I recommend their stuff, just check out Amazon and you’ll find them. I’ve yet to read The Beam but it looks like something Sci-Fi lovers would be into. I do love a good robot story so I will have to check out Robot Proletariat. I enjoyed Daniel Wilson’s Robopacalypse, and the sadly now canceled Almost Human on FOX, so anything with robots, I’m down.
I did read Johnny B. Truant’s Fat Vampire. I went into it thinking, “Well, he’s probably just going to bust on fat people,” but it was actually a story with some heart that showed the struggles that “Reginald” goes through.
They also have a series called Unicorn Western, which is basically, just as the title says, a Western where cowboys ride Unicorns. Cool idea.
I refer to them as “they” like they’re interchangeable, so I’m sorry, I don’t always remember which one did which book, or which of them worked together on which books, but in general, the three of them have some good self-published stuff out there, and I can’t say enough about Write Publish Repeat.
As I mentioned in a previous post about flying cars, I’m working on a sci-fi novel, building my world and keeping my fingers crossed. I thought it would be fun to bring you in and discuss sci fi ideas, topics, technology, various ideas that will help me as I navigate the terrain.
Today, let’s talk video phones. This isn’t a sci-fi stereotype that’s hypothetical. Video phones are here! They’ve been here awhile!
And sadly, they’re about as popular as a turd in the proverbial punchbowl.
As a kid, I remember watching Sci-Fi films and thinking, “What if someone gets a video phone call and they’re not wearing any pants?”
Thus, I proved to be a prophet as I grasped the issue early – no one is wearing any pants.
Seriously! Be honest! How many of you are wearing pants right now?! Show of hands! Be honest!
We have the power to call someone up and look straight at them, but we never use it. Why? Because people just want to sit around their homes sans pants and don’t feel like putting them on just to make a call.
Forget about pants. Maybe people are too self-concious. Maybe they don’t want someone looking at their face, seeing all their zits, being watched and judged for eating a bowl of ice cream whilst being on the phone.
Maybe it’s easier to call up and yell at the cable repairman for not coming between the window of 8 to 7 if you don’t have to stare at his face.
For whatever reason, video communication is here, and it is rarely being used. I have no one who wants to talk to me by video, and I can’t blame people, because my face is hideous and would probably break their phones.
For me, the 1982 film Blade Runner comes to mind when it comes to this topic. In that film, it is anticipated that in 2019, Harrison Ford will sit down at a video pay phone, where another woman takes a seat at her video phone booth, and they have a formal chat looking at one another through their screens. In reality, the pay phone concept, video or otherwise, is long dead, and that woman would probably just want to talk on an audio call, because she’s at home, and probably pantsless. Maybe not. She was kind of classy.
So as the title of this post suggests, let’s talk Sci-Fi. I guess it would be lame to have characters in a book using video phones. No one uses them today and I doubt anyone will be more pro-pants wearing just to take a phone call in the future.
One thing I see in Sci-Fi flicks is holograms. They look cool, but personally, if I’m not putting on pants to take calls, I’m not putting them on to be reproduced as a hologram.
I think far into the distant future, people will still be making audio calls only. What do you think?
And even if I think that, should my characters use hologram communication because, what the hell, holograms are awesome?
Just read Stephen King’s It will be turned into a 2-part film by director Carey Fukunaga of True Detective fame.
There was an early 1990’s made for TV version. I recall being scared crapless by it. I’d probably laugh at it now. It did star the late great John Ritter aka Jack Tripper.
Many of you recently noted under one of my posts that you rank this as one of your favorite novels. What do you think. Will Hollywood do It justice?
I’m working on a sci-fi book idea and it is a new experience for me. So for the next week or so, I’m going to pop in to ask you, the sci-fi nerds of the world, to answer some questions.
Here’s my first one – the flying car – beloved Sci-Fi must-have or outdated trope?
My personal opinion – there are a lot of people, right now, who shouldn’t even be behind the wheel of a regular land car, do we really want them in the equivalent of a small, personal spacecraft? People would literally drive into buildings every 2 seconds. And if your mechanic doesn’t check everything, your car is going to drop out of the sky.
Plus, wouldn’t people crash their flying cars into each other constantly? Is every flying car going to be equipped with some kind of satellite monitoring so they can detect when another car is near so there isn’t a crash?
On the other hand, hey, let’s be honest, they’re cool, and who knows? Tech might evolve one day to the point where they’re feasible and even idiots can drive them with a minimal amount of damage.
My sci-fi world will most likely have flying cars. As a potential reader, is that cool or infuriating?
“My regrets are about the people I couldn’t save—Marines, soldiers, my buddies. I still feel their loss. I still ache for my failure to protect them.”
– Chris Kyle, American Sniper
Chris Kyle – Husband. Father. Navy Seal. Most Lethal U.S. Sniper. Punisher comic-book fan. Self-declared bad-ass. Let’s talk about the film based on Kyle’s autobiography.
I recently saw it and was blown away (no pun intended). Actor Bradley Cooper was recently on The Howard Stern Show, discussing how he gained forty pounds of muscle to play the role, and man did it show. Cooper turned in a solid performance that did Kyle justice, and he’s definitely an Oscar contender.
Kyle’s friends and fellow soldiers nicknamed him, “The Legend.” The name starts out as a joke, but soon it fits as he starts racking up one enemy kill after another. Soldiers say they literally feel better when he’s watching out for them through the lens of his rifle scope. The terrorists hate him, putting out a $180,000 bounty on his head. Kyle jokes, “Don’t tell my wife. She might collect on it.” Self-Deprecating humor is one of his trademarks throughout the film.
Kyle takes an active role in a unit chasing after a terrorist nicknamed, “The Butcher.” As shown in the film, the Butcher has a penchant for running around Iraq with a power drill, which he tortures Iraqis when they dare work with U.S. forces. Also dogging Kyle throughout the film is a sniper known as Mustafa, an Iraqi who once went to the Olympics as a marksman, but later joined the terrorists in fighting against American forces.
The movie follows Kyle through four tours of duty, showing the stresses he experiences on the battlefield, as well as the toll it makes on his life back at home. His wife is unhappy that he keeps returning to battle, and he is suffering from out of control blood pressure.
I’ve read some reader reviews of the book, many positive, some negative (no writer gets off without at least some negative reviews unfortunately). The negative reviews claim Kyle comes across as having a big ego and being full of himself, that he just enjoyed being “a bad-ass.”
Well, here’s the thing – He was a bad-ass. The man made Chuck Norris look like a choir boy. (No offense, Chuck). And according to the movie, he was his own worst self-critic. Rather than be content with all the soldiers he did save, he often focused on those he died, wishing he could have saved them. And when he was home, he felt bad for being home, feeling he needed to be back in Iraq, back in the fight.
Eventually, he does leave active duty and returns to civilian life, but he’s haunted by the war, and still feels he should be helping his fellow soldiers.
Finally, a psychiatrist tells him there are plenty of returned soldiers in the US that could use his help. Kyle begins volunteering with wounded soldiers, taking them out for target practice. The idea was to help struggling veterans feel empowered by working on their marksman skills.
Thankfully the movie does not show it, but Kyle died when a veteran with mental problems he’d volunteered to help shoots him. Very sad to think about how this man cheated death over and over in Iraq only to be murdered by someone he was trying to help.
The book’s a good read, the film’s fast-paced and full of action, both worth your time. Check them out!
Thankfully, the movie doesn’t show it, but sadly, Kyle died when he was shot by a veteran with mental problems he had volunteered to help.
“I’ll never know, and neither will you, of the life you don’t choose. We’ll only know that whatever that sister life was, it was important and beautiful and not ours. It was the ghost ship that didn’t carry us. There’s nothing to do but salute it from the shore.”
― Cheryl Strayed, Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar
I’m glad the movie Wild introduced me to this author, because the quote above is important to remember. Honestly, how much time do we waste thinking, “Oh, I wish I’d done this?” or “I wish I’d done that?” It doesn’t matter, does it? What’s done is done. What’s in the past can’t be changed.
1) Yes. He still uses Livejournal. Supposedly he also still writes his stuff on an old MS DOS Computer.
(Cue Bob Saget How I Met Your Mother Narrator) – Kids, there was a time before Windows when you had to type out instructions of what you wanted your computer to do before it did anything…
2) Is it possible to like football and be a nerd? Should I be worried he’s losing his nerd cred?
3) Forget I asked that. The man created an epic fantasy world and for Christ’s Sake, he wears a Fisherman’s Cap wherever he goes. His nerdyness is beyond reproach or question.
4) I did feel bad about this excerpt that George RR wrote:
As for the non-football contests, yes, of course, GAME OF THRONES lost another Golden Globe. This one to THE AFFAIR. Nothing unexpected there, and I am glad I saved myself some time and money and stayed home. Sad to say, I don’t think any fantasy will ever win a Golden Globe. The prejudice against genre shows runs too deep. I did think Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were great, however, and I liked Allan Cummings in his peach suit-shirt-tie ensemble.
I’ve never seen The Affair. I assume it’s a decent enough show. I have a bias for Game of Thrones because I think it should win everything. And if you want affairs, that show has them every two seconds. But it is sad that this author who’s an expert of the fantasy genre, obviously based on his vast knowledge and experience, concludes fantasy could never win an award due to bias.
Why isn’t Game of Thrones deserving of a Golden Globe? How many shows have there been that are so epic and sweeping in scope, so complicated in terms of plot, and yet have been able to attract so many viewers, and rivet them to a story that features so many different complex characters? GOT is the only show like that, that I can think of.
Again, nothing against The Affair, but I doubt it could possibly have a moment like GOT had last year, where I felt my heart literally sink when The Viper, er, uh, well let’s not give away a spoiler and just say he celebrated too soon.
Back to George RR liking football. Here’s a question for everyone. If NFL teams were Game of Thrones Houses, who would be who?
Here’s my lineup:
GAME OF NFL THRONES
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS/HOUSE LANNISTER – OK. I’m going to lay it out for you. Their owner is Bob Kraft. Bitch, the man owns cheese. Every time you put cheese on your taco the man gets a quarter. Like Tywin, he can put lots of money toward getting the best players.
BALTIMORE RAVENS/HOUSE GREYJOY – The Greyjoys aka the “Iron Born.” Those a-holes run around Westerns with their slogans of “We Do Not Sow” and “We Pay the Iron Price.” In other words, they aren’t exactly law abiding citizens, and as seen last year, neither was their star player, Ray Rice. Although, that might not be fair, as the NFL has been kind of mired as of late with one story after another with players on various teams being accused of wrongdoing. (I could also insert the Oakland Raiders here, but the jokes write themselves).
You guys take it away and finish the list. Because honestly, I’m a nerd and don’t know a whole helluvalot about football. So God help me, I might be a bigger nerd than George RR Martin. And that’s saying something.
Have you ever listened to epic self-publishers Johnny B. Truant, Sean Platt, and David Wright riff about their self-publishing adventures? It’s fun, and aside from the jokes and profanity, they sometimes even make a point or provide you with useful information!
Plus, I’ve enjoyed their non-fiction book, Write. Publish. Repeat. I enjoy Johnny’s mantra that you don’t have to wait for lightning to strike (i.e. get that infamous bestseller) but rather, outwork the need for a lightning strike (i.e. write many novels that sell at decent levels, rather than one that sells at a blockbuster pace).
Bookshelf Battle 