Welcome to Light On Light Through, Episode 385, in which I review Dark Matter 1.1-1.2 on AppleTV+. Further places: written blog post review of Dark Matter 1.1-1.2 written blog post review of Quantum Suicide audio podcast review of Constellation alternate reality short story "The Other Car" It's Real Life: An Alternate History of The Beatles Tetrad on History and Alternate History   Check out this episode! Paul Levinson's books ... Paul Levinson's music ..read more

Dark Matter, the first two episodes of which debuted on Apple TV+ today, is the third alternate reality narrative I've seen on the screen in the past month (see my reviews of Quantum Suicide, a film created by Gerrit Van Woudenberg which should be streaming on some major app by the Fall, and Constellation, another series on Apple TV+).  All three bounce off the at-once famous and infamous Schrödinger's cat.  Quantum Suicide has the feel of Primer and the work-at-home scientist.  Dark Matter, as of the first two episodes, has a similar feel.  And I'm beginning to thin ..read more

There's a meta-genre of fiction epitomized in different but overlapping ways by Eddie and the Cruisers, Rob Reiner's This Is Spinal Tap, and Daisy Jones and the Six -- the first and the third adapted to the screen from novels -- that helps us understand what those who make music that lights up our nights are doing when they're off-stage and not in the studio.  Sarah Seltzer's The Singer Singers, a debut novel to be published this August, not only fits well in that narrative family, but in some ways exceeds it.  I'd expect to see it adapted on some kind of screen before too long ..read more

Thanks Bob Hutchins for the soundtrack via Udio AI Paul Levinson's books ... Paul Levinson's music ..read more

Welcome to Light On Light Through, Episode 384, in which I review Rebel Moon, Parts 1 and 2. Written blog post reviews of Rebel Moon, Part 1 and Part 2. Check out this episode! Paul Levinson's books ... Paul Levinson's music ..read more

Just saw Rebel Moon, Part 2, on Netflix the other night.  I enjoyed it.  For some reason, my favorite character was the robot, JC-1435, aka James or Jimmy. I'm not sure what that says about this second part of the movie (which, based on the ending, may well be the beginning of a series of two-part or one-part movies in a saga that now feels to me much more like Dune than Star Wars).  Maybe it's the antlers on Jimmy's head.  Maybe it's the voice -- you can't go wrong with Anthony Hopkins doing the voicing of anything.  But all in all, James conveyed a sensitivity that ..read more

Welcome to Light On Light Through, Episode 383, in which I review the first season of Constellation. Written blog post review of Constellation. Mentioned in the podcast: "The Chronology Protection Case": novelette, movie, radio play (audio book) It's Real Life: An Alternate History of The Beatles: novel, radio play of first chapter, video of book launch "The Other Car": short story, audio book written blog post review of Gerrit Van Woudenberg's Quantum Suicide     Check out this episode! Paul Levinson's books ... Paul Levinson's music ..read more

Welcome to Light On Light Through, Episode 382, in which I review the second season of American Rust. written blog post review of the second season of American Rust Check out this episode! Paul Levinson's books ... Paul Levinson's music ..read more

I've read and seen many alternate reality stories.  Some are caused by quantum entanglement -- the mega version of two subatomic particles colliding and then moving in opposite directions but still intimately and instantly connected -- and some just happen or are already there.  I just reviewed a movie with that schema, and have written a few double realities stories and a novel with that premise myself.  But none explore the existence and impact of that on families the way that Constellation does.  Indeed, none do much of that at all in the at once deep and startling way ..read more

Gerrit Van Woudenberg's Quantum Suicide movie (which he wrote, directed, and -- with Shane Morgan - co-produced) won the Best SciFi Feature award at the Philip K. Dick Film Festival last week in New York.  I was at the Festival, and moderated a panel with Van Woudenberg, but I had another appointment when the movie was shown at the Festival.  Van Woudenberg was good enough to give me the URL for a screener, which I just saw and greatly enjoyed.  Herewith a non-spoiler review. The clockwork of the movie is quantum mechanics, something which will be familiar to readers of my nov ..read more