Last week in The Lodestar I asked you, the readers, to let me know about your favorite “science fiction music.” And I got a lot of terrific responses. The best was from Matt H., who politely criticized my request. “Do you mean best music from sci-fi or about sci-fi?”

I tried to play it cool and told Matt I was deliberately ambiguous in hope of getting the widest variety of responses. I think he bought it.

Anyway, Matt and another reader, Claudio A., voted for Vangelis’s score from Blade Runner, which is a terrific pick and reminded me of a fun story.

Some years ago, my father, a one-time a professional musician, decided that he was going to fulfill a dream and throw down some serious coin for high-end stereo speakers. I accompanied him to a nearby store, whereupon a salesperson sat us in a room with a warm tone, wheeling in and out different models. There were a few test discs there, but my father brought about five or so records (mostly jazz, but also Stevie Wonder), and I decided to help by bringing a CD. One CD. The then-new and long-awaited 1994 soundtrack release of Ridley Scott’s 1982 sci-fi masterpiece, Blade Runner.

The people at the shop left us alone as my old man tapped his toe to Art Tatum, Erroll Garner, and Stan Getz. Then I got up and put on Vangelis’s sci-fi masterpiece and its opening track with a not-particularly-sexy name (“Main Titles”) and cranked it. The foreboding chords, mumbled dialogue, skeuomorphic computer clicks, and striking glissando of synthesized koto strings changed the temperature of the room.

Other people in the store popped their heads in. By the time we got to the propulsive, Steve Roach-ian rhythms of “Blush Response,” every comfy chair in there was occupied, and the salesperson had dimmed the lights. Finally someone asked “what is this?”

Naturally, I was eager to explain what it was, and also to offer a précis on the film (with its various cuts) for those who had not seen it. I may have sold a few trips to the Blockbuster that day, while my father was sold on the fancy Bowers & Wilkins speakers he still uses today.

The enthusiasm of sharing something from the sci-fi world to someone genuinely asking “what is this?” remains one of STARLOG’s primary missions. There are still some out there who’d never think to isolate a film score and listen to it on its own. Celebrating great work and all of its component parts plays a big part of what STARLOG has always done. And will continue to do.

And thanks to you I am collecting a great list of music from and also about sci-fi. Keep sending me suggestions, because I’m gonna spring something on you next week once I have a few more.

Jordan Hoffman, Communications Officer

Another interesting thing in the magazine is how Miller promotes the upcoming slate, excited about movies like Watcher in the Woods, Midnight Madness, and others that didn’t really catch on. He also mentions a live-action Snow White idea (called Snow Star) that was never realized, showing that he was a little ahead of the curve. You can listen along as Dave and I discuss The Black Hole on the recent STARLOG Podcast.

Black holes have been at the center (har har) of so many great sci-fi stories. But how many of us actually understand them? I confess that my knowledge is limited to “if one is in your path, go the other way.”

Luckily, Professor Scott A. Hughes of M.I.T. knows a lot more. He’s been studying them and publishing celebrated papers on the topic for many years, and was generous enough to share some of his expertise on this week’s STARLOG Podcast. (No, you do not accrue college credit for tuning in.)

If you listen to this week’s episode you will understand more about gravitational waves and what the geniuses behind the LIGO and LISA projects have in store for us.

Additionally, Professor Hughes shared that life does indeed exist outside of the lab, and shared some enthusiasm he has for the great progressive rock band Rush. No, it does not shatter any stereotypes that a leading astrophysicist should also be fond of the nerdiest of all nerd bands, but his take on the group is, like his area of study, singular.

You gotta listen, and be sure to subscribe to get new episodes of The STARLOG Podcast on whatever podcasting platform you prefer.

SCI-FI

Na Hong-Jin’s sci-fi creature feature Hope was among the most wildly received new movies at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The trailer is now out in advance of its September release. It doesn’t give away too much. Check it out here.

SCIENCE

China’s space agency achieved a major victory recently, but has been keeping it to themselves. It is known that a probe named Tianwen-2 successfully landed on one of Earth’s small “quasi-moons,” the first time a spacecraft has made close contact with something so small. However, other than one image, the CNSA isn’t offering any other intel. It’s probably nothing, or maybe the probe disturbed an alien life force about to come eat us all. Read more here.

CULTURE

Super7, which makes some of the finer dolls collectible action figures on the market is back with all three Beastie Boys decked out in their “Intergalactic” gear. Do you really need all three? Yes, of course you do. Check-che-check-check-check-che-check it out.

ETHICS

X’s AI tool, Grok, has a translation function. Surely nothing would go wrong, right? Read more here.