Science Fiction in your neighborhood

[Who's Wee Dug]

Originally Posted by Ru Pringle

Hmm. Can't think of anything based in the Western Isles. The closest I can come to is film, The Wicker Man (which I think was one of the Inner Hebrides?)

The film Whisky Galore was filmed in and around Barra ,adapted from the the sinking of the SS Politician which ran aground on the rocks of Eriskay in 1941 laden with Whisky and not a dram to be had on the Island. (which is in the Outer Hebrides.)Slainte

[Sassee]

Not Sci-Fi, but Carrie Vaughn's "Kitty and the Midnight Hour" (urban fantasy) is based in Denver. I'm about 10 minutes outside of the city so it's fun reading about an area that's familiar to me.

[Montero]

Simon R Green "Drinking Midnight Wine" is set in Bradford-on-Avon where he lives. I went to school there for a few years and he really captures the feel and look of the place. I found it rather funny that the train station where I used to arrive every morning gets totally trashed. Bradford-on-Avon certainly at the centre is a very pretty place - Bath stone houses up a hillside, small park beside a river, medieval shopping street, medieval stone bridge, all rather neat, middle class look, conservation areas and the idea of it being the surreptitious home of all these dark fantasy characters is gorgeous.

Jasper Fforde's The Big Over Easy is set in Reading and he partially cites real places and also adds on bits. He doesn't go in for much description of place, but what he mentions is accurate (where not made up). Having lived in Reading I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more description of Reading in the book.

On holiday in Yorkshire years ago came to Asygarth Falls (think I'm getting the name right) and suddenly recognised it as where Little John fights Robin of Loxley in Kevin Costner's version. Very careful camera angles were used to leave out the picnic area

[pyan]

Originally Posted by Montero

On holiday in Yorkshire years ago came to Asygarth Falls (think I'm getting the name right) and suddenly recognised it as where Little John fights Robin of Loxley in Kevin Costner's version. Very careful camera angles were used to leave out the picnic area

Yes, that's the film where he lands on the South Coast, and travels to Nottingham via Hadrian's Wall......

[Montero]

Mind you, I do like that film - its a right romp, especially the extras - seems to me when all the merry men and women are sounding forth saying fruity things in country accents that Costner has problems keeping a straight face.

I thought of another book in a place I know - Paul Cornell, British Summer Time is set in Bath. Does a very good job of giving the feel and look of the city and there is a key plot point that is partially revealed by the architecture of the west front of Bath Abbey - full points there. Great book all round that one. Couldn't help wondering if he thought of said plot point while sitting in the square out the front of the Abbey.

[UltraCulture]

I'm sure that in British Summertime they visited a cave in Derbyshire albeit briefly, could be wrong though.

[Montero]

Yes - the best friend of the female main character is working in a cave excavation in Derbyshire at the start of the book. The cave also makes an appearance later in the book.

The book is approximately 80% in Bath, with surrounding countryside, the Derbyshire cave and flashbacks to Biblical period Israel accounting for the rest.

[Sire Of Dragons]

I used to live in a town up in Northern NY.

The closest thing that came to me was when the new Star Wars were being made one of our factories was called upon with a contract for building the new R2D2 model.

One of the Sleepy Hollow movies was based in a town not far from there as well.

Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) is from another town not but a few minutes outside the area.

I was surprised more sci-fi or military mysteries didn't hit our area since the military base there has seemingly been used more in the last 20 years than any other.

We also have a lot of old American war history up that way.

[lin robinson]

I'm still waiting for somebody who has a hotdog stand on Zanzibar.