Interstellar Science Fiction Films

Before we begin another reminder that I have been nominated for two UK Blog Awards, my nominations can be found here and here. I would really appreciate your support.

Last week saw the release of Christopher Nolan's new film Interstellar. The latest Science Fiction blockbuster that once again sees humanity seeking a solution to a future blight. As a result some brave space explorers blast into the stars to find the answer.

Image from Interstellar-movie.com

Now I'm going admit something to you, I am not a big fan of films in space (that's films set in space, not that I have an extraterrestrial cinema). I do enjoy Christopher Nolan films, but I don't find Interstellar that appealing. I like my stories in the here and now, not necessarily straight realism, but at least a little grounded.  Before you get ahead of me, yes that does also mean I am not a fan of the fantasy genre either.

No need to check the address bar, you are indeed visiting Geek Boy Babbles. So how can I call myself a geek whilst disliking two of the biggest geek genres?

Well I still get overly excited (and exasperated) of things I do love; many of which are rather childish. So I think I fit some of the criteria of a Geek. Also like many things there are exceptions to the rule.

To demonstrate this here is my top Space-set films, TV shows, games and books.

Fortunately the film is more exciting.

Alien, Aliens and Alien Vs. Predator
The first two shouldn't come as a surprise, you wouldn't find many, geek or otherwise, who aren't a fan of those two. Not only are they brilliant sci-fi examples, but also great pieces of cinema. Some of you may be questioning Alien Vs. Predator. I know it hasn't got great story, cannon or cast. But what it does have is some cool action scenes between two giants of the genre. Who doesn't want to see these two fighting inside a giant underground pyramid?

Serenity
I know, surprise, surprise; yet another Joss Whedon film mentioned on Geek Boy Babbles.  I know I have some serious Whedon love, but you have to admit space-western is pretty different. Plus you can't help but admire its production. After Firefly was cancelled the cast and the fan community raised the funds to create a proper finale. It is a love letter to the fans of Firefly who needed closure. 

Mass Effect
No game series has hooked me in as much as Bioware's Mass Effect series. There isn't one game in the trilogy that doesn't meet the others high standards. I even like Mass Effect 3's ending. It could have been more personal to my choices, but logistics of programming games to an individuals game progress would be nigh on impossible.

War of The Worlds
By this I mean H.G. Well's novel and not the film adaptations. Having said this the story takes place on Earth and it isn't the aliens I enjoy. What I love is the narrative style. The story feels very personal and I almost felt like I was making the journey alongside the main character; rather than just an observer.

Image from Robbierocks

Doctor Who
This refers to when David Tennant played the Doctor (and perhaps Smith's first season). I watched Doctor Who  as a child and still hold those seasons as some of my favorite example of TV. They are fun, frantic and full of nostalgia for me. Unfortunately I have fallen out of love with Doctor Who recently. I can't help but cringe and feel it is slightly childish now. I don't blame the writing wholly for this, most of it is probably due to growing up and leaving Doctor Who behind. 

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
I almost forgot this one, remembering only as I edited. I felt ashamed as the books and radio series (not the film, nor the TV show) are some of my favorite pieces of fiction. The series has helped shaped my humour and was a large part of my childhood. The biggest draw perhaps comes from how grounded it is, despite its space setting. Aliens act like parallels to everyday cliches, for example: the bureaucratic Vogon's who are the galaxy's pencil pushers. This is helped by the main character, Arthur Dent, who upon being introduced to a whole galaxy of wonder takes it all in his stride. Aliens destroy my planet, looks like I can't walk the dog pretty much sums up The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. 

Image from Scriptographer

There we have it some examples that I do enjoy some space-set media. I hope I can warrant the title of geek still. That said I still won't be seeing Interstellar at the cinema, but I will watch it when it is on DVD. If a film I am unsure of is so long, I like to know I can get up and have a wander during it.

Please let me know in the comments your thoughts and opinions.

Alien Vs. Predator image from themanwhonevermissed,

The UK Blog Awards 2015

Right now, I am feeling rather overwhelmed with work. Don’t let anyone tell you that University students just sit around all day twiddling their thumbs; we don’t, well some don't.

I find myself spending each week trying to carefully balancing:

Two law modules, one creative writing module,  two part-time jobs, being co-admin of the University of Winchester’s Writer’s Society; trying to eat, sleep and generally stay healthy; be a good friend/boyfriend, keep up with a ten thousand word dissertation and write a blog post a week.

Do you know what? I am shattered.

But, I will say that sometimes hard work can pay off and this week I found out that my blog has been nominated for two categories in the UKBlog Awards 2015.

Geek Boy Babbles has been nominated in the categories of young blogger and technology blog. This news gave me a little pep that showed me hard work can pay off.

From now until the 1^st December 2015, the nominees are up for the public vote. I would really appreciate any and all support from you, dear reader.

You can follow these links, here and here, to vote for Geek Boy Babbles in the categories.

I really do appreciate the votes and if you can join my campaign by spreading this post and the links to anyone and everyone I would be really grateful.

A cheeky shout-out to some of my blog friends who have also been nominated; please show them the support they deserve too:

Dependent on Gadgets

Emily Benet - more laughs than Bronte, also here.

The Willow Web, also here.

Thank you very much for any and all support, here is a slightly embarassing photo of me for your troubles.

Tag I'm It: The Liebster Award

The UK Blog Awards voting opened today and my blog Geek Boy Babbles is entered under two categories: Young Person and Tech blog.
Any and all support for me in the awards is appreciated.
Well this is certainly exciting, my first blog tag on Geek Boy Babbles. I would like to thank Anna Kissed Celeste for this challenge, known as the Liebster Award. The blogger tagged as part of the award must give 11 random facts about themselves, then answer 11 questions put to them by the tagger. After that, the tagged blogger can issue 11 of their own questions to inflict, sorry, pass on to 5-11 other bloggers.
I don’t know what's up with all the 11s; perhaps they’re in season this year.

So, without further ado: 
11 Random Facts 
1. Despite having a deep hatred for football I actually have a working knowledge of the game and the teams. I can even explain to you the offside rule. This is a result of growing up in a family that was more than a little obsessed with the sport. To this day I have a distrust for everything to do with Derby, due to a family-based Nottingham Forest biased.


2. I enjoy making things and I am often crafting something or other. I recently got into Amigurumi (crocheting plush toys), but in the past have constructed props for costumes; such as my keyblade from Kingdom Hearts. Which I vow will someday be used as pert of a Sora cosplay. If you want to check out some of my stuff then check out the Crafty Projects page on this blog.


3. I consider myself as having a semi-eidetic memory (also known as photographic memory) and because of this get compared to the characters Sherlock (from BBC'S Sherlock) and L (from Death Note). Considering both of these characters are rather odd to say the least you would expect me to be insulted, actually I'm rather proud. Why semi-eidetic? well it is contested whether the condition exists. And yes I do use practices such as 'mind palaces', although I think of it more like a memory map or tree.


4. I can sing the whole of the musical episode of Scrubs (My Musical) after I watched obsessively for a few weeks.


5. I am more than a little bit geeky and consider myself to be an emo (although the age of 21 is pushing the boundaries of either). For this reason I coined the term 'gemo' to describe myself.


6. Despite random fact number two I loathe the shop Hobby Craft. The reason for this is the how expensive their prices are and working for the company for little over a year.


7. Apart from Geek Boy Babbles I run another blog: Taken To Tokyo, which is part of my university dissertation. I also used to ran Saxon Daze, where I reviewed sweets and candy. I ended Saxon Daze after a year of blogging, believe me there is only a few ways you can describe chocolate before you get bored of it.


8. I am not your stereotypical student, and since attending the University of Winchester I have actually become healthier. I haven't drunk alcohol since the second semester of my first year (partly down to too many nights of being taken home in the 'safety bus' during semester one) and go to bed usually before eleven. I don't even get to lie in as my body wakes up naturally about seven thirty!


9. Despite being rather nerdy, I loathe computers and their accessories. I can't fathom software or computer programmes and have gone through more than four printers. As a writer I much prefer pen and paper and hate how I have to use Microsoft Word for the majority of my work.


10. I don't consider myself a vegetarian, but I really dislike meat. Nothing to do with my morals I just really hate the texture, the preparation in cooking it and the taste. I much prefer vegetables and meat free products. If I do eat meat it is usually chicken, ham or cod; but they are my limits.


11. To relax whilst studying law I have found myself: reading law upside down, crocheting, baking, listening to The Muppet Movie soundtrack, eating vast amounts of carrots, throwing balled up socks at my friends, doodling, origami, walking after midnight in the rain, watching Youtube and many more things. Basically studying law can be dull, stressful, moral questioning and unpractical; although I enjoy every second of it.

It looks like I've been spotted!

And now to the questions put to me by Anna Kissed Celeste:

1. Have you taken any exciting trips anywhere you can tell us about?
   Easy one to start, eh? This summer my girlfriend Amy and I travelled to Tokyo. It was an amazing trip to a city that made me feel more at home then anywhere I have ever been. I miss it everyday, although this is both helped and hindered by my dissertation; which is a series of travel pieces based upon the trip.


2. Where would you love to visit the most?
   At one time this would have been easy to answer: Tokyo. But since I have been there it would probably now fall to Oslo in Norway. I studied it once and fell in love with its name, the society and Scandinavia in general.


3. What is your favourite social media platform? I will admit to being less than proficient with computers and almost equally as bad at keeping in touch with people. Overall, I find myself most at ease with Twitter (@JoshFrancis93); I hate Facebook with a passion.


4. How long have you been blogging for?
   I have been blogging in some form or another for just under two years now. My current blog Geek Boy Babbles is still pretty new and under half a year old.


5. What can we expect to find in your blog?
On my blog, Geek Boy Babbles, you can expect all kinds of nerdy posts. Mostly reviews or news on the latest books, film and games. But sometimes I post the odd rant or opinion piece too.

6. Can you describe to us a memorable dream you've had?
   I am terrible at remembering my dreams and those I do recall probably shouldn't be mentioned.


7. What is your ideal career path?
   Ideally I would like a career in freelance writing, that is my most grounded aspiration. My dream job would to someday be a stand-up comic, as I love to make people laugh. I believe laughter is one of the most human things to do, especially uncontrollable giggle fits.


8. If you had a talk show, what would you name it?
   I think I would stick with the name of my blog. It really encapsulates what you get with me: a talkative nerdy guy.


9. What is your favourite film of the moment and why?
   I am still in love with Joss Whedon's Serenity, not just because of the film and lets face it space-western is always awesome. But because of the community it created amongst the fans and the way it saw the light of day after the show, Firefly, was cancelled.


10. Can you tell us about an artist who's music meant a lot to you?
    Probably one of the most recent influential artist on me is Mat Devine and the band Kill Hannah. They were introduced to me by my girlfriend before we began dating, and was the soundtrack that built up my courage to ask her out.


11.  It will be my 1st Blogiversary in December, what do you recommend should be done to celebrate?
    A massive cake with your face and HTML tag on it. The live tweet eating it and perhaps even get a twitter party hangout going. Whatever you do congratulations, have fun and keep on being an awesome blogger.

If you want to find out more about the geek behind the babbling check out this post here and my about me page.










My Questions

1. Where do you see your blog in: (a) one year, (b) three years and (c) five years time?


2. Who most influenced you to blog?


3. What are your favourite blog posts to read and write?


4. What is TV show could you watch indefinitely?


5. Do you enjoy gaming? If so what is your best loved game/series?


6. Have you got any crafty hobbies?


7. When did you last just completely fall flat-out asleep?


8. What is the best live event you have been to?


9. Where was your first memorable holiday to?


10. What shop do you always have time to lunch in?


11. How do you connect with your audience?

That marks the end of my tag post. Those I pass this challenge on to shall be notified by Twitter. Good luck to those chosen few.

I would also like to end by saying that Monday 10th November is when the public voting opens on the UK Blog Awards 2014. Geek Boy Babbles has been nominated for Young Person and Technology blog.

A full list of candidates can be found here.

Halloween Pumpkin Carving

I know by now most of you will be fed up of me talking about Halloween. I am sorry, I have talked about it a lot; but then again it is my favourite time of the year.

Not just because of the night itself. Everything about late October/early November excites me. The Autumn air is fresh, the temperature isn't quite chilly yet, and the nights draw in at about the right time so that you have an excuse to huddle inside earlier. It also helps that Halloween, Diwali and Fireworks night occur in quick succession; meaning their is no shortage of excitement, but that is just the icing on the cake.

This was my pumpkin effort this year.

I promise that this post will pretty much be my final word on Halloween 2014. So, fear not dear reader, it will soon be past; for 365 days at least.

I just wanted to quickly show you the pumpkins that my flatmates and I carved this year for the evening. I am rather proud of them. Although, I will admit we may have cheated in some peoples' eyes. We used templates for the pumpkins before we carved them, I am so sorry reader if you feel that I let you down.

We had a great evening, even if we didn't leave the house. We also got some trick or treaters come to the door; imagine my surprise opening the door to kid-Flash.

I hope you enjoy the photos below, feel free to comment and share your experiences in the comments below.