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IO9 on Daybreakers: “Written and directed by the Spierig brothers, Daybreakers is a welcome reminder that the vampire legend is a versatile one, and overlaps nicely with many themes in contemporary science fiction. The Spierigs have a background in visual effects, and it shows in their careful worldbuilding of a city in 2019 where almost everybody is a night-dweller. Gleaming skyscrapers are connected by webs of covered walkways; the “subwalk” system coils beneath abandoned daylight streets. Cars have been fitted with webcam systems that allow people to drive via roof-mounted cameras with the windows blacked out. Indeed, all mirrors are replaced with webcams so the non-reflecting vamps can check themselves out. It’s a cyberpunk vampire scenario, with all the awesomeness and camp that epithet implies. If you’re suffering from Twilight Fatigue Syndrome (TFS), this gritty, unromantic tale will be a welcome break.” What takes me to the next point. The above commentary and a moderately decent Rotten Tomatoes score is all I need to be eager, and I mean premiere-day eager, to happily hand you 8 euros of my cash and watch your film in a movie theater as the gods of Capitalism intended. But I must say, dear Lionsgate and Dimension films, dear DeAPlaneta and Wide Pictures (Spanish distributors of Daybreakers and The Road respectively) that, by waiting TWO MONTHS to show the films in my country, you’re forcing me to ilegally download your movies and spend my money in Rapidshare monthly fees instead. I know this phenomenon is related to the fact that the performance of a movie in a major market (like the US) will probably reflect in the smaller ones. So is safer for the companies to wait and see. But… two fucking months? Guys, you need to move faster, and be more daring. Times are a-changin’!

IO9 on Daybreakers:

“Written and directed by the Spierig brothers, Daybreakers is a welcome reminder that the vampire legend is a versatile one, and overlaps nicely with many themes in contemporary science fiction. The Spierigs have a background in visual effects, and it shows in their careful worldbuilding of a city in 2019 where almost everybody is a night-dweller. Gleaming skyscrapers are connected by webs of covered walkways; the “subwalk” system coils beneath abandoned daylight streets. Cars have been fitted with webcam systems that allow people to drive via roof-mounted cameras with the windows blacked out. Indeed, all mirrors are replaced with webcams so the non-reflecting vamps can check themselves out. It’s a cyberpunk vampire scenario, with all the awesomeness and camp that epithet implies.

If you’re suffering from Twilight Fatigue Syndrome (TFS), this gritty, unromantic tale will be a welcome break.”

What takes me to the next point.

The above commentary and a moderately decent Rotten Tomatoes score is all I need to be eager, and I mean premiere-day eager, to happily hand you 8 euros of my cash and watch your film in a movie theater as the gods of Capitalism intended.

But I must say, dear Lionsgate and Dimension films, dear DeAPlaneta and Wide Pictures (Spanish distributors of Daybreakers and The Road respectively) that, by waiting TWO MONTHS to show the films in my country, you’re forcing me to ilegally download your movies and spend my money in Rapidshare monthly fees instead.

I know this phenomenon is related to the fact that the performance of a movie in a major market (like the US) will probably reflect in the smaller ones. So is safer for the companies to wait and see. But… two fucking months? Guys, you need to move faster, and be more daring. Times are a-changin’!

Otra raza joven

-Me hallo nuevamente despierto -dijo ensoñadoramente Enjambre-. Me complace ver que no hay ninguna emergencia importante que me preocupe. En cambio, ésta es una amenaza que se ha convertido casi en rutina. -Vaciló delicadamente. El cuerpo de Mirny se agitó un poco en el aire; su respiración era inhumanamente regular. Los ojos se abrieron y se cerraron-. Otra raza joven.

-¿Qué eres?

-Soy el Enjambre. Es decir, soy una de sus castas. Soy una herramienta, una adaptación; mi especialidad es la inteligencia. No se me necesita a menudo. Es bueno volver a ser necesario.

-¿Has estado aquí todo el tiempo? ¿Por qué no nos saludaste? Habríamos tratado contigo. No pretendíamos hacer ningún daño.

La boca húmeda al extremo de la espita emitió una risa.

-Como a ti mismo, me gusta la ironía -dijo-. Te has visto metido en una pequeña trampa, doctor capitán. Pretendías que el Enjambre trabajara para ti y tu raza. Pretendías criarnos y estudiamos y utilizarnos. Es un plan excelente, pero ya lo pensamos mucho antes de que tu raza evolucionara.

Asaltada por el pánico, la mente de Afriel se disparó frenéticamente.

-Eres un ser inteligente -dijo-. No hay motivo para que nos hagamos daño. Hablemos. Podemos ayudarte.

-Sí -accedió Enjambre-. Será una ayuda. Los recuerdos de tu compañera me dicen que éste es uno de esos incómodos períodos en que la inteligencia galáctica es abundante. La inteligencia es una gran molestia. Nos crea todo tipo de problemas.

-¿Qué quieres decir?

-Vosotros sois una raza joven y dais mucha importancia a vuestra astucia -dijo Enjambre-, Como siempre, no veis que la inteligencia no es un rasgo de supervivencia.

Afriel se secó el sudor de la frente.

-Lo hemos hecho bien -dijo-. Vinimos a vosotros, y pacíficamente. Vosotros no vinisteis a nosotros.

-A eso exactamente me refiero -dijo educadamente Enjambre-. Esa urgencia por expandiros, por explorar, por desarrollaros, es lo que os extinguirá. Suponéis ingenuamente que podéis continuar aumentando indefinidamente vuestra curiosidad. Es una larga historia, ejecutada por incontables razas antes que vosotros. Dentro de un millar de años, tal vez un poco más, vuestra especie desaparecerá.

Extraído de “Enjambre”, uno de los relatos de Crystal Express de Bruce Sterling. Creo que es de mis pasajes favoritos de toda la ciencia ficción.