tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59499323231107496302024-03-19T07:49:55.182-05:00Matt J. Marlieu's MusingsA Place To Collect My Thoughts And WritingsMatthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.comBlogger174125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-38092630716060469352012-09-26T14:23:00.002-05:002012-09-26T14:23:47.363-05:00Tharks, Red Martians, and a Man Named John CarterNot so long ago I finished reading the sci-fi classic <u>A Princess of Mars</u> by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I don't want to go into all the details of the story, so if you want to learn more, you should <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Princess_of_Mars">check it out</a> on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/">Wikipedia</a>. And if you still have the urge to give it a read after seeing what I have to say and learning more about it, you can find <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/62">A Princess of Mars</a> and the rest of the books in the series for FREE over at <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/">Project Gutenberg</a>.<br />
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Let me admit one thing first. It took me a while to finish this one. Why? Well, although it is a classic and deserves to be read mainly due to that fact, it is extremely outdated. When I started it around Christmas last year, I would read a chapter, set it down and forget about it for a couple of weeks before picking up on the next chapter. And this went on for a handful of months until August (gasp!). I was over halfway through the book and just decided to finish it.<br />
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Now, you're probably trying to figure out how outdated this book is. For starters, it was written by the same guy who wrote the Tarzan stories: Edgar Rice Burroughs. And a lot like in the Tarzan series, women are seen as inferior to men in <u>A Princess of Mars</u>. Men are the warriors. Men are the rulers. Women don't go to war. They stay behind and make the supplies. Women are nurturing, though emotionally unbalanced whereas men are emotionally stable, yet may be destructive. One more point that showing the age of this story is the inadvertent racism, however this is kind of hit or miss with <u>A Princess of Mars</u>. But that's what you get when you read a book written close to a century ago. Times have definitely changed. And, as I'll discuss tomorrow, Dejah has stepped it up a beat in the new film.<br />
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The only other thing that dragged for me was the dialogue, and this is a trap that current authors usually don't fall into. <u>A Princess of Mars</u> is filled with paragraphs of seemingly endless dialogue. Today, dialogue is often quicker to the point and comes in much shorter bursts, so I don't know if this is really a a preferential or generational issue for me. After all, I may not have liked it because I'm simply not used to it.<br />
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Other than that, I can see why this book is a classic. The descriptions are spectacular. Just check out this quick example from the third chapter when Carter discovers the Thark hatchery:<br />
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Five or six had already hatched and the grotesque caricatures which sat blinking in the sunlight were enough to cause me to doubt my sanity. They seemed mostly head, with little scrawny bodies, long necks and six legs, or, as I afterward learned, two legs and two arms, with an intermediary pair of limbs which could be used at will either as arms or legs. Their eyes were set at the extreme sides of their heads a trifle above the center and protruded in such a manner that they could be directed either forward or back and also independently of each other, thus permitting this queer animal to look in any direction, or in two directions at once, without the necessity of turning the head.</blockquote>
And if you think that's a fun description, they get even better with the battle scenes, but I'll let you find some of those for yourself. But these are the big reasons why I think this one is a classic and why future generations ought to continue reading it.<br />
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Come back tomorrow and I'll compare the recent film to the book. There are quite a few differences.Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-60544397402730568202012-09-26T10:28:00.000-05:002012-09-26T10:28:01.193-05:00Small Things, Waiting Beasts, and Indestructible AliensHoly Moses, it looks like I have some write-ups to do. Sorry about that. Really life had to take the driver's seat and I had to let all this sit in the back. But now that I have a few hours, I plan on getting caught up as far as possible. It looks like I should have had another couple of posts the week of August 27th, which means I have a total of ten posts to make to get caught up to today and caught up with my New Year's resolution. I think I should be able to do that by this upcoming Monday. And then I will have a couple of new posts. New content is on its way.<br />
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Anyways, for today there are a couple of good shorts for you. What are they? "To be Undone of Such Small Things" by Damien Walters Grintalis, "Waiting for Beauty" by Marie Brennan, and "Diplomatic Immunity" by Robert Sheckley. Enough of the chit-chat. Time for you to discover a couple of new stories.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://dailysciencefiction.com/science-fiction/biotech/damien-walters-grintalis/to-be-undone-of-such-small-things">To Be Undone of Such Small Things</a> by Damien Walter Grintalis -- <a href="http://dailysciencefiction.com/">Daily Science Fiction</a></span><br />
Here's a story about a woman who goes through a drastic change in life. She keeps a journal and after some time, she notices that she's not the person she used to be. Just a forewarning before reading this one: It is a little disturbing, so be prepared.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://apex-magazine.com/2012/08/07/waiting-for-beauty/">Waiting for Beauty</a> by Marie Brennan -- <a href="http://apex-magazine.com/">Apex Magazine</a></span><br />
As it can be taken from the title, this story is a variation of the classic Beauty and the Beast. And as it is a variation, it is a little different. In this version, Beast waits and waits for the beautiful princess to come around, but she never will because she is incapable of doing so (read the story and find out why).<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/32040">Diplomatic Immunity</a> by Robert Sheckley -- Galaxy Science Fiction, August 1953</span><br />
An alien, impervious to attacks by humans, comes to Earth demanding the surrender of the planet. Anything humans try to do seem not to work. But they won't give up and sooner or later, something pops up that may work.Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-62930023370017819632012-08-27T19:27:00.001-05:002012-08-27T19:27:44.876-05:00Clones, Cyberarms, and Factors of WarHere's the post I should have posted last Monday. Look for the two posts that I should post this week tomorrow. Stories for last week include "Flash Bang Remember" by Tina Connolly and Caroline M. Yoachim, "Neither Big Nor Easy" by Michael S. Roberts, and "The K-Factor" by Harry Harrison. Let me move out of your way. Here are the links to these awesome stories.<div>
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Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-50685729760528423772012-08-27T19:12:00.000-05:002012-08-27T19:17:47.980-05:00They've Been Working on the Railroad, All the Live-Long DayWell, it looks like I'm running behind again. I should have had this post up <strike>nearly two weeks ago</strike> last week (I guess I was wrong). I had hoped to get it up this last week, but time seemed to just get away from me again. Well, I have some time now, so let's get this up and me caught up. <br />
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Recently I finished watching the first season of Hell on Wheels. All in all, it's pretty much a modern day western. This show, set just after the Civil War, follows the lives of a few people as they work on building the Union Pacific Railroad. <br />
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What I like most about this show are the different plot-lines and character triangles. Like the other great shows on AMC (Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Walking Dead…), the writers behind Hell on Wheels give motives to all their characters. Each character has their own secret goals. The main character, Cullen Bohannon, once a soldier in the Confederate army, is now seeking out the men who killed his wife and son. One of the big questions throughout the first season is "Will Bohannon follow through with his revenge or will he stay at Hell on Wheels and change his ways?" Elam Ferguson, a former slave, is stuck in a type of limbo: the other black men say he acts too white while the white men only see the color of his skin. His journey in the first season is to learn how he fits in. There are a lot more characters, but the last one that I want to look at here is just a fun one. Called "the Swede," this Norwegian worker used to work with numbers and tries to bring the techniques with numbers to people. One of his greatest lines is "Something doesn't add up." <br />
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And it's not just the characters that make the show. It's also the connections that each of the characters have to each other is perfect. And somehow, the writers worked it out perfectly to make many of those connections work in threes. There's a sort of love triangle between Bohannon, Lily Bell ("The Maiden of the West"), and Thomas Durant. There's another tense triangle between Bohannon, Durant, and the Swede. <br />
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I think I'll leave it at that for now. The second season is currently running on AMC (there's actually a new episode tonight, so if you're interested you should check it out). I'll try to get up another post on Hell on Wheels once I finish the second season.Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-81227421360550062792012-08-14T09:00:00.000-05:002012-08-14T09:00:01.039-05:00Off to Atlantis!So, like I said yesterday, I kind of forgot to post last week. To make up for that, yesterday, you received two sets of stories, and now today you will receive another two posts. So here is the first of two posts that you should receive today. This one will take a look into the first season of Stargate: Atlantis. <br /><a name='more'></a><br /><div>
<br />Not so long ago, I saw that a spin-off of Stargate: SG1 was available to stream on Netflix. Unfortunately it is no longer available from their streaming services which means I may have to purchase the series on iTunes to finish it up. (But Netflix, if you hear me out there, I would happily finish watching this series through you...)<br /> <br />The first season of Stargate: Atlantis is fun. Captain O'Neill and Daniel Jackson are both in the first episode as they are all down in Antarctica studying the Ancient fortress that still remains there. I kind of picture the two of them in this episode kind of as a send off to the new series. A couple of the characters in the series have appeared in various episodes of SG1. Those would be Elizabeth Weir and Rodney McKay. And there are plenty of new characters as well, such as John Sheppard, Aiden Ford, and Teyla Emmagan. <br /> <br />This series leaves off from the SG1 arc as they enter the stargate and travel to the far-off Pegasus galaxy to the hidden city of the Ancients which they call Atlantis. When they first arrive, the city is underwater. However, as the shields are failing, they must find a way to surface or otherwise survive a catastrophe of the water washing in over them. <br /> <br />Some of the pods they find in the great city are able to fly through the stargaze which they use. Upon their first journey out of Atlantis, they quickly run into their main enemies, the Wraith, which are kind of more or less a lot like vampires but not quite. Most of the first season follows the team at Atlantis fighting off the Wraith and meeting human-like beings (who would be the descendants of the ancients). And the last couple of episodes are epic as the team must fight off Wraiths from invading their new home. <br /> <br />I will be watching more of this series, but I might wait and see if it comes back to Netflix (hmm hmm, Netflix...) before I check and see if it is available elsewhere. So keep an eye out for more posts on the following seasons.</div>
Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-40595091156423802662012-08-13T21:00:00.000-05:002012-08-13T21:00:01.919-05:00An Oak Tree, An Armless Maiden, and a Dude Named TulanHere's your second set of stories for the day. These are also the stories that you should be receiving for today. Those stories are "Oak Solid" by Peter Wood, "Armless Maidens of the American West" by Genevieve Valentine, and "Tulan" by C.C. MacApp. That's enough of me talking. Here are your stories.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.raygunrevival.com/oak-solid-peter-wood/">Oak Solid</a> by Peter Wood -- <a href="http://www.raygunrevival.com/">Ray Gun Revival</a></span><br />
Mike is in a tough spot. His wife has left him. His father recently passed away. He's stuck in a job that he doesn't even like. And his neighbor is on his ass to cut down a tree that crosses the property line. In procrastinating from work he should have been doing, Mike opens up one of his father's old boxes and finds some interesting items. One of those items is a bottle of garden elixir that happens to move plants. So, to change some bad aspects of his life, he thinks he might try to move the tree that crosses the property, but the old oak seems to be more stubborn than he thought.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://apex-magazine.com/2012/08/07/armless-maidens-of-the-american-west/">Armless Maidens of the American West</a> by Genevieve Valentine -- <a href="http://apex-magazine.com/">Apex Magazine</a></span><br />
First of all, I have to say that this story is pretty cool. Why? It's told in the second point of view. I know, I know. There are more of these nowadays, but I think it's still pretty cool. Anyways, the premise of the story is that you are the only person in the entire town to have actually seen the armless maiden. Everyone has heard rumors of her, but no one actually knows what has actually happened to her. A researcher comes to town who wants to study her and you have this feeling to go and talk to her about what you know.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27968">Tulan</a> by C.C. MacApp -- Amazing Stories, June 1960</span><br />
The title character of this story, Tulan, feels that no one in his solar system has courage anymore. He's been charged by the Council of Four to surrender to another planet. Tulan has some other plans. He goes of and plans to conquer the other planet, but things don't always go as planned.Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-85834899758552530452012-08-13T19:30:00.000-05:002012-08-13T19:30:01.119-05:00Wives, Habits, and GunsShoot. It looks like I forgot to make a post last week. Don't worry. You'll be receiving two posts today. One that you should have received last week and in a few hours the one that you are supposed to receive today. So, let's see. I think I have some stories for you that I should have had up on this last Monday. Yes. Yes, I do. The stories this week are "Mantis Wives" by Kij Johnson, "The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species" by Ken Liu, and "Gun for Hire" by Mack Reynolds. Now let me get out of your way so can get to your stories. <br /> <a name='more'></a><br /><div>
<br /><a href="http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/johnson_08_12/">Mantis Wives</a> by Kij Johnson -- <a href="http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/">Clarkesworld Magazine </a><br />Now, this story isn't really a story in the traditional sense. It doesn't follow a main character, and there isn't really much of a plot. But it is still a fun little read. This story that isn't really a story is actually a list of descriptions of various ways Mantis wives kill Mantis men. Well, other ways than just biting off their heads and then devouring the rest of their bodies. It's quite funny and the images Johnson conjures can be quite vivid. <br /> <br /><a href="http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/the-bookmaking-habits-of-select-species/">The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species</a> by Ken Liu -- <a href="http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/">Lightspeed Magazine </a><br />Again, this story isn't really much of a traditional story. It's Liu's turn now to tell us the many different writing systems of different species, from those who write something like us to those who don't need writing any longer. This one is also quite vivid and has a spot for a chuckle here or there as well. <br /> <br /><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24247">Gun for Hire</a> by Mack Reynolds -- Analog, December 1960 <br />Joe Prantera is an assassin from then present 1960. As he's about to finish off a job, he is kidnapped into the future. The men who bring Joe into the future tell him that they have a job for him, but Joe has trouble understanding much of his new future and what the point of doing such a job would be.</div>
Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-53943168267694751832012-07-31T23:32:00.001-05:002012-07-31T23:32:25.636-05:00Stargate SG-1, Season 7I'm still in the process of watching Stargate SG-1. It's not that the show is better than other shows out there. I think it has more to do with the fact that it's just addictive. But season seven of this series is pretty big. Here are just a couple of the big things that happen:<br />
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Daniel returns to SG-1, becomes host to many different minds, gets kidnapped down in Honduras, and has a gou'ald stalker.<br />
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Jonas goes home, though makes guest appearance midseason.<br />
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There's quite a bit more of Teal'c in this season. In one episode he loses and regains his mojo. In another episode he meets some rebel lady jaffa (go Teal'c). And he even fights a superior assassin jaffa-like being.<br />
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Colonel O'Neill becomes a kid, and receives the Ancient repository again.<br />
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Carter enters a space race, and has another adventure on the Prometheus</div>
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The big enemy is still Anubis. The gou'ald are still fighting other system lords. In this season, a new president is elected, and the vice president has ties to the NID.</div>Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-78063623768165526542012-07-30T23:55:00.003-05:002012-07-30T23:55:55.795-05:00Soldiers, Squids, and ScientistsCheck it out. It looks like I'm still more or less on some sort of schedule, though I am posting this a little later than most of the other more recent posts. But hey, it's up and you'll even get a fun little post for tomorrow. Anyways, pretty good stories for today. You'll be getting "A Soldier's Son" by Steve Coate, "The Sweet Spot" by A. M. Dellamonica, and "Warning from the Stars" by Ron Cocking. So, without anymore yammering on, here are this week's stories. <div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.raygunrevival.com/a-soldiers-son-steve-coate/">A Soldier's Son</a> by Steve Coate -- <a href="http://www.raygunrevival.com/">Ray Gun Revival</a> </span><br /> <br />Having joined the armed forces to prove to his father that he could make a good soldier, Private Thomas Blanks is the sole survivor of his unit and uses lessons from his father as inspiration to fight on for his survival. <br /> <br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/the-sweet-spot/">The Sweet Spot</a> by A.M. Dellamonica -- <a href="http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/">Lightspeed Magazine</a> </span><br /> <br />The world is at war, and Hawaii just happens to be a perfect spot for the Demos to get some ouch needed rest and relaxation. Vendors like Ruthie and her brother Matt try to sell the Demos, both human and offworlders, all sorts of merchandise they can get their hands on. But the Fiends, the enemy to the Demos, in the use of guerilla tactics, have infiltrated Hawaii, and Ruthie and Matt are at the epicenter of their plan to turn their the Demos to dust. <br /> <br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22545">Warning from the Stars</a> by Ron Cocking -- Amazing Science Fiction Stories, April 1959 </span><br /> <br />Doctor Richard Forster receives a package from a friend who had gone missing. The message he receives can only be read in a pressurized chamber. Lucky for him, his job as a doctor of aeronautical medicine gives him easy access to one. But Forster can't believe what he sees in there. He can't accept that his friend wrote this message. However, when the things foretold in the message begin to happen, he goes out to warn others.</div>Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-21796233748516249512012-07-24T10:00:00.000-05:002012-07-24T10:00:04.486-05:00Men Wearing Redshirts, BewareLast week, I finished reading <u>Redshirts</u> by John Scalzi. I finished this one of rather quickly, being the slow reader that I am. It only took me about three days to finish it. That should be a sign of how much fun this book is. However, I will admit that the book is targeted towards a very specific audience. For some, this may be a bad thing, for others a good. I see it as a good thing. Scalzi is only writing what he would like to read. But he knows the audience he is writing for, mainly because he belongs to it. So, in writing for himself, he is writing for his fans. You can't go wrong there.<br />
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The story itself is quite an adventure, and really meta at the same time. I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but as you may have guessed, the main focus of the story is on the redshirts, the sacrificial victims of many science fiction shows and stories. They're the ones who always have to die to raise the stakes for the storyline. In <u>Redshirts</u>, the main character, Andrew Dahl, finds out that many on his ship, the Intrepid, have some weird superstitions about the lead crew. And he is fast to learn that there is some grounded fact behind those superstitions. But the truth, he learns, is a lot more crazy. And if any of you are big, giant, nerdy fans of science fiction, you will definitely have some cheery, gleeful noises emanating from the deepest parts of your geeky little hearts. I know I sure did.Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-34771114320104875662012-07-23T20:16:00.001-05:002012-07-23T20:16:38.560-05:00Masks, Holograms, and a Dog from MarsStill on schedule, more or less. And this week, I have for you some good stories. There's a couple that deal with aesthetics (or just covering them up...) and one with a Martian dog. The stories are "Real Faces" by Ken Liu, "The Switch" by Sarah Stanton, and "Martians Never Die" by Lucius Daniel.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"Real Faces" by Ken Liu -- <a href="http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/">Fantasy and Science Fiction</a></span><br />
One fear of the future is that we will come to try to mask race and gender in the name of equality instead of embracing it for how it adds character and depth to each individual. This story takes a look at how such a world may some day work.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/stanton_07_12/">The Switch</a> by Sarah Stanton -- <a href="http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/">Clarkesworld Magazine</a></span><br />
Beijing is a city currently covered in smog. In this story, Sarah Stanton imagines the city covered in all sorts of holograms. But it's all looks. And some of the citizens are beginning to miss the old way it looked.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/29735">Martians Never Die</a> by Lucius Daniel -- Galaxy Science Fiction, April 1952</span><br />
Lawyer, Al Stern, grudgingly awaits the return of his client. His client, Clyde Curtis, has been away to Mars for nearly a year. During that time, Stern was able to get close to Curtis' wife. They even had plans of eloping. But Curtis' return changes that. It changes everything. What changes it the most is the little Martian, dog-like creature that Curtis has brought back with him.Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-55890591877667230052012-07-17T09:53:00.000-05:002012-07-17T09:55:08.934-05:00An Hour (or Two) of DarknessI watched <u>The Darkest Hour</u> over the weekend. I know it's not the greatest thing to say, but I really was not a fan of this film. I enjoyed the concept of pure energy invading Earth. And I was even with it when they started to use the aliens' own energy against them. But something in the movie turned me off.<br />
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I think it has do with a couple of key facts. First, the dialogue was really corny. Beyond corny in fact. A lot of it felt like it came from a movie from the 1960's. No, the characters weren't quite talking like Captain Kirk, but it sure was close.<br />
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Second, Skylar, who is supposed to be Swedish, does not have an accent to match the character. This is one that I may have taken a little personally, you know, having a little experience in Sweden and such. I mean, really, Skylar isn't even a Swedish name. And honestly, the least they could have done would be to allow him to swear in Swedish. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAKyheQWPIM">Peter Stormare got away with doing it in Jurassic Park: The Lost World. </a>(Helvetes jävla = Hell's devils, which is probably better translated as fucking bastards)<br />
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Third, the characters were way too predictable.When you can tell from the beginning of the movie who will make it to the end and who will not, you know you won't have a good time.<br />
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And lastly, the ending had to be one of the cheesiest. Main character male and main character female survive, and as the end comes up, they try to share a kiss, but the younger female supporting character, who they save (and who the male main character's best friend sacrifices his live for) looks over at them and says something along the lines of, "Oh, please," and looks away while putting in her earbuds. In a sense, they main character male has a right to harbor some feelings against her. Why does she survive and not his best friend? I just didn't buy it.<br />
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In the end, the concept was awesome and pure, but the overall production, not so much. They tried putting far too many "cool" elements into the film, and in the process dropped it from a potential blockbuster to a B-movie.Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-52703377922987306332012-07-16T13:49:00.001-05:002012-07-16T13:49:29.668-05:00Looking for Silk, Reading in the Key of Prose, and Finding Dope on MarsLooks like I'm still on some sort of a schedule. Let's hope that it can stay that way. Alright, what do I have for you this week? It looks like another three short stories that you will be able to find online for free. I know, I know. It's a magical word, "free." But yes, it is true: You do not have to pay to read these stories. So, if your Monday is going a little slower than usual, be sure to check one or more of these out. The stories for you this week are "The Silk Merchant" by Ken Liu, "Requiem in the Key of Prose" by Jake Kerr, and "The Dope on Mars" by Jack Sharkey.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://apex-magazine.com/2012/07/03/the-silk-merchant/">The Silk Merchant</a> by Ken Liu -- <a href="http://apex-magazine.com/">Apex Magazine</a></span><br />
A young man sets out on an adventure to find the perfect piece of silk in order prove that his father was not crazy after all. He goes out and looks for the place from where his father had said the silk had been made. He finds a girl who lets him in. It takes some time, but the young man ends up gaining the trust of the young woman. He falls in love with her and she with him. The spend a lot of time together, but the thought of the perfect silk is always at the back of the young man's mind. He learns where the silk is made and goes there one night. He asks for a piece of the perfect silk. However, he learns that there is a high price for such perfection.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/requiem-in-the-key-of-prose/">Requiem in the Key of Prose</a> by Jake Kerr -- <a href="http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/">Lightspeed Magazine</a></span><br />
This is a pretty wicked story. Kerr uses different types of prose in order to tell a story. Don't believe me? Examples include foreshadowing, the passive voice, run-on, flashback, and simile. That's not the coolest part. The coolest part is that he uses all of the elements of prose to tell one, mostly linear story. And it makes a lot of sense! A short read, this is definitely one you should check out, especially if you yourself are a writer.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26843">The Dope on Mars</a> by Jack Sharkey -- Galaxy Magazine, June 1960</span><br />
The classic this week takes us back to Mars. You know, there are plenty of stories about humans landing there. Do you think we will ever actually land a human being on the Red Planet in our lifetime? That's beside point. In this story, told by means of a journalist keeping something similar to a diary, a team of astronauts lands on Mars and begin to do their research. Once out exploring, though, individuals start to go missing, and the survivors begin to realize that they are not alone. No, this is not some sort of horror/thriller story. It's kind of the opposite. But it's still worth the read.<br />
<br />Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-30721413821025486902012-07-10T12:39:00.001-05:002012-07-10T12:39:04.734-05:00A Return to the Land of the Second DimensionI finally got around to finishing off Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott. I felt the middle section of the book started to drag a little bit, which may or may not be my reasoning for taking a small break from it. But I'm glad I pushed myself to finish it. The last third of this story is where the real action takes place.<br />
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Beginning about two thirds into the story, our humble square of a main character has a dream in which he encounters the inhabitants of Line Land, or the First Dimensional World. He has an interesting conversation with the king, in which he learns how life works in Line Land. And with some frustration, the square tries to explain his second dimensional world to the King. But the King cannot comprehend this. Living in Line Land his whole life, he knows no other motion besides side to side. And when the square goes through the first dimension, the King suspects magic. This is about when the square wakes up.<br />
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Some time shortly after this dream, on the last day of their millenium, the square has a visit by a sphere from the Third Dimension, Space Land. This time, the square is in disbelief of the next dimension. It takes the sphere a bit of persuading to finally make the square understand. The sphere ends up taking the square to Spaceland, which allow the square to see his own plane of existence in a different light. He then becomes enthused about learning that another dimension besides his own does indeed exist. And he agrees with the sphere to spread the testimony of the Third Dimension.<br />
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However, because he knew too much, he is imprisoned when he returns. And that is where he writes the story from.<br />
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For having been written over a century ago now, this book feels a lot more like a modern book than one written during those times. I don't remember if I mentioned this last time or not, but this book <i>is</i> in the Public Domain and <i>is</i> available for <b><i>free</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> on <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/">Project Gutenberg</a>. If you ever yearn to let the mathematician in you out for a little ride, you should really think about giving this book a quick read: <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/201">Flatland</a> by Edwin A. Abbott.</span></b>Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-42281415110305253132012-07-09T13:23:00.003-05:002012-07-09T13:23:52.882-05:00A Love Machine, a Smart Vac, and an Escaping PrisonerFinally, I'm back on some sort of schedule. Now the idea is to somehow stay on this schedule. I'll find a way to do that somehow or another. Let's just call these last couple of months a transitional period<br />
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Anyways, I have some fun stories for you. The two more recent stories deal with robotics: the first story with artificial intelligence and the second with smart technology (though not AI). Your stories for this week are Luke R. Pebler's "New Beau," Lee Hallison's "Taking Care of Ma," and "A World Is Born" by Leigh Douglass Brackett.<br />
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<a href="http://www.raygunrevival.com/new-beau-luke-r-pebler/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">New Beau</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> by Luke R. Pebler -- </span><a href="http://www.raygunrevival.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ray Gun Revival</span></a><br />
After losing her husband, old Ms. Lila Prosser has been feeling quite lonely. What is an old widow to do? In this story, Ms. Prosser has found a company that sets her up with a new companion every twelve weeks. Why twelve weeks? Well, these companions aren't exactly human. Heck, they aren't completely alive either. And the longer she is with a companion, the harder it is to split them up. And Ms. Prosser has had the latest model with her for just about twelve weeks. It's time to trade in for a different model, but she's grown very attached to this new one.<br />
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<a href="http://dailysciencefiction.com/science-fiction/robots-and-computers/lee-hallison/taking-care-of-ma"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Taking Care of Ma</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> by Lee Hallison -- </span><a href="http://www.dailysciencefiction.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Daily Science Fiction</span></a><br />
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The older you are, the harder it is to accept new technology. This isn't always true, but often it is the case. In this story a couple of adult siblings get their aging mother a smart vacuum. The mother, however, being somewhat of a Luddite, doesn't take to the new piece of technology. She would rather do the vacuuming herself. She can't comprehend how the vacuum will do the work for her. And the other things it's supposed to do. </div>
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<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22544"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A World Is Born</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> by Leigh Douglass Brackett -- Comet Magazine, July 1941</span><br />
Mel Gray, a prisoner of war, is now stuck on working stint on Mercury. Everyone else is there of their own free will. And he soon finds out why he's the only one forced to be there. He's there because the "bad guys" know that he will try to escape. When he doesn't do exactly what they expect of him, they start to chase after him. This story is pretty much a long chase with a little bit of action thrown in.</div>Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-4926880681868177102012-07-08T20:29:00.000-05:002012-07-08T20:29:30.507-05:00Stargate, Season 6I recently finished watching the sixth season of Stargate. I don't know what it is about the show, but there is something about it that keeps sucking me in. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it's a little campy and the show is able to make fun of itself.<br />
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The sixth season felt a little weird to me. And probably to everyone who has watched the series chronologically. The main reason? Daniel Jackson is no longer a part of the team. In fact, after Daniel ascends, Jonas Quinn, the scientist from the world in the fifth season where they were trying to develop something akin to the atom bomb, takes over his spot. It felt kind of wrong, but I understand why they did it. They needed someone who was "book smart " on the team, and he was able to fill that place.<br />
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Other than that, the season was pretty decent. It was pretty cool to see Daniel return in a couple of episodes, usually guiding his friends through some form of trouble or another. And the season finale where he battles Anubis is quite spectacular as well.Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-8560633486728001372012-07-08T20:02:00.002-05:002012-07-08T20:13:50.989-05:00Soldiers, Watchmakers, and Kids on MarsHey folks. I'm still playing catch up. Here are a couple of short stories.<br />
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<a href="http://www.raygunrevival.com/special-ops-michael-haynes/">Special Ops</a> by Michael Haynes -- <a href="http://www.raygunrevival.com/">Ray Gun Revival</a><br />
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Interested in reading a story that is almost pure space opera? Here's a rather recent one for you. This tale follows an unfortunate sergeant who gets Shanghaied into doing a special ops mission for his government. The mission: assassinate a high-ranking Hasarian official. In order to carry out the mission, he gets an entire makeover, with a new body to boot. However, everything seems to fall into place without having to do any work. How will he get out of this one?</div>
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<a href="http://dailysciencefiction.com/fantasy/religious/rich-matrunick/the-watchmakers-gift">The Watchmaker's Gift</a> by Rich Matrunick -- <a href="http://dailysciencefiction.com/">Daily Science Fiction</a><br />
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Here's an interesting story. It's about an old woman who brings animals back to life, which seem to be able to talk after this little transformation. The story is told through the eyes of a turtle she brought back. They go pick up a squirrel and fix it up. The process involves both organic material and gears and springs. it's the turtle's turn to explain how everything works to the squirrel. He explains that this isn't Heaven, but rather a second chance on Earth. And that the squirrel had ought to come back once in a while for a wind-up. Some time after, the old woman takes the turtle out into the woods, and the turtle discovers why the old woman has such an interest in bringing the dead back to life. This is a rather heartfelt story, and well worth the read.</div>
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<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/29142">Keep Out</a> by Frederic Brown -- Amazing Stories, March 1954<br />
This one is really short. For years people have been saying that the only way humans will really be able to colonize space is after some bioengineering. This story is sort of up that alley. Scientists have found some sort of chemical or protein that allows organisms to become highly adaptable to new environments. If you give it to the parents, the kids will be able to slowly adapt to almost any terrain over a period of time. In the case of this story, scientists and government officials have put those kids on Mars. After being there for about ten years, it's finally just about time for the kids to take over. And their idea of taking over, well, let's just say it's a little more violent than a mere passing of the reins.<br />
<br /></div>Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-80714346370755407232012-07-08T19:25:00.000-05:002012-07-08T19:25:04.191-05:00The Indestructible BlobWhoa... Looks like I have a little pickup to play. I'll try to post a few things tonight before posting anything tomorrow. What do I need to get all caught up? It looks Like I will need a short stories post and one more after this one. Anyways...<br />
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I finished watching <u>The Blob</u> recently. It's a very campy sci-fi movie from the late 1950's, but it's still a lot of fun to watch.<br />
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Basically, a meteor, which carried the blob, falls to the Earth and begins to terrorize a small town. The only people to notice it at first, besides those who are taken by the blob, are hometown hero Steve and his girlfriend, the lovable Jane. They try to warn the townspeople, first going to the police as soon as they find suspicious activity at Doctor Hallen's house. Marking it up as a case of "kids being kids," the police don't believe them at first. It takes a little persistence on the part of Steve and Jane, but they talk a few of their friends into helping them. The kids end up waking up the entire town. At first the police feel that it's a case of "Peter calling 'wolf,'" but they soon learn that the threat is very real. It takes them a couple of tries but they finally discover that it doesn't like the cold. The police lead the rest of the town in freezing the blob and sending it off to the arctic, with a questionable ending to the movie.<br />
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While watching this, I thought it would be kind of cool to write a short from the blob's point of view. You know, what would it be like if the blob was only swallowing people in order to gain a collective knowledge of its new planet? What if the blob became those it swallowed What if it wanted to be peaceful? The peace would certainly not have lasted long. Especially with most people's initial reaction to it: "Kill it!"<br />
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I still might write that story sometime. If I ever find a little time and have enough energy, I might sit down and write that out.Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-84608062922440084112012-06-25T23:39:00.004-05:002012-06-25T23:40:06.311-05:00Another Place Where Blood and Oil Cause Interstellar WarMy apologies for posting this so late. But look at the good news: I'm finally on schedule! One post today, and one post tomorrow. Anyways, onto the stories. Today we have "Elsewhere" by Benjamin Rosenbaum, "Metal and Flesh" by Steven R. Stewart, and "Victory" by Lester del Rey. Dig in.<br />
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<a href="http://strangehorizons.com/2012/20120618/elsewhere-f.shtml">Elsewhere</a> by Benjamin Rosenbaum -- <a href="http://www.strangehorizons.com/">Strange Horizons</a><br />
This is just a fun little story. It is more of a "wouldn't it be interesting" type of story rather than "this could actually happen" type. It's too hard for me to explain. It's a quick read. You'll see what I mean.<br />
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<a href="http://dailysciencefiction.com/science-fiction/robots-and-computers/steven-r-stewart/metal-and-flesh">Metal and Flesh</a> by Steven R. Stewart -- <a href="http://www.dailysciencefiction.com/">Daily Science Fiction</a><br />
The title of this story really says it all. It begins after an explosion on a ship containing two passengers: one human, one robot. Both are injured, laying on the floor in the human's blood. The human tries to fix the robot while the robot tries to fix him. It is even pointed out in the story that they look like yin and yang. Fun, short story. Give it a read.<br />
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<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24196">Victory</a> by Lester del Rey -- Astounding Science Fiction, August 1955<br />
The last is a story of interstellar politics. Earth has taken over as the predominant power, however, they are beginning to cut down on defense to many of its allies and colonies. This would be the perfect time for Earth's enemies to attack. And that's just what they plan to do. This one is a little longer, but it is quite interesting.Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-81319409912132039742012-06-24T22:36:00.002-05:002012-06-24T22:36:45.063-05:00One Distant ScapeAlong with watching Stargate, I've been trying to get myself into Farscape. It's an interesting show. And I will admit that it was a little hard to get into at first because of the puppets and the ridiculous costumes. However, the show is beginning to grow on me, ridiculous costumes and all. When you realize that the creators just wanted to have fun making the show rather than make something serious out of it, you begin to cave in a little bit and start to have fun along with it.<br />
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I'm not quite finished with the first season yet. So thus far there has not been much of an overall story line like in Stargate. But I suppose if I keep watching, one will pop up. Keep following me. I will try to post something up here as I finish/begin each season.Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-58714764891138201362012-06-24T19:05:00.002-05:002012-06-24T19:05:41.919-05:00To the Stars Through a Little GateFor the last couple of months, I've been watching Stargate SG1. And within the last couple of days, I entered into season six. This means that I am now halfway through the series. What do I think of it? It's a fun show. It can be somewhat campy at times, but it never outweighs the fun.<br />
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The show has a space opera vibe it, and, if it helps, you can see it not only through the predictable plot-lines, but also through the stereotypical characters as well.. The SG1 team is composed of a dry humored colonel, a stoic warrior, and two academics (one scientist, one archaeologist/linguist) who spend much of their time exploring new worlds, meeting new people, making allies, and fighting enemies.<br />
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The show starts off with an interesting premise: humans have been spread throughout the galaxy to be hosts to a parasitic race that pretends to be gods. The show mainly focuses on Egyptian mythology, which is covered by the Gou'ald, and a little bit on Norse mythology, covered by the Asgard, who are little gray men.<br />
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Overall, it's a really fun show. If you have Netflix, check it out (and the spin-offs). And I'll probably write another post or two once I near the series finale.Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-54324414329007635332012-06-24T10:02:00.004-05:002012-06-24T10:02:39.084-05:00An Immersion, an Origin, and One Big ShotHere's the first of three posts for the day. It's another tardy short story post. Look for two more posts today. I will be very angry with myself if I do not get them up.<br />
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So, the stories. Let's make this quick and simple. We'll start off with Aliette de Bodard's "Immersion," followed by Ari Goelman's "Origin," and ending the post with "One Shot" by James Blish. Good stories. Hope you enjoy.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/debodard_06_12/">Immersion</a> by Aliette de Bodard -- <a href="http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/">Clarkesworld Magazine</a></span><br />
This is an interesting one. The first thing that caught my attention was that de Bodard bounces back and forth between third and second points of view. It's the story of a younger sister trying to follow in her older sister's shoes. And, by using technology called immersers, she can almost become her sister by covering herself up with an avatar and immersing herself in her sister's thoughts. The big themes include addiction and self-confidence, both linked to the usage of the immersers. There's also political/cultural strife with Chinese tradition versus the Galactics (western society). There is a lot going on in this story, but it holds together quite well.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://escapepod.org/2012/06/14/ep349-origin/">Origin</a> By Ari Goelman -- <a href="http://escapepod.org/">Escape Pod</a></span><br />
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This story may actually make a better listen than a read. You be the judge. The story follows a pregnant super heroine who is unsure of her position in life. Her boyfriend (the equivalent of their league's Superman) has larger duties to attend to than just her, so he's gone more than he is around. She doesn't really know what to do, but she is figuring out what to do every day. It makes for a good read, and perhaps an even better listen thanks to the reading of Veronica Giguere. Make sure to check this one out.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22958">One Shot</a> by James Blish -- Astounding Science Fiction, August 1955</span><br />
A boat has dropped something upriver in New York. It could be a bomb, but no one knows. Authorities enlist the help of a professional gambler to determine whether or not it really is a bomb. It's a decent read. I don't know exactly how it's sci-fi though. Maybe it has something to do with parapsychology and always being able to make the lucky guess. But again, it is decent for a classic.</div>Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-64971283030873193222012-06-23T23:08:00.001-05:002012-06-24T00:41:18.978-05:00James Dean, a Dragon Queen, and a Bunch of LeadiesWhere does all our time go? It's already Saturday, and I haven't had too much of a chance to write this out most of the week. Well, let's just get all of these tardy posts out of the way today. We might as well, right? There are <s>three</s> four late posts counting this one. I had planned to post all of them today, but I'm just getting this post up now, late on Saturday night. I'll get the other <s>two</s> three posts up for you tomorrow. I hope that sounds good for you. And then we'll start the week off fresh with a couple more posts from me for the new schedule. Wow, a lot more work than I expected. For me, right now, it's it's not being on time, but rather making sure that I get this stuff done and out. Then I can worry about being on time.<br />
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Back to main point of this post, the stories. There's three of them again. Just like always. This post, the stories include "The Cristóbal Effect" by Simon McCaffery, "Catastrophe Baker and the Dragon Queen" by Mike Resnick, and, last but definitely not least, "The Defenders" by Philip K. Dick. Here are your stories. Let your weekend of reading now commence.<br /><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/the-cristobal-effect/">The Cristóbal Effect</a> by Simon McCaffery-- <a href="http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/">Lightspeed Magazine</a></span><br />
At the beginning of this month, I mentioned "The Cross-Time Accountants Fail to Kill Hitler Because Chuck Berry Does the Twist" by C. C. Finlay out of Lightspeed's May issue. Why do I mention it now? Because these two stories share a certain science fiction trope: time-travel. Technically, it's not time travel in "The Cristóbal Effect." Instead, it's parallel universes and you are able to go to certain points in time. Semantics.. The big question in this story is, "What would have happened if James Dean had lived?" And it's a very fair assessment of alternate-future realities.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.raygunrevival.com/catastrophe-baker-and-the-dragon-queen-mike-resnick/">Catastrophe Baker and the Dragon Queen</a> by Mike Resnick -- <a href="http://www.raygunrevival.com/">Ray Gun Revival</a></span><br />
This was a rather straight-forward story. We see everything through the eyes of the main character, Catastophe Baker, a man who is larger than life. Morally ambiguous, he steals beats up goons and steals from the common man to make a living. And this time, the goods he steals belongs to one powerful person: the Dragon Queen. How does he make it out of this one? Read to find out.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/28767">The Defenders</a> by Philip K. Dick -- Galaxy Science Fiction, January 1953</span><br />
Many say the author of our last story is a genius. Others say he was crazy. I want to say Philip K. Dick was a little bit of both. Unfortunately, not a lot of either come out in this story. In this story, humans have lived in deep underground bunkers for the last eight years due to the radiation from a nuclear war. However, the higher ups find out that the leadys (the robots that work up above) that come down to the bunkers no longer contain traces of radiation. Something must be different up above, some of them think. They go up to the surface and check it out. But what they find up there shocks more than awes them. What do they learn? Read and find out.Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-80070695090945358592012-06-18T17:55:00.000-05:002012-06-18T17:55:01.172-05:00The Land of the Second DiminsionIt's taken me quite a while, but over the last couple of months, I have been flipping, on and off, through the pages of Edwin A. Abbott's <u>Flatland</u>. And now I am just about two-thirds of the way through it. The story itself is quite interesting, and considering the date it was written just adds to this story's intrigue.<br />
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Written before the turn of the century, this story plays with the idea of life existing in a two-dimensional universe. Something makes me want to say this story was definitely ahead of its time. Well, of what I have read so far, much of it is not a story, but rather full of descriptions of this two-dimensional universe and the beings which possess it.<br />
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Their society consists of a rigid class system, with isosceles triangles at the bottom and circles at the top. The main character, and our narrator, is a lawyer of the square class.<br />
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There are a few more rules and laws of the world that the main character discusses, but I will save that for another time. Perhaps next week, after i finish reading this fun story.<br />
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If you are interested in reading this story, it's available over at <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/">Project Gutenberg</a>. Just follow <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/201">this link</a>.<br />
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<i>Any of you who follow me may have noticed that I forgot to post what I said I would over the weekend. This is part of me trying to make up for that. Look for another post or two later tonight, and then another one or two tomorrow night. I really want to make up for my transgressions.</i></div>Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949932323110749630.post-72214452768997106972012-06-15T23:55:00.001-05:002012-06-15T23:55:43.629-05:00The Cosmic, Specter-Bombing InternetWow, I totally forgot about posting last week. And this is the weekend that I was going to do that big conversion. I guess being out of town over a weekend will sometimes do that to you. However, I do have the stories that I meant to post about last week ready and waiting to get posted now. So let's get those suckers up. I'll do my normal punishing of myself by posting another three stories tomorrow morning as well as another two posts tomorrow evening (one for last week and one actually for tomorrow night).<br />
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The stories I have for you tonight are pretty awesome. The first one comes from Technology Review's Science Fiction anthology. It's "Specter-Bombing the Beer Goggles" by Paul Di Filippo. The second story comes from the New Yorker's special sci-fi edition earlier this month. The story? "My Internet" by Jonathan Lethem. The classic story of science fiction this month, coming from the year 1930, is "Cosmic Express" by Jack Williamson. My apologies ahead of time for the lack of stories available online. But I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. You'll be getting another handful of stories tomorrow.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Specter-Bombing the Beer Goggles by Paul Di Filippo -- <a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/sf/">Technology Review: Science Fiction</a></span><br />
Set in a not-so-distant future where augmented reality is just as pervasive and ubiquitous as the internet is today, this story follows the life in a day of an average-joe plumber. The narrative tends to focus more on the technology of the story rather than the story itself, however, a story still exists here, and the beer goggles play a heavy role.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">My Internet by Jonathan Lethem -- <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/toc/2012/06/04/toc_20120528">The New Yorker, June 2012 (The Science Fiction Issue)</a></span><br />
This is a short, short story. But it is a lot fun. The first couple of paragraphs are quite poetic and playful, and that spirit kind of flows throughout the rest of the story. And it's a great reminder to the average reader that though the internet is a social place, it can also be quite lonely.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26066">Cosmic Express</a> by Jack Williamson -- Amazing Stories, November 1930</span><br />
Here's a spin about a writer and his gal who, while living in some far distant future where humans have nearly forgotten about the toils and labors their forefathers had to endure, long for the good old days where man obeyed the laws of nature rather than the other way around. It's a little cheesy, but what do you expect? It's from 1930. Read it and respect it.Matthew J. Marlieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16990813011099613599noreply@blogger.com0