Paul Levinson
Bio
Novels The Silk Code, The Plot To Save Socrates, It's Real Life: An Alternate History of The Beatles; LPs Twice Upon A Rhyme & Welcome Up; nonfiction The Soft Edge & Digital McLuhan, translated into 15 languages. Prof, Fordham Univ.
Stories (742)
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Review of 'Outlander' 4.12
A powerful episode 4.12 of Outlander, with the best line offered by Roger, who explains to the priest who "sinned" by sleeping with a Mohawk woman and fathering her child, that he (Roger) has traveled through time and space. I like that kind of talk in a time-travel story.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Brexit' (HBO 2019 Movie)
The new movie Brexit, released 13 days ago on HBO, provides some important lessons for America, in the parallels of what led to the Brexit win in the UK referendum and the election of Donald Trump President of the United States in the Electoral College. That difference—success in a straightforward plebiscite verses a complex and indirect electoral college, in addition to Trump's opponent winning the popular vote in the US—points to a crucial way in which the two exercises in democracy are not comparable. But let's look at the similarities, first.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in The Swamp
Review of 'The Orville' 2.6
That's the way episode 2.6 of The Orville ends—with Gene Kelly's dulcet rendition of "Singin' in the Rain," and rain actually falling over everyone in the command cabin, as Isaac and Claire walk off, a newly reunited couple, with Isaac in human simulation, to a restaurant to have dinner, and likely her bedroom after...
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'The Orville' 2.5
An outstanding episode 2.5 of The Orville last night, I'd say best of the season so far. It had everything you'd want from a starship making first contact, including a neat solution to the Star Trekian non-interference prime directive.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Anon'
Andrew Niccol's Gattaca in 1997 remains one of the surprise all-time best science fiction movies, surprise because Gattaca was Niccol's first. His follow-up, The Truman Show in 1998, was even more lionized by some, but I didn't like it nearly as much as Gattaca, which was stunning in its mix Brave New World totalitarian life and the yearning for space travel. I've seen some of Niccol's subsequent movies, but I honestly can't recall them.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Project Blue Book' 1.3
I'm continuing to enjoy Project Blue Book — a science fiction story based on some actual events. Along those lines, it would be a great twist if Hynek himself was an extraterrestrial, wouldn't it. Such a move would have about the same relationship to reality as most of the other high points in this series.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Counterpart' 2.6
Well, I was right when I said in my review of Counterpart 2.5 that there was only one Yanek in the present, because he had killed his counterpart. I was wrong that Emily was/is his daughter—though Mira, especially older, does look a lot like Emily. All of this in last night's Counterpart 2.6, plus at last a back story that tell us how the two worlds got here, and how the flu arose that wiped out so much of prime.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
