Welcome to Paradox "makes the future look intriguing"

August 18, 2013 11:48 AM

"To launch a science-fiction anthology series is to dare comparisons with The Twilight Zone. Happily, Welcome to Paradox is not unworthy to be mentioned in the same sentence as Rod Serling's classic show. The weekly dramas, all based on short stories, are set in Betaville [a nod to Jean-Luc Godard's 1965 dystopian sci-fi/noir film, Alphaville], a future city filled with ultrahigh technology and perennial human unhappiness.... Bottom Line: Makes the future look intriguing." The Sci-Fi channel only produced 13 episodes (archived view of their site; ep list on Wikipedia), letting the series end with one season. The show was only released on DVD in Australia, which now seems to be out of print. But fear not! You can watch the episodes on YouTube in a convenient playlist, or with separate episodes linked below the fold.

Ep 1- Our Lady of the Machine (part 1, part 2, part 3) original story by Alan Dean Foster
Ep 2- Research Alpha (part 1, part 2, part 3) original story written by James H. Shmitz, with A. E. van Vogt; PDF of the original short story
Ep 3- The Winner (part 1, part 2, part 3) original story written by Donal E. Westlake; short story online
Ep 4- News from D Street (part 1, part 2, part 3) original story written by Andrew Weiner; adapted by Miguel Tejada-Flores
Ep 5- The Girl Who Was Plugged In (part 1, part 2, part 3) original story written by James Tiptree, Jr.; novella online
Ep 6- The Extra (part 1, part 2, part 3) original story written by Greg Egan; short story online
Ep 7- Alien Jane (part 1, part 2, part 3) original story written by Kelley Eskridge; available in a PDF, or poorly formatted short story online
Ep 8- Hemeac (part 1, part 2, part 3) original story written by E.G. Von Wald
Ep 9- All Our Sins Forgotten (part 1, part 2, part 3) original story written by David Ira Cleary
Ep 10- Acute Triangle (part 1, part 2, part 3) original story written by Rob Chilson
Ep 11- Options (part 1, part 2, part 3) original story written by John Varley; in a podcast by Spider Robinson
Ep 12- Blue Champagne (part 1, part 2, part 3) original story written by John Varley; short story online
Ep 13- Into the Shop (part 1, part 2, part 3) original story written by Ron Goulart

posted by filthy light thief (6 comments total)

In other news the guy that directed Tron 2 and Oblivion is doing a Twilight Zone movie.

It'll be pretty, I guess.
posted by Artw at 12:06 PM on August 18, 2013

I need an app that knows me well enough (and doesn't tell) that it can surf through the scintillating seas of stuff and sort what I need to scrute. My falling-behind hunch is rezzing into certainty. 15 years is: Taking Too Long.

Thanks to MeFi for trying.
posted by Twang at 5:56 PM on August 18, 2013

I read and watch science fiction quite a bit, and I consume it because I would like to briefly have another perspective of a topic and/or viewing the world. In addition, I haven't run across movies/TV shows in the last several years that truly give me a new perspective/point of view.

I have only had a chance to view 2 of these Welcome to Paradox episodes so far, but Options was interesting. I don't want to ruin it/give spoilers but it asks questions about gender, which I definitely have not seen in scifi shows. But addressing topics like that put but it worlds above the Twilight Zone, for me.

So I am a happy camper because based on the Options episode, it gave me some things to think about and I will probably dive into some scifi reading to continue to seek out new perspectives.

Thank you for such a thorough post and sharing this find. It is not just the episodes, but it is great that the authors/short stories,etc. are linked here. This will provide hours and hours of entertainment for this puppy.
posted by Wolfster at 7:21 PM on August 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

If you're hesitant to dive into an episode without knowing the premise, the Wikipedia list of episodes includes a brief synopsis for each, plus a short list of actors and characters. For instance, Mayim Bialik, Ice-T, and Henry Rollins are in different episodes.

I first came across the series when looking at works of James Tiptree Jr., the pen-name for Alice Sheldon, who has been praised for "breaking down the barriers between writing perceived as inherently 'male' or 'female.' " Her story here isn't so much about gender roles, as it is about what we consume and how we relate to celebrities.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:13 AM on August 19, 2013 [1 favorite]

Sounds a lot like the British show "Black Mirror", which I love. Thanks!
posted by xammerboy at 5:13 PM on August 19, 2013 [1 favorite]

LAW WAGON
posted by yoHighness at 5:28 PM on August 19, 2013