In Favour of a Certain Type

I don’t have many celebrity crushes. I think I’m too aware of not always getting what you see, especially with actors. Characters on the other hand… yeah, I crush on plenty of imaginary people. And they tend to have certain things in common.

The earliest crush I remember having is the Master. The perfect foil to Who’s Doctor, he was clever and witty, with a serving of snark for good measure. He was also a good antidote to the Doctor’s sometimes sanctimonious attitude. Because I’m Old School Who, my favourite incarnation of the Master is Roger Delgado, the first actor to portray him. Roger’s performances are fabulous, mixing charm with icy determination to create a villain audiences love to hate.

Moving on from the Master and Doctor Who, I was a fan of Buffy. My level of fan cranked up with the arrival of Spike. Though bleached blond hair doesn’t usually do anything for me, Spike’s blunt Britishness definitely appealed. He was almost constantly irritated and I loved that. Then there was the snark and a penchant for a long leather coat.

I don’t know why, but those things combined make my lady parts fizz.

Which leads me onto my next crush, and boy was this a biggun. Captain Bialar Crais. From the moment he stalked onto the bridge of his ship, I was a gonner. And then he spoke. Dear heaven, but that accent is sexy. He’d a lot of the things I liked going on actually – coat, accent, attitude, darkly exotic looks. And then the writers gave Crais a Tragic Backstory. His arc is probably one of the best in sci fi. He goes from manic villain through calculating ally to redeemed hero. Twelve years on and I’m still not over his rude exit.

Crais was the first character to interest me enough to write about. Doing that involved reading interviews with actor Lani Tupu, and the more I read, the more my crush grew to encompass him as well as the character. When there was a chance to meet him, I dived at it, even though it meant travelling all the way to Los Angeles. On my own. But it also meant having the opportunity to chat and he was as lovely as I expected him to be. I still follow him on Facebook.

The other sci fi show I was into at the same time as Farscape, was Stargate SG-1. Not having the same emotional attachment (I was in love with Crais and have never watched beyond his death), I’ve rewatched the whole thing over and over. I guess that’s how it started. The clue should have been in finding the later episodes more appealing, but it literally didn’t hit me until Samantha Carter hit him. I can’t even tell you how many times I’d seen The Quest before, but this one day, watching Baal sprawl in the dirt with a bloodied nose, something clicked.

Going back over older episodes, there were indicators as to why – he fitted the Certain Type. Heck, Baal embodied the Certain Type. Darkly handsome, witty, intelligent, snarky as hell, penchant for leather and destruction. When I caught Ex Deus Machina for the first time, with the building that was actually a bomb (literally – the walls were imbued with explosives), I was lost.

Baal is a really fun villain to watch. He has moments of utter genius (see above) and ones where I wonder what the heck he’s thinking. As he becomes a sort of ally to SG-1, he develops a skewed sense of humour and the ability to go about the right thing completely the wrong way. Trying to unify the Jaffa by brainwashing members sticks out fairly well as an example. Even in the post-series movie Continuum, his main reason for subjegating Earth was to save it from the rest of the Goa’uld System Lords.

The way Cliff Simon played him is incredible. I rewatch and rewatch and still find new layers. EDM was on just the other day and I realised the Baal clone goads the Jaffa into killing him because that was always going to be the end result and that way he’s not being tortured into giving answers.

That clearly indicates I’m not over this crush yet. I doubt I ever will be.

Rewriting Angels

Happy New Year! January 1st is such a day of hopes and dreams, and I hope that some of yours come into reality this year. Of course, they might need a little helping along – I don’t think you ought to wait for them, I think you should chase after… with a club if necessary!

Personally, I’m starting 2014 as I mean to go on – celebrating an imminent release. After nearly two years in drafts and endless edits, ARCHANGEL comes out Monday 6th January.

I didn’t set out to write a story about angels. It was March 31st, 2012 and the Twitterverse was buzzing about ScriptFrenzy, a month-long challenge hosted by the same people that bring the world NaNoWriMo every November (ScriptFrenzy no longer runs, but has been replaced by Camp NaNo). I’d no idea. None. Okay, well the vaguest inclination to write an urban fantasy with a “different” kind of supernatural element, but nothing concrete.

Vampires? Done that. Wolves? Done to death. Ghosts? Meh. Angels? Hmm, wait.

There’s an NCIS: LA episode called “Archangel”. It’s not about angels. At all. It does, however, feature my TV crush, so I’d seen it. Fairly recently, in fact. He played a mercenary and my brain started down the “what if” rabbit hole. I didn’t want a hero. Heroes are dull. But an antihero? With an attitude and a tendency to shoot first and ask questions later? That I wanted. And so Gabriel Kemp was born.

Gabe is probably the least angelic angel you can imagine. A tough upbringing made him into a tough human being, and getting divine powers doesn’t change that. He’s a crook skimming through life with little interest in it. Responsibilities are something to avoid, problems are things to be shot. He’s no belief in heaven or hell, or even himself.

Most of that came from my own determination to write something other. Angels are usually pure and powerful, messengers of love and peace. Tidings of great joy and all that. Of the words I found to apply to angels, only one stuck for Gabe – protective. That realisation amused me so much, I used it to create the logline.

Patient. Merciful. Protective… One out of three ain’t bad.

That’s not just descriptive of Gabe, but of his attitude. Although he has no faith, he’s not without hope. He’s not quite as carefree as he pretends, but there is something transient about his soul. He’s looking for a place to be, and someone who’ll accept him as he is.

I think, to a large degree, that can be said of a lot of us.

It took me just twenty days to write the rough draft of ARCHANGEL and it was a wild ride. Most of the time I’d literally no idea what my next sentence was going to be. I wrote in first person and simply surrendered the reins to Gabe. He became very, very real and is still a character I love to death.

That’s probably down to the person I wrote the script for. I’d a very definite idea of who should play Gabe, and the story is largely a love letter to him. I even approached him for the cover, but costs proved to be prohibitive. Instead he gets the dedication.

Cliff Simon, as Jans Christian Kemp in NCIS: LA “Archangel”

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Misa Buckley is a sci fi geek who escapes the crazy of raising five children by creating imaginary characters who experience adventure, romance and really hot sex on their way to a happily-ever-after. You can keep up to date with Misa’s latest news by following her on Twitter or at her website.

Under the Misa’ltoe

What?

So we’re blogging about Christmas traditions. As a family of seven (yes, shut up) we’ve adapted our traditions as the years have gone by and the children have gotten older. A few things have stayed the same, like I’ll do the dinner at midday, before they have chance to gorge themselves on chocolate. But we tend to forgo the normal Christmas food – last year was the first we got anywhere close to eating turkey, as we had four bird roast.

Christmas mornings start later, thank goodness. We get up and first order of the day is presents. My OH and myself haven’t really bought for each other, but Christmas is about children and not adults in my opinion. Once the living room resembles an explosion in a wrapping paper factory, I’ll ring my parents and have a natter. Then it’s organising lunch and fielding questions on how the new toys work.

Afternoons are for chilling – Christmas television and wine, eventually thinking about what to eat later. Since 2005, roughly six o’clock means a Doctor Who special, which is pretty much my highlight. It will be this year, as I say a tearful ‘goodbye’ to Matt Smith and welcome Peter Capaldi (woot!)

Then it’s more TV and buffet food. I decided many years ago that I’d go for easy options rather than trying to stick to the usual traditions, and as a whole that tactic has worked. We have a quiet family day with very little stress. And I think that’s exactly as it should be.

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Misa Buckley is a sci fi geek who escapes the crazy of raising five children by creating imaginary characters who experience adventure, romance and really hot sex on their way to a happily-ever-after. You can keep up to date with Misa’s latest news by following her on Twitter or at her website.

We’ll Always Have Paris

Set during World War II, Casablanca focuses on a man torn between, in the words of one character, “love and virtue” – Rick’s choice being his love for Ilsa or aiding her and husband Victor to escape and continue their fight against the Nazis.

As love stories go, Casablanca is one of the most famous, but yet does not have the romance-novel-required happy ending. At least, not between lovers Rick and Ilsa. Instead, we’re given a story where love is sacrificed for the greater good, the characters having to settle for their memories.

These days, the heroine leaving the husband she doesn’t truly love isn’t so much the problem it was when Casablanca was first released. Certainly in romantic fiction the hero and heroine have to be together. But is gaining a happy ending worth losing the pathos of the story? Personally I think not. Ilsa made a vow to Victor, one that Rick knew she’d regret breaking if she stayed with him.

Having said that, if I were to write a story inspired by Casablanca, my ending would certainly be different. 😉

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Misa Buckley is a sci fi geek who escapes the crazy of raising five children by creating imaginary characters who experience adventure, romance and really hot sex on their way to a happily-ever-after. You can keep up to date with Misa’s latest news by following her on Twitter or at her website.

Hiding Behind the Sofa

*stands up* Hello, my name is Misa, and I’m a complete wuss. I hate horror, and that is going to make talking about it very hard.

I’ve never been one for frights. Doctor Who used to scare me (still does on occasion – Weeping Angels, anyone?) and I’ve never seen a horror movie in my life. Oh, except Final Destination, but that’s so preposterous I spent more time giggling than being remotely scared.

Jurassic Park, on the other hand, terrified the willies out of me.

All this leaves me casting about for a subject. My favourite “scary” movies are The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Corpse Bride and Coraline. I’m currently listening to the audio version of Neverwhere (easily my favourite Gaiman book).

Not, you have to admit, stuff that’s going to keep you awake at night.

I think my problem with modern horror is that it seems to equate to blood and guts. I don’t find that scary, just disgusting. The things that creep me out are subtler, more ordinary. An unlit street is frightening because of what lies unseen in the shadows. Masks hide faces and therefore intentions (make up also does this to an extent, which is why I’m terrified of clowns). Things that seem to move when you’re not looking, like stone angels or store window dummies.

I do like being creeped out rather than outright terrified. I like being able to sleep at night. So, no, you won’t find me queuing for the latest shock-horror-gore fest opening at the theatre, but you will find me watching the Doctor battle normal every-day objects turned bad by the twisted imagination of the writers.

Even if that is from behind the sofa.

The Dichotomy of Misa

If I could live in another time… well, you’d think it’d be the future and in a way you’d be right.

As a Trekker, I think the place to live would be Deep Space Nine (it’d be Babylon 5, except for the Shadows). There are planets to explore, a wormhole on the doorstep and, when I was feeling flush, Quark’s casino.

Plus I’d absolutely love to meet all the varying aliens and learning about their cultures. Not sure I’d try any gagh though!

But I’m a tricky beast and the future isn’t the only time that fascinates me. Part of me is drawn to the past, to the adventure of the Wild West, but there’s also the lure of Victorian England, with its smog-bound cities and huge leaps in industrial technology.

Yet scratch not all that deep and you’ll find the heart of a romantic raised on Jane Austin and the Bronte sisters. Perhaps not the best period for a forward-thinking woman that sucks at being ladylike, but the idea of being wooed, of balls and horse-drawn carriages appeals mightily.

But I suppose that, if I had to choose…

Between the past…

And the future…

Then I simply wouldn’t choose at all.

A Byte of Data

As a fan of Star Trek (all flavours, though Voyager isn’t a must watch), I was entranced by Data. The first android to be allowed into Star Fleet, there were several episodes that dealt with identity and what it means to be human. As much as the Enterprise‘s mission was to seek out new life, it was frequently argue that Data himself was a new form of life.

There are two episodes in particular that highlight, for me, Data’s budding humanity. In The Naked Now, Data’s friendship with Tasha Yar is put under the spotlight. With Tasha infected by an alien virus, he attempt to seduce Data, resulting in what is probably a famous statement from Data – that is he fully functional. Though the doors are shut on what happens next, the assumption is that he is indeed and that he and Tasha are intimate.

The second episode I love is Déjà Q, in which the troublesome omnipotent being is stripped of his power and strikes up an odd friendship with the android. When Q is restored to the Continuum, he repays Data’s saving his life by gifting him with being able to laugh.

Later episodes develop Data’s humanity further, showing him picking up hobbies such a painting and playing the violin, as well as acquiring a cat he names “Spot”.

Serial Lover

Give me a good series done right and I will love you forever. Getting lost in a book is one thing, to get lost in a whole different is something else; special. Classic ones like the Belgariad and Pern are ones I love to reread, like revisiting an old friend. But I like making new ones as well.

The Alien series by Gini Koch. An automatic buy, though I’m somewhat behind. I love its contemporary feel mixed with sci fi, its kick-ass heroine and the encompassing story arc. I do struggle with the more political ones, but that’s me.

The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne. Another must-buy. This series is urban fantasy and throws just about every mythology in the mix. I love Atticus, but more I adore (as do most readers I think) his talking dog Oberon. The magic system is solid, the writing crisp and witty, and the plethora of gods somewhat mind-boggling. Fun, fun, fun.

Allison Pang’s Abby Sinclair series is another urban fantasy I’m getting into, along with Zoe Archer’s Blades of the Rose. I read and loved Chuck Wendig’s Blackbirds and ache to read Mockingbird. I still love reading stand-alones, but I have to admit to being a serial lover.

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Misa Buckley is a sci fi geek who escapes the crazy of raising five children by creating imaginary characters who experience adventure, romance and really hot sex on their way to a happily-ever-after. You can keep up to date with Misa’s latest news by following her on Twitter or at her website.

Timesink Twitter

My name is Misa, and I’m a Twitter-oholic.

All joking aside, I do spend far too much time on Twitter. I’ve tried to lessen how many hours I whittle away, but it seems impossible.

My problem stems from the fact that all my friends are ones I’ve met online. I’m not an overly sociable person unless I’m in an environment I feel comfortable. That comes down to fan conventions and writer meets. Since there are no writers’ groups nearby, I rely on social media. Sad, perhaps, but true.

On top of that, the decrepit laptop I use to access the internet has decided it can’t run IM programs. I can get on Skype if I close everything else, but I’ve few contacts on there. So I chat on Twitter instead.

Twitter makes the world smaller, brings friends closer and allows you to interact with celebrities.

Cliff Simon responds to a question in his own unique style. 😀

See?

However, Twitter isn’t free of faults, and just this week there was a demand for the addition of an abuse button. I don’t believe that social media encourages such behaviour – those with discriminatory opinions would have had them beforehand – but it does make interactions seem remote. It’s important to police such responses to keep users safe.

And regardless as to the problems, I can’t imagine that I’ll be giving up Twitter any time soon.

My Sarah Jane

I grew up watching Doctor Who and Sarah Jane Smith was my hero. Therefore writing this article is bittersweet, bringing back happy memories of watching Sarah Jane’s adventures and the sad knowledge there’ll be no more (actress Elisabeth Sladen died April 2011, after a short battle with cancer

For those who are new Whovians, Sarah Jane was a feisty, independent young woman who didn’t fall in love with the Doctor. In fact she was his best friend before Donna, and the two characters are very similar in that both stood up to the him.

Given Sarah Jane was around in the early ’70s, this was a pretty big deal. Gone were the stereotypical helpless damsel in distress – Sarah Jane often got herself and the Doctor out of danger.

Of course, Elisabeth appeared in the new series alongside David Tennant and Matt Smith, as well as having her own show. Here, Sarah Jane investigated alien threats while raising an adopted son. She was shown to be nurturing and loving, and she always gave the aliens an “out”. However, if they didn’t accept this (which was more often than not

she wouldn’t hesitate to remove the threat by any means possible.

Like her character, Elisabeth was a strong woman. Few knew about her cancer and she gave no sign of suffering on-screen. That made her death a sudden shock that rippled beyond the Who fandom, making news headlines. I was greatly saddened and part of me still cannot believe she’s gone. Then again, in a very real way she’s still with us.

The poignient end title of the last Sarah Jane’s Adventures