Tag Archives: General News

Coming Soon: “Family Reunion by Lawrence Dagstine”

Only five to six months away till the release of Family Reunion, my suspense novella  — an “exclusive”  eBook available for download in 2013 — for you readers of horror and suspense out there.  Now if you thought Norman Bates was a creep, wait’ll you meet Howard.  Better yet, ask yourself this question: how far would you go to get your family back? It’s the plot that will keep them guessing.  So if you like alternative genre stories about marriage, divorce, relationships, children, adoption, and the like (what I call Family Dynamics; my particular niche), then you’ll definitely want to be here next spring.  Cover art by Bob Veon.

Coming in 2013

Coming to Amazon, coming to eBooks & Kindle

"Family Reunion" - A Novella by Lawrence Dagstine (2013)

If you do like such stories, be sure to check out some of my old science fiction and horror within the same category, tales from real-life experience, tales like Visitation Rights, Our Family Awaits, Planned Parenthood, and For the Love of a Corpse.

Coming to Kindle, Nook, Sony, Apple, Kobo, and via booksellers like Smashwords!

– DIGITAL STORYTELLING: WHERE THE FUTURE IS NOW!  –

Einstein’s Pocket Watch, July to September 2010…

You can now find me for a second time  in what has become a very popular and free webzine for writers of poetry, inspirational stories, Christian and Experimental Fiction, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Christian Science Fiction, literary, and more or less stories that are uplifting.  NO horror pieces.  Friend and editor Rob Crandall presents: Einstein’s Pocket Watch.  Rather than genre this time, I have a mainstream piece.  It’s a wonderful blog webzine.  Do check it out.

Einstein’s Pocket Watch – July to Sept. 2010

2nd Appearances – Mainstream – Edited by Rob Crandall

Fiction & Poetry in link below:

FREE READS – CLICK HERE:

http://peafant.wordpress.com/

Photography: “From Train Site On World Wide Web”

Other New Entries: “Magazines”

Lawrence Dagstine: “Masters of the Universe 2010…”

The birthday of all birthdays approaches.  Three.  And this year’s theme is actually the very expensive, 30th Anniversary re-release of some funky figures I grew up to in the very early 1980s.  He-man and the Masters of the Universe: Adult Collector Series.  These are for my son, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I had a little fun with them myself (he he).  The artwork and detail is out of this world, done by the Four Horsemen, and if you have an action figure or toy news blog, please feel free to use these pics.  I was most surprised by how expensive they were.  First off, they sell out in less than 24 hours all the time on Mattel’s main homepage… So your only shots are places like eBay or Amazon if you want to own these high-end figures.  Next, when I say high-end, I mean it.  The 2010 Masters of the Universe line-up runs between $25.00 and $80.00 per figure on average; with $35.00 to $60.00 being that in-between number with S&H.  Are they worth it? Yes and no (I also managed to pick up a 2002 Castle Grayskull MINT in the box.  Some of the more memorable characters are even more awesome-looking than when they first came out in 1982.  Characters like He-Man, Man-at-Arms, Trap-Jaw, and Moss Man included.  And they include better weapons and equipment, too.

Word, yo. It all good... Later we go to Mr. B's for a Nickel and Shiznit!

It should be noted that I didn’t pick up Skeletor but, rather, Scareglow instead.

No hard feelings, Skeletor.  I’ll give a little description of the figures further down.

Sorry, Skeletor... but Scareglow looked wayyy cooler than your candy ass.

So with the castle and the average forty-fifty dollar action figure I ended up spending close to $700.00 in He-man related toys.  Why spend so much, you ask? Well, while I agree they are for my son and I’m reliving my childhood through him, and hope one day that he might want to repeat the process… It wasn’t just a birthday celebration or bunch of gifts I just “had to own!” Yes, I do collect my own Doctor Who and Star Wars action figures.  Yes, I have Matchbox/Hot Wheels cars.  Yes, I have baseball cards made of chrome.   Oh, and don’t even get me started on Transformers, Thundercats, Smurfs, G.I.Joe, and some now-old school 8-bit NES games.  These toys were a celebration to welcome my son into my home as I now have custody (visitation rights) of him 7 to 8 days a month.  In the event a weekend lands with a Monday as a holiday, there’s your eighth day.  So I have my kid for lots of cartoon fun (and the park outdoors) one week a month.  Which means more to me than my writing, so yes, along with a new bed directly across from mine, makes $700.00 seem all the more worth it.

2002 Castle Grayskull - MIB; with Action Chip/Sound Effects

2002 Castle Grayskull - Back of box/castle interior view

Other gifts included a Superman “Through the Ages” gift set, a 13″ tall Cyberman, a pair of Iron Man sneakers, and a 2010 AT-AT Imperial Walker.  But let’s concentrate on the Masters of the Universe line-up for now.

Scareglow - Skeletor's Henchman from another dimension

Beast Man - Skeletor's Original Henchman with realistic paint job

Tri-Klops - Skeletor's Henchman who can see through one eye

Trap-Jaw - Skeletor's iron-mouthed, claw-armed henchman - RARE! $50 and up!

The He-man adult series also comes in nice collectible boxes

It appears I’ve picked up an unequal amount of good guys versus bad guys.  Maybe that’s because the bad guys always looked cooler.  I’ve also picked up the whole 130-episode television series, which lasted four years in the early 80s — they tried to bring it back in 2002, but failed — and they were the basis of my childhood and fantasies growing up.  It’s now time to introduce it to another generation, just as some parents from Generation X are introducing Star Wars and Transformers to their young ones.  Who knows, maybe the 80s culture will always be with us.  Why? Because the 80s into the early 90s were probably one of the coolest periods for things in general.  And not just toys.  Though cheesy to some today, you had your clothes, music, movies (ala Empire Strikes Back, Predator, Terminator, and Aliens), comics, graphic novels, and even science fiction, fantasy and horror novels when it was at its height.  There is a man by the name of Stephen King we can thank for that.  Anyway, on to some more action figure pics.

He-man in Battle Armor - paint job just like the day he premiered

Faker - The evil He-man which Tri-Klops & Skeletor put back together.

Wun-Dar - Savage ancestor of He-man; great grandfather - VERY RARE

Moss Man - authentic green fur and he smells like a Christmas Tree

Man-E-Faces - Good guy robot from the 2002 collection with three faces

Now before I go, get a load of this… Not only did they make the new figures look just like the older figures, only with superior paint jobs — once again, the Four Horsemen are responsible for these figures — but one of them included a ring.  The ring you see below I used to own and wear almost thirty years ago.  The Castle Grayskull Ring.  Every detail has been repeated.  I don’t know what’s funnier, the way it looks since I lost it in the early eighties and the fact that I still remember it, or when I was running around second grade with it on, raising my hand to the sky, shouting, “I HAVE THE POWER!” Actually, what’s probably hilarious is the ring still fits my ring finger, and I wore it outdoors by mistake one day, not realizing I had it on.  Nevertheless, when I was young I loved that He-man ring, and I’m glad to have an exact duplicate of it back.  It sits on my writing desk, and believe it or not, it even gives me a little inspiration when it comes to penning horror stories.  I fiddle around, put it on, or sometimes just stare at it.  Oh yeah, I also picked up the NEW Webstor figure.

The Castle Grayskull Ring - Memories that still fit almost 30 years later.

Castle Grayskull put together w. The whole gang saying goodbye.

Once again, there’s nothing wrong with reliving your childhood or passing it on to the next generation.  And it’s things like this which helped inspire me to become the one thing I do most these days.  Being a genre writer.

With that said, everybody say goodbye.  Until next time.  BYE BYE.  Bye everyone.  See ya.

Cheers,

Lawrence Dagstine

Lawrence Dagstine: “400 Publishing Credits…”

 

“The world only exists in your eyes. You can make it as big or as small as you want.” 

“You don’t write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say.”

 “All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath.”

— F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Lawrence Dagstine

Short Stories * Novelettes * Digital Stories

Magazines – Periodicals – Webzines – Anthologies – Kindle

Other New Entries: “The Dude” – Biography

Author’s Note: F. Scott Fitzgerald… The Great Gatsby… One of my ten favorite authors.

Lawrence Dagstine: “A Day at the Brooklyn Museum…”

The following series of pictures were taken a little over a year ago, when I went on a research trip to The Brooklyn Museum of New York.  During that time, between 2008 and early 2009, there was an Ancient Egyptian/Assyrian Exhibit.  They also had an “Old School” Graffiti Art exhibit on the 5th Floor.  It was a lot of fun.  I got to see some real mummies (which you’ll see below), tombs, statues, canvases, masks, and a whole lot of other interesting stuff from the days before Christ.  I finally got around to resizing some of those other photographs.  The results of this visit would be a short article for an archeological magazine and an alternate history tale featuring Cleopatra (novelette-length).  Here they are, finally, in all their glory.  Historical and artistic pics.

Assyria * Ancient Egypt * Mummies * Tombs

The mummies were the freakiest…

(There were more pics for this exhibit, but those were sold along with the article)

Asian Artifacts * Age-Old Trinkets * Masks * Molds

 

Paintings * Canvases * Stained-Glass Works

Graffiti Art Exhibit * Urban Art Canvases * Retro Works

As you can tell, you could even participate…

 

For more information about the Brooklyn Museum of New York:

www.brooklynmuseum.org

200 Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn, NY 11238-6099
(718) 638-5000

Lawrence Dagstine: “Happy Halloween 2009…”

TRICK OR TREAT

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2009

from Lawrence Dagstine

(I love scarecrows; had to go with a scarecrow theme this year)

However, in case you love zombies, werewolves, vampires, and lizards…

Still Available from Sam’s Dot Publishing & The Genre Mall:

 

http://www.genremall.com/anthologiesr.htm#freshblood

Lawrence Dagstine: “Digital Stories Coming Soon…”

It is with great pleasure that I announce a couple of things.   One, now that the writing population is slowly starting to embrace the digital age, this site will not only act as a homepage and plug-page for magazines and upcoming science fiction, fantasy and horror venues, but also be a store.  You will be able to buy and then download short stories, novelettes, and novellas — most brand new, no reprints — from yours truly.  I am open to further freelancing, networking, and marketing with other authors if they too would like to be a part of this store (like trading purchase info links).  I advertise you, you advertise me.  I sell your work, you sell mine.  With that said, stay tuned to this site between now and mostly 2010.  The future may be digital, but it still looks good from where I’m at.

Alas, print is dying...

Alas, print is dying...

This site will also act as the occasional home of the “short story review”, the science fiction media news source and, later down the road, a new and unique kind of cross-marketing, branding-upon-branding, product placement and more.  To be honest, I’m surprised most bigger houses haven’t jumped on  a similar bandwagon yet.  Who knows, maybe it’s because the economy is still shoddy.  It’s what will also hopefully help fund the new venture come 2011.  I’d have to say that 2010 will also see an end to a majority of all print-related periodicals in “genre” featuring my stories in it.  I’ve been informed that 2011 would be a sort of conversion stage.  Or a few months after Kindle 3 comes out and prices on readers drop.  Whichever comes first.  Oh well.  However…

The best part of all this is you will be able to go to places like Mobipocket, Fictionwise, and Amazon.  You will be able to own my works on such reading devices as the Sony eReader, Kindle, Jetbook, iTouch, and so much more.  Matter of fact, my first e-title will be debuting shortly.   So stay tuned to the tab at the top of this page, entitled: “eBooks & Kindle”.

Thank You,

Lawrence R. Dagstine

Edited to Add: Fresh Blood Contest also coming soon…

Lawrence Dagstine: “FRESH BLOOD Signings Pt. 2…”

Come join prolific short story writer, Lawrence R. Dagstine – scifi, fantasy, horror and more! — at Coney Island’s Festival by the Sea.  Books, books, and more books.

Flea by the Sea 

 LAWRENCE DAGSTINE SIGNING:

June 26th – (unconfirmed)

June 27th and June 28th

Saturday and Sunday!!!

12pm to sundown…

FRESH BLOOD: Tales From The Speculative Graveyard

http://www.fleabythesea.com/about.php

Brooklyn Author, Lawrence R.  Dagstine will be signing copies of his new short story collection FRESH BLOOD, rare hardcovers, anthologies, and obscure pulp magazines and more at FLEA BY THE SEA!

For details on transportation by subway, bus, or car, see website above.  There will be amusement park rides, entertainment, food, and thousands of people are expected to attend.  There will also be arts & crafts, photography vendors, jewelry and clothing merchants, and tons of other stuff!

Hop on the train, grab a tan, and get some books!

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos” 

Doctor Who: Paterson Joseph Replaces Matt Smith…?

No press releases, no nothing…  Everything is all very “hush-hush” since the news regarding the Doctor’s new companion for 2010 (Karen Gillan), who could pass for a younger Professor Riversong might I add.  However, there is nothing to quell these rumors at the moment… Only that Paterson Joseph may have replaced Matt Smith (or maybe the English actor was always in the driver’s seat to begin with).  Then there’s this photograph below.  What is Doctor Who writer Stephen Moffat planning? 

Paterson Joseph

Official BBC Doctor Who Homepage:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/

Supposedly Tennant already filmed the regeneration sequence.  I’ve seen the pics where he’s in a lot of pain, staggering, and a pre-2004 Billie Piper — yes, she returns for the two-part Christmas finale — along with her mother Jackie, bump into the soon-to-regenerate David Tennant.  Tennant encounters Ood Sigma at one point (again!), but it is unknown whether he makes it back to his TARDIS alone or not (according to Russell T. Davies, alone, because back in 2004 Rose Tyler would not have known the Doctor.  It’s said, however, that the ending is both a “surprise” and a real “tearjerker”. 

But how do you explain these sudden rumors of Matt Smith being replaced, and the Paterson Joseph pic? No recent photographs of Smith in his new Time Lord outfit at the very least? Nothing else leaked? Or is the pic above really bogus?

Previous Doctor Who links (related to Matt Smith):

https://lawrencedagstine.com/2009/01/05/doctor-who-matt-smith-is-not-the-eleventh-doctor/

https://lawrencedagstine.com/2009/03/16/doctor-who-series-five-monsters/

 

Lawrence Dagstine: “Coney Island’s Summer of Horror…”

It’s the Summer of Horror! No, not just Fresh Blood signings and book promos.  If you happen to be in the Brooklyn, New York City area between now and September on a Saturday evening, hop on the subway.  You might just be interested in checking out a couple of old-school movies at The Coney Island Museum.  The Coney Island Film Society presents: “SUMMER OF HORROR!”

Dante's Inferno

Dante's Inferno

The Coney Island Film Society – Schedule 2009:

http://www.coneyisland.com/films.shtml

Psycho, Army of Darkness, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, and much more! Admission is $5.00 for non-society members, $3.00 for film society members.  Free popcorn.  Series run: May 16th thru September 26th 2009.  Doors open at 8pm, film starts at 8:30pm.

Photo Credit: Lawrence R. Dagstine, 2008.

Author of Fresh Blood: Tales from the Speculative Graveyard

Lawrence Dagstine: “The Death of Magazines…”

…Or, the BEST BLOG EVAH! This made my day.  But then I think the “smart” folks out there knew this kind of thing was going to happen ages ago.   Next to go is print-on-demand; that’ll take time, and LSI will be like rare relic baseball cards in the age of the MLB steroid scandal — a specialty market.  And a collector’s pastime.  It’s more like the music industry.  Props go out to The Magazine Death Pool.  Credit given where credit is deserved.  Also, to the following comments below.

STARLOG MAGAZINE – R.I.P.

Starlog1

The Magazine Death Pool:

www.magazinedeathpool.com

Science Fiction Linkage:

http://www.magazinedeathpool.com/magazine_death_pool/2009/04/starlog-rip-april-2009.html#comments

Paul Riddell wrote: “I agree that the Internet is one of the reasons why “Starlog”, “Cinefantastique”, “Sci-Fi Universe”, and a plethora of other magazines went under, as their core audiences are generally so cheap that they use both sides of the toilet paper. That cheapness, though, is the real reason. Advertisers weren’t interested in buying ad space because the only response would be from “reviewers” who wanted freebies and from pocket psychotics who wanted to bitch about how they weren’t being hired for their obsessive knowledge of “Star Trek” trivia. On the newsstands, the copies would either be read and then discarded or shoplifted. Oh, and just try to get the cheap bastards to buy a subscription, even if the publisher got the subscriber copies out before the newsstand copies appeared, instead of three weeks to a month later. The only thing more pathetic than the science fiction media magazine market is the science fiction short story magazine market, which is why the few literary science fiction magazines left will probably be making the deadpool within the next year. I have money down on “The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction” being the first casualty of the season.”

Shoplifting is a little pushing it.  To be honest, with advertising aside, my money was on F&SF until about 2011-2012 tops.  I guess time will tell; after all, there are only so many infusions and bailouts.  Many old-school writers and editors who work these publishing ends will most likely be shoveling snow to pay their mortgages and make ends meet.   The Age of Freelancing is here, people, hold on.  We are now our own bosses and our own vacuum cleaner salesmen forever!  Obscurity is going to take on a whole new meaning.  In ten years time, Borders and Waldenbooks will not exist.  Hold on to your royalty checks.  Content-wise, things are about to get bumpier!

Edited to Add: Be sure to also check out the Sept. 08, 2008 entry.

Whispers of Wickedness: “Saying Goodbye…”

For over three years, Whispers of Wickedness was that special place for writer and reader alike.  A relaxed atmosphere.  A place you could call home.  At least for me.  Filled with bands of movie lovers, Doctor Who and Blake’s 7 fans, readers of fine literature, and most of all good storytellers and poets.  Nice people.  Whispers was a messageboard,  print magazine, and book review venue among giants… No matter how small they may have looked from the outside, their hearts were a whole lot bigger on the inside.  All it took was thirty or so people that visited frequently to make it such a wonderful place to be. 

Below you will find one of the issues I appeared in some years back.  One of its editors went on to receive a very well-deserved British Fantasy Award, the place was a megatropolis for a long time for aspiring writers looking to break into small paying markets, and there were laughs aplenty.  The final issue of the magazine is available soon.  It might be Issue #16, it might be No. 17.  Not sure.  But the drawbridge is raised.  That I do know.   The mugs are almost empty, and it’s time to find a new pub to meet up.

Whispers of Wickedness #14

Whispers of Wickedness #14

There will always be memories, I’m sure.  To my knowledge, their review section has been archived.  The regular authors will move on to some other forums… Perhaps TTA Press, perhaps Witchfinder Press (who knows).  Wherever the interaction is, I suppose.  And wherever the coffee is nice and hot.  Thank you my friends.  They were a great three years indeed.  At least for this small chap. 

Soon to disappear into the… ether.

Whispers of Wickedness

Signing off May 4th 2009.

www.ookami.co.uk

Cheers.  And good luck to every one of you.

Lawrence R. Dagstine

Doctor Who: Series Five Monsters…

New Monsters! It’s about time… Hmm, am I making any sense? I don’t know, I might not make any sense ever again.  Fanboy-ism aside, and as a science fiction writer to boot, I’m here today to declare my love yet again for one of the longest running shows in TV history.  That’s right — Doctor Who! Torchwood would probably come in second or third for me.  And, as we all know, David Tennant regenerates after this year and becomes The Eleventh Doctor.  This role will go to the then 27-year old Matt Smith. 

regeneration_stunt

Now I will admit, at first I wasn’t too keen on the idea of Smith taking over the role; I had fingers crossed for Paterson Joseph, Adrian Lester, or even Colin Salmon.  But I guess it’s only right that we give the boy a chance.  After all, Stephen Moffat is a remarkable writer and it’s as if he were born to lead such a fantastic show.  Also, Matt Smith promises to bring a lot to the role as the Doctor — retracing the 70’s show model, Matt and Stephen? — and you know these newbies, one night they’re nobody, the next they’re a guaranteed success and eating the pie from the Actor’s Guild.  Matt Smith you have my attention.  I will give you a chance, I promise.  But what adversaries will you face? What monsters will you go up against? What surprises does Moffat have in store for us in 2010?

Official BBC Doctor Who Homepage:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/

I know the one monster I don’t want to see anymore is The Daleks — NO MORE! They’ve been done to death.  Russell T. Davies abused them enough, I think.  I love the Cybermen, don’t get me wrong… but please exit right.  And it’s safe to bet that the Sontarans were just a “one-time” gig.   I want monsters that harken back to the Baker years.  Or they should be, at the very least, considered.

matt-smith-doctor-who-1

I have read rumors (and they are only that), that the “Weeping Angels” will be making their return.  I’ve seen The Sea Devils being tossed about the Net.  The Troclafane were mentioned on one “source” forum, but I hope they weren’t serious.  And like the Sea Devils, my money is on the Ice Warriors all the way! I wouldn’t be surprised if they are a major villain in Series Five. 

There are so many monsters that haven’t returned, that should.  I mean, what about the Nimon? These were Minotaur-like monsters who could shoot you down with their horns.  In the insect department, you have the Wirrn, who are most memorable from Baker’s second story, The Ark in Space.   A Horror of Fang Rock-like story involving the Rutans would be kind of interesting.  Or how about using CGI to remake The Gravis and a new sort of Tractator? Perhaps The Zarbi? No, even better, how about the Rani?

nimon

As I get ready for PLANET OF THE DEAD, I wonder what surprises are in store for Matt Smith.  And us… 

What monsters do YOU want to see return to Doctor Who? Would you like to cast a vote?

Come, take a Doctor Who poll with me…

For another Matt Smith/Doctor Who related poll, go here:

https://lawrencedagstine.com/2009/01/05/doctor-who-matt-smith-is-not-the-eleventh-doctor/ 

Like monsters? Then read my latest collection, FRESH BLOOD.  There’s plenty to be had there, in PG-13 color:

https://lawrencedagstine.com/books-anthos/ 

 

Cheers,

Lawrence R. Dagstine

Amazon’s Kindle 2: “The Wave of the Future…”

Ten to fifteen years ago, a new technology was developed called print-on-demand (POD).  Publishers and small authors alike who didn’t know any better explored it as a means to getting their works into print.  The Web, fairly new by publishing standards, helped become a vehicle for this phenomenon.  Back in those days you didn’t have to worry about garages or basements filled with over 500 or more titles not being sold.  No, you could order two or three at a time without having to sweat. Vanity presses took the most advantage of this, but now anyone and their mother can become a writer-turned-printer-turned-publisher (if you get the gist).  Still, no matter how far POD has come, no matter how much it has been utilized and what it is capable of, media in the form of a virtual entity will eventually – no, I’m sorry, inevitably – reign supreme.

Amazon’s Kindle 2: http://www.amazon.com/gp/…548931&pf_rd_i=507846

So toward the end of February 2009, Amazon’s new eReading gadget, KINDLE 2 makes its stunning debut.  You can go and preorder it now for a mere $359.00 – kind of steep, if you ask me – or you could wait five to ten years until every book, magazine, and news periodical known to man makes the switch regardless.  And that goes for the unknown or semi-popular ones, too. Think about it: saving trees and saving money, even saving shelf space unlike ever before, while being able to listen to music, read your favorite blogs, and go wireless on buses and subways or the road.  Amazon and Sony know what they’re doing.  In these tough times, where publishing companies are laying off hundreds if not thousands, where pro and non-pro magazines are folding left and right or going on hiatus, companies like Amazon are taking small steps through the cracks into what I call the ‘future of written word-related media’.

E-publications are more cost-effective than print.  So get with the program now, before it’s too late.  I’ll miss hardcovers and paperbacks like every other reader or writer from my generation. But if we don’t assimilate now, we may be missing out on a mighty fine resurgence.  Only in a different format. 

What do you think of the Kindle 2, or eBooks and eReaders in general? 

Come, take a KINDLE poll with me…

Cheers,

Lawrence R. Dagstine

Doctor Who: Matt Smith is NOT the Eleventh Doctor…

No, it has to be a PR stunt as Russell T. Davies leaves the show and Stephen Moffat takes over.  It’s a terrible lie, I tell you! No, the next doctor is not some goth kid who just “happens” to look like Peter Davison and Beethoven.  Are they blowing the series like John Nathan Turner did back in the 80’s with Colin Baker and Sylvestor McCoy, just blowing it right the hell off television for good? Did they just choose him because his hair was “cool”? Who knows.  All I know is that I would have preferred a much older actor — not a “companion” as the Doctor; they might as well have gone with Radcliffe now — maybe a black actor.  Colin Salmon, Paterson Joseph, or even Adrian Lester! As a science fiction writer myself, I would have even bargained for Morrissey, Nesbitt, or Sean Pertwee.  But who is Matt Smith? Well, if you look at the picture below, that’s him.

Matt Smith... The Eleventh Doctor

Matt Smith... The Eleventh Doctor

 Official BBC Doctor Who Homepage:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/

He was just introduced the other day on Doctor Who Confidential, and it appears that this man is the Doctor my son will most likely grow up to.  And while I am a fan of “young” doctors (Peter Davison is by far my all-time favorite), and while I have faith in Moffat’s writings, I just don’t particularly like the wild card choice he made with some no-name talent;  Smith also has a few unmemorable shows behind him.  Matter of fact, Moffat and Paul Cornell’s writing in particular are some of the BEST! But Matt Smith doesn’t remind me of a Time Lord.  Sorry.  OK, so maybe I am jumping the gun.  I’ve been to Outpost Gallifrey, Den of Geek, and every other website and forum in-between hoping the news was really just a big old PR stunt — praying that Paterson Joseph walks through the TARDIS door and says in 2010… SURPRISE!!! But at the age of 40, Tom Baker was relatively a no-name actor with only a few creds to his name… look at what he accomplished.  Peter Davison was, at one time, the youngest Doctor to take on the role.  He was fantastic, too, but he had a hit series like All Creatures Great and Small behind him.  Acting experience! Maybe the scripts will make the difference here, not so much the “hairstyle”.  Because this, to me, seems like why they chose him.  That and his odd finger mannerisms.  I guess we have to watch and see, eh? I mean, David Tennant made the part all his own in one season.  He grew on us.  But how long will Matt Smith last as The Eleventh Doctor? Will he even be any good? What are some of your thoughts on Matt Smith (aka Doctor Number 11)?

Matt Smith promo shot

Matt Smith promo shot

A while back I held a few Doctor Who fan polls, where you could vote for your favorite Time Lord and so on.  This time I have TWO POLLS… Both dedicated to Matt Smith…

Come, take TWO different DOCTOR WHO polls with me…

 Cheers.

 Links to PREVIOUS Doctor Who polls:

https://lawrencedagstine.com/2008/11/12/doctor-who-and-the-eleventh-doctor-is/

https://lawrencedagstine.com/2008/10/30/doctor-who-david-tennant-says-goodbye/

Doctor Who: And The Eleventh Doctor Is…

…Well, not quite yet.  But the fans are really going at it (and so are the Internet forums) over WHO will be the eleventh actor — or actress — to play the role of scifi’s beloved time traveler.  Stephen Moffat takes over the show come 2010 for Series Five.  But the question still remains: who can fill Tennant’s shoes and do one up? Who can be a better Doctor now, since the show was revived in 2005, and keep the series going as strong and dynamic as ever before?

Two weeks ago I received word that Tennant was going to retire from the show.  His final stories would lead up to Christmas 2009’s special, The Next Doctor.  And boy, will there be a regeneration.  But Daniel Radcliffe, Russell Tovay, Paterson Joseph, and many other very young names are among the possible contenders to succeed him! You know, I like my Doctors a bit older than my companions.  Stephen Moffat has worked alongside fine actors such as James Nesbitt (but he denies any rumors of the part).  I first blogged about it here (I also ran a favorite Doctor poll):

DOCTOR WHO: DAVID TENNANT SAYS GOODBYE…

https://lawrencedagstine.com/2008/10/30/doctor-who-david-tennant-says-goodbye/

Doctor Who Official Homepage:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/

So who do you think should be the next Doctor? Better yet, who deserves to be the next Doctor Who? I’ve composed a new poll of 11 names.  Eleven names for eleven possible, and rumored, Doctors.  Also, I’ve added two additional choices: “None of the Above” and “Cast an Unknown”, to even things out a bit, because I realize that being a Doctor calls for a pretty big list.  Please vote below!

 Come, take a DOCTOR WHO poll with me…

 

Doctor Who: David Tennant Says Goodbye…

Wow, I am DEEPLY saddened.  Today I heard the news that David Tennant, the actor who plays the role of science fiction’s beloved time traveler, The Doctor, is leaving the series at the end of 2009.  You know, with Russell T. Davies and Julie Gardner exiting, I wasn’t at all surprised.  Four years is a fantastic run in my opinion. There were some great episodes.  David Tennant easily became one of my three favorite doctors since I first started watching in the early 80’s: The Tom Baker-Peter Davison era. 

David Tennant as Doctor Who

David Tennant as Doctor Who

David Tennant Ten-Minute Interview on BBC News:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7698539.stm

Doctor Who Official Homepage:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/

Like classic scifi authors, NES video games, toys, and comic books, Doctor Who was just one of those childhood things which inspired me to write science fiction.  I even tried my hand at a Who novel back in the 90’s around the time the license for Virgin Books expired.  BAFTA and HUGO Award-winning writer, Stephen Moffat, will take over in 2010.  With Moffat at the helm, I think the series will be in good hands.  Darker, knowing Moffat’s work.  Wait until Tennant regenerates into the 11th Doctor… Hey, don’t get me wrong, I love Harry Potter, but I hope Daniel Radcliffe hasn’t been tipped off; the boy’s only 20.  He’d be too young a Time Lord.

Right now a 2008 Christmas special and I believe four more specials throughout all of next year are planned.

Come, take a DOCTOR WHO poll with me: