Yeah, almost there !

Yeah....it's December 30th ! Two more days and it's January and 2019 ! So, to begin with...

Happy New Year ! 

And - now that the dust is slowly is beginning to settle - that also means that I will begin correcting the manuscript of A Guy, Two Girls and a Serial Killer. That, and planning the promotional campaign.

Other then that, there is not much going on. So, see you in 2019.

Edmond Dantes

Managing Expectations

Hi world,

I rarely write two blog entries on a day, but I felt that - for the sake of clarity - I needed to write a short addendum. Here goes...

Like I said, I won't be spending time on the manuscript this week. The thing I forgot to add, is that - even if I did - my novels would not be published right away. Why not ? Well, because I would need time to design - for lack of a better term - the commercial campaign.

I have nailed down some things - such as writing an announcement on this blog and using my LinkedIn page and twitter account to send word out - but there is still plenty for me to figure out.

For instance, this blog has zero readers. So writing an announcement is nice, but rather useless. Long story short, there are still indeed issues for me to fix.

(And in case anybody wonders why I keep writing this blog, if nobody reads it anyway. Well, I like doing it. And it keeps my write muscles practiced when the Pathfinder is slow going. And if I do - somehow - manage to rope in readers later, it can't hurt to have a back catalogue for people to read between new entries.)

Edmond Dantes

Sloooooowly getting there

Hi world,

So....seven days closer to January, yeah ! Also, the proofread of A Guy, Two Girls and a Serial Killer is done. Alas, it will be a while before I can start putting the corrections into the manuscript. The reason why is simple. My day job has been hit by the pre-christmas craziness.

For the record, I work in a company that delivers mail. I push some paper, I reset the workspace so that the evening shift folks - who do the bulk of the sorting - don't have to. And whatever else I can find to fill the day. (Including sorting mail that shows up before the evening shift folks do.)

Anyhoo......things are crazy busy right now. And it's a a matter of surviving the week one day at time. (If anybody has figured out how to survive two days at time, drop me a note so I can post it on-line. The world needs that secret.....well, that and the secret recipes for Grandma Mitchell's cookies. Yes, I'm looking at you, Ben Browder.) Which means that when (or if ?) I make it home in one piece, I am simply too tired to work on my novel. I'm sorry, but that's the way the cookie crumbles.

With that done, I'm moving on to....

TV-SHOWS !!

The big, black void around Christmas is almost upon us. It's that period of the year when Christmas movies and specials just drown out (nearly) everything. And it's not just TV, it's the radio as well. (Curse you, Wham ! *Shakes fist* I really hate that song ! You know the one. And Frak you, Deadpool ! Whoever came up with that number deserves to be shot, revived, and then shot again ! Right in the testies ! But I'm going off track here....) So, I turn both off and survive on my stockpile of old episodes. Which is my segway to....

Star Wars Resistance

It took me a couple of episodes, but now I'm over the change in animation style. (Apparently, the Rebels/Clone Wars style is REALLY expensive.) Anyway, IMHO, it's a nice show, but....Kaz does the things he does....well, more by dumb luck so far. Not skill. And in Rebels and Clone Wars, you felt the stakes. Resistance is to light-hearted for that.

If they want to take Resistance from nice to excellent, they need to raise the stakes and stop the fumbling/messing around. So I'm kind of hoping that the deal between Doza and the First Order happens, because - right now - it feels like that is exactly what the story needs. (And then, of course, the Force Awakens happens, but that is for farther done the line.....)

Supergirl

All caught up. Agent Liberty is a jerk. And something tells me that he's going to me a major pain in the rear for our heroes. Also, with the announcement of Crisis on Infinite Earth, I'm wondering how the Supergirl duplicate situation will turn out.

Might be a nice way for them to have their cake and eat it to. They could kill off the original (US) one - allowing them replicate her death from the comics - and continue the show with the Russian one. Could be a nice way to shake things up. Or they could play it safe and kill Supergirl Russia. Only time will tell.

And that's all, folks ! 

Edmond Dantes

Is it January yet ?

Hi world,

So.....euhm.....I'm not a fan of December. I love spending quality time with the family. And the celebrations are great. But....It's cold and rainy. Not to mention dark. And worse, all my favorite TV-shows are going on hiatus, with NCIS: Los Angeles being the last on 16 December.

So....like I said...not a fan. Fortunately, I have several episodes of Supergirl stockpiled and several season of CSI - Miami and NY - to get through. So, I'll muddle through.

Edmond Dantes

A Little Housekeeping

Hello world,

So, I did a little housekeeping today. You see, I started this blog back in 2011. And back then, it was rubbish. The entries were too short, badly written and - frankly - not all that interesting. And when it wasn't one of those three - or all three at the same time - it was an angry rant (at the world or about it).

The kind of rant that might come back to bite you in the rear later. So, I grabbed the biggest axe I could find and everything pre-2016 went. The result....a much neater, more professional and - hopefully interesting archive/blog.

Update:  So why was my early blog such rubbish ? Well, I was young(er), not in the best of places in my head and work was no fun at all. In the years since....well, I moved job, I moved house....and things are not so dark inside anymore.

I was also inexperienced. Writing is like playing a guitar. Playing a guitar hurts your fingertips....until you develop calluses and the pain becomes less. But you only get those if you play through the pain. Writing is like that as well.

When you start, you write rubbish. (This is true for everybody.) And there is only one way to fix it....write, write, write ! Which is the advice that many a person gives starting writers.

And now that we're discussing advice..... I got some from RDA yesterday....He told me to get an agent. The problem is simple...I can't afford one. You see, I figure that agents are as expensive as lawyers. And that a conversation with one would go something like this....

Agent:  Well, I read your book. Its rubbish

Me:  What !?

Agent:  Oh, and that'll be four hundred dollars.

Me:  What !?

Agent: Eight-hundred. Now, get out before I sue you !

So....thanks, but no thanks. And that's all for today.

Edmond Dantes

Met RDA for real

Hi all,

I met Richard Dean Anderson for real today. Well, met is a big word. I bought a ticket and took a photo with him at Dutch Comic Con (in Utrecht). I also pulled a bit of a stunt and gave him my business card and told him that I had ten page plan for season three of Stargate Universe. Which I do.

Of course, I know that Mister Anderson was simply being polite when he took my card, so my expectation are....zip, zero, zilch. But RDA is a really nice guy. Also....earlier in the day, he did a Q and A. It was fun. 👍

The Comic Con was great as well. Got some great stuff.  Oops....almost forgot, what about the actual photo ? Well, it turned out horrible. Mister Anderson is fine. But yours truly was totally starstruck. I look like a dear in headlights, with a face full of Botox.

Anyway,

That's all

Edmond Dantes

(Small) Update

Greetings all,

I am happy to report that I finished correcting the manuscript for Buried Secrets. Then I uploaded the manuscript to Bol.com and designed the cover. I've also written the blurb for Buried Secrets. So... now Buried Secrets is ready and steady to go. And here ends the good news.

The bad news is that it will be a while before Buried Secrets is published. Why ? Well....the proofread for A Guy, Two Girl and a Serial Killer is still underway. Once that is done, I'll still have to correct it. And then - and only then - it'll be launch day. So, I'm afraid patience will be required.

That's all folks,

Edmond Dantes

Status Update

I was planning to start this post with 'Hi World', but as soon as I typed it, I realized that I REALLY need(ed) a better opening. I guess this is it. Anyway, let's to it....

Novels

The proofread of Buried Secrets is done. So now I am (slowly) correcting the manuscript. At the same time, the proofread for A Guy, Two Girls and a Serial Killer is now in progress. And the research for the commercial campaign has also begun. (While I am continuing to safe money for said campaign.) So while there is no visible action, things are happening in the background.

MCU

I haven't really been keeping up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe's TV-show branch. But I've gotten my hands on what I've missed, so that I can use those shows to get through the Christmas Period Gap. (TV series - like, for example NCIS - tend to stop some time before Christmas and don't resume until after New Year's.) Which I guess is a nice Segway into....

TV-Shows

CSI

I watched the Vegas show up to 7x02. But by Season 6, I felt the show had jumped the shark. Season 5 was iffy to me, but I decided to keep it. So my advice: Season 1 through 5, watch. Season 6 till the end....don't bother, move on to CSI Miami.

Which is exactly what I did. I'm planning to watch Miami up to the end of season 4, then move on to the first two season of CSI: NY. As for CSI: Cyber.....I refuse to touch that show with a ten foot pole. And we're walking....

Doctor Who

I'm totally used to the 13th Doctor now. The sex change doesn't matter. (Demons of the Punjab was especially heart wrenching.) So, moving on to.....

Magnum P.I

....the Magnum P.I. reboot. The show is.....well, it's okay. But it is missing that special something. The original show was better, MUCH better, because it knew when and how turn off the gags and adrenaline. And when it did, it was gold.

The new show has not shown that ability yet. And if it wants to be a worthy successor, it's going to have to. So for now, my assessment is......meh, watchable. But nothing special.

And that's it for today.

Regards,

Edmond Dantes

Changing Plans (and titles)

(Aka....what's going with my novels)

Hello World,

So, in my last post, I said that I wanted to publish my next novel before 2019. Alas, that is not going to happen. Instead - and with a bit of luck - it will be hitting the internet in early(ish ?) 2019. So, why the delay ? Well....because I want to do it right. And - as much as I hate to admit it - that means patience.

On the bright side, taking the patient approach means that I have time to undo the mess I made with my first novel, which was called Hollywood. Was being operative word. The plan was to name each book after the main location. Alas, Hollywood turned out to be such generic a title that my book ended up lost in the deep recess of the internet.

So my original plan went out the window. (As Ronald D. Moore said, your ideas are your babies. But sometimes - for the good of the story - you have to kill your baby.) Hence, both Hollywood and Bullhorn were retitled.

Another thing I changed about my first novel, was the cover. The old one used a default picture provided by Bol.com. And finally, I neglected to publish my novel in the E-book format. But the greatest mistake I made with my first novel, was the complete lack of a commercial campaign. The patient approach allows me to safe money to properly promote my novel(s) this time around.

So....yeah....it will be a bit longer, but....When it does come around, publishing day will not only see Buried Secrets, but also a new (and improved) re-print of A Guy, Two Girls and a Serial Killer. Both books will be available as paperback and E-book.

That's all for now folks.

Regards,

Edmond Dantes

Still on this mortal coil....

....and moving forward

Hello world,

So....it's been a while since I've blogged or tweeted. The simply truth is that there hasn't been that much to share. Work on book three of the August Smith adventures - which will be titled Cairo - has (finally) begun.

Up until now, it had been frozen solid. If you listen to the same music again and again while you are writing, it will begin to loose its effect. Fortunately, I remembered that I have three season worth of CSI on DVD. The bad news is that Gil Grissom and company are distracting. But at least things have gone from frozen solid to slow.

And why do I only have three seasons of CSI and not all of them ? Well, I guess now would be a good time to talk about the....

ER Effect

ER (aka Emergency Room - created by Michael Crichton) was a great show in the early seasons. I still liked the later seasons, but I do agree with the major criticism of the show. As ER went along, the storylines got bigger, which eroded the realism.

In my humble opinion, CSI also suffered from this. I understand why it happened - the writers were trying to hold onto their viewers - and it is one of the major pitfalls of (television) writing. It doesn't mean that the writers are bad. And it is really hard to avoid. Anyway, it made me bow out of CSI after season four. But I'm digressing, which is my Segway back to...

Bullhorn

The typing is done. I also found somebody to check the text for mistakes. (Typos, missing words, etc.) I've also got tomorrow set for a major planning. (Looking for a photo that I can use for the cover. Setting some deadlines.) I'm also going to work on republishing Hollywood (aka Book one of the August Adventures) as an E-book. Bullhorn will be published as both a traditional book and an E-book. And with that, we move on to...

TV-Season

Finally, tomorrow (24-9) is the start of premiere season. For me, it starts with the latest addition to the NCIS-verse, the reboot of Magnum PI. I really liked version 1.0, so they will have to do really well to make the new version worth my time. (It's been stated that Magnum PI will crossover with Hawaii Five-0, which has been established as being part of the NCIS-verse by means of connections to NCIS Los Angeles and MacGyver.) Still, I'll give it a shot.

As for the end...well, for me that is Supergirl on 14 October. And between that is plenty of action. Alas, Star Trek Discovery is not coming around until 2019. Fortunately, I have a crazy woman in a police phone box to give me my sci-fi fix until then.

And with that, this post comes to end.
Take care.

Edmond Dantes

The Next Phase

Hello world,

I have good news and bad news. The good news is that I finished writing my second novel Bullhorn. The bad news is that it will be a while before I will be able to publish it. At the moment, the last chunk is not in my computer yet. So I need to fix that first.

And....wait, second novel, there was a first ?....yep. There was, and here's the proof:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hollywood-Edmond-Dantes/dp/940214708X

Alas, I *really* botched the promotion on that. I spent 70 euros on a newspaper advertisement, which got me zero sales. Fortunately, I learned from my mistake. So when I started Bullhorn, I also started saving money for my promotion campaign. Also, I've been working on enhancing my internet footprint, creating both a twitter account and a LinkedIn page.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruben-hilbers-73b603136/
https://twitter.com/Dantes74302

But I still have a lot of research and thinking to do (and typing, don't forget the typing). So...when is Bullhorn coming out ? To be honest, I don't know it. But I am totally determent that waiting until 2019 is not an option. And I'm going to make a hard push for the last quarter of 2018. So stay tuned, folks.

Regards,

Edmond Dantes

Stargate: Time to make a move....

...and go old school ?

Hello World,

So, it's been a while. Which is because I've been enjoying a much needed vacation on the lovely island of Crete. Good weather, lovely nature and wonderful people. Alas, that is now all over and the time has come to get the gears of work going again. Including my blog. So here goes...

Stargate

One of the things I have been pondering is the Stargate (Franchise) and it's future. In case you haven't read my previous posts: It's looking pretty bleak. And how MGM has been interacting with the fan base. It hasn't. And - of course - what the fans have done to try to get MGM to make a statement...ANY statement about said future.

And the simple fact is that the fans have tried everything. Well....except for a letter writing campaign. But...isn't that really old fashioned ? I mean, even Joseph Mallozzi said that ' the time of letter writing campaigns has past'. The thing is......that is probably true. But what is there to lose ? Some stamps ? Some paper ? Things can't really get worse, can they ? So...

Le Plan

Write a letter, write a postcard, write on a napkin....who cares ? Just tell MGM you like Stargate and want more. And send it to:

Mark Burnett
MGM Studios Inc.
245 North Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
United States of America

Fact, fiction and physics

Hello world,

Okay, so I sort of did this post ages ago. (All the way back in 2011. But trust me, do yourself a favor and don't look it up. For....) It was badly written and since then some things have changed. So here comes version 2.0.

Several decades ago, Gardner Fox created the DC comics multiverse. Back in those days, he suggested that while he slept, he dreamed of several fictional characters, because he ended up 'in tune' with an alternate universe where his characters were real.

While this may have been meant to be tongue-in-cheek, the times have changed. And with it, so has our understanding of physics. And also the scientific multiverse. Which is where the line between the two multiverses begins to start blurring.

Quantum theory proposes a particle will not take one path, but every path possible. Or....Anything that can happen, will happen. And even the tiniest slither of a chance is enough. (You don't need a fifty percent chance, or even one percent.) Thus leading to an infinite amount of universes. And infinite versions of people and events. And this applies to all matter in existence...

Including actors, sets and props. So, what does this mean for the border between fact and fiction ? Does that mean that the actor and the character as basically two versions on the same piece of matter ? For does that mean that - somewhere out there, in the vast multiverse - these characters are real ? And - since nothing truly exists in a vacuum - so are their fictional universes ? Making (the fantastic) Mr. Fox's claim considerably less tongue-in-cheek ? And what are the moral implications of that ? For example....

Since it is the laws of physics that control what can happen, and not the copyright law. Does that mean that both the BBC's Time Lords and Marvel's Asgard exist ? And does that mean that the Asgard chose not to help the Time Lords during the Last Great Time War ? (Remember, if this theory is true, we're talking real life here. Which makes the fact that these two races are from two different franchises a non-factor.)

And that's just one example. So...does this theory hold up ? And if it does....what does it mean ? Decide for yourself ?

Edmond Dantes

MGM and Stargate

Hello World,

So the dust has settled and.....as expected....my Pitch for SGU 2.0 has (come and) gone completely ignored. While I could throw a fit about this, doing so would not do anybody any good. I will, however, point out that this is part of a pattern. (I did this in the letter that came with my pitch, but I see no reason not to do so again.)

For over the years (since the end of SGU), there was been many attempts to bring back Stargate. Petitions, twitterstorms and even a kickstarter campaign. All to no avail. And all (completely) ignored by MGM.

So....what has MGM been doing with Stargate ? The answer is....not much. There was, of course, the disastrous reboot movie plan. Well, disastrous for the studio. I suspect that many a Gater secretly celebrated when the proposed trilogy collapsed following the train wreck that was ID4: Regurgitated Plot. Since then, MGM has been trying to keep the fans pleased by occasionally throwing them a bone...

The bad result: The Back to Destiny comics.  The good result: Stargate Origins.

Alas, this does not spell anything good for the future of Stargate Origins. Because the silence on the Stargate front makes it feel like SGO was nothing more then a stunt. But this is simply my opinion. And I right or wrong ? Decide for yourself.

Edmond Dantes

Technobabble that (might) prove(s) Spera should exist in SGU....

.....because IMHO otherwise there's not only a whopping inconsistency, but the whole Ancient Destiny Project would be useless rubbish.

Basic Timeline

1)       Destiny launches
2)       Atlantis leaves for the Pegasus Galaxy
3)       Atlantis abandoned
4)       Goa’uld arrive
5)       Antarctic Gate Buried
6)       Ra places Egyptian Gate
7)       Uprising (Egyptian Gate Buried, Earth abandoned by Goa’uld)
8)       Stargate Program

One:  Point of Origin Paradox

Every Stargate in the network has a unique Point of Origin symbol. In the episode Solitudes (SG-1, season 1, episode 18) where the Antarctic Gate is discovered, not only is this clearly visible, it is a necessary plot point. If the Antarctic Gate had the same Point of Origin as the Egyptian One, Samantha Carter and Colonel O’Neill would have realized that they were on Earth. Further underlining this argument is the fact that in the episode Small Victories (SG-1, season 4, episode 1) it takes a week to install the Antarctic Gate and get it operational. While the reason for this is never specified – being referred to as ‘technical problems’ – it is likely that the difference in Point of Origin was the source of these problems.

(My reasoning for this is as follows: In the lore of the show, all the Stargates within the Milky Way galaxy are identical, with the Point of Origin being the only difference between individual gates. Furthermore, the Air Force technicians whom originally installed the Egyptian Stargate would have made detailed notes, providing the team installing the Antarctic Gate with a paint-by-numbers. If the team follows the notes, the Gate should have been plug-and-play. Unless the different Point-of-Origin gums up the works…)

This, however, creates a paradox. In the episodes Rising (Atlantis, season 1, episode 1) and Air (Universe, season 1, episode 1) it is established that both Atlantis and Destiny have long-range dialing locks. These prevent long-range dialing of both locations from any other planet then Earth. But both were launched millions of years before the Antarctic Gate was buried, so both should be programmed to only accept a Gate address ending with the Antarctic Gate’s Point-of-Origin symbol. Yet, both locations were successfully dialed.

Resolution of the Paradox: To compensate for Stellar Drift and keep the Stargate addresses up-to-date, the Ancients (the alien race whom created these devices)  installed the Correlative Updates System. (SG-1, Avenger 2.0, season 7, episode 9) However, without an additional power source, a Stargate can only dial locations within its home galaxy. These updates are therefore limited to each galaxy. However, if the Ancients were able to connect both Destiny and Atlantis to the Correlative Updates System for the Milky Way Galaxy, the paradox is resolved. This raises the question…

How does the signal get from the Milky Way to both locations ? Inside the galaxy (or galaxies), the Stargate network itself can serve as relays. The major issue is crossing the voids between galaxies. (This especially true in the case of Destiny, since the subspace transceiver that comes with their model of Stargate is extremely short range in universal terms.)

Two: The Ancients were planning to man Destiny

In the episode Air, Doctor Nicholas Rush says that the Ancients were never aboard Destiny. However, he also says that the Ancients were planning to arrive once the ship was far enough out. This, however, leaves us with a simple problem. How would the Ancients know when to dial to Destiny ? This statement only makes sense if the Ancient were tracking the ship’s progress.

And the simplest way to do that, is to have Destiny transmit its location (and possibly other information) back to Earth (or possibly Atlantis). Possible further evidence to support this is provided in same episode, when it is established that the Pegasus Galaxy is amongst the galaxies previously visited by Destiny.

While this alone may not seemed significant, this changes when combined with information from the episode Rising. In the scene where Dr. Beckett uses the holographic projection room, the history of Atlantis is explained. The female holographic projection explains that the Ancients arrived in the Pegasus Galaxy to seed life in a galaxy that appeared to have none. And that raises the question…how did the Ancients know that the Pegasus Galaxy was lifeless ? It seems very impractical that they would select a random galaxy, and then spend years surveying it - conclude that the galaxy was lifeless – and only then get to work seeding the galaxy. What if the galaxy turned out to be unsuitable ? This seems to me like a waste of time and resources.

In my opinion, a much practical and realistic solution would be that the Ancients put together a set of parameters for their target. They then accessed the Destiny telemetry they had received and selected the galaxy that matched the parameter the best. And thus, they selected the Pegasus Galaxy. However, this line of thinking once again requires that the Ancients have the telemetry. And thus, communication between Destiny and Earth.

Finally, we musk ask one simple question. How does Destiny know to slam on the brakes (aka drop out of FTL) when somebody dials in ? The easiest solution is that she receives some kind of signal from the Gate network telling her to do so. (But more about that later.)

Three:  The Ancients and Safety

From Atlantis – both the show as a whole and the city-ship itself (as described within the lore) – we know that the Ancients designed their technology with considerable safeties and redundancies. Yet, here we have the Ancients’ most important project, and the key piece of technology – namely Destiny itself – has no redundancy ?

This seriousness of this design flaw in the project is underscored by a scene between Nicholas Rush and Chloe Armstrong in the Stargate Universe finale Gauntlet. Chloe points out to Rush that if Destiny is destroyed by the berserker drones, the whole project will have been for nothing.

To summarize, not only are we talking about a major design flaw in the Destiny Project, this is a plot point that is completely against the character of the Ancients as previously established within the lore.

The Ninth Chevron (aka one last piece of technobabble).

My proposal is to reveal in this season that there is – technically – no such thing as a nine chevron address. In order to dial Destiny, you have to feed the power to Gate in a special way (which is what Eli figured out in Air). My idea is that when you combine this input method with the first chevron off the address, it works like a keyboard shortcut in the Gate’s protocols. The Gate (Network) then sends a signal up the chain Spera build, all the way to Destiny.

Destiny then drops out of FTL and transmits her actual location back to dialing Stargate. At the same time, however, she also asks for an eight digit access code. Which is the rest of the address. (Chevron two through nine.) This solves the question of how Destiny knows how to drop of FTL, but leaves the Point-of-Origin Paradox intact. Because when the Gates were switched, the last digit of the access code changed. And it means Eli was still (kind of) right about the Gate address. (In the episode Air, he helps Rush successfully get a nine chevron lock by suggesting that the Gate will only work if they use Earth as the point-of-origin. He even says ‘like a code’. Which it was, just in a different way.)

Edmond Dantes

Imaginary Press Release for SGU Season Three

Note: This is NOT an official/MGM Press Release. Remember that, please. Instead, it is simply one hopeful fan's dream.

Season Three of Stargate Universe

The Setting: Welcome aboard the Spera. (The name of this vessel translates from Ancient as Hope, which is exactly what she represents for those at Homeworld Command whom are trying to rescue to rescue Destiny's crew.) Launched several thousand years after Destiny, Spera builds communications relays which are key to making the ninth chevron (and the Destiny's mission) work.

Further more, the ship is fitted him the only other Stargate in the universe capable of receiving a nine chevron wormhole. This first Alpha Site ever becomes the home of an intrepid new crew as they search for a way to rescue Colonel Young and his people...

The Crew

(Goran Visnijic as) Lieutenant-Colonel Marc Vale
Recruited by General O'Neill himself to lead the Beta Site - which has become the new home for the Icarus Project - Colonel Vale is a man with a mysterious past. When interference from the International Oversight Authority causes the Icarus Project to go horribly wrong, it is up Vale to assume command and lead everybody involved to safety.

(Jane Doe as) Doctor Claudia Harris
A young and ambitious veterinarian, it is Harris' job to lead a safety team that makes sure the Icarus Project does not poison the planet it calls home. However, when disaster strikes and leaves her the only person with any medical training, she must take up the mantle of Chief Medical Officer.

(David Nykl as) Doctor Radek Zelenka
Having been promoted to ranking scientist after years of service on Atlantis, it is Doctor Zelenka who(m) leads the Beta Site's efforts to dial the ninth chevron. When the IOA ignores his experience and knowledge, it leads to disastrous events...

(Corin Nemec as) Jonas Quinn
Leading a brand-new, Langaran incarnation of SG-1, Quinn also doubles as liaison to Langara and member of the science staff.

(Jamie Ray Newman as) Captain Laura Cadman
Promoted and assigned to the Beta Site as Chief of Security. Now Chief of Security aboard Spera.

Edmond Dantes

Doctors, Missiles and Plans.

Hello readers,

So....there is old Chinese curse...may you life in interesting times. Alas, these are interesting times indeed. And for interesting, read deeply troubled. Chemical attacks by Syria, counter attacks by America and company, and threats by Russia.

And who (or whom) is in the right ? The problem with politics is that there are always deals, nuances, long games, greater agendas, plans and secrets. And the simple fact that, let's best honest, politicians only care about themselves.

Now, I could go into a long rant about this, but you know what ?....I don't have to. My friend - and Captain of the USS Pathfinder - Richard Clogston has done that much better then I every could. His blog is here. *Points to link* http://panstand.blogspot.nl/

I will, however, say that I now understand how Verity Lambert must have felt on 23 October 1963. To have worked on something with a passion, only to have it blindside by (unforeseen) horrible events. So the time has come for...

Piss and Vinegar

I promised that I would publish my pitch on the 14th. And by Rassilion, that is what I am going to do. Another friend - yes Bram, I mean you - however - pointed out that if I published it, I might rendering the pitch useless to MGM. While Rick - the same Rick from above - to be careful that MGM did not steal my ideas. (Or somehow left me holding the bag.) So, what to do ?

Instead of simply copying and then pasting the whole thing, I have decided to write a press release. Or well, technically, what I imagine a press release for season three of Stargate Universe would look like.

(Note to self: Better make that clear, or this whole thing will blow up in your face like an Acme Dynamite Kit.) There will be some overlap with the briefing I posted earlier, but alas, that can't be helped. To keep it from becoming to long, the 'press release' will be a separate entry.

Edmond Dantes

Pitch out the door

Well, the 11th has come. So - as promised - the pitch has been send. (At 19.30 hours, I threw it into the nearest mailbox.) Taking into consideration the 3 to 6 workdays it takes for it to get there, that means it should arrive somewhere between Monday the 16th and Thursday the 19th. After that, it's a waiting game. Now, the pitch itself is not going up until the 14th. However, I can post the bulk of the accompying letter. Be warned, it is more then a tad (not so) subtly angry. I tried to write it with the fury of a Time Lord. But I don't think I succeeded. Agree or disagree ? Decide for yourself.

The Letter

Regarding season three of Stargate Universe

Regarded Mr. M. Burnett, Mr. C. Brearton and Mr. R. Hastings,

In 2010, the Stargate franchise went off the air with the cancellation of Stargate Universe. This year, it was revived in the form of Stargate Origins. While the makers of Origins did a splendid job with the resources at their disposal, it is my humble opinion that the franchise deserves a continuation in the form of a full-budget television series. (Hopefully to be produced alongside a second season of Stargate Origins.) It is also my opinion that the best way to go about, is to finish Stargate Universe.

And I am not alone in this conviction. Let us take a look at the internet landscape since the end of SGU. There have been several petitions – including a 2013 one aimed at Netflix – a Facebook page, a Kickstarter campaign (in 2014) and Twitterstorms. All of which had totally ignored by both Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Netflix. Now, I apologize in advance if this makes me a rude fan, but…

If you care so little so for Stargate’s (on-line) fan base, why did you bother to make Stargate Origins (a webseries) ? Why do you even bother with websites at all ? I know that studios are about making money. But…..have the words Ars Gratia Artis become hollow ? Thus making the Stargate franchise nothing but a cash cow ?

Do the cast and crew whom have worked their rears off for two years making the first two seasons not deserve better ? And the fans ? And what about the brave men and women of the United States Air Force ? Do they not deserve better than to suffer character assassination by suggesting that they would abandon Destiny’s crew ? Or is that not what you are suggesting by abandoning Stargate Universe ?

Now, in order to get the ball rolling, two things are needed. One, a proposal for season three. I have taken the brazen step of writing one. Is it actually any good ? I have no idea. And two, a place to call home. So why not SyFy Channel ?

Well….there is no polite way to say this, so…..I do not trust them as far as I can throw them. It is not just what happened with Stargate Universe… (Bad air times, insufficient commercials, etc.) It is as if Battlestar Galactica ended, SyFy Channel developed an allergy for the very thing the channel was supposed to stimulate, science fiction. Eureka, Warehouse 13, Sanctuary….in my humble opinion, the post-Galactica history of the SyFy Channel is a string of bad choices and cancellations.

Netflix on the other hand, has its act together. And with Disney soon beginning its own streaming service and taking their properties with them, they will be in need of new content. What better content then a third season of Stargate Universe ?

Edit: A little something that was gathering dust in the archive

Stargate Origins and Season 2

Or....so much for silent running

So....the weirdest thing happened. People started following me on Twitter. Apparently, if you keep slamming random buttons and messing around long enough, stuff actually starts happening. Can you believe that ? What's next ? You can actually post stuff on YouTube without being a rocket scientist ? As if.... But we're drifting off topic here....

First, a piece of good news....The Star Trek Frontier Fleet website is not off-line (yet). Turns out their was indeed something technically wrong with it. See it @ http://www.frontierfleet.net/ before GDPR forces us to take it down. (The site is Ancient and there's no way that we can fix it in time.) And with that piece of shameless self advertisement out of the way - although SG fans might recognize some of the photos with the bios - let's get down to what we' re actually here for....

Stargate Origins - Season 2 ideas

1) Alternate Mitchell (SG Continuum) - Have come out of the Gate in 1929, Cameron Mitchell had to wait a while before Baal actually showed up ? What did he do all that time ? How did he affect history ?

2) Young Daniel Jackson - We saw Daniel's parents die in The Game Keeper (SG-1), but we don't really know that much about them. Developing them a bit more might give us some insight into Daniel as well. (And where his theories came from.)

3) How did the Ancients and the Asgard meet ? From what we know, the Ancients were doing their thing in the Galaxy of Ida, while the Ancient spend their time in the Milky Way. So, how did these two species cross paths ? Something tells me there's a yarn there. (And maybe a chance to finally show the Furlings.)

Final Note (or two)

Crossover idea:  Agents of Shield + Doctor Who ?: So Fitz has this evil version of himself called The Doctor in his head. Maybe the only person who can rescue Fitz from The Doctor.....is The Doctor ?

And for record, I'm still no fan of Twitter. Because once you have followers - and don't get me wrong, I'm glad that I have some now - there's this pressure to keep pumping out stuff. And it has to be good too. Because it's just as easy to jump off the wagon as it is to get on. (One click of a button.) But that's just me, if you do like it, good for you.

Edmond Dantes

Hail Marys and Choices

Hello world,

So today I took a (desperate) gamble. I created a twitter account in the hopes of using it to promote Stargate Universe 2.0. To be honest, I am no fan of Twitter. So why not ?...well, it kind of turns life into a competition. 'Look at me, I'm so much fun, I'm so much better then everybody else.' And the same is true for Facebook. (I tried that for a week once, then ran away screaming.) But at times, you have to try everything but the kitchen sink.

Also, why did I not post before today ? Well - maybe I am contradicting myself here ? - there is such a thing as trying to hard. (And being downright impatient. And the content of the post would not have been any different. But that is hindsight, which is always 20/20.)

EDIT: At this time, I think I should really take a good, hard look at my ego. I've been going yack, yack, yack about this pitch of mine....which I think warrants the question.....is it really that good ? Maybe the reason I have not been getting any replies is not because the people whose attention I've been trying to get are busy, maybe the pitch is simply rubbish ? And that is probably true. (But I was hoping to at least get back a note/reply that said...this is rubbish !)

But if can make enough noise, maybe I can get the discussing about SGU coming back going again. If I can pull that off - which would be minor miracle - (maybe) that's enough. So what's the plan now ?....

Well, like I said earlier, I will (E-)mail the pitch on the 11th. As for this Blog, the plan is up go back on silent until the 14th. (Barring any major developments, of course. But my instinct is telling there won't be.) On the 14th, I will post the pitch on this blog. (It'll have to be pieces, because it's to big to fit in one post.) That way....rubbish or not ?.....(You'll be able to) Decide for Yourself.

Finally, for long-term readers (Hi, mom ! waves), the Star Trek Frontier Fleet is down. But if this is a technical issue or if the site has already been taken down is unknown as of this writing.

Edmond Dantes

News that will surprise nobody....

....and changing plans

So, as expected I have gotten zero replies. (The force is strong with these agents. Alas, they have fallen to the dark side.) And to be honest, I'm getting tired of waiting. On top of which, waiting until 1 May won't really accomplish anything. So....I am reducing the time to the deadline. But to when ? Time to do some match.

I mailed my pitch on Saturday the 24th of March. But I put it in the post box late in the evening, so let's not count that day. And Sunday is not a workday, so let's not count that either. Which means that the first day would be Monday the 26th. Now, delivery time for the US is between 3 and 6 workdays. And in the US, Good Friday is not a Federal holiday. Which means US Mail is open for business. Alas, that leaves us one day short. So let's put the latest delivery date possible at 2 April. (The Monday after Easter Sunday.)

Now, what is most likely, is that my pitch went straight into the trashcan. But....what if they did send a reply ? Well, that's another six days. (Let's not count 2 April.) Which would make today, day four. Skipping the weekend, that means day 6 will be Tuesday the 10th. So - presuming I can even find the right address to send to it - the 11th it is.

Motivation

First of all, I want to make it clear that am not an Stargate Origins hater. In fact, I am hoping for a second season. I hope they up the budget and increase the run time of the episodes. There are plenty of untold chapters to fill in. But why not be more ambitious and go for a Stargate Universe soft reboot ? Not only was it a good show, I am not a fan of unresolved cliffhangers. (Who is ?) But there is more to it....

Realistic Writing

A key rule in writing is to stay true to the character. If we are talking to about a person or an organization is irrelevant in this context. So let us ask the following question....(If this was real life) would the US Air Force abandon the people on Destiny ? In my humble opinion, the answer is....NO. And to claim otherwise is not only bad writing...I would even go so far as to call it character assassination. Or at least a grave insult at the address of the USAF.

Also, to declare Stargate Universe non-canon or simply dismiss the issue with a few lines of dialogue in a possible fourth series is also - in my opinion - quite insulting. Not only to the fans, but also to the cast and crew of Stargate Universe. We are talking about people whom work twelve hours a day, six days a week. These people have worked their butts off for two years.

To summarize: To do anything other then wrap up SGU is insulting to everybody involved. (The fans, the cast, the crew and the USAF.) At least, that's my opinion. Do you agree ? Decide for yourself.

Edmond Dantes

Today's action (and Stargate Origins)

Hello world,

Today I continued my efforts to promote SGU 2.0. I dusted off my Gateworld profile, which - I won't lie - I had totally forgotten about. I stopped visiting Gateworld in 2014, because there was no new Stargate and it felt like there was nothing left to say. But with Stargate Origins, things have changed.
I have also tried to get in the attention of Darren Summer (the owner of Gateworld), alas to no avail. Finally, I posted a basic pitch for SGU 2.0 on the Gateworld forums. (Twice, for the record.)

I also send two more messages to the US Air Force, hoping to draw their attention. And upgraded my previous post with a section on the Back to Destiny comics. That done, I have decided to go silent for a bit. Tomorrow is 1 April and sending out mails on that day might not have the desired effect.

The Long-Term Plan

For now, the plan is to wait and see what happens. And if I don't get any response / feedback ? Well, I am still going to send my pitch to MGM. And, yes, I know it's a long shot. (If not sub-zero.) But I will not be one for those people who never tried and then feels guilty about it. So, if I don't get anything before 1 May, I'll take my chances, poor as they are.

Stargate Origins

With all this talking about Stargate 2.0, it might come across like I didn't like Stargate Origins. This is not true. In fact, I think it was terrific. I can hardly wait for the feature cut version. And really hope it gets a second season. I'm hoping that they do a season about the alternate Colonel Mitchell that came from the Stargate in 1929. (Stargate Continuum.) I'd love to see what Mitchell was up between then and Baal's arrival in 1939.

Another interest idea kicking around my skull would be about a young Daniel Jackson. We know that Daniel's parents were archaeologists who died when he was young. I'd like to see what happened before that. What planted the seeds for Daniel's later theories ?

Regards,

Edmond Dantes

Comics, Bones and Leftovers

Hello world,

In order to keep the Stargate Universe 2.0 brief well....euhm....brief (and clear). I left out the mailing list and some other things. Which are now getting their own post. So, here goes....

1. Stargate: Back to Destiny

Today, I realized that - as much as I don't want to - I have to address these comics. There is a conclusion to Stargate Universe in the form on an MGM endorsed comic book series. The problem with these is....

I've read the first three issues on-line....And - without giving anything anyway -  I have to say that the plot is a convoluted string of conveniences and happenstances. It is lazy writing in its most extreme form. On top of that, the artwork is uneven. The whole thing leaves me feeling like MGM tried to throw the fans a bone.

The cheapest bone they could find. Both the fans and the show deserve better.

2. Updated SGU 2.0 mailing list

Physical Printout:

1)      General David L. Goldfein – Chief of Staff, US Air Force
2)      Mr. Goran Visjinic's - Actor
3)      Mr. Paul McGillion - Actor
4)      Mr. David Nykl - Actor
5)      Mr. Corin Nemec - Actor
6)      Ms. Amanda Tapping – Actress
7)      Mr. Robert Carlyle – Actor

By Electronic Mail

8)      Mr.. David Blue – Actor (29-3-2018)
9)      Mr. Robert Picardo – Actor (29-3-2018)
10)   Mr. Louis Ferreira – Actor (29-3-2018)
11)  Mr. Pierre Bernard - Graphic Designer, Actor and Recliner Rager (30-3-2018)
12)  Public Affairs Office Cheyenne Mountain - USAF (31-3-2018)
13)  Entertainment Liaison Office - USAF (31-3-2018)

By LinkedIn Invitation/Note

14) Mr. Mike Dopud - Actor (30-3-2018)
15) Dr. Bill Dow - Actor/Teacher (30-3-2018)

Yellow Text indicates further updates to this post 

Edit: Just wondering....why should the US Air Force wait for MGM ? Because that's the way its always been done ? I'm sorry, but I'm am sick and tired of that argument. Since when has doing it the way its always been done ever advanced humanity ? If we listened to people accept the status quo all the time....we wouldn't have airplanes...(After all, bicycle makers are not supposed to build flying machines.)....the sound barrier would never have been broken....(Because there were people who said it sound be respected.)....landing on the moon ? Impossible.

If history has taught us one thing, it's that sometimes you have to take the manual and throw it into a supernova. So if Mohammed won't come to the mountain, perhaps I can convince the mountain to come to Mohammed.

3. Frontier Fleet Trouble

I am member of Star Trek: Frontier Fleet. Alas, we have hit a major snag. The folks in Brussels have passed a new privacy law. And making our really, really old website compliant with that law is impossible. So, now we need a new site. And worse, we need a new server and a new mailing list. The only good news in this situation is that we have until 1 May to make this happened. (And something is already being discussed with the upper echelons.) If you want to see the current site (and learn more about Frontier Fleet) before its gone:

http://www.frontierfleet.net/index.php

And that's it for now.

Regards,

Edmond Dantes

Stargate Universe 2.0 Briefing

Hello World,

I am continuing my attempt to rally support for Stargate Universe 2.0. Today, I used my LinkedIn page - in a professional capacity - for the first time. (Up until now, I have simply been gathering family and friends, slowly building up my network.) I send an invitation to Mr. Mike Dopud and Dr. Bill Dow. I am well aware that the chances of them replying are not big. But if they do, what's on the blog now, is not really helpful. And even if they do not, the information will - hopefully - be interesting for other people. So without further ado, on to the.....

Stargate Universe 2.0 Brief / Q & A

Q: Why a soft reboot ?

A: Its a combination of practical and story telling reasons. A couple of practical reasons: The sets are gone. The actors have moved on. (And in some cases - such as Robert Carlyle and Ming-Na Wen - have long-term commitments.) Also, a new central character would work as McGuffin for explanation scenes. (With the new character being a substitute for new viewers, lowering the threshold for them.)

Q: Who would the central character ?

A: Lieutenant-Colonel Marc Vale. Vale is the commanding officer of the Beta Site. (The IOA tried to cut corners by modifying an existing base, instead of building a new Icarus Base.) However, something does wrong - is this project cursed or something ? - and Colonel Vale ends up leading his people through the Stargate (and a nine chevron wormhole).

Q: So they end up on Destiny ?

A: No. This is were the reboot kicks in. Instead of ending up on Destiny, the crew finds themselves aboard Spera (which is Ancient for Hope). Spera is the Destiny's Alpha Site. The actual pitch has a whole page of technobabble to explain how this fits into the established lore of the show. But for here I'll just say that I was able to make it fit like a glove. (I can't remember who wrote the season 1 episode Solitudes, but thank you !)

Q: But Destiny - and the original crew - will feature ?

A: That is the long-term plan. For long term, read: Near the end of season. Around episode 17 (out of 20). Of course, right now, the chance of that happening is extremely remote. Because right now, I have not gotten a single reply and this pitch has not gone within a light-year of MGM.

Q: Finally, who would play Colonel Vale and why ?

A: I have send a copy of my pitch to Goran Visnijic. My reasoning was that for this proposal to work, I needed an actor who was.... A) Really good at his job. Having seen Mr. Visnijic in ER (as Doctor Luka Kovac) I felt this was the case. B) Had not been in the franchise before. C) If possible, was a Stargate fan. According to Amanda Tapping, this is true for Mr. Visnijic.

This concludes my briefing.

Regards,

Edmond Dantes (aka Ruben Hilbers)

Crossover Idea(s)

(Or am I the only who noticed this ?)

 

Hello World,

 

A short post today. But I have this thing knocking around in my head for ages.

As many a Whovian will be able to tell you, the coordinates for Gallifrey are 10-0-11-0-0 By 0-2.

 

But now looks what happens if we count the numbers we have. (Ignoring the by, since its not a number.) Ten (1) zero (2) eleven (3) zero (4) zero (5) zero (6) two (7)

                                                                                          

This leaves us with seven numbers. Now if we add /\ (Earth's point of origin) , this starts to look a lot like an intergalactic Stargate address hiding in plain sight.

 

 

 

 

But wait....isn't it impossible to use a glyph more then once in a Gate address ? Indeed, but if add the position in the sequence to the number, this problem is solved. (So 10 + 1, zero + 2, etc.)

 

The new sequence would be 11, 2, 14, 4, 5,6, 9 and then PoO. Presuming the PoO is zero and not counted, we can figure out the actual sequence by counting (rotation wise) from PoO. (So 11 is the 11th symbol, 2 is the 2nd, etc.) So maybe, just maybe....Gallifrey has a back door ?

 

Edit: After completing my original post, I was watching Twin Destiny's (Stargate Universe) and wondered something...

 

Eli assumed what happened was a freak of physics. But what if it wasn't ? What if the Time Lords want Destiny to complete its mission as well ? They have the know-how, the technology (the Hand of Omega) to manipulate stars and the perfect cover story. The Doctor Who Television show. If anybody brings up the possibility, they will be shot down, because the Time Lords are a fictional species.

 

And on top of that, who created the Hand of Omega ? Omega. The thing is....the symbol omega looks a lot like a Stargate with the bottom part hidden under the floor. Like it is on Atlantis and Destiny. Coincide ? Decide for yourself.

 

Regards,

 

Edmond Dantes



Stargate Universe Reboot Pitch

Hello World,

After a period of nothing to post, I am happy to report that I now have some news. To begin with, I have written a pitch for a Stargate Universe reboot. (Based on Stargate: Nova Roma.) And then I send said reboot out to several actors - and even a General - hoping to rally support for it. So, who did I send an old-fashioned paper copy ?

1)      General David L. Goldfein - Chief of Staff, USAF
2)      Mr. Goran Visnijic - Actor
3)      Mr. Paul McGillion - Actor
4)      Mr. David Nykl - Actor
5)      Mr. Corin Nemec - Actor
6)      Ms. Amanda Tapping – Actress
7)   Mr. Robert Carlyle - Actor

Of course, let's be realistic, the chance of getting a reply are probably reaaaaallly low (if not sub-zero). But sometimes you have to roll a hard six. And if nobody replies, what will I have wasted ? Some of my spare time, some paper and some stamps. It won't be the end of the world.

And yes, I know that some people would consider this attitude a bit defeatist. The problem, however, is that I merely a fan and not part of the industry. And when you are not part of industry, the response of agents towards your ideas tends be...

 

On a side note, for those of you reading Stargate Nova Roma....when writing SGNR, I try to write it as if it is a television show. Of course, SGNR does not have budget limitations, so that I was able to pull off some things that would never fly on television. (Such as the crew being a mix of New Asurans, Humans, Ursini and Nakai rebels.)

Also, in my pitch, Mr. Visnijic - known for playing Dr. Luka Kovac on ER -  plays Colonel Vale. So, next time you read one of my chapters, you might want to add that face to the mental picture. (Or not, it's up to you.)

Game Front

Episodes 2 and 3 of the Freedom Chronicles have come out. They were much fun. And although the general attitude seems to be that Wolfenstein II is done on the DLC front, I'm hoping that the E3 conference will include news on further expansions. But E3 2018 is still a couple of months away, so only time will tell.

Politics

This week saw elections over here in the Netherlands. The city council was up for voting and there was a referendum on a new security law. Also, a man attempted to commit suicide in the Tweede Kamer (the Dutch Senate). All in all, this has been a stormy week in politics over here in the Netherlands.

And while I cannot speak for the rest of the country, there's a good chance that it's not over here in Zwolle. (Or as I call it, Zwollywood.) Apparently, the big parties here don't really get along. So, forming a coalition should be....interesting.

And for now....that's all, folks !

Regards,

Edmond Dantes

News Round-up

Hello world,

Here I am again. And don't worry, I have not abandoned my blog. It's just that, for the last few months, there has not been anything to write - or in this case, the internet - home about. Basically, the last few months have been boredom. Fortunately, this was followed by some quality time with the family. And now what little news I have managed to scrape together...

Yeah !

First things first ! Happy New Year everybody !

Bullhorn

This book had been kind of on hold. I had a chunk of it written the old-fashioned way - aka pen and paper - but in November, I spent a week typing out said chunk. Since then, I have been working on it. The work has been slow, but I'll take what I can get.

Game Front

Bought Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus and finished it. (One VERY good game.) Now waiting for Episode 2 of the Freedom Chronicles. Also playing Fallout 4. So plenty of action happening there.

Alas, as busy as things have been on the PC, so quiet things have been in Frontier Fleet. Posting has been slow. Hopefully things will pick up in January.

Show Front

Been re-watching all seasons of ER. Great show !

And that's all folks.

Regards,

Edmond Dantes