Oolite Bulletins

Clue the second: part of the alien ship lands on Earth... a black crystal pyramid, which slowly shuts down much of Earth’s infrastructure. Set against the background of the Cold War, tensions rise globally… within nine weeks, civilisation is on the brink of collapse.

Patrick Tilley: Fade-Out.

I thought you might know that author... curiously, he was born on Independence Day.
Over to you, sir!

OK, here's one that's eminently googleable but those of a sufficient age might be able to dredge the answer up out of their ossifying brains ...

In the Dr Who episode "School Reunion", where David Tennant's Doctor meets up with Sarah Jane Smith again, Sarah Jane and Rose have an argument where they try to out-monster each other. Sarah Jane manages to finally surprise Rose by claiming to have encountered the Loch Ness Monster. So the question is, how did the Loch Ness Monster get here, and what's it called when it's at home?

<Google, Google>
It was a Skarasen and was brought to Earth by the Zygons.

Correct! And it was one of the most frightening glove-puppets ever to menace the Doctor ... of course, that was back when the BBC special effects budget could barely scrape up a sheet of bubblewrap and a tin of swarfega, and I still hid behind the sofa. Today's children must have nerves of steel.

ah, the good old cave sets w/ walls of crumpled tinfoil. kids today, they don't know what they're missing.

A road-safety hero was also a Sci-fi villain.
Name of the hero, villain and actor please.

Green Cross Man, Darth Vader, David Prowse

At last one I can answer!

Correct on all counts, well done!
Over to you JH.

What is considered to be the first ever space opera?

JazHaz wrote:

What is considered to be the first ever space opera?

Considered by whom?

DaddyHoggy wrote:

JazHaz wrote:

What is considered to be the first ever space opera?

Considered by whom?

Historians? Sci-fi people? I dunno!

It should be easy to Google!

You'd better start a poll... in my opinion, it's probably the Lensman series.

El Viejo wrote:

You'd better start a poll... in my opinion, it's probably the Lensman series.

Close, but no cigar!