

Or, if you prefer, me.

I may post daily wrap-ups, depending on how I’m feeling at the end of each day. But if you’re not already, you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram for more immediate updates.

If you happen to be at the con, please find me and say hello. I’d love to meet and catch up with you all.

So, with that… “excelsior?”… “allons-y?”… anyway, hope to see you soon!

The Fine Art of the Decompression Episode

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As a writer watching writers, one of my favorite things to study is what I call the Decompression Episode.

I’ve talked about it before, but to elaborate: The Decompression Episode is a lighter episode of any given dramatic series. It usually follows an especially heavy episode, but doesn’t necessarily have to. It typically stands apart from any major story arcs, but may still at least hint at them. It exists to allow audiences (and sometimes the cast and crew) to recover from an especially heavy or eventful dramatic moment or arc.

The challenge of such an episode is to maintain a lighter tone than what the series usually offers, while still remaining true to the spirit of the story and characters. Not every series can pull it off. But when you do, you get something like The X-Files‘ “Bad Blood” (Vince Gilligan’s classic vampire comedy) or The Human Division‘s “The Dog King” (John Scalzi, man. John Scalzi…).

And even if you don’t reach those heights, you might still get something like Doctor Who‘s “Time Heist.”

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Listen Closely…

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One of the great hopes I had for series 8 of Doctor Who was that we’d see the show step back from its plot-heavy storytelling of recent seasons, and focus more on exploring the characters. With a new Doctor (and especially with THAT actor playing him), I hoped Steven Moffat would seize the great opportunity before him: the opportunity to craft stories that are less about what the Doctor does, and more about who he is.

But I thought it too much to hope for an episode as inspired as “Listen.”

Maybe I should have aimed a little higher…

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Why I’m A Sucker For Unlikely-Hero Narratives

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When it comes to Doctor Who, sometimes silliness is a bug, and sometimes it’s a feature.

It’s important to keep that in mind when you’re talking about this week’s episode. “Robot of Sherwood” is a mostly ridiculous story, but it’s so by design. On its surface, it’s little more than an excuse to have fun with the tropes of both Robin Hood and the Doctor.

And I pretty much loved it.
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Whoever Fights Daleks…

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It probably goes without saying (so of course I’m saying it anyway) that you really can’t have Doctor Who without the Daleks.

Created by Terry Nation, the Doctor’s most famous enemy was introduced in the first few weeks of the show’s existence, and (as legend has it) quickly sent younger viewers scrambling behind the sofa. Since then, nearly every Doctor has had to contend with them onscreen, and every showrunner has had to figure out how to keep them as frightening as they were in that very first encounter.

With the latest episode, Steven Moffat and Phil Ford have attempted that feat by introducing them to someone just as frightening…

…the Doctor.

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