Friday, July 31, 2015
Buffy and The World of Sci-Fi Romance
*This post is a partial repost from 4/27/12
As a romance novel fan, I had never watched or read sci-fi until I stumbled onto Buffy The Vampire Slayer after it was already off the air. After renting the first 3 episodes, I bought all 7 seasons on DVD and have watched them at least 3 times each.
As a romance novel fan, I had never watched or read sci-fi until I stumbled onto Buffy The Vampire Slayer after it was already off the air. After renting the first 3 episodes, I bought all 7 seasons on DVD and have watched them at least 3 times each.
Buffy opened my eyes to a whole new world and I've never looked back. I was attracted to the mythology, the action, the symbolism, and just plain fun...while my first love--romance--was never in short supply.
So now I'm a sci-fi romance fan. Naturally, I went on to watch and obsess over Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse--all Joss Whedon creations. But I also loved the Underworld series, Matrix series, and Donnie Darko to name a few. Some of my favorite sci-fi books are The Doomsday Book and Day of the Triffids (along with all the authors here, natch). These TV shows, books, and movies helped me think in a whole new way, and inspired me to write my novel series Apocalypse Babes.
Apocalypse Babes follows Seffy Carter and her longtime friends Gareth, Addison and Lani. The four besties share a past dysfunctional and dark enough to keep them bound together under do-over identities. But like off-brand velour, rends develop in their relationships from the flesh-eating pressures of ending up in 1980, in a Montana desert, surrounded by zombies wearing dated disco duds.
The first book in the series is free right now.
The first book in the series is free right now.
Sci-fi romance allows the author to explore extreme themes and employ deep symbolism and subtext while putting the characters in the outer bounds of probability. It allows readers to have their imaginations fired with fun escapes from the mundane.
And to think, it all started (for me) with a girl with a stick.
Thanks Mr. Pointy.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Space Pirates
I love space operas ala Star Wars, Firefly, and the like, so when my editor asked me for another sci-fi story after STAR CRASH, I had to do something with space pirates. Think STAR WARS meets PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN.
STAR RAIDERS
http://is.gd/starraiders
A FIERY ENCOUNTER
Like two ill-aligned stars, Shyanne Kedar and Greyson Dane were destined to collide. She was a smuggler’s daughter, and he, an interstellar lawman. Their affair was scorching, dazzling…and ended like a supernova, in a blaze of betrayal.
A LOVE REKINDLED
Ten years later, the flames haven’t cooled. Shyanne’s lush body, the twist of her lips and the fire in her eyes—all radiate the same magnetism that ensnared Greyson before, and now he’s truly her prisoner. But as much as things have changed, they remain exactly the same. Danger threatens. Humanity’s fate hangs in the balance. And though his tempting captor doesn’t know it, if Greyson’s plan succeeds, it will save mankind…and lose him the only woman he ever loved. This time, forever.
Reviews:
"FOUR STARS! This romp through space has several twists, turns, and surprises. Whenever I came to believe that I understood everything, the author either tossed a bit of debris or a huge meteor in my path, causing things to spin out of control. Shyanne's crewmates are fascinating. I especially hope to see more of Silky, a hundred pound cat. The intelligent and telepathic feline has an ever-present entourage of feline guards she seems to be leader of. Silky is much more than she seems. THAT character deserves to be in more than a single story! So do a few of the other crewmates.
Though women are the target audience, I believe many men would enjoy it too. Packed with action, suspense, and romance, this story is out of this world. (No pun intended."
Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
"STAR RAIDERS is a great romantic outer space thriller starring two former lovers still in love, but his treachery keeps them apart as she refuses to trust him with her heart or freedom. He regrets that he will use her again, but believes strongly his mission is critical because if he fails mankind could become extinct. Sub-genre readers will enjoy the Hendricks' galaxy as two people still in love conceal secrets from one another."
5-Stars -Harriet Klausner
"Fantastic?
Spacetacular! Yup, that's how much I enjoyed this book I am resorting to making my own word.
Elysa Hendricks has succeed in carving out a world for her motley crew of characters. The sizzling romance and passion is equally matched by the action, danger and adventure.. The strength woven into the characters is admirable and easy to fall into step with. Their mission became my mission and I wanted nothing more then to see them succeed. Greyson enlists the help of his once lover Shy. Shy has the means, smarts, and connections to bring down an intergalactic criminal who has been racking up quite a list of horrors and leaving Shy's calling card.
The storyline itself is riveting and face paced. Greyson and Shy share a history. They both have painful childhoods and both have enormous amounts of reserve. The secondary characters add another sweet layer to this novel. Shy's motley crew on her spaceship, Independence, all have appealing back stories. Elysa has shares just enough to help readers sympathize and comprehend actions without drowning us in their history. What the main characters don't know is that their history goes much deeper then they realize and their futures are infinitely intertwined."
5-Stars -LovLivLife Reviews
STAR RAIDERS
http://is.gd/starraiders
A FIERY ENCOUNTER
Like two ill-aligned stars, Shyanne Kedar and Greyson Dane were destined to collide. She was a smuggler’s daughter, and he, an interstellar lawman. Their affair was scorching, dazzling…and ended like a supernova, in a blaze of betrayal.
A LOVE REKINDLED
Ten years later, the flames haven’t cooled. Shyanne’s lush body, the twist of her lips and the fire in her eyes—all radiate the same magnetism that ensnared Greyson before, and now he’s truly her prisoner. But as much as things have changed, they remain exactly the same. Danger threatens. Humanity’s fate hangs in the balance. And though his tempting captor doesn’t know it, if Greyson’s plan succeeds, it will save mankind…and lose him the only woman he ever loved. This time, forever.
Reviews:
"FOUR STARS! This romp through space has several twists, turns, and surprises. Whenever I came to believe that I understood everything, the author either tossed a bit of debris or a huge meteor in my path, causing things to spin out of control. Shyanne's crewmates are fascinating. I especially hope to see more of Silky, a hundred pound cat. The intelligent and telepathic feline has an ever-present entourage of feline guards she seems to be leader of. Silky is much more than she seems. THAT character deserves to be in more than a single story! So do a few of the other crewmates.
Though women are the target audience, I believe many men would enjoy it too. Packed with action, suspense, and romance, this story is out of this world. (No pun intended."
Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
"STAR RAIDERS is a great romantic outer space thriller starring two former lovers still in love, but his treachery keeps them apart as she refuses to trust him with her heart or freedom. He regrets that he will use her again, but believes strongly his mission is critical because if he fails mankind could become extinct. Sub-genre readers will enjoy the Hendricks' galaxy as two people still in love conceal secrets from one another."
5-Stars -Harriet Klausner
"Fantastic?
Spacetacular! Yup, that's how much I enjoyed this book I am resorting to making my own word.
Elysa Hendricks has succeed in carving out a world for her motley crew of characters. The sizzling romance and passion is equally matched by the action, danger and adventure.. The strength woven into the characters is admirable and easy to fall into step with. Their mission became my mission and I wanted nothing more then to see them succeed. Greyson enlists the help of his once lover Shy. Shy has the means, smarts, and connections to bring down an intergalactic criminal who has been racking up quite a list of horrors and leaving Shy's calling card.
The storyline itself is riveting and face paced. Greyson and Shy share a history. They both have painful childhoods and both have enormous amounts of reserve. The secondary characters add another sweet layer to this novel. Shy's motley crew on her spaceship, Independence, all have appealing back stories. Elysa has shares just enough to help readers sympathize and comprehend actions without drowning us in their history. What the main characters don't know is that their history goes much deeper then they realize and their futures are infinitely intertwined."
5-Stars -LovLivLife Reviews
Monday, July 6, 2015
THE NEW MAD MAX MOVIE Fury Road - by Vijaya Schartz
See the trailer HERE
It was violent, full of heart-stopping action, and I loved that part. As far as post-apocalyptic worlds go, this one was quite believable. I loved that Charlize Theron (Imperator Furiosa) had an atrophied left arm and wore prosthetics. I also liked the slant on widespread physical defects due to radiation fall out, and the great value placed on perfect women, in hopes to bear perfect children.
I loved that Tom Hardy (who plays Mad Max) broadened his acting scope and is finally an action hero, although he did have a stunt double (cannot blame him there). It bothered me that he wore a metal mask hiding most of his face for two thirds of the movie. It probably made it easier for the stunt double to take over in those horrifying scenes, but it took away from the actual acting. Strangely enough, this new Max didn't seem mad at all, compared to the old version played by Mel Gibson. He was the sanest person in the bunch. The ghosts of his past seemed added on as an afterthought. His guilt at losing his wife and child didn't seem to color his present life.
The vehicles, old cars, big rigs and motorcycles charging across the desert in a cloud of sand were awesome, very imaginative, and obviously could take a lot of punishment. I especially liked the porcupine cars. No lack of hard steel in this post-apocalyptic world. Even the toughest military tank of today wouldn't last very long on that road.
I didn't care as much for the plot. Okay, it's a race through the desert to reach the green place. Three quarters of the movie are a breathtaking escape. Then they reach the salt flats, realize the green place is no more, and while she wants to push East, he convinces her in one sentence to return to where they came from and take over the empire. Three warriors and a few pretty girls, half naked, with no skills, driving a big rig through three entire armies of raging lunatics? I didn't buy it. I didn't find their victory at the end believable. Nope. That was a let down.
At times I wished for an opportunity for the two main characters to express their affection and respect for each other. There would have been room for some caring. What I did believe though, was him walking away after the victory and leaving her in charge. Mad Max cannot be tied down. But then again, this Mad Max was way too sane and even tempered for his own world.
Still very much worth seeing.
Vijaya Schartz, author of sci-fi romance with a kick
Friday, July 3, 2015
Independence Day for America (and Browncoats)
As we pause to celebrate our independence from the British in 1776 ('MERICA!!) there's another Independence Day sci-fi romance fans know about ala the TV show Firefly.
The Browncoats (rebels) fight with the Alliance (Chinese and American behemoth) in the year 2511. As we know, the Alliance won, but the Browncoats didn't just fade away. Some went off to live on the edges of space and make their way in the frontier of space.
Firefly doesn't go into real depth of the actual battle--though we get a few flashbacks here and there--but there's news we might get a real 'behind-the-scenes' look at what motivates Malcolm and Zoe. A group is making a not-for profit film of the war!
Check out the website info:
Synopsis
"It is April in the year 2511. For 6 months, sixteen combat brigades of the Independence Army had held off an Alliance assault on the planet Hera.
After fighting for months, the final battle of the war begins. This film deals with several squads of the 5th Battalion of the 76th Combat Brigade. The soldiers are tasked with a dangerous mission: evacuate civilian refugees who have been caught in the Valley before they are all killed by the inevitable Alliance assault."
About the project
"Browncoats: Independence War is a not for profit fan film inspired by the universe created in the Joss Whedon show "Firefly". It is a labor of love by a group of "Browncoats" that span both northern and southern California, though the epicenter of the project is California's Silicon Valley. It is a not-for-profit production designed for contests, festivals, and fan conventions."
No Longer a short ... this is now a feature film!
"Originally it was planned to be a 25 minute short, but as the cast and crew worked hard on it for months, it expanded into a full length feature film. We are so close to the minimum running time of a full length feature that we decided to go for it and put back in the wonderful scenes that were initially cut out of the script for the sake of length. Several crowdsourcing campaigns were amazingly successful and the production is working hard to complete the project while keeping quality and standards high."
How cool is this???? Looks like the film is in post-production, so connect with the website and Facebook page to keep abreast of a release date:
http://www.browncoatsuniverse.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BrowncoatsIndependenceWar
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