Searching for Patterns in the Chaos...

Project Argus @ Blogspot

It's been very quiet around this community; alas, save for one entry, the admin is the only one posting.
So, hoping to reach a wider audience, I've moved to blogger.com. Through this host, blogs are more accessible to non-members, customization of the site is quicker and easier, and navigation allows it to stand on its own moreso. All the material featured here is re-posted to the new blog. I will update there more frequently, occasionally making review posts to this community of what has been shared, as to keep it semi-active, should new fans find their way. But please, if there would be more community interaction here, let it be so! Don't hesitate to post your own introductions, findings, et cetera. Though in lack of this, I will maintain that singular blog.
So if you're just following this community, head over to Project Argus @ Blogspot and bookmark it! And/or email project_argus @ yahoo dot com with whatever you would like to go on the blog.
Hope to hear from you, either here or there!

Project Argus @ Blogspot

Some time ago I came across a superb fanmix by absinthe_spoons, dedicated to the "Prison Break" character Alexander Mahone (played by William Fichtner, who is none other than Dr. Kent Clark). It has inspired me to make a playlist, this one for Ellie Arroway.
All songs were found on my own iPod, and here I provide select lyrics and notations regarding song interpretation and relevance to Ellie. (Note: The S.S. Ellie/Kent leaves its wake in my perceptions.)

18 Tracks For 18 Hours -- An Ellie Arroway Playlist
Available for download via deviantART, in two parts:

Tracks I-IX, Tracks X-XVIII.

( Track Notations...Collapse )

I hope you enjoy; let me know what you think!
And if you have ideas for other fanmixes- additional songs, etc- post them!

Note: Also posted to Project Argus @ Blogspot.

Some time ago I put together the "Contact" moodtheme for my personal Livejournal as well as this community. Finally, I figured out how to share it online--



The above image is linked to the host site, my account on deviantART. Click on the 'download' button in the left-hand column to receive the zip folder containing the 132 images for the given LJ entry moods.
Please credit babitzka when using. Enjoy!

Note: Also posted to Project Argus @ Blogspot.

The website for Carl Sagan is one of my most beautiful pages I've ever visited, from the graphics to the music that plays in the background.
I've made a small set of 100x100 icons featuring some of the said graphics, including an endearing photograph of Carl swimming as a child, which Anne Druyan shared in her December 2006 blog post:




If you use them, do leave a comment, and please credit babitzka. Thank you, and enjoy!
Cross-posted to my personal journal, as well as saganliveson.

Last semester I took Astronomy 103 at University of Wisconsin-Madison, and for an extra credit assignment, the professor prompted us with: "Write a 2 page review of the SCIENCE in the movies "Contact" or "Deep impact". Note where the science is good and where bad. (Up to 20 points possible)"
Needless to say I picked Contact, and went a bit overboard with a four page paper. Though I can argue it was around 2 pages single-spaced-- the word count is 1,216. But the full 20 points were still awarded! I've been meaning to post this for a while to contribute to community activity; I really hope for more interaction!

So without further ado, I present ( The Science of 'Contact'Collapse )

Does anyone else have some scientific info they can share regarding the film adaptation, or even the original novel? I wrote this in one night approaching the deadline (I am quite the procrastinator) and I'm sure there can be elaborations.
Best wishes!

Any Livejournaling Contact fans needs a few good icons.
Here I direct you to dork_icons's amazing collection, numbering 132 in all: Click here!.
The same user has uploaded 402 screencaps of the movie as well, here! It is a wonderful resource; I used many of the images to create the moodtheme.
Be sure to comment and credit.

In this graphics post I'd also like to share two widescreen desktops I made, featuring Ellie at the canyon, and astrophotography:


I hope you enjoy! And please, all members are more than welcome to share any graphics they might put together. =)

Here I present "Le Petit Homme Vert," a Contact/The Little Prince crossover fanfiction I have just completed. I hope you enjoy it!

Title: ““Le Petit Homme Vert” (The Little Green Man)
Author: Abby N, babitzka
Rating: G
Disclaimer: This is a cross-over fanfiction, based upon the book “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and Robert Zemeckis’ film “Contact,” which is adapted from Carl Sagan’s novel of the same name. The characters are property of their respective authors; No profit is being made from this story.
Summary: When the Little Prince returns to planet Earth, he finds himself in the desert once again-- but it is not the desert he is familiar with. In the course of his wandering, he meets two astronomers, Doctors Kent Clark and Ellie Arroway.
Author’s Notes: This fanfiction is based in the world of the film “Contact.” I am familiar with the novel, and there are a few details from it included, but the movie still remains my favorite- particularly because of the character Dr. Kent Clark, whom I adore, and is subsequently present in this story. The narration takes place within the span of the 4 years after Ellie and her team move to the VLA, before the reception of The Message. My interpretation of the Little Prince is based upon the original novel, and of the French musical adaptation by Richard Cocciante. Quotes from both fictions are scattered throughout.
Dedication: For Drew, ipyronix, a wonderful friend and fellow writer, without whom my enthusiasm for writing would hardly be what it is today, and who also puts up with the most extreme of my fangirling.

( "I wonder, might the stars sound like wells with squeaky pulleys?" )

Here I present links to two variations of the script for the film "Contact":

http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Contact.html This first one is dated 1995 and compares more to the original novel, most notably featuring Peter Valerian. We also see the character of Kent, directly based and named after (in this draft) on real life SETI astronomer Kent Cullers. It also includes the pendulum scene with Ellie and Palmer. This script is a very good read; any fan will enjoy seeing more of the story's transition from page to screen.

http://www.scifiscripts.com/msol/contact.txt Here is the direct transcript from the movie. The formatting on the page is off in some spots, with just a few discrepancies in the text concerning action but overall it serves as a good reference for quotes, especially for fanfiction writers like myself.

Enjoy!

I came across this fanfiction a week or so ago, while conducting my (usually fruitless) search for Contact fic.

"Extraordinary Claims" by alligatorade
A 'Doctor Who' Fanfiction
"The Doctor's not sure whether he wants to give or get a bit of solace, so he opts for a little of both. Misery loves company, but then so does good cheer. Takes place after 'Journey's End.' Characters are 10th Doctor and Carl Sagan."


If you are just a bit familiar with Doctor Who, I can say you will certainly enjoy this good little fic.

Hello all! Thought I'd post a "Contact" crossover fic that I wrote...hope you enjoy!

Title: Circumvention:  A Torchwood/Contact crossover
Characters: Ianto, Jack, mentions of David Drumlin and others
Rating: G
Summary: This story is a retelling of the events at the Arecibo Observatory, days before David Drumlin cuts the funding for Kent and Ellie's SETI program.
Here, I used the BBC's scifi drama 'Torchwood' as the catalyst for Drumlin's decision, as Torchwood (made up of Suzie Costello- a conniving weapon's specialist, Owen Harper, a cynical and hotheaded medical officer, Toshiko Sato, a brilliant tech genius, and two others, which I will get to in a minute) is a secret organization stationed to monitor a rift in time and space running through Cardiff, Wales.
Whenever something- anything, be it a sentient alien being, an outer-dimensional craft, or technology from another time or place slips through the rift, Torchwood is there to capture it, analyze it, and usually, destroy it at their base (the Hub) for the safety of humanity.
In this fic, Captain Jack Harkness, the arrogant, time-travelling leader of the Torchwood Institute, converses with Drumlin and convinces him to allow Torchwood to back Arecibo's funding cuts, in fear of the contact Ellie and friends may make will be instigated before it is meant to.
However, Jack does not wish to do his own dirty work, and turns the responsibility to Ianto Jones, Torchwood's sarcastic and humble receptionist.
Ianto is reluctant, and for good reason- he's had his own troubles with aliens-- his girlfriend Lisa was badly injured by a hostile alien race shortly before this story takes place.

Dedicated tobabitzka, who turned me on to "Contact".

 

( It's raining in Puerto Rico as well...Collapse )